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This article is a compilation of the trivia sections found across Swain's Swain's articles and is provided as a courtesy for readers who enjoyed our previously dedicated champion-trivia articles.

The information found on this page cannot be edited from here - please follow the provided links to the source articles. This page will automatically reflect changes made elsewhere.

Riot Games logo icon nav Development

Main article: Swain (Development)
  • Swain was designed by Steven 'Coronach' DeRose.
  • Swain is voiced by James Faulkner in League of Legends icon League of Legends and Legends of Runeterra icon Legends of Runeterra.
  • Swain was the first champion to be announced and then reworked before he went live. As shown in his Champion Spotlight, Torment's Torment's damage over time was increased by the amount of damage taken in its duration.
  • Nevermove Nevermove is a reference to the narrative poem The Raven, by Edgar Allan Poe.
    • According to David 'Phreak' Turley, Swain's Swain's Nevermove Nevermove ability was originally supposed to be called Nevermore and was called Nevermove as a pun. When the ability was implemented in the game the name was not changed back.
  • James 'Statikk' Bach would walk around with his coat on his shoulders during the development of Swain's Visual Gameplay Update much like Swain in order to promote the idea.[1]
  • Several scrapped spells tested during the development of his Visual Gameplay Update include:[2]
    • A version of his ultimate that allowed him to snipe enemies after absorbing spells.
    • A version of Demonic Ascension Demonic Ascension on his E with a shorter cooldown.
    • A version of passive that would replace his trinket with a raven trinket that would provide bonus movement speed and vision in an area.

Universe icon nav Universe

Main article: Swain (Character)
Swain, the Master Tactician Swain, the Master Tactician
  • Swain was a member of the Runeterra Crest icon The Black Rose, a dark and mysterious group that controlled Noxus before the rise of the military government. They were thought to no longer exist. However, with the reemergence of their leader LeBlanc LeBlanc, the Black Rose are working towards getting the organization back into power.
  • During the War of Kalamanda, Garen Garen and his Dauntless Vanguard hindered the progress of Swain and his army's advancement at every turn.
  • Swain and Jarvan IV Jarvan IV, have a deep, hate-filled rivalry. He has attempted to kill Jarvan IV on several occasions.
    • It is theorized he fought LeBlanc impersonating Jarvan in order to trigger a war with Demacia Crest icon Demacia.
  • Swain is a fan of Sona Sona.
  • As a nod to his old lore, Swain has a raven named Beatrice Beatrice.[3] (< Latin beatrix "she who gladdens")
Swain, the Noxian Grand General Swain, the Noxian Grand General
  • His Demon of Secrets is named Raum as noted by Fiddlesticks Fiddlesticks.[4]
    • In real-life "demonology", Raum is stated to be a Great Earl of Hell, ruling thirty legions of demons. He is depicted as a crow which adopts human form at the request of the conjurer.
  • Swain's Trifarix Council was probably based on the Roman Triumvirate, Swain being the Leader of Vision;
    • Possibly based on Latin trifārius "in three parts~places" (cf. Sanskrit cognate त्रिधा tridhā), from PIE *tri-dʰóh₁-.[5]
  • The Black Powder Plot to assassinate Swain references the Gun Powder Plot by English Catholics to blow up King James I and the House of Lords.
  • Swain likes to play a vastayan strategy game called Xa'h, which is similar to chess.[6]
  • One of the reasons that the Trifarix was made was because Swain knows that either his demon or his ambitions may potentially overwhelm him and would have to be stopped.[7]
  • The six-eyed ravens around him are not actual ravens but rather manifestations of his demonic power.[8]
  • As revealed in Rell's Rell's live Q&A:
    • Swain has neglected the power vacuums left behind from his motions to dismantle the previous Noxian government. He was very well aware of the Black Rose academy that Rell Rell was training in, but did not intervene.
    • Swain knows almost all secrets, the ones he has difficulty knowing are those predating Raum (his demon).
    • He knows about World Runes, but not where they've been hidden by Ryze Ryze.
    • Swain is aware of most major threats around Runeterra thanks to his crows, but has decided to deal with them later over more intermediate ones.
    • Swain and Aurelion Sol Aurelion Sol are tied for most knowledge about the universe, Zoe Zoe comes very close.

