I legitimately don’t know where this champion finds love, because she’s so easy to hate. Possibly more so than any other champion in League of Legends. Janna is the ultimate showstopper – and not just in the positive way. With a kit that’s packed to the brim with denial and disengage, it’s nigh impossible to shut her down when piloted correctly. So what could make that interesting? Beautiful skins! To all the twisted people who love watching your hyper carry melt through the enemy front line as you repel every threat, this ranking is for you.
12. Tempest Janna
Released: July 13th, 2010 Price: 520 RP Starting here feels weird and I’ll tell you why: With each League skin ranking there’s often one thing that could’ve been trimmed out – and this list is no different. Tempest Janna is basically just a recolor. And while some champions have to take what they can get, Janna isn’t one of them. I might’ve even been able to give this skin a pass if her bird or hair were different colors. But no, just her scraps of clothes are. And it simply isn’t worth it unless you’re a collector, or it’s the only skin in your loot and you simply have to have a Janna skin.
11. Hextech Janna
Released: November 8th, 2010 Price: 975 RP Janna’s Hextech skin is a little bit of an oddity because it’s rare insofar that it’s a loot exclusive item (normally) but it’s not a gemstone exclusive like many of the other Hextech skins. And thank goodness it isn’t. I’ll admit I like the aesthetic of this skin – particularly the steampunk inspired outfit. But it doesn’t really offer anything aside from that. Again, we have the same base-skin bird which, if different, would have pushed the skin a little bit further… but alas, I feel this one falls short with what it currently offers.
10. Fnatic Janna
Released: September 24th, 2014 Price: 750 RP The Fnatic skins celebrate the team’s win of the first League World Championship back in 2011. I think fans of the organization could definitely argue for a higher placement for this skin’s ranking, because the design is certainly unique. From the team emblem on the top of her staff to the black bird that circles her, there’s a lot that sets this skin apart from base Janna. For me, though, it’s not doing it. I dislike her outfit, which seems like some weird combination of a practical and sexy team uniform. And I especially despise her glasses and headsets. I’m sure it works for someone – but it’s just not for me. All that said, her blue ponytail is cool.
9. Frost Queen Janna
Released: December 5th, 2011 Price: 975 RP Frost Queen Janna is kind of another recolor in the same vein as Tempest – but what Frost Queen brings to the table is a set of particle effects that just barely edge it above the rest. There are bunches of snowflakes and icy trails all over her abilities that look really nice despite their age. She gets a new little snow owl to accompany her instead of the traditional dove. And her staff looks way more impressive with its shimmering aura, too. All in all, this skin is enough to justify the otherwise similar look. And fans of blue themes (or winter) should enjoy this skin even more.
8. Victorious Janna
Released: November 6th, 2012 Price: N/A Being one of the earliest Victorious skins, I love that Janna’s design is a reflection of the skin’s status as a reward. No frills, no excessive flashy stuff. Just an aesthetic that gets as close to practical armor as Janna will likely ever get – and a testament to the battles you’d need to fight to earn it. As a seasonal reward, it has some value as skill disparity was still very much recognizable as a Gold rank back in 2012, and because of the sheer amount of time that has passed. So it seems fitting that the design is something that no other Janna skin has overshadowed (yet). So with design and rarity, I feel it easily earns this spot.
7. Sacred Sword Janna
Released: September 27th, 2017 Price: 1350 RP Design and rarity can only go so far. Especially when modern skin designs are so much more advanced than they used to be. Sacred Sword Janna is the first skin on the ranking to start ticking every box on what makes a good skin “good”. So I guess you could say this is the worst of a good bunch? It’s still really quite good though. Part of what I like about this skin is how its subdued nature fits into the theme. I use the term “subdued” loosely here. After all, we have a ton of unique stuff: her hair, staff (now a sword), bird (koi fish), and dress are all inspired by Chinese fantasy culture. Her abilities, autos, and recall are all treated similarly, receiving shiny but not over-the-top new effects.
6. Crystal Rose Janna
Released: February 10th, 2022 Price: 1350 RP This skin is in a rather strange position – on the one hand, it’s clean as hell, but on the other hand, it puts me to sleep. This is because it doesn’t really bring anything new to the table. Your Q and E just have some flower petals now. Your ult has a rose in the middle (which I admit does look pretty solid), and your W familiar is a bit more majestic. But in terms of a central theme – it’s all pretty underwhelming. Then we look at the character model and find more of the same. There’s no doubt that the model is pretty. It has a lot of detail, everything is well-animated, and the staff does have some pizzazz to it. However, no obvious central theme. It’s only when you start getting into the chromas that you get a more unified look. And it’s never a good sign if you have to pay extra just to look like a champion. Overall, this skin has a lot of polish and no soul. If you like basic Janna (who also looks like she’s going to a wedding), I’m sure you’ll love this one. But if you want an actual creative twist on her design, you’ll need to keep looking.
