* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Overwatch
オーバーウォッチ
A 2016 team-based hero shooter developed by Blizzard Entertainment. Genji Shimada, a cyborg from a Japanese ninja clan, wields a katana as his primary weapon and commands the ultimate ability Dragonblade, making him one of the game's most popular heroes.
Description
Overview
Overwatch is a six-versus-six team-based hero shooter developed by Blizzard Entertainment. It was released on May 24, 2016 for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch version was made available in October 2019. Players choose one hero character from a diverse roster, each with unique abilities, and work together as a team to achieve the objectives of each map.
Genji Shimada, the Katana-Wielding Cyborg Ninja
The hero Genji Shimada is the heir of the Japanese ninja family known as the Shimada clan. After being left critically wounded and near death following a violent conflict with his brother, Hanzo, he was revived as a cyborg by Mercy, a doctor belonging to Overwatch. In combat, in addition to using shuriken to keep enemies at bay, he uses a katana as his primary weapon.
Dragonblade and Swordplay
He has Deflect (Konohagaeshi), an ability that knocks back incoming projectiles with his blade, and Swift Strike (Kazekiri), which lets him dash through enemies while holding his katana ready. His ultimate ability, Dragonblade (Ryūgekiken), lets him unleash powerful katana slashes for a limited time. With a setting that combines the futuristic concept of a cyborg ninja and the playstyle of a Japanese swordsman who fights with a katana as his main weapon, he is one of the most representative and popular heroes in the series.
Real Swords Featured
Uchigatana
The standard form of Japanese sword worn edge-up in the belt by samurai from the Muromachi period onward. The sword Genji wears at his waist is also built around this straight, functional uchigatana silhouette, which is used in a character design that combines the images of both ninja and samurai.
Battōjutsu / Iaijutsu
A swordsmanship technique in which a blade is instantly drawn from its scabbard and the cut is completed within the same motion. It was widely systematized during the Edo period as a basic discipline for samurai. Deflect (Konohagaeshi), which instantly repels an enemy's ranged attack, and Swift Strike (Kazekiri), which closes the distance in one rush with the katana held ready, both evoke the quick distance-closing of these drawing and iaido arts.
Dragon Horimono (Engraved Dragon Motifs)
Japanese swords have a long tradition of horimono (carvings), in which dragon motifs such as the Kurikara dragon are engraved into the blade. These are often linked to devotion to Fudō Myōō and give the sword a strong symbolic meaning. The name of the ultimate ability, Dragonblade (Ryūgekiken), evokes the traditional Japanese sword-making design culture that joins the sword and the dragon.
This page is intended to introduce Japanese sword culture and is not affiliated with any of the works mentioned.