Solar Eclipse Leona

First time I saw Solar Eclipse Leona load into a game I actually paused for a second. Not the champion select splash, not a YouTube spotlight. In an actual ranked match, enemy team, and the loading screen hit different. The gold armor radiating light, the solar wings unfolding in the splash. Esben Lash Rasmussen nailed the splash, and honestly that piece alone sold me on the skin before I even saw what it looked like in game.

How Solar Eclipse Leona plays on the Rift

This is a Legendary skin so you get the full package. New model, new VFX on every ability, new voice lines from Wendee Lee, new recall animation. Leona goes from standard Targon warrior to this celestial knight drenched in solar energy, and the transformation is not subtle.

Q feels heavier. The Zenith Blade proc on her Q lights up the target with this golden burst thats honestly satisfying to spam in lane. W shield activation radiates outward with these solar ring particles that make you feel tankier just looking at them. Could be wrong here but I think the W circle is slightly more visible to teammates too, which helps when you’re peeling in a teamfight and your ADC needs to know your cooldowns.

E is where it gets interesting. The Zenith Blade projectile leaves this trailing solar flare behind it, and when you connect on a backline carry the visual impact reads cleanly even in chaotic 5v5s. Played maybe 40 games of Solar Eclipse Leona last season in Diamond and the E connector never felt ambiguous. You know when you hit it. Your team knows. The enemy knows.

R is the highlight. Solar Flare drops this massive golden explosion. The center stun zone has this radiant pillar effect and the slow outer ring pulses with eclipse energy. Locked this in during a late-game dragon fight last week and the ult visual almost distracted me from following up. Almost. Big difference from base Leona where the ult just sort of lands and disappears.

The recall animation has Leona channeling solar energy into her sword, lifting off the ground briefly. Clean. Not over the top like some Legendary recalls that take forever to finish. (Random aside: I have died more times than I want to admit canceling recall animations because I wanted to watch them finish.)

The Eclipse line and where this skin sits

Solar Eclipse Leona released November 27, 2018. Late season 8. The Eclipse skinline launched with this skin and its counterpart Lunar Eclipse Leona, giving players a choice between sun and moon aesthetics for the same champion. Bold move from Riot releasing two Legendaries for one champion simultaneously.

The Eclipse line has grown since then but Solar Eclipse Leona was the flagship. The golden solar theme versus the silver lunar theme created this rivalry within the playerbase. Been maining Leona with this skin off and on since it dropped and I still think the solar version reads better in game. The warm gold particles pop against Summoner’s Rift’s green and blue tones. Lunar looks cleaner in splash art but Solar wins on the actual map.

Wendee Lee’s voice work carries weight here. New VO means completely different lines from base Leona. The voice direction leans into this divine cosmic warrior tone. Less “protect the weak” Targon energy, more “I am the sun itself” energy. Some of the kill lines hit hard. Pre-6 laning phase you hear enough of them to appreciate the range.

No chromas on this one. Legendary skins rarely get them, and honestly Solar Eclipse Leona doesnt need color variants. The gold and white palette is the identity. Changing it would undermine what makes the skin work.

Worth the 1820 RP?

Real verdict: Solar Eclipse Leona is one of the best support skins in the game. Full stop. 1820 RP for a Legendary with new model, full VFX overhaul, complete voice over replacement, and a recall that doesn’t overstay its welcome. Shop has it permanently so no vault anxiety.

Not gonna lie, if you play Leona even casually this skin justifies itself. The ability clarity is better than base. The ult especially communicates threat in a way that base Leona’s R just doesn’t. I’ve seen engage supports land Solar Flare in comp and the visual alone forces flashes from people who might have stood their ground against the default animation.

Kinda feels like Riot set the standard for what a support Legendary should be with this one. Compare it to some other 1820 RP skins from the same era and Solar Eclipse Leona holds up six years later. The VFX haven’t aged because the solar particle style is timeless. Gold light doesn’t go out of fashion.

One thing worth mentioning for Leona one-tricks specifically. If you splitpush (yes some Leona players do this in lower elos, don’t judge), the auto attack animations on Solar Eclipse feel smoother. Might be placebo. Might not. Season 9 I think, I tested it in practice tool and the wind-up looked slightly different. Could never confirm it officially but the feel is there.

If you already own Lunar Eclipse and want both, go for it. If you can only pick one Leona skin, Solar Eclipse is my recommendation over every other option in her catalog. 1820 RP well spent for mains. The skin does everything a Legendary should do and the Eclipse fantasy is executed better here than in almost any other skinline entry Riot has made. Skip the cheaper Leona skins, save up, buy this one. Three honors and a Leona game where you peel your carry through a dive comp with Solar Eclipse particles flying everywhere is peak League experience.