The dualists in League of Legends are champions that love going on a side lane and facing enemy champions 1 v 1.
They excel in these scenarios as their kits allow them to deal consistent damage to a single target through bonus damage and increased attack speed while also dodging abilities, healing, and shielding themselves, making them harder to kill.
This also allows them to win prolonged fights, making them really hard to deal with in the sidelane. They also have great ways to continue fighting, which means they have different gap-closers or lockdowns for the enemy champions.
But what champions should you pick if you are looking to dominate 1-v-1 fights and be a menace in the side lane? Here is a list of the 10 best duelists in League of Legends.
10. Jax
We start the list off with Jax, whose whole kit is designed for 1 v 1 duels. He excels in the side lane, and in the mid, to late game, not many champions can face him.
Starting with his passive, we have Relentless Assault, which allows Jax to generate a stack of his passive with each basic attack.
These stacks last 2.5 seconds, and the cooldown refreshes with each attack up to 8 times. For each stack, Jax gains 3.5% − 11% (based on level) bonus attack speed, up to a maximum of 28% − 88% (based on level).
His passive plays a big part of what makes Jax a great dualists since the bonus attack speed, especially with higher levels, gives Jax insane amounts of attack speed.
Combined with his items and abilities, this bonus goes a long way and allows him to continuously dash out tons of damage, helping him in duels and pushing down turrets. Moving on with his basic abilities, we have Leap strike (Q), which allows Jax to leap to his target.
This is a pretty simple ability, but the leap is essential since it helps Jax to stick to his target and continue auto-attacking them, keeping up the stacks from his passive.
Empower (W) is his second ability which empowers Jax’s next basic attack, dealing magic damage. This ability is great for bonus damage, but what makes it good is that Empower resets Jax’s basic attack timer.
This helps Jax stack up his passive or keep it at maximum stacks. Counter Strike (E) is the ability that, when activated, makes Jax able to dodge all incoming basic attacks for 2 seconds, after which he stuns surrounding enemies for 1 second. This ability can be recasted after 1 second.
Counter Strike is a great ability, especially when facing a champion that relies on dealing damage from basic attacks. This ability can also dodge empowered basic attacks, which are often the core damage of many champions in the toplane, where Jax is played the most.
This makes him hard to kill, with the ability to stun the enemy, allowing him to continue attacking them. Lastly, we have Jax’s ultimate, Grandmaster’s Might. This ultimate has a passive and an active.
Let’s start with the passive, which allows Jax’s basic attacks to generate a stack of Grandmaster’s Might that lasts 2.5 seconds, which refreshes with each auto attack, up to 2 stacks.
The third attack consumes all the stacks, dealing bonus damage. When activated Jax’s ultimate grants him bonus 30 / 50 / 70 (+ 50% bonus AD) armor and 30 / 50 / 70 (+ 20% AP) bonus magic resistance for 8 seconds.
This ultimate is highly underrated; the passive works great with attack speed, which his passive grants him, and the active gives Jax excellent armor and magic resistance which go a long way in the duels.
As I mentioned, Jax’s kit is designed for duels and split-pushing, he works great with attack speed because of his passive and ultimate passive, allowing him to win prolonged fights or quickly push lanes.
On top of that, he has a leap, an auto attack reset, and a stun, which allows him to consistently deal damage and stick to his target.
9. Camille
Next up, we have Camille, a champion with a lot of damage, mobility, and lockdown. Her kit is also made for duels as she has a shield, an auto attack reset that can do true damage, a heal and a slow in one ability, a gap-closer, and a lockdown. She checks all the boxes regarding attributes needed for a great 1 v 1 champion.
So, let’s begin with her passive, which shields Camille when she basic attacks a champion for 2 seconds. She gets a different shield depending on what type of damage the enemy has dealt before and Camille’s armor and magic resistance. The passive has a 20 / 15 / 10 (based on level) cooldown.
This passive is really strong in every stage of the game. In the early game, it’s great since the damage the enemies deal is not that high, so the shield goes a long way in early trades.
In the later stages, the shield is on a low cooldown and helps Camille survive longer on the side lane or in teamfights. Her Q, Precision Protocol is an ability that empowers Camille’s next basic attack; it can be quickly recasted to land an additional strike.
