Mako Rutledge / Roadhog

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/roadhog.png

"Apocalypse ain't over."

Species: Enhanced human
Age: 48 (1), 50 (2)
Birthday: September 12th
Occupation: Enforcer (formerly), Bodyguard
Base of Operations: Junkertown, Australia (formerly)
Affiliation: Junkers (formerly)
Appearances (shorts): A Moment in Crime Special Report: "The Junkers" (focus), Junkertown: The Plan (focus), The Wastelander (cameo)
Appearances (comics): "Going Legit" (focus), "Junkenstein", "Reflections" (cameo), "Wasted Land" (focus)

"I'm a one-man apocalypse."

Voiced by: Josh Petersdorf (English)^note

Roadhog is a ruthless killer with a well-earned reputation for cruelty and wanton destruction.

Mako Rutledge was one of the many inhabitants of the Australian Outback whose land was seized and used for the construction of an Omnium. However, in the wake of the Omnic Crisis, the Australian government gave the land to the Omnics, the very same ones who had nearly destroyed their country, as a peace offering. Mako and many of the other were driven away from their homeland.

In retaliation, Mako and the residents formed the Australian Liberation Front and fought to take back the lands that had been stolen from them. The battle escalated further, concluding with the ALF sabotaging the Omnium's fusion core, an action that produced a violent explosion. Mako watched these events unfold right before his eyes, and it changed him. The explosion littered the Outback with twisted metal and wreckage for miles around, which also irradiated the surrounding grounds.

He adapted swiftly into the persona of "Roadhog", wearing a mask to cover his face, and set off to make trouble in the outback of Australia.

His role as a Tank is to deal heavy damage and draw enemies from range while still being in the fight. Roadhog's Abilities include:

Scrap Gun fires blasts of high-damage shrapnel at a wide-angle, though it has a short range.
Take a Breather has him inhale from his Hogdrogen gas can, healing himself based on a resource meter, granting him damage resistance while he does so.
Pig Pen has Roadhog toss down a disruptive trap that slows and damages enemies.
With Chain Hook, he tosses a chain at his target and pulls them in close if it hits.
Whole Hog is Roadhog's ultimate, in which he attaches a top-loader onto his gun and fills it with ammo, allowing him to crank out shrapnel that pushes enemies back and deals heavy damage.

