League of Legends features many races and species created specifically for Runeterra lore. Perhaps the most important of these are the Vastayans⁠, animal-based characters like Ahri, Xayah, and Rakan that are highly imaginative characters.

However, Vastayans in League are more than just "animalistic." Here's everything that defines Vastaya champions and who they really are.

The Vastaya are a chimeric race from Runeterra, descended from enlightened mortals. Chimeric means "formed from parts of various animals"⁠—a description that is fairly accurate for most League Vastayans.

These original Ionian mortals created the Chimeric race when they claimed the power of the shape-shifting Vastayashai'rei in the spirit realm. This power gave the mortals animalistic features in addition to their human forms. Their descendants then evolved into the many characters we see today.