But, if you don’t recast it quickly and do it after 1.5 seconds, Precision’s Protocol bonus damage is doubled, and 40% − 100% (based on level) of the attack’s total damage will be dealt as true damage. The true damage comes in handy against tanks, which you can often face when playing toplane.
Her Q costs only 25 mana and has a cooldown of only 6 seconds on max rank. This means she can consistently deal tons of damage, with the option to deal high amounts of true damage on a very low cooldown. Her W, Tactical Sweep, allows Camille to sweep in front of her dealing physical damage.
This ability heals her and slows the enemy by 80% for 2 seconds. Tactical Sweep is excellent when used in between auto attacks to keep the enemy in range or to slow down enemies, making it easier to chase them down. Her E, Hookshot, gives Camille a lot of mobility.
When casted, this ability fires a gripple that collides with terrain hit, with Camille dashing toward the terrain. When she is attached to the terrain, in the next 0.75 seconds, she can dive in any direction, and if she collides with an enemy, she will stun them for 0.75 seconds, gaining bonus attack speed.
This ability makes Camille very hard to deal with, as the Hookshot gives her the ability to chase down her targets effortlessly.
Camille can easily follow them even if they flash or jump over a wall. In addition, to ensure they don’t escape, she can use her ultimate, The Hextech Ultimatum.
When activated, her ultimate makes her untargetable for a brief moment, allowing her to leap to her target.
When she lands, Camille knocks away all enemies near her target while creating a hexagonal zone around her target. Her target cannot leave the zone unless it runs out or Camille walks out of it.
At maximum level, the zone lasts for 4 seconds. As you can see, all of her abilities synergize well with each other, allowing her to shield herself, deal true damage, heal, slow, attach to enemies and lock them down in a zone which they cannot escape.
This makes her extraordinary in a side lane since she can force her opponent to fight her because she can easily lock them down and kill them quickly, making her a great dualist.
8. Fiora
Fiora is a high-skill cap champion that excels at duels. Her strength comes from all of her abilities, which, combined, make her extremely strong in 1 v 1 scenarios. Starting out with her passive, Duelist’s Dance allows her to spawn Vitals on the enemy champions that she can proc by using her basic attacks or Lunge (Q).
Proccing a vital will deal 3% of the target’s maximum health (+4.5% per 100 bonus AD) true damage. This passive allows her to deal a lot of damage and stick to her enemy as with every procced Vital, she gains bonus movement speed. Her Q, Lunge, allows Fiora to dash in a short distance stabbing a nearby enemy.
When you hit a target, it deals physical damage and reduces the cooldown of Lunge by 50%. This ability on max level is only 6 seconds, which is often the ability that Fiora levels up first. With such a low cooldown, Fiora is able to stick to her target and proc the vitals consistently.
When activated, her W, Riposte, makes Fiora enter a defensive stance for 0.75 seconds in which she cannot act but cannot be damaged, or crowd-controlled.
After the duration, she strikes enemies in a line. If, during the duration of Riposte, she is struck with a crowd control ability, she blocks it and stuns the enemy for the same duration.
Even if it doesn’t block a crowd control ability, this ability will slow the enemy and lower their attack speed if the strike hits an enemy.
Riposte is extremely useful, especially against champions that rely on some form of crowd control to win a fight. If that ability is blocked, Fiora can stun and easily kill them. Her E, Bladework complements the other abilities really well.
When activated, Fiora’s 2 next basic attacks have bonus range; the first slows, while the second critically strikes.
Her E can be used as an auto-attack reset, and the slow is great at helping Fiora stay on her target. When activated, Fiora’s ultimate Grand Challenge challenges an enemy, highlighting 4 vitals around them.
If she procs all 4 vitals or kills the target, she creates a zone in which Fiora and her allies are healed. This ability literally challenges the enemy to a duel, making it hard for them to escape since it grants bonus movement speed, plus she gets a burst of movement speed with every vital proced.
This ability is the cherry on top of a kit that excels at duels. Not many champions can face Fiora, especially if she has her ultimate up since if she procs all vitals, the damage often is so high that the enemy will probably die.
