The Gentle Flame: Milio's Healing Fire and the Power of Latinx Representation in League of Legends
- Daniel Ramirez
- Mar 30
- 4 min read
Fire is often synonymous with destruction, whether it's Azula's fierce blue flames or Brand's hellish World Rune corruption. But what if fire wasn’t a harbinger of destruction? What if it could offer warmth, protection, and healing? On March 23, 2023, League of Legends (LoL) broke the mold of traditional fire-affinities by introducing Milio, The Gentle Flame, and in doing so, brought a much-needed infusion of Latinx representation to the game.
Milio’s character stands out in the vast world of League of Legends for several reasons. For one, his age—he's one of only three children in the game. Unlike Annie, a fiery mage whose destructive powers are unleashed through her demonic bear Tibbers, Milio offers a softer, more nurturing approach to magic. He’s also notable for being Latino. Despite LoL’s vast player base, Latinx representation has been scarce. While Milio isn't the first Latinx character in the game, he's certainly the most fully developed and detailed.
In the game’s lore, Runeterra is a version of “Earth,” with regions that mirror real-world cultures. Milio hails from Ixtal, a region inspired by Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. His story begins with his twin grandmothers, Lupé and Luné, powerful elemental mages who rose through the ranks of Ixtal’s Yun Tal. However, their story ends tragically when Luné is imprisoned for conspiring against the Yun Tal, and Lupé is banished. When Milio is born, Lupé begins teaching him the ways of elemental magic, but she soon gives up, frustrated by his unruliness.
Still, Milio continues practicing on his own, developing his own path to mastering his magic. It’s only after discovering an injured hunter that Milio truly understands his magic, giving birth to his first "fuemigo"—a manifestation of his inner flame. With his family’s encouragement, Milio embarks on a journey to the capital city, Ixaocan, to join the Yun Tal and restore his family’s honor. A “furnasita”—a massive backpack—is created to store Milio’s fuemigos, and thus, his adventure begins.
Beyond his official biography, Milio’s character is further fleshed out in his short story Milio’s Super-Special Adventure Reports, which offers a unique perspective of Milio’s journey through letters he sends back to his family. The letters showcase his playful personality, his deep love for his family, and his zest for life. He checks in on his relatives, reminisces about his Mamá’s cooking, and even warns his brother Luca not to get married before Milio returns. Along the way, Milio encounters the legendary "Kashdaji Queen" and befriends her, proving that even the most intimidating figures can have a soft side. Through these letters, we see a caring, curious, and determined young boy who is eager to make a difference.
So, how does Milio’s backstory translate into gameplay? Unlike other fire-wielding characters, such as Brand or Annie, Milio’s fuemigos are adorable, healing, fireball-like creatures that bounce and stretch, offering a visual contrast to the intense flames of his counterparts. This design choice reflects not only the difference in purpose between Milio’s fire and others but also emphasizes his nurturing nature.
Milio’s gameplay is also shaped by his age. At just 12 years old, he brings a youthful energy to the Support role. Riot Games’ Senior Champion Designer, Riot Emizery, said how he was trying to capture in Milio’s gameplay to “a bratty younger brother” that won’t “outright kill you, but he’ll keep annoying you until you get so fed up that you try and kill him.”
For his passive, “Fired Up,” whenever an ability of Milio’s touches an ally, their next damaging ability or attack will slowly burn the target for a few seconds.
Milio’s Q ability has him kick a fuemigo in his target direction, knocking back and stunning the first enemy hit and dealing damage after a small delay. It is aptly named “Ultra Mega Fire Kick.”
His W ability, “Cozy Campfire,” creates a fuemigo at the target location that radiates healing flames and increases ally attack range.
Milio’s last basic ability is his E, “Warm Hugs.” This ability has two charges and, when casted, envelopes the allied target in a shield of warm flame.
Finally, Milio’s ultimate ability is “Breath of Life” which heals and removes crowd control effects from all allies in the radius. Milio’s Ultra Mega Fire Kick encapsulates his youthful and playful energy while his Cozy Campfire and Warm Hugs capture his kindness and compassion for others. His Breath of Life is the perfect combination of both as he not only heals his allies, but frees them from bonds that would otherwise dull their sparkle, so to speak.
In Milio’s release Dev Blog, Champion Insights: Milio, it is stated that Milio was always intended to bring more Latino representation to LoL. To strike the balance between the magical world of Runeterra and real-world experiences and representation, Riot’s Employee Resource Group for Latin-American Rioters (Riot Unidos) was brought in.
Riot Unidos was consulted for feedback on every step of the champion creation process, down to the texture of his hair and nose shape. Milio is a champion created from passion and personal experience that has brought a breath of fresh air to playing the Support role and finally given more Latinx representation to an extensive roster that should have more.
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