Reaper

Reaper is a real cool dude with lots of 'tude and one of the heroes in Overwatch. He is a wraith-like terrorist who tragically ended his own life at the age of 14 after Rebecca refused to go to prom with him. His Hellfire Shotguns, the Wraith Form to become immune to damage, and the power to Shadow Step make Reaper one of the deadliest beings on Earth.

Abilities
Beside these abilities, Reaper is able to jump, crouch, reload (only when his ammo is not full), and perform Quick Melee.

Unlocks

 * All seasonal event items, which are marked with special event icons ( • •  •  •  • ), are only available to be unlocked either through the respective Loot Boxes or by Credits within the event's duration. Items which are obtained from an external source, are marked with Blizzard icons  and their requirements are noted below.

Skins

 * Note :
 * The Blackwatch Reyes skin is obtained by purchasing (or upgrading to) the Overwatch's Origins Edition and/or the Collector's Edition.

Emotes

 * Note :
 * a This emote after activating will remain in its animation until the player inputs other actions to interrupt it.

Voice Lines

 * Voice Lines cost each, excluding event items.


 * Dead Man Walking
 * Give Me A Break
 * Haven't I Killed You ("Haven't I killed you somewhere before?")
 * I'm Back In Black
 * If It Lives, I Can Kill It
 * Next
 * Psychopath ("I'm not a psychopath. I'm a high-functioning psychopath.")
 * Seen A Ghost? ("You look like you've seen a ghost.")
 * Too Easy ("Hrm, too easy.")
 * Was That All?
 * What Are You Looking At (default)
 * It's In The Refrigerator
 * I Work The Graveyard Shift
 * Holiday Spirit (,, "Where's your holiday spirit?")
 * Now Those Are Fireworks (,, "Now those are some fireworks.")
 * Amateur Hour(,, "Looks like it's amateur hour.")
 * Moving On
 * I'll See You In Hell
 * No One Left Behind

Story
Gabriel Reyes was a senior officer in the US military. Born in Los Angeles, Reyes was enlisted into the US's Soldier Enhancement Program, and through it became close friends with Jack Morrison. When the Omnic Crisis began and the UN began to assemble Overwatch, the two accepted the offer to join alongside Reinhardt Wilhelm, Torbjörn Lindholm, Ana Amari, and Liao. Though Reyes led the strike team, Morrison was recognized as the team's moral fabric.

When Overwatch successfully put down the crisis, Morrison was promoted to Strike Commander while Reyes became head of Blackwatch. He oversaw Overwatch's covert ops missions and trained agents like McCree. Over time, Reyes began to resent Morrison for receiving the public's attention while he received none. He began to organize a rebellion within Overwatch that ultimately led to a conflict at the Swiss Headquarters, resulting in an explosion that supposedly killed both Reyes and Morrison. Overwatch was disbanded shortly after.

Reyes narrowly survived, however his cells were altered to decay and regenerate at an increased rate. He developed a new identity as Reaper, a masked terrorist that hunts down and assassinates former Overwatch agents. He occasionally works with other terrorist organizations, such as Talon. Reaper attempted to invade Watchpoint: Gibraltar in order to assassinate Winston, and hack into his database to find other agents' locations. Though he brought Talon agents as backup, the operation was not successful. Reaper works with another Talon's agent, Widowmaker to steal Doomfist's gauntlet from a museum. After a fight with Winston and Tracer, this operation also ended in failure; though both escaped intact, the gauntlet was badly damaged and the two lost their upper hand.

Reaper recently came to Egypt, and set a trap for Soldier: 76 in one of Talon's bases there. He successfully took down Soldier: 76, whose identity has been known to Reaper as Jack Morrison, and reveal himself as Gabriel Reyes. When he was about to kill Jack Morrison, he was attacked by "Shrike", the one who had been sabotaging Talon's operations recently. Soldier: 76 was able to fight back, but Reaper escaped and headed for Soldier's sudden supporter instead. He recognized the person as Ana Amari, who beat him to the ground and pulled off his mask. In response to her horrified expression, he blamed on Jack Morrison and some party for his current state, then got away.

In the mission to assassinate Katya Volskaya, Reaper was aided by Sombra and Widowmaker. After breaking in, he nearly succeeds in shooting Katya through the elevator only to be blocked and attacked by a Russian soldier in a mech. Cut off from his target, he instructs Sombra to go after the CEO herself. When later learning from Sombra that Katya had escaped, he grudgingly tells both of them to retreat, tossing his unloaded guns aside while surrounded by the destruction he had created.

