From a gameplay standpoint, hero skin themes are a group of Hero skins, which are cosmetic changes that change a Hero's appearance, that form part of a shared theme and can be of several types.
From the story standpoint, these shared themes represent different realms within the Nexus. These realms can be a new world in the Nexus such as those forming part of the lore of Luxoria and Raven Court, an entirely new unique realm with no related map, an alternative timeline to one of the main franchises, or merging characters from one franchise into another.
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Independent Realms
Dark Nexus
The Dark World Evil Counterpart to the Nexus.
Characters: Alarak, Deathwing, Fenix, Gul'dan, Tassadar
For more information, see its entry on Other Characters.
Luxoria
An Ancient Egypt-themed realm. The kingdom was nearly overrun by a vicious Silithid swarm, but the Pharaoh Ta-Sadar lifted the land into the Nexus to save it.
Characters: Brightwing, Chromie, Kharazim, Tassadar, Xul, Zagara
- Adaptational Villainy: Xul in this realm is an Evil Chancellor and Jafar's Expy.
- Floating Continent: Luxoria floats in the sky, although the landmass is deep enough to house the Tomb of the Spider Queen inside of it.
- The Good King: Pharaoh Ta-Sadar. He was the last pharaoh and saved his realm from destruction by pulling it into the Nexus.
MechaStorm
Neo-Stormwind is a futuristic version of Earth that features an ongoing battle between the mecha and kaijo. The Mechas are sentient fighting machines developed by humanity to combat the Kaijos, as well the mysterious Xenotech. Kaijo are a race of creatures that apparently had their origin in Tristram Labs, as the city's government utilized nuclear power. These monsters currently plague the continent of Africa, but have some have been sighted at Neo-Stormwind.
The Caldeum Acropolis is a cybernetics-driven city in the same realm run by massive corporations instead of governments. The streets are ruled by the Azure Dragon, Vermillion Bird, Ivory Tiger and Onyx Turtle gangs, while the sinister Jigoku Cybernetics Corporation is planning something... evil down below.
The Caldeum Acropolis is a cybernetics-driven city in the same realm run by massive corporations instead of governments. The streets are ruled by the Azure Dragon, Vermillion Bird, Ivory Tiger and Onyx Turtle gangs, while the sinister Jigoku Cybernetics Corporation is planning something... evil down below.
Characters: Abathur, Anduin, Anub'arak, The Butcher, Chromie, Diablo, Dehaka, Kharazim, Lúcio, Malthael, Rehgar, Tassadar, Tyrael, Valla, Yrel, Zarya
- Affectionate Parody: Of both the Kaiju and Super Robot genres.
- A.I. Is a Crapshoot: The D3-H4K4 unit's AI reportedly has stopped following commands, to instead absorb essence from the fallen Kaijo it defeats.
- Animesque: Easily the most Anime realm (at least the Neo-Stormwind parts).
- Arc Welding: The Caldeum Complex skins seem at first like an entirely separate realm to that of Neo-Stormwwind, until the description for Cyber Oni Anub'arak confirms Jigoku Cybernetics based it off of the mech Cyb'arak, which was created by the Kaijoverse company Frozen Throne Technologies.
- The reveal of the full story behind the company Jigoku also retroactively establishes Cyberdemon Zarya as being a part of this universe, as the name existed in that skin's flavor text ever since it launched.
- Big Bad: Xenotech Abathur is setup as one. Jigoku Cybernetics is one specifically for the Caldeum Acropolis sub-theme of skins.
- Cyberpunk: The Caldeum Acropolis is just reveling in it.
- Cybernetics Eat Your Soul: Lúcio was once another gang member, but was turned into the evil Speed Demon cyborg by Jigoku.
- Enemy Mine: The Onyx Turtles and Azure Dragons join forces to combat Jigoku Corporation.
- Foreshadowing: There exist several sprays for robotic versions of other characters: Azmodan, Chen, Kerrigan, Malthael (which became real), Ragnaros, Samuro, Zagara, Zeratul, and Zul'jin.
- Humongous Mecha: Mecha Valla and Mecha Yrel are multistory robots being piloted. Of course, thanks to Units Not to Scale, the robots are normal sized and the pilots are about an inch tall.
