Top 5 Best Mid Laners in League of Legends History

Mid lane is where games are decided. One roam, one solo kill, one teamfight can change everything. After watching pro League since 2013, here are the five players who dominated this role like nobody else.

Quick Rankings

Rank	Player	Region	Active Years	World Titles
1	Faker	LCK	2013-now	4
2	Chovy	LCK	2018-now	0
3	Rookie	LPL	2014-now	1
4	Knight	LPL	2017-now	0
5	Xiaohu	LPL	2015-now	0

What Makes a Great Mid Laner?

Before we start arguing about rankings, let’s be clear about the criteria. Great mid laners need map awareness, champion pool depth, consistency, and clutch factor. They control the map, not just their lane. They know when to roam, when to farm, when to take over.

Stats matter, but titles matter more. Some players farm perfectly but disappear in playoffs. Check out our guide what Is OP.GG for details on tracking CS, KDA and tempo. Others might lose lane but carry teamfights. This list considers everything: domestic success, international performance, longevity, and impact on how the game is played.

1. Faker – Still the King

Teams: T1 (2013-present)
Worlds Titles: 4 (2013, 2015, 2016, 2023)
Signature Champs: Azir, Ryze, LeBlanc, Orianna

Look, it’s Faker. Four Worlds titles across three different eras. Nobody else comes close. The man literally changed how people play the game.

His 2013 debut was insane. Fresh from solo queue, he destroyed everyone. That Zed vs Zed outplay against Ryu? Still gets referenced 11 years later. He made LeBlanc look so broken Riot had to nerf her. Then he did the same with Ryze. And Azir. See the pattern?

But here’s what separates Faker from everyone else: adaptation. Assassin meta? He played Zed and Ahri. Control mage meta? His Azir was untouchable. Tank meta? He pulled out Galio and made it work. Even played Olaf mid and carried.

2023 proved he’s not washed. At 27, when most pros retire, he carried T1 to another Worlds title. His Azir in the finals against Weibo Gaming was art. Four different rosters, four different metas, same result: Faker lifting the trophy.

2025 Update: T1 missed MSI 2025 after Zeus left for Hanwha Life. First time Faker’s missed an international tournament since 2021. But with 700+ wins and the first player to hit 1,000 LCK games, his legacy is untouchable.

Why he’s #1: Nobody has his combination of peak performance, longevity, and trophies. Eleven years at the top is unheard of in esports.

2. Chovy – The Perfect Player

Teams: Griffin (2018-2019), DRX (2020), HLE (2021-2022), Gen.G (2023-present)
Worlds Titles: 0
MSI Titles: 1 (2024) Signature Champs: Sylas, Azir, Akali, Zoe

Putting Chovy without a Worlds title at #2 will trigger people. Don’t care. This guy doesn’t lose lane. His CS numbers are stupid: 10+ per minute average, regularly up 20-30 CS at 15 minutes against other pros.

Griffin Chovy was scary. Lock in Akali and the game was over. His Sylas made other mids look like they were first-timing the champion. But Griffin choked. Spring finals, summer finals, Worlds quarters. Always close, never enough.

Then 2023 happened. Gen.G Chovy finally played for the team instead of KDA. Started roaming, started sacrificing resources. Made Worlds finals, lost to Faker (poetic), but showed growth. Won MSI 2024, finally got his international trophy.

2025 Update: Currently destroying LCK with Gen.G’s perfect 18-0 split. Seven-game deathless streak. 8.9 KDA. This might finally be his year for Worlds.

The “Church of Chovy” exists because watching him lane is educational. Perfect CS, perfect trades, perfect recalls. He makes pro players look like they’re autofilled.

Why he’s #2: Best laning phase in history. Five LCK titles. Finally winning internationally. Pure mechanical skill unmatched.

3. Rookie – The Silent Assassin

Teams: KT (2014), IG (2015-2021), V5/NIP (2022), TES (2023-2024), IG (2025)
Worlds Titles: 1 (2018)
Signature Champs: Syndra, LeBlanc, Orianna, Galio

Rookie is your favorite pro’s favorite pro. Left Korea in 2015 when nobody went to China. Spent years 1v9ing on bad IG rosters. Then 2018 happened.

That Worlds run was special. Rookie gapped everyone. Solo killed Caps twice in finals with LeBlanc. His Syndra was permabanned. Made Galio, a tank, look like an assassin. First Korean import to win Worlds, and he earned it.

