The Ratchet and Clank series is one of the longest-running IPs under the PlayStation name. For over two decades, the trigger-obsessed Lombax and his eloquent robot companion Blurrgs have exploded, soared through the stars, and powered more Sony hardware than a Gadgetron salesman. The iconic duo is so popular they even made it to the big screen when a Hollywood film adaptation was released in 2016.
However, since Rift Apart for PS5 is the 11th mainline entry and the series’ story is still ongoing, it’s understandable that some people might be a little lost. What started as a simple buddy comedy has turned into a complex intergalactic melodrama. Here’s a rundown of the entire Ratchet timeline.
The Original Saga
How Do Ratchet And Clank Meet?
We start in the Solana Galaxy, a cynical, consumerist place where you’re more likely to encounter gaseous wastelands and bands of predatory space pirates than civilized society. We meet Ratchet on the desert world of Verdin, one of the planet’s hellish landscapes. The suicidal Lombax (a type of cat-like, long-tailed alien) makes a living as a mechanic. In his free time, he tinkers and builds a ship, which he hopes to use to escape.
He doesn’t know his parents, his real name (“Ratchet” is a nickname he picked because of his love of machines), or anything else about the wider world. So maybe this ship could be his ticket to a better life. Unfortunately, it’s missing a key component – an ignition system, which, as you’d expect, is pretty basic. Poor Ratchet’s out of luck so far.
Meanwhile, on the distant planet Quartu, the nefarious Blurg Chairman Drek has been assembling an army of robots. His motives aren’t entirely clear, but it’s clear from the dim lighting and manic laughter that it can’t be a good thing. Suddenly, lightning strikes the factory, and the machines spit out defective models. This little guy quickly develops awareness, conscience, and the courage to steal evidence of Drek’s conspiracy. He escapes to a nearby capsule, but is shot down and falls. Where else could he be? – Depart for Verdin.
What Happens In Ratchet And Clank (2002)?
This is where the first series begins. Ratchet rescues a robot but can’t remember its serial number, B5429671. So he decides on the nickname “Clank” after the sound the bot makes when walking around. It’s great that none of the main characters use their real names and don’t know much about their origins. This lays the foundation for strong relationships.
Clank offers to act as the robotic ignition system for Ratchet’s ship if he helps deliver the evidence to Captain Qwark, a hero of Solana and self-described TV star. Ratchet has posters of Captain Qwark plastered all over his garage. The Lombax agrees, and the pair embark on the first of many adventures. Along the way, they encounter a veritable polonaise of crazy NPCs, including Al the handyman, The Plumber the plumber, and Helga the fitness trainer.
Eventually, they reach Qwark’s base – a seedy trailer – only to discover he is far from the hero they see on TV. He has no integrity and is a traitor, and after a brief stint on an obstacle course, it also becomes clear that he has lost all sense of moral integrity. Having agreed to work with Drek in exchange for a lucrative sponsorship deal, Qwark wastes no time feeding Ratchet and Clank a giant subterranean beast.
How Does The First Game End?
Drek’s plan is soon revealed in shocking horror. After polluting Blurg’s home planet with his factory, he intends to steal parts of other worlds using a machine called the “Deplanetizer” to create new homes for his people. He will then pollute this new planet as well, continuing the cycle. It will make him rich. Of course, Ratchet and Clank cannot stand this. After a short altercation and revenge against Qwark, the two return to Verdin and confront Drek. The corrupt Chairman ultimately perishes at the hands (claws?) of his own planet-destroyer.
Clank wants to leave, thinking their work together is done… but Ratchet calls him back, wanting to spend more time with the chatty automaton. It’s an incredibly sweet moment and a clear sign that the two are now firm friends.
What Happens In Ratchet And Clank: Going Commando?
Like all good sequels, Going Commando begins just a few months after the original game. The hero business is a bit sluggish for Ratchet and Clank, who are relegated to being spokespeople for greasy products like Groove Lube (and Al’s Wieners). So they’re excited when they get a call from Abercrombie Fizzwidget, the syntactically uncertain CEO of Megacorp, offering them a job in the neighboring Bogon Galaxy.
It looks like a thief has done a little industrial espionage and stolen Fizzwidget’s latest product, an adorable, fluffy “protopet.” While Clank makes a fortune in the city at Megacorp’s expense, Ratchet tracks down the thief, only to find out she’s a fellow Lombax named Angela Cross. Considering Ratchet thought he was the only Lombax left alive, this comes as something of a surprise, and the first hint that he might not be so lonely after all.
