Reinhardt

Reinhardt is a Tank hero in Overwatch.

Overview
Clad in powered armor and swinging his hammer, Reinhardt leads a rocket-propelled charge across the battleground and defends his squadmates with a massive energy barrier.

Strategy
Reinhardt is the sturdiest of the Tanks, boasting high base Health and a massive barrier that allows him to protect his team from harm. While largely defense-oriented, Reinhardt can be a deadly offensive threat as well thanks to the high damage of his Rocket Hammer and ability to crush enemies against a wall with Charge. The price he pays for all of this is that he is almost solely restricted to fighting at short range, having only a single, infrequent ranged attack.

Weapons & Abilities

 * Rocket Hammer: Reinhardt's primary weapon. Pressing the primary fire button causes Reinhardt to swing the hammer, dealing damage to all enemies in a cone in front of Reinhardt.
 * The damage from this hammer is significant, so don't be afraid to start swinging when close to an enemy. Look for opportunities where you can hit more than one enemy with the Rocket Hammer to maximize its effectiveness.
 * Rocket Hammer can be swung in 360 degrees by rotating Reinhardt mid-attack, striking everyone in a 10 meter diameter rather than a 5 meter cone.
 * Although this is a melee weapon, the range is greater than a normal quick melee attack. Reinhardt does not have a normal quick melee attack like other heroes.
 * Rocket Hammer is strong enough to knock enemies back depending on which direction the hammer is being swung especially when they are airborne. This can be used to cause environmental kills.


 * Barrier Field: The Barrier Field is a powerful, rectangular barrier that Reinhardt carries like a shield, blocking most projectiles and bullets that hit it. It can be activated by pressing and holding down the secondary fire button. The barrier has its own separate Health pool, and Barrier Field is disabled if the barrier's Health drops to 0. Reinhardt will regenerate lost barrier Health after a few seconds of not activating Barrier Field.
 * Use Barrier Field to block incoming attacks from your opponents. This is especially helpful for your team, as you can use Barrier Field to let them move through a contested area without taking damage. Try to always stay at the front to keep your team safe.
 * Try to check if your teammates are behind your cover or not. You can keep an eye all around while holding the barrier.
 * Keep an eye on your barrier Health. If you start to get low, look for a place to take cover so that you can let your barrier Health regenerate.
 * Since Barrier Field only blocks attacks from one direction, be cautious of attacks from above or behind.
 * While dangerous in some situations, you can move faster to where you are needed (or out of danger) with your shield by taking it down for an instant, jumping in any direction and bringing Barrier Field up while you're in the air - Reinhardt's movement is not slowed by Barrier Field if it is activated during the jump.


 * Charge: When activated, Reinhardt will use rocket boosters to propel himself forwards. He gains significant speed, but loses most of his ability to turn. Reinhardt will stop his charge after a period of time or when he collides with a solid surface, whichever comes first. The first enemy Reinhardt collides with during his charge will become "pinned" to Reinhardt, and will be dealt heavy damage if Reinhardt then impacts a solid surface. All other enemies will be knocked away from him. Stuns, such as those from Roadhog or McCree, will immediately end Charge.
 * While it may be tempting to use Charge to leap into battle, Reinhardt cannot turn well while charging, making it easy for enemies to avoid it. It's best to use Charge at short or medium range, where enemies have less time to respond.
 * Charge has a relatively short cooldown and can be used to get closer to the fight after spawning.
 * Crushing a pinned target against a wall will deal massive damage, enough to kill almost any non-Tank instantly.
 * Watch your aim! On certain maps, it's very easy to Charge straight into an open pit, as Reinhardt has no way to stop his Charge early short of hitting a wall. Charge also automatically destroys fences without stopping.
 * When you catch someone in a charge and take them off the map, you die before they do. D.Va (and presumably other flying heroes), will be able to fly away to avoid dying.


 * Fire Strike: When activated, Reinhardt will hurl a flaming projectile forwards that deals decent damage to any enemy it hits. This projectile passes through enemies and barriers, meaning that a single projectile can hit multiple opponents. It stops upon impacting a solid surface.
 * Fire Strike is Reinhardt's only ranged attack. It's useful for hurling down choke points to deter enemies from coming through, as well as for hitting distant, stationary targets like Bastion.
 * While it's easy to think of this as only being a ranged ability, Fire Strike deals a lot of damage no matter the range it's used at. Don't forget to use it in melee engagements as well.
 * Reinhardt can use Fire Strike to "animation cancel" his Rocket Hammer swing. As soon as the Hammer impacts an enemy, use Fire Strike to deal fast burst damage to a target. This is useful against evasive targets like Tracer, where you may only have a limited opportunity to hit them. This also assists in quickly finishing tanks after charging them, such as Winston.


