Ahri Theme – 2XKO
When Riot Games asked me to reimagine Ahri for 2XKO, I knew the music had to lead with emotion, not force. Ahri lives in nuance, allure, and quiet confidence, and her theme needed to feel like a story unfolding rather than a command being issued. I approached it through an anime lens rooted in League of Legends, drawing inspiration from Made in Abyss, Studio Ghibli and Joe Hisaishi for warmth and lyricism, then grounding it with modern groove.
The track blends orchestral sensitivity with fluid low-end language by Dirty Loops bassist Henrik Linder, alongside flawless thump guitar work from Ando San. It is cinematic but intimate, graceful without being fragile. This is not background music. It is character presence. The sound of intelligence, elegance, and danger moving softly, close enough to matter.
The Ingredients: Elegance, Intimacy, and Controlled Power
I built Ahri’s track to feel like presence, not force and not spectacle. Her music needed to move quietly but decisively, drawing you in before you realize it has you. Nothing oversized for its own sake. Nothing wasted. The sound should feel like it belongs to her before the fight even starts.
The palette pulls from:
Anime inspired orchestral writing rooted in Studio Ghibli and Joe Hisaishi
Lyrical harmony and emotional pacing that breathe instead of push
Multi-flavorful bass playing by Dirty Loops of Henrik Linder
Expressive thump guitar performed by Ando San
Subtle electronic elements used to frame motion and atmosphere
Everything is designed to flow. No brute force. No excess. Just intention.
Forging the Sound of Ahri
Writing music for Riot Games’ 2XKO has been an incredible experience, and Ahri required a very different mindset. She is confidence without aggression, danger without noise. The music had to feel intelligent, alluring, and emotionally grounded while still living inside a modern fighting game.
I approached her theme like character storytelling rather than a battle cue. Orchestral color carries the emotion, groove gives it modernity, and restraint keeps the focus on identity. It is hybrid music, but it wears that hybridity lightly.
Power With Subtlety
Unlike characters built on dominance or chaos, Ahri thrives in nuance. This track is meant to draw players inward, lower the noise floor, and sharpen attention. The confidence is quiet. The strength is controlled. The danger is implied, not announced.
If Teemo is a musical prank and Noxus is a decree, Ahri is a conversation you realize too late you are already part of.
So when you hear Ahri’s theme in 2XKO, listen for the space between the notes as much as the notes themselves. This is the sound of grace, intelligence, and intention moving close enough to matter.
More behind the scenes stories from the 2XKO soundtrack coming soon.