7. Riven
Riven is a champion whose low cooldowns, high mobility, and tons of damage making her really hard to deal with. She gets a lot of her damage from her passive, which allows her basic attack after using an ability to deal bonus physical damage.
This passive alone separates good from great Riven players, as the latter use her passive effectively, making a lot of animation canceling moves that maximize the damage Riven does.
Her passive works great with her Q, Broken Wings, which has 3 casts. The first two allow Riven to slash her sword, dashing in a short distance, dealing damage.
Besides slashing and dashing, her third cast also knocks up enemies hit. You have a short period between the 3 casts, allowing you to auto attack in between each cast, using the passive to its maximum.
Her W, Ki Burst, is a simple ability that stuns and damages champions around her. Again, this ability complements her passive really well, and works great with the third cast of the Q.
Her E, Valor, allows Riven to dash a short distance, shielding herself. This ability has a really low cooldown, which gets even lower since Riven likes buying a lot of ability haste.
This grants Riven a lot of survivability, but it also scales with bonus AD. Riven’s ultimate has 2 casts. The first one, Blade of the Exile, empowers her blade for 15 seconds, granting her bonus AD. When activated, the ultimate also grants bonus attack range and increased range for her Q and W.
The second cast, Wind Slash unleashes a wave in a cone, damaging enemies hit. Riven is known for the low cooldowns on her abilities.
This allows her to constantly dash, stun and shield herself while dealing a lot of damage; this damage is especially high if her passive is used correctly. Her dashes make her hard to hit in a duel, allowing her to also gap-close easily while constantly shielding herself, making her really durable.
6. Yone
Yone is often played in the midlane, but in the mid-game, he often goes on a sidelane in a 1 v 1 scenario. He struggles to fight against team compositions with a lot of mobility or CC, so he goes in a 1 v 1 because his kit allows him to beat almost anyone in a duel.
Some of this comes from his passive, which multiplies the total critical strike chance by 2.5 from all other sources. His Q, Mortal Steel, is pretty simple; when activated, it stabs in the target’s location.
After hitting a target twice with his Q, the ability is transformed, allowing Yone to dash in a direction, knocking up enemies hit.
His W, Spirit Cleave, grants him a shield that stacks with bonus AD and gets bigger with every champion hit. On the other hand, his E, Soul Unbound, is what brings this champion to another level.
When E is used, Yone dashes shortly, and for 5 seconds, he can use all of his abilities and summoner spells normally. Furthermore, he gains movement speed and marks champions he hits with basic attacks and abilities.
When casted again, or automatically after 5 seconds, Yone snaps back to his starting position; he cannot be immobilized or stopped, and all effects are removed during the time he is coming back to his body.
When he snaps back the marks on the enemies are applied, dealing a percentage of the damage dealt while in his E. At max level, it’s 35% of the damage dealt.
In addition to that, his ultimate ability is extremely strong since it allows him to dash in a long range, sweeping every champion in its path, dealing damage, and allowing him to continue using his spells and basic attacks.
This champion has a ton of damage, easily stacking critical strike, a dash, a shield, and an ability that gives him a free escape after dealing a lot of damage.
Dealing with Yone can be difficult as he has a lot of options, and all of his abilities have quick cast times, allowing him to dash out a lot of damage quickly.
Unless you somehow dodge his knock-up, even though he can stack it up easily, you are very unlikely to win a duel against Yone since after knocking you up, he can easily follow up with a lot of damage, giving you no room to fight back or escape.
5. Irelia
Irelia is a champion with the ability to dash and heal while also dealing damage and being really slippery. Looking at her kit, we start with her passive, Ionian Fervor.
Her passive grants her a stack for each enemy hit with her abilities. For each stack, she gains 7.5% − 20% (based on level) bonus attack speed up to 30% − 80% (based on level).
This means just from her passive, she gets an attack speed buff which is really important since attack speed is in the core of Irelia.
In prolonged fights, the passive plays a crucial role in giving Irelia the edge in the duel. In addition, she marks enemies for 5 seconds when they are hit by her Flawless Duet (E) or Vanguard’s Edge(R).
Moving on with the basic abilities, we have Bladesurge(Q), which allows Irelia to dash to her target, dealing damage (she deals more to minions) and healing her.
