Home Gaming Here’s a closer look at the third Overwatch animated short – “Dragons”

Here’s a closer look at the third Overwatch animated short – “Dragons”

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Dragons Overwatch

The third Overwatch animated short is out! It’s called “Dragons”, and it takes a closer look at the relationship between the Shimada brothers, Hanzo and Genji.

Before this short, many seemed to think that Hanzo was good, and Genji, bad. Allow me to clear that up quickly with this quick blurb from both their bios, which sets the scene for this animated short perfectly…

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 that profited from lucrative trade in arms and illegal substances. As the eldest son of the family’s head, Hanzo was bound by duty to succeed his father and rule the Shimada empire.

Upon the death of his father, the clan elders instructed Hanzo to straighten out his wayward younger brother so that he, too, might help rule the Shimada empire. When his brother refused, Hanzo was forced to kill him. 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.

Hanzo believed that he had killed his brother, but Genji was rescued by Overwatch and the intervention of Dr. Angela Ziegler. The global security force saw Genji as a potential asset in its ongoing operations to combat the Shimada clan. As Genji’s injuries left him clinging to life, Overwatch offered to rebuild his body in exchange for his help. He was put through an extensive process of cyberization, which enhanced his natural speed and agility and augmented his superlative ninja skills. Transformed into a living weapon, Genji single-mindedly set about the task of dismantling his family’s criminal empire.

If you didn’t know all that already, I’d imagine “Dragons” (HA see what I did there?) will make a lot more sense now. Here it is again, in case you’ve not yet watched it.

How cool? I think that may just be my favourite animated short of the lot!

Anyways, let’s break it down. What cool little details and such did Blizzard hide within? I’ve watched the clip over 9000 times or so now, and I’ve spotted the following…

Mount

Here we have Mount Fuji, and a very familiar shrine. This short is undoubtedly set in Hanamaru, which also happens to be playable map in Overwatch. Coincidence? I THINK NOT!

Murloc

Here we have the Murloc mascot from said map. It’s nice little reference to Warcraft, and also a good indication as to where we are specifically location wise. This is just outside the starting area for the attackers.

Kicks

Damn Hanzo, those are some nice kicks! I bet they’d be quite useful when it comes to, oh I don’t know, climbing a wall or something.

Climbing

Speak of the devil, Hanzo does just that. He climbs up that gate in no time at all – just like he would in-game.

YAWN

As you know, Hanzo is breaking into his family home. Why though, and why are there so many guards there? Why is this one so sleepy? And what’s with the hair? SO MANY QUESTIONS!

ZAP

Hanzo actually doesn’t have an electric arrows in his arsenal. I’d like to think that this is an interpretation of what happens when one is hit in the heart with a sonic arrow – one of his supposedly non-lethal abilities. That, or he just fired off a regular projectile into the heart of this innocent Omnic.

Speaking of which, that robot there is quite an interesting inclusion. In the world of Overwatch, are Japan ok with the Omnic being around? Or does the fact that this one is a mobster say something else, like they’re only used for evil purposes?

Phone

I guess phones are still a thing in the future. What brand is that, Apple or Samsung? It’s kind of hard to tell, because they all look the same at the end of the day really.

STILL ALIVE

Whatever it is, at least screen technology has improved vastly. Hanzo puts an arrow right through that poor phone, and it’s still on somehow!

Rings a bell

Who is this guy? I can’t quite put my finger on it, but his face rings a bell…

Ok look I’m sorry, I know that was a bad joke! The reason I included this picture is because, again, it gives an indication of where we are location wise. This is the first capture point of Hanamaru

the moon

I didn’t pay too much attention to the moon in this short when I first saw it. Reddit user vitev009 however, reminded me that it is colonised. Remember Winston’s short, “Recall”? It showed him up there as a baby!

Capture point 2

At least, the staging ground of the upcoming battle! This room also happens to the final capture point of Hanamaru.

Swords

Oooh Shimada blades! One is missing, which I presume, is in Genji’s possession (unless he is using something else entirely). Another remains, which I presume is Hanzo’s. Maybe he refuses to wield it until he has restored his honour? There’s damage on the blade too. I wonder if it is a result of his initial battle with Genji all those years ago?