Angela turns out to be a freedom fighter trying to uncover FizzWidget’s conspiracy. She discovers that under certain circumstances, Protopets can actually become killing machines (think round Mogwai). Megacorp is looking to dump thousands of dollars into an unsuspecting market, but things aren’t looking good. The plot thickens when FizzWidget is revealed to be a surviving Captain Qwark, trying to ingratiate himself with the residents by selling them Protopets, unaware of their true nature.
Ratchet and Clank stop the transport of Protopets to a galactic scale before they depart. Quark is sentenced to menial labor because the real Mr. Fizzwidget is stuffed in his closet, while Angela travels to new horizons and our heroes celebrate the success of another mission.
What Happens In Ratchet And Clank: Up Your Arsenal?
It’s time for the third sequel and the debut of the series’ most iconic antagonist, Dr. Villain. This cyborg slayer has the same history as Captain Qwark: he was bullied by this bumbling musclehead at school, and after being accidentally turned into a robot, he vowed to destroy all “weaklings.” If you’re not into robot slang, that’s a natural life.
Ratchet and Clank are called back to Veldin, which is under siege by Nefarious’ forces. There, they join the Solana Galactic Rangers, a horribly incompetent fleet in need of a sergeant. It doesn’t take long for the two to get sucked into the series’ silliest series of episodes to date. It would take forever to summarise them all, but here’s an excerpt:
- Ratchet begins a romance with Sasha, the President’s daughter.
- A disgraced Qwark believes himself to be an ape and is recruited by the Rangers.
- Nefarious hires Courtney Gears, an incredibly aggressive robot pop star, to produce anti-organic propaganda.
- Clank is kidnapped and replaced by his evil doppelganger, Clank.
- Clank and Ratchet are now part-time TV stars in a spy series called Secret Agent Clank.
- Nefarious’ long-suffering butler Lawrence enjoys Nefarious’s role as a cyborg and continues to listen to the radio play “Lance and Janice” about the dubious lovers.
Somehow it all comes together to form a very entertaining whole. The climax takes place on Veldin, where Nefarious makes a final attempt to use the Bioblitterator, a Death Star-like device that turns every human in the galaxy into a robot. He is no match for Ratchet and Clank’s weaponry, and soon he and Lawrence are hurled into space aboard a meteorite.
What Happens In Ratchet: Deadlocked?
The final entry of the PS2 era, Deadlocked takes a decidedly darker approach to a previously light story. At the end of Up Your Arsenal, everything seemed rosy: Nefarious was defeated, Qwark was redeemed, and Ratchet and Clank found friends and a place among the Galactic Rangers. Unfortunately, peace doesn’t last long.
Robot warriors board Sasha’s spaceship, capture Ratchet, Clank and Al, and drag them to the farthest reaches of the galaxy, the Shadow Sector. There, they are forced to take part in a bloody, Hunger Games-esque sport known as the Dreadzone, broadcast across Solana by the gleefully greedy gleeman Vox (of VoxNews, naturally). The team is equipped with explosive collars that will explode if they step too far outside the permitted DreadZone area. Vox is clearly committed to the Watto Theorem of employee control.
In the DreadZone it’s kill or be killed, and that’s exactly what Ratchet and the gang must do as they work their way up the ladder and finally defeat the reigning champion, the egotistical Ace Hardlight. Vox tries to lure Ratchet into a life of soulless commercialism with promises of endless royalties and media appearances, but Ratchet isn’t having it.
In retaliation, Vox explodes the entire DreadZone studio and (literally) the captive audience. The move conveniently blows up in his face – Ratchet frees the spectator and escapes with his friends to Sasha and crew, much to Qwark’s delight!
The Future Saga
What Happens In Ratchet And Clank: Tools Of Destruction?
Now that we have the PS3 and all its bells and whistles, we are entering the HD era. Insomniac Games felt that it was the right time to expand the lore of the Ratchetverse more aggressively. Thus, in Tools of Disaster, the plot is the absolute focus. It’s the beginning of a “future saga” that will last six years.
It starts with explosions and unnecessary 1080p particle effects. It’s been a few years since Ratchet and Clank retired as galactic rangers, but that doesn’t mean the problem of finding them hasn’t stopped. A nefarious alien fleet has invaded Solana, led by the diminutive Emperor Tachyon, who is essentially a walking Napoleon complex. He seems to be at odds with the entire Lombax race, and has expressed a desire to wipe out every last Lombax.
But before he can elaborate, Ratchet and Clank steal his ship, and the autopilot hurtles them to a new galaxy, Polaris. There, they encounter Fathoon, the abandoned and dilapidated homeworld of the Lombax. Luckily, a Lombax ship with an intrepid AI called Aphelion is still sailing there. The two explore Polaris with Aphelion, narrowly avoiding a collision with the local robot pirate Captain Slug and his crew.
Who Is Talwyn Apogee?