Killing the target with Bladesurge will reset the cooldown of the ability. The cooldown is also reset if the ability is used on a target marked by her E or R.
This ability is what defines Irelia; being able to dash, quickly clearing minions while healing in the process gives her a lot of power in a duel, especially if the fight is in a minion wave. But, the strength of her kit doesn’t stop here.
Defiant Dance (W) can be charged for 1.5 seconds. During that time, it reduces the physical and magic damage Irelia takes. This ability cannot be interrupted, and when it finishes, or it’s re-activated, it deals physical damage.
This makes Irelia very durable, it can be used in periods when she needs some time to get her cooldowns back or if the enemy throws abilities and attacks, allowing Irelia to tank a lot of damage and turn around the fight. Moving on, we will look at her Flawless Duet (E), an ability with two casts.
The first one sends a blade to the location, while when you recast it, a second blade is placed, and the blades fly towards each other, stunning everyone in between.
The first part of this ability can be used while Bladesurge is used to make the enemy doesn’t expect the incoming stun. As mentioned before, this ability applies a mark to the target, allowing her to reset the cooldown on her Q if it’s used on the marked target.
Finishing it off with her ultimate ability, Vanguard’s Edge, which launches blades at the target. This ability expands at the first target hit, dealing damage, slowing enemies hit and those who go through the blades by 90% for 1.5 seconds.
The ultimate also marks the enemies, and Bladesurge can reset its cooldown when you target marked enemies. All of these abilities make Irelia a great dualist, she can easily catch up to her enemies, win out in prolonged fights, take reduced damage, and she can stun and slow enemies.
One full combo can kill the enemy quickly, if she is at a disadvantage, her W will make her durable, or she has the ability to escape or heal by using her Q on the minions.
4. Yasuo
Within the LoL universe, Yasuo is a distinct figure, recognized for his exceptional dueling abilities and rapid combat style. His complexity isn’t only for show; it requires mastery of strategy and skill. Yasuo’s power is rooted in his ability to move freely and his unparalleled dueling skills.
His passive ability, ‘Way of the Wanderer’, is a defining aspect of his gameplay. This passive ability consists of two components: ‘Intent’ and ‘Resolve’.
‘Intent’ amplifies his critical strike chance twofold, a feature unique to Yasuo. Such a passive skill encourages an assertive playstyle, allowing damage build-up while maintaining a high likelihood of critical strikes.
‘Resolve’ generates a shield as Yasuo moves, protecting him from damage inflicted by enemies. This is vital for survival in duels and promotes movement. The more active you are, the faster it charges, reinforcing an assertive playstyle and freedom of movement.
His ‘Steel Tempest’ ability is central to his combat style, enabling him to execute rapid, sharp attacks in quick succession. The third cast releases a whirlwind that launches enemies into the air, priming them for his ultimate move, ‘Last Breath’.
His ‘Wind Wall’ is a crucial defensive mechanism, capable of neutralizing enemy projectiles. Proper timing and placement are key, providing the opportunity to control the battle’s progression.
Thus, if you’re seeking a character who provides both high-risk and high-reward gameplay, Yasuo is the right choice. Mastery of his subtle complexities and expressing your unique play style are what make him a thrilling character to play.
3. Mordekaiser
Continuing, Mordekaiser offers a stark contrast to Yasuo, yet he’s just as powerful in dueling. In opposition to Yasuo, who depends on agility and precision, Mordekaiser focuses on sheer strength and resilience.
He’s a Juggernaut, a classification that excels in both taking and giving damage, positioning him as a formidable opponent in one-on-one scenarios.
His toolkit, focused around his Death’s Grasp and Obliterate abilities, permits him to reel in enemies and follow up with a powerful blow.
This combination can be lethal, especially when you factor in his passive, Darkness Rise, which gifts him bonus magic damage and movement speed after landing three attacks or abilities.
What truly sets Mordekaiser apart in duels is his ultimate, Realm of Death. This capability transports Mordekaiser and his target to a separate dimension for a seven-second duel.
This not only isolates the enemy but also pilfers a portion of their stats, giving Mordekaiser an even greater advantage.
