Immortal Journey Sona

First game I loaded this skin into was around 3 AM on a Tuesday, couldn’t sleep, queued up a ranked support game. The loading screen splash hit me before anything else. Ina Wong and West Studio handled the artwork, and honestly they captured something that most Sona splashes miss: weight. Sona usually floats around looking ethereal and soft, but Immortal Journey Sona carries this presence. Like she belongs in a wuxia film where the musician is secretly the most dangerous person in the room. Been maining Sona with this skin since it dropped and the vibe just doesnt get old.

How Immortal Journey changes Sona’s kit

This is an Epic tier skin at 1350 RP, so you’re getting the full package: new VFX across the board, new recall animation, and a fresh model. No new voice lines though. Voice stays default. The Immortal Journey aesthetic leans into jade and gold tones with flowing celestial ribbons, and Sona’s etwahl gets this ornate redesign that looks like something you’d find in a mythological temple.

Q particles swap from the usual blue-green to warm gold bursts with jade accents. Feels cleaner in lane when you’re poking, the projectiles read well against most Rift backgrounds. W heal aura shifts to this soft teal glow with petal-like particles floating around your ADC. Not gonna lie, the W visuals alone make it easier to notice when your heal is actually connecting in chaotic teamfights.

E speed boost trails leave behind these flowing ribbon effects. Subtle change but I notice it every time I’m peeling for my backline or setting up an engage. The R is where they put the work in though. Crescendo sends out this wave of golden energy with jade dragon motifs, and the stun effect on hit has this satisfying visual pop. Locked in this skin for maybe 40 ranked games specifically because the ult VFX makes hitting a five-person Crescendo feel cinematic.

Recall animation has Sona playing her instrument while celestial energy spirals around her, building into this dramatic pose. Clean stuff. Nothing groundbreaking for the tier but it fits the theme perfectly.

The Immortal Journey line and where Sona fits

Immortal Journey released August 16, 2023. Mid-season 13 if I remember right, somewhere around patch 13.16. The Immortal Journey skinline is one of Riot’s better thematic sets. Pulls from Chinese mythology and martial arts fantasy, gives every champion in the line this “ancient warrior ascended to godhood” treatment. Sona fits it naturally because the musician archetype is huge in wuxia stories.

Kinda feels like Riot designed the entire set around that concept of legendary figures, and Sona’s the one who channels power through music rather than a blade. Compared to some of the other Immortal Journey skins, I think Sona got one of the stronger executions. The color palette works, the theme clicks with her lore as a magical musician.

(Random aside: my duo partner who one-tricks Zeri immediately bought Immortal Journey Zeri the same patch and we ran the matching set in bot lane for like two weeks straight. Good times.)

8 chromas total for Immortal Journey Sona. Obsidian is my personal go-to because the dark palette with gold accents reads like a villain version of the skin, which I’m always here for. Sapphire shifts everything into deep blue territory and honestly might be the cleanest chroma for readability in teamfights. Pearl exists if you want the “purified celestial being” look but its a bit washed out for my taste.

Should you buy Immortal Journey Sona?

Real verdict: 1350 RP feels fair for what you get. Not sure if it’s just me but I think this competes directly with Star Guardian Sona and Odyssey Sona for the best Epic-tier Sona skin. Star Guardian has the nostalgia factor and the thematic weight of that whole universe, but Immortal Journey edges it out on pure visual quality. The VFX are sharper, the model is more detailed, and the color scheme stands out on the Rift without being obnoxious.

If you’re a Sona main climbing in Diamond or anywhere else, this skin is worth the RP. Shop has it, permanent availability, no vault rotation nonsense. The only scenario where I’d say skip it is if you already own DJ Sona and exclusively use that. Ultimate tier is hard to compete with regardless of execution quality.

For everyone else: maybe just my experience but I’ve seen more Immortal Journey Sona players in my games this season than any other Sona skin besides DJ. That tells you something about how the community received it. Spammed this in Diamond for months, the skin just hits different when you land a four-person ult in dragon pit and the golden VFX explode across the screen. Top pick for Sona mains, easy recommendation.