If you’ve been wondering who that little ball of fluff is that features in the merch and fanart for League of Legends, we’ve got you: It’s a Poro!
In League of Legends, there is a familiar little ball off floof and fluff that hops across the Howling Abyss called a Poro. But if you're unsure what this creature is, don't worry - We're here to divulge all that's known about the Poro species and just how Poros have become the face of League of Legends merchandise and art.
Poros? What is a Poro?
Poros first appeared in the game as part of the the new Howling Abyss ARAM map added in 2012. Poros featured as passive creatures in the game mode, who could be fed Poro-Snax to make them grow in size. And if a Poro is fed too many Snax they explode into multiple other Poros! This was a fun little distraction in the more casual ARAM game mode.
According to the lore though, it's speculated Poros come from the Frejlord, a frozen region of Runeterra.
"Born out of love, blinded by glee, innocent, pure, magic and free. Faithful, trusting, often naive, soft, furry; their heads hold the key"
While Poros are not an in-game champion that can be played, they do feature throughout the game and can be seen making special appearances: Such as Poro-Snax in the in-game shop.
They can also be seen most frequently as a mascot to the Snowdown Showdown and Legend of the Poro King game mode events.
Poro facts
- Poro's first appeared in League of Legends in 2012
- Braum is a friend to the Poros, and if Braum feeds one a Poro-Snax, it'll grow a moustache!
- In Finnish, "Poro" means reindeer
- According to Riot Games, the collective noun for Poros is a "Fluft." A fluft of Poros!
- Players used to be able to kill Poros by herding them into the Fountain. This was changed so now Poros who stray too close to the Fountain are shot back out into the Howling Abyss,
- Poros have a dark side: Allegedly they enjoy mocking and teasing Champions on the Howling Abyss. And eating a Poro apparently causes it to burst out of your chest like the movie Alien...
The face of merch for League of Legends and Riot Games
Poros have become most recognizable for their prominence on League of Legends merchandise, whether that be plushies, hats, or figures and statues. Over the years we have seen Poros incorporated into various items; including special anniversary statues, plushies for your gaming chair, as well as limited edition merch like the Dplus KIA Worlds 2020 winners statue.
The Poro is also a popular subject for fanart created across the fandom: From adorable icons created by fellow League players to statue ideas and even skins! Here are some of our favorite Poro fanart made by the community:
Adorable Poros in-Game
Just in case you can't get enough of those adorable floofs, Poros often feature in limited edition icon drops, including region-specific icons. An adorable example of this is the LoL China Anniversary icon from 2022 that features a Poro drinking milk tea:
There are plenty of Poro icons out there so if your game is missing one, keep your eye out to claim one for yourself. And just because we can, here is another adorable favorite Poro icon:
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