- Killed Off for Real: Xenotech Malthael's skin description states that Tyrael was destroyed under unknown circumstances, prompting his arrival as the second wave of the Xenotech invasion. This forced Anduin to put together the Humongousmecha Valla and Yrel and throw them into battle untested.
- Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: Chromie's street art seems to predict events that come true, although many suspect her gang is responsible for forcing things to pass via hacking.
- Mechanical Monster: The Butcher in this world is a perfect killing machine created by Jigoku Corporation, which is also styled after an Oni.
- Playful Hacker: When this universe's Chromie isn't making prophetic street art, she's cracking computers.
- Shout-Out: The Caldeum Acropolis is basically one big reference to Blade Runner, while the Mecha and Kaijo skins are ones to various Super Robot and Kaiju throughout the years.
Midgard
A futuristic realm with an aesthetic rooted in Norse Mythology, under constant threat from the Jotunheim Republic and their frost golem army. To this end, Midgard created the Thunder Guard to protect them.
Characters: Zarya
- Magitek: Very much implied to be the case.
- Shout-Out: The realm as a whole may be based after the Marvel Cinematic Universe's much more science-fiction rooted interpretation of the Thor mythos.
Mistharbour
A Pirate-themed Wretched Hive realm from the Nexus.
Characters: Cassia, Falstad, Hogger, Stukov
- Dressed to Plunder: The main aesthetic of the realm.
- Ghost Pirate: Admiral Krakenov was a mutinied captain who returned as a skeleton with an octopus wrapped around him.
- Hook Hand: Oddly enough, Falstad's parrot, Krakenov, and Hogger all have hook feet.
- Salvage Pirates: Hogger's Itchyleg fleet finds any shipwreck and strips it to timbers in just a few minutes.
Mystic Kingdoms
A realm with a distinctly Eastern theme, based on Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Journey to the West.
Characters: Arthas, Samuro
- Monkey King Lite: Samuro is one, with his abilities already making him a perfect candidate for the role.
- Wuxia: The realm's general aesthetic.
Mythic Pantheon
A realm based on the Greek gods.
Characters: Cassia, Tracer, Tyrande
- Amazon Brigade: So far, the only gods from this realm are women.
- Ancient Grome: The setting for this realm.
- Hellhound: The Cerberus mount, which looks like a big three-headed bulldog.
- Pegasus: Also available as a mount.
- Physical God: Cassia, Tracer, and Tyrande are the goddesses of thunder, speed, and love respectively, but are perfectly capable of being killed.
New Tristram City
New Tristram City is a Wretched Hive run by the Scarlet Mafia. You would have to be insane to try and rob from their famous casino. Fortunately, that's exactly what the newest syndicate in town has going for them.
Characters: Junkrat, Orphea, Sgt. Hammer, Whitemane
- Big Rotten Apple: New Tristram is a stand-in for 1920s New York, and filled with all the tropes you'd expect from that era.
- Cliché Storm: The realm is jam-packed with every mobster crime movie cliché out there, in the best way possible.
- Getaway Driver: Sgt. Hammer is this for the gang. It's just that her "away" happens to include crashing through a few bank vaults.
- The Mafia: This realm's Scarlet Crusade is a crime family.
- Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: All of Orphea's gang are former Scarlet goons who were fed up of being extorted and used.
Nexomania!
A luchador-themed world and the greatest wrestling event in the multiverse!
Characters: Diablo, ETC, Garrosh, Imperius, Kharazim, Li Li, Lunara, Mal'Ganis, Sonya
- Gratuitous Spanish: Most of the skin names (as well as the event's Announcer) are in Spanish.
- Masked Luchador: All of the main competitors are this. Kharazim is instead a Boxing Battler while ETC is a mariachi player.
- Planet of Hats: An entire universe built around Mexican wrestling.
- Pro Wrestling Episode: The main plot of the universe is the tag-team of Hell's Screamers as well as the final showdown between veteran La Pantera Sonya and newcomer La Parca Lunara.
Pajamaland
A realm-sized Slumber Party.
