Ratchet is the primary protagonist of the Ratchet & Clank series, being one of the titular heroes and a main playable character in the games. He is an intergalactic hero, a skilled mechanic, and one of the last remaining lombaxes in the universe.

Son of Kaden, Ratchet was born on Fastoon in the Polaris Galaxy, but came to grow up as an orphaned mechanic on Veldin in the Solana Galaxy. His life was changed once he met Clank, a small robot who crash-landed on Veldin and became his lifelong companion and best friend. The two have since shared many adventures, often working alongside Captain Qwark, as they have saved galaxies from many galactic criminals and other supervillains, the most notable of which being Dr. Nefarious. During his time, Ratchet has worked for Megacorp as a trained commando, the Galactic Rangers as a sergeant, the Q-Force as a leading member, and the Polaris Defense Force.

Ratchet is a street-wise, headstrong, thrillseeking hero who shows immense bravery and enjoys a challenge. He has a light-hearted personality, often chiming in with wisecracks and lightening the mood with jokes. Though he has struggled balancing his own needs and those of the people, he ultimately comes down on the side of keeping the people of the universe safe, and is fiercely protective of his close friends and his foster homeworld of Veldin.

Ratchet uses his skills as a mechanic, a pilot, and a combatant to protect the universe from threats. His most common weapon is the OmniWrench, which he uses in melee combat, though he has also wielded powerful weapons and gadgets from Gadgetron (such as the Swingshot, RYNO V, and Agents of Doom), Megacorp (such as the Dynamo, Plasma Coil, and Bouncer), GrummelNet (such as the Groovitron, Mr. Zurkon, and the Buzz Blades) and the lombaxes (such as the Alpha Disruptor).

History

Early history

Ratchet was born on the lombax homeworld of Fastoon in the Polaris Galaxy. While Ratchet was still an infant, Percival Tachyon and his Imperial Army invaded the planet in revenge against the lombaxes for his banished race, the cragmites, and Ratchet’s mother was killed in the attack. When the surviving lombaxes fled to another dimension, Ratchet's father Kaden stayed behind with his son and the Dimensionator, and before his death, sent Ratchet to the Solana Galaxy to keep him safe from Tachyon's forces.[4] Ratchet grew up on Veldin, where he secured a garage as his home, completely unaware of his father's sacrifice.

Ratchet worked on Veldin as a mechanic. He looked up to the Solana Galaxy's greatest heroes, such as Ace Hardlight (prior to disappearance),[5] and was a keen fan of celebrity superhero Captain Qwark.[a] Ratchet became a customer of Gadgetron as client 91802. He dreamed of one day exploring the galaxy, and had been constructing a homemade ship made with his OmniWrench and the Gadgetron HelpDesk.[7] At some point, Ratchet took a correspondence course in robot repair.[8]

Ratchet & Clank

Ratchet discovering Clank at the crash site.

In Ratchet & Clank, Ratchet completed his ship but required a robotic ignition system to fly.[7] After recovering a robot that crash-landed in the Kyzil Plateau, the robot presented him an infobot detailing blarg Chairman Drek's plan to destroy planet Novalis for his new planet. Since the robot possessed a compatible ignition system, the robot agreed to start the ship in exchange for Ratchet's help finding Captain Qwark to stop Drek.[9] During the flight, Ratchet dubbed the robot "Clank" after the robot hit the hull and made a metallic sound.[10]

Qwark betraying Ratchet and Clank.

After traveling through planets such as Kerwan and Aridia, Ratchet and Clank met Qwark in Blackwater City on planet Rilgar. Upon meeting him, he told them, to their surprise, that he was already aware of their heroic deeds across other planets and promised to train them at his challenge course on planet Umbris.[11] When the two completed the task, Ratchet was suspicious Qwark had set a trap for them but Clank walked into it, dragging Ratchet along.[12] Qwark sprung the trap, revealing he was working for Drek, and left them to die at the hands of his blargian snagglebeast.[13]

Ratchet feeling guilt over his fixation on Qwark.

After defeating it, a vengeful Ratchet prioritized hunting Qwark over stopping Drek. Clank was upset and felt Ratchet was not acting himself, which Ratchet dismissed, furious with Clank's naivety. Seeking to refocus him, Clank issued an ultimatum: he would only provide the necessary robotic ignition system if Ratchet agreed to save Drek's targets, starting with Batalia. Ratchet reluctantly accepted the terms;[14] despite their frequent bickering,[15] he occasionally showed genuine concern for the innocent lives at stake.[16] When the duo confronted Qwark and shot down his ship at Gemlik Base, Ratchet celebrated until an infobot revealed the severe damage the blarg were inflicting on Gorda City, prompting a change of heart in Ratchet; he apologized to Clank and shifted his focus toward stopping Drek.[17]

Ratchet and Giant Clank confronting Drek in his own mech.

On Quartu, Ratchet learned Drek planned to destroy Veldin with the Deplanetizer, sparking a fierce vow to defend his home.[18] The duo eventually defeated Drek on Veldin by launching him onto his new planet before obliterating it with the Deplanetizer. Though Clank's arm was heavily damaged in the process, Ratchet ultimately chose to stay by his side, promising to repair him.[19] This solidified their bond as lifelong friends.

Reimagined

The 2016 reimagined game is primarily an unreliable retelling of events by Qwark.

Ratchet repairing Clank at his garage.

In the movie and Qwark's retelling of events, Ratchet found on Veldin with no note, message, or name,[20] and raised by Grimroth Razz. Woring in Grim's garage on hover conversions and proton scrubs,[21] Ratchet harbored adventurous ambitions—disassembling advanced tech, experimenting with illegal hardware, and even disrupting the space-time continuum.[22] His impulsiveness occasionally caused trouble, such as when he stole Grim's rocket sled for a joyride[23] or caused Mr. Micron's ship to crash by installing unnecessary modifications.[24] Despite these setbacks, Ratchet remained obsessed with joining his idols, the Galactic Rangers.[24]

Ratchet helping the Plumber repair his ship.

Ratchet convinced Grim to allow him one hour off to tryout for the Rangers on condition he immediately return for proton scrubs, but the Rangers rejected him due to his "criminal" history.[24][22] That day, Ratchet rescued a defect warbot, Clank, who carried a warning of an impending attack on Kerwan. Ratchet lied about being friends with the Rangers to hitch a ride in Micron's ship.[25] At Kerwan, Clank utilized Ratchet's ship upgrades to destroy a Dreadship, ending the invasion, and forcing Qwark to recruit them into the Rangers.[26][27] Given an accelerated training course as the Rangers were cleared to attack Drek in three days, Ratchet received a protosuit[28][29] and a Star Jumper,[30] though his newfound fame began to worry Clank and alienate Qwark.[31]

The Rangers attending a meeting.

