The 10 Best Champions in League of Legends Classic

League of Legends Classic is finally here, giving players the chance to experience one of the most iconic eras in League history. Built around the Season 3 version of the game, the mode brings back classic champion kits, old-school gameplay, and the nostalgic Summoner’s Rift that many longtime players still consider one of League’s best eras.

Because League Classic is based on Season 3, many of the champions at the top of this list are the same picks that dominated the meta during that time. Their original kits, item synergies, and power spikes made them some of the strongest champions in early League, and they continue to perform exceptionally well in the Classic game mode.

After spending time testing the mode on the PBE, it’s already clear that some champions are much stronger than others. In this article, we’ll rank the 10 best champions in League of Legends Classic, explain why they were so dominant during Season 3, and show which picks you should prioritize when League Classic launches on the live servers.

#10: Vayne

Vayne remains one of the strongest ADCs in League of Legends Classic, just as she was during the original Season 3 era. Thanks to her incredible late-game scaling, true damage, and dueling power, she can quickly become one of the hardest champions to stop once she reaches a few core items.

Her biggest strength is Silver Bolts (W), which deals true damage based on the target’s maximum health. This allows Vayne to melt tanks while still having enough damage to eliminate squishy carries, making her a threat against almost every team composition.

Vayne is also extremely difficult to lock down in the hands of a skilled player. Tumble (Q) provides constant repositioning, while Final Hour (R) gives her additional damage and stealth during tumbles, making it much easier to outplay opponents in extended fights.

Although her laning phase can be challenging, Vayne’s payoff is worth the wait. Once she reaches her item spikes, she becomes one of the best late-game carries in League of Legends Classic, capable of carrying teamfights and single-handedly winning games.

#9: Zed

Zed is one of the strongest assassins in League of Legends Classic, and it’s no surprise to see him on this list. During the original Season 3 era, Zed dominated solo queue thanks to his incredible burst damage, mobility, and ability to instantly eliminate enemy carries before a fight even began.

His biggest strength is Death Mark (R), which allows him to dive onto high-priority targets, unload his full combo, and escape before the enemy team can punish him. In League Classic, where many champions have fewer defensive tools than they do today, Zed is even more threatening against squishy champions.

Zed also has excellent outplay potential. His shadows let him dodge skill shots, reposition during fights, and confuse opponents while dealing heavy damage from multiple angles. A skilled Zed player can pressure side lanes, win one-on-one duels, and constantly threaten the enemy backline throughout the game.

While he requires strong mechanics to master, the payoff is enormous. His burst damage, mobility, and snowball potential make Zed one of the best champions in League of Legends Classic, especially for players who enjoy aggressive, high-skill assassins.

#8: LeBlanc

LeBlanc is one of the most feared AP assassins in League of Legends Classic, and during the original Season 3 meta, she was a nightmare for anyone playing a squishy champion. Her incredible burst damage, mobility, and ability to escape after a kill made her one of the strongest mid lane picks of the era.

What makes LeBlanc so powerful is her ability to eliminate enemy carries in seconds. With a full combo, she can burst down most ADCs and Mages before they even have a chance to react. Her high mobility also allows her to roam around the map, pressure side lanes, and snowball games by picking off isolated targets.

Another reason LeBlanc excels in League Classic is her exceptional outplay potential. Distortion (W) gives her a reliable way to engage and escape, while Mimic (R) lets her repeat one of her abilities for even more damage or mobility. In the hands of a skilled player, she is incredibly difficult to catch and punish.

Although LeBlanc requires good mechanics and smart decision-making, she is one of the best champions in League of Legends Classic for players who enjoy assassins. Her burst damage, roaming power, and ability to dominate the mid game make her a constant threat from start to finish.

#7: Jayce

Jayce was one of the most dominant champions during the Season 3 era, making him an easy choice for this list of the best champions in League of Legends Classic. His ability to switch between ranged and melee forms gave him unmatched versatility, allowing him to bully lanes, win trades, and remain a threat throughout the game.

