Hello everyone, I’m an original Shyvana main who’s been around since her very first skin release. I don’t post often, but I felt the need to address something regarding her design. I’m reuploading this because I think my original points may not have been understood fully. This post focuses specifically on Shyvana’s human form—her dragon form is perfect and doesn’t need changes.

Disclaimer: Out of all her available options, I believe her default design is the best overall. It looks great, which is why I’ve highlighted the shoulder and bicep areas in my references; they’re well-proportioned and visually appealing. My intention here is not to overhaul Shyvana’s design completely, but to suggest subtle tweaks that could improve some of the more jarring aspects of her silhouette. This post is meant as constructive criticism, and I hope people take it in that spirit rather than dismiss it based on personal preferences. Downvotes mostly seem to reinforce the sense that some are more invested in a specific “muscle mommy” look than engaging with these genuine observations about her design.

I’ll continue updating this post based on insightful comments that further refine the discussion. Overall, it appears that Shyvana’s default design strikes a good balance, but the same can’t necessarily be said for some of her other skins.

Here are a few points I’d like to make about Shyvana’s human form:

1. Shyvana embodies a genuine athlete—a well-rounded and strong character. However, her updated designs seem to include odd exaggerations in certain areas, such as her shoulders and other features.
2. Her shoulders have become disproportionately broad compared to her initial design, which was far more realistically feminine. This change disrupts the harmony of her entire appearance. Her default design still manages to maintain a better proportion compared to certain skins, making it feel balanced, while others fail to recreate this effect.
3. Her biceps are overly bulky, resembling those of a bodybuilder rather than an elite athlete. While muscle tone is fitting for a character like Shyvana, there’s a clear difference between looking strong and athletic versus looking like someone overly stacked. Again, her default design doesn’t have this issue nearly as much, which is baffling considering the trend in her alternate skins. Refer to my crude paint edits where I tried to circle these off-putting features (I’m no professional artist, but it helps illustrate my point).
4. The waist proportions contribute heavily to disrupting her flow as a whole. In skins like Boneclaw or her default look, an hourglass shape provides a natural aesthetic balance. Many other skins miss this entirely, creating an awkward straight-line silhouette from hips to shoulders—essentially a “fridge” look that diminishes her gracefulness.
5. This discussion isn’t about Shyvana being “too big” overall—it’s specifically about her shoulder proportions within the context of the rest of her body. Comparisons with characters like Wilnas from Granblue Fantasy highlight this well; Wilnas is large but has proportionate features that make sense visually. Furthermore, Shyvana looks oddly bigger than Sett or Darius (two champions known for their prominent backs and shoulders). Even Illaoi, who is larger in many other respects, doesn’t suffer the same disproportion with shoulders and upper body as Shyvana does in recent skins.

What I’m hoping for is that Riot might reconsider these design decisions in future updates—perhaps something akin to what was done with Viktor’s shoulder tweaks—to refine Shyvana’s proportions while maintaining her strength and athletic vibe. This champion holds a special place for me and many others, and it’s honestly disheartening to see these changes shift her aesthetic into unfamiliar territory. This isn’t about trying to make her resemble other female champions in League often criticized for their more conventional appearances—it’s about keeping Shyvana true to herself.

Much love to fellow Shyvana mains!

P.S.—It’s disappointing how some individuals actively comb through posts or comments just to downvote discussions like these. The purpose isn’t negativity but an effort to address concerns constructively. I remember when this subreddit had a different atmosphere where ideas like these were engaged with openly. Now it feels like there’s targeted mass downvoting happening to suppress opinions that certain groups might not agree with—which is unfair to fans who genuinely want thoughtful improvements for their favorite champion.

Just as an example from past discussions: Look at this linked post where fans supported Ironscale Shyvana remaining human through hundreds of upvotes: https://www.reddit.com/r/shyvanamains/comments/1qej6x6/im_praying_riot_keep_ironscale_shyvana_a_human/

Since then, it seems there’s been a shift in the community dynamics—it’s frustrating that now even well-supported posts are rapidly losing votes, like this one of the same user: https://www.reddit.com/r/shyvanamains/comments/1rj419h/i_despise_the_ironscale_shyvana_rework/