After completing several missions—including "Operation: Falling Star" on the Blarg Tactical Research Station,[32] obtaining XK-81 Jetpacks on Gaspar for the team,[33] and defending the Starwatch Defense Cannon in Fort Krontos alongside Cora Verolux[34]—Ratchet joined the Rangers' assault on Drek Industries, where he voted for Qwark's simplistic plan over Elaris' strategic tactics.[35] When the Rangers next attacked the Deplanetizer, Ratchet followed Qwark in alone, despite Elaris' warnings, fearing Qwark's safety.[36] This recklessness led to Ratchet's capture by Drek, where he discovered Qwark had betrayed the Rangers out of jealousy. Forced to watch Novalis' destruction, a defeated Ratchet was sent back to Veldin in a shuttle.[37][38]

Ratchet about to battle Nefarious.

Back at the garage, Grim convinced a solemn Ratchet that true heroism meant doing the right thing rather than "big" things,[39] while Clank told Ratchet that true accountability meant making things right next time rather than simply blaming himself.[40] Taking command of the Rangers, Ratchet encouraged Elaris to develop a plan to save their next target, Umbris.[41] Ratchet and Clank infiltrated the Deplanetizer, neutralized the gravity stabilizer, and Ratchet convinced Qwark to repent to help them stop the true mastermind, Dr. Nefarious.[42] After defeating Nefarious,[43][44] Ratchet returned to Veldin to honor his commitment to Grim, with Clank staying by his side as his lifelong partner and fellow Ranger.[45][b]

Going Commando

Ratchet being recruited for Megacorp by Qwark in disguise.

At the beginning of Going Commando, celebrated as galactic heroes, Ratchet and Clank both appeared in an interview for Behind the Hero, in which they described their life following Drek's defeat. Ratchet claimed he was busy in a "domestic sense", but still longing for adventure and for someone to be in need of a hero.[47] At this moment, they were teleported away by Captain Qwark, disguised as Abercrombie Fizzwidget,[48][49] who recruited Ratchet as a Megacorp commando, giving him training in martial arts, heavy weaponry, survival skills, stealth, macramé, ballroom dance, and origami.[47]

Ratchet using the Electrolyzer to free Clank.

Ratchet was tasked with traveling to the Bogon Galaxy to track down the Unknown Thief, who had stolen a biological experiment. Two weeks after Ratchet agreed to the mission, he was dressed in a commando suit and began by tracking the Thief to a flying lab on planet Aranos, while Clank was given a job as Megacorp's head accountant, as well as an apartment in the city of Megapolis on planet Endako.[47] Ratchet chased the Thief from planet to planet, while fighting off the hired Thugs-4-Less mercenaries, though when learning at the Maktar Resort that the Thief had kidnapped Clank in Megapolis, Ratchet went there to rescue him. Once the two were reunited, they resolved to retrieve the experiment together. They eventually chased the Thief down on Siberius and returned the experiment to Fizzwidget, who left both of them stranded on planet Tabora.

Angela demanding the duo to hand over the experiment.

The Thief caught up with them, demanding they hand over the experiment, though clumsily falling out of the disguise and revealing herself to be a female lombax named Angela Cross. She warned them that the experiment was deceptively dangerous, and by giving it to Fizzwidget, they had put the whole galaxy in "imminent danger".[50] Ratchet and Clank went on to learn more about the experiment, learning that it would be manufactured into a pet known as the Protopet, a dangerous pet that could breed rapidly and would devour its handlers.

Ratchet with Angela, Clank's admirer, and Clank in his apartment in Megapolis.

Though Ratchet and Clank first tried to get through to Fizzwidget,[51] it eventually became clear this was not feasible, Angela noticing something was off with him.[52] Instead, the three resolved to stop the Protopet menace by taking out the original one, located in the Megacorp Headquarters on planet Yeedil.[53] Once they reached the Protopet duplication room, Qwark revealed he had been disguised as Fizzwidget the whole time, and attempted to frame the three for the Protopet menace and liberate the Bogon Galaxy using Angela's Helix-o-morph to cure the original Protopet.[48] Since the battery was inserted backwards,[49] the device amplified it to a Mutant Protopet instead. After Ratchet and Clank defeated it, Angela freed the real Fizzwidget, who expressed his gratitude, and with Clank identifying the problem, amplified the fixed Helix-o-morph to cure the other Protopets.[49] Afterward, Ratchet and Clank spent some time in the latter's apartment in Megapolis.

Up Your Arsenal

Sometime between the events of Going Commando and Up Your Arsenal, Ratchet built a gravimetric warp drive out of blargian scrap metal, and did not test the device. He also starred as Jeeves, Clank's chauffeur, in the series Secret Agent Clank.[54]

Ratchet and Clank on Endako in Up Your Arsenal.

At the start of Up Your Arsenal, while in Clank's apartment, Ratchet learned through a Channel 64 News report that Veldin had been hit by a surprise attack from an army of aliens known as the tyhrranoids, led by a villain known as Dr. Nefarious. Wishing to protect his home, Ratchet installed the untested warp drive to the Star Explorer, despite Clank's protests, to reach Veldin immediately.[54] Upon arriving, Ratchet met up with the Galactic Rangers, who inadvertently appointed him as their new sergeant, and gave him a Shock Blaster and Nitro Launcher to fight back against them.[55] After defeating them, Ratchet and Clank were congratulated by Solana Galactic President Phyronix, who asked them to search Florana to find a long lost hero who was the only man to have fought Nefarious and lived.[56] They soon discovered that this hero was Captain Qwark, whom Ratchet fought willingly, believing Qwark had it coming. Once he was defeated, they realized that Qwark was amnesiac, and after being contacted by Sasha Phyronix, captain of the Starship Phoenix, returned him there on the president's orders.[57]

Ratchet amidst the Q-Force.

Sasha introduced Ratchet to his new quarters on the Starship Phoenix, which impressed him. However, he was dismayed to know that Qwark was the one President Phyronix had placed trust in.[58] After assisting the Rangers in Operation: IRON SHIELD on Marcadia, Ratchet obtained a Qwark vid-comic, Booty is in the Eye of the Beholder, which caused Qwark regained his memory after Ratchet played it. With President Phyronix' backing,[59] Qwark then formed the Q-Force, a team consisting of Ratchet, Clank, Sasha, Qwark's monkey friend Skrunch, as well as old allies Al, Skidd McMarx, and Helga. Qwark planned out two successful attacks, on Aquatos and Tyhrranosis, which both featured Ratchet front-and-center, while Qwark made excuses for not being involved.[60]

Discovering the Biobliterator plans.

Investigating Nefarious' operations on Daxx, Ratchet learned about a weapon known as the Biobliterator, and that Courtney Gears, a pop star of which he was a fan, was producing propaganda for Nefarious. When he and Clank attempted to learn about Nefarious' whereabouts from Courtney Gears, Gears led them into a trap and swapped Clank with a replica named Klunk, Ratchet totally unaware. Klunk informed Ratchet that Nefarious was located on his flagship, the Leviathan. Before he could go, Ratchet first had to save Skidd, who was captured by Courtney Gears as she tested the Biobliterator on him, turning him into a robot. Ratchet defeated Courtney Gears, and began to grow slightly suspicious of Klunk.[61]

Qwark telling Ratchet and Clank to go ahead.

