Cassiopeia Year of the Snake
Cassiopeia Year of the Snake is the first Lunar New Year skin associated with the names of the 12 zodiac animals that appeared in League of Legends and is considered one of the most impressive Lunar New Year skins. This skin is designed with two main colors: blue and red. When Cassiopeia dons this outfit, she looks very alluring and more graceful than usual.
Once one of the hottest meta champions, Cassiopeia can now be considered out of the meta after several consecutive nerfs. Perhaps in the future, Cassiopeia can only return if Riot decides to give her a significant buff, or in necessary cases, a complete rework might be needed to bring this half-human, half-snake champion back to Summoner’s Rift.
Azir Year of the Rooster
The Azir Year of the Rooster skin is the second Lunar New Year skin associated with the names of the 12 zodiac animals in League of Legends history. Released during the Lunar New Year of 2017, Azir Year of the Rooster is highly regarded for its design, with both the appearance and splash art exuding the majesty of an emperor. Moreover, Azir Year of the Rooster is also linked to one of the most turbulent seasons in the history of the Teamfight Tactics mode from Riot.
Unlike Cassiopeia or any other name on this list, Azir is not necessarily out of the meta. This champion is not particularly dominant or tied to any specific meta. However, Azir is very strong in the laning phase with excellent poke abilities as well as an “overpowered” team fight initiation skill set that requires a high level of skill from the player. To this day, Azir is still often used when teams want to employ a continuous team fight strategy. However, compared to his “golden age,” the king of Shurima has indeed fallen out of favor to some extent.
Nasus and Warwick Year of the Dog
Warwick Year of the Dog is one of the most aesthetically pleasing skins in the Lunar New Year skin line of League of Legends in general and Warwick’s skins in particular. No longer resembling a Rampaging Beast, Warwick Year of the Dog appears as a deity from the heavens with a radiant aura. Moreover, Warwick Year of the Dog is considered “pay-to-win” as the effects of this champion are easier to see and help players control him more effectively.
Released alongside Warwick in the Year of the Dog Lunar New Year skin line is Nasus Year of the Dog. If Warwick’s skin was grand, Nasus’s is even more dazzling and embodies the essence of a deity. The appearance features a brilliant golden color along with meticulously crafted ability effects, which are highlights of the Nasus Year of the Dog skin. However, as of now, both of these champions have fallen out of the meta. In fact, Nasus has become the subject of jokes from the famous male streamer Thầy Giáo Ba with the legendary number 0175.
Sejuani Year of the Pig
The last name and also the most recent champion to have a Lunar New Year skin associated with the 12 zodiac animals is Sejuani Year of the Pig. Similar to the aforementioned names, Sejuani is also saying “goodbye” to Summoner’s Rift, with her most recent appearance being at the play-in stage of the 2021 World Championship. However, since entering the Main Event, Sejuani has been missing without a scheduled return.
And this is also the last skin released for the Lunar New Year associated with the imagery of the 12 zodiac animals. As of now, another Lunar New Year is approaching, and it seems that no additional zodiac or champion has been selected to “join” this special skin line from Riot.