He’s really supposed to be more focused on this very specific thing that happened to him, which is that his body and his mind were literally ripped apart by the momentary exposure to a black hole. “But with the idea of the character, we never intended him to be an example of someone who’s going through mental health issues. “It’s interesting, because I can see how people in the community have identified with Sigma as someone who is struggling or dealing with mental health issues,” Chu said.
When I had the chance to sit down with three Overwatch developers, including lead writer Michael Chu, I asked about the animation and whether it was an intentional depiction of mental illness.
Floating equations are liberally used throughout the narrative, reminiscent of A Beautiful Mind’s depiction of a mathematician dealing with schizophrenia. In Sigma’s origin video, he is restrained. It’s a convenient shorthand for unpredictability, violence, or loss of control that appeals to a primal fear - and unfortunately, that can contribute to the real-life stigma around mental illness. Padded rooms, abandoned asylums, and straitjackets are all imagery that is liberally used in media.
But when you’ve been in the mental health system your entire life, it’s easy to see how parts of that experience have evolved into common cultural tropes and archetypes. Today, my health is much better managed, and I take a cocktail of medications and see a surfeit of professionals to ensure it stays that way. I’ve struggled with mental illness my entire life, including in-patient stints in hospitals.