Hanzo

Hanzo is a Damage hero in Overwatch.

Overview
Hanzo’s versatile arrows can reveal his enemies or rapid fire to strike multiple targets. He can scale walls to fire his bow from on high, or summon a titanic spirit dragon.

Strategy
Hanzo is a medium-range sniper with strong team utility and area denial abilities. The relatively silent and hard-to-see nature of his arrows makes him a stealthier sniper than Widowmaker, able to get kills and then retreat before his enemies see him. His downsides include the poor aim of Storm Bow at long range, often requiring him to get dangerously close to his opponents to accurately hit them.

Weapons & Abilities

 * Wall Climb (Passive): Hanzo can climb up any flat, vertical surface by pressing and holding the jump button while next to that surface. Hanzo can release the jump button and press it again to leap off the wall at any point during the climb.
 * Hanzo's main method of moving around the map. Use side routes to appear in the areas your enemies least expect, as it will make it easier for you to get kills.


 * Storm Bow: Hanzo's main weapon. Pressing and holding the primary fire button will cause Hanzo to draw the bow back. Releasing the primary fire button will fire a projectile arrow from the bow. The damage and range of the arrow depends on how long the primary fire button was held down, up to a maximum amount. You can press the secondary fire button at any time to drop the shot without firing an arrow.
 * The arrows from Storm Bow can headshot, greatly increasing the damage they deal. You should try to aim for headshots if your enemy is either stationary or moving in a predictable way. Otherwise, aim for bodyshots.
 * The arrows travel in a slight arc. Be sure to compensate for this at longer distances by aiming slightly above your target.
 * Try to always charge your shots fully before firing. You should only quick nock (press and immediately release the primary fire button) if it will guarantee you a kill. This is typically only done at close range when combined with a quick melee attack.


 * Sonic Arrow: When activated, Hanzo prepares a special Sonic Arrow, which is fired the next time he uses his Storm Bow. After the Sonic Arrow impacts a solid surface, it sends out a series of sonic pulses for a brief period of time, revealing all nearby enemies by silhouetting them in red (akin to Widowmaker's Infra-Sight). Hanzo can cancel Sonic Arrow's deployment by activating the ability again.
 * Sonic Arrow allows Hanzo (and other teammates) to see enemies as they round corners, making it easier for him to prepare shots with his Storm Bow.
 * Sonic Arrow is relatively silent and has a greater arc in comparison to Hanzo's other arrows.


 * Storm Arrows: Upon activation, the Storm Bow will be pulled to the maximum, and will be engulfed in wind. For a few seconds, Hanzo will be able to fire multiple arrows instantly, at full projectile speed, but reduced damage.
 * This greatly, but briefly improves his fire rate and damage per second, making it a great tool for attacking enemies or barriers.
 * The reduced damage means Hanzo can no longer kill certain enemies in one hit with headshots.


 * Lunge: When Hanzo jumps in midair, he will jump horizontally in the direction currently held, much like Tracer's Blink.
 * Useful for either engaging or disengaging from enemies, reach locations that are farther away, and get back to the fight faster.


 * Dragonstrike (Ultimate): Hanzo's Ultimate ability. When activated, Hanzo will, after a short cast time, fire a special arrow that creates a pair of spiraling twin dragons that will fly straight forwards in the direction of his crosshairs. These dragons will pass through all solid surfaces or barriers, dealing damage over time to any enemies that come in contact with them. The closer an enemy is to the center of the twin dragons, the more damage they will take.
 * Dragonstrike is mostly used as an area denial tool, like a more powerful Storm Arrow attack. Use it when your enemies are occupied fighting in a tight space that they have few ways of escaping from.
 * Dragonstrike can be combined with abilities that prevent movement like Reinhardt's Earthshatter or Zarya's Graviton Surge to deal extremely high damage. When used in this way, Dragonstrike can be just as powerful as Ultimates like Pharah's Barrage.
 * An enemy Genji can deflect Dragonstrike if he is close and clever enough. Shooting it against walls will prevent this.

General Strategies

 * While Widowmaker can usually be played from long range, Hanzo often has trouble accurately hitting shots at this distance, unless his enemies are moving through a narrow space. Use Hanzo's mobility to move to the side or behind your opponents to get into a position that you can both stealthily fire on them and can easily escape from if they choose to go after you. Keep in mind that Hanzo is somewhat deadlier than Widowmaker at close range if he is able to land headshots well, so don't be afraid of standing your ground if only a single person comes after you.


 * Hanzo can have a high level of burst damage at close range. A single well-placed arrow from the Storm Bow, combined with a quick melee attack, can instantly kill Tracer.


 * Storm Arrows' rather high damage per second is useful for taking down high health targets quickly.


 * Lunge can be used in a variety of ways, like in chases, disengaging, and general mobility. For example, it can be used to alternate between the three high platforms in the initial stage of Rialto.


 * Dragonstrike, much like McCree's Deadeye, can be used either to score kills or to force enemies away from a certain position. If using it to clear a position, try to fire it in such a way that your enemies will have little choice but to either retreat or move to the side and into the line of fire of your own team. Alternatively, if you have an ally like Reinhardt or Zarya on your team, coordinate your Ultimate with theirs in order to deal devastating damage.

Story
"With every death comes honor. With honor, redemption."

Mastering his skills as a bowman and an assassin, Hanzo Shimada strives to prove himself as a warrior without peer. He is likewise skilled with the sword, but has sworn off using such a weapon. He considers crossbows to be "toys for children," and believes that compassion has no place in battle. He has demonstrated a cynical view on the nature of the world.

