In collaboration with South Korean comics artist Gronoc, Riot Games released the newest community comic collab titled “Irelia,” which follows the Blade Dancer as she struggles to come to terms with her actions after the war between Noxus and Ionia.
The new Irelia comic is the latest in a series of community comic collabs where artists team up with the League of Legends developer to create fan-inspired takes on their favorite characters. For those wishing to avoid any spoilers, the first four parts of the comic can be found on the League of Legends Nexus.
Part one opens with Karma speaking of Irelia’s dark fate. The Blade Dancer herself then takes the scene, speaking to an assassin who prods her on how many people she’s killed.
In part two, Irelia scrubs at one of her blades, attempting to rid the metal of its blood stains with little success. Despite the blade’s cleanliness, the stains reappear, pointing to the guilt that plagues her conscience.
Irelia reminisces about her grandmother, the woman who taught her how to dance and wield her blades now stained with slaughter, giving readers an insight into the relationship between the two characters and how it changed when Irelia killed those responsible for her father’s death.
Then, while deep in meditation, a woman named Darha approaches Irelia and lauds the blade-wielder as Ionia’s savior. While it isn’t explicitly mentioned in the first four parts of the comic, Darha is actually a reincarnation of Karma.
In an attempt to quell Irelia’s internal suffering, Darha speaks of Soraka’s story and encourages the Blade Dancer to find solace in those who she protects. The comic ends with Darha leaving Irelia alone with her thoughts.
Readers will find out what happens next in part five, although the comic’s next release date has yet to be revealed.
