10 Best Champions To Counter Katarina In League of Legends

Katarina is one of the most explosive assassins in League of Legends, capable of wiping out entire teams with her deadly Death Lotus (R) resets. Her ability to jump between enemies with Shunpo (E) makes her difficult to pin down, and if she secures a single kill, she can quickly snowball fights in her favor. However, Katarina has clear weaknesses that can be exploited with the right champions. In this article, we’ll go over the 10 best champions to counter Katarina, helping you shut her down before she takes over the game.

#10: Orianna

Orianna is a solid counter to Katarina because of her strong zoning abilities and crowd control. Her Command: Attack (Q) and Command: Dissonance (W) allow her to poke Katarina from a safe distance, making it difficult for the assassin to find an opening. More importantly, Command: Shockwave (R) can instantly interrupt Katarina’s Death Lotus (R), shutting down her main source of damage. Since Orianna excels in controlling team fights, she can make Katarina’s all-in attempts much riskier.

#9: Lulu

Lulu is one of the best enchanters to counter Katarina due to her strong crowd control and ability to shut down assassins. Her Whimsy (W) can instantly polymorph Katarina, stopping her from using Death Lotus (R) and preventing her from dealing any damage. Additionally, Help, Pix! (E) provides shields to allies, reducing Katarina’s burst potential, while Wild Growth (R) knocks up enemies in an area, making it easy to disrupt Katarina’s all-in plays. With Lulu on the team, Katarina struggles to find effective opportunities to engage and secure kills.

#8: Anivia

Anivia is a strong counter to Katarina thanks to her powerful crowd control and zone control abilities. Her Flash Frost (Q) is a long-range stun that can interrupt Katarina’s Death Lotus (R), shutting down her damage output instantly. Additionally, Crystallize (W) allows Anivia to place an ice wall, blocking Katarina’s escape routes and limiting her mobility. This makes it difficult for Katarina to weave in and out of fights effectively. Anivia’s Glacial Storm (R) further discourages Katarina from diving in, as it deals consistent area damage and slows enemies, making it risky for her to engage. With high burst damage and strong defensive tools, Anivia makes it extremely difficult for Katarina to play aggressively.

#7: Kassadin

Kassadin is a natural counter to Katarina due to his magic damage reduction and mobility. His Passive - Void Stone grants him reduced magic damage taken, significantly weakening Katarina’s burst potential. Null Sphere (Q) is especially useful as it not only deals damage but also applies a silence, which can completely interrupt Katarina’s Death Lotus (R), stopping her from dealing damage. Additionally, Kassadin’s Riftwalk (R) gives him unmatched mobility, allowing him to dodge Katarina’s daggers and escape her all-ins. As the game progresses, Kassadin scales into an unstoppable force, while Katarina falls off if she doesn’t get early kills. This matchup heavily favors Kassadin, especially post-level six when he becomes nearly impossible for Katarina to kill.

#6: LeBlanc

LeBlanc is a strong counter to Katarina due to her burst damage, mobility, and ability to disrupt Katarina’s combos. Her Sigil of Malice (Q) + Distortion (W) combo allows her to quickly poke Katarina from a safe distance. More importantly, Ethereal Chains (E) can root Katarina, stopping her from using Shunpo (E) to reposition or escape. If Katarina tries to all-in with Death Lotus (R), LeBlanc can instantly break her ultimate using Ethereal Chains (E) or simply burst her down before she can deal enough damage. Additionally, LeBlanc’s Distortion (W) and Mimic (R) provide insane mobility, making it difficult for Katarina to land her daggers effectively. By constantly poking and zoning Katarina, LeBlanc ensures that she never gets a chance to snowball.

#5: Morgana

Morgana is an excellent counter to Katarina due to her ability to shut down her engages and ultimate with ease. Her Black Shield (E) provides immunity to crowd control, making it extremely effective at preventing Katarina from using her daggers or Death Lotus (R) to burst down key targets. Additionally, Dark Binding (Q) is a long-duration root that can stop Katarina in her tracks, preventing her from escaping or diving into fights. If Katarina attempts an all-in, Morgana can use Soul Shackles (R) to stun her, forcing her out of the fight. Her Tormented Shadow (W) also allows her to poke and control waves, making it harder for Katarina to roam and find kills. Overall, Morgana’s ability to lock down and deny Katarina’s mobility makes her a strong counter in both lane and team fights.

#4: Galio

Galio is a powerful counter to Katarina because of his ability to shut down her all-ins and team fight presence. His Shield of Durand (W) provides damage reduction and a taunt, which can interrupt Katarina’s Death Lotus (R) and force her into a vulnerable position. Additionally, Justice Punch (E) and Winds of War (Q) give him strong wave-clearing tools, preventing Katarina from shoving the lane and roaming effectively. His Hero’s Entrance (R) also provides incredible team utility, allowing him to respond to Katarina’s dives by knocking her up and shielding allies. Since Katarina heavily relies on her mobility, Galio’s crowd control and tanky nature make it difficult for her to find effective openings in fights.

#3: Malphite

Malphite is one of the best counters to Katarina due to his ability to completely shut down her mobility and burst potential. His Unstoppable Force (R) is an instant knock-up that can interrupt Katarina’s Death Lotus (R), making it nearly impossible for her to get full damage off in fights. Additionally, Malphite’s naturally high armor and durability allow him to absorb Katarina’s poke damage, and his Ground Slam (E) reduces enemy attack speed, which weakens her overall DPS. If played AP, Malphite can also one-shot Katarina before she has a chance to execute her combo. Whether built as a tank or AP assassin, Malphite forces Katarina into difficult situations where she cannot safely engage without risking immediate death.

#2: Fizz

Fizz is one of the most effective counters to Katarina because of his ability to dodge her abilities and burst her down before she can react. His Playful/Trickster (E) makes him completely untargetable, allowing him to avoid Katarina’s Death Lotus (R) and dagger resets, which are crucial to her damage output. Additionally, Fizz’s Chum the Waters (R) forces Katarina to reposition or take massive damage, making it hard for her to engage or escape safely. His mobility allows him to weave in and out of fights, and since Katarina has no hard CC, she struggles to stop him from executing his burst combo. If Fizz gets ahead, he can completely dominate Katarina in lane and deny her any chance of snowballing.

#1: Lissandra

Lissandra is the best champion to counter Katarina due to her powerful crowd control and ability to shut down Katarina’s all-in plays. Her Ring of Frost (W) is an instant root that prevents Katarina from dashing around with Shunpo (E) and picking up daggers. More importantly, Frozen Tomb (R) is a hard lockdown that can completely stop Katarina’s Death Lotus (R), rendering her useless in team fights. Lissandra also has strong wave clear, allowing her to keep Katarina pushed in and denying her roam potential. With her Glacial Path (E), Lissandra can disengage Katarina’s aggression or re-engage when Katarina tries to escape. Overall, Lissandra’s CC-heavy kit makes her the safest and most reliable counter to Katarina in both lane and team fights.

Conclusion

Katarina can be one of the most frustrating champions to deal with due to her high mobility and burst damage, but with the right counter picks, you can shut her down and prevent her from snowballing. Champions with strong crowd control, such as Lissandra, Malphite, and Galio, can completely stop her from resetting her abilities, while others like Morgana and Lulu provide crucial utility to negate her burst. Understanding how to counter Katarina comes down to interrupting her combos and denying her ability to roam. By picking any of these champions and playing smart around her cooldowns, you can significantly reduce her impact and take control of the game.