Around the time of Christmas, Reaper could be seen silently watching a happy family of three from the shadows. When asked for details about the family, lead writer Michael Chu replied "It's not a random family."

Reaper later led a Talon mission to break Akande Ogundimu out of a maximum security Helix prison. Though he was recognized in video surveillance tapes, the mission was successful, and Reaper left over a dozen guards dead and decaying.

Personality
Reaper admits to being a high-functioning psychopath, having a passion for murder and vengeance and is willing to kill even without a solid motivation. He's seemingly conceited and sadistic, often toying with his opponents when he has the upper hand in combat, as shown in the Cinematic Trailer where he goes out of his way to step on Winston's glasses before attempting to kill him. Moreover, he gears towards a "mission at all costs" attitude, as evident by his unrestricted activity during his time as the head of Blackwatch and his in-game and cinematic voice lines and interactions.

Reaper also expresses dislike for omnics, insulting Bastion, Zenyatta, or Orisa whenever he defeats any of them in game. However, in the comics, during the last days of Overwatch, he tells about the Omnic's predicament in the UK of being deprived of their rights. This suggests that Reyes had somewhat of a sympathetic point of view towards them during that time. At this point, his feelings towards Omnics are more ambivalent than previously thought. Additionally, he has a tendency to get annoyed, an example of this being his reaction to Sombra closing a hacked door on him after she had opened it for him.

In the past, Gabriel Reyes had been an understandable person with a headstrong nature, treating the members of his original strike team as close friends. However, as time went by, his attitude became more joking and casual, and he seemed to care less for Overwatch. His nature became more cynical when he said, "I'm not the one with the statue." as he proceeded with a half-hearted smile and shrug. This may have hinted at jealousy towards Jack Morrison. Later, he apparently had grown a hatred for both Jack Morrison and the Overwatch organization as a whole, going as far as planning a coup d'état, and later assassinating retired agents.

In spite of how cold-hearted he is, Reaper doesn't seem to mind cracking jokes related to death and The Grim Reaper, showing that even he has the time to display his own sense of humor.

Tips

 * The smaller field of view on console versions makes it easier for Reaper to sneak up on opponents than on PC.
 * Both of Reaper's abilities, Shadow Step and Wraith Form, allow him to bypass Zarya's Graviton Surge unharmed.
 * One of Reaper's weaknesses include his lack of range.
 * Due to the layout of the maps and the nature of the game mode, Reaper performs best in Control maps.
 * Reaper is intended to be a flanking sort of character.


 * Hellfire Shotguns
 * Reaper is one of the most effective characters in the game at eliminating tanks. Though his shotguns have a large spread and deal pitiful damage at anything past close range, tanks are larger than other enemies and easier to hit. Getting in close and unloading can quickly destroy the strongest of tanks.
 * It was thought for a long time that players could reload and fire more quickly when reloading Reaper's shotguns by pressing the Quick Melee key/button at the right time during the animation. This has been disproven.
 * Reaper's shotguns deal massive damage up close; 140 damage per clip. However, getting up close is the main challenge with him. Reaper is best used to flank enemies and ambush them out of sight.
 * Since Reaper's new update, 20% of his damage dealt each shot is granted as healing, which means Reaper will be very hard to kill up close.


 * Wraith Form
 * Though Wraith Form will not allow Reaper to escape Junkrat's Steel Trap, it will render him immune to enemy fire for the length of being trapped.
 * While in Wraith Form, Reaper cannot attack, which is a great opportunity to reload. However, note that he will have a full clip ready when Wraith Form ends.
 * Use Wraith Form to bypass heavy fire from enemies, such as from a Bastion or Torbjorn's turret. Then, sneak up behind your opponents and kill them.
 * Torbjorn's turret will still fire at you while in Wraith Form. You can distract the turret and have teammates take it out.
 * If low on health and using Wraith Form, it is not a good idea to stay in battle as a ghost. Wraith form allows you to become invincible and move faster, but only for a short time.  Do not treat it as a permanent buff.  Exit the fray as soon as possible.
 * Since the Anniversary update, Reaper now automatically reloads when entering Wraith Form.
 * Wraith Form shrugs off the effects of the Biotic Grenade and the Venom Mine (the Venom Mine is not confirmed yet. If somebody could confirm it, that would be great.)

