Gentleman Poro Ward is our favorite ward skin in League of Legends. The top hat would have been enough, but Riot also gave the poro a monocle, an enormous mustache, and a red armchair. It has a whole personality before it does anything. Riggle is a close second if your idea of good company is a baby dragon sticking out of an egg.
For a less goofy look, start with Glorious Legend Ward, the account-level-100 reward. Definitely Not A Ward is our pick for a deliberate joke; Star Guardian suits a coordinated skin collection. These seven selections are a curated shortlist, not a claim to rank every ward Riot has released. Some are things to equip if you own them, not things you can necessarily purchase today.
We checked the names and acquisition descriptions against version 16.17 of Riot’s client data on September 5, 2026, using its versioned CommunityDragon mirror. The images below are Riot’s actual client renders. Our order favors character, visual design, and a clear reason to choose one over another. It does not measure popularity or promise a vision advantage.
The best ward skins for different collections
The event years explain where the cosmetics came from. They are not a calendar of returning sales. In particular, a past pass reward and a legacy store release can have very different paths back into circulation.
1. Gentleman Poro Ward: the poro deserves the chair
The chair is what puts Gentleman Poro ahead of the other cute options. A top hat and monocle are familiar costume shorthand. Giving the tiny creature somewhere to sit completes the scene: he looks comfortably installed, with no intention of taking the jungle particularly seriously. The oversized mustache covers most of his face, while the pink tongue keeps him unmistakably a poro.
There is documented work beyond that model. In Riot KateyKhaos’s original PBE description, Gentleman Poro and the accompanying Poro and Astro Poro wards were announced with custom models and textures, new effects, animation work, and poro sounds. We are not judging the sound mix from this image; those are features Riot explicitly listed.
This is the ward we’d choose to accompany a varied champion pool. It does not need a matching Gentleman champion skin to make sense, and its joke survives a change from a serious costume to a silly one. The objection is equally straightforward: if you dislike mascot cosmetics, the furniture makes this more ridiculous, not less. Glorious Legend is a better fit for that player.
Gentleman Poro debuted with Snowdown 2014. Riot’s preserved event FAQ identified those poro wards as legacy cosmetics, and the current client catalog still labels this one legacy. The original developer announcement quoted 640 RP. That is historical pricing, not a September 2026 shop check.
2. Riggle Ward: choose the dragon, not the matching set
Riggle commits to being a baby dragon. The head is enormous, the claws barely clear the eggshell, and the tongue hangs out of a wide grin. Orange scales against gray shell and dark green leaves give each part of the model a separate shape. It is busier than a simple emblem, but the face stays the obvious focus.
Riot’s client description places Riggle’s store release in 2015 alongside the Dragon Trainer skins. Contemporary Dragon Trainer Tristana launch coverage also identifies Riggle as her dragon. That connection is a reason to match the cosmetics if you enjoy the theme, not a reason to buy a champion skin you otherwise do not want.
We prefer Riggle to Gentleman Poro when the collection leans toward fantasy creatures. The egg gives him a little setting without adding a throne, weapon rack, or large crest. He looks young and enthusiastic rather than regal. For a collection full of dark armor and stern faces, that can be a welcome interruption.
His drawback is the same face that makes him memorable. Those huge eyes and lolling tongue are deliberately cartoonish. If you want a dragon to look dangerous, this is the wrong dragon; buying a darker matching champion skin will not change that expression. Choose him because you like the hatchling, not because the word "dragon" sounds impressive.
3. Definitely Not A Ward: a joke built out of the original
Definitely Not A Ward is at its best if you recognize the ordinary green-crystal ward underneath. Riot did not hide that shape particularly well. It added thick glasses, a fake nose, a mustache, eyebrows, and a little red tie. The supposed disguise makes the object more conspicuous as a joke.
That gives it a different appeal from buying a small animal companion. You are keeping the familiar ward and putting it in a terrible costume. The eyebrows and hair make the upper half look crowded, but that clumsiness suits the idea. A sleek redesign would lose the point.
The current Riot catalog dates it to the 2016 Draven Day, League’s April Fools event that year. This is not Ward of Draven, which is a separate cosmetic with its own catalog entry. Check the full name if you are trying to find the glasses-and-nose design.
We would take this over a narrowly themed ward when the champion skin is already intentionally silly. It also works as an incongruous accessory to a serious champion. If you want a beautiful object, though, put it well below Star Guardian. A funny name does not obligate you to enjoy looking at fake eyebrows.
4. His Royal Crabness Ward: the sandcastle has a defender
The crab is glaring over the castle wall with both claws raised, one holding a long blue sword. He is taking a pile of sand much more seriously than anyone else. That tiny disagreement between the stern expression and the beach toys is enough to carry the cosmetic.
This is our favorite setting among the seven. The sandcastle has crenellations and a flag, so the crab has something to defend instead of floating above a generic stand. It also gives the red body a useful visual contrast with the sandy base. The sword stretches far above the rest of the composition; it is a conspicuous prop, not an understated accessory.
