Champion backstory

Naafiri

the Hound of a Hundred Bites

Read the backstory Abilities and gameplay guide

3Story chapters

1Story connections

0Named place connections

The person behind the champion

A story to start with

Across the sands of Shurima, a chorus of howls rings out. It is the call of the dune hounds, voracious predators who form packs and compete for the right to hunt in these barren lands. Among them, one pack stands above all, for they are driven not only by canine instincts, but by the ancient power of the Darkin.

Short biography by Riot Games · Data Dragon 16.20.1

What shapes their story?

The pack changes the scale of a Darkin's identity. Naafiri's shared existence turns cooperation into an answer to individual failure, without making that unity harmless to the people who must face the purpose now moving through many bodies.

Reading note by VRC.LOL

Read Riot's full biography ↗

Follow the story

Story timeline

Follow the main developments in order, then explore their consequences. Use each chapter's links to explore the people, regions and places involved. Artwork shows the character or wider world, not an exact reconstruction of each event; calendar dates are not assigned here.

Riot Games · Regional world artwork
An ancient will confined to a weapon
Naafiri's darkin existence was once confined to a weapon. Release through a pack of Shuriman dune hounds gave that ancient mind an unfamiliar form of freedom.
Shurima
Riot Games · Regional world artwork
A pack supplies an unexpected host
Sharing the pack's senses and instincts challenges the assumption that power must belong to one isolated body. Cooperation becomes a strength that the old warrior's individual pride could not provide.
Shurima
Riot Games · Regional world artwork
The pack changes what the prisoner understands
Naafiri's freedom is distributed through many hounds rather than held by a single ideal host. Their shared instincts give unity a power the isolated Darkin had overlooked. The discovery turns a return to the world into a change in how she understands strength itself.
Shurima

Story guide by VRC.LOL, based on the linked Riot stories. Older biographies and newer stories can differ; no exact date or current whereabouts is implied unless stated.

Picture the setting

A world behind the story

Official Riot setting artwork, not illustrations of these exact events. Open an image to see the complete composition.

**Atop the Dormun**Riot Games · World artwork

**Dormun Riders**Riot Games · World artwork

Explore the wider region

People who shape the story

Relationships and allegiances

Discover the companions, communities and powers that matter to this champion. Each card explains the connection, rather than treating every nearby character as a friend.

Not everyone important to this story is a playable champion. The reading suggestions below are labelled separately from these story connections.

Follow the story

Known places and connections

Origins, journeys and documented events. A connection here does not mean this champion lives there now.

Regional connection

Shurima

Explore the regional timeline

More about the region

The remains of a vast empire lie among desert settlements and ancient ruins. The return of Ascended powers brings old betrayals into the lives of mercenaries, wanderers and people fighting for a future of their own.

A wider journey

No named landmark is recorded here yet. Explore the regional connections and Riot's story for more context.

Another perspective

Stories to read next

Continue with related characters, regional stories and other perspectives on the same themes.

Aatrox

the Darkin Blade

Read backstory

Kayn

the Shadow Reaper

Read backstory

The character, in detail

Champion artwork

Explore the wider settingShurima

The story beneath the scenery

What makes this place matter?

The empire's fall did not end life in Shurima. Settlements, trade and local cultures continued among its ruins. Azir's return reopens old imperial ambitions, while Sivir and Taliyah offer perspectives shaped by the people living in the desert today.

Look closer

A window into this world

Official Riot artwork. The gallery includes the regional setting; not every image depicts this exact landmark. Open an image to see the full composition.

**Nashramae**Riot Games · Runeterra world map

**The Rebirth**Riot Games · Runeterra world map

Sources and story contextOfficial stories, artwork credits and reading notes

Where the stories come from

VRC.LOL writes the introductions, reading notes and connections using linked Riot Universe biographies and regional guides. Short champion summaries use Data Dragon version 16.20.1. Longer histories link to the official story used; some champions currently have a shorter official overview.

What the pictures show

Artwork belongs to Riot Games. Scenery comes from Riot's Runeterra world map; champion art depicts the character. A regional illustration sets the scene when a landmark has no dedicated image. It does not show a confirmed event at that exact place.

A world still being written

Older biographies and newer adaptations can differ. These guides introduce connections rather than declaring a final chronology or a character's current whereabouts. Translations help you explore and may keep original proper names. Follow the official sources for full context.