Game patch 26.20Data Dragon 16.20.1

Reference patch 16.20.1

Yasuo

the Unforgiven

Yasuo is a burst-focused champion who looks for a reachable priority target and a route back out. This overview keeps the explanation practical and leaves patch-sensitive numbers to Riot's structured data and the current in-game tooltip.

MidMostly physical damageMelee attacks

Open matchup guide Find counters Status effects

Usual roleMid

ClassFighter · Assassin

DifficultyHigh · 10/10

Basic attacksMeleeMelee basic attacks · 175 range.

Damage profileMostly physical damageMost normal kit pressure is physical. Armour may help, but check whether attacks or abilities are the main source.

Reference patch16.20.1

Strengths and limits

What Yasuo does well, and what can go wrong

These are kit-level patterns, not a promise that every lane or matchup plays the same way.

Good patterns

Threatens reachable priority targets through burst, mobility or an unusual angle.
Combines damage and durability in committed skirmishes or extended exchanges.

Limits to respect

A failed commitment can leave no clean exit and little value until cooldowns return.
Can be worn down or controlled before reaching the range where the kit is strongest.
Basic attacks require close access, so enemy range, slows and displacement can deny a clean trade.

Riot ally tips

Use these while learning the champion

Dash through a minion to have Sweeping Blade available to chase your opponent should they flee; Dash directly to your opponent to preserve a minion as your escape route.

At level 18, Yasuo's Steel Tempest reaches its Attack Speed cap with 55% Attack Speed from items.

Last Breath can be cast on any target that is knocked Airborne, even by one of your allies.

Riot opponent tips

What an opponent is told to watch for

Steel Tempest is very narrow. Dodge laterally if possible.

When Yasuo lands two Steel Tempests in a row, his next will fire a tornado. Watch and listen for the associated sound to prepare to dodge.

Yasuo is at his weakest just after he has launched a whirlwind. Engage at that point.

Practical champion reading

How to read Yasuo in a real fight

Use these patterns to ask better questions before choosing an item, target or commitment. They describe the kit, not a guaranteed result.

Damage delivery

Primarily physical pressure

Armour can reduce the broad physical profile. Separate basic attacks from physical abilities before relying on an item passive that only affects attacks.

Fight rhythm

Repeated access matters

The threat grows while this champion can keep attacking a useful target. Break target access, create distance or use control before the repeated pattern settles in.

Range and access

Needs close access for basic attacks

Range, slows, displacement and terrain can deny the clean contact this champion wants. Plan the route in as carefully as the damage after arrival.

Typical team job

Threaten a reachable priority target

A clean angle matters more than attacking the nearest unit immediately. Keep an exit, reset or follow-up route in mind before committing.

Control check

Identify the exact movement restriction

Tenacity can shorten only eligible control. Displacements, airborne effects and repeated slows need their own positioning, blocking or movement answer.

Protection and sustain

Check whether recovery changes the fight

Anti-heal or anti-shielding is situational. Buy it only when the effect is materially protecting targets and your champion can apply the answer reliably.

Resource pattern

Flow and cooldowns both matter

A spell being available does not mean the complete sequence is sustainable. Watch the resource bar as well as the setup and escape cooldowns.

Defensive item reference

What can help against Yasuo?

Start with the threat that is actually affecting the match. These are conditional comparisons, not an automatic counter build.

Pre-game choices

DEFENSIVE BOOTS

Plated Steelcaps usually fit better

Armour and attack reduction address repeated physical basic attacks. The passive does not reduce every physical ability.

Choose Mercury's Treads instead when magic damage or reducible crowd control across the full team matters more.

Repeated attacksDisplacementShieldsPossible critical strikes

PHYSICAL DEFENCE

Physical defence

Armour · health · role-appropriate defence

Armour can reduce physical damage, but Plated Steelcaps' passive is specific to attacks.

Match the item to attacks, critical strikes or ability burst rather than buying armour from the label alone.

REPEATED ATTACKS

Repeated attacks

Plated Steelcaps · Frozen Heart

These can reduce attack-focused pressure when their stats fit your champion.

Do not use this as an answer to physical spells that are not attacks.

CRITICAL STRIKES

Critical strikes

Randuin's Omen

Critical-strike reduction can matter after a real critical build appears.

Champion identity alone does not prove that critical strikes will be purchased.

CONTROL AND ONE KEY SPELL

Control and one key spell

Mercury's Treads · Quicksilver Sash · Banshee's Veil · Edge of Night

Tenacity and a removable-control active can help against the relevant disabling effects. Airborne and displacement effects are not solved simply by stacking Tenacity.

Check the current tooltip and whether the exact effect can be shortened, removed or blocked.

REPEATED SHIELDS

Repeated shields

Serpent's Fang

Anti-shielding can matter when repeated shields are protecting important targets.

Its offensive stats do not fit every champion; another teammate may apply it more efficiently.

Normal Draft and Ranked role map

Where Yasuo fits on Summoner's Rift

Each lane is assessed separately. Open a role to reach its queue-specific build and matchup preparation.

TopSecondary

Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Yasuo has a secondary role listed in this historical reference. It is less common than the primary roles, but it has a recognisable role-specific plan.

Review this role Open matchup

JungleUnestablished route

Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Yasuo is normally played Mid and does not currently have a reviewed Jungle route. Jungle usually needs repeatable monster clear, safe pathing and objective control without lane income. Treat this as a deliberate experiment, not a standard recommendation.

Review this role

MidPrimary role

Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Yasuo has an established central-lane plan with access to waves, both sides of the river and meaningful pressure between objectives.