Characters: Abathur, The Lost Vikings, Mei
- Pajama-Clad Hero: An entire realm of these.
- Weird Weather: This realm's version of Mei is studying the ever-increasing number of feather blizzards and snore-nados affecting Pajamaland.
Raven Court
A Dark Fantasy realm ruled over by the Raven Lord. Most Halloween event skins hail from this realm.
Characters: Alexstasza, Arthas, Greymane, Kerrigan, Maiev, Malthael, Nazeebo, Valeera, Valla, Whitemane, Zarya
- Amazon Brigade: The Raven Lord's four generals are all female.
- Big Bad Ensemble:
- Countess Sarah von Kerrigan and her vampire hordes, along with her suitor, the Crimson Count, aka Marquis Arthas du Menethil. On a wider scale, you have the warring Raven Lord and Grave Keeper, as well as the latter's minion, Grave Warden Malthael.
- The Raven Lord's generals - Spectral Wyrm Alexstrasza, Spider Warden Maiev, Cursed Witch Whitemane, and Phantom Knight Zarya. They march alongside the Dark Nexus heroes and are leading the invasion of King's Crest.
- Dark Fantasy: The realm is populated by vampires and classic monsters.
- Enemy Civil War: One is ongoing between the forces of the Raven Lord and the undead armies of the Grave Keeper, the latter being led by Grave Warden Malthael. Neither of these groups have yet been linked to the ongoing conflict with the vampires.
- Gothic Horror: Their main aesthetic.
- La Résistance: One has formed to combat the vampire hordes, which includes Vampire Slayers Valla and V, as well as Greymane's counterpart Doctor Wolf.
- My Species Doth Protest Too Much: Valeera's counterpart, the Vampire Slayer V, has turned on her own kind in order to wipe them out.
- Shout-Out: A few.
- Vampire Slayer V is one to Vampire Hunter D.
- Doctor Wolf and Stein is a blatant one to Frankenstein and his monster, while his unique dance emote is the Get Schwifty dance coined by another grey-hired, unstable mad scientist.
Raven Court High School
An alternate version of Raven Court, set in a modern school.
Characters: Kerrigan, Leoric, Li-Ming, Orphea
- Almighty Janitor: The mighty Skeleton King in all his power appears here... as the janitor.
- Arc Welding: Kerrigan's cheerleader and Li-Ming's volleyball skins weren't originally part of a high school setting, instead being more general sports themed skins. They likely were added just to give this version of Orphea a Girl Posse to pose with at the end of her trailer.
- High School AU: The world is one of these for the Nexus.
S.T.O.R.M.
A realm themed after police dramas.
Characters: Greymane, Lt. Morales, Johanna
- Affectionate Parody: Of cop shows and movies, both serious and not.
- Cowboy Cop: Greymane has that spot covered, complete with run-ins with Da Chief.
- Drill Sergeant Nasty: Johanna seems to fill in that spot here.
- Fair Cop: All three of them. Greymane has the Silver Fox part down, seeing Morales' face shows She Cleans Up Nicely, and Johanna is fairly attractive herself.
- 20 Minutes into the Future: While their designs and cop drama motif are based in the modern day, their gear is quite a bit more advanced, putting the setting of S.T.O.R.M. in this category.
Superheroes vs Eternal Empire
Part Cyberpunk, part Space Opera, part Magical Girl themed realm.
Characters: Alexstrasza, Gazlowe, Kael'thas, Kel'Thuzad, Leoric, Li-Ming, Mal'Ganis, Medivh, Mephisto, Sonya, Tyrande, Whitemane
- Adaptational Heroism: Mal'Ganis in this world is a millionaire superhero named Malcom Ganis wearing Powered Armor. However, it's implied that the alien heart powering the suit is slowly driving him insane.
- Arc Welding: Originally, Earth vs Mars and Star Princess vs Eternal Empire were two separate themes. The release of Eagle Eye Tyrande welded them together.
- Big Bad Ensemble: Mad Martian Gazlowe, Dark Queen Alextrasza, Celestial Empress Whitemane and the Eternal Empire (Space Lord Leoric, Star Lich Kel'thuzad, and Star Wraith Mephisto) all have separate motivations and story.
