The new League of Legends Season has started, and Riot has blessed us with a ton of changes, a lovely new Demacian map, and an amazing cinematic. In the new cinematic, we see a range of Demacian champions, and in this article, we will be discussing each of the champions in the new cinematic!
Before we begin, you have to watch the new cinematic. I think it is really good, and one of the best cinematics they have created. The graphics and animations are fantastic, and I really like the combination of different champions chosen for the cinematic and the mix of actual champions and non-champions.
If you want to learn how to play any of the champions mentioned in this guide, or any other champions in LoL, head over to the Mobalytics Page for tips and tricks on any champion, or head over to our new and improved guides page for articles to help you climb in season 2026.
Cinematic Breakdown (Spoilers Ahead)
The Cinematic begins with Garen in a forest, training with other soldiers and preparing for a war. However, darkness interrupts their training and assends over the world (Nocturne pressed R basically)! Meanwhile, Sona is in a village, plucking her strings and sharing light as she saves the people around her.
There is a dragon attacking a village, and Shyvana, in her dragon form, is there to protect it, but she quickly changes back to her human form. She is saved by Valor and Quinn. It then cuts to a character being chased on horseback, who happens to be Yunara. She is carrying a sword.
The cinematic ends in darkness, fading from Demacia, as all characters, except some villagers, survived the darkness and the Dragon's attacks.
A Little Back Story
While the new season of LoL is Demacian-themed, not every champion featured in the cinematic is actually from Demacia. The champions are from various regions in Runeterra.
Garen, Sona, Shyvana, and Quinn are all from Demacia, while Yunara is from Ionia. But why did Riot include Yunara, an Ionian champion, in the Salvation cinematic? We need to go back a little bit… Xin Zhao was sent to Ionia by King Jarvan III to restore peace, and while he was there, he encountered Yunara.
Yunara was guarding Zaahen, but she stopped when a disturbance caused by Atakhan occurred. Leblanc manipulated Xin Zhao into retrieving the darling weapon, and at the end of Twilight’s End, we saw Xin Zhao and Yunara battling demons.
Unfortunately, Xin Zhao was absorbed into Zaahen and died. This is why we see Yunara in this cinematic. She is returning Xin Zhao’s weapon to Demacia.
How to Play All the Salvation Cinematic Champions
We will now break down how to play each champion in the Salvation cinematic. Each champion has a unique playstyle and is different from one another. If you want to get any of the builds presented in this guide imported directly into your client, you should install the Mobalytics App to stay up-to-date with the latest builds for your favourite champions. Now is a great time to download it, as we have had a ton of season 16 item changes.
Garen
On patch 15.24, Garen had a 50.2% win rate in the Top lane, making him a good champion for many players, and as he is relatively straightforward and easy to understand, he is very beginner-friendly. While Garen is one of the original champions in the game, his kit still holds up compared to some newer champions.
Garen excels during the laning phase thanks to his strong kill pressure. He has good sustain in lane and lots of burst damage with his Q and E, which allows him to punish mistakes and win trades when the enemy mispositions.
As the game progresses, Garen can either quickly kill the enemy backline alone, using his strong mobility and high damage to one-shot squishy carries. Alternatively, he can apply pressure to the side lanes and towers as Garen is an excellent splitpusher.
How to Play Garen
Nocturne
Nocturne is a viable pick in the new Season of LoL. He is known for his relatively fast jungle clear, even after the recent changes to the jungle in season 16. Nocturne is relatively simple to play, making him a good choice for players who want to learn the Jungle role this year.
During the early and mid-game, Nocturne excels at applying pressure by taking objectives and ganking his allies from afar. His Ultimate allows him to engage from long distances and out of sight. A good Nocturne will be playing around his Ultimate, and looking to pick up a kill whenever it comes off cooldown.
As the game progresses, Nocturne becomes a major threat, capable of quickly taking down isolated targets and key carries. As many champions will be split up in the new season of LoL, he will easily pick up kills during the mid and late game. On patch 15.24, Nocturne had a 49.6% win rate in the Jungle.
How to Play Nocturne
Quinn
On patch 15.24, Quinn had a 52.8% win rate in the Top lane, although she would’ve won the majority of matchups in the games she was played in. As a ranged champion, she has an advantage against most of the Top laners who are currently being played in the new season of LoL.
Quinn excels at winning the lane and snowballing by constantly applying pressure to the enemy Top laner by harassing them. She can punish opponents who walk up to last hit and harass them with her basic attacks.
In the mid and late-game, Quinn excels at split-pushing and applying pressure across the map. She can also assassinate and pick off champions who are isolated or alone. Also, as her Ultimate is a mobility tool, she can quickly move between lanes, allowing her to split push, apply pressure and group with her team.
How to Play Quinn
Shyvana
Even though Shyvana has a 49.2% win rate in the Jungle role on patch 15.24, she isn’t one of the best Junglers in the current season. However, she will be better later this year, as Riot is going to rework her.
Shyvana is known as a strong-scaling champion who prioritises early farming, securing objectives and picking up as much gold, CS, and XP as possible. Unlike other Junglers who focus on ganking, she doesn’t force any ganks and instead prefers to focus on farming.
Depending on her build path, Shyvana’s mid and late-game differ. If she is built tanky, then she will be the frontline for her team: soaking up damage and focusing the enemy backline. If she is built AP, she will fly in with her Ultimate and bash the enemy backline with her E and deal tons of AOE damage.
How to Play Shyvana
Sona
Sona is a strong enchanter in the League of Legends. On patch 15.24, Sona had a 51.9% win rate as a Support, making her one of the better Supports to play. Sona is also a very old champion, as she was released in 2010. Like Garen, she is really easy to play, which makes her great for people who are not very good.
Sona has strong healing and shielding, and she can provide a lot of utility for her team, which is great during the laning phase and team fights. However, Sona is very weak and squishy, which makes her vulnerable to all-ins, poke and damage.
In team fights and in the mid and late-game, Sona excels at empowering her allies with her spells and abilities. She will constantly provide shields, healing and speed boosts to keep her allies alive and dish out damage. Her Ultimate is also a strong CC tool that can turn the tide of exchanges and keep her allies alive.
How to Play Sona
Yunara
Yunara is the newest champion on our list, and also one of the hardest. On patch 15.24, Yunara had a 47.7% win rate in the ADC role, which isn’t good compared to many other ADCs in the current meta. She relies on the player having strong mechanics and understanding of LoL to win.
She is far from the strongest ADC in the early game, and she unfortunately has many bad matchups where she will struggle to perform well. She is vulnerable to strong all-in and Jungle ganks, forcing her to play safer earlier on and focus on farming and scaling.
In the mid and late game, Yunara becomes a strong champion as she will have multiple items completed, which allow her to deal consistent damage in team fights. As long as the Yunara has a good Support and positions well, she can easily melt the enemy team in a team fight.
How to Play Yunara
Final Thoughts
That about sums up our article and breakdown of the new Salvations cinematic. What did you think about it, and what do you think about the new seaon of LoL? Personally, I am excited to load up some ranked in the upcoming days!