Character · Noxus

Katarina

Noxian assassin.

Who they are

Katarina is a Noxian assassin and one of the empire's best-known champions.

Their story belongs to Noxus. An empire that rewards strength, wherever it comes from.

Their story, step by step

  1. Step 1

    A family of assassins

    Katarina grew up in a Noxian family known for its killers. Her father, General Marcus Du Couteau, trained her hard, and she spent her childhood building up a tolerance to poison and climbing towers at night. Her younger sister Cassiopeia followed their mother into politics instead. During a family trip to Shurima her mother was struck down by an assassin's poison, and Marcus later took Katarina home to Noxus while Cassiopeia stayed behind.

  2. Step 2

    A mission goes wrong

    On an early assignment during the Ionian invasion, Katarina was told to kill a line officer named Demetrius. She disobeyed and went after the enemy commander instead. Demetrius took over and led a charge that killed many Noxian soldiers and nearly killed Marcus. Her father rebuked her, and Talon, Marcus's adopted protégé, almost took her eye before sparing her. She brought Demetrius's head back to Marcus but knew she had lost his favour.

  3. Step 3

    Serving Swain

    Marcus later vanished and was thought dead, so Katarina became the effective head of the Du Couteau family. She took contracts from Grand General Jericho Swain and his Trifarix council. Her kills showed a code of her own, and when she faced the aging commander Khogan she gave him an honourable duel instead of a quiet murder. Talon saw this as a betrayal of Marcus's teachings.

  4. Step 4

    Demacia

    Marcus reappeared alive, saying his death had been a cover for secret work against Demacia. He warned her that Swain's power came from a demonic pact. Katarina then slipped into Demacia's capital to kill King Jarvan III. She spared Luxanna Crownguard after seeing Lux's defiance, killed the king, fought Garen Crownguard on the rooftops, and was shot down while trying to escape.

  5. Step 5

    Confronting her family

    Back in Noxus, Katarina worked out that a conspiracy was moving against her family. She found that Talon had known all along that Marcus was alive, and she beat him, leaving him with the same eye wound he once gave her. She then had new daggers bound with her blood, which gave her telekinetic and blinking abilities. When she fought Marcus, she stopped fighting the way he taught her and fought as the Noxian she had become.

  6. Step 6

    Head of the guild

    Marcus set off an explosive meant to kill her and Swain, but Swain tore it from her and used it to destroy Marcus. Two months later Swain made her head of the whole Du Couteau assassins guild. Talon withdrew to Shurima. Katarina then travelled north and killed Captain Jaredan.

Turning points

  • Disobeyed orders on her first mission and lost her father's favour
  • Spared Lux but killed King Jarvan III in Demacia
  • Defeated Talon and then Marcus, ending her father's hold on her
  • Was named head of the Du Couteau guild by Swain

Where their story stands now

Katarina leads the Du Couteau assassins and answers to Swain. Her bond with Talon is broken, she has an uneasy interest in Garen Crownguard, and she has hinted that she may one day have to kill Swain. Her mother and sister remain far away in Shurima.

Where this fits in the story

  1. Noxus · step 1

    From tyranny to tribes

    Before Noxus existed, the Immortal Bastion belonged to Mordekaiser, whose reign is remembered as the Age of Tyranny. After the Rune Wars the Noxii tribes took the fortress and founded modern Noxus.

  2. Noxus · step 2

    The rivalry with Demacia

    Noxus and Demacia fought on and off for centuries. Sion's killing of King Jarvan I is the war's most famous moment.

  3. Noxus · step 3

    The invasion of Ionia

    For about five years Noxus invaded Ionia, conquering territory and taking magical artifacts. The campaign finally failed, and Irelia led the Ionian resistance.

  4. Noxus · step 4

    The Trifarix

    Around 990 AN Swain overthrew Emperor Darkwill and a council of three replaced the emperor. The wiki describes a second invasion of Ionia as looming.

Read the full story of Noxus