Overwatch 2 has no shortage of interesting villains. Widowmaker slowly breaking from her brainwashing is an intriguing concept, and Ramattra’s motivation makes him a sympathetic leader. Doomfist’s ideology ensures he is intriguing, even if he is completely in the wrong, and fully corrupt figures like Moira and Reaper are still fun even if they are not overly complex. However, due to his insanity, Sigma may be the most tragic Overwatch 2 villain of all.
During the failed black hole experiment that gave Sigma control of gravity - making him the most powerful character in Overwatch 2’s lore - he lost control of his mind. Sigma became obsessed with universal patterns and gravity-related anomalies that he was now able to see, with his love for classical music slipping out and making his ravings even harder to understand. He was locked away due to his fragile mental state and immense powers, as he was deemed a threat to himself and others. Those fears could prove true during Overwatch 2’s PvE campaign, with Sigma turning on Talon, his “rescuers.”
Sigma is Clearly Being Used By Talon
Admittedly, locking someone away in a padded cell seems a bit harsh, which can make Sigma’s captors look cruel from his point of view. Similarly, anyone who frees him from years of captivity will look heroic, which is exactly what Talon did. Highlighted during Reaper’s Code of Violence story, a mission where Reaper and Sombra assaulted the facility where Sigma was being kept was successful, with Sigma then recruited to join Talon’s ranks.
Obviously, Talon is using Sigma for his power, taking advantage of his mental illness and using the rescue as a way to fool Sigma into believing that they care for his well-being. Though his mental illness does make him dangerous, clearly Talon believes that the risk is worth it. Additionally, Talon’s goal as a terrorist organization is to cause chaos around the globe, so even if Sigma goes too far, the collateral damage could be easy to justify. Unfortunately, with Sigma being so damaged mentally, he is unable to comprehend how evil Talon is and is currently little more than a living weapon.
Sombra Could Be Sigma’s Guiding Light
While most members of Talon care little for each other and are simply with the group to further their goals or because they have no other choice, Sombra has shown that she cares for Sigma. In an interesting bit of Sombra dialogue from Overwatch 2, the hacker warns Sigma to look out for himself, telling him that if anyone in Talon tries to hurt him, he should go straight to her for protection. Though this could simply be Sombra getting herself another powerful ally, she sounds genuine when delivering the line, and she may actually have sympathy for the gravity wielder.
Assuming that Sombra does feel for Sigma, she may look into Talon’s true purpose for him and find something shocking, or she could simply want him to have true freedom. Though he was once isolated in a cell, Talon has only given Sigma the illusion of freedom, as he is now doing the group’s bidding exclusively. With Sombra herself not sharing Talon’s views and simply using the organization for personal gain, it could not be long before she leaves, and if she does, she could bring Sigma along with her.
If Sombra were to defect to Overwatch with Sigma alongside her, perhaps a genius like Winston could help treat his mental illness similar to how he helped with Tracer’s chronal disassociation. In turn, Sigma could join the fight against Talon, putting his abilities to good use. Alternatively, Sigma’s insanity means he could snap and attack Talon operatives at any point, ruining the group’s various missions. Though Sigma’s power is hard to resist for a faction like Talon, they may have bit off more than they could chew with Sigma, as he could turn out to be more detrimental than beneficial.
Overwatch 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
