There is no greater symbol of Noxian might than
, the nation's most feared and battle-hardened leader. Rising from humble origins to become the Hand of Noxus, he cleaves through the empire's enemies—many of them Noxians themselves. Knowing that he never doubts his cause is just, and never hesitates once his axe is raised, those who stand against the commander of the Trifarian Legion can expect no mercy.
"History only remembers the victors. Stand with Noxus, and be remembered forever." — Darius | |
Background[]
Childhood[]
Born in Basilich, Darius was as an orphan alongside his younger brother . He struggled hard to provide for both himself and his brother and protected the latter from anyone who tried to harm him, even the city guard. Darius spent a majority of his childhood fighting for survival, with constant fights leaving permanent scars on himself. He and Draven were friends with a girl named , whom saved him from falling off a cliff that they were climbing. Darius developed a relationship with Quilletta, having ambitions to conquer the world alongside her.
When an Noxian army led by their captain Cyrus invaded Basilich, the three children hid atop a rooftop. Quilletta was reluctant towards the harsh choice between joining Noxus or being killed, but Darius contemplated paying the consequences since he didn't want to leave Draven behind. To his horror, Draven attempted to throw a knife to fight them but ended up hitting Cyrus' flag, leading to the three to get apprehended by the soldiers. After hearing Draven's boasts, Cyrus invited the kids to ally with Noxus.
In Noxus[]
Growing to adulthood in Noxus, Darius married Quilletta and became a father to two: Decius and
. He and Draven served as soldiers under Cyrus' warhost, engaging in many war campaigns and stopping rebellions against throne. Darius quickly rose through the ranks, embodying the values of Noxus through his aggression, bravery and patriotism. In one battle, after a general ordered a retreat, Darius saw him as a coward and beheaded him out of defiance, rallying the fearful troops and securing a victory. He was rewarded by being promoted to senior commander, which attracted many Noxians to join his army but he only accepted those with the greatest strength and discipline. Feared to the point where cities surrendered at the sight of Darius' banners, his victory against the Varju got him promoted to the Hand of Noxus by Darkwill himself.As the new Hand of Noxus, Darius and his army were sent to the Freljord to conquer it, enduring countless assassination attempts and a capture from the Winter's Claw before ending in a stalemate after a long, grueling conflict. He headed back to Noxus to request a reconsolidation of the military, but found that Darkwill had been assassinated and usurped by , as part of his coup which even Draven had backed. Darius began to respect Swain's accomplishments and was prepared to serve him, but he gave Darius a place in the Trifarian Legion, representing the Noxian principle of Might alongside Swain as Vision and the Faceless as Guile.
However, Quilletta was starting to become disillusioned towards Noxus after witnessing the horrific aftermath of
's chemical bomb in Ionia, which caused her arm to be amputated as a result of the poison, and their son Decius dying in the campaign against the Freljord. Quilletta expressed her worries to Darius, but he dismissed her saying that Noxus required mercilessness and sacrifice because the empire had to conquer and losing one city would be severely detrimental. Finally having enough, Quilletta snapped from her grief towards Decius' death only to be killed by Invetia, believing her to be weak. Horrified, Darius asked Invetia about her merciless act, and she cited the Noxian philosophy and how she learned it from him.Appearance[]
Darius is a large, bulky man with a serious, intense face and middle-aged features. He has fair skin and swept-back black hair with a white streak. His eyes are variously portrayed as either red, green or gray. He also has a long, straight scar over his left eye.
Darius wears heavy full plate armor that leaves only his head and his upper arms exposed. It is dark gray, intricately crafted, and accentuated with spikes around the shoulders and thighs. It also features a long cape and loin cloth, both blood red, symbolizing Noxus.
His weapon of choice is a massive two-handed ax, viciously curved and forged with a symbol of a skull where the blade meets the handle.
