Overwatch 2’s latest Tank hero, Ramattra, has some of the most intriguing lore in the franchise. A complex antagonist that believes they are in the right, Ramattra has shades of Marvel’s Magneto, seeking to create better lives for his people through violence instead of peace. Thanks to a new short story, fans have gotten even more insight into the leader of Null Sector, showing the intricacies of his character.
Prior to this short story, Overwatch 2 fans knew that Ramattra was once a monk and considered Zenyatta a brother before going off to lead Null Sector. Following the lore drop, gamers get to learn about the King’s Row Uprising from Ramattra’s perspective, adding some depth to the co-op mission that they played several years ago. They also learn that Ramattra’s new uprising will be far harder to support for one key reason.
What Ramattra: Reflections Reveals About Overwatch 2’s New Hero
Ramattra’s short story opens with his exit from the Shambali monastery and a discussion he has with a human who consistently talks down to him. Though this salesman is not as cruel as the people attacking or killing Omnics, he does use language like “your kind” and offers Ramattra some replacement parts - parts that can only be obtained by killing units like Ramattra. During the conversation, readers are reminded that Ramattra’s unit is feared for leading Omnics during the Omnic Crisis. Ramattra also reiterates his reason for no longer being a monk, which comes down to the Shambali leader Mondatta pushing the idea that the oppressed should do all the work to achieve peace instead of the oppressors.
A year later, Ramattra breaks into a facility where Omnics are forced to work for humans who still believe the robots are property despite gaining sentience. After killing a guard, Ramattra feels guilt, showing that he is not yet fully confident in his violent path. However, he is ashamed by said guilt, quickly shrugging it off since he knows freeing Omnics is a just cause. During this rescue, he bumps into a robot who goes by Nameless. Nameless was crafted to entertain children, boasting unique features and bunny ears on its head. After a brief back-and-forth, the two become allies and free another skilled Omnic named Zera.
2 years before Overwatch’s Uprising mission, Ramattra and another Null Sector member named Lanet find an Omnium to craft their own robot army. Another time jump takes readers to a moment 4 days before the Uprising where Ramattra and Lanet are arguing. Lanet wants more time to create better soldiers, but Ramattra does not want to wait. Instead, he wants to use the outdated, mindless Omnics that fought in the Crisis, as they are expendable. He also thinks this will be enough to push other Omnics to rise up, but he is proven wrong.
As Overwatch players know, the heroes stop the Uprising, and the oppressed Omnics around the world do not fight against humanity. Worse, Lanet died during the conflict. This infuriates Ramattra, who states that his people “had their chance” to make their own decisions. Going forward, Ramattra says that Omnics will either join him willingly, or he will find a way to force them to comply. How he plans to do this is unclear, though his suggestion that Omnics unwilling to fight in another war will be forced into doing so pushes Zera and Nameless away. They leave his side, believing that his plan will trap Omnics in a prison just as bad as the one they are currently in.
Ramattra’s motivation may be understandable on the surface, but his plan to take free will away from his people and force them to fight shows how twisted he is. Ultimately, it becomes unclear what he is fighting for, as his people will simply be forced to serve an Omnic ruler instead of a human one. This fall from grace essentially shows him coming full circle and reverting to his original programming, leading Omnics into a war with little care for his fellow units. After trying for years to do things right, Ramattra is going off the deep end, and his suggestion that his own people must be forced into submission makes him far harder to sympathize with.
Overwatch 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Source: Overwatch
