Why is Genji So Strong?
Genji is a playable character in Blizzard’s Overwatch and one-half of the Shimada brothers.
Being that Overwatch is a character-driven, competitive first-person shooter, it’s only natural that a handful of playable characters would shoot above the rest of the pack in terms of strength.
Whether for tankiness, damage-dealing ability, versatility, or otherwise, there is always a selection of characters that are the crème de la crème.
It is worth saying that while some heroes are just naturally better than others, most require a lot of time investment and raw skill to use to their full potential. So just because a character is strong or overpowered, this does not mean they are easy to play.
So What Makes Genji This Strong?
The general feeling is that Genji is just too good at everything. He is one of those characters that are good at lots of different things, with no drawbacks.
His lack of counters and strong abilities are usually the aspects considered too strong when talking about Genji.
So what are his abilities?
- His passive ability is Cyber Agility. This ability gives him the ability to double jump and wall climb. This contributes to the “Genji is too versatile” feeling tremendously. He is able to get pretty much anywhere on the map, making him great for flanking and ambushes.
- His standard attack is Shuriken. As the name implies, Genji launches three shurikens at his opponents. They hit with deadly precision accuracy, deal 28 damage per hit, and fire at a rate of three shurikens per second — an excellent damage-dealing attack.
He can alternatively fire these shurikens in a wider, fan-like spread for more coverage but less precision damage.
- One of Genji’s greatest strengths is his ability Swift Strike. Genji speeds forward with his wakizashi, slashing and dealing damage to foes in his way. The ability deals 50 damage, lasts 0.3 seconds, and has a max range of 15 meters.
Now while this would be powerful enough, what sets this ability over the age is the fact that if Genji eliminates an opponent, then the ability is immediately reset. Meaning he can chain it’s uses together, bypassing the eight-second cooldown.
On top of that, any elimination resets the ability, not just Swift Strike kills. That, combined with its considerable damage and versatility as a movement ability, is what makes it such a strong tool on Genji’s toolbelt.
- His other ability is Deflect. It is a blocking ability that has a duration of two seconds, and a cooldown of eight. The ability blocks all incoming projectiles and deflects them back at the attacker as if they were his own.
It also blocks Chain Hook, Whip Shot, and melee attacks. It does not, however, block beam-based attacks. It is a powerful ability for sure, and just another notch in Genji’s vast roster of abilities.
- His ultimate is Dragonblade. Here Genji unsheathes his katana, and any blow he delivers while the ability is active results in an immediate kill. The ability lasts for six seconds and has a low cost of 1680 points.
Genji can swing his sword a maximum of seven times during this ability, so time it right, and it can result in an entire team wipe. So all of this combined should go to show just why Genji is such a strong hero.