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A-G

Abnormal Ammo: His weapon uses scrap for ammo. This includes wiring, silverware, dead watches, and basically anything that's both broken and metal.
Acrofatic: Downplayed, but he can pull off a mean powerwalk under the effect of Lúcio's speed boost.
The Aloner: He unintentionally destroyed and irradiated the outback and had eventually lost his ideals and good nature to a combination of wasteland brutality and the guilt of destroying everything he held dear. Before partnering with Junkrat as his bodyguard, he lived outside of Junkertown as a recluse who barely scrapes by on income and wealth.
Ambiguously Brown: Roadhog is from Australia, but some of his skins, dialect, and developer comments imply he's a migrant from New Zealand or at least has Polynesian heritage.
Ambiguously Human: Roadhog still looks human, but his insane durability while wearing no armor (he has more raw HP than someone wearing power armor and a robot built for warfare), and great strength with his Chain Hook (able to yank in a Mini-Mecha with one hand), seems to indicate something's off about him. Since he is affected by Australia's radiation in canon, a common interpretation is he was mutated somehow. It should be noted that he's also classified as an enhanced human, like Tracer or Reaper. The fact that he's practically soaking in Hogdrogen, an improvised Healing Potion presumably using pig DNA, doesn't help.
Anchors Away: His "Mako" and "Sharkbait" skins replaces his hook with an anchor. One of his skin-exclusive quotes even is "Anchors away!"
Animal Motifs: Pigs. His outfit, items, and weapons all have pig references on them. He even has a pig tattoo on his belly, and a pig-shaped gas mask! Even his Scrap Gun is shaped like a pig's snout. Though he also has a second animal in sharks, being what he replaces pigs with on his pirate skins as well as his real name (Mako) being a type of shark well known for its vicious temper. In the 2017 Winter Wonderland event, he gains a walrus motif.
Are You Pondering What I'm Pondering?: In "Junkertown: The Plan", he and Junkrat seem to think alike due to Roadhog's lack of objections to (the overall structure of) Junkrat's plan. When Roadhog silently dampens the match and fuse, Junkrat immediately understands Roadhog's objections and tailors his plan for Roadhog.
Ass Kicks You: In "Going Legit", he destroys a security bot by jumping off a roof and landing on it.
Awesome Aussie: An Australian villain that's potentially a mutant, who uses scrap and drugs to rob banks all over the world and in-game can fight with a cast using high-tech futuristic equipment. The only thing lacking is the accent.
Ax-Crazy: The radiation poisoning and guilt have eroded his sanity, turning him into the violent bandit he is now.
Badass Biker: In his and Junkrat's backstory short "A Moment in Crime", he rides an old Harley-Davidson Chopper with a side-car, so old it has actual wheels instead of floating off the ground like almost all other vehicles in the Overwatch universe.
Badass Boast: Several.
- (select quote) "I'm a one-man apocalypse."
- (claiming an objective) "The point is mine. Property of Roadhog!"
- (respawn) "Roadhog rides again!"
- An exchange with Cassidy says everything.
Cassidy: I heard there's a nice reward for bringing you fellas in.
Roadhog: Try me.
Balance Buff:
- Overwatch 2 gave Roadhog a mechanically small, but functionally drastic change to his Whole Hog by turning it from a continuous singular attack into a "transformation ultimate" that heavily buffs his main weapon. Prior to 2, Roadhog would need to commit to a single flak barrage until it expires or if something forcibly interrupts him, and if something did interrupt him, he'd be out of an ultimate. Following 2, Roadhog can continuously fire away if he so chooses, but he can also freely use other abilities in between barrages, and the direct control over his fire makes it less easy for the likes of D.Va's Defense Matrix or Sigma's Kinetic Grasp to easily nullify it.
- He received a bigger rework in November 2023 in order to equalize his potentially overbearing strengths (his incredibly high pickoff potential and self-healing abilities) as well as his glaring weaknesses (his complete lack of any other defensive power found with other tanks and overall lack of DPS). In addition to fudging around the range and numbers of his Scrap Gun, Take a Breather was changed from a cooldown-based ability to something he can use at his own discretion, but requiring a resource meter that recharges over time^note. He was also given a brand new ability, Pig Pen, a trap giving him a means to disrupt multiple enemies at a time. The overall direction of the rework keeps Roadhog's raw burst damage in a more reasonable domain for his enemies (ideally, he still can't instantly One-Hit Kill them from full health once he lands a hook), but also giving him more ability to stay in the fray and be relevant in between his hooks, and in turn enabling him to pick off enemies as they become more vulnerable and ripe for the picking.
Balloon Belly: His stomach inflates greatly whenever he inhales from his Hogdrogen gas can via his Take a Breather ability.
Baritone of Strength: A massive tank of a man with one of, if not the, deepest voice of the entire cast.
Becoming the Costume:
- His "Mako" and "Sharkbait" skins (which changes his hook into an anchor); he might even say "Anchors away!" while hooking an enemy.
- With his "Junkenstein's Monster" skin, he gains a new respawning line: "I'm alive!"
- His "Lacrosse" skin naturally gives him a few lines referencing lacrosse slang, such as taunting the enemy with "Laying the lumber!" if he kills them with a melee hit, and boasting "I'm crispy with the rock!" if he's "on fire".
Beware the Quiet Ones: Roadhog isn't exactly shy, much less a pushover, he's just not a talker and prefers to maintain a reclusive and private lifestyle. When someone gives him too much lip or tries to rob him, then he will show them how dangerous he can be.
BFG: His Scrap Gun is huge, almost about as big as his head.
Blood Knight:
- In the "Going Legit" short, he seems to be excited before fighting the robots in the warehouse.
- Using him in Uprising's All Heroes mode also confirms this; whereas other characters warn each other to be careful when encountering the Eradicator, his reaction is a laugh followed by "This should be good."
Bodyguarding a Badass: Junkrat, a rather catastrophic and dangerous fellow on his own, hired Roadhog to protect him. While a violent criminal himself, Roadhog would prefer it if his client listened to his repeated orders that he "stay out of trouble", as it would make his job significantly easier.
