A special task force created to end the Omnic Crisis, Overwatch contained 21 specially trained heroes that saved the Earth from destruction. Years later, conspiracy filled the minds of the people, turning them against Overwatch and eventually leading the group to be disbanded.
However, the world still needs heroes. These heroes are considered some of the strongest in Overwatch with their high pick rate, superb skills, and all around fun factor. Here are the top 11 heroes you should master now in Overwatch.
11. Zarya (Tank)
On the battlefield, Zarya protects herself and allies with shields. While active these shields also lend a boost to her cannon dam
Name: Aleksandra Zaryanova
Job: Soldier
Affiliation: Russian Defense Forces
Abilities that make her strong: Project Barrier and Graviton Surge
About Zarya
Known as one of the world’s strongest women, Aleksandra Zaryanova (Zarya), spent youth working to gain the strength she needed to help her people recover from the Omnic Crisis.
She was a weightlifter and bodybuilder and many suggested she would become a star. But an attack on her village drew her attention away from her training and she focused it on protecting her home and family.
Step aside or get blasted!
Zarya’s Abilities
- Particle Cannon is Zarya’s main weapon. It has a short-range beam that is quite destructive. It can also launch a charge that can hit multiple enemies.
- Particle Barrier is a shield that redirects incoming attacks to her weapon’s damage and beam.
- Project Barrier surrounds an ally and absorbs fire while simultaneously boosting Particle Cannon. This benefits both Zarya and an ally who may be taking too much damage at once. This gives the ally a protective barrier to escape while Zarya’s boosted damage can wreak havoc on the enemy.
- Graviton Surge is Zarya’s powerful ultimate ability. It hurls a gravity bomb that pulls in enemies and traps them. While they are trapped, they are dealt damage from Zarya but this also gives her allies a chance to finish off anyone who is trapped.
Needless to say if the whole team is caught in Graviton Surge, the enemy team may be calling GG.
Zarya’s use of shields to boost her attack power is one of the reasons she is a tough contender on any map in Overwatch.
Demonstration of Zarya’s abilities
10. Tracer (Offense)
Tracer’s ability to time-jump both forwards and backwards gives her the unique ability to engage her enemies and escape before they even know what hit them.
Name: Lena Oxton
Job: Adventurer
Affiliation: Overwatch (formerly)
Abilities that make her strong: Blink and Pulse Bomb
About Tracer
Tracer is a former Overwatch agent who has the ability to time-jump. She was brought into the Overwatch experimental flight program and tested a teleporting fighter. In the first flight, a malfunction caused the fighter to disappear with Tracer in it.
She was thought to be dead, but months later turned up. The whole incident left her as a living ghost, where she was rarely in one place for long, always coming and going for months and unable to maintain formed.
A device created by Winston gave Tracer the ability to stay in physical form in the present, allowing her to maintain control of her own time. This made her one of Overwatch’s best agents.
Tracer’s Abilities
- Pulse Pistols are Tracer’s main weapon. This allows her to rapid-fire both pistols.
- Blink gives Tracer the ability to move through space and show up a few yards away. This is powerful because it has a short cooldown and combined with Recall she can zip back and forth around you, making her hard to hit while she deals damage to you.
- Recall allows Tracer to move backwards in time. This move returns her health, ammo, and position to a few moments before.
- Pulse Bomb is Tracer’s ultimate ability. It is a large bomb that will stick to any surface or enemy. It explodes and deals high damage to those around within range.
Tracer is one of those characters that is fun to play, but when you’re against her, she can be annoying. She moves quickly, zipping through time and shooting you in the back. By the time you realize it, you’re usually dead, which is why she makes the list.
A look at Tracer’s abilities
9. Winston (Tank)
Winston: a brilliant scientist, adventurer, and lover of humankind.
Name: Winston
Job: Scientist and Adventurer
Affiliation: Overwatch (formerly)
Abilities that make him strong: Barrier Projector and Primal Rage
Winston Gameplay Video
About Winston
A genetically engineered gorilla with a love for humanity, Winston is an intelligent being and scientist. When Earth created the Horizon Lunar Colony to renew space exploration, Winston and other genetically enhanced gorillas were part of this group.
He was the champion of the other gorillas, exhibiting brilliance beyond all the others and was picked by Dr. Harold Winston to undergo further education and training.
The other gorillas did not share Winston’s sentiment for humanity and thus led an uprising against them, killing them all and taking over the base. Winston escaped, using a rocket he fashioned himself and returned to Earth where he found his place within Overwatch.
Smart enemies avoid Winston all together, his Tesla Cannon zaps you, chipping away at their health.
