Moira’s visual design is a total triumph for Overwatch

Ever since Moira’s release, everyone has been talking about the impact she’s going to have on the game as a brand-new healer. That’s all well and good, but it’s also worth noting that Moira has a completely awesome visual design. It’s not perfect (it’s a little weird that every lady except Ana has a completely smooth, wrinkle-free visage), but Moira is a definite step in the right direction. She’s sleek, she’s decadently evil, and she looks just as dangerous in a lab coat as she does with robes and glowing hands.

Moira is, much like the rest of the Overwatch cast, an immediately relatable and interesting character design... and so it makes sense that as soon as she was revealed, fans took to their tablets to start drawing art of her.

It makes sense that fans are in love with the new support. Not only is she visually striking, she fills an awesome niche. We wanted a Talon healer for a long time, and Moira fits the bill. She adds a delicious new dimension of evil to our favorite antagonistic faction, and she has just enough justification for her actions that you can’t bring yourself to hate her.

She also stands out from the rest of the Overwatch female cast. She’s lean, androgynous, and arrogant. Moira is a breath of fresh air; a woman who’s stylish and visually distinct without leaning into typical video game tropes. Despite her stoicism and interest in science, she dabbles in visual inspiration from David Bowie and anime, rounding the design out with juuust enough charm to make things feel really unique without losing her malicious aura.

It helps that the “evil scientist” thing is pretty fresh to Overwatch. Sure, we have Dr. Junkenstein, but that’s a seasonal event. Moira will be here year-round, sticking her hands into the story and starting all kinds of trouble. Name one story that wouldn’t be improved by an amoral scientist pursuing the mysteries of creation. I suspect you can’t.

Arguably the best part about Moira is the fact that she provides a dark mirror for Mercy. Since day one, people have been wildly suspicious of Mercy and her intentions. Surely no one can be that good, right? We’re still keeping an eye on her, but Mercy as an ethical, principled scientist in a wartorn world just becomes a lot more interesting with Moira around.

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We know Mercy is pissed at Ana for appropriating her biotic tech into a rifle that can snipe enemies, as well as heal allies. She must be furious at Moira for rolling around in a Blackwatch version of a Valkyrie suit, with devil horns instead of a halo. Meanwhile, Moira doesn’t care. Moira has science to do!

There are even Moira and Mercy sprays in game to really drive home just how much these women hate each other.

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With all of this in mind, is it any surprise that Overwatch fan artists are flocking to Moira? Some of them are interested in exploring the Moira/Mercy rivalry. Mercy has always been a popular character, but throw in a weird, dangerous version of Mercy to the dynamic and things get really fun, really fast.

Moira is also super interesting because she’s a woman with an interesting face. She has a long nose, a broader jaw, and a ton of accessories on her face that are about science and style, not looking sexy. It’s no wonder that artists are having a ton of fun drawing Moira and really pushing the ‘evil scientist’ angle of her design.

Despite the style, the glitz, and the glam, there’s something compelling just on the face of Moira. She’s a strong featured woman with absolute views in an incredibly complicated world. It’s no surprise that some artists are going for portraits that capture Moira’s dedication, her arrogance, or her serenity. Even though Moira is constantly surrounded by tubes, robes, and other heavy costume elements, these portraits prove that her face are the most striking part of her.

That being said, it is an amazing costume. Moira dresses in heavy robes, mixing a look reminiscent of mages or warlocks with modern Utopian science tech. This particular piece shows off just how great her garb looks ... while also managing to make Moira look absolutely adorable. That’s no mean feat!

Add in the Glam and Oasis skins, and Moira may be my favorite design in Overwatch yet. The only complaint I have, besides her shockingly young looking skin? I want more. Give me Moira cinematics! A Moira in-game Blackwatch Valkyrie skin! A Moira comic! The tagline of Overwatch may be that the world could always use more heroes, but I’m more interested in more villainy — especially if it’s from Moira.