One of Jayce’s biggest strengths is his oppressive laning phase. His ranged attacks constantly pressure opponents, while his melee form gives him strong burst damage and mobility whenever he wants to commit to an all-in. Very few champions could match his trading power during the early days of League.

Jayce also excels at sieging objectives. His Shock Blast combined with Acceleration Gate deals massive poke damage from long range, forcing enemies away from towers before a fight even begins. This made him one of the strongest champions for controlling objectives and breaking enemy defenses in Season 3.

While Jayce requires good mechanics to master both forms, his flexibility, poke, burst damage, and lane dominance make him one of the best champions in League of Legends Classic and one of the strongest picks for experienced players.

#6: Thresh

Thresh quickly became one of the most influential Support champions after his release, and in League of Legends Classic, he is once again one of the strongest picks available. During the Season 3 era, his versatile kit completely changed how the Support role was played, offering engage, disengage, crowd control, and utility all in one champion.

What makes Thresh so powerful is the amount of playmaking he brings to every game. Death Sentence (Q) can catch enemies from long range, Dark Passage (W) can save teammates or create unexpected engages, and Flay (E) gives him excellent peeling and disruption. Few champions can control fights as effectively as Thresh.

Thresh also scales well thanks to his passive, which allows him to collect souls and permanently increase his armor and Ability Power. As matches go longer, he becomes even tankier while continuing to provide valuable crowd control and utility for his team.

Although Thresh has a high skill ceiling, he rewards players who invest time into learning his mechanics. His ability to start fights, protect allies, and create game-changing plays makes him one of the best champions in League of Legends Classic and one of the strongest Supports from the Season 3 era.

#5: Elise

Elise was one of the most dominant junglers during the Season 3 era, and she remains a top-tier pick in League of Legends Classic. Her fast jungle clear, strong early ganks, and high burst damage made her one of the most feared champions in competitive play and solo queue alike.

What makes Elise so powerful is her ability to pressure the map from the very beginning of the game. Her Human Form provides long-range poke and crowd control with Cocoon (E), while Spider Form gives her burst damage, mobility, and the tools needed to quickly finish off low-health targets. This combination makes her one of the strongest early-game playmakers in League Classic.

Elise also excels at diving enemy champions thanks to Rappel (E), which allows her to dodge abilities, reset tower aggro, and create outplay opportunities that very few junglers can match. A skilled Elise player can snowball lanes early and build an advantage that is difficult for the enemy team to recover from.

Although she is strongest during the early and mid game, her ability to control the pace of the match is exactly why she was considered one of the best champions of the Season 3 meta. If you want an aggressive jungler capable of taking over games from the first few minutes, Elise is one of the best champions in League of Legends Classic.

#4: Jax

Jax has always been one of the best scaling champions in League of Legends, and during the Season 3 era, he was considered one of the strongest duelists in the game. In League of Legends Classic, his original kit and item synergies once again make him a terrifying pick capable of carrying games on his own.

What makes Jax so powerful is his ability to win almost any one-on-one fight once he reaches a few core items. Counter Strike (E) allows him to dodge basic attacks before stunning nearby enemies, making him incredibly effective against ADCs and other auto-attack-based champions.

Jax is also an exceptional split pusher. His passive attack speed, strong sustained damage, and excellent tower-taking ability let him pressure side lanes constantly, forcing the enemy team to either send multiple champions to stop him or lose objectives. If left alone for even a short time, Jax can quickly destroy turrets and create huge map pressure.

Although his early game is not the strongest, Jax scales into one of the most dangerous champions in League Classic. His dueling power, split-pushing potential, and late-game carry ability make him one of the best champions in League of Legends Classic and a top pick for players who enjoy hard-scaling fighters.

#3: Renekton

Renekton was one of the defining champions of the Season 3 meta, making him an obvious choice among the best champions in League of Legends Classic. His powerful laning phase, strong sustain, and reliable crowd control allowed him to dominate many top lane matchups and snowball games from the very beginning.

