We have a new Valorant Agent, Yoru, breaking into the scene and as we like to do, we’re going to break down his concept art and design and see what that tells us about this new dimension-hopping cool guy!
So right off the bat, I’m getting some major troublemaker vibes off Yoru here. There are biker gang design elements here mixed with some urban techwear that makes you feel like Yoru isn’t exactly the most clean-cut individual. There are a lot of spiky shapes here such on his hair and eyebrows as well as actual spikes on his jacket and bracelets.
Upon closer inspection, it’s interesting that his body is missing shards that look like they were trapped in the dimensional rifts that Yoru navigates and taps into often. Perhaps he’s increasingly being absorbed by the void? Or maybe his transference isn’t all the way perfect?
Moving onto the clothing, Yoru’s jacket is definitely where the most design thought was put into. It definitely has elements of motorcycle racing jackets and old-school biker gangs mixed with a little cyberpunk. The colors and the stripes and lines upfront look like something you’d see on the motocross uniform while the spikes on the shoulders and demon insignia in the back remind me of the biker gangs repping their crew on their back with an imposing logo.
The motocross aesthetic is also reflected on the spikes on Yoru’s bracelets and gloves. The Oni Insignia is here as well with both halves of the face on each of the gloves and the big spike on the index finger as the horns.
The logo in the back is reminiscent of the Japanese Oni which are terrifying demon ogres that had horns and long front teeth. There’s also a Wazikashi or a short Katana stabbing through the middle of the image evidenced by the orange woven handle.
It’s still unclear what this insignia pertains to though. Is it a badass cyberpunk biker gang that Yoru is a part of? Is it a Motocross crew that Yoru races for? Or is it just a stylistic choice?
One thing is clear: Yoru most likely owns a cool motorbike. And I would like to see it, Riot.
Moving on to the lower half of the design, there isn’t really much going on. There’s some pads on the pants as well as Yoru’s raggedy shirt (You should really get that changed dude.)
The biggest design element are definitely his sneakers which are laced interestingly. The laces zigzag across the front of the shoe (possibly paying homage to Yoru’s tricky playstyle) and wrap around the ankle and tied crudely—which is actually a little hiker trick to manage long laces and improve ankle stability. Plus it just looks really, really grungy and stylish.
This wrap-around look is also present in Yoru’s under gloves in the concept art.
We got to see more of Yoru in Riot’s Retake Cinematic which introduced the character. In it, we saw some more design elements that weren’t in the concept art that Riot sent us but were too awesome not to mention.
First off, there’s Yoru’s mask that allows him to see and move across dimensions and of course, it looks like a traditional Japanese Oni mask.
I also thought it was really cool that one of the straps on his pants also echoed that same katana-handle pattern from the Oni insignia on his back.
And just in case you didn’t think that Yoru was cool enough, he also has a BUTTERFLY KNIFE COMB. Yoru brought butterfly knife comb onto an active combat scenario! Just for his hair!
Also known as a Bali-comb for our Filipino readers.
Dang, that’s cool!
What do you think of Yoru’s design? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
For more Valorant check out Five Cyberpunk Games to Play While Waiting for Cyberpunk 2077’s Release and The Fastest-Selling PC game Record Was Broken Twice Within The Last Three Weeks
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