Best Champions To Climb With In League of Legends Season 16

Climbing ranked in Season 16 comes down to playing champions that stay strong no matter how chaotic solo queue gets. While mechanics matter, consistency, reliability, and the ability to punish mistakes are what really win games over time. Some champions shine because they snowball early, others dominate teamfights, and a few can do both without relying heavily on teammates. In this article, we’ll break down the 10 best champions to climb with in Season 16 of League of Legends, focusing on picks that perform well across ranks, fit the current meta, and give you the best chance to carry games and climb faster.

#10: Braum

Braum earns a spot on this list because of how consistent and reliable he is for climbing in League of Legends Season 16. He doesn’t rely on flashy mechanics or risky plays to win games, which makes him perfect for solo queue. Braum excels at protecting carries, shutting down aggressive engages, and turning fights with well-timed crowd control. His passive makes skirmishes heavily favor his team, and his shield can completely deny burst damage in key moments. Even when teammates make mistakes, Braum helps stabilize fights and keep games winnable. If you value consistency, peel, and winning through smart positioning rather than raw damage, Braum is a very strong champion to climb with this season.

#9: Riven

Riven is a great champion to climb with in Season 16 if you’re willing to invest time into mastering her mechanics. She has incredible outplay potential, strong early skirmishing, and the ability to snowball games hard off even a small lead. In solo queue, where positioning mistakes happen constantly, Riven can punish opponents fast and take over side lanes or teamfights. She scales well with skill, meaning the better you get at her combos and decision-making, the more impact you’ll have on every game. If you enjoy a high-skill, high-reward champion that gives you full control over fights, Riven is an excellent pick for climbing.

#8: Gwen

Gwen is a very strong champion to climb with in League of Legends Season 16, especially if you like scaling and taking over fights later in the game. Her early phase can be a bit slower, but once she gets items, she becomes extremely hard to deal with. Gwen excels at shredding tanks and bruisers while staying surprisingly safe thanks to her sustain and immunity zone. In solo queue, extended fights and poor coordination play right into her strengths, letting her dominate skirmishes and teamfights. If you’re patient early and confident in your mechanics, Gwen can easily become a late-game win condition that carries games on her own.

#7: Kassadin

Kassadin is one of the strongest solo-queue champions to climb with in Season 16 if you’re comfortable playing for scaling. His early game requires patience and smart positioning, but once he reaches his power spikes, he becomes incredibly hard to stop. Kassadin thrives in chaotic games, using his mobility to dodge danger, hunt backline targets, and clean up fights with ease. In ranked, where games often drag out and mistakes pile up, Kassadin’s late-game carry potential shines the most. If you’re willing to play safe early and trust your scaling, Kassadin is a terrifying pick that can take over games almost single-handedly.

#6: Kennen

Kennen is a fantastic champion to climb with in League of Legends Season 16 because of how much impact he can bring to fights with very little setup. He has a safe laning phase in most matchups, solid poke, and the ability to farm without taking big risks. What really makes Kennen stand out in solo queue is his teamfight power; a single well-timed flank or Flash ultimate can instantly win a fight, even if your team is behind. Ranked games are often decided by messy teamfights around objectives, and Kennen excels at punishing grouped enemies. If you want a champion that stays consistent in lane and can completely swing games in the mid to late game, Kennen is a great pick to climb with.

#5: Zoe

Zoe is an incredible champion to climb with in Season 16 if you enjoy controlling games through picks and pressure. She punishes bad positioning harder than almost any other champion, which makes her extremely effective in solo queue where vision and spacing are often sloppy. One well-landed bubble can instantly decide a fight, secure an objective, or turn a losing game around. Zoe also scales very well with skill, rewarding players who understand angles, fog of war, and patience. If you like winning games by forcing mistakes and deleting key targets before fights even start, Zoe is a top-tier pick for climbing.

#4: Talon

Talon is one of the most reliable champions to climb with in Season 16 if you like fast games and constant pressure. His ability to shove waves quickly and roam over walls gives him unmatched map control in solo queue. Talon doesn’t need to hard win lane to be effective; even from an even matchup, he can impact side lanes, punish overextended enemies, and snowball games through smart movement. In ranked, where vision is often lacking and positioning mistakes are common, Talon thrives by creating picks and turning small leads into huge advantages. If you enjoy aggressive playstyles and winning through tempo and map impact rather than slow scaling, Talon is an excellent climbing pick.

#3: Qiyana

Qiyana is one of the most explosive champions to climb with in Season 16 if you have strong mechanics and good game sense. She thrives in solo queue because she can instantly punish positioning mistakes and snowball games out of control once she gets a lead. Her roaming is deadly, her burst damage is massive, and her ultimate can completely decide fights around objectives or in jungle corridors. While she has a higher skill ceiling than most champions, Qiyana rewards mastery like few others. If you enjoy high-risk, high-reward gameplay and want a champion that can hard carry through aggression and precision, Qiyana is an elite pick for climbing.

#2: Nunu & Willump

Nunu & Willump are one of the most consistent champions to climb with in Season 16 because of how much control they bring to every game. Their early ganks are extremely reliable, especially in solo queue where laners often overextend and don’t respect snowball paths. Nunu also excels at securing objectives, making dragons and Rift Herald far easier to control even without perfect team coordination. On top of that, they’re tanky, forgiving, and still useful when behind thanks to strong crowd control and frontline pressure. If you want a champion that wins games through smart pathing, objective control, and constant map impact rather than raw damage, Nunu & Willump are a top-tier choice for climbing.

#1: Nilah

Nilah takes the top spot as one of the best champions to climb with in Season 16 because she completely breaks the usual solo queue rules. Her shared XP passive gives her a level advantage in bot lane, which often snowballs games before opponents even realize what’s happening. Once she hits her item spikes, Nilah becomes a monster in skirmishes and teamfights, dealing massive damage while staying surprisingly hard to kill thanks to her sustain and durability. She thrives in chaotic fights, which are extremely common in ranked, and punishes teams that don’t know how to play around her engage range. If you’re comfortable with a melee-style carry and want a champion that can consistently take over games when played well, Nilah is one of the strongest picks to climb with in Season 16.

Conclusion

Climbing ranked in Season 16 is much easier when you focus on champions that consistently perform well in solo queue, no matter how chaotic games become. The champions on this list stand out because they reward good decision-making, punish mistakes, and stay impactful across all stages of the game. Whether you prefer scaling carries, aggressive roamers, or reliable frontliners, mastering one or two of these picks will give you a clear edge in ranked. With the right champion choice and solid fundamentals, Season 16 offers plenty of opportunities to climb faster and win more games in League of Legends.