For more discussions like this, check out the "Facts, Myths and Theories" main post! You can also follow me on Twitter: @dialMARK4acti0n

Welcome summoners, to what I hope will become a weekly series, or at least a regular one, which will be tentatively called "Facts, Myths and Theories". This series focuses on the more mysterious side of League's lore and is dedicated to explore the more obscure subjects and analysing all that we know, all that we don't know and meshing those together to create theories to try and crack the Lore wide open! I hope you enjoy it and if you do, let me know in the poll below and suggest the next topic that we'll talk about. Now, without further ado...

This Week's Topic: The Darkin

http://i.imgur.com/GPYkDvS.jpg

Aatrox, the Darkin Blade. He's been around the Fields of Justice for more than a year now and we all squeaked like an 8 year old girl when we guessed that the mysterious dude with the sword that showed up in Tryndamere's reworked lore entry from the Freljord event would become a champion and it came true!! ...at least I did... Didn't everyone...? Ok, ackwaaard......

Anyway, there's a lot of mystery around who or what Aatrox REALLY is. Aatrox's lore is quite... vague... when referring to the Darkin, Aatrox's race. Like SERIOUSLY!!! Just look at this:

"Aatrox is a legendary warrior, one of only five that remain of an ancient race known as the Darkin."

That's all we get about what the Darkin are. ALL OF IT!!! But, it's thanks to this vague little piece of info that we know a couple of things for sure about the mysterious Darkin: Only five remain and Aatrox is one of them. Perhaps, he is even Number Four... AMIRITE?!? Anyone? No...? Boy, that movie was way worse than it could've been. Ok, bad references aside, to figure out more about the Darkin, we need to delve deep into Aatrox's lore and backstory, or anything that could even remotely relate to him, and dig up everything we can to see if there's any clues to what the Darkin actually are. Or even if any of them is already alongside Aatrox among the League's ranks.

The Facts

http://i.imgur.com/N9h3bF1.jpg

So, before Aatrox's release, our good old friend Ezreal jumped into the forums with a thread called "An Ancient Mistery in Runeterra" to tell us about some interesting discoveries he had during his travels. He had found such things as a dagger, an urn, a book, coins, a page and a piece of stained glass. Although all of these artifacts - that were seemingly unrelated to each other - were from different time periods and places in Valoran, every last one of these artifacts were all connected by the depiction of a winged creature of some sort that wielded a jagged sword. Although, in some of those artifacts, only the sword was depicted (remember this part, because it'll be important later). It was later revealed that this was indeed a teaser for a new champion, which was Aatrox, as we all know.

What was so mysterious about this teaser was that it not only was it teasing a champion in a very different way, but that it also set him out to be a creature that had lived through countless lifespans and periods. Some people speculated that he was the King of the Void, others thought he was an ancient protector of Noxus, but he turned out to be something way more mysterious than these things. When his lore was revealed, alongside his abilities, it stated, and I quote:

"Aatrox is a legendary warrior, one of only five that remain of an ancient race known as the Darkin."

So, it turned out Aatrox was something totally new altogether. Not a Void lord. Not an ancient protector of Noxus. He was something totally different. Something we had never heard of before. He was a Darkin. But, who or what are the Darkin? Well... all the information we have about this mysterious ancient race is that there are only five that remain and that Aatrox is one of them. This leaves us with four more Darkin that have yet to be revealed to us. According to Ezreal, all of the artifacts he had found were all of the same winged creature and jagged sword. So, we have literally no information whatsoever about the other four Darkin. Or do we?

"What lurks in the hearts of men" http://i.imgur.com/DUjYkbA.jpg

You see, since Aatrox is a Darkin, I believe we can figure out more about the other four Darkin through his story. Thankfully, his lore and Tryndamere's lore enlighten his story quite a bit to us. First, let's delve into Aatrox's lore and his influence over the history of Runeterra. You see, through out the history of Runeterra, Aatrox has appeared in various conflicts, such as wars and battles, to help out one of the sides, who'd be encouraged to continue fighting only with Aatrox's presence alone. His lore talks about the earliest conflict in recorded history in which Aatrox was involved, the Protectorate and Magelords War. His lore's last paragraph has a quote that explains why there were artifacts with his depiction from so many different time periods, throughout all of Valoran. I quote:

"Aatrox's presence has changed the course of some of the most important wars in history. Though these stories remember him as a savior in dark times, Aatrox's true legacy may be a world filled with conflict and strife."

