10 Best Champions To Counter Kalista In League of Legends

Kalista is one of the most mobile ADCs in League of Legends, known for her relentless kiting and ability to reposition with every basic attack. Her high mobility makes her difficult to lock down, and her ultimate, Fate’s Call, gives her and her support powerful engage or escape options. However, Kalista has clear weaknesses that certain champions can exploit. If you want to shut her down, you need champions with strong burst damage, hard crowd control, or the ability to outrange and poke her down before she can stack up Rend. In this article, we’ll go over the 10 best champions to counter Kalista, helping you gain the upper hand in lane and prevent her from snowballing out of control.

#10: Sivir

Sivir is a solid counter to Kalista due to her strong wave-clear, defensive tools, and ability to disengage from fights. Her Spell Shield (E) can block Kalista’s Rend or her support’s crowd control, making it harder for Kalista to secure kills. Additionally, Sivir’s Ricochet (W) and Boomerang Blade (Q) allow her to poke Kalista while safely farming from a distance. In extended trades, Sivir’s On The Hunt (R) provides a speed boost that helps her and her team either chase down Kalista or escape her aggressive engages. Since Kalista relies on short bursts of mobility, Sivir’s ultimate can help break her rhythm and prevent her from taking over the fight.

#9: Xayah

Xayah is a strong counter to Kalista because of her ability to out-trade and survive Kalista’s aggressive engages. Her Featherstorm (R) makes her temporarily untargetable, allowing her to dodge Kalista’s Rend or any crowd control from her support. Additionally, Xayah’s Deadly Plumage (W) gives her increased attack speed and bonus damage, helping her trade effectively against Kalista’s mobility. Since Kalista thrives on extended fights, Xayah’s feathers allow her to control space and punish Kalista’s predictable movements, especially when she tries to hop around in fights. When played correctly, Xayah can make it difficult for Kalista to find clean all-ins while out-damaging her in longer trades.

#8: Ashe

Ashe is an excellent counter to Kalista due to her ability to slow and control Kalista’s movement, which is a key part of her kit. Kalista relies on jumping around with her passive, Martial Poise, to dodge skill shots and reposition in fights, but Ashe’s Frost Shot (Passive) slows her on every auto attack, making it much harder for Kalista to weave in and out of fights effectively. Additionally, Ashe’s Enchanted Crystal Arrow (R) is a long-range stun that can completely shut down Kalista’s mobility, making her vulnerable to an all-in from Ashe’s team. Since Ashe can poke and slow Kalista from a distance, she forces Kalista into unfavorable trades and makes it difficult for her to engage effectively.

#7: Jhin

Jhin is a strong counter to Kalista because he excels at punishing her aggressive playstyle with his superior range and high burst damage. Kalista relies on extended trades and kiting, but Jhin’s Whisper (Passive) gives him a powerful fourth shot that can chunk her health before she has a chance to stack spears for Rend (E). Additionally, Jhin’s Deadly Flourish (W) can root Kalista if she is hit by an ally’s damage, which helps lock her down and prevent her from hopping around in fights. His Curtain Call (R) also forces Kalista to move predictably, making it easier to land shots and control her positioning. Since Kalista struggles against high-damage burst champions, Jhin can take advantage of his crit-based damage to quickly eliminate her before she can sustain through a fight.

#6: Kog’Maw

Kog’Maw is a great counter to Kalista because he can match her attack speed and out-damage her in extended trades. Kalista thrives on mobility, but Kog’Maw’s Bio-Arcane Barrage (W) gives him insane range and bonus damage based on the enemy’s max health, allowing him to hit her even when she tries to kite. Unlike most ADCs, Kog’Maw doesn’t rely on mobility to win fights—he focuses purely on raw DPS, which negates Kalista’s advantage of dodging skill shots with Martial Poise (Passive). Additionally, if Kalista commits to a fight, Kog’Maw can activate Living Artillery (R) to poke her from a distance or finish her off as she retreats. While Kog’Maw lacks mobility, his ability to melt tanks and sustain heavy damage makes him a solid choice against Kalista, especially when paired with an enchanter support.

