Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart has one of the most unique premises in the series, giving players the chance to not only revisit old planets, and meet returning characters, but also present brand new alternate dimension forms of many fan favorite characters.
As a result, the game is packed with lots of characters that return from the series’ past, from the obvious Ratchet & Clank to more obscure characters such as Quest for Booty’s Rusty Pete, and hoverboard Champion Skid McMarx. Here are characters in Ratchet & Clank that are returning from older games in the series.
9 Ratchet & Clank
The most obvious inclusion in Rift Apart is the titular characters, Ratchet & Clank. Although they spend a lot of the journey separated from each other, both characters return to Rift Apart and are as charming as ever. Both develop relationships with new partners, but nothing quite matches the relationship between and two, and Rift Apart offers some of the most entertaining dialogue in the series when the two converse.
The two continue from where Into the Nexus left off, with the plot of the game revolving around the Dimensionator weapon that they found at the end of said game. Rivet and Kit’s introduction means some of the spotlight is taken away from Ratchet, but he is still ever-present in Rift Apart, and the series will hopefully continue to build on both characters moving forward.
8 Dr. Nefarious
Dr. Nefarious appears in two forms in Rift Apart, with the same old Dr. you’ve come to love appearing alongside the more dangerous, and let’s face it, competent Emperor Nefarious. Interestingly, the last time Nefarious appeared in the series he was working alongside Ratchet & Clank in All 4 One, but evidently, he has since returned to his villainous ways.
Emperor Nefarious appears mid-way through the game, and is one of the most devious and calculated villains in the series, teaming up with his counterpart in order to try and take over all the dimensions, unless you can stop them of course. Nefarious is a fan favourite character, and his return in Rift Apart is welcomed by fans of the series.
7 Goons 4 Less
The Goons-4-Less, previously known as Thugs-4-Less are back and ready to cause Ratchet a lot of hurt after being hired by Dr. Nefarious at the start of the game’s plot. Having previously fought against Ratchet in Going Commando and Into the Nexus, they’ve rebranded and have taken on a more relaxing personality in comparison to previous appearances.
They’re the go-to mercenaries in the galaxy and appear in numerous forms in Rift Apart, including melee units, flying units and even a dropship which can be a major nuisance to you if you’re not careful. They’re the first enemy faction seen in Rift Apart, and continue to chase Ratchet across the galaxy as he seeks to take down Nefarious once and for all.
6 Captain Qwark
The villain, come hero, Captain Qwark is back in Rift Apart, and you’ll be in for a surprise involving the enigmatic Captain during the games latter stages. Qwark is almost as quintessential to the series as Ratchet & Clank themselves. After a rough past including a brief stage in which he lived in the jungle in Up Your Arsenal, Qwark plays a part in the celebrations for the pair seen at the beginning of the game.
Fans of the series will be happy to hear that Captain Qwark hasn’t changed one bit, and you can look forward to once again witnessing his self-congratulating attitude at its finest as soon as you start Rift Apart.
5 Rusty Pete
Rusty Pete will be familiar if you’ve played either of Ratchet’s pirate-themed adventures, although you’ll probably remember him more for his villainous incompetency than anything else. In fact, in Quest for Booty, he’s an ally to Ratchet, and the same is true in Rift Apart. He even hosts a radio show in A Crack in Time, alongside long-term collaborator Romulus Slag.
If you play Rift Apart you’ll meet his alternate dimension counterpart, Pierre LeFair who has a love-hate relationship with Rivet. Like any pirate, all Pierre wants to do is loot and steal anything he can, a pirate’s life indeed.
4 Kaden
Kaden doesn’t technically make an appearance in Rift Apart, but he does get a mention in the lorbs quest, which considering how mysterious of a character this particular lombax is makes it worth including. He’s Ratchet’s father and played a key role in ensuring the Lomax race survived the near-extinction of their race after Emperor Tachyon’s attack.
If you’ve played any of the other games in the series, especially those in the PlayStation 3 era, you’ll understand how little is known of Kaden, so to see him get a mention in Rift Apart has ignited hopes in fans that maybe, just maybe we’ll see an answer to what truly happened to the Lombaxes in future iterations.
3 Skid McMarx
Champion Hoverboarder Skidd McMarx appears in the first game in the series, and after appearing in the sequel has not been seen in any games since, well aside from the 2016 reimagining of the original game. It was a pleasant surprise to see Skidd appear in Rift Apart, and you’ll bump into him during the celebrations during the game’s introduction.
His dimensional counterpart, Phantom, is a key part of the resistance against Emperor Nefarious and you’ll meet him in Nefarious City before he vanishes to continue the struggle against the Emperor. Despite the clear differences in career paths, both versions of the character are similar in both personality and interests, maybe Phantom is also a hoverboard aficionado.
2 Chairman Drek
Chairman Drek is another character from the original game, and his involvement in Rift Apart is heavily linked to his fate in the 2016 reboot. After being turned into a sheep at the end of Ratchet & Clank 2016 he somehow ended up in Zurkie’s Bar, still in sheep form.
Although it makes little sense in the series’ timeline, the in-game bio confirms this in fact Drek, bringing into question if this is the same one from the 2016 game. Perhaps another Chairman Drek suffered the same humiliating fate spending the rest of his days sat alone at the bar, wondering what could have been.
1 Mrs. Zurkon And Zurkon Jr.
Mrs. Zurkon was one of the toughest bosses in Ratchet & Clank 2016, but returns in Rift Apart as an ally to both Ratchet and Rivet. Just make sure you don’t trust her with anything too secretive for the resistance’s cause, she hasn’t quite nailed down the conspicuous nature needed for such a role.
Zurkon Jr. also returns, running Zurkie’s Slaughterplex, Rift Apart’s version of the arena. Of course. if you’ve played games such as Into the Nexus you’ll remember him as one of Ratchet’s weapons, but in Rivet’s dimension, he evidently decided to be the one throwing other people into combat, rather than the other way round.
NEXT: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Is Too Afraid To Explore Loneliness
