League of Legends top champion tier list in 2026

With over 60 champions that can effectively dominate the top lane, it can be hard to know which ones to focus on first. The best League of Legends top champions for 2026 are the ones that can go against any enemy and come out on top. With good sustain, life steal, or poking abilities, these champions can easily win the top lane in Summoner’s Rift. 

Thankfully, there are plenty of good top lane champions with a variety of different playstyles available. Want a pure tank to take on hits? You can have that with Malphite. Want a ranged magic damage champion to annoy your opponents? Yes, Teemo can top too. There is a ton of choice when it comes to the top lane in League of Legends. 

The League of Legends top champion tier list is a good starting point if you are new to the game. Pick a few meta characters, try them out, and see if you like how they play. Find something that fits your style and stick with it to rank up quickly. 

League of Legends is a live-service title, and as with any live-service game, patch updates change the meta. Just like Dota 2, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and Honor of Kings, the best characters can change with each patch. Some changes affect characters directly, giving them buffs or nerfs. However, even item changes can have a significant impact on the top tier champions. 

We’ve compiled the best LoL top champion tier list for 2026 so you can easily pick the trending champions. It will make it easier to choose a top champion in LoL and stick with it. Also, check out our overall League of Legends tier list to pick champions for other lanes.

The League of Legends top lane tier list is based on the latest patch, professional player picks, and community feedback. We also consulted LoL data platforms like Blitz, U.GG, and LoLaytics.

There are around 60-70 champions that can easily handle the top lane in League of Legends. There is a ton of choice when it comes to viable top characters, so you won’t be short on picks. We’ve ranked them from S-Tier all the way to D-Tier based on how well they perform in the top lane. 

S: Varus, Riven, Kayle, Gwen, Irelia, Fiora, Gangplank, Orrn, Kennen, Singed, Olaf

The S-Tier top laners are the best picks in our League of Legends top lane tier list. All of these have at least one trick up their sleeve that makes them a nightmare to deal with. For example, Varus has excellent poking abilities thanks to his range. He can quickly clear minion waves and keep his opponent away from farming. Singed also has extraordinary wave-clearing powers and skills that can slow and flip his opponent, making them an easy target for the jungler’s ganks. 

If you prefer a bruiser-type top champion, then Irealia, Riven, and Kayle are great picks. Gangplank can not only kill minions but also has a self-heal, letting him stay in the lane for longer. Kennen is another good pick. The mage has no mana, so you can poke with your abilities all day long without worry. Kennen has quality CC and movement ability, making him hard to gank. 

A: Shen, Nasus, Sett, Urgot, Teemo, Kled, Vayne, Pantheon, Malphite, Anivia, Poppy, Gnar, Naafiri, Quinn, Sion, Cassiopeia, Swain, Zack, Zaahen, Aurora, Heimerdinger

There are 21 LoL Top lane champions in the A-Tier. We have a lot of variety here, from dedicated fighters to tanks and from mages to utility champions. You won’t go wrong with any of the champions. Shen is a ninja with no mana and can tank if built right. He also has good sustain thanks to his skills, which let him stay farming for a long time. 

You can experiment in the top lane too. I highly recommend becoming the devil (Teemo) if you want everyone to rage. He can do consistent pokes and can become a nightmare late game if the enemy isn’t keen on using invisibility wards. Nasus can snowball hard if played with caution at the start. Urgot has excellent pokes and can double as an ADC late game. 

If you want someone tanky that initiates fights, Pantheon and Malphite are great picks. Make some tanking items on them, and you are good to go. We also see several mages on the list. Cassiopoeia does significant AOE poison damage and can use her ultimate to escape if need be. Anivia is an all-out mage, great against melee-only champions. My favourite pick in the LoL top lane champion tier list is Heimerdinger; many underestimate this smart Yordle. 

B: Warwick, Wukong, Sylas, Udyr, Dr. Mundo, Yasuo, Gargas, Camille, Sejuani, Rumble, Akali, Aatrox

The B-tier top-tier LoL champions are still viable; they are not bad, but they can only shine in certain situations. They are best picked in draft battles, where you can see what the opponent is picking. Warwick can double as a jungler, so if your jungler is suddenly AFK or doesn’t want to play well, you can take jungle creeps for yourself. 

Wukong can be a pain to counter for some characters that lack crowd control, so he might be a game-winner in that scenario. Akali has a ranged ability that lets her farm from a safer distance. Rumble can poke enemies reliably and use his ultimate to set up kills for the team. Dr. Mundo may not do a lot of damage, but you can make him an extremely reliable tank that can take a ton of hits. 

C: Volibear, Mordekaiser, Ryze, Joyce, Cho’Gath, Darius, Jax, Vladimir 

These champions on the LoL top lane tier list can be picked in extremely selective situations. You can still win games with them, but it will be hard. Take, for example, Cho’Gath, once a very intimidating top lane champion, can now easily be outkited by other characters. If you can land his skill shots, you may have a chance, but it will be a tall order. 

Ryze can top, but his damage output is not that good, especially in the early game. So you’ll need to be extra careful when farming, as he can only CC one enemy champion. Vladimir has great life steal, yet he can’t do a ton of damage to armoured top laners at the start of the game. Mordekaiser needs to be built like a semi-tank; otherwise, he won’t be able to 1v1 against other stronger top lane Lol champions. However, that “tanks” his damage output. 

D: Trundle, Tahm Kench, Renekton, Illaoi, Garen, Tryndamere, Yorick, Yone, Ambessa, K’Sante

You are better off leaving these top lane champions in LOL alone. If you’ve been playing LoL for a long time, some of these might be your comfort picks, so feel free to try these out if you love them. For someone new? Yeah, skip these champions in favour of someone who can actually win games. 

Tryndamere is fantastic against teams with zero stuns or zero game sense. His ultimate makes him invulnerable to damage, and he can spin-to-win most battles. However, as soon as he gets stunned, it’s a free kill for the enemy team. Renekton, Trundle, and Yorkick all need some tanky items to do well, which in turn reduces their damage. If you don’t feel strongly about any of these champions, you should try an in-meta one to rank up faster. 

Play whatever champion you want; the game is meant to be fun. Unless you are playing ranked matches, then pick the meta champions and don’t let your friends down with a super unorthodox (read: weird) pick that not only bamboozles the enemy but your team as well. ADC Kennen may sound great, but it can’t out-damage a magic Kennen. 

There are no hard-and-fast rules, though. Make your own build, pick your own top laner, and you can experiment as long as you are gathering for team fights. If the top’s too much, you can check out our LoL support tier list to change your lane.