 * Earthshatter (Ultimate): Reinhardt's Ultimate ability. When activated, Reinhardt slams his hammer into the ground, creating a cone of force that damages and stuns enemies who are hit by it. This ability respects line of sight, so anyone Reinhardt can't see is not affected by it.
 * A simple but devastatingly powerful Ultimate when used correctly. An enemy who is stunned cannot perform any action, leaving them helpless and easy to kill.
 * Look to hit as many targets as you can with Earthshatter, as it can easily turn a fight in favor of your allies. Stunned enemies are an easy target for your area-of-effect attacks, and may also set them up for a potent Charge for future displacement.
 * Try to use Earthshatter in an area without much cover, as enemies can duck out of sight of you and completely avoid Earthshatter otherwise.
 * Earthshatter has a small amount of vertical height. Jumping enemies can still be hit by it.
 * If Reinhardt is knocked into the air when activating Earthshatter, he will not use it until after he lands.
 * Be careful when using Earthshatter on tanks, as it will not pass through barriers like that of Zarya, Winston or even other Reinhardts.

General Strategies

 * Reinhardt is incredibly hardy, able to absorb the most damage out of any of the Tanks, but suffers from being mostly restricted to melee attacks. As a result, Reinhardt works best as a team player. Stay at the front of your team and use your Barrier Field to absorb incoming attacks as you approach your opponents, allowing your team to move safely through an area and fire back without taking damage. Try to move between points of cover using Barrier Field instead of walking straight towards your enemies. Reinhardt may be tough, but he's not invincible.


 * One of Reinhardt's strengths is that he protects high damage-output teammates. If your team is composed mostly of flankers, Reinhardt might be less effective, as flankers generally do not wish to stand behind Reinhardt's shield.


 * Using Charge properly can be a challenge. In general, look for targets that are near corners or walls who are distracted by your team. Tanks like Winston and Roadhog are prime targets, as they are easier to hit with Charge due to their larger hitboxes. Charge will only pin enemies who are more-or-less directly in front of Reinhardt, so don't be surprised if you simply sail on by a jumping enemy. Remember, the closer you are to your enemy when you charge, the less time they have to get out of the way.


 * Try to avoid charging in a direction that will lead you deep into enemy territory, as that will leave you alone and flanked.


 * Reinhardt's shield is a powerful defense, but remember that any enemy can simply walk right through it. When shielding, try to always keep a few meters between you and enemies.


 * Reinhardt's defense depends on all enemies being in roughly one direction. Always keep your eyes open for flankers.


 * Reinhardt's shield is very effective against certain ultimates such as Graviton Surge, Deadeye, or Self Destruct, while being highly ineffective against others such as Mei's Blizzard, Genji's Dragonblade or Junkrat's Rip Tire. His shield can protect your team from much of the damage from Barrage, but he will most likely die in the process.


 * Earthshatter is most effective when used as a combo. A common Earthshatter combo is to use Earthshatter followed up by a Fire Strike, with Rocket Hammer attacks or a Charge to finish off anyone who survives. Remember that Fire Strike can hit multiple enemies when used; aim it so that it hits as many stunned enemies as possible.  Make sure that all of your cooldowns are done when using Earthshatter.


 * Reinhardt works well when paired with Bastion or marginally Torbjörn, as he can protect their stationary defenses with his shield.
 * Reinhardt works extremely well in any kind of situation, as he can defensively protect his team's assets with Barrier Field and aggressively cause havoc among his enemies using Charge.

Story
"Justice Will Be Done."

Reinhardt Wilhelm styles himself as a champion of a bygone age, who lives by the knightly codes of valor, justice, and courage. Possessing an "active imagination," he enjoys eating currywurst, is talkative, and is a fan of David Hasselhoff's music. He spars with Brigitte every day, after which they go to a pub or tavern to relax.

Honor and Glory
"Reinhardt. Live with honor... Die with glory... old friend..."