As the Leviathan refueled at Zeldrin Starport, Ratchet accompanied Qwark to confront Nefarious on his ship. This was actually a trap, as Nefarious self-destructed the Leviathan. Qwark remained behind on the starship to find the master plan data disk,[62] with Ratchet staying behind to wait for Qwark, though Klunk activated the shuttle and left before the ship exploded.[63] As no escape pods were detected, the Q-Force assumed Qwark was dead and held a funeral in his honor, Ratchet upset by Qwark's apparent death but struggling to think of positive things to say about him.[64] From playing the vid-comic Deja Q All Over Again, Ratchet worked out that Nefarious would attack Metropolis next, but did not arrive there in time to stop Nefarious using the Biobliterator to transform the entire population of the city into robots.[65] Just as Ratchet caught up with Nefarious, Klunk revealed he had been spying on Ratchet the entire time. Ratchet defeated Klunk and freed Clank, but despite Clank blaming himself, Ratchet held nothing against him and assured him that Nefarious would pay.[65]

Rescuing the Q-Force.

At this point, President Phyronix effectively conceded that Nefarious would win the war within a week.[66] Ratchet nonetheless continued the fight, and at Sasha's suggestion, traveled to the crash site on Zeldrin to find what Qwark had been looking for when he remained on the Leviathan. Here, Ratchet found the master plan data disk, and learned that Qwark was still alive, but chose to conceal this information while returning the data disk to Al to decipher.[62] Ratchet then found Qwark's hideout in the Thran Asteroid Belt by playing the unreleased vid-comic, The Shaming of the Q. When he found Qwark he resigned, he berated Qwark and expressed shame for having ever looked up to him, before returning to his ship. Sasha informed Ratchet that the Starship Phoenix was under attack, prompting Ratchet to use the gravimetric warp drive to rescue her.[6]

Nefarious begs for mercy.

After rescuing Sasha, he found that Al had decoded the data disk and learned that the Biobliterator was recharging on Koros, with Veldin as its next target, enraging him.[67] Ratchet traveled to Koros and made helped Clank take over a cannon on the planet which Clank used to destroy the Biobliterator, only to learn Nefarious had constructed another in secret on Mylon.[68] On Mylon, Ratchet caught and defeated Nefarious, only for Nefarious to transform the Biobliterator and aim Ratchet to kill him. Before it could, Qwark flew in with his shuttle and interrupted the Biobliterator's fire at the last minute, and Ratchet then used a hovership and destroyed the Biobliterator with Qwark's help. Nefarious teleported away from the Biobliterator, but was stranded on an asteroid out of range of any planet.[69]

Following Nefarious' defeat, Ratchet, alongside many friends of his he had encountered in his adventures, went to see the premiere of a new Secret Agent Clank film.

Deadlocked

Ratchet, Clank, and Al aboard the Phoenix.

After Sasha was appointed mayor of Metropolis, Ratchet was made commander of the Starship Phoenix, with Clank as his first officer and Al as his chief engineer.[70] During this time, the Phoenix went on two known missions: investigating Aquatos following the disappearance of Hydro Girl,[71] and following a false distress beacon at quadrant J0713 (an area devoid of life) placed by Gleeman Vox to lure Ratchet there.[72] Shortly after this, and a week following the death of Captain Starshield and at the start of Deadlocked, Sasha sent Ratchet a transmission informing him of this and warning him about rumors of Gleeman Vox kidnapping heroes and forcing them to participate in DreadZone, an illegal reality holovision show featuring heroes fight in gladiatorial combat. Just before she could get through to him, the Phoenix was boarded, and Ratchet, Clank, and Al were all kidnapped.[73]

Ratchet wearing the standard issue armor.

When Ratchet awoke, he found himself in the DreadZone Station, wearing armor that was standard issue for DreadZone contestants,[74] strapped with a deadlock collar that would detonate if he did not cooperate with Vox, and placed in a containment suite. Ratchet's initial reaction was one of excitement, eager to experience the fame and fortune that would come with being a professional gladiator, though Clank reminded him they were being held prisoner. Ratchet was then introduced to Merc and Green, two combat bots Al had acquired from a former contestant.[75] Before his first match in the Battledome, Ratchet was introduced by commentators Dallas Wanamaker and Juanita Alvaro as likely "intermission material" who would likely not last two rounds, determining him to rebuke them.[76]

Ratchet being slandered on Vox News.

Throughout the show, Ratchet continued to break DreadZone records and expectations, defeating the top gladiators known as the Exterminators, while Clank and Al looked for a way to undermine DreadZone from within.[5] Vox's news outlet, Vox News, covered Ratchet with misleading or false smears, such as calling him a "mafia crime boss". He was underestimated at every turn, by Vox News, the Exterminators, and by Vox himself.[c] However, Vox began to see potential in Ratchet and mused about Ratchet's popularity surpassing that of Ace Hardlight,[88] a former hero who Ratchet had admired during childhood.[5] Vox's suspicions came to pass when, while Ace Hardlight merchandise failed to sell, Ratchet merchandise was highly sought after among DreadZone fans.[89][83] Ratchet continued to prove himself successful, besting all the DreadZone challenges, eventually defeating Ace Hardlight. Hardlight warned Ratchet not to allow Vox to corrupt him the way Vox had corrupted Ace.[87]

Ratchet rejecting Vox's deal.

Shortly after, Vox called Ratchet into his office to offer to make Ratchet champion of the Exterminators, enticing him with commercial opportunities. Heeding the warnings of Clank from the start and Hardlight from a few moments earlier, Ratchet rejected Vox's deal, calling Vox corrupt and stupid for thinking Ratchet would ever kill heroes for money. In response, Vox sent Ratchet on one final battlecourse, the Ghost Station, which had been mathematically proven to be unbeatable.[90] Ratchet beat the course, after which Clank and Al had figured out a way to send Ratchet to the DreadZone Station control level and free all captive heroes. Vox then rigged the station to explode and turned the event into a final episode of DreadZone, pitting himself as the villain and Ratchet as the hero, hoping that his and Ratchet's death live on holovision would be the greatest ratings Vox had ever had. Ratchet was at first content to die there knowing that many other heroes had escaped, though Clank arrived at the last minute to rescue him on the final shuttle.[91]

Size Matters

Ratchet and Clank meeting Luna while on vacation.

In Size Matters, wishing to take a much-needed break from heroism, Ratchet took a vacation on Pokitaru with Clank.[92] His break was shortlived, as he met Luna, a technomite robot posing as a schoolgirl writing a report on heroes. A kidnapping subsequently was staged by the technomites, who left behind an object that Clank identified as a technomite artifact; Ratchet firmly believed the technomites did not exist.[93] Nonetheless, he and Clank chased after Luna, first to Ryllus, with Captain Qwark tagging along until Ratchet distracted him by encouraging him to research his family history on the ship's computer. Ratchet then traveled to Kalidon, where he competed in a skyboard race to obtain a Shrink Ray that allowed him to catch up with Luna. Luna then sprung the trap and Ratchet was incapacitated and taken to the Medical Outpost Omega.

Ratchet dreaming about his surgery.

Here, he was to have his DNA extracted to create a clone army for Otto Destruct, the technomite leader, who wished to raise the army after recognizing that even his most powerful robot soldiers were no match for Ratchet.[94] Ratchet was cloned successfully, and it took twenty-six of the technomites' best warriors to destroy a single Ratchet clone prototype.[95]

Ratchet as he encounters Clank's security backup while inside Clank.

