The new League of Legends champion is… interesting. Briar was a failed experiment by the Black Rose. She has an uncontrollable bloodlust that requires a special pillory to focus her frenzied mind. For years, she was confined but one day broke free. Her design and backstory is rather interesting. Riot describes her character as “It’s giving sweet but deadly” vibes.

Now let’s talk about her abilities!

Briar’s Abilities

Passive – Crimson Curse

Briar’s attacks and abilities apply a stacking bleed that heals her for a portion of the damage dealt. Perpetually hungry, she gains increased healing based on her missing health but lacks innate
health regeneration. She will also heal for any remaining bleed damage when a bleeding enemy dies.

Q – Head Rush

Briar leaps to a unit dealing damage as well as stunning them and breaking their armor. Briar will stop prioritizing enemy Champions if she casts this ability on a minion or monster during the effects of Blood Frenzy.

W – Blood Frenzy/Snack Attack

Briar leaps forward and shatters her pillory, entering a Blood Frenzy that causes her to relentlessly pursue the nearest enemy (prioritizing champions). While frenzied she gains increased Attack Speed and Move Speed and her attacks deal damage in an area around her target.

Briar can reactivate this ability while frenzied to take a CHOMP out of her target on the next attack, dealing additional damage based on their missing health and healing her based on the damage dealt.

E – Chilling Scream

Briar refocuses her mind, removing Blood Frenzy and channeling energy into a powerful scream that damages and slows enemies. While charging she takes reduced damage and heals for a portion of her max health. A fully charged scream knocks back, dealing additional damage and stunning enemies that hit a wall.

R – Certain Death

Briar kicks a hemolith, marking the first champion hit as her prey. She then belines straight to them, fearing other surrounding enemies on arrival, and enters a state of complete hematomania. She will pursue her prey until one of them dies, gaining the effects of Blood Frenzy as well as additional Armor, Magic Resist, Lifesteal, and Move Speed.

Briar’s Backstory

Briar was brought to life through hemomancy, or to put it simply blood magic, courtesy of the Black Rose. Crafted as a living weapon, she relies on consuming blood for sustenance, and she has an undeniable craving for it.

The Black Rose made her smart enough to understand and carry out orders, but there’s a catch. To make her effective at eliminating targets, Briar was constantly kept in a frenzied state of bloodlust. In this mode, her intelligence and words boiled down to, “NEED MORE BLOOD!”

“She really only went out on two missions. And both times she failed by the Black Rose’s standards because she was uncontrollable. She actually killed too many other people. So Briar knows that she was a failed experiment. That’s part of her burden now. She’s redefining herself.” – reveals narrative lead Max “TwoWeevils” Folkman.

Briar didn’t just kill her targets; anyone blocking her way met the same fate. Despite the Black Rose’s careful planning, she turned out to be a problem rather than an advantage. After failing her missions, the Black Rose put a Pillory on her which was secured with a hemolith, a special gem that had magical powers to control Briar’s impulses. The intention was for the pillory to keep her locked up indefinitely in her cell. However, eventually, Briar managed to manipulate the hemolith, freeing herself from the restraint. Thankfully, the pillory’s influence is something she appreciates, which is fortunate for those in her vicinity. Her frenzy was also replaced by the pillory’s hold and she soon found solace in the clear-headedness it provided.

“Prior to being in the pillory, she was on autopilot with her sensations. Especially with her hunger. Her violence was essentially created to be a part of her existence, and after having that pillory put on her, she realized that this device was sort of a cursing and a blessing. Yes, a cursing [laughs]. You can quote me on that. She was finally able to mellow out and start processing what it means to think and have thoughts. Her pillory brought to her a period of reflection and learning—about identity, and wanting an identity of her own.” – explains narrative editor Elan “Qulani” Stimmel.