This quote also mentions that Aatrox is usually remembered as a 'savior in dark times', although his true legacy has become one that has come to raise 'conflict and strife' in the world. You see, Aatrox has a very interesting power that is somewhat reminiscent of Ares from Greek mythology. From what we can deduce from his lore, his presence influences men's hearts to be filled with rage, making them enjoy war and seek more bloodshed. Ares was the God of War in Greek mythology and his presence in battles raised his side's morale and make them more bloodthirsty, thus, making them win these battles, and making Ares to be worshipped as a savior, when he really just provoked more bloodshed. Aatrox is no different. Note this interesting quote from his lore:

"The warriors found themselves imbued with a potent thirst for battle. They followed Aatrox into the fray, each fighting with the furious strength of ten until they had won a most unlikely victory."

And it was this victory of the Protectorates over the Magelords that made Aatrox be considered a savior to the Protectorate's army, but that's not all he did for the Protectorate... Note what happened after that victory, quoted from his lore:

"Aatrox vanished after that battle, but the Protectorate army's newfound fury did not."

---

"Over time, their memories of battle faded, only to be replaced with a grim revelation: their acts of heroism were, in fact, brutal atrocities committed by their own hands."

So, Aatrox influenced the Protectorate's army in such a way that their hearts were filled with rage, making them become vicious and savage in battle... and they didn't even notice. Aatrox's presence in that one battle alone made the Protectorate's army become brutal warriors, thinking they were comitting acts of heroism, when they were actually commiting acts of terrrorism. And, according to his lore, he did this time and time again! The artifacts Ezreal found, were all over Valoran!! A dagger with markings resembling Aatrox's sword was found on the Freljord. A urn with depictions of Aatrox fighting was found on Shurima. A Noxian book of war poems had a drawing of Aatrox's sword on its cover. And it goes on...

"My greatest creation..." http://i.imgur.com/j2OyiwV.jpg

Also, Aatrox has a special type of relationship with Tryndamere, calling him his greatest creation. You see, in the Freljord event that happened about a year ago, Tryndamere's lore was revamped to include a mysterious dark figure that attacked his village. We now know this was Aatrox, and pretty much like his lore, he appeared under circumstances of war. Tryndamere's clan was in war with other tribes over the scarce resources of the land. One night, his village was attacked by some of these tribes and among them, was Aatrox. Aatrox nearly killed Tryndamere when he attacked the former. But, rather than dying, Tryndamere's 'unable to surrender to death' and, I quote:

"Gave in fully to his wrath. His blood boiled and his anger consumed him, banishing his mortality."

What makes this even more interesting about this is what happens next:

"He staggered to his feet - barely able to take hold of his sword - steeling himself for the decisive confrontation with the shadowy being. But the dark figure did not even lift his blade, and instead gave Tryndamere a knowing smile as he withdrew into the shadows."

Considering Aatrox calls Tryndamere his greatest creation and that Tryndamere didn't die due to his anger, we can easily deduce that Tryndamere was influenced by Aatrox, much like he had influenced the Protectorate's army in his lore. Although, with Tryndamere, it's different... Aatrox even acknowledges this by referring to him as 'his greatest creation'. Tryndamere has control of his own rage.

So, until now we have some pretty good info about some of Aatrox's powers. But how does this relate with the Darkin? Do they have the same powers as Aatrox? My guess is no. But we're getting there. First, we need to talk about the most crucial source of Aatrox's powers... his sword.

"Cut the courage from them" http://i.imgur.com/ALCOpNL.jpg

Aatrox's sword is, very obviously, the source of Aatrox's powers. Even in his gameplay, his sword's capabilities are what allow Aatrox to heal himself and survive longer. But even in Tryndamere's lore, we can easily deduce this:

"He wielded a cruel, living sword, and inspired an unhinged bloodlust in the invaders with his unearthly magic."

And even in his own lore:

"He wields his massive blade with grace and poise, slicing through legions in a style that is hypnotic to behold."

So, what we can take from this is that his sword is alive and, through his gameplay and splash art, that it feeds on the blood of its victims. We can also see this in his gameplay when he uses emotes, where his sword moves on its own. And even when it moves around, sometimes it reacts to the way he moves by bending. The fact that his sword sucks in blood to live longer, also fits with Aatrox's general obsession with war and with his "immortality".

The Myths

http://i.imgur.com/vIWgTuA.jpg

Oh boy... This is where it gets super interesting. So, to clarify, the myth section adresses something that has been hinted at, but isn't official, and isn't a completely out there theory. With that out of the way, let's get to business. In this section, we're mainly going to talk about the shadowy figures in both Darius' splash and Jax's champion page backgroud image. Let's begin with Darius shall we?