- Mecha-Mooks: Star Wraiths, represented in-game by Star Wraith Mephisto, are a horde of machines used by the Eternal Empire to subjugate worlds.
- Shout-Out: Deserve special mentions for the sheer amount:
- Super Sonya's origin, of a time-displaced warrior from an ancient time, brings Samurai Jack to mind. Her cybernetic enhancements also reference Cable, more overtly so in the "Techno" tint, where she shares his color scheme.
- Star Princess Li-Ming is Sailor Moon in all but name. One of her alternate tints for it is "Thunder Star Princess" which gives her a similar color scheme to Sailor Jupiter. A second set of skins, Star Queen Li-Ming, is also a reference, being a reference to the various upgraded forms. It's alternate colors are Neo Star Queen and Eternal Star Queen, referanceing Sailor Moon's Neo-Queen Serenity and Eternal Sailor Moon forms.
- Space Lord Leoric is a Darth Vader expy while Star Lich Kel'thuzad is Expy of the Emperor.
- Cyberhawk Kael'thas has a bird-themed, cutting edge Power Armor that brings many other billionaire superheroes to mind, mainly Iron Man and Batman.
Toys!
A world created by the imagination of The Kid, a little boy playing with the toys he got for Christmas.
Characters: Dehaka, Mephisto, Qhira, Stitches, Valeera
- Early-Bird Cameo: The original teasers for the event showed plushy Mephisto and Butcher bears with Stitches. The Mephisto one became a thing in the following year, leaving The Butcher left to be added.
- Hostile Show Takeover: Toys II featured Tickle Mephisto taking over for The Kid, with a decidedly darker version of the event quest.
- Killer Teddy Bear: Downplayed with Cuddle Bear Stitches. Despite being Stitches, he's actually meant to be friendly and cuddly. Played completely straight with Mephisto, which is a badly damaged and utterly evil toy.
- Lightning Can Do Anything: Tickle Mephisto's description warns that exposure to electricity can cause it to develop an insatiable thirst for revenge.
- Punny Name: Tickle Mephisto plays off of the popular kids toy Tickle-Me Elmo.
- The Rival: In-universe, there's a fierce rivalry between people who like the Cosmic Force line of action figures and the people who like the Cosmonauts line of action figures.
- Toy Time: A whole world of teddy bears and posable action figures.
Viper Ascendant
A realm crushed beneath the tyrannical grip of the technologically-advanced terrorist organization Viper. This criminal paramilitary outfit serves as the military arm and leadership for the united world government, using ruthless tactics and army of fiercely loyal soldiers to conquer the world in merely two decades. Now, their terrifying agents stamp out insurrections wherever they might take root. Despite this, a secret resistance formed in the shadows, and are fighting back for the United States.
Characters: Ana, Blaze, Deckard, Genji, Hanzo, Stukov
- Alternate History: The realm takes place on an alternate Earth.
- Big Bad: Stukov, who rules the world as the Imperator.
- Cold Sniper: Ana's counterpart, Sidewinder, in contrast to her normally warm, if disciplined self.
- Early-Bird Cameo: The preview for the original skin set ends with a mysterious, unidentified figure punching the screen with the three agents on it, knocking down a picture of a little girl. This turns out to have been Blaze, setting up the Sequel Hook for next year.
- Expy: Motif wise, Viper resembles both Cobra and the Brotherhood of Nod. The new resistance set makes the GI Joe one far more blatant.
- La Résistance: Hanzo, Deckard, and Blaze have formed one and are fighting for their own personal reasons: Deckard is an Old Soldier who watched the United States fall, Hanzo is a black op on a mission to kill his brother Deathfang, and Blaze is on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge after Viper killed his daughter.
- Red and Black and Evil All Over: Viper's default color scheme.
- Wearing a Flag on Your Head: The 'Veteran' tint for Delta Hanzo has an American flag painted over his chest. A bit odd, since his name is still Hanzo Shimada in this universe.
Warchrome
A Mad Max styled realm ruled over by Garrosh's Outriders.