The Bogan: Like his friend Junkrat, Roadhog is a crass, destructive Australian criminal, carrying a hook and a gun that fires literal scraps at people. That said, his accent is not Australian.
Breakable Weapons: Not a weapon, but an upgrade for it. Whole Hog is a top loader that turns his Scrap Gun into an autocannon. It breaks after eight seconds of continuous fire.
Breakout Mook Character: In a meta sense. Jeff Kaplan stated that Roadhog was born from general concept art for an unrelated project, and was added since his design was strong and it helped reinforce the theme of how "anyone can be a hero."
Kaplan: In some other game, this would just be like some enemy fodder that you'd be fighting, but in our game, this is a character you get to play.
Big Eater: It doesn't come as a surprise, but it was confirmed by his "Feast" highlight intro. In the Junkertown map, we see that his bowl of food is massive compared to Junkrat's more normal-size bowl, and his bed includes a dish, presumably for late-night snacking.
The Big Guy: Early promotional material pegged him to be almost as big as Reinhardt (in armor), who already towers over the rest of the cast. The "Moment in Crime" video teasing him lists his height and weight at 7' 3" and 550 lbs., or about 2.2 meters and 250 kg., making him the second-largest human character, and the largest without armor.
Big Guy, Little Guy: The Big Guy to Junkrat's Little Guy, though it's a relative thing; Junkrat's 6'6" tall, but Roadhog is simply massive and Junkrat is hunched.
Brains and Brawn: The brawn to Junkrat's brains. Junkrat is the one who makes the plans for the pair, but as both the "Going Legit" comic and several of his in-game voice lines make it very clear, he's very scatterbrained and easily distracted. Roadhog often has to refocus him and help him iron out flaws in his plans. This is also shown in an interaction with Cassidy when he mentions the bounty on the pair. Junkrat tries to bargain with him, whereas Roadhog challenges him.
Bullying a Dragon: Three thieves in "Wasted Land" thought it would be a good idea to rob him, but when one of the other thieves was too loud, he had to be reminded by one of his partners that previous thieves had not survived their encounters with Roadhog. In the end, the same thief said "we're dead" when Roadhog manages to find them and give them a Death Glare after breaking down a door. Later in the comic, one of the thugs interrogating Junkrat made a big mistake in mocking Roadhog.
Camera Abuse: Two of his highlight intros. One features him hooking and pulling the camera to him; another features him using his ultimate on it, destroying the edges of the frame.
Can-Crushing Cranium: One of his emotes has him crush two of his gas canisters in this fashion.
Cerebus Rollercoaster: Roadhog is often portrayed as a serious, legitimate threat when he's alone, but when he's with Junkrat, he's the straight man to Junkrat's wise guy. For example, in "Wasted Land", there isn't any comedic moments and Roadhog is nihilistically solemn until he meets Junkrat in the third act. In "Junkertown: The Plan", the short has plenty of moments of comedy with the duo.
Chain Pain: His infamous hook deals 30 points of damage and can kill low-health enemies. It can also be used like a lasso to drag and stun enemies into range for a point-blank shot of his Scrap Gun.
Characterization Marches On: In the original Overwatch, Roadhog's Terse Talker tendency meant that he doesn't that many voicelines, only having voicelines any other hero would have. Overwatch 2 significantly increases the amount of lines he has while keeping them short and clear, making him come off as more talkative and somewhat more quirky than he used to be. His interactions do vary with other heroes as well, he comes across as civil when talking to Brigitte rather than as aggressive as he is towards Pharah.
Brigitte: Isn't it reckless to pull enemies towards us?
Roadhog: (laughs) Afraid of getting too close?
Brigitte: Nope, just thinking of the team. It would help if you did too.
Cloudcuckoolander's Minder: Being the bodyguard and partner in crime of Junkrat, Roadhog has to protect Junkrat from anyone that might target him, and also from his own stupidity.
- One pre-battle exchange has him remind Junkrat, though evidently it might not be the most effective method so far.
Roadhog: Try and stay out of trouble for once.
Junkrat: I'll be on me best behaviour.
- "Junkertown: The Plan" more explicitly shows this, where he stops Junkrat from engaging his plan until he properly thinks it through, though amusingly, he doesn't actually object to the plan itself.
Deadpan Snarker: He's generally very direct about addressing his annoyances, but occasionally, he can be rather sardonic and sarcastic.
Roadhog: (spawning in Nepal) Mm... Pretty place. Be a shame to have to kill someone here.
Defrosting Ice King: He's still a psychotic criminal and remains reserved in his speech, but he seems to have lightened up to Junkrat despite begrudgingly agreeing to protect him. Compare "Wasted Land" to his and Junkrat's coordinated sprays and anniversary emotes.
Do Not Go Gentle: After the Omnic Crisis, he was content to slowly waste away on his old (and barren) farm as punishment for his role in destroying his nation. He is roused from his stagnation by some encouraging words from his old friend, Bruce, who tells him not to just stand by and allow himself to be forgotten. Ultimately, the end of "Wasted Land" frames his crime sprees as acts of highly publicized revenge against the world for handing his land to the Omnics in the first place.
The Drag-Along: While he doesn't exactly complain about the plan in "Junkertown: The Plan", his interactions with Junkrat imply that he's getting sick of Junkrat's impulsiveness, since it makes his job slightly more difficult than it has to be. This voice line in Junkertown cements it.
Roadhog: Time to pay off the queen! Aw... this is not a good plan.
Draw Aggro: One of the main reasons for his Tank status other than his huge health pool. He's unusual among tanks in that he doesn't have any shielding or global utility except for his ultimate, but his devastating hook/left-click combo gives him absurd kill pressure for a tank, meaning he can't be ignored in a teamfight, and if he isn't killed right away, he can simply heal himself, which also builds up his Ultimate fairly quickly. He's less of a bulky carry-protector and more of a damage sponge that has to be taken down quickly lest he wreak havoc.
