VRC.LOL

Champion backstory

Nunu & Willump

the Boy and His Yeti

Read the backstoryAbilities and gameplay guide
3Story chapters
1Story connections
0Named place connections

The person behind the champion

A story to start with

Once upon a time, there was a boy who wanted to prove he was a hero by slaying a fearsome monster—only to discover that the beast, a lonely and magical yeti, merely needed a friend. Bound together by ancient power and a shared love of snowballs, Nunu and Willump now ramble wildly across the Freljord, breathing life into imagined adventures. They hope that somewhere out there, they will find Nunu's mother. If they can save her, maybe they will be heroes after all…

Short biography by Riot Games · Data Dragon 16.20.1

What shapes their story?

Willump's companionship joins a child's imagination to an ancient duty. Nunu's search for his mother gives their adventures an emotional direction, while the friendship makes protection something shared rather than a powerful creature simply following orders.

Reading note by VRC.LOL
Read Riot's full biography ↗

Follow the story

Story timeline

Follow the main developments in order, then explore their consequences. Use each chapter's links to explore the people, regions and places involved. Artwork shows the character or wider world, not an exact reconstruction of each event; calendar dates are not assigned here.

  1. The AvarosanRiot Games · Regional world artwork

    A child sets out to defeat a monster

    Nunu set out with a child's idea of heroism: defeating a monster would prove his courage. Meeting Willump instead revealed a lonely yeti who needed companionship rather than another enemy.

    The Freljord
  2. Freljordian VillageRiot Games · Regional world artwork

    Willump becomes a friend instead

    Friendship and ancient magic turned their journey into something neither could have made alone. Stories, snowballs and imagined adventures sit beside a serious hope of finding Nunu's missing mother.

    The Freljord
  3. The Winter's ClawRiot Games · Regional world artwork

    The adventure is also a search for home

    Nunu and Willump turn imagination into a shared way through the Freljord, while the hope of finding Nunu's mother remains serious. Willump's ancient magic and Nunu's stories give each companion something the other lacked. Their friendship changes the meaning of the monster-hunting adventure that began it.

    The Freljord

Story guide by VRC.LOL, based on the linked Riot stories. Older biographies and newer stories can differ; no exact date or current whereabouts is implied unless stated.

Picture the setting

A world behind the story

Official Riot setting artwork, not illustrations of these exact events. Open an image to see the complete composition.

Freljordian VillageView full artwork
Freljordian VillageRiot Games · World artwork
The AvarosanView full artwork
The AvarosanRiot Games · World artwork
Explore the wider region

People who shape the story

Relationships and allegiances

Discover the companions, communities and powers that matter to this champion. Each card explains the connection, rather than treating every nearby character as a friend.

Champion connections

Questions about a mother's songs

Lissandra

Nunu met Lissandra while among the Frostguard. Her interest in his mother's songs gives their encounter an uncertain purpose; attention from an ancient ruler is not automatically kindness or an alliance.

Read their story Official story ↗

Connections describe the linked official stories. A shared history does not establish a current alliance or location.

Follow the story

Known places and connections

Origins, journeys and documented events. A connection here does not mean this champion lives there now.

Regional connection

The Freljord

Willump's companionship joins a child's imagination to an ancient duty. Nunu's search for his mother gives their adventures an emotional direction, while the friendship makes protection something shared rather than a powerful creature simply following orders.

Explore the regional timeline
More about the region

A northern wilderness where rival tribes, Iceborn leaders and old gods struggle over survival and the future. Its enduring legends conceal threats much older than the wars between its people.

A wider journey

No named landmark is recorded here yet. Explore the regional connections and Riot's story for more context.

Another perspective

Stories to read next

Continue with related characters, regional stories and other perspectives on the same themes.

Lissandra

the Ice Witch

Read backstory

The character, in detail

Champion artwork

Nunu & WillumpClassic champion artwork · Riot Games
View full artwork
Explore the wider settingThe Freljord

The story beneath the scenery

What makes this place matter?

The landscape holds several layers of history: tribal survival, the legends of demigods and the secret of the Watchers beneath the ice. Ashe, Sejuani and Lissandra represent competing futures, while Ornn, Anivia and Volibear connect the region to older powers.

Look closer

A window into this world

Official Riot artwork. The gallery includes the regional setting; not every image depicts this exact landmark. Open an image to see the full composition.

Frostguard CitadelView full artwork
Frostguard CitadelRiot Games · Runeterra world map
Pilgrim Site of RakelstakeView full artwork
Pilgrim Site of RakelstakeRiot Games · Runeterra world map
The Winter's ClawView full artwork
The Winter's ClawRiot Games · Runeterra world map
Freljordian VillageView full artwork
Freljordian VillageRiot Games · Runeterra world map
The AvarosanView full artwork
The AvarosanRiot Games · Runeterra world map
Sources and story contextOfficial stories, artwork credits and reading notes

Where the stories come from

VRC.LOL writes the introductions, reading notes and connections using linked Riot Universe biographies and regional guides. Short champion summaries use Data Dragon version 16.20.1. Longer histories link to the official story used; some champions currently have a shorter official overview.

What the pictures show

Artwork belongs to Riot Games. Scenery comes from Riot's Runeterra world map; champion art depicts the character. A regional illustration sets the scene when a landmark has no dedicated image. It does not show a confirmed event at that exact place.

A world still being written

Older biographies and newer adaptations can differ. These guides introduce connections rather than declaring a final chronology or a character's current whereabouts. Translations help you explore and may keep original proper names. Follow the official sources for full context.

Sources reviewed 18 October 2026

Explore Riot Universe ↗Open Riot's world map ↗