Since its first release on the PS2 back in 2002, Insomniac's Ratchet and Clank series has grown to become one of the most popular and iconic PlayStation exclusives on the market. Although the resourceful Lombax and his witty mechanical companion are without a doubt the stars of the show, there are several side characters that make appearances along the way, many of which becoming memorable inclusions in the series.
Being that Ratchet and Clank takes place in a science fiction universe, these genre conventions lead to many of said characters being extraterrestrial in nature. With Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart releasing soon and sure to introduce even more colorful characters, its worth looking back on the series thus far and examining the many creatures that Ratchet and Clank have crossed paths with. Whether big or small, fuzzy or slimy, these games have no shortage of strange yet charming alien species to encounter.
Lombax
It seems only seems to appropriate to begin with the species from which the series protagonist is a member of, the Lombax. A humanoid/feline hybrid, the Lombaxes were a race of creatures extremely proficient with all things engineering and mechanical. Having developed some of the universes most defining pieces of tech from hoverboards and OmniWrenches (which serves as Ratchet's weapon of choice), Lombaxes could essentially be considered the architects of this fictional world. After a Cragmite Emperor banished them from the universe, the Lombax was race was believed to be mostly extinct, which makes the appearance of a female Lombax in Rift Apart all the more interesting.
Cragmite
Speaking of the Cragmites, this race is predominantly militaristic in nature and features an insect/reptilian appearance. Serving as the primary antagonists in the PS3 title Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction, it is revealed that the Cragmites waged war with the Lombaxes during the era of the Great Cragmite Empire. The Cragmites come in a variety of shapes in sizes, with some being large hulking beasts while others are small like Percival Tachyon (pictured above). One notable characteristic of all Cragmites is that the species is very slow and rarely move with actual physical movement, but rather through teleportation. Upon death, a Cragmite will split into three baby Cragpoles, which ironically can move rather quickly and have a rather nasty bite.
Zoni
Serving as one of the principal players in both Tools of Destruction and A Crack in Time on the PS3, the Zoni are a race of aliens that possess the ability to time travel. These mystical beings are essentially pure energy, with a body that is neither organic nor robotic, and are essentially forced to wear protective suits in order to survive being in other dimensions. The Zoni also function as a hive mind race, which means that the entirety of a population think and work in unison, with 'the more the merrier' being a quite literal expression in this instance. These small but formidable beings live within and operate the Great Clock, the time keeper for all things in the entire universe.
Blarg
A hostile species originating from the Solana galaxy, the Blarg feature as the main enemy force in the both the 2002 original as well as the 2016 Ratchet and Clank reboot. Similar to Lombaxes, the Blarg are a race of inventors and skilled engineers, but in this instance use these skills for evil rather than the betterment of the universe as a whole. One Blarg in particular, Chairman Drek, is the founder of Drek Industries and uses his wealth and power to invade and terraform other planets across space into a hospitable planet to call home. The reason for this is a tragic one, as the Blarg became so obsessed with technological advancement and infrastructure that they polluted their homeworld of Orvus.
Tyhrranoids
From one hostile alien race to another, Tyhrranoids are reptilian creatures with a bipedal body structure and various color schemes. In fact, the physical features of each Tyhrranoids often determine their rank as a soldier, with deciding factors being the number of eyes and overall size. Although featured in many games within the Ratchet and Clank series, these aliens first appeared in Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal named Dr. Nefarious hired the race to serve as an army for his many invasions and assaults throughout the game. Thankfully for Ratchet and other heroes in this universe, for the sheer amount of Tyhrranoids there are, they also lack in intelligence, often rushing into combat with little tactical skill.