Who is Pachimari? The vegetable that took Overwatch by storm

Overwatch is filled to the brim with icons, but a vegetable is somehow one of the most recognizable in the game. 

Pachimari is the official name of the friendly upside-down onion that appears throughout Overwatch’s maps. The character is popular among the Overwatch community, something Blizzard has acknowledged on multiple occasions. 

Pachimari was designed out of necessity for Hanamura’s arcade. Most of the cabinets are references to other Blizzard titles including Heroes of the Storm and Lost Vikings. For the claw machine, Blizzard decided to create an original design. Senior Blizzard concept artist David Kang was inspired by the Korean word for onion “yangpa.” Thus, Pachimari was born.

Although inspired by the Korean language, Pachimari’s minimalistic and cute design is reminiscent of Japanese comfort characters like Hello Kitty, Rillakuma, and My Melody. Its entire body is just a big smile, beady eyes, and blushing cheeks. It’s remaining leaves could pass as a beard, though they seem to also function as legs.

Blizzard has extended the comfort character image into the real world with extensive merchandising. Pachimari plushies are the most popular items in the official Overwatch merchandise store. Blizzard also sells Pachimari ornaments, enamel pins, umbrellas, tote bags, notebooks, stickers, and mugs. You can purchase an entire Pachimari outfit, including hat, thanks to Blizzard’s branding efforts.

Players can show off their love for Pachimari in-game with sprays, player icons, and even custom skins. The Pachimari Challenge event from earlier this year included a unique player icon, Junkrat emote, and an epic skin for Roadhog. The Australian outlaws are particularly associated with Pachimari. Roadhog’s farm in Junkertown features a personal claw machine filled with Pachimari plushies.