#zaahen

[aurelion-solar]

Zaahen takes Xin Zhao as his host - Twilight's End Cinematic

[icepher]

Le bird

[xingyueiri]

镜花水月

[fromdusttoashes]

[jyang030107]

League stuff doesn’t usually do good on tumblr but whatever have my zaahen design take

Yap about design below

So I have a couple gripes with the zaahen leaked design that’s been going around

First, zaahen is a darkin, and by lore, darkin are essentially corrupted ascendeds. They’re were then sealed into weapons. Zaahen was also sealed and it was stated that he could not resist the corruption that also took over the others. So, assuming in game, he has been unsealed from his weapon and taken over a host, there’s no reason why he should be so human. (Not considering varus because he’s old) xolaani and Joraal are darkins with known singular human hosts. Joraal is only visibly human through his proportions and xolaani, what can be considered the most ‘human’ darkin also does not have a fully human face. Zaahen having a completely human face is jarring, it’s too far from the modern design philosophy of darkin that riot previously established in lor and with naafiri

Second I think the armour itself (when you look past the colours) adheres mostly to the darkin design philosophy, the lines are very similar to naafiri. However, it’s too symmetrical, this might be a thing for zaahen because he was ‘good’ but this could also be a riot was lazy kind of thing. All of the other darkin have a mix of inorganic and organic shapes in their design and zaahen’s mostly just looks like armour… it’s missing the layered flesh look

Lastly the colour (white and gold and blue fabric ) is supposed to be obviously demacian which I don’t think is bad but man. All darkin are red or at least that maroon purple colour. The colours just don’t make him look like a darkin. You can give him demacian details in his design but he’s completely white with some gold armour. What the hell man

[lilymaki]

yunaahen log

[piltover-sharpshooter]

So, I actually think that Zaahen fits my narrative interpretation of the League Darkins representing Post-War PTSD Soldiers and how they react to war really well.

As I mentioned in previous points, Aatrox became suicidal (War isn't over until I die), Rhaast Sociopathic and Sadistic (War isn't over and that's good actually), Varus actually has a little support group with his hosts (Maybe War is bad actually), and Naafiri degraded herself to the concept of a beast to not face reality (War?? Too complex. I'm dog. I do things because) .

By contrast, Zaahen became an isolationist, much like Naafiri he chose to escape reality but did so much more literally. He could not concieve of a way to remain in the world and heal, despite the fact that he had not being as terrible as his siblings and apparently had a circle of people who believed in him with the Kinkou of that time.

It's honestly kinda sad, despite everything, despite remaining true to his morals and helping until the end, the truth is that Zaahen is just as traumatized as the other darkin. That's the horror of war, it leaves everyone who participates in it broken in some way.

[cascanora]

I loved Zaahen in the twilight's end cinematic so much. Just had to make fanart for him after seeing that, fortiche never misses wow.