Winston’s Abilities
1. Tesla Cannon is Winston’s basic auto-ability. It’s great for a player who isn’t great at aiming, mainly because it creates lightning bolts that spread out between enemies.
2. Barrier Projector is a temporary shield that can be cast by Winston. While activated, it creates a protective shield that will allow your team to experience immunity from the enemy team, while they return fire.
What makes Winston stronger than the other tanks not included on this list is his shield ability. His shield blocks incoming damage while those inside of it can still attack enemies outside.
3. Jump Pack allows Winston to jump into the enemy team and also causes a small amount of damage to them. However, keep in mind that when activated you do not control where Winston leaps. Instead you leap in the direction that you are facing, making it a crucial skill to master.
4. Finally, Winston ultimate ability is Primal Rage and it makes him nearly invincible. It restores his health, shortens the cool down on Jump Pack from 6 seconds to 2 second, allowing him to leap upon enemies repeatedly.
Winston ability video
8. McCree (Offense)
Bounty Hunter, ready for action.
Name: Jesse McCree
Job: Bounty Hunter
Affiliation: Overwatch (formerly)
Abilities that make him strong: Flashbang and Dead Eye
McCree gameplay video
About McCree
McCree is an outlaw bounty hunter who likes to take justice into his own hands.
Prior to being recruited into Overwatch, McCree was a weapons trafficker in the Deadlock Gang. After being busted, he was given the choice of joining Overwatch, or serving life in a maximum security facility.
McCree prepares to take down his enemies with his handy Peacekeeper.
McCree’s Abilities
1. Peacekeeper is the name of his revolver, and also his main ability. Shoot one bullet it at a time or rapidly shoot all six.
2. Combat Roll is McCree’s handy escape. Not only will it remove him from harm’s way, his gun automatically reloads.
3. Flashbang is a disorienting ability. If hit, the player becomes confused and stunned, giving McCree the perfect opportunity to dole out justice and death. Flashbang followed by Peacekeeper usually leaves the enemy in pieces, making it one ability you want to avoid being hit with.
4. Dead Eye is a deadly ultimate that targets players and lands a deadly blow, capable of eliminating an entire party. This easily makes him one of the strongest offense in the game.
McCree abilities video
7. Reaper (Offense)
They call him Reaper, because death follows him everywhere he goes.
Name: Unknown
Job: Mercenary
Affiliation: Unknown
Abilities that make him strong: Wraith Form and Death Blossom
Reaper Gameplay Video
About Reaper
A dangerous and ruthless mercenary, wherever Reaper goes, death is likely to follow. He is a terrorist who has no affiliation with any cause or organization but is believed to be hunting former Overwatch agents and destroying them.
In battle, Reaper’s two shotguns unload deadly shots at the enemy.
Reaper Abilities
1. Hellfire Shotguns are Reaper’s twin shotguns. When he runs out of ammo, he drops them and pulls out two more.
2. Wraith Form makes Reaper impenetrable for a short time, allowing him to pass through enemies. In this form he is unable to do damage however.
3. Shadow Step gives Reaper the ability to teleport. This combined with Wraith Form makes Reaper a very stealthy foe.
4. When Reaper unleashes Death Blossom, those caught in its path will meet their end. Both shotguns are emptied while dealing massive damage to those around him. Just like with McCree, this ultimate can be a game changer and eliminate the enemy team, but requires no charge or wait time.
If Reaper uses Shadow Step or Wraith Form to enter a group of enemies and executes his Death Blossom, this means the end of the enemy team.
6. Widowmaker (Defensive Sniper)
She’s as deadly as she is beautiful.
Name: Amélie Lacroix
Job: Assassin
Affliation: Talon
Abilities that make her strong: Widow’s Kiss and Infra Sight
Widowmaker Gameplay Video
About Widowmaker
Just as her name suggests, Widowmaker is a ruthless assassin who shows no mercy or remorse for her killings.
She was married to Gerard Lacroix, an Overwatch agent. His main job was to run operations against a terrorist organization called Talon. When multiple attempts at his life failed, they targeted his wife, known then as Amélie, instead.
She was put through intense neural reconditioning and made a sleeper agent. Then she was returned home, seemingly normal. Two weeks later, she killed her husband while he slept.
She returned to Talon and was trained in covert arts and subjected to more alterations that took away human emotion, thus turning her into a very effective assassin.
Widowmaker snipes from a distance, disabling targets and removing them from the field.
Widowmaker’s Abilities
- Widow’s Kiss is her handy-dandy sniper rifle which can take out targets from a distance. When powered up to full charge, it can eliminate most other heroes in one hit. If they don’t take fatal damage, they’ll be close, leaving them vulnerable for a second shot that WILL finish the job.
