Understanding the Roles in League of Legends
Before picking a champion, it helps to know the five core roles in League of Legends: top, jungle, mid, bot (ADC), and support. Each role has a distinct focus, from frontline durability to map control and assisting teammates. Your preferred playstyle—dueling, team coordination, or protecting allies—will guide your choice in champions that feel forgiving for new players.
Choosing the right beginner-friendly champion can drastically shorten the learning curve. The following picks are favored by new players for their simple kits, forgiving mechanics, and impactful usefulness in early lane phases and teamfights.
1) Garen — The Best Top Lane Champion for Beginners
Role: Fighter/Tank
Why he’s great for starters: Garen offers a straightforward kit with no skillshots, high sustain, and reliable farming. His passive helps you survive in lane, while his spin (E) is a forgiving tool for trades and last-hitting. His ultimate, Demacian Justice, rewards good timing, providing a satisfying payoff for solid decision-making as you learn positioning and engage timing.
When to pick: If you enjoy frontline presence and want a simple, effective top laner to learn the basics of lane control and map awareness.
2) Annie — The Beginner’s Best Mid Laner
Role: Mage/Support
Why she’s great for starters: Annie has a clearly structured kit that’s easy to grasp. Her Q (Disintegrate) helps with last-hitting and mana management, while her passive (Pyromania) rewards clean ability usage with a stun. Her ultimate summons Tibbers, turning skirmishes into decisive moments, which makes practicing fundamentals feel rewarding.
When to pick: If you prefer a mage who teaches good positioning and has reliable all-in options without heavy escape mechanics.
3) Ashe — The Best Beginner Bot Lane Champion
Role: ADC/Support
Why she’s great for starters: Ashe is a classic ranged marksman with strong early game utility. Her passive (Frost Shot) slows enemies, and her W (Volley) is a wide skillshot that lands fairly often for new players. Her ultimate, Enchanted Crystal Arrow, provides map-wide crowd control that can change fights. E (Hawk Shot) helps you learn vision control and map awareness, two essential skills for all players.
When to pick: If you want a safe, forgiving bot lane option with straightforward trading and big-picture impact through vision and engage tools.
4) Janna — Easy to Learn Support for New Players
Role: Support/Mage
Why she’s great for starters: Janna shines at teaching you the core support responsibilities: protecting allies, disengaging fights, and controlling tempo. Her passive speeds up allies toward her, Q (Howling Gale) offers a reliable engage/disengage, and her E (Eye of the Storm) shields allies. Her ultimate (Monsoon) can swing teamfights and save teammates in trouble.
When to pick: If you want to learn warding,-positioning, and peel-heavy play while still contributing meaningful teamfight impact.
5) Amumu — The Easy Jungle/Tank for Beginners
Role: Tank/Support
Why he’s great for starters: Amumu provides strong jungle control with a simple, reliable kit. Q (Bandage Toss) is a dependable initiation tool, W (Cursed Ground) deals damage over time and adds durability. E (Fury of the Cursed) helps with farming, and R (Wrath of the Cursed) is a game-changing teamfight ultimate that can determine the outcome of skirmishes. His straightforward kit teaches you timing, objective control, and crowd control basics.
When to pick: If you want to learn early game pathing, gank timing, and teamfight coordination without complex micro-management.
Choosing Your First Champions
While these picks are beginner-friendly, your comfort with a champion’s kit matters most. Start with one or two that fit your preferred role, practice last-hitting, map awareness, and basic warding, and gradually branch out to other champions as you gain confidence. The LoL hero pool is vast, but a strong foundation with these five can set you up for steady improvement and more fun on the Rift.