- Reinhardt and Balderich's final exchange

A highly decorated soldier, Reinhardt joined the German Armed Forces at a young age, seeking glory. He later became a lieutenant in the Crusaders. During the Omnic Crisis, he was stationed at Eichenwalde alongside his mentor Balderich von Adler, leader of the Crusaders. Balderich was chosen to join the strike force that would become Overwatch, and was given a medal in the shape of the organization's logo with its name etched on the back, indicative of his selection. The night before he was set to leave and join his new team he and Reinhardt spent time together at Braueret Mittagskrug where Reinhardt balked at the idea of vanishing into a secret organization instead of staying in Eichenwalde, serving as a Crusader, and the glory that came with it. Before master and pupil could further debate the issue any further, Eichenwalde came under direct attack by omnic forces, and the two shook hands reciting the Crusader's oath before entering the fray.

Young and reckless, Reinhardt disobeyed orders to stay with his unit in favor of charging headlong into battle on his own determined to destroy as many omnics as he could in the name of glory. Though he destroyed every Bastion unit unfortunate enough to cross paths with him Balderich caught up to him and angrily ordered him back to his unit which was, unknown to the two, under extremely heavy fire. Insistent that they were not only fine but simply slowing him down Reinhardt continued to carve a path through the omnic forces until a then-unknown OR14 unit dropped onto the field. Thrilled with the idea of a new foe Reinhardt rocketed towards the new adversary only for his opponent to stop his charge and slash Reinhardt's left eye with its heat blade. Ordering their forces to fall back, Balderich was forced to intervene to save his defenseless student. Though he succeeded, Balderich's shield emitter was destroyed and he was mortally wounded by the OR14's heat blade. With the German forces in full retreat the pair fell back to the great hall of Eichenwalde castle.

Barricading the door, Balderich ordered Reinhardt back to the rally point with the rest of the Crusaders. Cheerfully insistent on fighting his way back with Balderich it wasn't until his master removed his helmet and insisted that he was staying did Reinhardt notice the gravity of Balderich's wound. Distraught, Reinhardt tried to reason with Balderich only for him to remind Reinhardt of his Crusader's oath and demanded that he keep it as he extended his hand. Unable to simply leave Balderich to die Reinhardt still refused. Instead of ordering him away, Balderich gently reminded him that the team needed him to be their shield, which at last caused Reinhardt to relent and he took his master's hand one final time. When their grip broke Reinhardt found Balderich's Overwatch acceptance medal in his hand. Exchanging the Crusader's oath one final time Reinhardt left Balderich his hammer and left him to his fate.

Reinhardt successfully rejoined his unit, shielding them with his body when his barrier gave out. The German forces ultimately pushed the omnics back enough to give the rest of the armed forces time to counterattack, but Eichenwalde and Balderich were lost and with the exception of Reinhardt himself no other crusaders escaped the battle alive. Balderich's death changed Reinhardt and his mentor's sacrifice would weigh on him for decades after the fact, but until then Overwatch awaited.

Overwatch
"The team needs you. Be their shield."

- Balderich to Reinhardt

Reinhardt was inducted as part of the original Overwatch strike team that put an end to the Omnic Crisis. After the conflict's resolution, Overwatch grew into a global institution, keeping the peace in a war-torn world. Reinhardt proved himself to be one of its most stalwart champions. In personal matters, he would trim back his long hair and grew a beard instead of just a goatee.

Reinhardt's unique ethics and larger-than-life persona earned the admiration of his peers and superiors alike. Never afraid to speak his mind, he was Overwatch's most vocal supporter and, when necessary, its harshest critic, providing a constant reminder that Overwatch was meant to be a force for good. He got on well with Torbjörn (who maintained his armor).

At some point he was stationed at Watchpoint: Gibraltar, where he got a tan. While in Overwatch, he took part in an operation in Prague that he bungled, apparently because Morrison thought Reinhardt could be stealthy.

Operation White Dome
"You may have heard that Reinhardt is responsible for saving my life. I've heard the story at least four different times myself, already, each time more unbelievable than the last. Exaggerations, as you know how he can be. All the same, they've decided to award him a commendation for "conspicuous bravery." Could two words better describe the big oaf?"

