Overwatch Heroes: Race, Nationality, Gender, and Sexual Orientation
Overwatch is a popular multiplayer first-person shooter game that features a diverse and inclusive cast of playable characters, or heroes. Each hero has a unique backstory, personality, and abilities that make them stand out from the rest. In this article, we will explore the race, nationality, gender, and sexual orientation of each of the heroes in Overwatch, as well as some of the LGBTQIA characters in the game’s lore.
Race and Nationality
Overwatch heroes represent six of the seven continents and various ethnicities and cultures. Here is a list of the heroes and their race and nationality:
- Ana — Egyptian
- Ashe — American (Caucasian)
- Baptiste — Haitian
- Bastion — Robot (Swiss origin)
- Brigitte — Swedish
- Cassidy — American (Caucasian)
- D.Va — Korean1
- Doomfist — Nigerian1
- Echo — Robot (Singaporean origin)
- Genji — Japanese
- Hanzo — Japanese
- Junkrat — Australian
- Junker Queen — Australian
- Kiriko — Japanese
- Lifeweaver — Thai (Pansexual)
- Lucio — Brazilian
- Mei — Chinese
- Mercy — Swiss
- Moira — Irish
- Orisa — Robot (Nigerian origin)
- Pharah — Egyptian
- Ramattra — Thai
- Reaper — American (Latino)
- Reinhardt — German
- Roadhog — New Zealand (Maori)
- Sigma — Dutch
- Sojourn — Canadian
- Soldier: 76 — American (Caucasian)
- Sombra — Mexican
- Symmetra — Indian
- Torbjörn — Swedish
- Tracer — British
- Widowmaker — French
- Winston — Gorilla (Moon origin)
- Wrecking Ball — Hamster (Australian origin)
- Zarya — Russian
- Zenyatta — Robot (Nepalese origin)
Gender and Sexual Orientation
Overwatch heroes also have diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, ranging from straight to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and non-binary. Here are the heroes and their gender and sexual orientation:
- Ana — Female (Straight)
- Ashe — Female (Straight)
- Baptiste — Male (Bisexual)
- Bastion — Robot (N/A)
- Brigitte — Female (Straight)
- Cassidy — Male (Straight)
- D.Va — Female (Straight)
- Doomfist — Male (Straight)
- Echo — Robot (Non-binary)
- Genji — Male (Straight)
- Hanzo — Male (Straight)
- Junkrat — Male (Unknown)
- Junker Queen — Female (Straight)
- Kiriko — Female (Straight)
- Lifeweaver — Male (Pansexual)
- Lucio — Male (Unknown)
- Mei — Female (Unknown)
- Mercy — Female (Straight)
- Moira — Female (Unknown)
- Orisa — Robot (N/A)
- Pharah — Female (Lesbian)
- Ramattra — Male (Unknown)
- Reaper — Male (Straight)
- Reinhardt — Male (Straight)
- Roadhog — Male (Unknown)
- Sigma — Male (Straight)
- Sojourn — Female (Unknown)
- Soldier: 76 — Male (Gay)
- Sombra — Female (Bisexual)
- Symmetra — Female (Autistic/Asexual)
- Torbjörn — Male (Straight)
- Tracer — Female (Lesbian)
- Widowmaker — Female (Bisexual)
- Winston — Gorilla (N/A)
- Wrecking Ball — Hamster (N/A)
- Zarya — Female (Unknown)
- Zenyatta — Robot (N/A)
LGBTQIA Characters in Overwatch Lore
Apart from the playable heroes, there are also several LGBTQIA characters in the Overwatch lore, such as:
- Emily: Tracer’s girlfriend who was introduced in a 2016 comic.
- Vincent: Soldier: 76’s ex-boyfriend who was revealed in a 2019 short story.
- Lynx Seventeen: A hacker omnic who has a crush on Zarya in a 2017 comic.
- Mauga: A Talon heavy assault unit who is confirmed to be gay by the lead writer Michael Chu.
Conclusion
Overwatch is a game that celebrates diversity and inclusion in its characters and stories, making it appealing to a wide range of players and fans around the world.