Review this role Open matchup

BotSecondary

Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Yasuo Bot is a reviewed secondary carry lane. Wind Wall and a compatible knock-up partner can create strong duo-lane windows, but his short range makes wave access and partner coordination especially important.

Review this role Open matchup

SupportUnestablished route

Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Yasuo is normally played Mid and does not currently have a reviewed Support route. Support usually needs useful engage, peel or utility while operating on low gold income. Treat this as a deliberate experiment, not a standard recommendation.

Review this role

Kit reference

Yasuo abilities

Ability names, descriptions and numeric fields come from Riot Data Dragon. Practical reads are independently written; the current in-game tooltip remains authoritative.

Abilities Data Dragon 16.20.1Cooldown / Cost / Range Data Dragon 16.20.1

Passive

Way of the Wanderer

What it doesYasuo's Critical Strike Chance is increased. Additionally, Yasuo builds toward a shield whenever he is moving. The shield triggers when he takes damage from a champion or monster.

Practical readWay of the Wanderer is an automatic part of the kit involving protection or sustain and damage. Track when its condition is active instead of treating every fight the same way.

Protection

The protection or sustain is part of the cast's value. Compare its timing with incoming damage rather than reading only the offensive effect.

Q ability

Steel Tempest

What it doesThrusts forward, damaging all enemies in a line. On hit, grants a stack of Gathering Storm for a few seconds. At 2 stacks, Steel Tempest fires a whirlwind that knocks Airborne. Steel Tempest is treated as a basic attack and scales with all the same things.

Practical readSteel Tempest is a ranged cast involving basic-attack interaction. Respect its line or target area, and avoid spending it when the opponent can simply step away before the important exchange.

Cooldown4 secListed range475 units

W ability

Wind Wall

What it doesCreates a moving wall that blocks all enemy projectiles for 4 seconds.

Practical readWind Wall is part of Yasuo's W pattern. Read its listed effect first, then track the cooldown and condition that make the next use valuable.

Cooldown25/23/21/19/17 secListed range400 units

E ability

Sweeping Blade

What it doesDashes through target enemy, dealing magic damage. Each cast increases subsequent dash's damage, up to a max amount. Cannot be re-cast on the same enemy for a few seconds. If Steel Tempest is cast while dashing, it will strike as a circle.

Practical readSweeping Blade contributes movement or repositioning and damage. Its value changes with cooldown, range and target access; recognise the setup before moving into its effective area.

Cooldown0.5/0.4/0.3/0.2/0.1 secListed range475 units

Movement

The cast changes position or access. Account for where the champion finishes, not only where the ability begins.

Ultimate

Last Breath

What it doesBlinks to an Airborne enemy champion, dealing physical damage and holding all Airborne enemies in the area in the air. Grants maximum Flow but resets all stacks of Gathering Storm. For a moderate time afterwards, Yasuo's critical strikes gain significant Bonus Armor Penetration.

Practical readLast Breath contributes damage. Its value changes with cooldown, range and target access; recognise the setup before moving into its effective area.

Cooldown70/50/30 secListed range1400 units

Reset condition

Meeting the listed condition refreshes or reduces downtime. Missing that condition changes the next available cast.

Levels 1–18

Yasuo · Health / Flow · Abilities

Base values exclude items, runes, temporary buffs and mode-specific modifiers. Cooldowns are the listed base cooldown before ability haste.

Level 1590 Health100 Flow

Level 3752 Health100 Flow

Level 61,025 Health100 Flow

Level 111,555 Health100 Flow

Level 162,182 Health100 Flow

Level 182,460 Health100 Flow

Cooldown Data Dragon 16.20.1

Basic abilitySteel Tempest

Can receive its first point from level 1. Later ranks normally become available at levels 3, 5, 7 and 9.

All ranks4 sec

Basic abilityWind Wall

Can receive its first point from level 1. Later ranks normally become available at levels 3, 5, 7 and 9.

Rank 125 secRank 223 secRank 321 secRank 419 secRank 517 sec

Basic abilitySweeping Blade

Can receive its first point from level 1. Later ranks normally become available at levels 3, 5, 7 and 9.

Rank 10.5 secRank 20.4 secRank 30.3 secRank 40.2 secRank 50.1 sec

UltimateLast Breath

First rank becomes available at level 6; later ranks normally become available at levels 11 and 16.

Rank 170 secRank 250 secRank 330 sec

Open every levelHealth and flow from level 1 to 18

Level	Health	Flow	Ability milestone
1	590	100 Flow	Choose the first basic ability
2	669	100 Flow	Add another basic ability or rank
3	752	100 Flow	Add another basic ability or rank
4	839	100 Flow	Spend one ability point
5	930	100 Flow	Spend one ability point
6	1,025	100 Flow	First ultimate rank normally available
7	1,123	100 Flow	Spend one ability point
8	1,225	100 Flow	Spend one ability point
9	1,331	100 Flow	Spend one ability point
10	1,441	100 Flow	Spend one ability point
11	1,555	100 Flow	Second ultimate rank normally available
12	1,673	100 Flow	Spend one ability point
13	1,795	100 Flow	Spend one ability point
14	1,920	100 Flow	Spend one ability point
15	2,049	100 Flow	Spend one ability point
16	2,182	100 Flow	Final ultimate rank normally available
17	2,319	100 Flow	Spend one ability point
18	2,460	100 Flow	Spend one ability point

Choose the next question

Turn the profile into a pre-game plan

Choose a queue-aware build, compare a lane opponent, or return to the full champion library.

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