Best Junglers To Climb With in League of Legends Season 16

Climbing ranked as a jungler in League of Legends Season 16 is all about decision-making, tempo control, and knowing when to apply pressure across the map. The jungle role has more influence over early and mid game than almost any other position, which means the right champion choice can decide games before they spiral out of control. Whether you prefer farming carries, aggressive gankers, or objective-focused controllers, picking a strong jungler makes climbing far more consistent. In this article, we’ll break down the 10 best junglers to climb with in Season 16, focusing on champions that perform well in solo queue, punish mistakes, and can carry games through smart pathing and strong map presence.

#10: Kindred

Kindred is a strong jungle pick to climb with in Season 16 if you enjoy a high-skill, high-reward playstyle. They thrive on smart pathing, good tracking, and playing around marks, which naturally teaches strong jungle fundamentals. Kindred can pressure early skirmishes, scale extremely well, and take over games if they get ahead. Their ultimate is also game-changing, able to save teammates, deny enemy burst, or completely flip fights around objectives. While they require good decision-making and map awareness, Kindred rewards players who play thoughtfully and aren’t afraid to be proactive. If you’re confident in your jungle knowledge and want a carry jungler with real late-game impact, Kindred is a solid pick to start this list.

#9: Evelynn

Evelynn is one of the deadliest junglers to climb with in Season 16 if you like winning through pressure and fear. Once she hits level 6, the game changes completely, since her stealth lets her control vision and pick off carries who step even slightly out of position. In solo queue, where players often push without proper wards, Evelynn thrives by creating constant kill threats and forcing enemies to play scared. She scales extremely well and can delete key targets before fights even start, giving your team a huge advantage. If you enjoy assassin playstyles and understand when to farm versus when to hunt, Evelynn is a very strong jungler to climb with this season.

#8: Zyra

Zyra is a surprisingly strong jungler to climb with in League of Legends Season 16, especially in solo queue where early pressure and objective control matter a lot. Her clear speed is solid thanks to plant damage, and she excels at controlling tight areas around dragons and jungle entrances. Zyra punishes poor positioning hard, and her crowd control makes ganks very reliable even without perfect coordination from laners. In teamfights, she brings massive zone control that can shut down engages and protect objectives with ease. If you like playing a control-focused jungler that wins through vision, area denial, and consistent damage, Zyra is a very effective and underrated pick for climbing.

#7: Lillia

Lillia is an excellent jungler to climb with in Season 16 if you enjoy fast clears, constant pressure, and strong teamfight impact. She farms extremely quickly, allowing her to stay ahead in levels while still showing up to fights and objectives on time. Lillia shines in extended skirmishes, where her movement speed and burn damage slowly overwhelm enemies who can’t catch her. Her ultimate is also a huge win condition in solo queue, often setting up easy teamfight victories with minimal coordination. If you like playing a mobile jungler that rewards good pathing, spacing, and patience, Lillia is a very strong pick for consistent climbing.

#6: Zac

Zac is one of the most reliable junglers to climb with in Season 16 thanks to his insane gank angles and teamfight control. His ability to engage from unexpected positions makes him deadly in solo queue, where vision is often lacking and lanes overextend frequently. Zac’s sustain keeps him healthy in the jungle, allowing him to stay active on the map without constant resets. In mid to late game fights, he becomes a disruptive frontline that soaks damage while locking down key targets. If you want a jungler that creates pressure, starts fights on demand, and stays useful even when behind, Zac is an excellent pick for consistent climbing.

#5: Ivern

Ivern is one of the most underrated junglers to climb with in Season 16, especially if you enjoy winning through teamwork and smart map play rather than raw damage. His unique jungle clear lets him stay healthy and active on the map, freeing up time to gank, countergank, and secure vision. Ivern excels at enabling strong carries, protecting teammates, and turning skirmishes with shields and crowd control. In solo queue, where coordination is often lacking, his ability to save allies and swing fights with Daisy can completely change outcomes. If you prefer a supportive jungle style that still has huge impact on winning games, Ivern is a fantastic pick to climb consistently.

#4: Gwen

Gwen is a powerful jungle pick in Season 16 for players who like scaling into a true carry threat. Her clear speed is solid once you get a few levels, and she becomes extremely hard to deal with in skirmishes thanks to her sustain and immunity zone. Gwen excels at farming efficiently, then showing up to fights where she can shred tanks and bruisers while staying surprisingly safe. In solo queue, teams often struggle to deal with her once she hits her item spikes, especially in extended fights around objectives. If you’re comfortable playing a farming-focused jungler that turns into a late-game monster, Gwen is a strong and reliable option to climb with this season.

#3: Fiddlesticks

Fiddlesticks is one of the most terrifying junglers to face in League of Legends Season 16 and a top-tier pick for climbing if you understand vision control and timing. His clear is fast and healthy, allowing him to reach level 6 quickly, which is where he truly comes online. A well-timed ultimate from fog of war can instantly win fights, secure objectives, or completely wipe enemy teams that aren’t paying attention. In solo queue, poor warding and positioning are common, which plays perfectly into Fiddlesticks’ strengths. If you enjoy setting up ambushes, controlling vision, and ending fights before they even begin, Fiddlesticks is an incredible jungler to climb with.

#2: Rek’Sai

Rek’Sai is one of the strongest early-game junglers to climb with in Season 16 thanks to her insane tempo and pressure. She excels at early ganks, skirmishes, and invading, which makes her perfect for solo queue where games are often decided in the first 15 minutes. Rek’Sai can reliably force flashes, secure kills, and snowball lanes before enemies have time to scale. Her mobility and tunnel network also give her strong map control, letting her move faster than most junglers. If you like playing aggressively and winning games by taking control early and never letting go, Rek’Sai is a top-tier pick for climbing fast.

#1: Nunu & Willump

Nunu & Willump take the top spot as the best jungler to climb with in Season 16 because of how consistently they can control games from start to finish. Their early ganks are some of the strongest in the game, especially in solo queue where laners often overextend and don’t respect snowball angles. Nunu’s objective control is also unmatched, making dragons and Rift Heralds much easier to secure even without perfect team coordination. On top of that, he’s tanky, forgiving, and useful even when behind, thanks to crowd control and frontline pressure. If your goal is to win more games through smart pathing, constant pressure, and reliable objective control rather than pure damage, Nunu & Willump are one of the safest and strongest junglers you can lock in to climb fast in Season 16.

Conclusion

Climbing as a jungler in League of Legends Season 16 is all about impact, and the champions on this list give you the tools to control games in solo queue. Whether you prefer early-game pressure, scaling carries, or utility-focused picks, each of these junglers excels at punishing mistakes and influencing the map when it matters most. The key to consistent climbing is sticking to one or two champions, mastering their pathing and decision-making, and playing around objectives. With the right jungler and smart gameplay, Season 16 offers plenty of opportunities to take control early and carry games from the jungle.