The roster of playable recruits is always expanding in Genshin Impact, and many characters that Travelers look forward to adding to their teams are mentioned long before they are ever even seen and officially released. One such character is Varka, who players have known about since Genshin first debuted.
Varka is tied to the Anemo region of Mondstadt, so players first came to learn about him just after joining the world of Teyvat for the very first time. Mondstadt is where every Traveler’s journey begins and longtime Genshin players are likely far beyond this area in the main storyline.
Despite this, one of the Anemo region’s most prominent figures has yet to be seen. Varka has frequently been mentioned throughout players’ travels, but beyond knowing his name and general personality, Travelers still haven’t met the character.
Related: Who are the other Descenders in Genshin Impact?
When players think of Mondstadt’s Knights of Favonius, the five-star Anemo Sword character Jean is likely the character that they associate with it most. But while Jean is currently the Acting Grand Master of the group, Varka is their true leader.
Varka is an immensely powerful and important figure in the world of Teyvat and is one that most players are quite eager to officially meet. After years of waiting, leaks have begun to emerge surrounding his character. When playable character leaks surface in Genshin, it usually means that the recruit is drawing closer to being released, so players might be getting the chance to meet the heroic knight sooner than expected.
All Varka leaks in Genshin Impact
Because Varka’s playable debut is at least a few months away if not more, all leaks that have been uncovered for him could change as his release date draws closer and will likely be shifted as miHoYo continues to develop him. As more information about the Mondstadt knight is uncovered and as any changes are made, all information will be updated here.
Who is Varka in Genshin Impact?
Varka is one of those names that players regularly hear about while journeying around Teyvat but have yet to meet, just like the enigmatic Alice. He is the true Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius and is also known as the Knight of Boreas.
Although players have not met him yet, many Teyvat natives have spoken highly about Varka. The five-star Hydro Bow character Tartaglia (Childe) deems Varka the “titan of the Knights of Favonius,” and is so impressed with his skill that he hopes to have the opportunity to fight him one day and the four-star Hydro Catalyst character Barbara believes that no one in Mondstadt needs to worry as long as he is around.
Varka also essentially rescued and recruited the five-star Cryo Claymore character Eula, the four-star Electro Claymore character Razor, and the four-star Cryo Polearm character Rosaria. He is overall considered to be a very good person and a free-spirited hero.
The heroic knight has been off on an expedition with most of the Knights of Favonius since players first joined the world of Teyvat. He left Jean in charge in his place, although she was already doing much of the heavy work before he left as she has always had an immensely dedicated work ethic and was Varka’s second in command.
Will Varka be playable in Genshin Impact?
There is no definitive answer as to whether Varka will become a playable Teyvat recruit just yet. However, his name has been built up so much over the years that it seems highly likely that Varka will indeed become recruitable.
The repeated nature of his name over the years is comparable to Scaramouche, who eventually became reborn as the playable Wanderer. When miHoYo mentions and shrouds a character in mystery as much as they have with Varka, it is generally because they are building up to a grand banner debut for them.
What element is Varka in Genshin Impact?
Varka’s element is unknown for now, but his Knight of Boreas title has most Genshin players expecting that he will be a Cryo recruit. Boreas is another name for Andrius, which is the icy Dominator of Wolves that players can take on in the “Wolf of the North” weekly boss challenge.
Andrius wields Cryo powers which would thus indicate that Varka, who is known as the Knight of Boreas after him, will also likely wield the Cryo element.
What is Varka’s weapon type in Genshin Impact?
While it is too early to know for sure what weapon Varka wields, speculation combined with some leaks indicate that he may be a claymore wielder.
The four-star Electro Claymore character Razor mentions in one of his voice lines that Varka is the one that taught him how to wield his weapon. This means that Varka himself likely also wields a claymore if he was capable enough of teaching Razor how to utilize one.
There is also a previously leaked weapon that circulated among the community back in 2021 when it was being tested in beta. Whether this weapon is a claymore or sword is unclear, but it does potentially seem to have a description related to Boreas, which aligns with Varka’s Knight of Boreas title. These two factors combined have players thinking that this weapon might end up being released after all as Varka’s signature weapon.
Because of how long it has been since this weapon leaked, it is also quite possible that it has changed if Varka’s designated weapon has also changed. Varka might have originally been designed to be a sword character but was later changed to a claymore one. Regardless, players will likely have to wait a few months to find out for certain which weapon the Grand Master wields.
What rarity is Varka in Genshin Impact?
The general excitement and notability surrounding Varka marks him as a highly anticipated recruit within the Genshin community. Because of this and based on miHoYo’s usual patterns with characters like him, Varka will likely be a five-star recruit.
Varka being a five-star character is also backed by the possible weapon that leaked for him since it is also a five-star. Only five-star recruits release alongside a five-star weapon to suit them.
Where is Varka from in Genshin Impact?
Varka’s entire origin story will likely remain secret until players have the opportunity to meet him themselves, but his current area of residence is Mondstadt. However, he has been traveling since players began their Teyvat journey, which is why Jean is currently the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius in his place.
What does Varka look like in Genshin Impact?
The most prominent leaks surrounding Varka have had to do with his appearance and seem to match up with the little information that players already know. Razor mentions multiple times throughout his voice lines that Varka is extremely tall and regularly refers to him as the “tall man” which seems to track with what leaks have also uncovered about him.
A few leaks about Varka’s appearance suggest that he does wield a Cryo Vision, but that something about it is different from usual Visions. One leaker also stated that he has a rather “crude,” “rough,” and “powerful” design that seems to be modeled after a wolf.
The possible wolf-like design of Varka is likely inspired by Andrius, since Varka is called the Knight of Boreas after him. While some earlier leaks suggested that Varka might look older and have a beard, the current leaks have disproved this and instead stated that he will look just about as young as every playable Genshin character does.
No official artwork depicting Varka’s appearance has been discovered so far, but one member of the leak community was able to give players a decent idea of what he might look like by referencing a few Honkai: Star Rail characters.
When will Varka release in Genshin Impact?
The exact release date for Varka will not be certain until miHoYo unveils him themselves, but currently, he is believed to arrive in the Version 3.8 update according to one reliable member of the community. However, the leak that states this only says that he will be seen in Version 3.8 and does not say anything about him becoming a recruitable character at this time.
This individual also said that players will get to know Varka better once they set off to the Hydro region of Fontaine. Based on these leaks and miHoYo’s usual patterns, Varka will likely not become playable until at least Version 4.0, but is probably at least a few Version 4.0 updates away.
Depending on how well players get to know him in Version 3.8 and the Version 4.0 updates that follow after, it could be anywhere from the Version 4.0 update to a potential Version 4.8 update, or even beyond that before Varka is officially released. However, leaks already surfacing for him is a good indicator that he will arrive sooner rather than later, which might mean that he will be one of the first recruitable characters following the Version 4.0 update.