His Royal Crabness belongs to Pool Party 2016. Riot’s preserved release announcement offered it separately for 640 RP and included it in the Pool Party Set. That bundle had a dated end point; neither historical offer establishes today’s shop price or availability.
The appeal extends beyond matching a swimsuit skin. A crab guarding a sandcastle works without knowing any champion’s lore. We’d pick it over Riggle for a beach theme, but Riggle’s face is the warmer design. The crab looks as though he would reject your vacation request.
5. Glorious Legend Ward: check the reward you already earned
Glorious Legend is the answer when the cute wards do nothing for you. A small orange gem hangs between two tall, curved sides with dark inner surfaces and sharp gold edging. Red accents follow the outside of the frame. Leaving a gap around the gem keeps the frame from swallowing the part you are meant to notice.
It earns fifth place on appearance, with an acquisition method that makes it especially worth checking. Riot’s current client description identifies Glorious Legend as the reward for reaching account level 100. Riot Support’s leveling-reward table also lists it at that milestone. This is account progression, not a requirement to reach a ranked division.
If you are already past level 100, look through your collection before deciding that you need to spend RP on a more formal ward. We’d pair its dark purple and gold frame with similarly colored armor. The orange gem also gives it enough warmth to avoid looking like an entirely somber trophy.
The compromise is personality. Glorious Legend looks like a polished game reward, and that may be exactly what you want. It does not have the immediately recognizable face of Riggle or the poro. We would not grind account levels purely for this model, but we would happily equip it instead of paying for an emblem we liked less.
6. Star Guardian Ward: specify the 2016 one
The original Star Guardian Ward looks like a magical trinket someone could clip to a bag. The gold star is the center of attention, with pale curled wings extending from either side and a purple base underneath. We prefer that rounded, decorative treatment to Glorious Legend’s pointed frame when the rest of the collection is colorful.
There is a practical naming issue here. Riot’s catalog distinguishes Star Guardian Ward from Star Guardian 2019 Ward and Star Guardian 2022 Ward. This recommendation is for the original, tied to the 2016 release. Do not assume a newer year or similar name identifies the same design.
The 2016 launch announcement preserved in contemporary coverage included the ward in the Star Guardian Set and Burn Bright Bundle. Those were event offers, not permanent instructions to purchase either bundle today. The exact client name is the useful part to carry into your collection or a current offer.
Star Guardian is more dependent on your taste in the wider theme than our top four. If you love magical-girl costumes and pastel accessories, it may be your number one. If you do not, the emblem is unlikely to change your mind. The reason to select it is the coordinated look, not a belief that every accessory in a skin line completes a mandatory set.
7. Soak It Up Ward: a keepsake for Hall of Legends owners
The dog has dark ears, a white stripe down its face, and red sunglasses that look far too angular for such a small head. A showerhead stands beside it. Compared with His Royal Crabness, the scene is sparse: there is no castle or big platform to explain the joke. The dog supplies most of the attitude.
Check for Soak It Up if you played through the 2025 Hall of Legends pass. Riot’s patch 25.12 announcement listed it among the rewards in Uzi’s event, and the support guide placed it at pass level 65. The 2025 progression period ended on July 29, with pass purchases and loot claiming ending on July 30.
That makes this an excellent collection check for someone who took part in that event, not a recommendation to buy the 2026 Hall of Legends pass and expect the same ward. At the time of the 2025 event, Riot said it had no plans to bring that year’s content back or add it to loot pools. We have not verified a new acquisition route for this particular cosmetic.
For the current event, Riot’s Patch 26.18 notes list Unkillable Demon Cactus Ward among the Caps Hall of Legends pass rewards. That is a different ward from Soak It Up. Check the named reward in the pass before spending; this shortlist does not rank the new ward without a separate visual review.
We like it as an alternative to the much more ceremonial Hall of Legends imagery. The sunglasses make it casually ridiculous rather than triumphant. Unless the dog or the event connection means something to you, however, Riggle offers a more expressive face and a fuller little scene.
Before spending anything, separate the ward from the offer
Start by checking the cosmetics you own. Glorious Legend can already be sitting in an older account’s collection; Soak It Up may be an overlooked pass reward. An appealing ward you have is a better starting point than purchasing random loot in the hope of getting one particular entry from this list.
When you do find a direct offer, check the exact cosmetic name and whether the price applies to the ward alone or a larger bundle. Star Guardian’s different year editions are a good example of why a matching theme is not a precise identification. For Gentleman Poro, a similarly named summoner icon or an old Poro King companion is not the ward skin.
Then look at the ward itself at a sensible size. These client renders are small on purpose; enlarging them does not reveal a champion skin’s worth of detail. Decide whether you like the creature, prop, or emblem first. A preview of deployment and sound can answer the remaining presentation questions, but a sale price cannot make you enjoy a face you already dislike.
If the ward you want appears only inside a larger offer, price that whole offer against what you would actually use. A bundle of unwanted skins and icons is an expensive way to acquire one little crab. Keeping your existing ward is a perfectly good choice until a purchase makes sense on its own.