During the concluding year of the Jedi Civil War, a Human male named Varko rose to the rank of admiral within the Sith Empire of the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Malak. Following the death of Saul Karath at the hands of Galactic Republic commander Carth Onasi alongside two Jedi, Bastila Shan and Revan, aboard Malak's flagship, the Leviathan, Varko took Karath's place as Malak's second-in-command. Soon after Varko provided a report on the status of the Star Forge, the Rakatan space station that powered the Sith Empire's war machine, the redeemed Jedi Revan killed Malak, leading to the defeat of the Empire Varko served at Rakata Prime.
During the Jedi Civil War, a major conflict pitting the Galactic Republic against the Sith Empire, Varko, a Human male, was a Sith officer within the Empire's Navy. By 3956 BBY, he had achieved the rank of admiral.
In that same year, Varko's position elevated to second-in-command of the Sith forces. This promotion occurred after Saul Karath, his predecessor, met his end on the Leviathan, the flagship of Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Malak, at the hands of the Republic commander Carth Onasi and two Jedi, Revan and [Bastila Shan](/article/bastila_shan]. As a result, Varko became the next most senior officer after Malak. Later, while aboard the Star Forge, the Rakatan space station that fueled the Sith's military campaigns, Varko informed Darth Malak that the superweapon was functioning at 300% of projected capacity.
After the Admiral let Malak know that the Sith fleet had reassembled near the Star Forge and was awaiting orders from the Sith Lord, Malak unveiled his strategy to utilize Shan, who had been captured and converted to the dark side of the Force, to focus her power using battle meditation against the Republic, with the ultimate goal of conquering the Core Worlds. Subsequently, the Dark Lord dismissed Varko. Shortly thereafter, the redeemed Jedi Padawan Revan defeated Malak, and the Republic triumphed over his Sith Empire at Rakata Prime, bringing about its defeat.
Following his appointment as commander of the Sith armada, Varko, a Human male, made sure to keep Darth Malak informed about the conditions of the fleet and the Star Forge. During their exchange, the Dark Lord pointed out Varko's impatience. When Malak revealed that he was missing a jaw, which was usually hidden by cybernetics, Varko was briefly taken aback. However, he still saluted Malak when their conversation ended. Prior to the Sith Empire's downfall, Varko was experiencing hair loss, and his remaining hair was gray. He had brown [eyes](/article/eye-legends] and a dark complexion.
Varko made an appearance in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, a video game created by BioWare in 2003. While the game does not explicitly state Varko's name, it can be found in the dialogue box after the scene in which he is featured. Although Darth Malak refers to Varko as a commander in the game, the dialogue box identifies him as an admiral. This article recognizes the latter as the accurate designation.