People forget how long he’s been elite. 2015 Rookie was already smurfing. 2020 Rookie was still top 3 LPL. Now in 2025, back on IG with TheShy, still making plays at 28. That’s 10+ years of excellence.

His mechanics age like wine. Watch his Syndra combos – he does things other mids don’t even know exist. First to 3,500 LPL kills. Over 600 LPL games. Criminal he only won one Worlds.

2025 Update: Reunited with TheShy on IG but missed MSI 2025. Still mechanically elite but needs one more deep Worlds run for his legacy.

Why he’s #3: Ten years of elite play. 2018 Worlds performance was legendary. Proved Koreans could succeed in LPL.

4. Knight – Mechanical Prodigy

Teams: SN (2017), TES (2019-2023), JDG (2023), BLG (2024-present)
Worlds Titles: 0
MSI Titles: 1 (2023) Signature Champs: Syndra, Sylas, Ahri, Akali

Knight makes the game look easy. His Syndra is illegal. His mechanics are cracked. Domestically, he’s a monster: multiple LPL titles, MVPs, insane stats. But internationally? That’s where it gets complicated.

“Knight9” memes exist for a reason. The guy who dominates LPL suddenly looks mortal at Worlds. But skill-wise? Top 5 no question. When he’s on form, nobody can match his outplay potential.

Finally broke through at MSI 2023 with JDG. Proved he could perform when it mattered. Made Worlds finals in 2024 with BLG, lost to T1, but showed improvement. Still only 24 with room to grow.

2025 Update: Qualified for MSI 2025 with BLG despite roster changes. Reached 3,000 LPL kills. If he shows up internationally, watch out.

His hands are different. The way he pilots champions, the speed of his combos, the angles he finds – it’s not normal. “Golden Left Hand” nickname is deserved.

Why he’s #4: Best mechanics in LPL. Finally winning internationally. Youngest on this list with highest ceiling.

5. Xiaohu – The Versatile Veteran

Teams: RNG (2015-2022), WBG (2023-present)
Worlds Titles: 0
MSI Titles: 3 (2018, 2021, 2022)

This placement will confuse people. Xiaohu doesn’t have flashy plays. Doesn’t make highlight reels. But check his trophies: three MSI titles, multiple LPL championships. The man just wins.

His career is unique. Started mid, became elite. Roleswapped to top in 2021, won MSI. Came back to mid, won MSI again. Name another player who dominated two roles at the highest level. You can’t.

He enabled Uzi – Gala – whoever was his ADC because he understood winning meant sometimes playing Galio and pressing R. Not sexy, but effective.

2025 Update: Struggling with Weibo Gaming, missed MSI 2025. But three MSI titles and successful roleswap keep him top 5 all-time.

People sleep on Xiaohu because he played “boring” champions. But winning with Galio and Lissandra while everyone else picked carries? That’s a skill.

Why he’s #5: Three MSI titles. Successful roleswap. Consistent excellence across multiple rosters.

Who Missed The Cut?

Caps: Best Western player ever, made 2 Worlds finals. But 0-6 against these five in important matches.

ShowMaker: 2020 World Champion, insane peak. Fell off too hard after DWG broke up.

Doinb: 2019 World Champion, revolutionized mid lane macro. One great year isn’t enough.

Scout: 2021 World Champion, underrated. Probably deserves top 7-8.

BDD: LCK’s gatekeeper for years. Never translated domestically to internationally.

The Evolution of Mid Lane

Mid lane changed drastically since 2013. Started with assassins every game. Moved to control mages. Then roaming supports. Now it’s about jungle synergy and map pressure.

These five adapted to everything. Faker mastered every era. Chovy perfected laning in modern League. Rookie bridged old school and new school. Knight represents pure mechanics. Xiaohu showed flexibility beats one-tricking.

The role keeps changing, but greatness remains constant. Whether it’s Faker’s Azir or Chovy’s Sylas, the best mids find ways to take over games.

Final Verdict

Faker at #1 is non-negotiable. Four Worlds titles, 11 years of dominance, changed the game forever. The rest could shuffle based on what you value.

Chovy’s laning is unmatched. Rookie’s consistency spans a decade. Knight has the highest mechanical ceiling. Xiaohu proved versatility matters.

But here’s the thing: all five would destroy 99.9% of players on their worst day. They’re not just good at League. They defined what being good at League means.