The Dreaded: In "Wasted Land", three thieves were in the middle of robbing his house and one of them wanted them to be as quiet as possible and didn't believe her partner when he claimed that he could kill Roadhog. Apparently, there were other thieves who had tried to rob Roadhog, but it cost them their lives, and when Roadhog breaks down the door and gives them a Death Glare, all she says is "We're dead".
Early-Bird Cameo: He appeared on an early promotional poster for Overwatch when it was revealed by Blizzard at a 2014 Blizzcon event. Come 2015...
Even Evil Has Standards: Despite being a nihilistic psychopath who wants to inflict pain on the world as retribution for annexing him from the outback, he hates Junkertown for how it encourages lawlessness and its mistreatment of ALF veterans. Roadhog is only nice to those who are nice to him, and (judging by the interactions) people prefer to work with Roadhog than Junkrat because he knows how to keep his mouth shut. He's also shown to be respectful to Ana and Lucio.
Roadhog: Stay out of trouble, nana.
Ana: As long as you get into plenty.
Roadhog: (Laughs) Yes, ma'am!
Evil Is Bigger: He is among the most naturally tall characters in the game, and is an asocial anarchist.
Evil Laugh: He sometimes lets out a very sinister chortle, only to begin to hack and wheeze. It's possible all the Hogdrogen he has to take to stave off the radiation has ruined his lungs. When he drops his ult, he does this for about six seconds while mercilessly emptying his Scrap Gun. It's also an emote.
Evil Laugh Turned Coughing Fit: He has a penchant for Evil Laughs but also a recurring habit of dissolving into coughing fits and heavy wheezing. This is decidedly not Played for Laughs given just how deep and frightening his voice is, and when tying in with his immense girth and the fact he's wearing a gas mask at all times, the overall effect is actually quite intimidating and unsettling.
Evil Sounds Deep: He's a highly dangerous rampaging criminal, and his voice is by far the deepest and most guttural in the game. Evidently, that Hogdrogen he has to constantly inhale to stave off radiation poisoning hasn't done wonders for his voice.
Evil Virtues: Roadhog does honour the deals he makes. In Wasted Land, when one of the thieves offers his possessions in exchange for safety, Roadhog lets all three of them escape unharmed. He also hates the population of Junkertown (with the exception of Bruce) because they corrupted the ideals of the A.L.F. The A.L.F. just wanted to get their homes back, not to turn it into a sanctuary for criminals.
The Faceless: We don't know what he looks like underneath his gas mask. In fact, unlike Reaper, his face hasn't even been teased at or shown in any capacity thus far.
Facial Composite Failure: In comparison to Junkrat's wanted poster, whose face is fairly accurate, Roadhog's wanted poster face is... less so. Granted, we've never seen his actual face, either, but it's probably safe to assume that he's not a literal pig-man under that pig-like gas mask.
Failure Hero: Roadhog had legitimate reasons for his hatred towards omnics; they nearly caused an extinction event and they annexed him from his home. He tried to reclaim his home with the Australian Liberation Front, but the destruction of the omnium caused a catastrophic event that irradiated the outback and turned it into a haven for Junkers and any other criminals. His interactions with Bruce lean into this; Bruce still treats him as a friend and lets him have free hogdrogen "for old times sake", suggesting that Roadhog was considered a good person before things escalated with the A.L.F.
Fallen Hero: For a certain value of hero, but the meltdown sent him over the Despair Event Horizon, making him into the vicious criminal he is today. In "Wasted Land", one of the Queen's thugs and Roadhog's old friend Bruce allowed Roadhog to have some liberties, "for old times sake".
Fan Disservice: His Olympic sport of choice is diving. He wears a Speedo.
Fantastic Drug: His Hogdrogen gas, whose container has the following text written on it:
HOGDROGEN, COMPRESSED
Please consult instructions before using. Improper handling of device can cause serious injury, death, or mass destruction.
UN 3498885 2
Fantastic Racism: Like his partner, Roadhog would rather see all Omnics as scrap metal than ever coexist with them after the Omnic Crisis, which robbed him of the well-being of his homeland Australia after his attempts to fix the crisis actually made it worse. To him, this wouldn't have happened to Australia if Omnics never existed.
Fat Comic Relief: He's not as humorous as his partner Junkrat but a lot of his sprays seem to run on this due to pig connotations and Roadhog wearing a speedo in two of his sprays.
Fat and Proud: Judging by his "Little Piggy" highlight intro, he is unashamed of his weight. In the "Going Legit" comic, Junkrat is more offended than him when a police officer regards him as "the fat one."
Fat and Skinny: The fat partner to the skinny Junkrat.
Fat Bastard: Dangerously obese, ruthless, and as violent as they come. Gameplay-wise, he's among the most selfish of the Tank heroes, lacking any way to directly aid or protect the rest of his team, except for Pig Pen.
Faux Affably Evil: Compared to Junkrat's more pleasant disposition, Roadhog is considerably more aloof and openly malicious. He has his moments of civility and can be amusing when he wants to be, but is overall much more serious and violent than his partner is.
Fingore: His fingernails are black, and have been confirmed to not be because of nail polish.
Firing One-Handed: He holds his Scrap Gun with only one hand while he fires scrap metal from it.
From Nobody to Nightmare: From an angry man who was made homeless after the Omnic Crisis affected Australia, to one of the most dangerous criminals in the world.
Gatling Good: His primary weapon is a makeshift shotgun that can be turned into a crank-operated minigun for his Whole Hog ultimate. The minigun knocks back enemies and deals heavy damage in enclosed spaces but it falls apart once the ultimate finishes.
Get Out!: Roadhog uses this phrase when the enemy team attempts to capture an objective he's defending.
Roadhog: You're in my house. Get out!
A Glass in the Hand: When one of the queen's thugs calls him a pig, Roadhog crushes the beer mug in his hand before handing the group their collective backsides.
Grappling-Hook Pistol: Subverted in that he throws the hook, but there's a winch mechanism attached to his back that presumably does the heavy pulling.

