Faker is one of my favorite players and arguably the most respected League of Legends pro gamers. He constantly challenges himself to be the best of them all, and his legacy, which began in 2013, continues until now.
Faker is a League of Legends (LoL) pro gamer, part of the T1 team and a player in the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) league. He’s widely regarded as one of the GOATs (Greatest of All Time) in the LoL community, having debuted in 2013 at just 17 years old when he won the World Championship. Not only that, but in 2013 during Faker’s debut, he pulled out two impactful moments that were announced, earning him the title “The Unkillable Demon King.”
2013 Faker’s Key Moments
One of the key moments in Faker’s early career was his solo kill on Ambition. Ambition, a mid-laner for CJ Entus Blaze in 2013, was considered one of the top mid-laners in Korea at the time. During the 2013 Spring season, Faker’s debut as a pro player, solo-killed Ambition, shocked the community with awe and many were anticipating the history of a new legend to be born.
The second significant moment was the 2013 Summer Finals, a key event, with both teams tied at 2-2, making the fifth and final match incredibly intense. For those unfamiliar with LoL, the game involves a draft where players pick five champions for their team. Once a champion is selected, the opposing team cannot choose the same character. The finals were between SKT T1 Telecom and KT Rolster Bullets—two major mobile carriers locked in a back-and-forth battle. The final match would determine which team would earn a spot at the World Championship.
It was played under blind pick rules, where neither team could see the other’s picks until the game began, allowing both mid-laners to choose the same champion, Zed. In a legendary moment, Faker solo killed KT’s mid-laner Ryu, a play that marked the start of Faker’s legendary career. Check out the play here. It’s unbelievable; this play is further explained for those interested. With SKT T1 winning the finals, it moved to worlds, and that very year, new history was beginning to be written as Faker won the World Championship.
Faker didn’t stop in 2013 but won Worlds in 2015 and 2016, securing three World Championship titles. It’s important to note that winning one world title is incredibly difficult, let alone three in three years. It’s the ultimate dream for every Pro League player.
You may wonder what happened to SKT T1 in 2017. In the World Championship finals, Faker met a familiar face—Ambition. The spotlight was all on Faker, but Ambition stood on the stage, seeking revenge for past defeats, especially the 2016 World Championship Finals.
Ambition, originally a mid-laner, switched to jungle after a year with CJ Entus Blaze and transferred to Samsung Galaxy in November 2015. Samsung Galaxy won the 2014 World Championship and faced SKT in the 2016 finals but lost. 2017 was Ambition’s moment for revenge—to finally knock Faker off the throne.
After Faker’s emotional breakdown, T1 underwent a roster rebuild, but it seemed insufficient for him to return to the World Championship Finals. Over the years, a few players have won World Championships but have yet to come close to winning two titles.
However, after six years of searching, a miracle happened in 2022. T1 had an exceptional year, emerging as the best team globally. Faker again reached the finals on November 5, 2022, but this time he faced Deft. Deft is a legendary pro gamer who debuted in 2013. He has an intriguing backstory, as he was Faker’s high school classmate. Though they didn’t know each other well, both players made fascinating debuts in the LoL community. Deft also has a compelling narrative, having moved to a Chinese team to pursue success, contributing to one of the greatest Cinderella stories in esports.
On November 5, 2022, a star fell—T1. The match went to game five, and the showdown was incredibly intense and exciting. Each team fought fiercely and predicting who might emerge victorious was hard. However, as the game progressed, T1 players began to fall one by one in a 40+ minute game. Ultimately, T1 and Faker fell once again. It had been five years since Faker returned to the finals and six years since he last claimed his fourth trophy.
Early 2023 was challenging for T1 and Faker. Following their defeat at Worlds 2022, the team atmosphere was dark, leading to a decline in performance. Faker and his team struggled with a finals curse, resulting in broken trust within the roster. In March, Faker was pulled due to severe wrist pain and a second-tier roster filled in, which worsened the team’s performance, causing losses against lower-ranked LCK teams.
However, Faker returned for the Summer season, boosting their performance and securing the second seed for the Champions. The LoL Korean community was on fire when they reached the semifinals, as LCK teams were prominent. T1 was the last hope of LCK and they were against the major Chinese teams. T1 faced JDG, a champion contender with ADC Ruler, who had previously defeated Faker and T1 in the 2017 World Championship. The stakes were high as they met once again.
Here’s a teaser for T1 vs. JDG that will give you goosebumps!
After a terrific victory against JDG, T1 goes against WBG in the finals. T1 defeats 3-0 in the finals against WBG Faker, finally reaching his fourth trophy.
In 2024, T1 is awaiting their match on October 19, 2024, against a major Chinese team, TES, in the quarterfinals. I’m rooting for T1 to win against TES and want to see Faker rewrite history, hoping to see him get his fifth trophy.
As a League of Legends player, Faker has one of the longest and most successful careers in the game’s history. His dedication to the sport and consistent performance have solidified his status as a legend in the community. Beyond his gaming skills, Faker is known for his incredible personality; he is kind and humble, earning the respect and admiration of fans and fellow players.
As a big fan of Faker, I deeply admire him as a role model. I look up to Faker for his outstanding social contributions, as he is known for his influential philanthropy and support for non-profit organizations. His generosity to society and his kind heart motivate me to want to become like him. Besides his influential side in society, the unbelievable plays he makes during games mind-blow me, persuading me to want to play the game and become like him. Faker is also one of the reasons LoL is sustaining its fame and popularity; he holds a high percentage of the reasons why people, including myself, crave this game.