LoL Worlds 2024: Peanut, the Prince who wanted to be King

Growing for more than 10 years on the most prestigious scene in esports, the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK), Han "Peanut" Wang-ho is one of the many big talent produced in South Korea. With seven LCK titles and an MSI one, he is still in the chase of its first Worlds trophy. The Korean jungler has enjoyed a stellar career, but he has known every place at Worlds except the first one. It's almost like he's cursed: historically, Peanut hasn't perform when it mattered most. Is there hope for yet another comeback?

Breaking a person’s resolve is never easy, but Peanut’s determination has been tested more than almost anyone's. After stepping into the limelight in 2016 with ROX Tigers and reaching the LCK finals a year later with SKT, he was eventually forced to relocate to China after two difficult years that eroded his reputation as an elite player. After his return in the LCK, he found success with Gen.G but was blamed for their lackluster international performances. Until now, the peak he seemed destined to reach has remained just out of grasp. But this year, with HLE's super roster, he could be fighting for the Worlds title as the best jungler in the world. Let’s take a closer look at Peanut’s journey.

Peanut’s career boasts seven regional titles and six Worlds appearances, making him a consistent force on the global stage for almost seven years — an impressive run with only brief interruptions. Since 2021, he has seen a kind of revival after experiencing some of the lowest points in his career.

In 2016, the world first saw Peanut’s brilliance during what’s now hailed as one of the greatest Bo5 series in LoL history: a five-game banger against SKT. He forced a permanent Nidalee ban from the enemy but tragically lost in the end, allowing SKT to advance to the Worlds Finals. Peanut, the youngest player on ROX Tigers roster, seemed to have a bright future ahead of him, and it was no surprise when he joined SKT and replaced Bengi, the three-time world champion alongside Faker.

2017 kicked off with a strong start — an easy LCK victory and a dominant performance at MSI, his only international trophy to this day. But that year also marked SKT’s first loss in a Worlds final, and their first-ever Bo5 defeat at Worlds. Despite a strong tournament overall, Peanut shared the blame for the disastrous loss to Samsung in the final. In a surprising move, SKT paired him with Kang "Blank" Sun-gu, a less impactful but more disciplined player, as Peanut’s free-spirited playstyle didn’t always fit SKT’s structure.

In 2018, Peanut moved to another superteam after being dropped by SKT — this time Kingzone DragonX (later known as DRX) alongside Kim "PraY" Jong-in, Kang "GorillA" Beom-hyeon and Kim "Khan" Dong-ha. He won the LCK Spring 2018 again but fell short to RNG and Uzi at MSI, finishing in second place. In a shocking twist, Kingzone didn’t even qualify for Worlds, losing to the underdog Afreeca Freecs, a team that featured Peanut’s former teammate Lee "Kuro" Seo-haeng. Peanut's performance drew ire once again, leading to his departure and yet another search for a new team.

Looking back on 2016-2018, despite Peanut consistently delivering strong performances throughout the year, he often struggled when the stakes were the highest. At ROX, his aggressive, free-flowing playstyle was the centerpiece of the team’s strategy, but at SKT and KZ, he was expected to play a more stable and predefined role, which didn’t suit him in decisive Bo5 matches.

Finally, GEN.G — the former Samsung team that had denied Peanut Worlds title in 2017 — offered him another chance. Despite it all, he was eager to prove himself alongside his old rivals. Unfortunately, this new GEN.G roster suffered a humiliating defeat at Worlds, finishing last in their group behind Vitality and Cloud9, leaving the team in shambles.

To cut a long story short, it didn’t work out. Peanut had his worst year individually, and only the bot lane duo of Park "Ruler" Jae-hyuk and Kim "Life" Jeong-min showed any promise. He fell short of the bracket stage and was once again forced to pack his bags. This time, he found a home in China.

But things got worse before they got better. Peanut’s team finished 15th out of 17 in the LPL Spring Split. Most analysts agreed that he was practically carrying the team, with occasional help from Ha "Kramer" Jong-hun, a former Afreeca player. Then, in a turn of good fortune, LGD made smart mid-season signings, and Peanut found his groove, carrying the team to Worlds, a feat no one had expected. Though Peanut was outdone by SofM in the regional qualifiers, his stellar performance against IG in a crucial Bo5 helped LGD secure a Worlds spot. Heading into Worlds 2020, many agreed that LGD’s qualification was largely due to Peanut, once more.

LGD narrowly missed advancing to the quarterfinals — falling one match short against Fnatic in the group stage. Peanut had gone from 15th in the LPL to nearly making the top 8 at Worlds, firmly establishing himself among the top 5 junglers in the world that year. His performance earned him a return to the LCK the next year, where top-tier junglers were in short supply. However, Peanut didn’t rejoin a powerhouse team. Instead, he signed with Team Dynamics — later Nongshim — as a veteran leader for a young roster (featuring Rich, Bay, deokdam, and Kellin).

In 2021, Peanut couldn’t qualify for Worlds, despite having a solid season. The competition was simply too stiff. Team Dynamics came within one Bo5 of qualifying, but against HLE, it was Jeong "Chovy" Ji-hoon, not Peanut, who carried his team. Nonetheless, Peanut’s reputation was restored, and in 2022, Chovy recruited him to join GEN.G and form another superteam.

In two years with GEN.G, Peanut reached four LCK finals and secured three titles. Domestically, his performance over the past two years has been outstanding. Peanut himself returned to top form, keeping pace with the worldwide evolution of jungle talent. Heading into Worlds 2022, everyone anticipated a rematch between T1 and GEN.G in the finals (both teams were tied 1-1 in Bo5s that year). But then…Peanut faltered.

In the quarterfinals against Damwon, GEN.G narrowly scraped by with a 3-2 victory, but Canyon completely outclassed Peanut — the jungler gap was a glaring contrast to GEN.G’s dominance in other roles. The semifinals weren’t much different — Pyosik outperformed Peanut, who crumbled on stage alongside midlaner Chovy. Much like in 2016, Peanut was stuck in the semifinals, but this time the blame rested heavily on his shoulders.

GEN.G decided to stick with him, marking the first time Peanut had been retained by a team. He had led GEN.G to domestic success, so there was no reason to seek a replacement. In 2023, GEN.G’s faith in Peanut paid off — he was the best jungler in the LCK, arguably the best player in the league.

However, Peanut’s struggles resurfaced in the quarterfinals against BLG. Despite a strong showing in Game 4, he was largely outplayed by Peng "Xun" Li-Xun's aggressive style — reminiscent of Peanut’s own play in 2016. Once again, Peanut missed the mark, and GEN.G could not mount a comeback.

So here we are, after a very particular year as Peanut joined another super team at Hanwha Life Esports. He left GEN.G with toplaner Choi "Doran" Hyeon-joon and support Yoo "Delight" Hwan-joong to unite with two former World Champions: midlaner Kim "Zeka" Geon-woo and ADC Park "Viper" Do-hyeon. United under HLE's banner, they have consistently been one of the top three teams in the LCK, even culminating with a title this Summer against what seemed to be an unbeatable Gen.G — the team that had won the past four LCK splits. Peanut clearly dominated Oner in the LCK Playoffs and claimed the title in the finals against Canyon himself. As a result, he is undeniably one of the best junglers in the LCK, and potentially even in the World.

After so many years on the pro circuit, so many teams in front of his name, and so many players as his allies, Peanut has always been undeniably the maestro of almost every game he has played. With an MSI win and several regional titles in his luggage, only the crown seems to be missing. He will aim for it once more as he comes in the tournament as one of the best players in the tournament. The road to glory for Peanut may stop feeling quite as long — the prince could become soon a king.