Talon — official Riot artwork

the Blade's Shadow

Talon

Survival on Noxus’s streets taught Talon to kill before his enemies could react. Taken in by the Du Couteau family, he applies those skills to targets chosen by the empire.

Noxus 2 min read 1 videos

Artwork · Riot Games

Watch & listen

Talon on screen

1 videos

Other video

Talon: Champion Spotlight | Gameplay - League of Legends

An official champion presentation. Gameplay and visual design reflect the recording.

Region
Noxus
Affiliation
House Du Couteau

Biography & reading · THE RUNE

Riot Games · Complete Universe biography

Talon’s story

Talon's earliest memories are the darkness of Noxus' underground passages and the reassuring steel of a blade. He remembers no family, warmth, or kindness. Instead, the clink of stolen gold and the security of a wall at his back are all the kinship he has ever craved. Kept alive only by his quick wits and deft thievery, Talon scraped out a living in the seedy underbelly of Noxus. His mastery of the blade quickly marked him as a threat, and Noxian guilds sent assassins to him with a demand: join their ranks or be killed. He left the bodies of his pursuers dumped in Noxus' moat as his response.

The assassination attempts grew increasingly frequent until one assailant met Talon blade-for-blade in a match of strength. To his surprise, Talon was disarmed and facing down his executioner's sword when the assassin revealed himself to be General Du Couteau. The General offered Talon the choice between death at his hand, or life as an agent of the Noxian High Command. Talon chose life, on the condition that his service was to Du Couteau alone, for the only type of orders he could respect were from one he could not defeat.

Early Talon linework · official character artworkRiot Games

Talon remained in the shadows, carrying out secret missions on Du Couteau's orders that took him from the frigid lands of the Freljord to the inner sanctums of Demacia itself. When the general vanished, Talon considered claiming his freedom, but he had gained immense respect for Du Couteau after years in his service. He became obsessed with tracking down the general's whereabouts, and scours the land in search of those responsible for Du Couteau's disappearance.

Noxus — official Riot artwork
Noxus · Riot Games

A place in Runeterra

Noxus

Noxus values useful strength in many forms, including talent and magic. Its promise that people can rise regardless of origin helps explain why some join an empire others experience as conquest and brutality.

The old noble houses still hold power despite that meritocratic ideal. The tension between expansion abroad and competing interests at home makes individual perspectives especially important: a soldier, a conquered person and an aristocrat may describe very different empires.

From the Riot art archive

Talon, in detail

4 images · select to enlarge

Their part in the world

Connected characters

Katarina

the Sinister Blade

Katarina combines a Noxian assassin’s training with fierce personal ambition. The daughter of General Du Couteau pursues difficult targets even when her readiness to take risks can endanger those beside her.

Explore Katarina →

Quinn

Demacia's Wings

Quinn and Valor operate as a coordinated partnership on dangerous Demacian missions. The ranger’s crossbow and the eagle’s aerial tracking let them find and strike enemies who may not recognize both attackers.

Explore Quinn →

Cassiopeia

the Serpent's Embrace

A search for ancient power took this Noxian noblewoman into Shuriman tombs. A guardian’s bite transformed her into a serpentine predator, giving her new ways to manipulate and petrify her enemies.

Explore Cassiopeia →

The source archive

Sources & further reading

Biography by Riot Games; reading notes and contextual chapters by The Rune. Official illustrations and videos are credited to Riot Games; development art depicts the design process.

  1. Riot Universe · Talon biography ↗
  2. Riot Universe · Talon archive ↗
  3. Riot Universe · Noxus ↗
  4. Talon: Champion Spotlight | Gameplay - League of Legends ↗
  5. The Stranger on the Road · A High Noon Gothic story by River Jaffe ↗
  6. The Name of the Blade · Ian St. Martin ↗

Official publication

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