H-Z

Ham and Deadpan Duo: The Deadpan to Junkrat's Ham.
Handicapped Badass: He suffers from radiation poisoning, requiring him to inhale Hogdrogen to fight off its effects. He also appears to either have melanoma or is extremely close to developing it, judging by the gigantic moles on his sunburnt back. None of this stops him from being one of the setting's most notorious criminals.
Heal Thyself: Unlike all other tanks, which have some ability to block damage, Roadhog's survivability comes from simply absorbing large amounts of damage and healing it with his Take A Breather ability.
The Hermit: Roadhog has a high value of his privacy and wants to be left alone. He ended up partnering with Junkrat as his personal bodyguard, who soon became his housemate.
Hidden Depths:
- Apparently, he has an appreciation for beautiful landscapes, and if he spawns on either Ilios or Nepal, he will comment that it's a shame that he has to kill someone there.
- As revealed by his comic, he can be very introspective, reflecting on what "people" or "the world" "deserve".
- Roadhog also seems to have a fondness towards music as he parodies a line from Snoop Dogg's "Gin and Juice" ^Note and has a headbanging emote. One of his interactions has him say there's no such thing as too much bass.
  Lucio: I think I've added too much bass to my new track.
  Roadhog: No such thing.
Hitbox Dissonance: Roadhog's hook has a deceptively large hitbox, which is pretty average horizontally but utterly ridiculous vertically, being nearly twice as tall as most characters. This can be used to hook someone from above their head, even if you can't see them.
Homage: Roadhog's general aesthetic is an homage to Mad Max, with his Post-Apunkalyptic Armor, Australian origin, and vehicular name. Blizzard acknowledges that Immortan Joe from Mad Max: Fury Road in particular was the main inspiration for his character design.
Hooks and Crooks: Uses a huge chained hook to catch opponents. He also punches with it as his melee attack.
Hunter of His Own Kind: Roadhog's ludicrous kill potential, while usually more effective to be used on squishier healers or DPS enemies, can also easily shut down tanks due to their larger hitboxes, making them easier to hook onto and making his Scrap Gun's damage all the more chunkier. That alone might not be able to completely kill them, but the damage is still far from negligible and will usually put them in a vulnerable spot to die seconds afterwards. Oftentimes, the biggest pain for a Roadhog player is another Roadhog player.
Improbable Aiming Skills: "Wasted Land" showcases his skills at grabbing people with his hook.
Intelligible Unintelligible: In the "Going Legit" comic, most of Roadhog's dialogue consists of "...", though Junkrat understands him just fine.
Intergenerational Friendship: With Junkrat, for a certain value of "friendship", but still he's his bodyguard and is twenty-three years older than him.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Despite being a remorseless, psychopathic killer, Roadhog is not without a softer side.
- He's usually an outright dick towards Junkrat, though he's shown at various points that he genuinely cares about his boss outside of his role as bodyguard.
- In "Wasted Land", he allows three thieves to escape after one of them offered money, scrap metal and weapons; given his reputation, you'd expect him to kill them, then take the items.
- Some of his interactions with the other Heroes, such as Ana, D.Va and Lucio show that he's capable of holding a conversation without being outright rude.
Jiggle Physics: His stomach is shown to jiggle when he fires and reloads his shotgun, particularly in "Wasted Land".
Little Guy, Big Buddy: Roadhog's bodyguard duty means not only is he protecting Junkrat from other criminals, it has him basically babysitting Junkrat to protect the skinny idiot from his own recklessness.
Kevlard: He is ridiculously fat and incredibly muscled, wears little to no body armor, and ties with D.Va for the most HP of any Hero in the game at 600. It hasn't been explained how he's more durable than a man clad entirely in futuristic armor, an armored gorilla, and a large Omnic that can stop a car with one hand. A common fan theory is that he became a Mutant following the Omnium explosion, which stems from the fact that he originally was portrayed as an unambiguous mutant in the original concepts.
Knockback: Whole Hog's flak barrage not only inflicts damage, but it also pushes enemies back, something that the Scrap Gun normally can't do, making it doubly difficult to deal with near pits. When it pushes enemies onto walls, Whole Hog gets to do its terrifying damage. Ironically, Orisa's Fortify makes her even more vulnerable to Whole Hog, as the knockback doesn't affect her, but the damage does.
Knuckle Tattoos: Wears a set of rings on his left hand that spell out "LEFT".
Lack of Empathy: Upon seeing the ruins of Eichenwalde, he just laughs at the ruins when other characters look in shock and promise to protect their homelands.
Land Downunder: He hails from Australia, and while it wasn't originally an uninhabitable wasteland before the game began, it sure became one. Notably, though, he seems to integrate traits with New Zealand, with his "Toa" and "Islander" skins bringing to mind the Māori, and he mentions "wop-wops" in one voice clip.
Laughing Mad: Most of his emotes involve maniacal laughter and many of his voice lines are rather demented.
Made of Iron: Subtle, but noticeable when you compare his health bar with other Tanks. The rest have either armor or shields to make up their large health pool, but Roadhog has none at all, yet ties with D.Va's mecha in having the most total health in the game at 600.
