In creating such a rich world, Blade Runner considered everything from food to fashion, with Rick Deckard wearing an iconic trench coat that later inspired the costume of Ryan Gosling’s K. Indeed, the very first blade runner in the franchise’s lore also wore a long, bulky coat, but his was a weapon – suggesting this is the real reason future Los Angeles’ blade runners really have such similar fashion sense.
The Blade Runner franchise has always had one foot in the comics world, going back to the original film being adapted by Marvel at the time. Following the release of Blade Runner 2049, Titan Comics began releasing a slew of Blade Runner comics taking place before and after the original film. Filling in the details of the world, these new comics have kept the Blade Runner franchise alive and kicking with new stories about rogue replicants and the blade runners who hunt them. One particularly fascinating series was Blade Runner: Origins – the story of the first cop to become an official blade runner, and how and why he founded the unit.
Deckard’s Iconic Coat Becomes a Weapon in Blade Runner: Origins
In Blade Runner: Origins #6 (from K. Perkins, Mellow Brown, Fernando Dagnino, Marco Lesko, and Jim Campbell), Cal Moreaux is assaulted during an investigation, but his attackers make a huge mistake when they allow him to get back in reach of his coat. It’s revealed that growing up in a dangerous part of the city, Moreaux installed weighted plates under the coat’s surface. The primary function was protection, but in a fight, he’s also able to use the coat as an impressive weapon. It’s also noted that wearing the deceptively heavy coat every day has helped develop his physical condition, making him far stronger and faster than anyone suspects.
Did Cal Moreaux’s Coat Start a Blade Runner Trend?
Since Moreaux’s mission eventually leads to him founding the Blade Runner department with a hand-chosen team of operatives, it stands to reason he passed down this trick to future agents. This would explain why Deckard and K both wear similar coats, as well as justifying some of the harder hits they take in their respective movies, since they’d secretly be wearing armor. Blade Runner: Origins offers fans a host of revelations about the Blade Runner department, but this is the most fun, suggesting Deckard’s iconic coat was always a weapon in disguise.
Blade Runners almost inherently work at a disadvantage, hunting down enemies who can hide in plain sight and often boast far more impressive strength and skill in combat. The idea that they make up the difference with weaponized coats fits perfectly into Blade Runner‘s grim and gritty world, and adds a surprising secret to the movies’ costumes.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
