Overwatch 2: Invasion has finally arrived, and the new season has brought a ton of new content for the world’s heroes to enjoy—including the introduction of the game’s newest playable character, Illari.
The sun shines brightly on this Peruvian support, who uses solar energy to power up her weapons and abilities as she protects her allies on the battlefield while dishing out some damage of her own with her powerful Solar Rifle. She has quickly become one of my favorite heroes since she can hold her own in a fight, while still being a huge source of healing for her allies through her unmanned Healing Pylon.
Unlike her sunny ability set, however, Illari comes from a past built through hardship, perseverance, and search for a true path in life. While she does illuminate the skies and heals her allies, Illari’s history is shrouded in plenty of darkness that has shaped her into the soldier she has become today.
Illari’s origins, explained
Joining the Inti Warriors
When Illari was young, she lived among a group of people who had learned how to perfectly harness solar energy to power their everyday ways of life. There were, however, only a select few who were able to harness that same power within their own body: The Inti Warriors, known as the Children of the Sun.
These soldiers made up a powerful group of noble beings who provided, healed, and protected their people through solar energy—and the group quickly became Illari’s calling in life. Right from the get-go, her trainers could see the immense amount of potential she had and even predicted she’d become the greatest Inti Warrior.
With so many expectations and hopes placed on her shoulders, Illari placed all her focus and energy into training to make her community and leaders proud. Eventually, all of her hard work would pay off as she became the youngest Inti Warrior in history.
Related: All Illari abilities in Overwatch 2: How to play the game’s new support hero
A tragedy strikes
As Illari prepared to become a full-fledged Inti Warrior, she first had to undergo a traditional procedure where she would be imbued with solar threading in a chamber with all warriors in attendance. Every Inti Warrior was enhanced through this method to completely activate their solar powers and “embrace the sun.”
Unfortunately, none of the warriors knew that Illari contained unfathomable amounts of solar energy, which was ultimately released during the procedure. The resulting explosion decimated the chamber and every single person within, leaving the poor girl alone in the wreckage to mourn the loss of her fellow warriors and her dreams to become a protector of her people.
Sun at her back, a lonely road ahead
After this horrible accident, Illari could not bear to face any of her people. The incident constantly haunts her days and nights, as she wonders if the Inti Warriors would have lived on if she never reached for greatness. The young woman continues to train to become better since she knows she is now the last Inti Warrior in existence, walking toward a path that has no destination.
