Compared to Liyue’s lore and character backgrounds, Genshin Impact’s Mondstadt seems to be missing half of what makes it special or a world power in Teyvat. There’s actually a gaping void in Mondstadt right now even from the mere mention of Jean’s title: Acting Grand Master. That’s because the actual Grand Master, Varka is out and about, though there seems to be little information about him in the game.
That’s quite odd since all the people in Mondstadt— even the cynical Diluc, talk highly about him. Even Varka’s enemies in the Fatui consider him a respectable opponent. It also doesn’t help that the game dangles some teasers or tidbits of information about him without actually building up for his re-appearance. Hence, the mere mention of Varka’s name raises more questions than answers.
10 Where Did He Go?
Why is Varka absent amidst the important political and magical events in Mondstadt? Apparently, he’s on an expedition and took all of Mondstadt’s elite with him. That was six months before the Traveler gets Robinson Crusoe’d to Teyvat.
Yes, it’s an expedition, but to where, exactly? What was so important outside of Mondstadt that he had to leave such an important responsibility back home, taking the best of the Knights of Favonius with him? One would think that Jean should know, but she’s rather quiet about Varka’s whereabouts.
9 Is He Going To Come Back?
Varka disappearing off to somewhere seemingly far also raises another important question for the game’s future: when’s he coming back? After all, Jean can’t be Acting Grand Master forever and Mondstadt needs its appointed and most powerful leader.
Compared to Liyue, Mondstadt isn’t exactly in its best shape as the Fatui and the Abyss Order simultaneously seep through the cracks. If anything, someone should have already sent a letter to wherever Varka went, informing him of the direness of the situation back home.
8 Is He Going To Be Playable?
The more important query is whether Varka’s going to be playable or not? With the rate Genshin Impact’s proceeding right now, the new country, Inazuma is just around the corner. That means the latest characters will tend to be focused on the new nations.
That might leave little room for Varka’s return and the prospect of him being a playable character for the game. Moreover, he’s supposed to be mature and seasoned while also being a mortal so he might not have the luxury of appearing young forever, unlike Zhongli or his Adepti constituents.
7 How Powerful Was He?
It’s hard to ask about Varka’s playability without also questioning just how efficient he is as the best of the Knights of Favonius. Characters like Tartaglia, a Fatui Harbinger, have weighed him in, claiming that Varka is the “Titan of the Knights of Favonius.”
Razor claims that Varka is a tall and imposing figure too. Meanwhile, Barbara swears by Varka’s skill. That only raises more question marks though, since Varka’s power appears to be anecdotal and hearsay at best. And if he truly is as powerful as they say, he really should be rushing back to Mondstadt to fix things that Jean can’t.
6 Does He Have A Vision?
It’s also not clear if Varka is a Vision-user or not. Being one of the “Four Winds of Mondstadt,” however, there’s a big chance he is and that his Vision is of anemo, making him similar to Jean.
That’s just pure speculation though. For all we know, his Vision could be any Element or perhaps even none at all, or maybe he’s just about to receive it in the said expedition. Based on his carefree Venti-like personality though, he might well be an anemo-user.
5 Is He A Claymore User Too?
If Varka is going to be a playable character, then his weapon of choice is also another point of speculation. There is evidence that he prefers to use the claymore. For one, he’s a tall character who also appears to be extremely capable and strong.
Another thing that supports this evidence is that he’s the one who taught Razor how to use the claymore. Given how efficient Razor became with that weapon in such a short time, Varka might well be one of the best claymore-wielders in Mondstadt. Then again, he might just be good at any weapon.
4 Why Teach Razor How To Fight?
Here’s an odd and grounded take on Varka’s methods: why did he choose to arm a wild child? It’s an anime game though, so logic tends to get thrown out the window often and some suspension of disbelief is needed.
Still, we’re talking about a boy barely in his teens who grew up in the wild and probably needed to socialize with humans more before being introduced to their weapons. Of the millions of other things Varka could have taught Razor or perhaps could have done for him, he chose to make the boy’s life more dangerous. The only reason Razor’s still alive is his Vision.
3 Why Not Just Make Jean The Full Grand Master?
Even before Varka left Mondstadt for whatever reason, he was already letting Jean do the administrative work in the city-state. In fact, most of the decision-making falls on Jean’s lap and Varka was just there to explore and fight — sort of.
He even admitted that Jean was already ruling Mondstadt with how much more work she gets done. It’s clear that Jean is more cut out for the busy work of being a Grand Master. Why didn’t he just make Jean the Grand Master? He can still do what he wants with his expeditions anyway.
2 What Exactly Is His Disposition?
In one of Diluc’s dialogue lines, he has something to say about Varka. He claims that he understands Varka’s disposition but he can’t make sense of the Grand Master’s actions. He stopped there and didn’t specify what this “disposition” could be.
That alone brings up more topics of discussion than useful digestible information about Varka. It’s also puzzling why Diluc doesn’t want to further talk about Varka, as if he’s supposed to be keeping secrets for him.
1 Is He Even Still Alive Or Friendly?
Before we even ask if Varka is playable or what kind of weapon he wields, perhaps we should discuss this first. He’s been gone from Mondstadt for more than half a year already. No one also knows his status.
Barbara, whose parent went with Varka, is also worried about her father’s fate, though she trusts in Varka’s skill. There’s a big chance he’s alive, but even if he is, what guarantee is there of his allegiance or sanity? Come to think about it, Mondstadt has yet to have a dark storyline about its characters the same way Liyue handled Xiao. Varka could well be a nice opportunity for a more mature storytelling angle for Mondstadt.
NEXT: Genshin Impact: 10 Tips For Maxing Out Your Battle Pass