Background
The Shimada family was established centuries ago, a clan of assassins whose power grew over the years, enabling them to build a vast criminal empire out of Hanamura that profited from lucrative trade in arms and illegal substances. As the eldest son of Sojiro Shimada, the family's head, Hanzo was bound by duty to succeed his father and rule the Shimada empire. From a young age, he was trained for that responsibility, displaying a natural aptitude for leadership and possessing an innate understanding of strategy and tactics. He also excelled in more practical areas: he was a prodigy in martial arts, swordplay, and bowmanship. He was instructed in the ways of the sword by Asa Yamagami.

Upon the death of his father, the clan elders instructed Hanzo to straighten out his wayward younger brother, Genji, so that he, too, might help rule the Shimada empire. When his brother refused, Hanzo was forced to kill him. Unbeknownst to Hanzo, however, Genji narrowly survived the attempt with the help of Overwatch. This act broke Hanzo's heart and drove him to reject his father's legacy, ultimately leading him to abandon the clan and all that he had worked so hard to attain. Furthermore, he swore to never again wield a sword, and would forevermore rely on his skills with the bow. Seeing his abandonment as betrayal, the clan declared Hanzo an enemy and assassins were sent time and again to kill him.

That was ten years ago. Now, Hanzo travels the world, perfecting his skills as a warrior, attempting to restore his honor and put the ghosts of his past to rest, honing his murderous skills all the while. At some point he visited Numbani, but did not find the city to be to his liking.

Dragons
"Real life is not like the stories our father told us. You are a fool for believing it so! Perhaps I am a fool to think that there is still hope for you, but I do. Think on that, brother."

- Hanzo and Genji part ways

On the tenth anniversary of Genji's death, as he had done every year, Hanzo broke into Shimada Castle and took down the guards before they could alert anyone. In the main room in front of the sword display he lit an incense offering and prayed to honor Genji. He however called out an apparent assassin that he knew to be there, revealed to be a cybernetic ninja. The ninja asked Hanzo about honoring his brother, yet also being his killer.

Hanzo initiated a battle between them, openly admitting that his actions were about duty, but also a burden he carried and that it didn't mean he didn't honor Genji. The ninja countered that to show honor, it should be done through one's actions, not incense offerings. Hanzo tried the Dragonstrike to take down his opponent, only to be shocked when the ninja revealed the Shimada ability to control dragons as well, turning the Dragonstrike right back at him, and took the full brunt of the attack.

Defeated and with the ninja's wakizashi at his neck, Hanzo told him to go ahead and kill him, but the ninja refused, saying he would not grant Hanzo's wish for death and that he still had a purpose in life. To Hanzo's shock, the ninja then called him "brother", revealing himself to be Genji, still alive, and to prove it unlocked his facemask to show his eyes. Hanzo was a bit disturbed at seeing Genji's physical changes, but Genji stated that he was at peace with it and had forgiven Hanzo's actions: now Hanzo needed to forgive himself. Times were changing, stated Genji, and Hanzo would soon have to pick a side. Retrieving a loosed arrow Hanzo aimed it, angrily declaring Genji a fool in believing that real life was like their father's stories. Genji conceded that he might be a fool for believing that there was hope for Hanzo, but nevertheless did, which gave Hanzo pause. Asking him to think about it, Genji vanished with a smoke screen. With much to contemplate, Hanzo returned to the main room to finish his offering.

Trivia

 * Hanzo and Genji were the first playable heroes in Overwatch to be related, followed by Pharah and Ana, and Torbjörn and Brigitte.


 * Hanzo has delicate ankles, leading him to wear greaves.


 * Despite popular belief, Hanzo's Dragonstrike is not magic.


 * The design on Hanzo's pants and scarf is a Japanese pattern called seigaiha, which means "blue sea and waves".


 * Hanzo's name could be a reference to the famous samurai and Japanese historical icon, Hattori Hanzō.


 * Equipping either his Lone Wolf or Okami skins will change his Dragonstrike's appearance to wolves and will change his voice lines to reference wolves instead of dragons.


 * Hanzo's archery theme may have been inspired by Kyūdō, a Japanese martial art of archery.


 * The Hanzo National Church was founded in Brazil by Mateus Mognon. This was done to demonstrate the ease of founding a religion in the country.


 * Both Genji and Hanzo are playable heroes in Heroes of the Storm.

Merchandise

 * The Hanzo vs. Genji LEGO Overwatch, featuring a segment of the dojo where the two fought in Dragons, was revealed by Target in 2018.
 * A "Demon Hanzo" Cute but Deadly figure is available.
 * A Genji vs. Hanzo Nendoroid diorama is on sale.
 * As part of Hasbro's Overwatch Ultimates Series, they released a Hanzo and Genji 6" figure dual pack in August, 2019.

Development
Genji and Hanzo were originally envisioned as a single cyborg ninja hero named Hanzo who wielded both a bow and a sword, used parkour, and had an assassinate ability, using artwork for the Assassin class from the cancelled Project Titan. They were split into two distinct heroes early in development. During development Hanzo was known as "Bow Ninja" and Genji as "Sword Ninja." Both Hanzo and Genji's kits drew heavily from an early version of Sombra that predated both heroes, which resulted in the Sombra concept being temporarily shelved. His kit may have also taken inspiration from that of Huntress, a character created for the original Prometheus pitch. Hanzo's old Scatter Arrow is one of the few abilities that have been removed/replaced in the game.