Characters: Azmodan, Deckard, Garrosh, Nazeebo, Nova, Qhira, Raynor
- After the End: The world takes place after an unknown doomsday event.
- The Apunkalypse: Its general aesthetic.
- Shout-Out: Plenty.
- Garrosh's title as the Warsong Outrider leader is Mad Axe.
- Azmodan's Dominus vile skin is derived heavily from Immortan Joe.
- Raynor's skin is a blatant Expy of Ghost Rider. The skin's backstory (of a lawman gone mad in a post-apocalyptic world) is also a reference to Max's backstory.
Diablo
The Burning Court
A realm deep within the inferno, themed heavily after sports.
Characters: Azmodan, Kerrigan, Li-Ming
- Ascended Meme: The Azmodunk meme being ascended as a legendary skin is the original basis for this realm.
- Denser and Wackier: The Eternal conflict between the Nephalem, the High Heavens, and the Burning Hells still rages... in the arena of sports. Kerrigan is a CHEERLEADER.
- Shout-Out: Azmodunk makes references to a number of generic basketball terms, but is overall a joke themed after Space Jam.
Standalone alternate history
What If? scenarios that show a very different Diablo universe.
Characters: Auriel, Diablo, Imperius, Tyrael, Valla
- Evil Counterpart: Demonic version of the Angels.
- Fallen Angel: Demonic Auriel is Auriel's soul trapped in a succubus' body after she was captured by Hell.
- Good Counterpart: Angelic version of Diablo.
- Swapped Roles: Diablo is one of the Archangels, while Tyrael is a Prime Evil and Imperius is a Sinlord. Auriel is exempt, since her version is her soul tortured and trapped in a demon's body.
StarCraft
Riksville
A classic Western-themed version of the planet Mar Sara.
Characters: Raynor, Valla
- The Western: The realm is rough and its law keepers are Gunslingers.
Shared alternate history - Protoss
A Feudal Japan themed timeline (still set in the StarCraft universe) with Protoss characters.
Characters: Artanis, Zeratul
- Badass Normal: Zeratul and Artanis have no psionic powers in this version.
- Rōnin: Zeratul became this after failing to protect his master.
Standalone alternate history
What If? scenarios with an emphasis on For Want Of A Nail situation.
Characters: Artanis, Kerrigan, Nova, Probius, Tychus, Zeratul
- Adaptational Villainy: Purifier Artanis, when compared to his regular self and the canon Purifiers. His first act on re-activation was to purge Aiur of Protoss life, then set out to wipe all organic life from the sector.
- For Want Of A Nail: The theme spend considerable time exploring these scenarios:
- High Templar/Executor Zeratul: What if Zeratul and Tassadar swapped roles in the story of StarCraft 1?
- Infested Tychus: What if Tychus got infested after Raynor shot him and left him on Char?
- Purifier Artanis: What if Artanis was brain-scanned instead of Fenix?
- Queen of Ghosts Kerrigan: What if Kerrigan was fully cleansed at the beginning of Heart of the Swarm?
- Spectre Nova: What if Nova become a Spectre with Tosh?
- Terran Probius: What if Probius was built as part of a Terran research program?
Warcraft
Alterac Pass
The armies of the Stormpike and Frostwolves.
Characters: Auriel, Garrosh, Johanna, Junkrat, Muradin, Rehgar, Valeera, Varian
- Adaptational Heroism: Unlike his canon version, High Warlord Garrosh remained loyal to Thrall and didn't go mad with power.
- Blind Seer: Drek'thar, though instead of receiving his vision from the elements, the Raven Lord saw fit to give him a vision of the Alliance's imminent invasion.
- Gondor Calls for Aid: The Alliance forces, led by Grand Marshal Varian and Vanndar Stormpike, were rallied together by the Lady of Thorns in response to the Raven Lord's impending invasion of the Alterac Pass realm.
- Mini-Mecha: Junkrat's skin turns him into a goblin piloting a bot to essentially give him longer limbs.
- Neutral No Longer: Auriel, being a Spirit Healer here, would usually be an impartial force, but the conflict against the Raven Lord's Horde inspires her to join with the Alliance instead.
Call of Kel'Thuzad
Twisted members of the Scourge, commanded by the Archlich of Naxxramas himself.