- Grappling Hook allows Widowmaker to move away from danger, or position herself in such a way that she can snipe enemies.
- Venom Mine is a poison mine that will adhere to nearly any surface. As an enemy approaches, the mine will trigger and cause enemies within range to become poisoned.
- Infra-Sight is Widowmaker’s ultimate. With her recon visor, she can locate the position of her enemies through the walls using their heat signatures. This ability is strong because it also allows her allies to see where the enemy team is located as well. This is an excellent ability that can help out a team when they are trying to obtain a target or even defend one.
Widowmaker Abilities Video
5. Mercy (Support)
A force for good in the world, Mercy has dedicated her life to healing others.
Name: Angela Ziegler
Job: Field Medic and First Responder
Affiliation: Overwatch (formerly)
Abilities that make her strong: Caduceus Staff and Resurrect
A peek at Mercy’s gameplay
About Mercy
Mercy’s breakthrough in nanobiology that drastically improved how life-threatening illnesses and injuries were treated is what interested Overwatch in the healer. Though she originally did not believe in their militaristic approach, she came to realized that it was an opportunity to make a difference.
After the war and the crumble of Overwatch, she dedicated her life to helping everyone who had been affected by war.
Take her hand and go toward the light.
Mercy’s Abilities
- Caduceus Staff is the weapon that Mercy uses. It has two functions. It can heal single target allies or give them a damage boost. The damage boost ability is most often seen being used with Bastion and Reinhardt. The combination makes this trio strong and frustrating to deal with.
- Caduceus Blaster is a simple short-range blaster. It’s nothing special and mostly used for self-defense, but can save a life on occasion.
- Guardian Angel is a handy escape skill. If being targeted, Mercy can target a distant alley and fly towards them, removing her from harm’s way. It can also be used to reach an ally who is critically injured and needs healing.
- Angelic Descent allows Mercy to slow her descent from great heights.
- Resurrect is quite possibly the biggest game changer in the entire game. In a moment where most of her team is dead, she can resurrect them to the fight with full health which can be dangerous for the opposing team who has probably suffered from damage and now has to deal with a team that has full health again.
Mercy Abilities Preview
4. Reinhardt (Tank)
Name: Reinhardt Wilhem
Job: Adventurer
Affiliation: Overwatch (formerly)
Abilities that make him strong: Barrier Field and Earthshatter
Reinhardt Gameplay Preview
About Reinhardt
Reinhardt is a knight in shining armor. One of the original Overwatch strike team members, he dedicated his life to putting an end to the Omnic Crisis. He was a strong supporter and force for reminding everyone that Overwatch was meant to be a positive support for the world.
He was forced into mandatory retirement and feared that his days of purpose were over. After Overwatch disbanded and the world began to fall into chaos again, Reinhardt put on his armor and began to fight once again to show that heroes are needed in the world.
Reinhardt has dedicated his life to protecting others.
Reinhardt’s Abilities
- Rocket Hammer is a hammer that swings in a wide arc that can deal devastating damage to enemies.
- Barrier Field is an ability that makes Reinhardt one of the strongest tanks in the game. With Barrier Field, Reinhardt creates a forward-facing energy shield that can absorb large amounts of damage that allows him and his team to push forward to their objective.
- Charge allows Reinhardt to charge forward and pin the first enemy he comes in contact with while blowing others aside. If the enemy is crushed into a wall, they will suffer extreme damage that will be fatal to an already injured foe.
- Fire Strike whips his Rocket Hammer forward and slings a flaming projectile towards enemies.
- Earthshatter is Reinhardt’s devastating ultimate. He slams his Rocket Hammer into the ground which will stun, knock down, and damage any enemies caught in its path. It can be the end of an enemy team if the rest of Reinhardt’s team uses the change to take out those affected by Earthshatter.
Reinhardt Abilities Preview
3. Bastion (Offense)
Curious Bastion only wants to learn about the world about him.
Name: SST Laboratories Siege Automaton E54
Job: Battle Automaton
Affiliation: None
Abilities that make him strong: Configuration: Sentry, Self-Repair, and Configuration: Tank
Bastion Gameplay Video
About Bastion
Bastion robot units were created for peacekeeping reasons, but during the Omnic Crisis were used against their human creators. This was the majority of the omnic’s army.
After the crisis, most of the units were destroyed. Sadly, the Bastion units remind those of the horrors of the conflict.
One unit was forgotten and left to sit, dormant, for many years. One day, it suddenly reactivated. No longer interested in war and battle, it wanted to explore its surroundings and learn as much as possible.