- Torbjörn writing to his wife

During or after the Omnic Crisis, Reinhardt took part in Operation White Dome, as part of a mission to root out omnic forces near Istanbul. As soon as he and his team were deployed, they came under fire by the entrenched omnic forces. While the battle saw all the omnics subdued, Reinhardt was lightly injured. Torbjörn was seriously injured, losing his arm, but Reinhardt was able to save his life in the battle. In the after-action report, Ana recommended that Reinhardt receive a commendation for his actions. He did indeed receive a reward for his "conspicuous bravery."

As Torbjörn recovered in hospital, Reinhardt spent a great deal of his time at Torbjörn's bedside. Half in jest, Torbjörn stated that if Reinhardt shut up, he would be allowed to name his newest daughter (who was due to be born very soon, and which the German had been asking about for several months). In correspondence to his wife Ingrid about what had happened to him, he admitted that he had already been considering making Reinhardt the baby's godfather anyway. Reinhardt agreed, and when Torbjörn's daughter was born he named her Brigitte, which her mother apparently agreed with. Reinhardt was close with Brigitte as she grew up, telling her tales of valor and chivalry.

Uprising
"Welcome to the team, rookie."

- Reinhardt to Oxton

Seven years before the present day, Reinhardt was part of an unsanctioned mission authorized by Strike Commander Jack Morrison to end King's Row Uprising. While preparing to board an aircraft, Reinhardt welcomed the team's newest member, Lena Oxton, to the team.

The team fought their way through the streets, even as hordes of Null Sector omnics tried to bar their way. The events that transpired were classified within Overwatch's archives.

Morrison's Birthday
At some point after the Uprising, Reinhardt was among those present at Morrison's birthday celebration.

Retirement
"Papa told me, after so many years of service. You gave Overwatch everything, and then they pushed you out."

- Brigitte Lindholm

Having served into his late fifties, Reinhardt was faced with mandatory retirement from combat operations. Torbjörn, only four years younger than him, was particularly incensed that the organization simply "pushed Reinhardt out" after giving everything of himself in years of service. The Swede would not forget the incident, and related the unfairness of it all to at least Brigitte. According to Sombra however, who would later access Reinhardt's Overwatch file, Reinhardt being pushed out due to his age may not have been the entire truth about his retirement.

Despondent about being removed from active duty, Reinhardt feared that his days of purpose and glory had ended. As times grew darker and Overwatch came under suspicion of corruption and sedition, Reinhardt could only watch as the cause he had dedicated his life to defending surrendered in disgrace.

One year prior to its disbandment, Overwatch's Swiss headquarters was destroyed, apparently killing Jack Morrison in the blast. Reinhardt spoke fondly of his former commander at his memorial service.

Taking up Arms
Though Overwatch was eventually disbanded, Reinhardt was not content to sit idly by while the world fell to disorder. Once again donning his Crusader armor, he vowed to fight for justice across Europe like a knight of old, defending the innocent and winning hearts and minds with the promise of better days to come. In this he was now accompanied by an adult Brigitte, who helped maintain his armor just as her father did, acting as his squire. The pair would get into numerous scraps. More and more, Brigitte was forced to tend to Reinhardt in addition to his armor, as while his body was breaking down from years of combat, his enthusiasm wasn't.

At some point he was present in King's Row, where he protected omnics and their sympathizers from rioters.

Dragon Slayer
"This armor can still serve its purpose. One day it may fall apart, but until then, we will fight. Overwatch may be gone, buts its legacy endures through us. We have sworn to carry on its ideals and restore hope to this troubled world...To seek out tyranny and evil wherever they take root...And bring the hammer of justice down upon the wicked."

- Reinhardt

While traveling with Brigitte, Reinhardt and his companion found themselves low on fuel and money. They stopped off in a town to get some of the former, but found it practically abandoned. They discovered that the area was being menaced by the Dragons, a group of scavengers who were seizing territory, unopposed by the local authorities. They encountered some of the Dragons themselves, and Reinhardt stepped in, demanding they leave. They refused, and proceeded to beat him into the ground. Laughing at his now inability to fight back, they headed off, warning Reinhardt that he should do likewise. Not following that advice, Reinhardt and Brigitte got his armor back into fighting shape. With Brigitte having located the Dragons' base of operations in a nearby factory, Reinhardt headed off to confront them. Willingly or otherwise, Reinhardt saw the Dragons as actual dragons of myth, and fought them as the proverbial knight. In this he succeeded, and demanded that they leave these lands and never return.

The next day Reinhardt was back in the town, telling the mayor that the Dragons would bother his people no longer. Their job done, he and Brigitte headed off to get some fuel. And currywurst.