Death Blossom
 * Shadow Step
 * Reaper's Shadow Step is most effectively used to teleport from one location out of sight to another location out of sight. This way he can ambush opponents from unexpected directions.
 * A well-timed Shadow Step can not only bring him out of harm's way, but can avoid an ultimate attack altogether. If properly timed, Reaper can dodge D.Va's Self-Destruct and Tracer's Pulse Bomb. Shadow Step will not be completed if he takes any damage in the process (Tracer's Pulse Bomb deals no damage when dropped on an enemy until it explodes).
 * Shadow Step is also helpful when Mei is about to put up Ice Wall. Shadow Step behind her just before she does it to deliver a surprise attack just when she thinks she is safe. Especially helpful when Death Blossom is ready and her whole team is behind the Ice Wall when using Shadow Step.
 * Reaper's Shadow Step triggers select voice lines that can be heard by both teammates and enemies. Both positions (starting and ending) are marked with a circle of shadowy flames that are (again) visible for both teams.
 * Death Blossom deals high damage in a circle, making it more suitable for taking out enemies circling around a point rather than staying in a single area.
 * Despite the description for Death Blossom, Reaper does not have to reload after using Death Blossom. However, his ammo count will pick up from where it was before (i.e. if your ammo counter shows 6/8, it will remain at 6/8 even after using Death Blossom)
 * Reaper is vulnerable when performing Death Blossom, as 1), he cannot interrupt his own ultimate, and 2), he obviously cannot use Shadow Step or Wraith Form while in effect. Effective methods of interruption include McCree's Flashbang, Roadhog's Chain Hook, Pharah's Concussive Blast (though this may launch Reaper towards other people), Junkrat's Concussion Mine (which can launch Reaper in the air), Ana's Sleep Dart, and Mei's Ice Wall (though it must be accurately placed).
 * Reaper's speed is dramatically slowed during Death Blossom, making him an easy target for Widowmaker or Hanzo, as both usually attack from the back, and are usually not in range of Reaper's Death Blossom. However, note that he is slowed for only 3 seconds, so take the shot quick.
 * Death Blossom is best to be used when enemies are unaware or trapped without a means to escape. Reaper maximizes Death Blossom damage when enemies are in a group, as he can easily drop in and kill multiple enemies.
 * Death Blossom is best combined with Earthshatter, as it stuns enemies but still keeps them spread out. EMP can also help, as it cuts off any ability for them to escape.

Counters

 * Reaper can be countered easily by Pharah. Her aerial mobility also allows her to escape a Death Blossom, and his shotguns lack range.
 * Widowmaker and Hanzo can easily pick off Reaper, provided they are far enough.
 * McCree can deal high damage to Reaper outside of his shotguns' effective range and can use his Flashbang in close-mid range to interrupt Death Blossom or finish him off.
 * Genji, if close enough, can pose a real threat to Reaper. His deflection ability can send all the damage back at Reaper, and a few follow-up shurikens will finish Reaper off.
 * Roadhog can hook Reaper in and kill him. If the hook is on cooldown, the fight tends to be slightly in Reaper's favor. If Roadhog has to reload right after hooking, then Reaper definitely has the upper hand.
 * Sombra's Hack can stop Reaper from activating Wraith Form or Shadow Step, leaving him no choice but to fight or run. However, if Sombra is close enough to hack, she is likely in Reaper's effective range.

Trivia

 * In the Overwatch Cinematic Trailer, Reaper's shotguns were not only able to fire bullets, but also featured grenade launchers which fired from the bottom barrel of the shotguns. This ability has not made any appearance in cinematics or gameplay since then, and it is not known for certain if this was a planned feature for Reaper or not.
 * Reaper's shotguns have "RPNT" printed on their sides. This likely means "Repent."
 * When Reaper reloads, he throws his guns to the ground and pulls out new ones. This makes him the only one who does this. This action may be a reference to the game The Darkness in which the player character collects weapons instead of ammo, disposing of them when the magazines are empty.
 * Reaper's name varies extensively between different localizations of Overwatch, based on the name of the local cultural personification of Death.
 * Reaper is voiced by Keith Ferguson, who is mostly known for his talent in animated television productions, such as doing the voice of Bloo from Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends as well as Lord Hater from Wander over Yonder.
 * He also voiced Marluxia from the Kingdom Hearts video game series, another antagonist with a Grim Reaper theme.
 * Originally, Reaper's line/phrase was "Time to reap..." during the early stages of the game, but has since been changed to "Death walks among you..."
 * In the Summer Games, Reaper's signature sport is BMX.
 * A statue of Reaper is scheduled to go on sale soon.
 * According to the Q&A panel at BlizzCon 2016, an early iteration of Reaper included the ability to "steal" souls so that Mercy could not use her Resurrect ability.