Ratchet, Clank and Talwyn, with their heads full of revelations about their families, confront Tachyon on Fathoon. He has tracked down the Demenators and intends to resurrect the Kragmites in order to reignite the war. Before he can do this, Ratchet pushes him into a rift in reality and a final showdown ensues. Clank is able to capture the Demenators and instructs him to finish the job. He complies and sucks Tachyon into the Kragmites’ reality.
Everything looks rosy again. Talwyn offers Ratchet and Clank to take her in, but when they are about to accept the offer, Zoni materializes (physically this time) and abducts Clank to the Big Clock. They say it’s time for him to learn his fate. Ratchet can only watch helplessly as his friend is teleported to an unknown location.
What Happens In Ratchet And Clank: Quest For Booty?
The provocatively titled Quest For Booty was a small downloadable adventure that aimed to fill the narrative gap between Tools of Disaster and the epic A Crack in Time. It’s only around three hours long, but still contains some key developments.
The game follows Ratchet’s search for Clank, which leads him and Talwyn to the planet Meldeglow, where they clash again with Captain Slug. Most of the game is spent in dank caves and on a pirate galleon, including a key showdown with Angstrom Darkwater, a ghost trapped in Captain Slug’s sword. Eventually Ratchet obtains the Obsidian Eye, a crystal that allows him to see anything he wishes, and asks where his companion is.
The final cutscene is the highlight of Quest For Booty. We see Clank tied to a table in a mysterious workshop. Zoni rushes around the room, preparing to greet the “fixer” who claims to restore Clank’s memories. And who would come in and laugh maliciously if not the Dr. Villain? At the time, the use of Nefarious hadn’t yet reached its saturation point, so this was a great twist and really built up anticipation for A Crack In Time.
What Happens In Ratchet And Clank: A Crack In Time?
A Crack In Time is often cited as the pinnacle of the Ratchet and Clank series, both in terms of gameplay and story. Emotionally evocative, thematically rich, and expertly paced, it’s the best story in the series. Clank is once again pursued by Ratchet (and Qwark, who fills in for Talwyn, who is stuck as Mission Controller in this game for some reason) on Polaris.
Meanwhile, Clank wakes up to find himself in the Great Clock, a Zoni space station that measures time at the center of the universe. She is guarded by Orvus, the most intelligent of the Zoni, and his neurotic caretaker Sigmund. Dr. Nefarious, disguised as a harmless mechanic, is trying to hijack the clock in order to rewind time and undo his previous defeat. Crank couldn’t hold this in for a while, so he freed himself, fought Nefarious, and met with Orvus.
Orvus’ memories, more specifically. As we all know, Orvus left on a fateful business trip a few months ago (supposedly arranged by Nefarious) and never returned. However, he had left fragments of his consciousness behind to guide Crank, and then the bomb drops – Crank is Orvus’ son! It turns out that the lightning that caused Crank’s creation was the work of Orvus, meaning that Crank is actually the soul of Zoni in a robotic body. Crank (whose real name is XJ-0461) is the heir apparent to the Great Clock, and must undergo rigorous training if he is to take over from his father.
Who Is Alister Azimuth?
Meanwhile, Ratchet meets General Allister Azimuth, a Lombax survivor. Azimuth was a friend of Ratchet’s father, Caden, and blames himself for the Lombax disaster, since it was he who claimed the Lombax were trying to save Tachyon. When Ratchet tells him that Clank is trapped in the Great Clock, he perks up, thinking this is a way to erase his mistake. Ratchet is tempted by the idea that he might be able to meet his parents, but of course that means he and Clank will never meet.
Azimuth’s ambition puts him squarely in the crosshairs of Clank’s new responsibilities as the guardian of the clock. Orvus’ rules were clear: he could not be used as a time machine, only to keep time itself moving. After defeating Nefarious and reaching the clock control room, Ratchet is forced to make a decision. He wisely sides with Clank, but Azimuth isn’t necessarily happy.
And then comes the most shocking moment of the series: Azimuth murders Ratchet to gain control. So dead. It’s cold. On Earth. No life. Clank is the first in the series to fly the final stage alone, and is able to connect to the clock’s mechanism and turn back six minutes (deemed the maximum allowable by Orvas). This is enough to save Ratchet from Azimuth’s killing blow, and a brutal showdown begins. Eventually, Azimuth’s aging body weakens, and he realizes his folly and resolves to sacrifice himself to prevent a catastrophic paradox.
How Does The Future Saga End?
With the flow of time now stable and Azimuth having died a hero’s death, only one question remains: does Clank want to stay and watch the watch? It’s a difficult decision, but in the final moments before Ratchet flies off, Clank decides to join his companion. He leaves the watch in the care of Sigmund, and Orvus’ spirit ends it all with a moving monologue:
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