While he was being experimented on, Ratchet entered a strange Dreamtime sequence, where he encountered odd hallucinations of individuals he had ran into in the past, before being awoken by Clank. He then escaped the station and chased Luna to Challax, where he learned she was actually a technomite robot designed to lure them into a trap, and chased her once again to the Dayni Moon where he defeated her. Clank attempted to access Luna's mainframe to find coordinates to Otto Destruct's Clone Factory, but was disabled by Luna's level nine access protocol.[96] Ratchet jumped inside Clank using the Shrink Ray and repaired him, after which they left to find and defeat Destruct.

Ratchet fighting his own clones.

After fighting through the Ratchet clones, Destruct revealed that his intention with the army was to use them to gather every intelligent being in the solar system and transfer their intelligence to him.[97] Though Qwark, who had been made to believe Destruct was his father using false evidence planted, interrupted Ratchet, he and Clank eventually defeated Destruct, and Skrunch told Qwark the true nature of his parents. Though Qwark wished to transfer his intellect (or lack thereof) to Destruct to make Destruct less intelligent, an interruption caused Skrunch to do this instead, neutralizing Otto Destruct as a threat. After this, Ratchet returned to a scheduled massage on Pokitaru.[98] Later, the Ratchet clones were repurposed and sold as "Battle Ratchet" products,[99] and Ratchet was awarded a medal by President Phyronix for Skrunch's defeat.[100]

Secret Agent Clank

Secret Agent Clank is in-universe fiction.

Ratchet being arrested.

The Warden visiting Ratchet in his cell.

A mind control device was planted on Ratchet by Klunk,[101] causing him to steal the Eye of Infinity from the Boltaire Museum, and when filmed, claiming he did it out of revenge for the galaxy's lack of gratitude for his heroism.[102] Ratchet was taken to cell J7B in Galactic Ultra-High Security Lockdown on the Prison Planet, and woke to the warden telling him he was paid to keep Ratchet's stay unpleasant.[103] Ratchet fought other inmates that he was responsible for putting behind bars, including amoeboids, Thugs-4-Less, tyhrranoids, and gladiators. Clank mailed Ratchet weapons disguised as birthday cakes, which the warden largely turned a blind eye to.[104] While Clank was determined to prove Ratchet's innocence, the rest of the galaxy, including the Agency, was fully convinced he was responsible,[102] even believing he was after Klunk's involvement was uncovered.[105]

Ratchet encountered the Thug Leader in prison, who vowed revenge,[106] as well as the Plumber, who had been called to fix the showers' water.[107] More notably, he encountered Slim Cognito, who coordinated with Clank to get Clank access to Le Paradis Des Tricheurs Casino's high-stakes room if Ratchet protected Slim from other inmates.[108]

When Klunk's plan was in motion, Ratchet was then mind controlled to broadcast a threat to destroy every planet in the galaxy if they did not give him his own planet. This caused a prison riot, and the warden forced him to stop the riot or be held responsible.[105] When Ratchet did so, he was granted one call to Clank.[109] After Clank defeated Klunk, Ratchet was given a full pardon by President Phyronix at the recommendation of the Agency.[101] Back in his and Clank's apartment he also finished turning Klunk's body into a vacuum cleaner.

A mind-controlled Ratchet broadcasting his message.

And then being forced to stop the prison break.

Tools of Destruction

Ratchet fixing the rocket sled on Kerwan.

While Ratchet was testing the nuclear-powered rocket sled[110] in his home on Kerwan, wark sent an urgent message from the Planetary Defense Center asking for help with the Imperial Army's invasion. After failing to find Qwark at the center, Emperor Percival Tachyon cornered Ratchet and offered to leave the city alone if he allow the army to kill him. Ratchet escaped and stole Tachyon's starship, which took him to the Polaris Galaxy, where he crashed on planet Cobalia.[111] In Polaris, from the Smuggler, Ratchet learned that Tachyon was the last of the cragmites, and that his race, the lombaxes, were hailed as saviors of the universe for defeating them.[112] Meanwhile, Clank began seeing visions from the Zoni which were invisible to Ratchet, causing Ratchet to react at first with confusion and concern.[113][114]

Tracking down the Lombax Secret.

Ratchet found Fastoon, the abandoned home of the lombaxes, where he met Aphelion, a sentient lombax starship. Captain Qwark then provided Ratchet an Imperial Army recruitment video that mentioned the "Lombax Secret" device that had led to the cragmite defeat;[115] following its coordinates to the Apogee Space Station, Ratchet met Talwyn Apogee and her warbots Cronk and Zephyr, aligning with them to search for the device. Learning the device was the Dimensionator and was a wormhole device that had banished the cragmites, Ratchet wanted to use the device himself,[d] something Clank staunchly disagreed with and preferred to destroy it. Ratchet suspected Clank was listening to the Zoni, who he still did not believe existed, causing their friendship to sour.[116][117]

Ratchet and Clank reuniting.

After taking the device from space pirate Captain Slag, Ratchet and Clank argued over its fate. Midway through their argument, Captain Qwark took it to destroy it himself but mistakenly delivered it to Tachyon,[118] who used it to bring back the cragmites. Ratchet regretted not destroying it earlier and lamented that Clank was "always right".[119]

Ratchet turning away from the lombax dimension.

On Fastoon, Tachyon later revealed to Ratchet that the lombaxes had fled the dimension hoping that Tachyon leave Polaris alone, leaving only Kaden (guardian of the Dimensionator) and Ratchet behind. Ratchet did not believe him until Tachyon opened a portal to the lombax dimension, offering the chance to join them and be spared. Ratchet declined, choosing to give up his chance to join his race to stop Tachyon and protect everyone.[4] After doing so, Clank was abducted by the Zoni.

Quest for Booty

Ratchet using the IRIS Supercomputer to find Clank.

Following a lead from the IRIS Supercomputer, Ratchet and Talwyn traveled to Merdegraw in search of Angstrom Darkwater for more clues about the Zoni and Clank's location. Although Darkwater was dead, Rusty Pete directed them to Hoolefar Island,[120] where the Obsidian Eye, a device capable of locating Clank, was located. However, it required a Fulcrum Star to activate.[121] Ratchet aided the local hoolefoid population before heading to Morrow Caverns with Pete in search of the Star.

During this journey, Pete, apologizing to Ratchet and assuring him it was nothing personal, triggered Darkwater's curse, resurrecting an army of undead pirates.[122] After defeating these pirates and journeying to Darkwater Cove, Ratchet and Talwyn obtained the Star, and after defeating Darkwater, were able to use the Eye. They discovered that Clank was not only held captive by the Zoni but also by Dr. Nefarious, prompting Ratchet to resolve to head to the Breegus Nebula to rescue him.[123]

A Crack in Time

Ratchet after meeting Azimuth.

