Genji (Overwatch)

Genji
Overwatch character
File:Genji (Overwatch).png Promotional image of Overwatch featuring Genji
First game	Overwatch (2016)
Voiced by	Gaku Space
In-universe information
Full name	Genji Shimada
Class	Damage
Weapon	Shuriken, katana
Family	Hanzo (brother)

Genji Shimada (シマダ・ゲンジ, Shimada Genji) appears as a playable character in the first-person shooter video game Overwatch, developed in 2016 by Blizzard Entertainment. Genji also appears in Overwatch-related media, including animated shorts, as well as a playable character in Blizzard's crossover multiplayer online battle arena game Heroes of the Storm.

As the brother to the playable character Hanzo, Genji was the youngest son of the Shimada ninja clan's master. In Genji's backstory, the brothers lived a life of luxury, but Genji's arrogance drove Hanzo to rage. Hanzo was ordered by the clan's elders to kill Genji, and he was believed to have succeeded. However, Genji clung to life, and Mercy, a doctor from the Overwatch organization, rebuilt his body. Within the Overwatch game, Genji was classified as an offense character with a hard difficulty rating. He is an advanced cyborg ninja, who uses his shuriken to attack, as well as his katana to deflect incoming projectiles, to swiftly strike through enemies, and to summon his Dragonblade ultimate.

Development and design

Originally, Genji and his brother Hanzo were designed as one character called Hanzo. However, Blizzard Entertainment thought this arrow-firing, shuriken-tossing, and katana-wielding character was too complex, therefore splitting it into the two characters we see today. Hanzo kept the name of the original character, as well as the general aesthetic of that character. In beta testing, Genji was described as being quicker than most characters in the game, with unique evasive abilities including double jumping and wall climbing.

The story and relationship between the two brothers were unconventionally inspired by a cooking show titled Jiro Dreams of Sushi, in which the older brother had to inherit the restaurant and carry on his father's legacy, while the younger brother had more free will. In the English version of the game, Genji is voiced by Gaku Space.

Ever since Genji's introduction to the Overwatch game, he has had the same abilities and has nearly remained the same except for a few minor reworks. An example of a minor rework was an adjustment to his deflection ability, which only reduced the hitbox size.

Gameplay

Genji is classified as a damage character in Overwatch, wielding his technologically-advanced katana and his swift shuriken to take down enemies. He has 30 shurikens that he can wield before needing to reload. He can throw three of them in quick succession, or throw three at once in a wider spread. Moreover, with his Deflect ability, he can whip out his katana to deflect any and all incoming projectiles (including ultimate abilities), and send them back toward the opponent he's facing. His second ability Swift Strike causes Genji to dart forward, slashing his katana through all opponents standing in his way. If Genji manages to kill an enemy with this ability, he can immediately use it once more without waiting for its cooldown. Genji's ultimate ability is Dragonblade, where Genji is free to deliver deathly blows to any targets within reach for a limited amount of time. Much like his brother, Genji has a passive ability called Wall Climb, which allows Genji to scale walls.

Appearances

Overwatch

According to the Overwatch game's fictional biography, Genji Shimada is 35. He heirs from the Shimada family – a clan of assassins. As the youngest brother, Genji was arrogant and had very little interest in the illegal business of his family. Many members of the clan considered Genji dangerous and unfit for the clan, yet his father protected him and coddled him. Once his father died, Hanzo – Genji's brother – wanted Genji to change his playboy ways. Genji refused, enraging Hanzo. This tension transformed into a quarrel that left Hanzo thinking that he had killed his brother. Genji clung to life and was rescued by Overwatch, as long as Genji vowed to help the Overwatch organization in putting down the Shimada clan. Dr. Angela Ziegler – playable as Mercy – crafted Genji into a living weapon. From then on, Genji's only mission was to dismantle the Shimada empire.

Heroes of the Storm

Genji was included in Heroes of the Storm in April 2017. Heroes of the Storm is a Blizzard crossover multiplayer online battle arena game. Genji's abilities within this game are nearly identical to his abilities within Overwatch – they involve Cyber Agility, Shuriken, Deflect, Swift Strike, and Dragonblade. The only major difference is the additional "X-Strike" ability (which was another planned Ultimate ability for him in Overwatch), in which Genji unleashes two slashes in a cross pattern. These slashes detonate after a short period of time, causing additional damage.

Animations

Genji made his first appearance in May 2016, within an animated short titled Dragons. He later appeared in Hanamura Showdown, a non-canon cinematic trailer for Heroes of the Storm 2.0. Genji also appeared in the animated short Zero Hour, which functioned as announcement cinematic for Overwatch 2.