"Violence is elegance" http://i.imgur.com/QXZ37xF.jpg

So, this entire myth is based around on one thing and one thing only. If you look at Darius' splash, to the left, you can see this shadowy figure with horns and green glowing eyes. Now, he does look similar to Aatrox doesn't he? But, there are enough differences between this figure and Aatrox, but still enough similarities, to make us think that he could be another Darkin. Then again, looking at Darius' lore, which is supposedly what his splash is depicting, maybe it is Aatrox. There was some pretty interesting things in Darius' lore, but this quote was the one that caught my eye the most:

"Darius' captain called for his troops to retreat, but Darius refused to accept such an act of cowardice. Breaking formation, Darius strode towards the captain and decapitated him with one sweep of his gigantic axe. Both terrified and inspired, the soldiers followed Darius into battle and fought with incredible strength and fervor. After a long and grueling battle, they ultimately emerged victorious."

Now, you see what happened there? When Darius killed his captain in an act of rage and refusal to retreat from battle, the captain's troops 'both terrified and inspired followed Darius into battle and fought with incredible strenght and fervor.' Is that familiar? If you read Aatrox's lore it should because this is EXACTLY what happened with the Protectorate's army!!

"His presence inspired the desperate warriors. At first, they could only watch in awe as this unknown hero cleaved through their enemies, his body and blade moving in unison as if one being. Soon, the warriors found themselves imbued with a potent thirst for battle. They followed Aatrox into the fray, each fighting with the furious strength of ten until they had won a most unlikely victory."

So, in the Protectorate-Magelords War, the Protectorates 'watched in awe' as Aatrox fought by their side, and then 'followed Aatrox into the fray, each fighting with furious strength of ten'. It's not word for word, but there are too many similarities to be ignored here. Both armies were both terrified or hesitant, but at the same time were imbued with a thirst for battle and fought with incredible strenght. Although, in Darius' lore, Darius fulfilled the role Aatrox played in the Protectorate's War. This could simply be Aatrox (who could or could not be the figure in Darius' splash) manipulating him. Maybe even another Darkin altogether! Assuming, of course, all Darkin have Aatrox's powers. (Although, I'm more inclined to believe the former due to Aatrox being the only one represented in the artifacts that involved war and such, implying he's the only one with the power to influence the flow of war.)

This myth can be further backed up by something that showed up in his teaser as well. When Ezreal's talking about the statuette depicting Aatrox, that was found in Noxus, Ezreal mentions the following:

"Noxus is full of these kinds of statuettes. Usually, they're made as tributes to the nation's greatest heroes"

So, if Aatrox had influence in Noxus's wars and battles further back in the past, he may have been considered a war hero at some point, just like the Protectorate considered him to be a 'savior in dark times'. So, through this evidence, in Darius' splash and lore, we can assume Aatrox has had influence over not only Darius, but also over Noxus. But, what about Jax?

"True warriors are born in blood" http://i.imgur.com/s7pzZ67.jpg

Now, Jax, is a different case. In his champion profile page, a shadowy figure, very similar to Aatrox, can also be seen above his lamp. Like the figure in Darius' splash, it has enough differences to perhaps be another Darkin, but it's pretty clear it's at least a Darkin, and it's way more similar to Aatrox than the other figure (red eyes rather than green). But, unlike Darius, Jax's lore (which is no longer canon btw, so it may be subject to change), tells nothing of him having a lust for war, or having been in a war. It only mentions that he was a soldier-for-hire before he joined the League. But, there's something interesting about Jax, the fact that he is part of an unknown race. Three fingers? Purple skin? No one in League's lore has the same physical traits. Perhaps, he's a Darkin. Perhaps he is part of the Protectorate or the Magelords' army. We do not know enough to deduce what the shadowy figure's presence on his updated splash could mean at this point. With that said... we can now go into the Theories!

UPDATE: I've done a full discussion on Jax. Please, check it out!

---

Theories

http://i.imgur.com/0jH0xy6.jpg

Now, get ready for some real mindblowing stuff!! Let's dive into Varus' lore a little bit. So, Varus was in charge of protecting some type of corruption from escaping the temple where it was safeguarded. When his village was destroyed during the Noxian invasion, he was protecting the corruption from spreading, and when he returned home to his destroyed villaged, he found his dead family. Seeking vengeance, Varus let the corruption spread to himself, in order to be powerful enough to destroy the Noxians who had destroyed his village. On Varus' League Judgement (which again, isn't canon anymore, but doesn't affect this point in particular), we were informed his bow moved on its own and was alive. In-game, we can see this, whenever Varus attacks. Varus' bow is a living weapon. Sound familiar? It should. Because, the theory here ladies and gentleman is this: Aatrox is not Aatrox himself. Aatrox is the sword! and that's not all: Varus' bow is a Darkin!!