- In-universe, there is the fact that all the other Tank heroes have something justifying their "tankiness"; they either wear armor, have personal shield generators, pilot enclosed mecha, or are armored machines themselves. In Hog's case, he is a guy walking around almost shirtless.
Malevolent Masked Men: He's a killer who wears a pig-themed gas mask.
Meaningful Name:
- During his early years as a bandit biker, he "hogged" the road, killing anyone and anything in his way and refusing all offers of peace or alliances. Junkrat might be the first long-time partner he has ever had.
- His first name was taken from the mako shark, a large, powerful, and terrifying member of the mackerel sharks. It is also a Māori word meaning "shark" or "shark tooth", which explains the Spikes of Villainy on his costume and weapons.
- One of his Legendary skins (also named "Mako") actually switches his pig mask out for a shark one made out of skin that was taken from a shark.
Metalhead: Judging by his cheer (headbanging and sign of the horns), he loves metal.
Mighty Glacier: The straightest example of all the tanks: Roadhog has the highest health, self-healing, a powerful Short-Range Shotgun, and no movement ability at all — instead, he has two abilities that counter an opponent's mobility.
Morality Pet: Not Junkrat, who Roadhog seems to regard as a useful annoyance at best. In general, he seems willing to write off the whole Junker population as the sort of scum he thinks the world deserves. Except for one: an elderly mechanic named Bruce who serves as his gas supplier. They appear to be quite amicable with each other, and Roadhog considers him to be the one bright spot in the entire ramshackle hellhole that is Junkertown.
More Dakka: His Ultimate has him jam a large amount of scrap into his gun and crank it out for 8 seconds of continuous fire.
Nerf: He received a rather significant one in June 2017 that cut down on his Scrap Gun's damage, demoting his status as a terrifying insta-kill machine, with Blizzard finding his hook/one-shot combo being too much of an effective death sentence for how simple it was. He would later get side-buffed in other respects, such as increasing his fire speed, giving him a slightly larger magazine, and also tweaking his self-heal to improve his survivability, and it wasn't until August 2020 where he was finally given a bit of damage back.
Never My Fault: His final monologue in "Wasted Land" indicates that he blames the world for the Outback's destruction and he believes that his and Junkrat's crime spree is retribution for what has happened to them. This is also the reason why he hates the Omnics; he believes that the Outback wouldn't have been irradiated if the Omnics never existed. While he did have some legitimate grievances this is still pretty hard to swallow. The escalating violence and nuclear destruction of the Omnium were after a peace treaty had been reached, and it would have been easy to simply move away.
Not Even Bothering with the Accent: Speaks with a generic American accent, despite his background as a native of the Australian Outback. Made more noticeable by the fact that his partner, Junkrat, sports a prominent Australian accent.
No Sense of Humor: He lets the louder Junkrat do the talking, and when Junkrat tries to make a joke with him or tries to get him to socialise by mentioning a joke he allegedly made, Roadhog either responds with an annoyed grunt or telling Junkrat to shut up.
Not So Above It All:
- Roadhog appears to be the opposite of Junkrat due to his seriousness and refusal of speech, but in the comics and trailers, he's shown to be enjoying the adventures that he and Junkrat go on. One of his pre-battle lines in King's Row has him directly admitting that he misses the crown he stole.
- His Year of the Dog emote named "Best Friend" involves him taking out a pachimari plushie and squeezing it, before quickly putting it away before anyone can see it.
Not with Them for the Money: "Wasted Land" implies that while he sees the need for it, he doesn't commit crimes to acquire money, but to rain pain and havoc upon the rest of the world for standing by while his homeland burned.
Odd Friendship: Some of Roadhog's interactions with Junkrat indicate a friendship, but a majority of the time, it's basically a job that Roadhog is paid to do. One of Roadhog's interactions has him threatening to leave Junkrat: "One of these days I'm just gonna leave you." "Wasted Land" tries to give an answer, though it leaves their friendship in question due to Junkrat being a Motor Mouth and Roadhog hating talkers. In sprays and "Reflections", a friendship seems to be displayed between the two.
Older Sidekick: Without Junkrat's misguided schemes and erratic ambition, Mako would never have pulled himself away from the outskirts of Junkertown (he believed it to be impossible), much less rampage around the world.
One-Hit Kill: His Scrap Gun, hook or not, can usually kill most non-tanks at close range.
One-Man Army: An unarmed Roadhog single-handedly defeated four of the Queen's goons in "Wasted Land".
Ornamental Weapon: Carries another shotgun on his back that he never uses in battle.
Pet the Dog:
- Roadhog is a cynical misanthrope, but aside from Junkrat on a good day, he spares sincere respect for Bruce, an elderly Junker who not only supplies Roadhog his Hogdrogen, but is considered a longtime friend, being one of the few "good people" that still exists in the world as per Roadhog's worldview.
- Overwatch 2 added a pre-match interaction where he shows an uncharacteristically gentle, even affectionate-sounding side towards Ana, warmly calling her "nana" and "ma'am".