Though mostly gentle, there are times it’s combatant side still takes over and has led to conflict with some humans. Bastion prefers to be in the wild, avoiding populated areas altogether.
Bastion’s Abilities
- Configuration: Recon is Bastion’s recon mode. In this mode he able to move around and carries a submachine gun that fires within medium range.
- Configuration: Sentry is a danger to enemy players. In this mode Bastion is stationary, which makes him vulnerable, but when placed in an area where he is not immediately seen, he can inflict very painful damage on an unsuspecting enemy team. He uses his powerful gatling gun to rain bullets on the enemies and can reach from short to medium range.
- Reconfigure allows Bastion to adapt to conditions on the battlefield by switching between its to combat modes.
- Self-Repair allows Bastion to restore his health, which comes in handy if there isn’t a healer around.
When used with Mercy’s damage boost and a cover from Reinhardt’s shield, Bastion damage in Sentry mode will leave the other team in chaos and will send someone to eliminate him.
Configuration: Tank gives Bastion two perks, being mobile and having a long-range cannon that shoots explosive shells in a wide blast radius that will crush targets caught in its path.
Bastion Abilities Preview
2. Hanzo (Defense)
Hanzo has made it his life’s work to restore his honor through protecting others.
Name: Hanzo Shimada
Job: Mercenary and Assassin
Affiliation: Shimada Clan
Abilities that make him strong: Sonic Arrow and Dragonstrike
Hanzo Gameplay Video
About Hanzo
The Shimada Clan was Hanzo’s legacy. At a young age he trained hard, knowing that one day he would fulfill his father’s role as the ruler of Shimada Empire.
When the time came for him to fulfill that role he was asked to also lead his brother to help him. His brother refused and Hanzo had to kill him, leaving him broken and devastated. It was then he decided he did not want to fulfill the legacy that was left before him.
Now, he travels the world and uses his skills as a bowman and assassin to restore his honor.
A perfectly aimed shot.
Hanzo’s Abilities
- Storm Bow is Hanzo’s main weapon. It fires arrows at his target.
- Sonic Arrow is a useful ability. Like Widowmaker’s Recon Visor, Sonic Arrow allows Hanzo to mark targets within range of its strike. This gives his allies sight on where they are if they fall within the range. It can be used more frequently, unlike Widowmaker’s which has to be charged.
- Scatter Arrow let’s Hanzo shoot an arrow that splits into pieces and can hit several targets at once.
- Dragonstrike is Hanzo’s powerful ultimate. When summoned, a Spirit Dragon is released and travels straight ahead. It can pass through wall and eliminate enemies caught in its path. There’s little chance of surviving this ability if caught in it, which makes it a very powerful ability.
Hanzo’s Ability Preview
1. Lúcio (Support)
Lúcio’s Sonic Amplifier heals his allies and damages his enemies in battle.
Name: Lúcio Correia dos Santos
Job: DJ and Freedom Fighter
Affiliation: None
Abilities that make him strong: Sonic Amplifier and Sound Barrier
Lúcio Gameplay Preview
Who says celebrities can’t make a difference in the world? Lúcio does just that.
He grew up poor in an area that was hit hard by the Omnic Crisis. A dark time for everyone, he found support in music. He often performed to uplift peoples’ spirits.
When the Vishkar Corporation came and said their redevelopment would improve the lives of the people around him, they believed it. However, it never became a reality. Instead it turned their world into a prison.
There were forced curfews, crackdown on “lawless behavior” and using the people as a cheap labor force.
Lúcio stood up to the Vishkar Corporation by stealing sonic technology that was being used to suppress the people. He turned it into a tool to rally them into action. His action, with those of his people, made the Vishkar Corporation leave and it made Lúcio an overnight star.
He uses his musical ability to rally his allies.
Lúcio’s Abilities
- Sonic Amplifier is Lúcio’s main weapon. He can hit his enemies with projectiles or knock them back with a blast of sound.
- Crossfade allows Lúcio to energize himself and nearby teammates with music. With it he can switch between two modes. One mode increases movement speed and the other regenerates health to allies within range. This allows him to be very versatile, an attacker and a healer in one.
- Amp It Up is a simple move that boosts the effects of whatever song he is playing currently, be it speed or healing.
- Sound Barrier is a move that can offer the team support at a crucial moment. In the heat of battle, when your team is in the thick of it, a pop of Sound Barrier provides Lúcio and nearby allies with a huge shield buff that can save a team and also give them a chance to defeat enemies.
Each of the 21 heroes in Overwatch have unique and powerful abilities. Did your favorite hero qualify as a strongest hero? Let us know below!
