Blizzard’s first-person shooter is first and foremost about its characters, and bothOverwatchandOverwatch 2have provided players with some incredibly iconic ones. Whether these feel original like Wrecking Ball, the science experiment hamster with a deadly mech, or play into more typical video game tropes like the gunslinger quasi-cowboy Cassidy, theOverwatchgames definitely have a colorful cast of playable protagonists. One of the arguably more interesting characters on the large roster is the cyborg ninja Genji Shimada.
Cyborg ninjas are nothing new, and there are several notable counterparts to Genjiin franchises likeTekken,Mortal Kombat, andBorderlands, to name a few. The technologically advanced warrior is an archetype that reliably shows up in many different IPs, and usually marries together sci-fi elements and more realistic aspects to create an interesting character and skilled fighter. Genji may be a relative newcomer to the list of cyborg ninjas in video games, but he’s definitely an intriguing addition that has some parallels to characters that have come before him.
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Cyborg Ninjas In Video Games
At first, the combination of ‘cyborg’ and ‘ninja’ might seem like a strange one, with the first belonging firmly to the futuristic category and the latter evoking images of feudal Japan and historical covert agents. However, ninjas are a cultural phenomenon that has transcended their origin and has infiltrated pop culture in many different ways, includingin video games likeNinja GaidenandSekiro: Shadows Die Twice. For characters that are highly skilled in stealth and are among the most deadly of fighters, the characterization of ‘ninja’ seems like a good fit. There’s also an inherent level of cool that comes with ninjas due to their mysterious nature and unparalleled skills, which translates well to video game characters.
But it’s when this trope is combined with cyborgs that things really get interesting. Already, ninjas can seem superhuman, but adding cybernetic augmentations into the mix can make these characters both incredibly awesome and incredibly powerful.Cyborg ninjas slot right into sci-fi gamesand can serve as either formidable enemies, useful allies, or skilled protagonists that can all be easily scaled up. If games don’t want to rely on or feature magic, more technological counterparts are required, and this is where cybernetics can give characters powers in place of spells that can be handily combined with a variety of weapons as well.
Overwatch 2’s Genji
Genji is among the most beloved characters inOverwatch’s rosterand is a popular go-to for players looking for mobility, speed, and versatility. His story is also what attracts gamers to him, as it’s filled with family drama, betrayal, and self-discovery. Ninjas are usually mysterious figures, and while Genji isn’t the most talkative or exuberant ofOverwatch’s heroes, gamers do know a thing or two about his heartbreaking past. After a near-deadly run-in with his brother, Genji was rescued by Overwatch and transformed into a cyborg ninja thanks to some extensive upgrades.
These cybernetic enhancements form the basis for Genji’s abilities, with moves like Cyber-Agility granting him the ability to quickly scale walls and double jump away (or towards) danger. Genji is definitely one of the more nimble ofOverwatch’s characters, and although this can have drawbacks when it comes to things like being healed by teammates, it does make his decisive and rapid strikes hard for opponents to deal with. Like most ninjas, Genji is usually most effective when working alone, but his shortcomings like a lower HP can be overcome with the right support.
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How Genji Compares To Similar Characters
Stylistically, cyborg ninjas in various video games can appear fairly similar. They usually favor weapons like shuriken for ranged attacks or wakizashi and katana for melee encounters, and they almost always have sleek outfits that either completely or partially obscure their faces. They can have varying degrees of cybernetic enhancements, with characters likeBorderlands' Zer0 appearing much less human than other cyborg ninjas. Players (and otherBorderlandscharacters) don’t even know if Zer0 is in fact human, but if he is his enhancements are just as extensive as Genji’s. He has a similar reliance on assassin-style combat, but where Genji favors a katana,Zer0 relies mostly on a sniper rifleto deal damage - though he does still wield a sword.
TheMetal Gearfranchise is another video game stalwart that uses cyborg ninjas extensively. The most well-known of which is probably former special forces soldier Raiden. Forced to undergo heavy cybernetic transformations after he was captured,Raiden’s story is almost as tragic as Genji’sand follows a pattern of unhappy origin tales for cyborg ninjas more often than not. Like Genji, Raiden can use a number of different weapons with an emphasis on bladed melee combat, with his cybernetics increasing his speed and agility. Gray Fox, also from theMetal Gearseries, first appeared in the original 1987 game but was reintroduced as a cyborg ninja inMetal Gear Solid. He became popular with fans as an effective villain who showcased the true deadly potential of a cyborg ninja when they turn to the bad side.
Cyborg ninjas are also a staple of the fighting game genre, and while these might not offer quite so many opportunities to show off extensive backstories likeOverwatch 2or theMetal Geargames, they do highlight combat abilities very effectively. Characters likeYoshimitsu fromTekkenandSoul Caliburshow the more benevolent side of cyborg ninjas, but he keeps his face and identity just as hidden as some of his counterparts. His moves encompass sword attacks like Genji and combine elements of Ninjutsu and supernatural abilities to give him an extra dimension.
TekkenrivalMortal Kombatalso boasts its own cyborg ninjas with an ongoing narrative arc that follows the Lin Kuei ninja clan and their plan to slowly turn all of their members into robots like Triborg. While the series has plenty of characters that could loosely be described as ninjas, there are only a few that utilize cybernetics or more technical aspects to enhance their abilities. Most rely on supernatural augmentations like Ermac’s telekinesis, but some have cybernetic forms like Sektorand Cyber Sub-Zero. Genji’s portrayal could be described as much more straightforward and potentially more realistic than his fighting game counterparts, but the cyborg ninja character tropes definitely seem to intersect more than they differ.
Overwatch 2is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
