Who is Faker? The History of League of Legends “Final Boss”
In the history of League of Legends, one name towers above all the others: Faker.
Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok is widely recognized as the greatest player in the history of League of Legends — the embodiment of esports mastery. From his first League of Legends World Championship in 2013 to his fourth Championship in 2023, Faker has made a name for himself as the “Unkillable Demon King.”
Born in South Korea, Faker’s journey from a young gaming prodigy to a living legend in esports — in South Korea and around the world — has inspired countless League of Legends professionals, fans, and the next generation of gamers.
Let’s take a closer look at Faker’s rise to the top and the lasting legacy he has built as the Mid laner for T1.
Faker’s Accolades in League of Legends Esports
Before we get into Faker’s legacy in League of Legends esports, here are some accolades he’s accrued that make him the GOAT of LoL.
- 4x League of Legends World Champion (2013, 2015, 2016, 2023)
- 1x LoL Worlds MVP (2016)
- 2 Mid-Season Invitational Champion (2016, 2017)
- 1x MSI MVP (2016)
- 10x LCK Champion
- 2x LCK Season MVP
- 1x Asian Games Champion (2022)
- 1x Esports World Cup Champion (2024)
- LCK Player of the Year (2023)
- First Inductee into the League of Legends Hall of Legends
Faker: A League of Legends Prodigy in the Making
Let’s start Faker’s story at the beginning. Faker was born on May 7, 1996 — making him 28 years old today. He was introduced to gaming at an early age, first only playing in Normal games. But soon, when he made the switch to Ranked, he quickly rose through the ranks of Korean League of Legends (LoL) solo queue.
In Ranked play, Faker gained notoriety for his skill and creativity in the game. By 16, he was the top-ranked LoL player in Korea. It was a sign of things to come.
Within a year, Faker dropped out of school and joined SK Telecom T1 (now just T1) as the first player on their sister team for the 2013 Spring season.
2013: Faker’s First World Championship
In Faker’s first year, he was already considered one of the best Mid laners in the world.
SK Telecom T1 entered 2013 Worlds as one of the top teams in the world. They coasted through the group phase; went 2-0 in the Quarterfinals; squeaked past the No. 1 Korean seed NaJin Black Sword, 3-2; then dominated 3-0 in the Grand Finals.
Faker, in his rookie season, was a World Champion.
“Looking back now, I realize how well he knew the game,” former SK Telecom T1 teammate Impact said, via League of Legends. “He was about 5-6 years ahead of everybody else.”
2015-2017: Faker Becomes the “Unkillable Demon King”
Faker’s influence on the League of Legends landscape continued to grow after his first World Championship. Though the team failed to qualify for Worlds in 2014, SKT T1 returned to domestic and international dominance in 2015.
This is where Faker really came into his own, choosing champions (or LoL characters with special abilities) that were way out of the normal meta. Not only did this catch opponents off-guard but it made him that much more difficult to play against.
“Honestly, at that time, whatever Faker played became the meta,” former KT Rolster and 100 Thieves Mid laner Ryu said, via League of Legends.
In 2015, Faker lost in the Finals at the first-ever Mid-Season Invitational (MSI), dropping the final map 3-2 to EDward Gaming. In the matchup, Faker split time with Easyhoon in the Mid lane, as SKT merged their two teams. It was a controversial decision, but the controversy wouldn’t last long.
Faker’s Back-to-Back World Championships
Faker and SKT went on a world class run in the 2015 LoL Worlds, going 6-0 in the group stage, then winning their final three matches 9-1, dropping only one map to KOO Tigers in the Grand Finals.
While 2013 was Faker’s first World Champion title, the 2015 Championship made him one of only three players to have won it twice. 2015 marked the start of a historic run that would solidify him as one of the greatest LoL players of all-time.
Faker and SKT went on to win 2016 MSI (Faker won MVP), 2016 Worlds (Faker won MVP again), and 2017 MSI. It was a historic run that solidified Faker as the Unkillable Demon King. It’s a run that hasn’t been duplicated in LoL since — one that would be hard for Faker to match again.
2017-2022: T1 Struggles to Repeat Success
After the win at 2017 MSI, Faker and T1 made it to the World Championship in 2017. In a rematch of the 2016 Worlds Final, Samsung Galaxy dominated SK Telecom and Faker 3-0 in Beijing.
