Caitlyn Kiramman[4] is a fictional character in the League of Legends franchise, created by Riot Games. Originally introduced as a playable champion for the video game in the January 4, 2011 update, she has subsequently appeared in various spin-off works, as well as the animated series Arcane. A descendant of one of Piltover's most prestigious houses, Caitlyn chose to serve her fellow citizens, joining the Guardians and becoming "The Sheriff of Piltover", as well as one of the City of Progress's top agents alongside her inseparable partner Vi. Although armed with a unique Hextech sniper rifle, Caitlyn's main weapon is actually her superior intelligence, which makes her an excellent investigator and strategist.[5]
The first illustration of the character made by Eduardo Gonzalez showed very few differences with the final design; although the name given to her by the development team was initially "Emeria"[6], already in the first official announcement - dated December 2010 - she was presented as "the beautiful (and stylish) Caitlyn, the Sheriff of Piltover".[7] Conceived as a Marksman, she is particularly known among AD Carries (ADC) as she has the longest basic attack range in the game:650 units, which makes her capable of hitting an opponent from one side to the other of any map (which led her, in the years following her launch, to receive numerous nerfs). The character's look, characterized by a Victorian-style puffed dress with a miniskirt and a wide-brimmed purple top hat, remained unchanged until October 2021[8] when she received an update which, in addition to "modernizing" her clothing, also gave her a less pale complexion, inspired by the design given to her by the animators of the celebratory cinematic for the 2020 " Warriors " season.[9]
The character's origins and background were written by Graham McNeill.[10] Caitlyn officially joined the roster of Champions in the first update of 2011, [8] voiced by American voice actress Kirsten Potter[1] and sporting a heavy British accent. Katie Leung voiced Caitlyn in the animated television series Arcane,[11][12][13] in which her previously unknown house name was also determined by writer Amanda Overton to be "Kiramman",[4] later introduced into the official lore.[14]
Caitlyn was added to the League of Legends Champion roster on January 4, 2011.[8] As established by lore written by Graham McNeill, Caitlyn was born into one of Piltover 's wealthiest and most influential families , but she has always preferred the wilds beyond the walls to the high-class environment; her innate sense of justice then led her to serve the city first as a private investigator and then as a Warden, until she became Sheriff.[10] Decisa a rendere la Città del Progresso un posto più sicuro per tutti i cittadini, Caitlyn è nota come una dei migliori tutori della legge di Piltover ed è costantemente sulle tracce della Baronessa Chimica Corina Veraza,[15] Determined to make the City of Progress a safer place for all citizens, Caitlyn is known as one of Piltover's best law enforcers and is constantly on the trail of Chemical Baroness Corina Veraza,[16] a criminal long known only by the initial "C", who in the past attempted to kill her family. Caitlyn always works in tandem with the fiery Zaunite Vi, whom she counterpoints with her thoughtful and pragmatic nature.[14]
Caitlyn's primary weapons are a sniper rifle with a map- wide range and Yordle Traps, which can immobilize and deal additional damage to the enemy Champion that triggers them.
The animated series Arcane reveals Caitlyn to be the scion of the influential Clan Kiramman,[4] a matriarchal house whose founder has traditionally held a seat on the Piltover Council since its founding,[17][18] but she has always felt out of place in high society and hindered in her personal growth by her protective parents, Tobias[19] and Cassandra.[20] After a lonely childhood, in her pre-adolescence Caitlyn forms a strong friendship with Jayce Talis, a brilliant scientist and her family's protégé, and convinces her mother to help him when his secret experiments in artificially creating magic come to light, risking his expulsion from the Academy;[21] Shortly after, during a shooting competition, Sheriff Grayson lets her win not because she is corrupt but because he is impressed by the girl's skills, who decides to follow in her footsteps and put herself at the service of her fellow citizens by joining the Guardians.[22]
Approximately seven years later[23] Caitlyn is ostracized by her superiors and colleagues for her heritage and relegated to the backline due to her mother's influence on the department. After investigating an attack on Shimmer smugglers without permission, she is punished by the corrupt Sheriff Marcus and forced to work the graveyard shift during Progress Day, becoming involved in Jinx 's attempt to steal a Hextech gem; surviving, she is removed from active duty by her mother's will and then goes to Stillwater Prison for a clandestine investigation, running into Vi[24] who offers to assist her in exchange for her freedom; despite their polar opposite personalities and different upbringings, the two form an unexpectedly deep bond[22] and escape the men of crime boss Silco, for whom Jinx works, who Caitlyn discovers is Vi's psychotic younger sister.