Ahhh – the poro! While the poro was a late-comer to the League of Legends game, this cute, furry creature has become one of the most well-loved symbols in the entire game. Tiny and shaped like a little puffy ball of fur, these little creatures have become an integral part of League of Legends culture.
First introduced in the Howling Abyss map, the environmental artists were looking for something fun and cute to balance out the cold atmosphere of the Abyss. Not only did they have to think of something that fit in with the League culture, but they had to make something noticeable without being too distracting; they didn’t want players confusing their little addition for a minion or monster in the heat of battle.
That’s where the idea of a tiny poro was born. While drawing concept sketches, one of the designers added an adorably large tongue. With its resemblance to a puppy, the personality, and the tongue stuck, and the poro became the fun and playful little critters that are now in the game.
And the name? Developers tossed around a few ideas until they came up with “poro”. Believe it or not, it’s the Finnish word for “reindeer”! While the name was designed to be temporary, beta-testers for Howling Abyss loved the name, so these cute little guys ended up being “poros” permanently! With all of the love surrounding this small addition to the game, poros even have their own lore.
Do you know some fun facts about this little pet? If you turn a little poro upside-down, they have a heart-shaped underbelly because they’re made of pure love. A poro’s horns will perk up when they’re excited, and they’ll droop down when they’re scared. While these little guys are supposed to be tough, at one point, Riot even animated the poros to fall over and twitch if they ran into the Howling Abyss fountains. How cute!
Now that you know the history of these adorable little guys, are you ready for the best part? Riot took the adorable appearance of poros and applied it to your favorite champions: AnniePoro, DravenPoro, DariusPoro, and more! Not only are they just downright adorable, but Riot created them in large sizes – perfect for your desktop wallpaper.
These poros channel your favorite characters perfectly! See the full gallery on Imgur to find your favorite champion in adorable, puffball form.
