But you would be surprised at what a collection our boy Varus is rocking. In fact, he has so many good skins that it’s surprisingly tough to rank them and be totally satisfied… But I’m going to attempt it anyways.
11. Blight Crystal Varus
Released: May 8th, 2012 Price: 975 RP This is the only skin that doesn’t make me want to immediately start maining Varus – and it’s for two big reasons. Number one: there are way too many bright colors here. Where’s dark mode? Number two: I barely know what I’m looking at. That being said, the skin does have some strong points as well. For only 975 RP it still offers some new animations and particles on your Q and E, and the skin is definitely rather unique. I also like how Riot designed his face here. He looks just the right amount of emo. I do think this is Varus’ worst skin by far, being that the others are a lot more concise when it comes to theme. And the others don’t assault my eyes with such aggressive yellows. But Blight Crystal Varus still has some nifty features, and is sure to be someone’s cup of tea.
10. PROJECT: Varus
Released: May 27th, 2021 Price: 1350 RP There’s so much to say about this skin that I don’t even know where to begin. It has some absolutely amazing, jaw-dropping features – but also some rather mediocre aspects as well. On the positive side, the animation team did some of their best work on this skin. The Q windup feels insanely powerful, and is probably the most visually impressive out of the entire line-up. The R animation looks extremely detailed and smooth here, and the backing animation just oozes badass energy. Even the splash art is dope as hell! That being said, the character model is somewhat of a flop. It’s just too bland, especially for a skin like this. Also I just hate the W passive mark design. So this does have some amazing features, but I prefer more well-rounded skins.
9. Conqueror Varus
Released: April 25th, 2018 Price: 975 RP If you’re looking for an insanely good bang for your buck, Conqueror Varus is the way to go. For only 975 RP you get a really good character model, brand new animations, and particles on all of your abilities – and even a unique backing animation! That’s quite the bargain. And the skin does have a pretty cool aesthetic to it. Your bow shoots out blood-red crystals, your E leaves something resembling a rose on the ground, and your R is somehow even creepier than before. That being said, this kin is missing a bit of a “wow” factor for me. Objectively I can’t see anything wrong with the skin. But the other choices here are just so much more unique and interesting (in terms of themes) that I would hardly ever choose Conqueror Varus in particular. So, excellent skin. But not my goblet of blood.
8. Cosmic Hunter Varus
Released: November 24th, 2020 Price: 1350 RP Just by the name alone, we all knew this skin was going to be amazing. I mean just look at that bow! That bow alone seems worth the 1350 RP price tag. Who the hell doesn’t want to shoot someone with a literal constellation? Just send your enemies into retrograde or something. The W plus Q animation here is also beautiful to look at. And the W passive marks are easy to spot and very clean in terms of design. So why is this skin so low on the tier list? Two main reasons. First off, the character model itself (aside from the bow) isn’t anything to write home about. And secondly (this is the bigger reason in my eyes), Varus already has a skin that follows a similar thematic – but that skin (coming up) focuses more on his dark/edgy energy, which is what I like to see.
7. Varus Swiftbolt
Released: December 7th, 2015 Price: 750 RP I know it feels insane to put such a simple skin here over the bells & whistles buffet of Cosmic Hunter Varus – but hear me out. Even though Varus Swiftbolt only offers a character model change with no new effects or animations to speak off, I just find it to be an absolute treat. That classic RPG elven archer aesthetic makes my brain produce all of the happy chemicals it can. And even at a glance, I instantly fell in love with this skin. The base ability animations also suit Varus quite well, so I can’t even dock points on that front. Yes, it is still missing that “wow” factor that most of the other skins on here have. But as an RPG lover, I had to bump this one up.
6. Infernal Varus
Released: September 5th, 2019 Price: 1350 RP Infernal Varus is just so badass. Everything about it just makes me feel hyped – as every ability looks flashy and important. The character model looks like it came straight out of Hell after making Satan lick his shoes. And I have to appreciate how the bow was designed to look more alive, giving it some of those lore brownie points. As I mentioned, all of the ability animations and particles look clean and impactful here, with fire obviously being the main theme. And even the backing animation is pretty decent. The only bad thing I can say is that the idea of “Varus, but he’s on fire” isn’t the most creative idea out there. But it doesn’t matter much when the execution is this good!