Now, let's think for a moment. Remember, in the beginning of the dicussion when I asked you to remember something? Yeah! I asked you to remember the part where I mentioned that in some of the ancient artifacts Ezreal had found, only his sword is depicted. This is the case with the Noxian book of war poems, the dagger that had been found in the Freljord and some of the coins! What other reason would there be to potray Aatrox's sword and not Aatrox himself in the book. Sure, the dagger and coins make sense, but on a book cover? I think, that there was a time where Aatrox only showed his true form without using a puppet to "wield him". And that's the thing. If you look at Varus' arms and legs and to Aatrox's "wielder" arms and legs, you'll notice they look pretty similiar. Perhaps, Aatrox corrupted someone, to wield him in battle and to cease his thirst for blood. And whereas, Aatrox's corruption is complete, Varus' just started and he still has some control over his actions, as we can deduce from his voiceover.

Now let's look at Aatrox's voiceover. Have you noticed he never mentions his sword? That would be pretty normal for a sword-wielder to mention. Take Yasuo for example! HE NEVER SHUTS UP ABOUT HIS SWORD!!! (Take my word for it, he's my main). And there's even one of his lines that strikes me as proof that this theory isn't crazy:

"Surpass the frailty of your form."

"What does that even mean?" is what I said word for word when I heard him say this for the first time. Well, now I have a pretty good guess. It's either Aatrox talking to his "mortal" wielder, referring to how he's limited by his human form, or it's him talking to the other champions he faces in the Fields of Justice, who generally have a "mortal" form, although the former seems more likely to me. Another thing that's mentioned in his lore is the way he fights, and I quote:

"His body and blade moving in unison as if one being."

Well, maybe they are one being. Aatrox posessed this human and let's him wield him, effectively making them become one.

"Fight and be remembered, or die and be forgotten." http://i.imgur.com/pqyvvQc.jpg

Another point we can make to support this theory is how Tryndamere was "created". When he was mortally wounded by Aatrox, he was unable to die and gained immortality through his rage. It also mentioned how his 'blood boiled'. Supposedly, Tryndamere was mortally wounded by Aatrox, the sword, which also happens to have the ability to manipulate blood, albeit, we've only seen the sword ever absorbing blood, but we can also suppose it can manipulate it and further control it through Aatrox's splash. So, we can suppose it was through the process of Tryndamere's blood coming to contact with the sword, Aatrox, that he gained his immortality through rage.

Also, one thing that backs up this theory is this: Aatrox's title... "THE DARKIN BLADE"!!! Darkin. Blade. Aatrox, the Darkin... BLADE!! I know this one's kind of lame but, c'mon! IT JUST MAKES TOO MUCH SENSE!!!!

Now, supposing the Darkin are indeed immortal weapons that take over hosts to wield them in combat, than I believe Varus' bow is also a Darkin, (the Darkin Bow amirite? :P) since it's a living weapon that surfaced with Varus' corruption ritual, supposedly (and it's seemingly not done corrupting him, looking at Varus', yet to be fully consumed, body, which we've already drawn a parallel between Aatrox's body).

With that said, I also have another theory. A theory that each of the five remaining Darkin represent some type of rage, in an alegoric style. Aatrox represents bloodthirst. Varus' bow represents vengeange. And, the other three are yet to be discovered. This can be further backed by each of the Darkin's respective lores and the voiceover of the respective champions.

#It's all just a theory though... Thanks for reading!

If you manage to read all of that I have to say two things: sorry and thank you xD. But seriously, I put a lot of work into this theory and would like to know any opinions you guys have about this topic, or the overall format I'm going for with this series. Also, I'd like to give a shoutout to this subreddit that pointed out Varus and Aatrox's appearances' similarities, and to Lore Discussion by CaptainMårvelous, who inspired me to do this post. Lore Discussion already has a few interesting discussions so please, check 'em out! Anyways, comment below and let me know if you want more of this series!

Next Week's Topic: The Master of Shadows

---

Voting is now closed! I'm happy for all the support you've given to make this a weekly series. Not one person voted no, so I must be doing something right. Thanks for voting!