#5: Varus

Varus is a strong counter to Kalista because he can shut down her mobility and burst her down before she gets a chance to stack Rend (E). His Hail of Arrows (E) is particularly effective, as it reduces healing and slows her movement, making it harder for her to reposition with Martial Poise (Passive). Additionally, Chain of Corruption (R) is a game-changer in this matchup—it roots Kalista in place, preventing her from dashing around and escaping fights. Since Kalista relies on extended fights to stack spears and execute with Rend, Varus’ ability to poke her down with Piercing Arrow (Q) before she can even engage gives him a clear advantage. Whether played as Lethality or Attack Speed Varus, his kit makes it difficult for Kalista to thrive in lane and team fights.

#4: Ezreal

Ezreal is a great counter to Kalista because of his safe, poke-heavy playstyle and strong kiting potential. Unlike most ADCs, Ezreal relies on abilities rather than auto-attacks, making it difficult for Kalista to consistently apply Rend (E) stacks. His Arcane Shift (E) allows him to reposition instantly, making it easy to escape Kalista’s all-ins or disengage from her ultimate, Fate’s Call (R). Additionally, his Mystic Shot (Q) lets him poke from a distance, forcing Kalista to take damage without being able to retaliate effectively. Since Kalista thrives in extended fights where she can stack her spears, Ezreal’s ability to kite, poke, and disengage makes it challenging for her to secure kills and control trades.

#3: Lucian

Lucian is a strong counter to Kalista because of his burst-heavy playstyle and high mobility. Unlike traditional ADCs who rely on extended trades, Lucian excels at quick trades and all-ins, which prevents Kalista from stacking Rend (E) effectively. His Relentless Pursuit (E) gives him a reliable way to dodge Kalista’s auto-attacks and reposition during fights, reducing her ability to land consistent damage. Additionally, Lucian’s Piercing Light (Q) and The Culling (R) allow him to poke and pressure Kalista early, taking advantage of her weak laning phase before she can scale. With his ability to burst her down before she can kite effectively, Lucian forces Kalista into uncomfortable fights where she struggles to keep up with his raw damage output.

#2: Draven

Draven is one of the best champions to counter Kalista because of his raw damage output and lane dominance. Kalista thrives in extended fights where she can stack Rend (E), but Draven plays the exact opposite way—he aims to end fights quickly with his Spinning Axes (Q), dealing massive burst damage in short trades. His early-game strength allows him to punish Kalista before she scales, and since Kalista has one of the lowest base attack damage stats among ADCs, she struggles in direct 1v1 trades against him. Additionally, Draven’s Stand Aside (E) can disrupt Kalista’s movement, preventing her from dashing around freely with Martial Poise (Passive). If Draven secures a kill early with his League of Draven (Passive), he snowballs out of control, making it nearly impossible for Kalista to recover.

#1: Caitlyn

Caitlyn is the best champion to counter Kalista due to her superior range, zoning potential, and strong laning phase. Kalista relies on her mobility and Rend (E) stacks to trade effectively, but Caitlyn can completely shut her down with her 650 attack range, the highest of any ADC in the game. This allows Caitlyn to poke Kalista before she can even get into range to trade. Additionally, Caitlyn’s Yordle Snap Trap (W) and 90 Caliber Net (E) provide excellent zoning tools that make it difficult for Kalista to weave in and out of fights with her Martial Poise (Passive). If Kalista ever tries to jump forward aggressively, Caitlyn can use E to disengage while simultaneously landing a headshot for extra burst damage. In a prolonged laning phase, Caitlyn can continuously harass Kalista under turret, denying farm and making it difficult for her to scale into the mid and late game. With the right support, Caitlyn can completely dominate the lane and prevent Kalista from ever becoming a threat.

Conclusion

Countering Kalista requires champions that can exploit her weaknesses—primarily her reliance on mobility and attack speed to deal consistent damage. Champions like Caitlyn, Draven, and Lucian can shut her down in lane with superior range, burst damage, or early-game pressure, while others like Ezreal and Sivir can use their abilities to dodge her damage and disengage from fights. Kalista thrives in extended fights where she can stack Rend (E), so champions who can burst her down quickly or control her movement will always have the advantage. Whether you’re looking for poke, burst, or sustain, these picks will help you keep Kalista in check and prevent her from taking over the game.