“They have done this wonderful job of continuing to show that she has her challenges being on the spectrum.”
Over the years, Anjali Bhimani has voiced fan-favorite characters across games like Overwatch 2 and Apex Legends. She also brings that same energy to her performance as Auntie Ruby in Ms. Marvel and her love for the tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) space. Esports.gg sat down with Bhimani for an interview about her portrayal of Symmetra, her love for tabletop storytelling, and what makes her recent projects so exciting.
Interview with Anjali Bhimani: Finding strength through Symmetra's voice lines
In her interview with esports.gg, Bhimani said that her connection to Symmetra has grown over the years as the character continues to evolve through new interactions and storylines. While she worked with Michael Chu at the start, the writers today have continued to develop the character well.
"My love for her has only grown," Bhimani said. "With any character that you get to play for a long time, the journey of their growth in one direction or another is the exciting part to watch. And when you don't have control over it, the writing can go either way. Thankfully, the Overwatch writers are so good, and they have done this wonderful job of continuing to show that she has her challenges being on the spectrum, she has her challenges with her mindset. She has those challenges, but she is open to learning new ways."
Bhimani continued, adding that she's thrilled that Symmetra now has more interactions with Lifeweaver alongside the short story involving Zenyatta. One of Symmetra's interactions with Echo remains her favorite as well. It's the one where Symmetra tells Echo that the latter operates on a level others don't understand, and that's not a bad thing at all.
Echo: "When I don't replicate human behaviors, I am misunderstood. Are my algorithms insufficient?"
Symmetra: "You operate on a level inaccessible to others. I do not see that as a weakness."
To Bhimani, when players see heroes they relate to, it gives them a sense of empowerment. Hearing Symmetra's voice lines can also encourage players to believe in their own strength and potential.
"'If I can think it, I can create it,' 'Reality bends to my will,' 'I will shape order from chaos.' All of these are very empowering lines that say, 'I'm in the driver's seat,'" she said. "If someone can hear and feel those lines while they're playing a game they love, then the lines can't help but seep into their consciousness where they're like, 'No, I can do this. I can absolutely do this.'"
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Anjali Bhimani and the TTRPG community
During the interview, Bhimani shared how she first discovered Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) at age eight when her brother gave her a basic set. She quickly learned the rules and played with friends through high school before stepping away during college. Her return to TTRPGs began around 2016 after attending one of Blizzard's Overwatch meetups. Soon, chats with Matthew Mercer, the voice of Cassidy, and Marisha Ray reignited her love for storytelling and satisfied a creative itch.
Bhimani also described her experience with the RPG Sunderfolk as ridiculously fun. She connected with the project after a Zoom call with Chris Sigaty from Dreamhaven and was drawn to the game's mission. Voicing every character for the game felt daunting, but she appreciated that the voices didn't need to be drastically different since it resembled playing a tabletop game. She especially enjoyed voicing the fairy penguin and the mafioso-like mole, who are stark contrasts to each other.
In terms of her other roles, Bhimani said that playing Bathsheba in Date Everything was fantastic and a true labor of love. Robbie Daymond, one of the game's creators and her friend, actually took her out to lunch to explain the character since he couldn't join her session. Daymond told her about Bathsheba’s over-the-top and high-maintenance personality. Bhimani then joked that the character is not someone she would date. After working on skill-heavy games like Overwatch 2 and Apex Legends, she welcomed a game she could easily enjoy.
From Rampart in Apex Legends to Auntie Ruby from Ms. Marvel
Speaking of which, Bhimani said she feels lucky to voice Rampart in Apex Legends. Rampart is not only sassy and unfiltered, but she's also a character who always gets back up.
"I love Rampart so much. I joke that Rampart is much more like me than Symmetra because she has no filter and she's very sassy," Bhimani told esports.gg, adding that while she hasn't kept up with all the recent lore, Rampart stands out because she isn't weighed down by a tragic backstory. Instead, she's like the Knocked Down song by Chumbawamba. Whenever she gets knocked down, she gets right back up again.
Bhimani shared that her role as Auntie Ruby in Ms. Marvel holds personal meaning, too. She said Auntie Ruby is the kind of aunt she hopes to be, especially in how the character's judgment stems from a place of love.
As for parting words, Bhimani talked about her role in MindsEye. She enjoyed playing a shady politician and looks forward to the game's future. She also went into her D&D adventure, The Malady of Minarrh, which has received a lot of positive feedback from players. She teased a potential live play for the adventure.
That's all for now. Stick around on esports.gg for more news, interviews, and updates!
