The newest League of Legends champion to join the cast is Viego, the Ruined King himself — from whom the item, Blade of the Ruined King, gets its name.

Riot first introduced Viego as part of their story-driven, turn based RPG, Ruined King: A League of Legends Story, a brand new game set to be released this year. The story centers around playable characters Miss Fortune, Illaoi, Braum, Yasuo, Ahri, and Pyke, who embark on an adventure from Bilgewater to the Shadow Isles.

Not much was revealed about The Ruined King himself, until now. His appearance, abilities, and background story have all been revealed — and basically, he’s the Ulquiorra of Runeterra.

Here’s why I think Viego and Bleach’s Ulquiorra Cifer are cut from the same cloth:

Black, white, and green define their fashion style

To kick off the 2021 season, Riot Games held a livestream last week to give players a first look at League of Legends, Wild Rift, Teamfight Tactics, Legends of Runeterra, and their respective esports scenes.

As part of the stream, their latest 3D cinematic “Ruination” was played, finally revealing the Ruined King (in)gloriously.

Surprised to find out that he will also be joining League of Legends as a champion, I couldn’t help but notice how similar he is to Ulquiorra Cifer, the most famed fourth Arrancar in the Bleach manga and anime series who fought Kurosaki Ichigo in an epic battle.

Besides the fact that both Viego and Ulquiorra are dead villains, they also share similar black, white, and green color schemes. Ulquiorra has already kept his second Resurrection Form a secret from Aizen. But it turns out he also has a Third Form showcased in the Bleach: Brave Souls RPG mobile game.

In his third Etapa, Ulquiorra looks like Viego in anime form, with shoulder length white hair, green eyes, green headdress, a black gaping hole in the heart, and toned abs.

They are both initially OP

Will Viego be imbalanced upon release? League of Legends players don’t just think so; they expect it given the history of recent releases such as Aphelios, Samira, and Sett. Most champions get nerfed post-release.

In a similar vein, Ulquiorra defeated Ichigo — the first character in Bleach to technically kill him — but was quickly vanquished after by Ichigo’s newfound power.

What makes Viego unique is his passive, which is similar to the older version of Mordekaiser’s ultimate but embodied. Take a closer look at Viego’s abilities below:

Passive – Sovereign’s Domination

  • Viego can temporarily possess enemy champions he helps kill, healing for a portion of their max health.
  • During possession, Viego’s items, attacks, and non-ultimate abilities become those of his slain enemy’s, and he gains a free cast of his own ultimate, Heartbreaker.
  • While possessing an enemy, Viego also gets bonus movement speed when moving toward enemy champions.

Q – Blade of the Ruined King

  • Passive: Viego’s attacks deal a percent of the target’s current health as bonus damage on-hit. When Viego attacks an enemy he recently hit with an ability, the attack strikes twice. The second strike siphons health from the target instead of dealing regular damage, but still applies on-hit effects and can critically strike. This passive is maintained during possession.
  • Active: Viego stabs forward with his blade, damaging all enemies hit.

W – Spectral Maw

  • Viego charges up and then dashes forward, hurling a blast of mist that stuns and damages the first enemy hit.
  • Stun duration and mist range increase with charge time, damage and dash range don’t.

E – Harrowed Path

  • Viego spreads a wave of Black Mist around a nearby wall. While in the mist, Viego becomes Camouflaged and gains Attack Speed and Movement Speed.

R – Heartbreaker

  • Viego discards any bodies he is currently possessing and teleports forward, attacking the enemy champion in range with the lowest percent health and dealing bonus damage based on their missing health. Other enemies in range are knocked away.

They are both driven by despair

The deeper reason behind their despair is loneliness. For as much as Ulquiorra lived a solitary life in Hueco Mundo, Viego was left widowed after his wife Isolde was poisoned by an enemy dagger.

Fueled by the unstoppable desire to bring back his love, Viego abandoned his nation and his duties, spending the wealth of his entire kingdom just to find a remedy, hence his title the Ruined King. Upon hearing that the water of the Blessed Isles could heal any ailment, he brought her body there with high hopes.

At the Blessed Isles however, Isolde rose in rage in wraith form, unhappy that she was disturbed from the peace of death. She took Viego’s own blade and stabbed him in the heart with it.

For some reason, the Ruined King has no recollection of Isolde killing him. Now part of the Shadow Isles, the deadly Black Mist outpours from the void where his heart should be. He continues his undying quest to save Isolde without a care for the destruction he leaves in his wake.

Credit: Tite Kubo

Both Viego and Ulquiorra are so cold, so defined by their despair and hollowness, that physically they’re missing a piece of their heart. And neither will ever be whole again.

READ MORE: Every anime reference in the 2021 LPL Spring opening