In a moment that would define his career, Faker broke down in tears after losing in the Finals. It would be a long time before Faker returned to the World Championship Finals.
In 2018 was a mess of a year for SK Telecom, as they missed LCK Summer Playoffs for the first time in their history. In the midst of players leaving the team and building up a new roster, SK Telecom did not qualify for MSI and Worlds in what Faker called a “frustrating year”.
“They were saying that the sun was setting on Faker’s era,” Caster Jun said, via League of Legends. “That it isn’t just a slump. He is being aged out.”
SKT began to build around Faker in 2019, but it clearly wasn’t enough. Although they won the LCK Splits, SKT lost in the semifinals at 2019 MSI to G2, then in semis to G2 again at 2019 Worlds, which led to the creation of the “Baby Faker” name for G2 Mid laner Caps.
Another rebuild took place around Faker in 2020, including a team name change to T1, with three new players in the starting lineup. Again, they fell short, missing MSI and Worlds entirely.
In 2021, T1 added Keria to the support role after he left DRX — the second piece of what would become the Zeus-Oner-Faker-Gumayusi-Keria (ZOFGK) roster we know today.
T1 ended with another LCK Summer win, followed by a semifinals loss at Worlds in 2021.
While T1 couldn’t put the pieces together quite yet, these were crucial years in Faker’s story arc, as he had evolved as a player and a leader. T1 had found its core that could lead them into the future.
“I acted based on my personal experience and knowledge, but now I have become more objective and open-minded,” Faker said of his development as a leader, via League of Legends. “I’ve become more flexible and mature.”
2022-2023: Faker’s Return to Glory
In 2022, Zeus was promoted to the roster, completing the current starting five. And with that, T1 was back in business. They went undefeated (18-0) in the Spring season, won the Spring Playoffs, but lost 3-2 to Royal Never Give Up in the 2022 MSI Grand Finals on home soil.
They again fell in the semifinals at Worlds, taking a 2-1 lead against DRX, but dropping the next two maps.
But the same team remained intact for 2023. While they defeated rival Gen.G at 2023 MSI, they fell short against JD Gaming, leading to a third-place finish.
In the middle of the summer split, Faker was benched due to a hand injury. T1 fell apart without their star, going 1-7 in the one month without Faker. Despite that, the team did enough to qualify for the Playoffs, then Worlds 2023 as the LCK second seed.
T1 fell to Gen.G once again in the Swiss stage, but made it to the Knockout Stage quarterfinals with a 2-0 win over Bilbili Gaming. Momentum was building. They swept LNG, 3-0, in the quarters. They upset tournament favorites JD Gaming, 3-1, after JDG had won MSI and won LCK Summer. Thanks, in large part, to Faker's incredible play on Map 3.
Only Weibo Gaming stood in Faker’s way now, in what was T1’s eighth Worlds Grand Finals appearance.
10 years after Faker’s first World Championship, he became a champion again, defeating Weibo Gaming, 3-0, thanks to some incredible plays. After his wrist injury earlier in the year, Faker had led his T1 team to shock the world.
“He’s just the final boss of League of Legends,” Caps said, via League of Legends.
Faker solidified his status at the GOAT of League of Legends with this championship. He became the first inductee of the Hall of Legends, a Hall of Fame for League of Legends.
2024 LoL Worlds: What’s Next for Faker?
At LoL Worlds 2024, Faker looks to add to his storied legacy.
Though he’s no longer the fresh-faced prodigy, Faker is still considered one of the greatest players in the world. T1 secured the final spot in the Swiss Stage from the LCK, leading many to believe T1’s run may end here.
But can you ever really count this team out? At MSI, T1 defeated G2 twice, but dropped two matches to Bilibili Gaming. While their summer season was not their best, it’s hard to imagine a Knockout Stage without Faker.
From Faker’s early days of redefining the meta to his role as a mentor for this current T1 team, Faker has shaped the history of League of Legends forever.
“In life, there are uphills and there are downhills,” Dplus Mid laner ShowMaker said via League of Legends. “What is amazing about Faker is that he did not give up to get back ot the top.”
At this point, with four League of Legends World Championship titles to his name, another Worlds trophy would just be the cherry on top.
Other resources from PrizePicks:
