
Most Banned Champions in Worlds Finals
Oct 29, 2024
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Last week, we examined the top 10 most frequently picked champions in the history of League of Legends Worlds. In response to popular request, we will now explore the most banned champions of all time.
Disclaimer: This is not intended to be an 'OP' tier list. If there were one for a Worlds meta, it would mainly feature the majority, if not all, champions from the Juggernaut rework in season 5.
Renekton, 9 Games
Renekton has been a staple in the top-lane meta in pro-play since his release. The crocodile is often chosen early in the draft because the champion is a reliable blind pick against most opponents. This enables other teams to concentrate on selecting other key champions during the draft without concerning themselves with the top lane. His popularity peaked as he was banned 3 times in season 3 and 4 times in season 5, despite having only a 1.4% ban rate prior to season 5 finals.

SKT T1's Marin was subject to Renekton target bans in Season 5. Source: Lolesports.com
Jarvan, 9 Games
Jarvan is a champion that has been in and around the meta since he was first released back in season 1. However, most of his bans in Worlds finals were not received during the early seasons as anticipated. Instead, 7 out of his 9 bans occurred between seasons 11 and 12, with 4 bans in 11 and 3 bans in 12.

EDG Jungler JieJie had 100% kill participation in game 1 of season 11 Worlds on Jarvan, before receiving 4 target bans on the champion. Source: Lolesports.com
Akali, 9 Games
Post-rework Akali burst onto the professional scene back in season 8 and, depending on the meta, has more-or-less been played ever since. Akali's rise to popularity in the meta was partly due to the overhaul of the rune system. By utilizing fleet footwork, Doran's Shield, and second wind, Akali's laning phase, known to be her weakest aspect, was significantly improved. This setup provided Akali with a safer early game, enabling her to withstand poke damage from mages.

T1 consistently banned Zeka's Akali in the first round of bans during season 12 worlds. Source: Lolesports.com
Yuumi, 10 Games
Following her release, Yuumi has sparked controversy among players because of her kit. Numerous Reddit posts, interviews with professional players, and overall player discontent have contributed to the dislike surrounding this champion. Yuumi paired with an assassin jungler like Talon or Qiyana became a common strategy in high-level solo queue, allowing them to dominate games and create a challenging experience for the opposing team. The playstyle slowly trickled into competitive play, which saw both Talon, Qiyana, and Yuumi banned for a majority of the season 11 finals.

Yuumi had a 100% win rate and a 95% presence at the 2022 Worlds main event. Source: lol.fandom.com
Nidalee, 10 Games