Characters: Jaina, Sonya, Zagara
- Ascended Meme: For the longest time following the Cataclysm, a running joke in the Warcraft community was that Jaina, at one point following Theramore's destruction, had been replaced by a Dreadlord. It finally came full circle with Jaina receiving a Dreadlord skin.
- Deal with the Devil: Effectively how this Sonya became Kel'Thuzad's Death Knight, selling her soul for power to avenge her people.
- Nostalgia Level: The skins that came with this event are a wholesale reference to the heroic units of the Scourge in Warcraft III, with Jaina as the Dreadlord, Sonya as the Death Knight and Zagara as the Crypt Lord. Kel'Thuzad himself filled in the spot of the Lich.
Altered Fates
What If? the Stormrage brothers swapped place, with Illidan becoming Archdruid and Malfurion a jealous Demon Hunter?
Characters: Malfurion, Lunara, Illidan, Maiev, Tyrande
- Arc Welding: Lunara's Warden skin, while mostly a Palette Swap of her Sentinel skin with a different helmet, has flavour text that mentions Warden Tyrande's crusade against Malfurion.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Tyrande takes the place of Maiev, forever on the hunt for the Betrayer, Malfurion.
- Swapped Roles: Illidan and Malfurion switch places, while Tyrande and Maiev take over for each other.
Gazlowe and Gallywix's Splendiferous Extravaganza
The Denser and Wackier alternate timeline where Gazlowe runs a circus.
Characters: Gazlowe, Greymane
- Adaptational Species Change: Greymane is a lion this time.
- Continuity Nod: The name mentions Gallywix, the goblin Trade Prince of the Bilgewater Cartel. He's not specifically mentioned anywhere else in Heroes of the Storm.
Shared alternate history - Orc
What If? the Orcs were fully corrupted?
Characters: Samuro, Thrall
- Arch-Enemy: Samuro considered Thrall one in this timeline.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: This version of Thrall is hunting down Gul'dan's Shadow Council one-by-one in revenge for Durotan.
Shared alternate history - Pandaren
What If? Li Li and Chen existed thousand of years earlier, during the reign of the Thunder King?
Characters: Chen, Li Li
- Adaptational Villainy: Chen here is one of Lei Shen's Warmasters, in direct opposition to the shadowy rebellion Li Li is part of.
Merged Franchises
Craft Wars
An alternate timeline where Arthas became infested by the Zerg and Artanis drew power from the Naaru, and the clash of worlds that ensued.
Characters: Anduin, Artanis, Arthas, Gazlowe, Mei
- Expy: One would assume Emperor of the Dominion Anduin would be standing in for Valerian, but the flavour text points to him actually being a stand-in for Arcturus Mengsk.
- Immortality Seeker: Mei is one in this timeline, looking to use the power of Icecrown to reverse death and eventually fix the environment. She's dubbed herself a "necropologist".
Diablo
Various characters from different franchises, made part of the Diablo universe.
Characters: Cho'gall, Junkrat, Maiev, Murky, Nova, Sylvanas, Zeratul
- Expy: Sylvanas is one for the Rogue from Diablo 1, whose corruption by Andariel turned her into Blood Raven.
- Our Demons Are Different: Junkrat, Cho'gall, and Zeratul take on demonic forms. Junkrat is a lesser demon who scrounges for resources along Pandemonium's ruined war-machines, Cho is a baron of the treasure goblins (while Gall is a treasure goblin on his shoulder), and Zeratul as an Unraveler conjured by Mephisto.
- Shoulder Teammate: Gall is this to Cho in this timeline, since this version of Cho is an enormous treasure goblin.
- The Squire: Effectively what Murky, or Sir Murkalot, serves as to Johanna.
Overwatch
Various characters from different franchises, made part of the Overwatch universe.
Characters: Auriel, Johanna, Nova, Raynor, Stitches, Valla, Varian
- Benevolent A.I.: Given that her primary focus is taking in the blooming cherry blossoms at the start of spring, the Omnic Auriel falls under this.