Personality[]
Stern and warlike, Darius is unwaveringly dedicated to Noxus and its ideals. He is a soldier without parallel, balancing ruthless mettle with sound strategy. He stands confident and firm, showing no tolerance for weakness or cowardice. Despite his intimidating demeanor, however, Darius is also deeply committed to fostering the strength of others wherever he can find it, elevating those he finds deserving and crushing those who have not earned their status.
Abilities[]
- : Through his countless battles within the Noxian campaigns, Darius became very adept at using his battle axe in combat. He became so feared that he would make cities surrender by the mere sight of his banners as well as grant him the miltary title of Hand of Noxus.
- Extreme Resilience: From a young age, Darius exhibited remarkable resilience to injury and pain. His body bears the visible scars of numerous battles, a testament to his enduring strength. Born an urchin in Basilich and the elder brother to , Darius had to fight not only to survive but also to provide for his sibling. This innate toughness became even more apparent during his military campaigns.
- Charisma: Darius is very charismatic in the eyes of the Noxian troops. After a general ordered a retreat, Darius saw him as a coward and beheaded him out of defiance, rallying the fearful troops and securing a victory. He is also known to accept anyone who is willing and able to fight for their ideals, no matter the cost.
Relations[]
[]
Darius was accoladed by Darkwill, but allied with
because he sees in the Master Tactician someone who can make Noxus rise.[]
In Darius' eyes [1] Yet for him, legacy is an example. Though when he gazes upon the Undead Juggernaut, he sees what might become of himself should he no longer be useful to the empire (or rather, too useful, should death come knocking).[2]
is cheating death to justify one's undeserved continued survival.[]
Darius holds no grudge against [3]
. However, he considers him a fool bound by a meaningless code of "honor." Despite this, he would relish killing simply to prove crushes all, even Demacian , , and —especially a paragon of said values.[]
Darius and his younger brother
are renowned as the "Blood Brothers." Family ties are strong and can serve as the basis for one's strength, yet Darius sees self-serving aristocrats using theirs as a crutch for their weakness, and as a result, the perpetuation of stagnant leadership that needs to be removed and replaced. With this in mind, one cannot tell if Darius providing and caring for during their childhood came out of love or even mere pragmatism. The comic Blood of Noxus seems to imply the former.Family[]
He has 2 children (Decius and [4] She was murdered by their daughter during the Battle of Basilich.
) mothered by his former lover, . They never married given the pragmatism of Noxus, and knowing the likely trajectory of their lives at war.While it was never explicitly confirmed that they are his children, it was heavily implied due to the relationship between Darius and Quilletta as well as some localizations using terms indicative of blood relation.
Seeing the approval of the slaughtering of innocents by
and Emystan made grow more disillusioned about the empire's ambitions, which led her to rebel against the empire, among the other events of the story.& []
During a Black Mist attack caused by The Immortal Bastion, Darius was temporarily possessed and fought before the Mist retreated.
atRead More
Biography
Starring Champion
Mentioned Champion
Alternate Universes
Trivia[]
- He is between his mid and late 30s.
- Basilich. , , , and were all born in
- Darius isn't a crazed, bloodthirsty maniac but more of a cold-blooded killer moving through the battlefield with powerful, precise movements and striking with deadly force where it matters most. He takes pride in combat, but there's no primal bloodlust needing to be sated. Unpredictable sadists don't always make for the best commanders." — Harrow, narrative writer for Riot.[5]
- Darius's Trifarian Legion is probably based on the Triarii, the elite unit in the Roman Republic's early period legionss;
- Having been raised as an orphan, Darius doesn't care for titles or privileges—only to serve his empire through [7] .
- His armor and axe were likely made with ore from the Delverhold of the Ironspike Mountains.[8]
References[]
- ↑ Darius Creative Design AMA 3
- ↑ Sion Champion Update Q&A
- ↑ Darius Creative Design AMA 4
- ↑ Darius and Quilletta's relationship
- ↑ Darius Creative Design AMA 2
- ↑ DeVaan, M. Etymological dictionary of Latin, p. 202
- ↑ Darius Creative Design AMA 1
- ↑ Darius' armor and axe origin