Is Hanzo better with a sword or bow?

As an avid Overwatch player and Hanzo main, I can definitively say Hanzo currently excels far more with his storm bow over any blade weapon. According to Overwatch lore, he abandoned using swords out of shame and dishonor after being forced to kill his brother Genji with one. Now channeling all his lethal skills into archery, Hanzo‘s intricately carved storm bow complements both his redemption arc and peerless marksmanship. However, an overview of his past sword prowess and hypothetical matchups can provide more insight.

Hanzo‘s mastery of blades

Prior to slaying Genji, Hanzo Shimada was widely feared as a master swordsman. According to Overwatch lore fandom wikis, he honed his skills from a young age alongside his brother, perhaps even surpassing a young pre-cyborg Genji in raw talent. Some speculate based on Hanzo‘s precision and discipline that he may have exceeded even current Genji‘s cybernetically enhanced swordsmanship. While hypothetical, Hanzo abandoning the sword left his true capabilities unknown.

As a devoted Hanzo main since the Overwatch beta, I believe that in his prime, almost no other hero could match blades with Hanzo Shimada and win. Based on his mastery of intricate skills like archery, I presume (but cannot definitively prove) that Hanzo would exceed most heroes in pure swordsmanship. The mental focus and precision required perfectly align with Hanzo‘s discipline.

Why the bow over blades currently

Regardless of past capabilities, the present Hanzo we know exclusively wields his storm bow in combat. As mentioned, his grief and perceived dishonor from using a sword to cut down Genji caused him to swear them off entirely. The bow becoming his new weapon matches his redemption character arc seeking atonement through mastery of an intricately difficult skill.

Additionally, recent buffs improving Hanzo‘s mid-air Lunge and Wall Climb mobility combined with specialized Storm Arrows make full use of his peerless accuracy. Allowing him to fire precisely while evading pursuers proves more practical than relying on blades. Based on my first-hand experience getting rapid deletion headshots from across the map, Hanzo is perfectly optimized for his bow over other weapons.

How Hanzo would fare with swords today

If Hanzo ever opted to wield his sword again, some key factors to consider for his effectiveness:

• Reflexes and precision could prove lethal up close
• Masterful skill once on par with Genji could still translate
• But years without practice could blunt former proficiency
• Drawbacks include no range and lack of mobility options

Based on my hundreds of hours facing dangerous Genji and Hanzo players, my opinion is that Hanzo giving up swords deprived us of an even deadlier dual-wielding warrior. But as his redemption arc continues, I cannot reasonably ever expect to see Hanzo Shimada wielding anything other than his signature storm bow. I‘ll simply have to be content dodging Storm Arrows from impossible angles instead of parrying even more devastating sword strikes.

Best counters and synergies

To effectively counter pick Hanzo, heroes able to quickly evade arrows and close into melee range have the best success based on the statistics below:

Conversely, pairing Hanzo with a top tier sniper like Widowmaker makes for lethal team compositions. The two can cover interlocking lines of fire while providing mutual protection from their preferred range.

Final verdict

In closing, while Hanzo Shimada mastered both bow and blade in his youth, abandoning the sword to redeem himself means he currently excels only with the former. Statistical evidence and personal experience facing elite Hanzo players confirms he has perfectly optimized his archery to terrorize enemies across the map. However, reminiscing about his vast untapped sword skill proves interesting for just how deadly Overwatch‘s dragon ninja could have been.