Searching for Clank, Ratchet traveled with Captain Qwark to the Breegus System, a region controlled by Dr. Nefarious and his enforcer, Lord Vorselon. Early in his journey, Ratchet encountered Alister Azimuth, a friend of his father's. Azimuth suggested that Clank would be held in the Great Clock, giving them a shared goal to find it together. The two formed a bond, with Azimuth sharing stories about Ratchet's father while reminiscing and noting their similarities.[124][125] Azimuth also apologized to Ratchet for not finding him sooner (believing he was dead) and promised to be like family to him.[126]

Ratchet freeing Azimuth from Vorselon.

With Azimuth, Ratchet had a new objective: using the Clock to save the lombaxes in the past.[127][128] Although Azimuth warned him that doing so would mean never having met Clank, Ratchet accepted this as his only means of saving his family.[129] After Ratchet contacted Clank via an Obsidian Eye, he used a time portal on Zanifar at Clank's request,[130] but was unable to save Orvus in the past. When Vorselon captured Azimuth, Ratchet rescued him despite Azimuth's wish to be left behind so Ratchet could press on to the Clock.[131] Eventually, Ratchet reunited with Clank at Vapedia.

Ratchet, Clank, and Azimuth discussing the Great Clock.

Clank objected to the plan to use the Great Clock to bring back the lombaxes, warning that it was not a time machine. As Clank and Azimuth debated, Ratchet reluctantly sided with Clank, deferring to his wisdom, which caused a rift between him and Azimuth.[132] Torn between his responsibilities as Senior Caretaker of the Great Clock and remaining Ratchet's companion, Clank was reassured when Ratchet promised to honor either decision.[133]

Ratchet kneeling over Azimuth after he sacrificed himself to stop the time shift.

After Ratchet, Clank, and Qwark defeated Nefarious, Ratchet returned to the Great Clock to say an emotional farewell to Clank, who had decided to stay.[134] However, Azimuth, determined to use the Clock, killed Ratchet and raced Clank to the Orvus Chamber. Clank undid the last six minutes, saving Ratchet from Azimuth in the nick of time. Azimuth still battled them and attempted to activate it, but ultimately sacrificed himself to repair the damage he had caused. Now the last lombax in the universe, Ratchet prepared to leave, but Clank, realizing he could not leave Ratchet without a family, rejoined a relieved Ratchet.[135] Ratchet took Azimuth's Praetorian OmniWrench with him.[136][137]

Comic series

Ratchet reminiscing about Azimuth.

Ratchet retired and returned to Veldin, shaken by the loss of Azimuth,[138][139][140] spending his time repairing equipment at his garage. When Qwark ran for President of the Polaris Galaxy, Ratchet did not vote for him.[141]

In Ears of War, while restoring a Skyburst 8000, Qwark, now president, requested their help in investigating a crisis where planets were disappearing across the universe. Ratchet, however, was not persuaded by either Qwark or Clank to assist, as he still felt some guilt over Azimuth's death, wishing to shut himself away so as not to cause anyone else close to him to be lost.[142] Nonetheless, both he and Clank were kidnapped by Artemis Zogg, who sent them to his Vartax Detention Facility instead of killing them, as he was a fan of theirs.[143]

Ratchet's prison break.

In Friends with Benefits, after three months of failed escape attempts,[144] Ratchet met fellow inmate General Glahm, who had secretly worked with Cronk and Zephyr to facilitate their escape.[145] Ratchet returned to the Apogee Space Station.

In Lost and Spaced, Ratchet and Clank reunited with Talwyn, Qwark, as well as Sasha and the Galactic Rangers, who had joined forces against Zogg. Sasha and Ratchet exchanged few words during their reunion,[146] and later, Talwyn asked how Ratchet knew her. Ratchet began to explain his sudden departure and return to Solana, but Talwyn interrupted in understanding. She gave her condolences for Azimuth's death, but urged Ratchet to learn from him that guilt and isolation are a bad combination, and to remember he has friends who care about him.[147] Zogg later issued the group an ultimatum: if Ratchet and Clank did not surrender, Veldin would be relocated to a part of the universe without a sun, dooming its population to freeze.[148]

Talwyn saying goodbye to Ratchet.

In Thanks for the Armories, Ratchet, conflicted, wished to surrender for Veldin's sake, sparking a debate with Sasha and Talwyn, who were firmly against the idea.[149] Following Qwark's plan, Ratchet surrendered as part of a ruse, with Clank secretly hiding a grenade that Ratchet used to disable Zogg's ship once onboard.[150] Ratchet stole the Surinox Shard, the device Zogg used to relocate planets. Although the plan was to return the shard to Qwark, Ratchet, fearing it would be too late to save Veldin, attempted to relocate it himself but was thwarted when Zogg intervened. Talwyn crashed her ship into Zogg's to save Ratchet, but they were separated when Ratchet and Clank reached an escape pod.[151]

In Multiple Organisms, Ratchet wielded the Praetorian OmniWrench and fought Zogg's warbot armies with it, while Clank disabled the warbots but also himself using an EMP, against Ratchet's advice.[152] Ratchet found Veldin's Planetary Defense Center, where General Glahm had primed the system to destroy Zogg's ship. Ratchet was unable to convince Glahm to stop the attack.[153]

Ratchet using the Praetorian OmniWrench to hit the Shard.

In Bros Before Foes, Ratchet grieved, fearing Talwyn had still been onboard Zogg's ship when it was destroyed, but returned to the Apogee Space Station with the shard after Sasha consoled him.[154] Zogg then attacked the station, taking Talwyn hostage.[155] During the final battle, Ratchet used the Praetorian OmniWrench's negatively charged energy on the Surinox Shard, creating a portal that banished Zogg.[156] Two weeks later, Ratchet and Clank visited Qwark's presidential palace, where Ratchet revealed his decision to return to Polaris and help repair the Apogee Space Station.[157]

All 4 One

Ratchet and Clank being interviewed during retirement.

Ratchet and Clank told Kip Darling and Pepper Fairbanks in an interview that they remained retired, leaving galactic protection to the Polaris Defense Force.[141] However, they joined Qwark in Luminopolis, Igliak, to accept an "Intergalactic Tool of Justice" award, only to be caught in a trap set by Dr. Nefarious, who unleashed a Z'Grute to assassinate them. When this plan backfired and the Z'Grute turned on Dr. Nefarious, Ratchet, Clank, and Qwark teamed up with him to defeat it.[158] During the battle, they were abducted by Ephemeris, which had come for the Z'Grute.[159] Ephemeris transported them to the Minion Training Center on Magnus, where they were freed by an orphaned tharpod named Susie.[160]

Though Cronk and Zephyr attempted to retrieve the group from Magnus, they became stranded in an asteroid field, forcing the four to seek another means of escape.[161] Susie pleaded with Ratchet to help save the tharpods on Magnus from the collector minions. Initially hesitant, Ratchet was ultimately convinced by a Tharpod Elder who described their plight. He, in turn, persuaded Qwark by reminding him that tharpods represented thousands of potential voters.[162] When Dr. Nefarious jokingly offered to kill Qwark and make it look like an accident, Ratchet was briefly intrigued, but Clank quickly scolded him.[163]

Ratchet, while being teamed up with Clank, Qwark, and Nefarious.

