| “ | "I would set the world ablaze to protect our family." |
—  Ambessa, 'The Monster You Created'
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Ambessa Medarda is a 
Noxian[1] warlord and the estranged mother of 
Mel Medarda.
Background[]
Early Life[]
| “ | "I will give you the world, child, if you prove you can take it." |
| — Ambessa to Mel, 'The Monster You Created'
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When she was ten, her father brought her to the aftermath of the Battle of Hildenard to collect weapons from the fallen in exchange for a gold coin each, exposing her to death at the tender age.
She tried to imbue the same principles in her two known children, particularly in her daughter Mel, whom Ambessa tried to mold into a warrior and leader willing to do whatever is necessary to ensure their survival from a young age. This seemingly proved futile, however, as her son Kino preferred diplomacy and dismissed war as "A failure of statecraft", and Mel adapted his way of thinking, considering war and killing only as a last resort.
| “ | "Because you weakened me! I couldn't endure the look in your eyes whenever I made the decisions—the necessary decisions to keep us safe!"
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| — Ambessa on why she sent her own daughter away, 'The Monster You Created'
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Eventually, she sent Mel away from their home to Piltover, pointing out that her sentimentality would work well among the "soft-spined idealists", and would later use the excuse that it was for her to oversee their family's interests in the city.[2] In truth, she sent her away because she could no longer bear Mel's disapproval of her decisions.[3]
Visit to Piltover[]
Mel eventually came to power in Piltover as a Councilor and the wealthiest person in the city,[4] and she would later sponsor the research of 
Jayce Talis, whose Hextech enterprise revolutionized trade and travel around the world; thus having a hand in Piltover's undeniable progress.[5]
Apparently too distracted to have been able to do anything at the time, her son Kino was killed by a powerful man who Kino offended.[2] Ambessa realized that the man was not done with his grudge and would strike again and could have enough resources to potentially overpower the Medarda family.[3] To aid their victory in a potential war, Ambessa visited Piltover in hopes of getting her hands on weaponized Hextech.
Having heard news of the city's ongoing conflict with Zaun, she tried to convince both Mel and Jayce to finally engage the undercity in war and use his Hextech weapons for it. Mel determinedly refused and convinced the Council to avoid any war-inciting actions as well, but Jayce was swayed enough to attack one of 
Silco's Shimmer factories with 
Vi. When Jayce accidentally killed a boy,[2] however, Jayce completely changed his mind.
Mel confronted her about her manipulation of Jayce and she finally told Mel about the impending conflict with Kino's killer at Noxus. She then asked Mel to let the war happen, after which she would be welcome back home and at her side. Mel would ultimately turn down the offer, taking off her family ring as she agreed to Jayce's proposal of peace with Zaun by granting them their requested independence.[3]
Appearance[]
Ambessa is a muscular, brown-skinned woman with light brown eyes. She has coily hair in varying shades of grey to black, worn loosely above the shoulders. She wears Noxian styled clothing befitting her rank, mostly made up of black and red colours, with metallic silver elements, and a red cloak with black fur worn to one side. She is shown to have (battle) scars on her face and upper body.
Personality[]
Ambessa is a confident person, showing no shame or emotional weaknesses. Merciless to her enemies, she prefers aggression over passivity due to the way her father brought her up and the Noxian culture she was raised in. Accompanying her ruthlessness is brazen indulgence, freely enjoying the decadence of Piltover and the local cuisines of foreign lands. Eloquent and well-versed, particularly in military history, she is as capable of manipulation as she is capable of violence, so long as it serves her, and her family’s, interests.
Despite her relaxed stance on using violence, Ambessa does not appear to disregard diplomacy entirely, as despite Kino adopting a purely diplomatic philosophy, Kino was not exiled like Mel was. Additionally, Ambessa is selective with her violence, expressing a readiness to kill one if it means avoiding a larger conflict in the future. She is a survivalist above all else, willing to do whatever it takes to protect her clan, and more importantly, her family.
Ambessa is one who respects aggression in any form, either in diplomacy or in war, but she also values cunning and guile, so long as it does not detract from a show of force. Ambessa describes this to Mel as a need for her to embody "both the fox and the wolf". Although one can embody an aspect of one or the other, one cannot succeed in her family without embodying both, but the most atrocious offense to her is a showcase of weakness and ineptitude.
Abilities[]
- Skilled Melee Combatant: Ambessa is a skilled melee combatant. Her preferred weapon thus far appears to be a weapon similar to a katar. Ambessa also shows excellent reflexes and agility, able to cleanly decapitate someone with one swipe of the blade.
Relations[]
Mel Medarda[]
Mel Medarda was exiled from the Medarda Clan after Ambessa accused her of harboring weakness that was unbecoming of the Clan. Although for years it was assumed Ambessa exiled her for that reason alone, it is later claimed by Ambessa that she exiled Mel to prevent her from influencing her ruthless decision making and weakening her; something she could not permit to happen to anyone in her family, including herself.
Ambessa continuously holds Mel to these standards, however, even after Mel's exile, dismissing her emotional outburst and saying she taught her better than to let her emotions run loose. Even so, Ambessa holds a soft spot for Mel with a desire to protect the family and sought to have her rejoin the Medarda Clan after Kino's death.
Kino Medarda[]
Although Ambessa was dismissive of Kino's purely diplomatic approach to statecraft, he was not exiled like Mel was, which suggests that Ambessa believes Kino's philosophy isn't wholly wrong, simply incomplete.
When Ambessa delivers the news of Kino's death to Mel, Ambessa shows dismay over his loss, believing she was too distracted to prevent his death from occurring.
Elora[]
Ambessa addresses Elora by name upon arriving to Piltover. Their relationship is unknown, but they are at the very least acquainted with one another.
Jayce Talis[]
Ambessa uses Jayce to try and incite war between Piltover and Zaun, and put Jayce into a position to develop Hextech weaponry. Once developed, Ambessa wishes to use them for her Clan to ensure that the Noxian that Kino crossed with doesn't slaughter the rest of the Medarda Family as revenge.
Ambessa uses Jayce and manipulates him into impulsively acting against Zaun, which succeeds. When Mel confronts Ambessa about her manipulation of Jayce, she is indifferent about this fact. Jayce is simply a means to an end.
The Council of Piltover[]
Ambessa believes the Council lacks agency against the Zaunite threat, and allowed the problem to accumulate over years, doing nothing to prevent its advance. Ambessa tells Jayce that the Council is at risk of letting themselves get blindsided by Zaun in an upcoming war, and that he would need to properly prepare for war if they were to avoid this fate.
Arcane Show Appearances[]
| Season One appearances: 2/9 | ||
| Welcome to the Playground: Absent |
Some Mysteries Are Better Left Unsolved: Absent |
The Base Violence Necessary for Change: Absent |
| Happy Progress Day!: Absent |
Everybody Wants to Be My Enemy: Absent |
When These Walls Come Tumbling Down: Absent |
| The Boy Savior: Alluded to only |
Oil and Water: Appears and flashback |
The Monster You Created: Appears |
Read More
Starring Champion
Trivia[]
Media[]
References[]
- ↑ League of Legends loading screen tip during the airing of Arcane.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Arcane: Season 1, Episode 8: Oil and Water
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Arcane: Season 1, Episode 9: The Monster You Created
- ↑ Arcane: Season 1, Episode 2: Some Mysteries Are Better Left Unsolved
- ↑ Arcane: Season 1, Episode 4: Happy Progress Day!
