Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, MOONTON Games‘ popular MOBA, features various Heroes, each beautifully designed, with compelling lore, unique abilities, and more, loved by the community. Kalea is the 128th Hero in the game, and she is no exception. We at GamingonPhone had the opportunity to interview Carlo Wei, the Character Designer of Kalea, the descendant of the Great Serpent in MLBB. In our discussion, we explored the design journey behind Kalea, the approach to the character’s design, cultural and artistic references, and various other topics.
The original inspiration for creating Kalea, the descendant of the Great Serpent
Kalea is the newest addition to the vibrant MLBB roster. Her personality is inspired by Southeast Asian cultures and myths, evolving from an initial concept designed to stand out in MLBB to becoming the descendant of the Great Serpent.
While discussing her origins, Mr. Wei shared, “We began the brainstorming process with contrasting key concepts—’girl’, ‘fighting spirit’, ‘Southeast Asian culture’, and ‘vitality’—which helped to shape her identity.“
He revealed that they envisioned a petite character with immense strength in close combat, creating a striking contrast. He explained her straightforward combat style, stating, “she gets up close to the enemy hero and combats them with raw power using only her fists and tail.“
Mr. Wei also emphasized that “every design choice, from her abilities to her animations, was aimed at bringing this vision to life and ensuring that Kalea would stand out as a unique hero.”
Plus, if you are enjoying playing her, it’s worth noting that she was brought to life by an incredible team: Mr. Wei as Character Designer, Don Wang as Narrative Designer, Gaiii Wang as Concept Artist, Ada Ko as Music Designer, Zimmy Zhou as Concept Art Director, Tom Hu as Animator, and Deix Liu as VFX Designer.
Kalea’s unique design and skillset distinguish her from other Support heroes in the game
I have been playing Kalea a lot since her launch and was captivated by her unique design and skillset. I was curious to know what sets her apart from other Support heroes in MLBB, so I asked him about it.
Mr. Wei explained, “When we design Support heroes, their skills usually fall into one of two categories: Magic Damage heroes, who focus on healing and protecting allies, or Physical Damage heroes, who deal damage through physical abilities or equipment.” He revealed that Kalea is different because she can do both.
“Her abilities allow her to heal teammates while she actively engages in close combat, blending support and damage into one hero,” he elaborated. Mr. Wei further highlighted that Kalea also stands out visually from them, providing examples like “Rafaela or Angela, who primarily focus on healing.”
Unlike them, Kalea’s design showcases her close combat prowess, featuring metal accents and water patterns on her arms that focus on her hand-to-hand combat style. “This combination of healing and direct combat makes Kalea stand out from other MLBB Support heroes,” he concluded.
Cultural and artistic influences that shaped Kalea’s character design
We then explored the cultural and artistic influences behind Kalea’s design, and Mr. Wei confirmed, “Yes, Kalea’s hero design was heavily influenced by Southeast Asian culture.” He explained how her aquamarine color palette honors Southeast Asia’s coastal heritage, reflecting its significance in “the region’s history and culture.”
He also referred to Southeast Asian folklore, mentioning legendary giant snakes and serpents like Antaboga in Indonesia, Seri Gumum in Malaysia, Bakunawa in the Philippines, and Phaya Naga in Thailand and Laos.
This cultural connection is reflected in her design, as he highlighted, “her tail symbolizing her bond to the Great Serpent,” and “Her attack animations also emphasize her Great Serpent ancestry,” evident in her healing abilities, which also manifests as small serpents.
I was eager to learn how Kalea’s hybrid combat style adds strategic versatility to the MLBB meta, and I inquired. He responded, “Kalea is one of two heroes in MLBB that is both a Support and Fighter,” mentioning that the team hopes “she can inspire Support hero players to try Fighter heroes and vice versa.“
The impact of her skills on team fights and competitive match outcomes
“Kalea’s abilities are designed to make her a crucial pick in team fights,” he noted, emphasizing how her passive heals both herself and nearby allies, adding, “which makes her essential in sustaining her team.“
He also discussed her ultimate, focusing on how it “provides single-target Crowd Control allowing her to single out the opponent’s damage dealer.” Finally, summarizing the impact of her skills, he stated, “By picking out selected opponents, she reduces the enemy team’s numbers during team fights,” which provides your team with a numerical advantage.
The process behind creating Kalea’s personality and lore
Lore-wise, the team was certain about where to place Kalea within the Land of Dawn, especially because of her Southeast Asian background. He revealed, “We decided to base her in the Vonetis Sea—a vibrant marine region filled with tropical islands in the Land of Dawn.”
Moreover, this region is already home to Kadita and Badang, and he added, “So we made them Kalea’s mentors to integrate her further into the MLBB universe.” Plus, to make her distinct from her mentors, the team “combined mortal and serpent traits, which became a distinct part of her lore.“
Regarding Kalea’s personality, Mr. Wei shared that it’s reflected in her backstory, stating, “Initially, her serpent heritage made her reject her human-like features.” But thanks to Badang’s help, “she learned to embrace her human side and harness the power of her fists.”
Her character growth is impressive, however, Kalea retains her “youthful pride and rebellious spirit,” perfectly capturing the “energy and defiance of a teenager.“
As I mentioned earlier, I am been enjoying learning and mastering her, investing a good amount of time grasping her skillset and combos since her release on March 19, 2025, with the Breaking Waves patch update. You should try her in classics or even ranked matches.
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