Pig Man: Invoked, Roadhog's mask resembles the face of a pig and his burly build emphasises his pig motif. His sprays are more direct, with Free Pig and Emblem being humanoid pigs.
The Pig-Pen: The appropriately themed "Pig Pen" skin, which has him covered in mud.
Post-Apunkalyptic Armor: Wears attire that wouldn't be uncommon in an Apunkalypse setting. However, he's the only person in Junkertown who actually bothers to wear one anymore.
Psychopathic Manchild: While he's far more serious than his partner in crime Junkrat, in his and Junkrat's "A Moment in Crime" trailer, Roadhog is shown using his hook to steal ice cream and is seen running off with a pile of toys in an arcade. His Year of the Dog emote named "Best Friend" involves him taking out a pachimari plushie and squeezing it, before quickly putting it away before anyone can see it.
Psycho for Hire: He begrudgingly agreed to be Junkrat's bodyguard after being promised 50% of their spoils. In "Going Legit" both he and Junkrat were hired to rescue some hostages from Omnic Terrorists. This turned out to be a trap, as the businessman was simply using them to gain the insurance money and possibly claim their $25,000,00 bounty. In "Junkertown: The Plan", Roadhog was the only one to take the stolen wealth into consideration when Junkrat nearly lit the fuse. In "Wasted Land", he left three thieves alive because one of them offered his weapon, money, and scrap metal. Even though he has a history of killing those who try to rob him.
Put Them All Out of My Misery: He isn't an apocalyptic threat (despite his "one-man apocalypse" boasting), but his grievance with the world has shades of this. Mako has fought and sacrificed for his homeland and seen it deteriorate into a savage wasteland for his trouble, which has led him to conclude that the world is a harsh, cruel, and uncaring place that deserves the kind of turmoil people like Junkrat and himself bring into it.
The Quiet One:
- In the "Going Legit" comic, Roadhog communicates through ellipses that only Junkrat understands, and he only says a single word in the "Junkertown: The Plan" short. In gameplay, he can speak just fine, but he doesn't say much, only really speaking to Junkrat (and in one case Cassidy on the subject of the bounties on their heads). Everything else tends to be a lot more focused on the battle rather than making small talk.
- In "Wasted Land", the only times the reader understands what Roadhog is saying is through his thought bubbles. When Roadhog is speaking to another character the words aren't shown and are shown as "...". This seems to suggest that due to his mask muffling his voice, people can only understand him when they are in earshot. The only time when both the reader and a character understand what Roadhog says is when Roadhog tells Junkrat his price for protection.
Real Men Wear Pink: He seems to be a big fan of Pachimari plushies and cutesy cartoon pigs.
Recursive Ammo: Between his debut to November 2023, Roadhog's Scrap Gun had two different firing modes: a simple shotgun blast, and launching a ball of scrap that would then explode into a shotgun blast after a short distance. The ball itself dealt minimal damage, but enemies that could be hit in that sweet spot would end up eating what was effectively a full-force shotgun blast from a few feet further away, giving Roadhog a slight poking option. This was removed following the November 2023 rework, which changed Roadhog's Scrap Gun to both fire the shotgun blast and launch a centered volley of scrap chunks that deal heavier damage in a fixed pattern, giving him a much more consistent way to deal mid-range damage.
Red Baron: In "Wasted Land", he's nicknamed "The Hog" by the thieves.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Blue Oni to Junkrat's Red Oni.
Retired Badass: He was one before meeting Junkrat.
Retired Monster: He is a veteran of the Australian Liberation Front and was on the front lines in the civil war for the Outback. The Outback became irradiated when the fusion core of the Omnium exploded, and Roadhog was forced to adapt and become a ruthless psychopath. At some point, he quit as a Junkertown enforcer and soon returned to his former life as a reclusive farmer. He developed money trouble and soon agreed to be Junkrat's bodyguard for 50% of his treasure as well as his own personal reasons.
Rock Beats Laser: In stark contrast to the rest of the cast using highly advanced and futuristic weapons and equipment, Roadhog's means of combat consist of weapons built entirely from scrap. His Scrap Gun literally fires scrap at his enemies, and yet it has some of the game's most direct killing potential.
Scary Impractical Armor: He's feared by anyone in Junkertown who tries to rob him, but his armor is only practical for the Outback. His trademark gas mask doesn't let him see what's directly in front of him and his outfit doesn't give him any form of protection from melee or ranged attacks.
Shadow Archetype: Like the other Tanks, he has a history of protecting his home from invading Omnics (D.Va and Zarya in the present, Reinhardt during the Omnic Crisis in the past, and Winston wanting to prevent a second one in the future by rebooting Overwatch), but destroyed everything he loved in the process, turning him into a deranged brute. Can also work this way to Lúcio; while Lúcio's fight for freedom succeeded and freed his people, Roadhog's fight for freedom backfired horribly and made his people suffer.
Shell-Shocked Veteran: His nihilism and stoicism is a result of the civil war between the Australian Liberation Front and the Omnic refugees. He hates Junkertown because it's a reminder of his loss; not only that, but he's been molded by the harsh, cutthroat society that he unintentionally created.
Short-Range Shotgun: For a vast majority of its existence, Roadhog's Scrap Gun is a perfect example of this trope in action, even compared to other users such as Reaper, where a target at point-blank range will more often than not be One-Hit Killed by it, while to targets at medium range, it might deal Scratch Damage at best. This was downplayed a bit following his November 2023 rework, which tweaked the behavior to its current state: while it's still built to deal heavy damage in close range, firing the gun — in addition to firing small scrap pellets in a cone — also fires more condensed and damaging balls of shrapnel in the center, giving him a more consistent option for mid-range damage.
The Silent Bob: The way he is portrayed in promotional media, despite speaking regularly in the actual game. For example, the "Junkertown: The Plan" animated short has Junkrat understanding Roadhog's argument despite him only silently dampening Junkrat's matches and explosive fuse. The "Going Legit" comic has Roadhog only speak in ellipses, although Junkrat understands him perfectly.
Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids!: When he and Zarya are on the same team in Eichenwalde, she'll claim that Russia will not fall to the Omnics as the aforementioned town did. Roadhog simply responds with a cruel, skeptical laugh. This also applies to the "Going Legit" comic, where Junkrat tells him off for being skeptical about starting honest work and going legit.
Simple, yet Awesome: Roadhog is one of the most simple characters in the game, with a playstyle that revolves almost entirely around hooking an enemy and then killing them, and then healing when necessary. However, he is also one of the most effective characters in the game, capable of turning the tide of a battle by hooking one troublesome enemy, such as a Bastion or almost anyone about to use an Ultimate.
Spikes of Villainy: His outfit and weapons have spikes all over the place, and he's a Villain Protagonist.
Start of Darkness: He was once a decent man who had good intentions for his people, but the anti-Omnic rebellion he staged to get their homes back worked... a little too well (see his backstory above). It's implied that the immense guilt he had for his part in turning his country into a toxic wasteland, combined with watching his people suffer because of his actions and his incredible rage at the entire unfairness of it all, drove him deep into madness and turned him into the infamous criminal he is today.
Still Wearing the Old Colors: Still wears his Junker attire, despite having cut ties with them.
The Stoic: Roadhog shows very little to no emotions other than anger and sadistic laughter. He is also a man of a few words and allows the louder Junkrat to do the talking as long as Roadhog isn't involved. If Junkrat mentions him, then he will either respond with an annoyed grunt or telling Junkrat to shut up.
