Rewind four years back to November 22, 2013, when Yasuo – The Unforgiven was first unveiled through his reveal page. A little over a month later, this nonchalant swordsman, designed primarily based on the iconic Musashi Miyamoto (a famous Japanese swordsman), was officially launched. Yasuo was created by CertainlyT – the designer from Riot Games and the mastermind behind champions like Darius, Thresh, and Kalista in League of Legends.
“I am Korean, have played on the Korean server for 6 years, and I have never seen Yasuo jungle like in Vietnam. You know, the moment I saw him lock in Yasuo and take Smite, I thought I was half dead. I thought he was crazy, or a troll, but in the end, we won that game, and he was the one who got the most kills. Truly miraculous.”
That was a heartfelt comment from a Korean friend that was once featured in a rather lengthy article. At that time, and even now, although Yasuo’s “throne” may be slightly shaken by Aphelios or the “Vaybu” squad, the legend remains a legend; the brilliance (and fear) that Yasuo brings to the Vietnamese ranks is irreplaceable.
In Vietnam, Yasuo is called “The God” because his popularity serves as a benchmark for all other champions in League of Legends. Every time a new champion is about to be released, comparisons to Yasuo are inevitable: “Will it be as popular as Yasuo?”, “Will it be as easy to play as Yasuo?”, “Will it be banned as much as Yasuo?”…
So have you ever wondered what international players call Yasuo on other servers? Or do you think that “The God” is only famous enough to have a special nickname in Vietnam? The answer is that wherever you go, Yasuo is indeed a formidable force.
• Korea
First, let’s visit the LCK region. If you search for “Yasuo” in Korean forums, you might come across the word “science” next to it, which is the nickname the Koreans have given him. “야스오 과학입니다” is the title of many Yasuo videos that you can search for on YouTube; it may not sound as good as “The God” but has a similar origin. “Yasuo is called Science. Picking Yasuo is automatic loss, just like a natural law that cannot be reversed” – commented a Korean gamer.
There’s a memorable moment in the LCK when professional play sought to redeem Yasuo’s image, which was on July 12, 2017, during the match between Jin Air Greenwings and KT Rolsters. SoHwan laughed loudly, Yasuo was locked in, and the audience in the stadium erupted at the appearance of “The God.”
40 minutes later, JAG’s base became an airport.
However, 20 minutes later, JAG made a comeback, and SoHwan’s Yasuo took down both Deft and Dawn in the final fight, officially establishing Yasuo’s legend of “gank team” in the world’s premier League of Legends tournament.
• China
Quite surprisingly, Riot Blaustoise once mentioned that in the China server, Yasuo is called 快乐风男, which translates to Happy Wind. Currently, there is no clear explanation for this nickname, but it sounds quite refreshing. By the way, in China, Rengar is referred to as… Pug Dog, and Nasus as… Dog Head.
• North America
To be precise, this isn’t exactly a nickname, just a way of referring when talking about Yasuo: “Your team’s Yasuo vs. their team’s Yasuo”. This is also the common lament we express about the stark differences in the power of The God in the hands of our team’s player versus the enemy team. It turns out that gamers from other regions feel this pain just like in the Vietnamese ranks.
Conclusion
Each League of Legends region has its own traditions and ways of calling Yasuo, but it is true that Yasuo remains an enigmatic force, the Almighty God, instilling fear across the Summoner’s Rift. How about you, do you know any other nicknames for him?