Tarzan Becomes the “Runner-Up King” of the New Generation
Before the finals of the LPL 2025 Split 1 playoffs took place, AL was seen as a huge phenomenon of this year’s tournament. During the recent transfer period, AL made significant investments by bringing in notable names like Flandre, Tarzan… aiming to rise up to the title-contending group. And in reality, they achieved this as AL performed exceptionally well in the group stage of LPL 2025 Split, also defeating both JDG and NIP to reach the finals.
However, when facing TES for the championship, AL revealed significant weaknesses in their competitive mindset. As a result, they were defeated by TES relatively easily with a score of 1-3 and watched their opponents lift the championship trophy of LPL 2025 Split 1. Not stopping there, AL also lost the opportunity to prove their strength on the international stage as they have to stay home watching the upcoming First Stand 2025 tournament.
For Tarzan personally, he set quite an embarrassing record after the recent defeat. Specifically, LPL 2025 Split 1 marked the sixth time Tarzan finished as a runner-up since he began his career as a professional player. He is also one of the few players to achieve the runner-up position in regional tournaments while wearing four different team jerseys. Previously, Tarzan had been a runner-up with Griffin (LCK Spring 2018, LCK Spring and Summer 2019), LNG (LPL Summer 2023), WBG (LPL Summer 2024), and most recently in LPL 2025 Split 1 with AL.
It is worth noting that among the former players of Griffin, Tarzan is one of the few who has never held an official title within the Riot system. While Doran, Chovy, and Lehends have all won regional tournaments, and Viper even has the 2021 World Championship title, Tarzan still hasn’t been able to find success for himself. Therefore, many LPL fans have given Tarzan the nickname “the new generation runner-up king” after learning about his embarrassing record.
Tarzan’s Runner-Up Count May Increase
Fairly speaking, Tarzan had a decent performance in LPL 2025 Split 1 as he played exceptionally well during the group stage. Even in matches against JDG and NIP, he was the driving force that helped AL secure victories. However, the mindset of a champion is what Tarzan lacks, and it has caused him to face disappointment against TES in the recent match.
Therefore, it wouldn’t be surprising if in the upcoming Split 2 and Split 3, AL and Tarzan again demonstrate high performance in the group stage but continue to finish as runners-up. This team has performed excellently in terms of expertise but needs significant improvements in their mentality, especially in crucial matches. It would be truly disappointing for Tarzan if he has a few more runner-up finishes after this season ends.