VRC.LOL

Champion backstory

Varus

the Arrow of Retribution

Read the backstoryAbilities and gameplay guide
3Story chapters
1Story connections
2Named place connections

The person behind the champion

A story to start with

One of the ancient darkin, Varus was a deadly killer who loved to torment his foes, driving them almost to insanity before delivering the killing arrow. He was imprisoned at the end of the Great Darkin War, but escaped centuries later in the remade flesh of two Ionian hunters—they had unwittingly released him, cursed to bear the bow containing his bound essence. Varus now seeks out those who trapped him, in order to enact his brutal vengeance, but the mortal souls within still resist him every step of the way.

Short biography by Riot Games · Data Dragon 16.20.1

What shapes their story?

The bow preserves an ancient will while the joined lives of Valmar and Kai resist its complete control. Love and vengeance therefore occupy the same transformed existence, making identity a struggle rather than a settled answer supplied by the weapon.

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.

  1. Living with the LandRiot Games · Regional world artwork

    A Darkin confined within a bow

    Varus carries the history of a darkin imprisoned within a bow. The mortal lives caught in his release give that ancient weapon a body without granting it uncontested possession.

    Ionia
  2. Cliffside TemplesRiot Games · Regional world artwork

    Two hunters resist from within the new body

    The Ionian hunters Valmar and Kai remain part of the resulting existence. Their love and resistance complicate a revenge-driven identity that would otherwise treat a host as nothing more than flesh to command.

    PallasIonia
  3. Built into NatureRiot Games · World artwork

    Three lives contest one purpose

    Valmar and Kai do not disappear when the Darkin takes a body through them. Their bond gives resistance an emotional force the weapon cannot simply dismiss. The resulting existence places revenge beside the possibility that the mortal people within it can change the direction of an ancient will.

    First LandsIonia

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.

Cliffside TemplesView full artwork
Cliffside TemplesRiot Games · World artwork
Living with the LandView full artwork
Living with the LandRiot 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

Ionia

The temple above the village held Varus's bow. Valmar's attempt to save Kai brought their lives into conflict with the Darkin imprisoned within it.

Explore the regional timeline
More about the region

The First Lands form an archipelago where the material and spirit realms meet closely. Invasion has divided its people over whether to restore old traditions or turn their magic toward resistance.

Archipelago

First Lands

Another name for Ionia's many provinces and islands. Forests, monasteries and communities share a landscape shaped by living magic and the consequences of the Noxian invasion.

Explore this place
Regional illustration · exact site not pictured
Village and mountain temple

Pallas

The temple above Pallas concealed the bow in which Varus had been imprisoned. The lives of Valmar and Kai connect that ancient confinement to the later struggle between the Darkin and the mortal wills within his new body.

Why this place mattersThe temple above the village held Varus's bow. Valmar's attempt to save Kai brought their lives into conflict with the Darkin imprisoned within it.
Explore this place

Another perspective

Stories to read next

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

Ahri

the Nine-Tailed Fox

Read backstory

Akali

the Rogue Assassin

Read backstory

Hwei

the Visionary

Read backstory

The character, in detail

Champion artwork

VarusClassic champion artwork · Riot Games
View full artwork
Explore the wider settingIonia

The story beneath the scenery

What makes this place matter?

Ionia's spiritual balance is not a single shared answer. The Noxian invasion forces champions to disagree about tradition, resistance and revenge. The Placidium offers a starting point for Irelia's resistance; the Kinkou opens a different path through Shen and Akali's stories.

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.

The PlacidiumView full artwork
The PlacidiumRiot Games · Runeterra world map
The KinkouView full artwork
The KinkouRiot Games · Runeterra world map
Life as OneView full artwork
Life as OneRiot Games · Runeterra world map
Cliffside TemplesView full artwork
Cliffside TemplesRiot Games · Runeterra world map
Living with the LandView full artwork
Living with the LandRiot 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.

Sources reviewed 18 October 2026

Explore Riot Universe ↗Open Riot's world map ↗