The Stoner: Of a sort. He's a habitual user of a fictional drug called "Hogdrogen", basically a special type of gas, which functions as a gameplay mechanic aptly called Take a Breather, allowing him to restore his health.
Stout Strength: Despite all of his girth, Roadhog can pull anyone, be it Bastion or Reinhardt, to him with a good tug on his chain.
Straight Man: Plays one to Junkrat in the "Going Legit" comic. He repeatedly reminds Junkrat about the conditions of their job, while his partner forgets or brushes off all of the details outside of "kill Omnics".
Straw Nihilist: He has low views of humanity and thinks pessimistically about everything. This is shown in Eichenwalde when witnessing the aftermath of the crisis, he responds by cruelly laughing as other heroes make solemn vows to protect their countries. In "Going Legit", he voices his pessimism when Junkrat speaks of his optimism towards leaving the life of crime.
Sword and Gun: He is the only hero to wield a gun and a melee weapon at the same time.
Taking You with Me: If he's been knocked off into a pit, he can make a last-ditch revenge effort by hooking the attacker to him, sending them to their death with him. While it may not work on Heroes with mobility-improving abilities (such as Genji, D.Va, or Pharah), there's virtually nothing to lose from trying.
Tattooed Crook: Has a large pig tattoo centered around his belly button (which is shaped like a pig's snout).
Terse Talker: Roadhog isn't a fan of talking, and when he does speak, it's usually brief and straightforward.
Tiny-Headed Behemoth: Proportionally speaking, his head is fairly small compared to the rest of him if you don't catch it at first glance.
Tragic Villain: All Mako Rutledge wanted was the freedom of his people, who had been sold out to Omnics by the Australian government. But the very same fight for freedom instead backfired out of his control and turned his homeland into a radioactive wasteland. The combination of horror and guilt at his actions and the ensuing environment made Mako snap, and he became the ruthless terrorist Roadhog.
Trap Master: As of his November 2023 rework, Roadhog has the ability to place down the Pig Pen, a landmine-like trap that, when triggered, explodes with energy that slightly knocks around, damages, and slows enemies. This can be used in a variety of different ways to make him more deadly — Roadhog can place it at his feet so anyone he hooks will almost assuredly die on the spot, he can use it to close off an exit route to ensure his victim doesn't escape alive, and he can also place it around his backline to deter attempted dives on his allies.
Unorthodox Reload: Roadhog reloads by shoving a handful of scrap into his break-open gun. Not enough? His ultimate adds a crank-powered hopper that holds together for about eight seconds before falling apart in his hands.
Unskilled, but Strong: Compared to the other tank heroes who have military training and possess shields or use offensive/defensive protection, Roadhog's main skill is to use his hook to drag any unfortunate soul towards him, regardless of them being a robot, in a mech, or in armor. Also compared to other tanks, Roadhog's weapons are not very advanced and are custom-made with unusual ammo.
Unusually Uninteresting Sight: He doesn't have much to say when he sees the earth from space, only saying "well, okay then".
Unwitting Pawn: In the comic short "Going Legit", he and Junkrat are hired by a wealthy Corrupt Corporate Executive to take the fall for an insurance fraud scheme under the guise of "rescuing" some factory workers from Omnic terrorists. Once Roadhog and Junkrat catch on, they kill the guy by hanging him with chains several hundred stories high in the air and then blowing him (and his office building) to kingdom come.
Vader Breath: Roadhog's poor health and gas mask make it so his breathing is really heavy. Notable in that even if you're trying to be stealthy by crouch-walking (muting your footsteps), his breathing (and clanking of his chains) can still be heard through walls.
Vagabond Buddies: Junkrat and Roadhog have travelled around the world together in pursuit of revenge against The Queen of Junkertown. The authenticity of their friendship is yet to be defined.
[Verb] This!: Early on in the game's life, Roadhog used to shout "Eat! This!" while casting his ultimate. Now it's just evil laughter.
Villain Protagonist: He's an infamous criminal and murderer, and Junkrat's partner in crime, but also one of the playable characters.
Villain Takes an Interest: The main reason he saved Junkrat from the queen’s goons — thinking the world deserves both of them.
Villainous Underdog: Like his companion, Junkrat, Roadhog is an outcast in Junkertown due to his solitary nature and for being a veteran of the A.L.F during their fight against the Omnics. He believes the Junkers have disgraced the ideals of the Australian Liberation Front by turning Junkertown into a sanctuary for criminals. Unlike Junkrat, Roadhog is asocial and thinks little of Junkertown.
Visible Silence: In the comics, Roadhog rarely speaks and only says a word or two when he wants to. Junkrat is able to understand him but the reader only sees Roadhog's dialogue as ellipses, even though it has been established that Roadhog's mask doesn't affect his voice and he's capable of speaking clearly.
Vitriolic Best Buds: He seems to have this relationship with Junkrat, as while he has some cruel quotes towards his boss, he also has his moments where he shows cares about him. In Junkrat's case, he takes it very personally when other people insult or eliminate Roadhog... since Junkrat is the only one allowed to do so. They also tend to both have coordinated sprays (and even high-five each other in their dances).
- An interesting study of this comes from a pre-battle interaction: In the normal game, Junkrat says "You hook 'em, I'll cook 'em!", to which Roadhog either grumbles or tells him to shut up, but in the PTR, Roadhog will say "I'll hook 'em!", then Junkrat finishes with "And I'll cook 'em!"
- In "Wasted Land", it reveals that Junkrat and Roadhog met in a bar. Junkrat was being interrogated by three thugs sent by the Queen of Junkertown and Roadhog had no interest in protecting him, despite Junkrat nervously shouting the percentage offer of his treasure to Roadhog. Roadhog only intervened because one of the thugs kept insulting him; after defeating all of the thugs, he regarded Junkrat as an idiot and told him that he'll join him for 50% of Junkrat's treasure. The final quote seems to sum up their relationship.
  Roadhog: He's a liar. Lies to himself, most of all. But he's not the quiet type. The world deserves him. Deserves both of us. And we'll make sure they don't forget it.
Walking Shirtless Scene: Both he and Junkrat never wear shirts (probably due to Australia's blistering heat, shoulder gear notwithstanding), but unlike Junkrat, who's scrawny yet all muscle, Roadhog is all fat belly and huge muscles.
What a Drag: His hook is used to break formations and drag enemies into pits, traffic, or off cliffs (or, failing any of that, into the optimal range of his own Scrap Gun).
We Used to Be Friends: In "Wasted Land", Roadhog seemed to have had friends within Junkertown; however, Bruce is the only friendship that Roadhog somewhat maintains. Before the bar fight, one of the Queen's goons threateningly told Roadhog that he'll leave him alone "for old times' sake", which suggests that Roadhog was partnered with the goon while he was a Junkertown enforcer. One interaction with the Queen of Junkertown reveals he was once a member of The Wreckers and his response implies they ended on bad terms.
Queen of Junkertown: Mako, the Wreckers want you back. Thought you might like to know.
Roadhog: (Meaningful grunt)
Queen of Junkertown: Ha! They'll hate that. I'll pass it along.
White Hair, Black Heart: Has white hair, and is a notorious criminal.
You Will Not Evade Me: His hook to pull enemies towards him, and that includes when they're airborne. After they're pulled in, they'll be stunned just long enough for a shotgun blast that can deal pretty massive damage to most heroes.
Younger Than They Look: With his raggedy appearance and grey hair, it's easy to mistake Roadhog for being older than 48 years, especially since the audience never sees how aged his face looks.

Characters / Overwatch: Roadhog

Mako Rutledge / Roadhog

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Characters / Overwatch: Roadhog

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Mako Rutledge / Roadhog

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