League of Legends icon nav League of Legends

Gameplay

Main article: Swain (League of Legends)
Swain, the Master Tactician Swain, the Master Tactician
  • The name Swain is derived from the Old Norse sveinn for "boy".
  • Swain's raven is named Beatrice.[9]
    • Beatrice can be seen on the Dominated Dominion profileicon Crystal Scar. She will land on the barrier near the Boneyard node for a short time and then fly off.
  • Swain's Ravenous Flock Ravenous Flock transformation has a similar appearance to Tzeentch's daemon servants, the Lords of Change, from the Warhammer franchise.
  • The icon for Ravenous Flock Ravenous Flock is similar to the old one for Tides of Blood Tides of Blood.
  • The Art Spotlight for his first splash art is the first one ever released.
  • If Swain dies while casting Decrepify Decrepify, there will be two Beatrices on the battlefield, one attached to the laser and one on his back when he falls to the ground.
  • The ending quote to Swain's background is based on Joseph Heller's novel Catch-22.
  • In the League of Legends, Swain was unable to compete in the Ionia Versus Noxus Grudge Match due to his recent induction into Noxian High Command, thus needing to take time away from the League to put all his affairs in order.
  • In the 2014 version of the ProfileIcon0785 The Thinking Manatee Ultra Rapid Fire featured game mode, Ravenous Flock Ravenous Flock would toggle-off once its mana cost scaled beyond Swain's maximum mana. This was the only ability affected by the restriction of a champion requiring sufficient maximum mana in order to activate an ability within the game mode.
Swain, the Noxian Grand General Swain, the Noxian Grand General

Quotes

Main article: Swain (League of Legends Audio)
Swain, the Noxian Grand General Swain, the Noxian Grand General
  • Swain's and LeBlanc's relationship is a mysterious one. In essence, they are rivals that share a common goal, apparent in all of their interactions.
    • ▶️  "I have already walked the halls of death, in the Immortal Bastion." may reference the fact that Swain has been involved with the organization and participated in their rites in the past, but he and the Black Rose, of which LeBlanc is the matron, had a falling-out.
  • Swain's quotes when collecting a soul fragment give insights into multiple champions that hadn't been revealed at the time he was released.
    • ▶️  "They fight the mist above the seas, never looking beneath." refers to Pyke Pyke.
    • ▶️  "She claimed it was the Frost Queen's grave. They believed her." refers to Ashe Ashe faking the origin of her bow rather than getting it from Avarosa's grave, which was later shown in Warmother, where Ashe took the bow from a nameless grave.
    • ▶️  "The payment for her suffering in Shurima: a black rose." implies that Cassiopeia Cassiopeia is a Solid Rose Clasic Faction Colors Black Rose member, which was later stated in her biography update.
    • ▶️  "His secrets died with his sculptor." refers to the misconception that petricite suppresses magic rather than absorb it, bringing Galio Galio to life once he has absorbed enough magic, which was shown in the Lux comics.
    • ▶️  "So he's heard the rumours: The girl who came back." refers to Kai'Sa Kai'Sa.
  • ▶️  "Any man who must say 'We are winning'… is not truly winning." and ▶️  "A one-armed man needs all the help he can get." are references to Tywin Lannister from Game of Thrones. The voice actor is also part of the show's cast, portraying Randyll Tarly.
  • ▶️  "Only this, and nothing more" is a reference to the poem The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe.
  • ▶️  "It is better to be feared than loved, Vastaya. strongly resembles Niccolò Machiavelli's quote "It is far safer to be feared than loved." in the treatise The Prince; it is implied that it is better if one cannot be both.
  • ▶️  "They move swiftly, for all the coins weighing them down.", ▶️  "The mind is the weapon. You are unarmed.", ▶️  "Fame has gone to your head, and found ample room within.", and ▶️  "You're the only man I know who believes his own words, even after he's said them." reference Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels.
    • ▶️  "Do not confuse cowardice for wisdom.", ▶️  "You can sit on a throne, that doesn't make you a ruler. It only means you have an arse.", ▶️  "They expect me to play fairly... We aren't even playing the same game.", ▶️  "Patience is a virtue but it has its limits.", ▶️  "There is nothing noteworthy about Demacia, but that in itself is worth noting.", and evidently ▶️  "I was born a patrician. I became a soldier." references Lord Havelock Vetinari of Ankh-Morpork, specifically. Swain and Vetinari were both born into patrician families.
  • A few of Swain's lines are altered from his old voice-over old voice-over. Some of them specifically intend to underline the difference in character with his full relaunch.
  • Swain shares quotes with:
  • ▶️  Swain OriginalCircle ▶️  Nasus OriginalCircle "Do not try my patience."
Original Swain (old) Original Swain (old)
  • ▶️  "The early bird guts the worm" is based on a famous idiom, "The early bird gets the worm."
  • In the Polish localization, his pick quote "Rozdziobią was kruki, wrony." (You are going to be pecked out by crows and ravens), is a reference to Stefan Żeromski's 1895 novel of the same title.
Tyrant Swain Tyrant Swain