[25] They manage to gather evidence on Silco with the help of the rebel group of the Firelights and their leader Ekko , who saves them from Marcus' men and Jinx, intent on killing them to prevent their return to Piltover,[25] Caitlyn and Vi are unable to convince the Council to act because, in order to avoid war, they are willing to make deals with the criminal. Furious, Vi abruptly separates from Caitlyn who, shortly after, is kidnapped by Jinx[26] together with Silco and Vi herself, to whom Jinx gives a gun begging her to kill the Piltovian so that they can "be sisters" again; after she refuses, events precipitate and Silco is accidentally killed by Jinx, who, having accepted her new identity, shoots with a rocket launcher at the Piltover Council, intent on voting for the independence of Zaun under the stunned looks of Caitlyn and Vi.[27] The attack causes the death of Caitlyn's mother who sinks into grief and, once promoted to commander and assumed the leadership of House Kiramman, convinces Vi to join the Guardians and establishes a task force with which to go to Zaun to capture Jinx[28] meanwhile starting a relationship with the Zaunite although, when the two track down the terrorist, Vi prevents her from shooting her because Isha, an orphan "adopted" by Jinx, shields her allowing her to escape. The two girls then have a sudden argument and separate, which leads Caitlyn to be manipulated by Ambessa instituting martial law[29] and start an affair with the young agent Maddie Nolan.[30]
Months later, disheartened by the prolonged occupation of Zaun, she begins to regret her choices and resent Ambessa.[30] Furthermore, after the Stillwater prison is attacked by a werewolf hybrid created by the criminal alchemist Singed , she recognizes him as "Corin Reveck " and organizes an expedition to recover the being.[31] She meets Vi again and, once she discovers that the individual mutated by the mad chemist is her putative father, she allies herself with her and Jinx, betraying Ambessa, although Jayce's assault on Viktor causes an immediate collateral violent impulse in all of the latter's followers - Vander included - forcing Vi, Caitlyn, Jinx and Jayce himself to flee.[32] Back in Piltover, Caitlyn arrests Jinx but, realizing her change and by virtue of the love she has for Vi, forgives her and indirectly contributes to her escape and then completely reconciles with Vi[33] with whom she takes part in the defense of Piltover from the invasion of the Noxians and Viktor's army, a battle during which she is wounded in the left eye but manages to kill Ambessa together with Mel. Once relative peace has returned, Caitlyn remains at Vi's side, officially becoming her companion, as the new sheriff of the City of Progress.[34]
Given her build and gameplay, Caitlyn is an extremely popular character in the League of Legends community, being considered among the strongest champions in the game[35][36] as well as one of the most played by users, with a pick rate of 25.1% as of December 2021.[37] Given the elaborate design of her outfits, Caitlyn is also a rather popular character among cosplayers[38][39] while, due to her special interactions,[40] numerous speculations and theories have emerged among fans regarding the exact nature of her relationship with Vi.[41]
Caitlyn's portrayal in Arcane has garnered widespread acclaim from critics and audiences,[42][43][44] particularly Katie Leung's vocal performance.[45][46]Screen Rant praised her psychological portrayal, calling it "the most interesting emotional and mental journey of the series."[47] It was also praised how the characterization went beyond the male gaze, avoiding any sexualization even when she is shown in the shower in the eighth episode.[48]
LGBTQ Reading
Since Caitlyn and Vi's first in-game interactions in League of Legends, it has been heavily speculated that the two were romantic partners in addition to their professional relationships, a hypothesis reinforced by Riot Games' apparent desire for greater LGBTQ+ inclusivity in its games.[49] In Arcane, the two characters' homosexual subtext has received considerable attention and praise from critics and audiences,[50][51] particularly how the evolution of Caitlyn and Vi's relationship from mistrust to intimacy provides "a deep touch of humanity within the series"[51] and serves as a metaphor for how it is possible to transcend the differences between Piltover and Zaun.[51] Screen Rant praised the LGBTQ representation in Arcane through Vi and Caitlyn, comparing it to that in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power as not being completely left to subtext but being made explicit through words and actions, without falling into stereotypes or ever having to use the term "gay" on screen.[52]Amanda Overton stated that there are no labels or stigmas regarding sexual orientation in the world in which the series takes place, not even in the high-class environment of the Kiramman.[18]
On December 2, 2016, Riot Games released the short stories "The Thrill of the Chase", which centers on Caitlyn chasing a criminal through the streets of Piltover,[58] and "Progress Day," in which she foils the plans of a Noxian terrorist during the city's Progress Day holiday, on the official League of Legends website.[59] She also made a brief appearance in "Child of Zaun", a short story about Vi published on December 10, 2019.[60]
Video
The character appeared in the cinematics "Mac Client Available" ( 2013 ),[61] "Road to the Cup" (2013),[62] "Ignite" ( 2016 ),[63] "One Simple Rule" (2017),[64] "Unite Against The Dark" (2018),[65] "Make History" (2018),[66] "A New Journey" (2019),[67] "ULTRACOMBO" (2019),[68] "Warriors" (2020),[69] "Take Over" (2020),[70] "Beyond the Bandlewood" (2021),[71] "Hop On" (2023)[72] and "Sacrifice" (2025).[73]
↑Motamayor, Rafael MotamayorPosted: 20 Nov 2021 8:01 (20 November 2021). "Arcane Season 1 Review - IGN". Retrieved 21 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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