Other Blizzard games

 * Reaper appears in a player portrait of StarCraft II.

Cultural References

 * In the "Nevermore" and "Plague Doctor" skins, the side of Reaper's shotguns read "CRW-ND", which likely refers to the Left 4 Dead 2 achievement "cr0wned". The achievement is earned by killing a witch with one shotgun shot.
 * Reaper's mask is most commonly thought to be a skull. It also could be based on the barn owl's features, which in Mexican folklore is said to be the messenger from the land of the dead; Reaper's Wraith Form also looks somewhat like an owl in flight.
 * One could argue that Reaper's ultimate animation is a reference to "Gun Kata", where a character uses the fictional martial art to clear rooms of enemies. This was made popular by the film Equilibrium.
 * It could be a reference to Diablo 3's Demon Hunter skills, Strafe and/or Fan of Knives, which have the same animation as Death Blossom and also deal heavy damage to enemies around when moving slowly.
 * It also could be a reference to Enzo from the 3D animated program Reboot. Enzo's gun has a "Death Blossom Mode" that starts it rapidly gyroscoping around while hitting everyone in range.
 * The name of Reaper's ultimate, Death Blossom, may come from the classic sci-fi film The Last Starfighter. The attack, which involves the ship rotating randomly and firing its weapons in a constant barrage, has the same name.
 * The skin "Plague Doctor" is a reference to the plague doctor, who was a medical physician that treated those who had the plague in the medieval times. They dress in heavy fabric overcoats and have a beak-shaped nosed mask, the same as the skin's mask.
 * The skin "Nevermore" is almost certainly a reference to Edgar Allen Poe's poem, The Raven. Ravens are associated with death in the poem, and the most recognizable line in the poem is "Quoth the Raven 'Nevermore'", which is also in the lore note for said skin.
 * Both Plague Doctor and Nevermore have glowing green and purple eyes respectively on their masks and shotguns. When Reaper uses Shadow Step, the sound of wings flapping and crows cawing can be heard.
 * Reaper's "El Blanco" and "Mariachi" skins could be a reference to Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Calaveras, specifically Jose Guadalupe Posada's famous art interpreting Calaveras as vain skeletons dressed in the clothing of the wealthy
 * Additionally, the "Mariachi" skin is an homage to Mariachi uniforms, and possibly a nod to Robert Rodriguez's Mexico Trilogy, composed of the action films El Mariachi, Desperado, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico, all featuring a skilled gunman, the titular Mariachi, out for revenge.
 * His quote "I'm back in black" is in reference to the famous, similarly named song ("Back in Black") by heavy rock band AC/DC.
 * Another quote "This is my curse" is in reference to the song My Curse by metalcore band Killswitch Engage.
 * One of the lines delivered by Reaper upon killing an opponent is "Death comes for all", which is drawn from a character named Malthael from the Blizzard game Diablo III: Reaper of Souls.
 * One of the voice lines of Reaper "I'm not a psychopath. I'm a high-functioning psychopath" is likely a reference to the BBC Sherlock series, where a famous Sherlock Holmes' line is "I'm not a psychopath. I'm a high-functioning sociopath."
 * Reaper's "Wraith Form" might have been inspired by a character of the same name from the manga and anime Assassination Classroom. This "Reaper" also has the ability to turn permeable to avoid damage sporting a dark smokey appearance while in use.
 * Reaper's "Pumpkin" skin appears to be based on the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow, which seems further supported in the Halloween Terror version of Hollywood with a movie poster on the theater entrance showing Reaper in said skin riding on the back of a phantom-like horse on a forest road at night.
 * In Masquerade, Reaper wears a costume that looks very similar to Red Death from Phantom of the Opera.