New Overwatch 2 hero Illari’s tragic origin story leaves more questions than answers

This is actually heartbreaking.

OW2 hero Illari powers up her solar rifle.
Image via Blizzard Entertainment

The origin story video for Overwatch 2’s newest hero, Illari, has finally arrived.

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Traditionally, Overwatch has revealed its new hero’s origin story in the days leading up to their release. This time, however, the animated video came a day after the hero’s release, answering the calls of OW2 players everywhere who were wondering where it was.

Before the new video, all that most players knew is that the new support hero is Peruvian and wields the power of the sun to both deal damage and heal allies. The new video today revealed some backstory behind her, how she got her powers, and her tragic origin.

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The video reveals that Illari is what’s known as an Inti Warrior, or a member of the “Children of the Sun.” These were special people who were able to harness solar energy and bring the power of the sun into themselves to provide, heal, and protect.

From a young age, she was told she would become an Inti Warrior. And on the day that her time finally came, Illari entered some sort of machine to absorb the sun’s power and become one of these protectors. But something went horribly wrong.

Illari somehow caused a massive solar explosion, and in doing so, completely destroyed the surrounding area and murdered all of the people around her, including every other Inti Warrior. That’s why she’s now known as “The Last Child of the Sun.”

Pretty brutal, huh?

“Was it my fault that no one knew the true extent of my power?” Illari asks in the video. “To this day, I still don’t understand what I did wrong. But it doesn’t matter anymore. I will make up for what I’ve done.”

Overwatch 2: Invasion is out now, where Illari can be found as part of the new season pass.

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Scott Duwe
Senior Staff Writer & Call of Duty lead. Professional writer for over 10 years. Lover of all things Marvel, Destiny 2, Metal Gear, Final Fantasy, Resident Evil, and more. Previous bylines include PC Gamer, Red Bull Esports, Fanbyte, and Esports Nation. DogDad to corgis Yogi and Mickey, sports fan (NY Yankees, NY Jets, NY Rangers, NY Knicks), Paramore fanatic, cardio enthusiast.