Before taking on Ephemeris, Ratchet found Susie attempting to lead an assault and empathetically talked her down from the danger.[164] Ultimately, the four defeated the Loki Master—the mastermind behind the Ephemeris attacks—and Ratchet piloted Ephemeris to return himself, Clank, Qwark, Cronk, and Zephyr to Igliak after Nefarious fled alone.[165][e]

Full Frontal Assault

Ratchet aboard the Starship Phoenix II alongside Clank and Qwark.

Three months after Qwark lost the next presidential election, he, Ratchet, and Clank resided aboard the Starship Phoenix II. When Stuart Zurgo, (masking his identity at first) contacted them about three Planetary Defense Centers he had deactivated, Qwark founded a new Q-Force with him, Ratchet, and Clank to protect the planets and restore them. Ratchet did not take Zurgo seriously as a threat,[166] and recognized Zurgo when he revealed his identity.[167] When Ratchet helped the Plumber repair a ship on Markazia, he realized that the Plumber aboard the Phoenix II was actually a hologuise, and rushed back to the ship.[168] Ratchet helped defeat Zurgo in his Qwark mech on Ebaro, and clear Qwark's name from the damage Zurgo had caused.[169]

Into the Nexus

Ratchet aboard the Nebulox Seven.

Ratchet, alongside Clank, Cronk, and Zephyr, was assigned to the Nebulox Seven to escort Vendra Prog to the Vartax Detention Facility. The mission was abruptly shattered when Neftin Prog and his hired Thugs-4-Less mercenaries attacked, freeing Vendra, who subsequently killed Cronk and Zephyr. Ratchet and Clank escaped by stowing away on a Thugs-4-Less ship to Yerek. Ratchet was deeply affected by their deaths, blaming himself. Despite Talwyn's pleas to return, he vowed to stop the Prog twins before they could cause further harm.[170] Their pursuit led them to Silox, where the twins attempted to summon the nether leader, Mr. Eye, into their dimension. Ratchet felt sympathy when Vendra related her search for the nethers to his own quest for the lombaxes, but he failed to dissuade them from unleashing the danger.[171][172][173]

The damaged Dimensionator after the events of Into the Nexus.

When Mr. Eye betrayed Vendra, Neftin was compelled to ally with Ratchet and Clank to rescue his sister. Ratchet, softening due to his sympathy for their search for a family, agreed to the partnership, but only on the condition that the twins surrender themselves, wishing to avenge his fallen comrades.[174][175] After acquiring the original Dimensionator from the Intergalactic Museum of History, they confronted Mr. Eye.[176] Ratchet engaged Mr. Eye while Neftin, Captain Qwark, and Pollyx repaired the Dimensionator.[177] They sent Clank to free Vendra,[178] allowing her to use her powers to banish Mr. Eye, after which the twins turned themselves in. With the Dimensionator badly damaged, Ratchet chose not to use it to search for the lombaxes, believing he had found sufficient meaning in his current dimension, though Clank unknowingly took the Dimensionator afterward.[179]

Rift Apart

Coming Soon!

Characteristics

Appearance

Ratchet is a lombax (an anthropomorphic feline) standing at 150cm (4'11") and weighing 40kg (88lb). He has yellow fur, two large pointy ears with brown stripes, large hands, flat, triangular clawed feet, large green eyes and a tufted tail. Ratchet's iconic attire normally consists of a brown leather aviator cap, teal-blue pants with knee padding, along with brown leather gloves, a chest harness, and a belt. Starting in Tools of Destruction, Ratchet's attire was updated with an orange, tangerine and teal-blue short-sleeved shirt with brown boots. In addition, Ratchet normally equips a wide variety of heavy armor, and wears Clank as a backpack. With some exceptions, the armor does not normally cover his face.

His proportions have changed slightly throughout the series. Since Tools of Destruction, Ratchet's arms and legs have been longer than his original appearance, while his hands are slightly smaller, giving him more realistic humanoid proportions. His height compared to other characters also tends to vary by game, though he is typically much shorter than other beings in the galaxy he encounters. Ratchet's appearance not resembling that of a typical larger, more muscular hero such as Captain Qwark or Captain Starshield has often led to opponents underestimating him.[c]

In the Japanese versions of the games he has darker and bigger eyebrows, although this change in appearance was discontinued after A Crack in Time.

R&C (2002)

Going Commando

Deadlocked

Secret Agent Clank

Tools of Destruction

A Crack in Time

All 4 One

R&C (2016)

Rift Apart

Abilities

Ratchet is a talented and resourceful mechanic who has invented powerful devices often with limited resources available to him. He began his adventures when he built his own starship with his OmniWrench,[196] and later built an intergalactic warp drive with scrap metal.[54] Among his other inventions were a nuclear-powered rocket sled, an anti-matter bathroom buddy, and electro-shock undergarments named "Stunderwear".[197] However, his overconfidence with his skills often leads him to use his devices untested, which can have dangerous consequences.[g]

Ratchet using Aphelion to dogfight the space pirates.

Despite not having a pilot's license,[198] he is nonetheless a skilled pilot. Ratchet has survived and won several dogfights in space against insurmountable odds, as well as win races against Ace Bunyon, the fastest pilot in the Bogon Galaxy.[199] In ship combat, Ratchet has defeated the blarg, Thugs-4-Less, tyhrranoids, space pirates, agorians, valkyries, and Nefarious Troopers, earning him a reputation as the best pilot in the Polaris Galaxy.[200] Ratchet's most commonly used starship has been the Aphelion, a sentient lombax vessel used since Tools of Destruction, though prior to that he frequently used the Star Explorer ship provided to him by Megacorp, among others. Ratchet has also shown proficiency in commandeering several vehicles, including hoverboards, hoverbikes, the turboslider, and the Landstalker. With hoverboards and hoverbikes, Ratchet has competed in and won races, including earning membership of the Desert Riders for his success.[190]

Ratchet holding back a ravenous war grok.

Ratchet is skilled, acrobatic, and physically a strong fighter. With Megacorp, he underwent extensive commando training, including in martial arts, heavy weaponry, survival skills, and stealth, but also in macramé, ballroom dance, and origami.[47] Despite his appearance, he possesses great physical strength disproportionate to his size, as shown in his many fights using his wrench against creatures and robots much larger than himself, and when he held off a war grok attempting to eat him with just his OmniWrench.[201] He is also shown to have exceptional durability, even without armor, demonstrated when he survived crashing his homemade ship on Novalis[202], crashed his nuclear-powered rocket sled and fell several stories[181], and was punched through the wall of his garage by a large warbot,[203] all instances in which he suffered no noticeable injuries. However, his primary strength in combat comes from his extensive arsenal, which allows him to wield a vast array of powerful weapons. Ratchet is exceptionally skilled and capable even among others of his race, shown when he defeated Alister Azimuth in battle,[204] a lombax considered to be the strongest of their kind.[205]

Equipment

Ratchet's arsenal in the original game.