- Gender Flip: Johanna stands in for Reinhardt, although the skin takes design cues from Brigitte as well. Meanwhile, Valla is Reaper with very feminine attributes.
- Mother Russia Makes You Strong: Varian in this universe is a security officer working under Volskaya Industries, specifically for their operations in the Nexus.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: A lot of the skins are heroes filling in for Overwatch characters with similar skills or appearances.
- Nova as Widowmaker, both female snipers with ponytails and skintight suits. Even the backstory has fun with the similarities.Once, she once led a normal life... But now, after intense neural reconditioning, she is one of the most effective assassins still alive. Oh, and this skin makes her look like Widowmaker.
- Stitches as Roadhog, a pair of Fat Bastards who pull enemies in with hooks and have a massive self-heal. Hogmeat Stitches even uses Roadhog's popular sit emote as his ready animation.
- Valla as Reaper, two Guns Akimbo assassins who have an ult where they spin around firing wildly.
- Raynor as Soldier: 76, both beginner-friendly heroes with rifles that can boost their attack speed and heal themselves.
- Downplayed with Peacekeeper Johanna. Her small shield and flail make her a decent stand-in for Brigitte, but the skin is modeled after Reinhardt instead.
- Nova as Widowmaker, both female snipers with ponytails and skintight suits. Even the backstory has fun with the similarities.
StarCraft
Various characters from different franchises, made part of the StarCraft universe. This also includes some characters from Craft Wars.
Characters: Anduin, Anub'arak, The Butcher, D.Va, E.T.C., Gazlowe, Illidan, Li-Ming, Muradin, Murky, Rexxar, Tracer, Uther
- Call-Back: The Anub'alisk hails from Cavir, the planet in Heart of the Swarm Kerrigan is sent to by Abathur to retrieve the sequences for Lurkers, the Zerg variant that inspired the skin. It's also stated to have been recovered by Abathur and Mukav's rogue brood, a reference to the events of the novel StarCraft Evolution.
- Clarke's Third Law: Medic Uther's description quotes the law directly. His abilities heal via nanomachines, but function identically to the Light magic regular Uther uses.
- Crossover Power Acquisition: Referenced in the backstory for The Butcher's alternate skin "Butcherlisk". Abathur analyzed the DNA from The Butcher in order to create a new strain of Zerg, making it one of the few crossover skins that hails from the Nexus rather than an alternate timeline.
- Development Gag: Grunty Murky, Level 800 E.T.C., and Maraudin' Muradin are based on the original models for those characters back when the game was a StarCraft II mod. E.T.C.'s also doubles as a Mythology Gag to an April Fools' Day joke Blizzard made involving Tauren Marines.
- Legacy Character: The Butcherlisk is a strain of Ultralisk that Abathur created after watching the actual Butcher fight in the Nexus, rather than being an alternate universe version of the Butcher himself.
Warcraft
Various characters from different franchises, made part of the Warcraft universe. This also includes some characters from Call of Kel'Thuzad, Alterac Pass, and Craft Wars.
Characters: Alarak, Artanis, Azmodan, Blaze, Diablo, D.Va, Hanzo, Johanna, Junkrat, Kerrigan, Leoric, Lt. Morales, Mei, Sgt. Hammer
- Demonic Possession: Somewhat implied from the AzGul'dan skin, where Gul'dan consumed Azmodan's blood following Mannoroth's blood, turning into a twisted hybrid of the Orc warlock and the demonic general.
- Eldritch Abomination: Played straight with Alarak, acting as a herald of N'zoth. Parodied in Diablo's case, where he's a towering monstrosity of a Murloc dubbed Lurkablo by Stormwind fishermen.
- Klingon Promotion: Leoric rising to become God-King of the Vrykul involved slaughtering everyone attempting to take his place as ruler.
- Mobile-Suit Human: Junkrat as a Goblin Sapper in a Human-sized Mini-Mecha.
- Our Dragons Are Different: With D.Va as an Expy of Deathwing, her mech takes the form of the dragon's main body, while D.Va in her pilot form appears more akin to a Dragon Aspect's humanoid form. Totally unique to the skin is D.Va herself "piloting" the dragon, where she appears to be a fetal blob growing out of its front.