5. High Noon Varus
Released: May 12th, 2022 Price: 1350 RP I have mixed feelings about this skin. It’s undoubtedly badass, but I also felt like they could’ve done so much more. Let’s start with the pros. The character model is absolutely amazing. Riot nailed the Western aesthetic while also keeping true to Varus’ lore by making his bow and arm seem angelic. This coupled with a really nice splash art and a rather decent chroma selection already make the skin pretty nifty. There’s also your backing animation that just gives me strong Mimic chest vibes – and I love it. However, I’m a bit torn when it comes to the ability animations. For example, I really like the W and the W + Q sound effects. They are subtle and fit in perfectly with the Western aesthetic. But I’m also a bit disappointed that they didn’t use a bullet shot sound effect (like with Talon’s passive) for either of these abilities. I just think it would’ve given the skin a bit of oomph. And visually the skin is good but somewhat bland. Taken out of context, none of the new abilities carry the High Noon aesthetic – they’re just generic light particles. Overall, I can’t say that the skin is bad – far from it. However, the ability animations simply couldn’t meet the same standard as the character model.
4. Heartseeker Varus
Released: February 13th, 2015 Price: 1350 RP A good joke skin can take you a long way. And Heartseeker Varus is among is best, in my opinion. Sure, there are other Heartseeker skins. But none come close to the Cupid man himself! The splash art here is absolutely a joy, and the in-game model doesn’t fall behind one bit. As you could expect, the animations are all heart related – so be ready to see plenty of love on your Q, W, E, and R. This skin also arguably has one of the most hilarious backing animations in the entire game. That little arrow plonk will never fail to make me chuckle. In terms of cons, well, this is a joke skin. So you might grow bored of it at some point. And the original champion emotes do not match the theme in the slightest. Then again, it is pretty hilarious when Cupid tells you “Pain is my gift to you”. I’m sure that hits close to home for a lot of people.
3. Arclight Varus
Released: December 5th, 2012 Price: 975 RP Even though this is one of Varus’ oldest skins, I still think it’s one of his best. Thematically, it’s quite interesting to see Varus before he joined the dark side. And in terms of design, this skin is incredibly clean. The character model isn’t all that flashy – but it’s just detailed enough to look decent. And the animations use an interesting mix of light and dark particles to kind of represent Varus’ own struggle. And that ult animation, aside from being nearly invisible (and therefore pay to win) is just beautiful. Plus we get all of this for just 975 RP? Sign me up!
2. Arctic Ops Varus
Released: March 20th, 2014 Price: 1350 RP Making a skin more down to earth is always a risky decision. But I think this one passes with flying colors. Even though the champion model isn’t incredibly detailed, it just looks so badass that it doesn’t even matter. The camo shorts, the military-looking bow which also doubles as a backpack for some reason, and especially the mask – it all just works. The ability animations are all frost-themed. And even though that might not be all that original, it doesn’t lessen my experience with the skin. Especially since it’s clean as all hell. Seriously, I feel like Arctic Ops Varus buffs your ability to CS and I need all the help I can get. The skin has been a go-to for Varus mains for quite a long time now. And I think it definitely deserves that legacy.
1. Dark Star Varus
Released: June 15th, 2016 Price: 1350 RP I’m a simple man. I see Dark Star, I give it an S-class rating. And Dark Star Varus has that same cool galactic feeling that Cosmic Hunter Varus went for – but it takes the idea in a much darker direction. Which is a lot more fitting for Varus if you ask me. The character model here is stunning. It makes you feel like some type of god. And the animations only further that fantasy. A fully charged Q feels more impactful than most ultimate abilities in the game. And the E and R animations, while super clean, kinda land on the more subtle side of things. Which makes them easier to hit. Then we have the cherry on top: the backing animation has you sucked into a black hole. What more could you really ask for? Note: this content was created under Riot Games’ “Legal Jibber Jabber” policy using assets owned by Riot Games. Riot Games does not endorse or sponsor this project.