Slash

I bet this is collateral damage from that encounter too.

Feather

I don’t know what to make of this, but I know it must have some significant explanation. What’s with the feather/quill? Genji drops one later too.

Nothing to add

Why exactly Hanzo is here is a mystery at this point. We later find out though, that he is here to honour his “dead” brother…

Genji

… who just so happens to be hiding in the shadows. Why hello there, Genji! Oh, keep in mind that at this point, Hanzo still thinks his brother is dead. He believes this mech ninja is here to assassinate him.

arc

Holy crap, Hanzo can fire off arrows that arc! I’m so glad he can’t do that in-game.

Genji attack

What’s a cyborg ninja without a shuriken or three? Here, Genji makes use of standard attack.

Pissed

Hanzo prepares to unleash a scatter arrow – one of his signature moves. This retaliation is understandable really, I’m not a fan of having shurikens thrown at my face either!

Deflect

This forces Genji to push “E” to activate his deflect ability…

Dash

And then he dashes off with another of his signature moves, swift strike.

SPEED

Nothing significant here, I don’t think. I just really like this shot.

Hanzo Ulti

Uh-oh, Hanzo has his ultimate all lined up. Ryuu ga waga teki wo kurau! (thanks for the spelling and explanation, xDha).

GG

Poor Genji. I knew him well!

Genji Ulti

Of course he wouldn’t die. Genji has his own cute little dragon that he can command obviously! In-game, it allows him to insta-kill enemies with a single blow. Here though, it allows him to redirect Hanzo’s – he is not deflecting it.

GOODBYE HANZO

Take note of how Genji’s dragon steers away from hurting Hanzo. He is hurt by his own instead.

Genji face

Oh hey, we actually get to see Genji’s face. It looks very withered, scarred and burnt. Is that the result of some serious burns perhaps? I wonder if Hanzo believed he died in a fire or something?

Pick a side

Genji says, ‘the world is changing once again Hanzo, and it’s time to pick a side.” This leads me to believe that this short takes place sometime after Winston’s and Widowmaker’s. How long after though, I’m not entirely sure.

Feather thing

Genji does his ninja thing, and disappears in a cloud of smoke. He leaves a feather however, which I’m still not too sure about. What exactly does it mean?

Genji Sparrow

UPDATE: several people (Uttrik on Reddit, and Theo in the comments below) have now pointed out that the feather could have some tie to Genji’s alternate skin that goes by the name ‘Sparrow‘. Perhaps that was a nickname for him in his younger days?

Wall

The short ends with the camera panning up, to a painting that illustrates the very dragon tale we’ve been listening to. Speaking of which…

The Dragon Tale

I wanted to throw in these screenshots and bits into my post above, but I feel they work better when presented together. Here’s the Dragon Tale in its entirety…

Dragons

My family tells of an ancient legend about two great dragon brothers; the dragon of the north wind, and the dragon of the south wind. Together, they upheld balance and harmony in the heavens.

DEATH

But the two brothers argued over who could better rule their land. Their quarrel turned to rage and their violent struggle darkened the skies, until the dragon of the south wind struck down his brother, who fell to earth, shattering the land.

FIRE

The dragon of the south wind had triumphed, but as time passed and he realised his solitude, the sweetness of victory turned to ash.

Bitter

For years, the bereft dragon’s grief threw the world into discord, and he knew only bitterness and sorrow.

I just want to pause here to point out quickly that this here is where we can directly tie the story of the dragons to Hanzo and Genji’s. Here we can see Hanzo’s bitterness and sorrow first-hand. Anyways, as you were!

Old man

One day, a stranger called up to the dragon and asked, ‘old dragon lord, why are you so distraught?’

The dragon told him, ‘seeking power, I killed my brother, but without him, I am lost.’

The stranger replied, ‘you have inflicted wounds upon yourself, but now, you must heal. Walk the earth on two feet as I do. Find value in humility. Then, you will find peace.

Brothers

The dragon knelt upon the ground. For the first time, he was able to clearly see the world around him, and he became human. The stranger revealed himself as his fallen brother. Reunited, the two set out to rebuild what they had once destroyed.

From beginning to end, the dragon tale encompasses exactly what has happened between Hanzo and Genji. This includes their past, and even what happens in this cinematic.

