Zyra, Rise of the Thorns, Revealed

A render of Zyra's model, poison ivy much?

Some in action shots of Zyra and her floral themed abilities.

Are you ready to meet one of the fiercest and deadliest champions ever to step foot out of the Valoran wilds? Meet Zyra, Rise of the Thorns. This floral femme fatale packs a lot of petals and punch, planting seeds directly on the battlefield and springing them to life into deadly plant allies.

As a plant mage, Zyra’s kit revolves around her ability to sow and transform seeds through Rampant Growth. Zyra can store up seeds using an ammo system, dropping these seemingly-harmless buds on the ground to grant limited vision while they remain active. Seeds aren’t too threatening on their own, and enemies can even move over a seed to stomp it out of existence at only the cost of revealing their position on the map for a few seconds. Zyra’s full fury blooms, however, when you use her other abilities to interact with her seeds.

On its own, Deadly Bloom causes damage to enemies caught in the area of effect after a slight delay. Seeds caught in the area of effect, however, will spring to life as a ravenous Thorn Spitter with a ranged attack. Likewise, Zyra’s Grasping Roots ability deploys a line attack that roots enemies caught in its path for a moderate duration. Seeds affected by Grasping Roots transform into Vine Lashers armed with a shorter-range attack that slows enemies. Zyra can even drop a seed in the path of an ability she’s just cast to surprise her enemies with an instant plant-to-the-face.

To seal the deal, Zyra can invoke her ultimate ability, Stranglethorns, to afflict an area with an infestation of thorny vines that deal significant damage as they spread out. After a brief delay, the vines retract again, knocking any enemies still within the area of effect into the air. Any of Zyra’s plants touched by the Stranglethorns become enraged, gaining a hefty bit of attack speed and growing to an imposing size. Zyra can execute some intense combos with her abilities, playing off seed placement to lock enemy champions into a fight with the deadly wilds themselves.

Abilities:

• Queen of Thorns (Passive): Upon dying, Zyra transforms into a vengeful plant that fires one last shot before expiring.
• Deadly Bloom: Zyra grows a bud at target location. After a brief delay it explodes, launching damaging thorns at all nearby enemies. If cast on a seed, Deadly Bloom grows a Thorn Spitter plant, which fires at enemies from afar.
• Rampant Growth: Zyra plants a seed, granting vision of an area for up to 30 seconds. Other spells cast on seeds will turn them into plants who fight for Zyra.
• Grasping Roots: Zyra sends forth vines through the ground to ensnare her target, dealing damage and rooting enemies they come across. If cast on a seed, Grasping Roots grows a Vine Lasher, whose short range attacks reduce enemy Movement Speed.
• Stranglethorns (Ultimate): Zyra summons a twisted thicket at her target location, dealing damage to enemies as it expands and knocking them airborne as it contracts. Plants in the area are enraged, increasing their Attack Speed.

Lore:

Longing to take control of her fate, the ancient, dying plant Zyra transferred her consciousness into a human body for a second chance at life. Centuries ago, she and her kind dominated the Plague Lands, using thorns and vines to consume any animal that set foot in their territory. As the years passed, the animal population steadily died off. Food became increasingly scarce, and Zyra could only stand by helplessly as the last of her kin withered away. She thought she would perish alone, until the appearance of an unwary sorceress presented her with an opportunity for salvation. 

It was the first time in years Zyra had sensed a creature wander so close. Hunger drew her to the sorceress, but some other, deeper instinct compelled her. She enveloped the woman in thorns with ease, but as she savored this final meal, foreign memories invaded her thoughts. She saw great jungles of metal and stone where humans and animals thrived. Potent magic surged through her vines, and she devised an elegant but risky plan to survive. Using the woman’s memories, Zyra poured her newfound magic into the creation of a human-shaped vessel. She didn’t know what sort of world awaited her, but she had nothing left to lose. When Zyra opened her eyes, she was overwhelmed by the raw power ready at her fingertips. It wasn’t until she noticed the shriveled remains of the plant she once was that she realized how vulnerable she had become. If this body died, there would be no network of vines to retreat through, no roots to regrow her...but she felt truly alive. She beheld the world for the first time as animals did, and a dark smile crept across her lips. She was reborn, and there was so much now within her grasp.

“Closer to the flower, closer to the thorns.” - Zyra