Ratchet wields a loaded arsenal of weaponry acquired both legally and illegally from several manufacturers: Gadgetron, Megacorp, Vox Industries, GrummelNet, the lombaxes, and others. He equips weapons using a neuro-sensor in his helmet, which reads his thoughts and teleports the desired weapon in his hands.[28] His wide variety of weapons range from standard blasters (Lancer, Dual Vipers, Combuster), grenade launchers (Gravity Bomb, B6-Obliterator, Plasmabomb Launcher), flamethrowers (Pyrocitor, Scorcher, Pyro Blaster), shotguns (Shock Blaster, Shard Reaper, Constructo Shotgun), bomb gloves (Fusion Grenade, Constructo Bomb, Shatterbomb), bladed disc launchers (Disc Blade Gun, Buzz Blades, Nether Blades), energy whips (Plasma Whip, Shock Ravager, Arc Lasher), rocket launchers (Devastator, Negotiator, Warmonger), and sniper rifles (Flux Rifle, Plasma Striker, Headhunter), to defensive weapons that protect him from damage (Drone Device, Shield Charger, Static Barrier), weapons that incapacitate enemies (Groovitron, Nightmare Box, Cold Snap), remote-controlled weapons (Visibomb Gun, Spiderbot Glove, Visi-Copter), deployed tactical weapons (Miniturret Glove, Nano-Swarmers, Tesla Spikes), and weapons that summon aid in combat (Glove of Doom, Synthenoids, Mr. Zurkon).

Ratchet whacking a horned toad with his OmniWrench.

Ratchet's signature weapon is his OmniWrench, a tool he uses as a mechanic,[196] but also wields as a melee weapon. The OmniWrench also serves him well in interacting with his environment (typically turning bolt cranks or picking up and throwing objects). By far Ratchet's deadliest weapons are the illegal RYNO weapons, extremely powerful weapons that are either large multi-missile launchers (original R.Y.N.O., RY3NO), rapid-fire missile launchers (RYNO II, RYNO V, RYNO VII), dark matter launchers (RY3NO when upgraded, RYNO IV) or even mech suits (RYNO VI Protosuit). Ratchet also often wields weapons that can transmogrify his opponents into creatures (Morph-o-Ray, Sheepinator, Transmorpher), and tear holes in the fabric of spacetime (Rift Inducer, Rift Inducer 5000, RYNO 8).

Ratchet traversing a vertical surface using the Gravity Boots.

Among Ratchet's gadgets are fluid storage and dispersal devices (Hydrodisplacer, Gelanator, OmniSoaker), hacking devices (Trespasser, Infiltrator, Decryptor), and holographic disguises (Hologuise, Tyhrra-Guise, Holo-Pirate Disguise). His most commonly used gadgets are the Swingshot, used to swing across large gaps, the Grind Boots used to grind on rails, an O2 Mask, to provide him with oxygen in environments devoid of it, Magneboots and Gravity Boots, used to traverse along vertical or upside-down surfaces, and the hoverboots, a lombax invention used to quickly traverse environments. With Clank on his back, Ratchet has access to his installed traversal gadgets, such as the Heli-Pack, Thruster-Pack, and Hydro-Pack. Ratchet has owned multiple ships, the two most notable being his starfighters, the Star Explorer and Aphelion. He has also owned many sets of armor to protect himself better in battle, among the strongest being the Carbonox armor, Infernox armor, and Trillium armor.

Behind the scenes

Concept and design

A concept sketch of the reptilian Ratchet,

Ratchet was originally conceptualized by Insomniac employee Brian Hastings as a reptilian alien who traveled around planets collecting weapons.[206][207][208] The concept behind had at some point evolved into that of a fuzzy caveman led to space by a robot on a mission to save the galaxy, before the caveman's club was replaced with the OmniWrench 8000, and the caveman became a mechanic.[208]

The very first concept art of a reptilian Ratchet was designed by David Guertin,[206] with the idea of a "spunky alien with a crazy gadget gauntlet and some Bionic Commando traversal abilities".[209] This form gave way to Ratchet's cat-like form,[209] decided upon after Insomniac looked at various terrestrial creatures, such as dogs and rats, and settled on feline features due to the sense of agility associated with them.[210] He was designed to be "fast and furious early" on.[211]

The finalized concept art of both Ratchet and Clank.

Ratchet's initial design lacked eyebrows and stripes on the ears and went through many different color iterations before finally settling on a brown design. Sony's Japanese animators instead suggested using a yellow color and adding stripes to the ears to prevent Ratchet from blending into the background with nothing to look at and to appeal more to a Japanese audience, changes Ted Price of Insomniac objected to (saying that they would make the changes "over my dead body"), though these were implemented by Guertin nonetheless and adopted as final.[206][212][213] Ratchet was also given five fingers rather than three or four to appear more anthropomorphic but also to be better received in Japan, a decision made through conventional wisdom rather than one suggested by Sony of Japan.[212] Clean shapes as well as bold iconic ears were key to his final design.[214]

Detail drawings of Ratchet.

Color testing concepts for Ratchet.

Concept art for Tools of Destruction.

Concept art for A Crack in Time.

Development

Ratchet was voiced by Mikey Kelley in the original Ratchet & Clank, and though his voice acting was praised,[215] Ratchet's personality as a whole received negative feedback,[215][216][217][218] and Insomniac were unhappy with his personality, considering him "too sarcastic, too snarky, too selfish".[219] This prompted a significant personality change for the sequel, Going Commando, in which Ratchet was instead voiced by James Arnold Taylor (the voice of Tidus from Final Fantasy X) from then onwards, to induce a "psychological reset" in players, and given a much more mature and affable personality.[217] Many scenes in Going Commando were written deliberately to show Ratchet being protective of Clank, to draw a distinction from the previous game where Ratchet was often at odds with Clank.[220]

In Tools of Destruction, Tachyon taunts Ratchet by saying that only he knows Ratchet's true name. This is because Ratchet's real lombax name was originally going to be revealed in A Crack in Time, but writer T.J. Fixman and Brian Allgeier opted not to reveal it as they realized that "Ratchet" is part of his identity, and wanted to continue to call him that. Fixman and Allgeier also know what happened to Ratchet's mother and Kaden, but have not revealed those stories in case they revisit them in a later game.[221]

When transitioning to the PlayStation 3 hardware, Ratchet's character model became far more detailed in terms of polygons and bones for his skeleton to animate the character. While the skeleton for Ratchet's character model used 110 bones in total in the PlayStation 2 entries, for Tools of Destruction, the skeleton featured 120 bones in the face alone.[222]

Jak X: Combat Racing listed Ratchet's age as of Deadlocked at 18. During a livestream Insomniac Games noted that Ratchet was either 15 or 17 during the events of the first game.[223] Ratchet's height is also listed as 5'0" (152.4 cm), his weight as 150lb (68kg), and his eyes as aqua. For All 4 One, Ratchet's height was listed as 5'1" (155cm). These information sources have since become outdated, with an official height of 150cm (4'11") and weight of 40kg (88lb) given to Ratchet by Insomniac Games as of Rift Apart.

Non-canonical appearances

Ratchet also appears in non-canonical entries to the series.

Going Mobile

Going Mobile is non-canon.

Ratchet and Clank upon entering the vid-comic.