The ending however, is not applicable to the two, at least not yet. I’m pretty sure that Hanzo will see the light though, and join Genji, and by extension, Overwatch, as a good guy later on in the story.

I’m sure we will find out more answers at some stage. Otherwise, if you have spotted anything I may have missed, please be sure to let me know!

Last Updated: May 17, 2016

19 Comments

  1. LOOOOL, nice one Matty!

    HYYYYYYYYYYYPE!!!!!!

    Reply

  2. Admiral Chief Protector

    May 17, 2016 at 15:03

    But is Hanzo immortal?

    SO MANY QUESTIONS!!!!

    Reply

  3. Ottokie

    May 17, 2016 at 15:06

    Will check this out at home in glorious 1080p

    Reply

  4. Alien Emperor Trevor

    May 17, 2016 at 15:07

    I’m really disappointed now. Being from the north I’d love a cool animated gaming short, but this is about a lame short movie – not actual shorts.

    Reply

    • Corvid

      May 25, 2016 at 11:44

      How does being from the North relate to loving shorts – I’m just curious? Do you not get any where you live or something? Does everyone where you live make no sense either, because this is a gaming short (a short movie from a game) and it is immense. What were you hoping for?

      Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        May 25, 2016 at 12:51

        Well I was hoping someone would understand, but it’s been 8 days now.

        Reply

  5. Theo

    May 17, 2016 at 15:19

    I would imagine it’s a sparrow feather, as Genji’s younger skin is called Sparrow, in-game. He was probably strongly affiliated with the sparrow theme in his younger days.

    Reply

    • Theo

      May 17, 2016 at 15:20

      Also, his mask is mildly beak-like.

      Reply

    • hairyknees

      May 17, 2016 at 15:28

      I read that too 🙂 wonder how it ties in though in terms of story.

      Reply

  6. DragonSpirit009

    May 17, 2016 at 16:12

    I really love the way they explained The Dragon Tale. It’s like art on art!

    Reply

  7. Ravenorth

    May 18, 2016 at 17:41

    Feathers used on the animation were eagle feathers, they symbolize many things especially for warriors and one of those things is honor, which might be the reason why Hanzo brought one to the Shimada Castle as he went there to honor his brother’s memory.

    Along with honor eagle feathers also symbolize faith and hope, so Genji left one behind after he left to show that he truly believes that his brother can forgive himself and set his foot on the right path.

    Reply

    • hairyknees

      May 22, 2016 at 20:13

      Ah that makes sense 🙂 thanks!

      Reply

  8. Android Does

    May 21, 2016 at 05:09

    Quite a few mistakes in that dragon’s tale.
    First of all, it’s not “caught up” it’s called up. It’s not “old dragon Lord” it’s “Oh dragon Lord”

    It’s not “value and humility” it’s Value IN humility. You also omitted “bereft” from a line.

    Get some better ears, dude.

    Reply

    • hairyknees

      May 22, 2016 at 20:14

      My hearing isn’t the greatest, so sorry 😛 thank you for pointing those out though! Have updated and corrected <3

      Reply

  9. zeon

    May 22, 2016 at 17:16

    i don’t think there is another sword missing on the rack it’s the sheath for the blade above..

    Reply

    • hairyknees

      May 22, 2016 at 20:08

      I did think that too, but then thought perhaps it’s a sword belonging to Genji 🙂 surely the sword would be in its sheath when on display like that? I’m not sure actually, I just assumed 😛

      Reply

      • Corvid

        May 25, 2016 at 11:49

        Nah that’s Genji’s sword on display mate, look at his ‘Sparrow’ skin in your screenshot – same hilt. Going off the bio, I think it is safe to assume that Hanzo literally threw away his sword when he took up the bow – as it was a constant reminder of heart-break.

        Reply

  10. Auroranite

    November 13, 2016 at 01:30

    Genji’s younger version’s name is Sparrow, right? What if the feather was a sparrow feather? Perhaps Genji was linked to the bird.

    Reply

  11. Auroranite

    November 13, 2016 at 01:38

    I searched up what a sparrow looked like, and the feather resembled a sparrow feather. Genji’s skin is named Sparrow. He was probably connected to it in some way.

    Reply

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