5. Guardian of the Sands Janna
Released: January 22nd, 2020 Price: 1350 RP The wonderful thing about Janna skins is their ability to maintain a certain clarity, owing mainly to the straightforward nature of her kit. This is why skins like Guardian of the Sands are able to get away with such incredible effects, all without sacrificing anything. The palette of this skin is beautiful with its mesmerizingly cohesive browns, golds, and jades. I think it’s the glowing gold effect of her staff and hair that makes it particularly captivating. The throughput of this palette into her abilities make the skin feel cohesive, if not a little one-note, but the way the greens and golds accent the sandy browns is just sublime. Her ultimate, Monsoon, is particularly stunning here as it reveals the sigil of Shurima as it channels.
4. Battle Queen Janna
Released: December 10th, 2020 Price: 1350 RP It’s about this point where I think any of the following skins could be up for debate in ranking. So take this all with a grain of salt for sure. Battle Queen Janna’s strength is certainly her abilities. The pixie/fairy motif is one of the most fitting I can think of for Janna. This skin leans right into that by accentuating every ability with these incredible wings and butterflies. And they’re so prominent on her ultimate and recall that it’s hard not to see them as the highlight. I also love her outfit in this skin, because it really embraces this idea of “Battle Queen.” The only thing I’m not totally sold on is the pink of her hair – because while I do enjoy the color, and it fits the theme, I wish there was just a little bit more pink somewhere else in this skin to help tie it together.
3. Forecast Janna
Released: September 4th, 2013 Price: 1820 RP Taking a step back, you might notice how much older this skin is compared to the others near the top of this ranking. Forecast Janna doesn’t do anything crazy in the visuals department. But back in the day, it did push the envelope on how rich a skin could be. At an 1820 RP price point, Forecast was one of the first skins with unique voice lines independent of the base champion. Many of these quotes are meta jokes about League as a whole. And hearing one of these jokes really made you feel a sense of belonging. They still do, but Forecast hardly claims sovereign rights to this anymore. Still, it’s a historic skin that nobody should overlook. On top of that, it of course has a unique recall, animations, ability effects, and interactions. And while the ability effects aren’t as loud as some other skins here, any fan of the original should find them perfectly suitable.
2. Star Guardian Janna
Released: October 5th, 2016 Price: 1350 RP “Star Guardian” is a fitting title when your one job is protecting the star of your team. And I’m not sure if it’s worse to be denied by a galactic purple tornado before being shot to death by a star-spangled marksman, or pelted relentlessly by the constant bonk bonk of Janna’s auto attacks while trying to farm. Either way, it’s almost a guarantee that the enemy will hate you by the time you get done flaunting this skin in front of them. The sound effects here are so punchy that I can’t help but give them extra credit. And if you’re a lover of purple like me, then you can’t go wrong with this skin. What you see is what you get: stars and purple. Each ability is punctuated in its own way by that motif, and her adorable space squirrel is at least a finalist among the cutest of Janna’s pets. This skin also has a new sprint animation which is absent from other skins. Interesting!
1. Bewitching Janna
Released: October 24th, 2018 Price: 1350 RP Everything about this skin is perfect. The palette makes sense and includes supporting colors that aren’t just orange and black. The flying pumpkin cat is adorable and original. Plus the recall is as delightfully festive as the wardrobe – and it’s the only skin (so far) that gives Janna an actual hat! I love that she uses her pumpkin broom staff in her recall, because that’s the skin cohesion that I crave. And the passive effect here is by far my favorite out of all her skins, as bat shadows flutter around her allies’ feet. The sound effects on her tornado are as wistful and hollow as a Halloween wind should be. Plus the moon visual on her shield is haunting. Everything fits into this theme brilliantly. The bats even make a return in her ultimate – although I do think this is the weakest ability, visually. But even that’s hard to fault because it’s still so dang good! So it’s fair to say that Bewitching Janna is the ultimate treat for Janna fans. Note: this content was created under Riot Games’ “Legal Jibber Jabber” policy using assets owned by Riot Games. Riot Games does not endorse or sponsor this project.