Recall
When Winston initiated the Overwatch recall from Watchpoint: Gibraltar, Reinhardt's location was shown to be in southwestern Greenland.

Reflections
At Christmas that same year, Reinhardt and Brigitte spent Christmas at her parents' home.

Answering the Call
"I have been called. I must answer. Always."

- Reinhardt

Following Winston's initiation of the Overwatch recall, Reinhardt had apparently agreed with Brigitte that he did not have to respond. However, when they eventually returned to Braueret Mittagskrug in Eichenwalde, where he had first learned of Overwatch years ago, Reinhardt indicated that he was reconsidering his decision. Brigitte, remembering the story of his forced retirement by Overwatch, was apprehensive at the idea. Staring at Balderich's worn acceptance medal, Reinhardt reflected on the events of his master's death. Visiting Balderich's remains, Reinhardt placed the medal on the arm of the throne, returning it to the man who made him what he was. Echoing his master's words to him, he quietly declared to Brigitte that he had been called and that he would always answer.

Zero Hour
Donning his armor once more, Reinhardt and Brigitte travelled to Paris, where they aided the newly-refounded Overwatch in repelling Null Sector's forces after the opposition began pushing them toward an early retreat. Demonstrating a new shield inter-locking system alongside his companion, both held off the terrorist organization's Titan while Mei and Winston devised a strategy; ultimately granting them enough time for Tracer to deal the final blow from the inside. After the omnic fell, Reinhardt joyously rejoined Overwatch alongside Genji, Echo, Mercy, and Brigitte; the old crusader happily greeting his comrades and welcoming newcomer Mei into the team.

Aftermath
"You're with me. We're getting aboard that ship."

- Reinhardt to Tracer and Mei

Following the battle in Paris the team traveled to Watchpoint Gibraltar, where Brigitte took advantage of Winston's technical expertise to enhance Reinhardt's armor, upgrading it to version 09.

As it turned out, Paris was just the beginning of Null Sector's attacks. One of them was Rio de Janeiro. Alongside Tracer, Mei, and Lúcio, Reinhardt fought his way through the city streets to the omnics' command ship.

Trivia

 * Chris Metzen has described Reinhardt as "kinda a Don Quixote".


 * An inflatable Reinhardt hammer was available in the "goodie bag" of BlizzCon 2016.


 * Darin De Paul performs Reinhardt as an exaggerated version of his father's voice.


 * Reinhardt is one of only two heroes to not have a "Quick Melee" attack, as his basic attacks are melee attacks. The other being Brigitte.


 * A Reinhardt-themed hoodie is available from JINX.


 * Reinhardt is currently the second oldest character in the hero line-up, with the oldest being Sigma, who is one year older.


 * During the game's late alpha (and possibly before), Barrier Field was called Shield.


 * Reinhardt appears as a skin for Johanna in Heroes of the Storm.

Development
Reinhardt's design stems from the playable Juggernaut class in the cancelled Project Titan. During the initial pitch for the project that would become Overwatch, the Juggernaut was envisioned as wielding a flamethrower and a flail, and used the Charge ability; a flamethrower was also considered for Roadhog's primary weapon early in the development for Overwatch. Early ideation for Reinhardt's design in Overwatch involved several different versions of humanoid robots, eventually progressing into a robotic hero from Numbani named Wildebeest, outfitted with red body armor incorporating tribal motifs and wielding a shield and a mace or flail. An early version of Wildebeest appeared in several early promotional illustrations depicting potential hero lineups for the game, and was also seen as one of the former Overwatch agents contacted by Winston in the Recall animated short. Elements of this hero concept would later serve as a basis for Orisa, while the flail and shield combination would eventually be incorporated into the hero design for Brigitte. One of Wildebeest's unused designs shares its color scheme with the OR15 defense robots, while another strongly resembles Doomfist's Spirit skin.

Arnold Tsang revealed that Reinhardt's new design for Overwatch 2 marks the ninth iteration of his armor, progressing from the eighth in the original game. This continues a legacy that dates back to Arnold's concept art for the Juggernaut class in Project Titan, which went through seven iterations before the game was cancelled. Reinhardt's new design incorporates some elements from those scrapped Juggernaut concepts, and features a more technologically advanced appearance to show that Winston helped upgrade it after Reinhardt rejoined the team.