Best Top Laners To Climb With in League of Legends Season 16

Climbing from the top lane in League of Legends Season 16 is all about consistency, matchup knowledge, and knowing how to turn small lane advantages into real map pressure. Top lane may feel isolated at times, but the right champion can completely take over games through split pushing, teamfight impact, or sheer durability. Whether you enjoy bruisers, tanks, or scaling carries, choosing a strong top laner makes a huge difference in how reliable your climb is. In this article, we’ll break down the 10 best top lane champions to climb with in Season 16, focusing on picks that perform well in solo queue and can win games even without constant jungle attention.

#10: Pantheon

Pantheon is a strong top lane pick in Season 16 for players who like early pressure and lane control. He excels at short trades, punishing mistakes, and snowballing leads with his high base damage and point-and-click stun. Pantheon can dominate many matchups early, especially against squishy or scaling champions that need time to come online. Even when the game goes longer, his global ultimate lets him impact the map, help his team secure objectives, and turn fights around with well-timed roams. He’s a great choice if you want a proactive top laner that rewards aggressive play and smart decision-making.

#9: Kled

Kled is an absolute menace in the top lane for Season 16 and a great champion to climb with if you like aggressive, high-pressure gameplay. He thrives in extended fights and excels at punishing opponents who don’t respect his all-in potential. Thanks to Skaarl, Kled can take risky trades, disengage, then re-engage when enemies least expect it. His ultimate also gives him huge map impact, letting him roam to mid lane or force fights around objectives even from top lane. In solo queue, where coordination is often lacking, Kled’s chaos and nonstop pressure can easily snowball games out of control.

#8: Poppy

Poppy is one of the most reliable top laners to climb with in Season 16, especially against the many dash-heavy champions that dominate solo queue. Her kit is built to shut down mobility, making her a hard counter to bruisers and assassins that rely on gap closers. Poppy has strong early trading, solid durability, and excellent utility throughout the game, whether she’s peeling for carries or isolating targets with her ultimate. She may not always top the damage charts, but she wins games by denying enemy win conditions. If you want a tanky top laner that’s easy to execute and consistently impactful, Poppy is a fantastic climbing pick.

#7: Singed

Singed is one of the most annoying and effective top laners to climb with in Season 16 if you understand his unique playstyle. He doesn’t win lane the traditional way; instead, he creates constant pressure by proxy farming, roaming, and forcing enemies to react to him. In solo queue, this causes chaos, pulling jungle attention top and opening space for your team elsewhere on the map. Singed scales well into mid game skirmishes, excels at disrupting backlines, and punishes teams that chase without thinking. If you enjoy unconventional gameplay and winning through map pressure rather than lane dominance, Singed is a very strong pick for climbing.

#6: Urgot

Urgot is a powerhouse top laner in Season 16 and a great choice for climbing if you like winning through raw pressure and reliability. He’s very strong in lane against most melee champions, thanks to his consistent damage and punishing trades once he hits level 6. Urgot excels at turning small leads into lane dominance, forcing opponents to play scared or give up farm. In mid to late game, he becomes a frontline threat that can shred tanks and delete carries who misposition, especially with a well-timed ultimate. If you want a top laner that’s straightforward, punishes mistakes hard, and stays useful in every stage of the game, Urgot is a very solid pick to climb with.

#5: Gwen

Gwen is a strong top lane pick in Season 16 for players who enjoy scaling and taking over fights later in the game. Her early lane can be a bit rough into heavy pressure, but once she gets a few items, she becomes extremely hard to deal with. Gwen excels at shredding tanks and bruisers while staying surprisingly durable thanks to her healing and immunity zone. In solo queue, she shines in extended fights where enemies don’t coordinate well to shut her down. If you’re patient in lane and confident in your mechanics, Gwen can easily become a late-game win condition that carries fights from the top lane.

#4: Malphite

Malphite is one of the safest and most reliable top laners to climb with in Season 16, especially in solo queue. He thrives against AD-heavy teams and can completely shut down aggressive melee champions in lane with armor stacking and poke. What truly makes Malphite shine is his game-changing ultimate, which can single-handedly win teamfights with one well-timed engage. Even if he falls behind in lane, Malphite remains impactful through crowd control and frontline presence. If you want a low-risk top laner that brings massive value to teamfights and fits into almost any composition, Malphite is an excellent climbing pick.

#3: Riven

Riven is one of the strongest top laners to climb with in Season 16 if you’re willing to put time into mastering her mechanics. She has incredible outplay potential, strong early skirmishing, and the ability to snowball hard off even a small lead. In the right hands, Riven can dominate lane, pressure side lanes, and carry fights by diving the backline or peeling when needed. Solo queue rewards champions that punish mistakes, and Riven does that better than almost anyone when played well. If you enjoy a high-skill, high-reward champion and want full control over your games from the top lane, Riven is a top-tier pick for climbing.

#2: Kennen

Kennen is one of the most impactful top laners to climb with in League of Legends Season 16 because of how hard he can swing teamfights on his own. He has a safe laning phase into many matchups, strong poke, and the ability to farm without committing to risky trades. What truly puts Kennen near the top of this list is his teamfight power; a well-timed flank or Flash ultimate can instantly win fights, even when your team is behind. In solo queue, where grouping mistakes happen often, Kennen’s engage potential is incredibly valuable. If you like playing a top laner that can survive lane and then completely take over mid-to-late game fights, Kennen is an excellent choice for climbing.

#1: Anivia

Anivia takes the number one spot as the best top laner to climb with in League of Legends Season 16 because of how oppressive and game-controlling she can be when played correctly. While she’s traditionally seen in mid lane, Anivia top thrives against many melee matchups by completely denying engages and controlling wave states. Her ability to stall lanes, punish dives with her passive, and lock down areas with walls and zone control makes her incredibly frustrating to deal with in solo queue. As the game goes on, Anivia transitions into a massive teamfight threat, controlling objectives and forcing enemies to fight on her terms. If you want a top laner that wins through patience, control, and consistency rather than brute force, Anivia is an extremely powerful pick to climb with in Season 16.

Conclusion

Climbing from the top lane in League of Legends Season 16 is all about picking champions that can stay relevant no matter how the game unfolds. The top laners on this list excel in solo queue by offering strong lane presence, reliable scaling, or game-changing teamfight impact. Whether you prefer tanks that win fights with one button, bruisers that dominate side lanes, or unconventional picks that create constant pressure, each of these champions can carry games when played correctly. By focusing on one or two of these top laners and mastering their matchups, you’ll give yourself a much better chance to climb consistently and take control of your ranked games this season.