Yet, it’s not all about raw power. Successful dueling with Mordekaiser also necessitates strategic use of his abilities. Timing is critical. Misusing his ultimate could lead to a squandered opportunity or, worse, a turned table.
Mordekaiser’s strength is in his capability to soak up damage while dishing out even more. His unique ultimate makes him a fearsome enemy in a one-on-one duel, but wielding his power effectively also necessitates careful planning and execution. Thus, Mordekaiser is a character that appeals to those who value both brute force and strategic gameplay.
2. Shen
If you find the raw power and strategic gameplay of Mordekaiser appealing, you’ll equally be drawn to Shen’s blend of offensive and defensive playstyles, especially in duels.
Being a champion with a focus on tanking, Shen wields unique abilities that let him deal damage while soaking up a significant amount from foes.
Shen’s passive skill, Ki Barrier, grants a brief shield that mitigates incoming damage. This shield doesn’t solely augment his durability in duels, but it also enables him to exchange hits with opponents with minimal health loss. This could provide an advantage in tight combat scenarios where every health point is vital.
Twilight Assault, Shen’s Q ability, enhances his upcoming three attacks to inflict additional magic damage and gifts him increased attack speed.
When combined with his W ability, Spirit’s Refuge, capable of blocking opponent’s basic attacks, Shen can gradually reduce his adversaries’ health while maintaining his.
Shen’s dueling strength prominently manifests in his E ability, Shadow Dash. This skill lets Shen dash towards his foe, inflicting damage and taunting them simultaneously. A well-executed Shadow Dash can shift the direction of a duel, compelling enemies to attack Shen when his defenses are raised.
Shen’s ultimate skill, Stand United, though not directly used in duels, is an interesting aspect. It grants a massive shield to an ally anywhere and teleports Shen to their position after a slight delay.
This blend of individual dueling strength and team-wide benefit makes Shen an intriguing choice for those who aim for a strategic, balanced yet aggressive playstyle.
1. Trundle
We finish off the list with Trundle, a champion we often see played in the jungle, who has excellent ways to dominate duels.
He is highly underrated, especially as a toplane pick, but he has extreme 1 v 1 power. This strength comes from all of his abilities, starting with his passive King’s Tribute, which heals him every time a nearby enemy dies.
This ability is great for the early game as it gives Trundle a lot of sustain in lane, allowing him to survive the early levels and then dominate the side lane.
Trundle’s Q, Chomp, empowers his next basic attack, dealing damage, slowing the target, and reducing the target’s attack damage by 10 / 12.5 / 15 / 17.5 / 20. It can also be used as an auto-attack reset.
This ability is really strong in duels since the lowering of attack damage is massive and goes a long way in the duels.
His W, Frozen Domain, when activated, forms an area with ice in which he gains bonus movement speed, attack speed, and increased healing. It lasts 8 seconds, and the bonus attack speed goes up to 110% at max level.
This ability is what every champion reliant on auto-attacks for damage wants, and Trundle can have it available almost always since the cooldown at maximum level almost matches the duration that Frozen Domain lasts.
This attack speed boost is very valuable and is excellent for 1 v 1 fights as no one can match the attack speed he gains, allowing Trundle to run down his enemies. To ensure they don’t run away from the Frozen Domain, his E, Pillar of Ice, helps Trundle slow down and catch enemies.
When used, this ability makes a Pillar in a location, lasting 6 seconds, acting as terrain, slowing enemies. If it’s used on top of an enemy, the pillar will knock them up briefly.
This ability is excellent for making sure the enemies don’t escape, and when used correctly, it can completely block off tight spots, forcing the enemy to fight Trundle.
Now, all these abilities are great into fighters and bruisers since he lowers their attack damage, gets attack speed bonuses, and can easily run them down.
But, when facing tanks, he can always count on his ultimate to steal the enemy’s resistances. His ultimate, Subjugate, when used on a target, steals 40% of their armor and magic resistance while healing himself.
This ability is excellent into tanks, but it also works great into other champions as well since the stolen resistances make Trundle tankier and the enemy squishier.
This guarantees that Trundle will win any 1 v 1 scenario, and if the enemy tries to run when Subjugate is used on them, Trundle can use his pillar and Frozen Domain to catch up and kill them.