Have you ever wondered what the donut-loving, cheery protector of Kanezaka would do if she was born into a rival clan? Well, some fans have gone down that train of thought and made one of Overwatch 2’s nicest heroes into the bad guy.
An artist posted their concept art of a Hashimoto Kiriko skin on Aug. 14, wearing the garb of the same clan that she beat up in her animated short. Considering the backstory behind her family, the Shimada family, and the Hashimoto clan, this would be an alternate reality version leading to a more evil version of Kiriko.
The clothing matches the dark look of the Hashimoto clan, with her small mask replaced with a larger, black fox mask that shows none of her face. Not only does that match the Oni masks that the Hashimoto clan sports, but not being able to see the cheery face of Kiriko makes her more ominous. No bright colors, no recognizable drawings other than tattoos, a dark steel blade, and a more threatening spirit carrying a dagger in its mouth right behind her. The cherry on top is the dark healing suzus, black with dark red text on it that you could even mistake for blood.
The overall consensus on this Reddit post was that it was both unique and a more fitting disguise for the vigilante persona Kiriko carries. “I really wish she had a mask by default. Kiriko might be the first vigilante to run around showing her face to the biggest criminal organization in Japan,” one player said. With this particular skin, she would be closer to that criminal organization than not, but the point is made.
Another player focused on the turn that Kiriko would have and the potential reaction from her former hero allies. With a reference to Star Wars, one said “You were the chosen one, Kiriko! You were supposed to destroy the Hashimoto clan, not join them!”
Along with a lot of positive feedback, the concept of taking heroes in Overwatch 2 and giving them a villain counterpart to their original hero skin is a breath of fresh air for some of the extremely noble heroes. Now, fans only wish it could be available in the hero gallery.
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