One of Renekton’s biggest strengths is his ability to win early trades with Cull the Meek (Q) and Ruthless Predator (W). His Fury mechanic gives him even stronger abilities, making him incredibly difficult to fight once he gains an advantage in lane. During Season 3, very few champions could consistently match his early-game pressure.

Renekton is also a strong teamfighter. His Dominus (R) increases his health while dealing continuous damage to nearby enemies, allowing him to dive the backline or frontline without being taken down immediately. Combined with his mobility from Slice and Dice (E), he can quickly reach priority targets and create space for his team.

While Renekton does not scale as hard as some champions on this list, his dominance throughout the early and mid game often gives his team a lead that is difficult to overcome. His lane control, durability, and ability to dictate the pace of a match make him one of the best champions in League of Legends Classic.

#2: Lee Sin

Lee Sin was one of the defining champions of the Season 3 meta and remains one of the strongest picks in League of Legends Classic. His incredible mobility, early-game pressure, and unmatched playmaking potential made him the go-to jungler for both professional players and high-Elo solo queue.

What makes Lee Sin so powerful is his ability to influence every stage of the game. His fast jungle clear, strong dueling, and deadly ganks allow him to snowball lanes from the opening minutes. A skilled Lee Sin can invade enemy camps, secure early objectives, and create a lead before the opposing jungler has a chance to respond.

Lee Sin also has one of the highest skill ceilings in League of Legends. His mobility through Safeguard (W) and Resonating Strike (Q) allows him to pull off flashy outplays, while Dragon’s Rage (R) can instantly kick a priority target into his team, turning a fight in his favor. During Season 3, these famous “Insec” plays helped cement Lee Sin as one of the most iconic champions in League history.

Although mastering Lee Sin takes practice, the reward is enormous. His mobility, early-game dominance, objective control, and game-changing playmaking make him one of the best champions in League of Legends Classic and one of the strongest junglers of the Season 3 era.

#1: Kassadin

Kassadin takes the #1 spot among the best champions in League of Legends Classic, and for good reason. During the original Season 3 era, he was considered one of the most overpowered champions in League history, frequently reaching ban rates close to 100% in both solo queue and professional play.

What made Kassadin so dominant was his incredible scaling combined with unmatched mobility. Once he reached level 16 and completed a few core items, Riftwalk (R) had an extremely low cooldown, allowing him to blink around fights almost endlessly while dealing massive burst damage. Very few champions could catch him, let alone survive his full combo.

Kassadin also excelled against AP champions in lane thanks to his natural magic damage reduction and anti-mage kit. Even if his early game was weaker, all he needed was time to scale. Once he reached his late-game power spike, he could instantly eliminate enemy carries, escape dangerous situations, and single-handedly carry teamfights.

Although Kassadin requires patience during the laning phase, the payoff is unmatched. His mobility, burst damage, and late-game carry potential made him the king of the Season 3 meta, which is why he deserves the #1 spot among the best champions in League of Legends Classic. If you’re looking for the strongest champion to climb with in League Classic, Kassadin should be at the top of your list.

Conclusion

League of Legends Classic brings players back to the iconic Season 3 era, where many of the game’s most memorable champions were at the peak of their power. While every champion can succeed in the right hands, picks like Kassadin, Lee Sin, Renekton, Jax, and Elise stand out because of how dominant they were during that period.

Whether you prefer scaling carries, aggressive assassins, powerful duelists, or playmaking junglers, League Classic offers a wide variety of champions that defined one of the greatest metas in League of Legends history. Learning their original kits, strengths, and power spikes will give you a significant advantage when the mode launches.

As Riot continues to update League of Legends Classic with additional champions and balance changes, the meta will naturally evolve. However, these picks are expected to remain among the strongest choices based on their performance during the original Season 3 era. If you’re looking to win more games and relive the nostalgia of old-school League, these are the champions you should prioritize.