In a mobile phone game, Going Mobile, Ratchet and Clank were invited to look at new biomatter converter technology[224], though the device accidentally transported them to a Secret Agent Clank vid-comic.[225] They eventually contacted Al, who informed them only the MCGuFIN could help them escape, which they had to find[226], although it had split into pieces on transport.[227] They obtained all pieces, but discovered Maximillian was also planning to use it and escape the vid-comic, and was waiting for them at the final exit.[228] They managed to defeat Maximillian, and then used the device themselves, traveling either home or to an unknown location.[229]

Clone Home

Clone Home is non-canon.

Ratchet thanking the clone versions.

In Clone Home, Ratchet was contacted by a digital clone of himself who revealed that Gleeman Vox had utilized his digital signature to create a "virus" of billions of clones to overtake the Mega-Net.[230] After Vox digitized the real Ratchet back into the digital realm using a Bio Matter Converter[231], Ratchet worked with his copy to delete their source file, though this caused the clones to fade from existence.[232] Ratchet then successfully overclocked the PCD's CPU and defeated a digital manifestation of Vox before escaping the device through a network port.[233][234]

Manga

In the manga, Ratchet & Clank: Gagaga! Ginga no Gakeppuchi Densetsu. Ratchet has just moved to Metropolis, where he meets Clank who ran away from Quartu after nearly being destroyed for scrap metal. Ratchet has a far more childish and violent personality compared to that of the series.

Life of Pie

In the short film, Ratchet & Clank: Life of Pie, Ratchet and Clank were on a pizza run when they stumbled upon Dr. Nefarious' experiments with the Portalizer, after numerous setbacks, the duo eventually managed to secure the device in the weapons museum in Galactic City.

Non-Ratchet & Clank appearances

Ratchet has several major appearances in non-Ratchet & Clank titles. In Jak X: Combat Racing, Ratchet is a playable character, who drives a car with Clank as the antenna, in multiplayer mode. This is a crossover with the game and Deadlocked, in which Jak is a playable skin for the second player in co-operative mode.

In PlayStation Move Heroes, Ratchet appeared, based on his Tools of Destruction attire. Ratchet and Clank were captured, alongside Jak and Daxter, and Sly Cooper, to compete in a friendly competition hosted by the floating aliens known as the Whibbles to determine which was the greatest hero. The three fought at first, though they later allied to defeat villains Gleeber and Lunk, who had enslaved the Whibbles. Ratchet appeared to be the leader of the group, often breaking up disagreements between Jak and Sly. Later, the team defeated Gleeber and Lunk, and were returned to their worlds, with a communicator to keep in contact with the others.

Ratchet makes an appearance in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale as a playable character with Clank. Ratchet uses many of his weapons from the series, including the wrench, the Combuster, the Sonic Eruptor, the Agents of Doom, the Suck Cannon, Mr. Zurkon, and for his first Super Move, the RYNO V. For his ultimate level three Super Move, Ratchet uses the Aphelion to destroy enemies. In Ratchet's story mode, Ratchet and Clank are traveling through the galaxy searching for gold bolts, and track them down to the Nefarious Space Station, where they defeat many foes, run into Qwark and Nefarious, encounter their story rivals Jak and Daxter, and finally defeat the final boss, Polygon Man (the source of the fake gold bolt signal).

Ratchet appears in a minigame in PlayStation All-Stars Island, in which he uses his hoverboard to help Cole MacGrath collect items.

Non-Ratchet & Clank cameos

Aside from playable appearances, Ratchet makes cameos and is referenced in many other non-Ratchet & Clank media:

• In Jak II, Ratchet and Clank appear on the walls in Haven City, in a poster based on his Going Commando appearance.

• Ratchet is an unlockable golfer in Hot Shots Golf Fore! (known as Everybody's Golf in Europe), with Clank as a caddie.

• In Jak 3, Ratchet and Clank appear as targets in a secret gun course, along with tyhrranoids.

• In Ape Escape 3, an ape wearing a Ratchet outfit that was equipped with Ratchet's OmniWrench and a Clank backpack can be caught.

• A secret that could be found unlocked a Ratchet mask that Daxter could wear in Daxter.

• In Asterix & Obelix XXL 2: Mission: Las Vegum, a small tower surmounted by a bust of Ratchet, and a Clank-shaped pendulum underneath can be seen in the night-time section of Venetia.

• In Resistance: Fall of Man and Resistance 2, also developed by Insomniac Games, lombax equipment can be unlocked in multiplayer, based on Ratchet.

• Made by Insomniac Games, an introduction video presented by Ratchet and Qwark played to the audience of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS) Awards at the DICE Summit in 2010.

• Ratchet and Clank Mod characters appear as DLC in ModNation Racers.

• In LittleBigPlanet 2 and onwards, a Ratchet costume is available as downloadable content.

• In Infamous 2, the name of a movie parodying Ratchet & Clank named "Latch It and Skank" can be seen listed as showing at an adult movie theater.

• In Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, Ratchet's wrench appears as an unlockable item that replaces Sly's cane, and changes the game's collectible coins into bolts.

• The PlayStation 3 version of Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare features a Ratchet hat only available by pre-ordering the game.

• In Minecraft, a Ratchet skin is included in Skin Pack 2 in PlayStation versions of the Legacy Console and Bedrock Editions.

• A Ratchet mask was a preorder bonus in PlayStation versions of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5.

• Ratchet and Clank are featured in episode 60 of the animated web series Death Battle, and are the winners in their match against Jak and Daxter.

• In Super Bomberman R, Ratchet, along with Clank, appear together as a playable character, the Ratchet & Clank Bomber, on the PlayStation 4 version of the game. Their special ability is the Ratchet Blaster.

• In Avengers: Endgame, Tony Stark, having a tendency to sometimes refer to people as characters from pop culture they remind him of, at one point refers to Rocket Raccoon as "Ratchet".

• In Ghost of Tsushima, origami figures referencing various PlayStation game franchises can be found, with one resembling Ratchet's head.

• During a limited-time crossover event in Fall Guys, Ratchet's Challenge took place, wherein various rewards could be earned: the Ratchet Banner, Ratchet Colour, Lombax Pattern, Ratchet Costume, and the Groovitron Emote. The Ratchet Faceplate could be obtained outside of the event.

• In Among Us, a Ratchet costume, consisting of a skin and hat, is obtainable exclusively on the PlayStation version.

• God of War Ragnarök features a poem named "Tool and Bang", which vaguely describes the plot of Rift Apart.

• In Astro Bot, Ratchet appears as a VIP bot called the "Tooled-Up Mechanic", accompanied by a smaller Clank bot. His description reads: "His little buddy has got his back!" A Ratchet costume is also available in the Changing Room for Astro Bot to wear.

• In Lego Horizon Adventures, a Ratchet costume is included in the game's digital deluxe edition, with a Lego Clank on the back.

Reception

Ratchet was later voted as the sixteenth top character of the 2000s decade by Game Informer readers.[235]

In the original Ratchet & Clank, reaction to Ratchet's character was lukewarm. IGN, while praising Mikey Kelly's voice acting, criticized his character as bland.[215] GameSpy also criticized what they described as Ratchet's uninteresting aesthetic design and rude, immature and immoral demeanor.[216] Following Going Commando, reaction to Ratchet was much more positive, with IGN noting that he was "no longer an angry, selfish teenage furry", rather he was "a lot more palatable" due to being wiser and more forgiving.[236]