Ratchet (Ratchet & Clank)

Ratchet is the main character of the Ratchet & Clank series of video games. Ratchet is 5 ft tall, weighs 97.5 lbs, and as of All 4 One, he is 24 years old. In the first game, he was most likely to be 15 years old. In the English versions of the games, Ratchet is voiced by Mikey Kelley in the first Ratchet & Clank and by James Arnold Taylor in all the others. He is voiced by Makoto Tsumura in the Japanese versions of the games.

Conception and creation
Ratchet was originally envisioned by Insomniac Games Vice President of Programming Brian Hastings as a space-traveling reptile alien who would collect various weapons as he progressed through the game; Ratchet's final form was decided upon after Insomniac at various terrestrial creatures, such as dogs and rats, and feline features stood out to them because of the sense of agility associated with it. In response to the negative critical reception of Ratchet's design and personality in Ratchet & Clank, Ratchet's personality was altered in Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando to be "less cocky, [...] much more friendly to Clank, and [...] able to handle himself better in stressful situations without being impetuous".

Plot overview
Ratchet is a Lombax who was sent to Veldin from Fastoon by his father to save him from Emperor Percival Tachyon. The series begins with him working on a home-made ship and longing to travel to new worlds. But soon enough his life changes when he meets the diminutive robot fugitive named Clank. From there on, he and the small robot adventure throughout the universe, saving it on many occasions.

Personality
Ratchet tends to be quite headstrong and usually is not afraid to voice his opinion. During the first game he has quite a short temper, which fades in the later titles. Yet at the same time, he often appears concerned with how people view him. In later games he shows jealousy over Clank's notoriety. He was once having a relationship with another Lombax named Angela Cross, as seen in Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, and later develops a romantic interest with a Cazar named Sasha Phyronix in Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal. He also seems to develop a relationship with a Markazian named Talwyn Apogee, over the course of the Future trilogy and onwards.

Reception
On Mikey Kelley's vocal performance as Ratchet in Ratchet & Clank, Douglass C. Perry of IGN commented that "while Ratchet strives for that perfect dude-like teenager vibe, the voice actor generally hits the mark." Ratchet's in-game model in Ratchet & Clank, particularly his facial animations and fur, was praised by Louis Bedigian of GameZone. Gavin Frankle of Allgame found it hard to form an emotional bond with Ratchet or Clank, saying that Ratchet is "your typical teenager [...] who desires nothing more than excitement and adventure". Benjamin Turner of GameSpy was highly critical of Ratchet, citing his uninteresting aesthetic design and rude, immature and immoral demeanor as reasons for his ire. Johnny Liu of Game Revolution noted that Ratchet "starts out with a blue-collar attitude, but he's mostly there for deft observations and cutting remarks" and appreciated Ratchet not being "pigeonholed as a typical goody-goody", but concluded that he wasn't very fleshed out.

Critics took note of Ratchet's improved character in subsequent games. Douglass C. Perry of IGN commented that Ratchet "is no longer an angry, selfish teenage furry creature from outer space. He's a commando, a little wiser, a little more forgiving and a lot more palatable. Though still furry..." Carlos McElfish of GameZone, describing Ratchet's in the previous game as a "laughably confident, smart-alecky hot-shot", commented that Ratchet's new voice forces a psychological reset in the minds of players. Jeremy Dunham of IGN noted that Ratchet's "Why me?" delivery is "spot on".