Skins

Main article: Swain (Collection)
Original Swain Original Swain
Northern Front Swain Northern Front Swain
Bilgewater Swain Bilgewater Swain
  • This skin represents Swain as he would look like if he was part of the Bilgewater Crest icon Bilgewater faction.
  • It is likely a reference to Long John Silver, the antagonist of the Treasure Island novel.
  • Beatrice is a scarlet macaw. In the American splash art, Beatrice's flight feathers are blue and green, as opposed to the real life macaw's blue and yellow feathers; however, on the Chinese splash art, the colors are just like the real life parrots.
  • His updated appearance resembles that of classic Rakan Rakan.
Tyrant Swain Tyrant Swain
  • Tyrant Swain Tyrant Swain
    • This skin thus depicts Swain after his rise to Grand General, the highest position of power in Noxus, and subsequent take-over of his body by the demon.
    • This was the only skin in which Swain is not dependent on his cane to walk; he instead carries a staff.
    • He can be seen on the left of Battle Bunny Riven's Battle Bunny Riven's Splash Art. He is also seen during the coronation scene.
Dragon Master Swain Dragon Master Swain
Chromaskins Chromas: Emerald, Obsidian, Pearl, Ruby, Sapphire, Tanzanite
  • This skin was codeveloped alongside Swain's Visual Gameplay Update due to being an old promise to players.[13]
  • He is a Draconic Antagonist to the Dragonslayer skin line.
  • He used to be a Dragonslayer, but was overtaken by the power to turn the dragons against the Dragonslayers, the very monsters he was trying to destroy.
  • His quotes concerning ravens are omitted.
Hextech Swain Hextech Swain
  • This skin represents Swain as he would look like if he was part of the Piltover Crest icon Piltover faction.
    • His appearance resembles that of Camille Camille.
  • His bird is named Peacog.[14]
  • His concept art, along with Elderwood Ornn Elderwood Ornn, were revealed before their intended dates. In the case of Swain, a day before the official skin reveal on the PBE servers (November 26th, 2019).
Crystal Rose Swain Crystal Rose Swain
Chromaskins Chromas: Amethyst, Catseye, Obsidian, Pearl, Peridot, Rose Quartz, Ruby, Sapphire, Tiffany & Co.
Winterblessed Swain Winterblessed Swain
Chromaskins Chromas: Catseye, Emerald, Obsidian, Pearl, Rose Quartz, Ruby, Sapphire, Turquoise, Wreathguard


References

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