Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is the first new Ratchet & Clank game in five years, but there once was a time when the series was practically an annual franchise. New Ratchet & Clank games released on a frequent basis, in the process building up the series' roster of memorable characters. The Ratchet & Clank series has had a significant number of recurring characters over the years, including some that have become fan favorites.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart will be bringing back various characters from previous games in the series. Besides the titular Ratchet and Clank, fans can also look forward to the return of the evil Dr. Nefarious, as well as Skidd McMarx, who appears to be going by the codename Phantom in Rift Apart. It's quite possible that there are other recurring characters from past Ratchet & Clank games that will be in Rift Apart, but Insomniac Games has kept them secret so far.

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Here are some of the other recurring Ratchet & Clank characters that would be great to see return in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. Please note that this article will have some SPOILERS for Ratchet & Clank games released before Rift Apart.

In the first Ratchet & Clank game, the titular heroes meet Big Al, the owner and operator of Al's Roboshack on planet Kerwan. Al has a massive impact on the Ratchet & Clank series, as he is the one who ultimately gives Clank his Heli-Pack upgrade - an upgrade that plays a role in nearly every Ratchet & Clank video game ever made. In Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, Al joined the Captain Qwark-led Q-Force team along with Ratchet and Clank, while also introducing the duo to the Captain Qwark vid-comics games.

The combat-focused Ratchet: Deadlocked game also featured Al in a prominent rule, even teasing his potential death. Luckily for Big Al fans, he managed to survive the events of Ratchet: Deadlocked and while he hasn't made any big appearances since, references to him and his Roboshack can be found in future games in the series. Seeing Al return in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart would be a treat for fans while also paying homage to the impressive legacy he's left in the series.

When it comes to Ratchet & Clank recurring characters, none are as prominent or important as Captain Qwark. Qwark was originally one of the main villains in the Ratchet & Clank series, having been the secret lackey of Chairman Drek in the first Ratchet & Clank game as well as the primary antagonist in Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando. Despite his initial villainous ways, Qwark slowly came around to being one of the good guys in future Ratchet & Clank games, and has even served as a playable character at different points in the series.

Qwark's heroics have gradually increased in the Ratchet & Clank games, to the point where he played an instrumental role in the heroes' victory in Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time. Also serving as the narrator for the 2016 Ratchet & Clank re-imagining on the PS4, Qwark has done it all in the Ratchet & Clank games and it would be a shame if he didn't make some kind of appearance in Rift Apart.

As it stands, Qwark has already been heavily hinted at being in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, though he has yet to be outright confirmed for the new game. If Qwark does return in Rift Apart, a new person will be voicing the character, as longtime Qwark voice actor Jim Ward will not be reprising his role in the new game.

Cronk and Zephyr are two grumpy old robots that were first introduced in Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction. Cronk and Zephyr proved to be popular enough characters from the Ratchet & Clank Future saga to see them reappear in many subsequent Ratchet & Clank games, including the co-op focused Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One, where they served as weapon vendors. Unfortunately, Cronk and Zephyr were killed during the events of Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus, but that doesn't mean that they can't come back in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart sees the heroes travel to alternate dimensions where different versions of existing characters live. While it hasn't been confirmed, it's been heavily implied that new playable hero Rivet is an alternate-universe version of Ratchet, whereas the alternate-universe version of Skidd McMarx has been all but confirmed as well. This would open the door for alternate versions of Cronk and Zephyr to appear in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, assuming they haven't died in that universe as well.

One of the first recurring characters that Ratchet and Clank meet in the series is Helga von Streissenburgen. Like Big Al, Helga has had a prominent impact on the Ratchet & Clank series as a whole, as she outfitted Ratchet with his first Swingshot and also taught the duo how to wall-jump. The Swingshot and wall-jumping have both remained prominent fixtures in the Ratchet & Clank series, having appeared in nearly every installment. Helga was left out of the Ratchet & Clank re-imagining on the PS4, but Rift Apart is the perfect opportunity to bring her back.

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Besides her appearance in the first Ratchet & Clank game, Helga also appeared in Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, and similar-looking robots were featured as antagonists in Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time, working alongside Dr. Nefarious.

The Ratchet & Clank series has a bad habit of introducing major female characters and then leaving them by the wayside. Angela from Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando is one such example, and another is Sasha Phyronix. Once Ratchet's love interest, Sasha played a big role in both Up Your Arsenal and Ratchet: Deadlocked. Since the events of Ratchet: Deadlocked, though Sasha hasn't been seen or heard from in any other Ratchet & Clank games.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart could give fans some closure when it comes to Sasha Phyronix. Then again, with the character having been dormant for over a decade now, it may be more likely that Insomniac will leave her be for now.

Skrunch is a one-eyed monkey and the friend of Captain Qwark. First appearing in Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, Skrunch would later have a bigger role in Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters on the PSP, proving instrumental in defeating that game's villain. Unfortunately for fans of Skrunch's antics, the character hasn't appeared in a Ratchet & Clank game since Size Matters, though has been referenced off-hand in various other games in the series.

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Essentially serving as Sasha Phyronix's replacement, Talwyn Apogee becomes Ratchet's love interest during the events of the Ratchet & Clank Future saga. Apogee plays a major supporting role in all of the Ratchet & Clank Future games, as well as Into the Nexus. She has stuck around longer than any of Ratchet's other love interests throughout the entire series, and so it would definitely be great to see her return yet again for Rift Apart.

In the first Ratchet & Clank game, the duo come across a mysterious character known simply as The Plumber. The Plumber manages to find himself in some rather bizarre areas, having appeared in nearly every Ratchet & Clank game released to date. The Plumber also had a role in the Ratchet & Clank movie. It is heavily implied that there is more to him than meets the eye, so maybe fans will get their answers once Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart launches on the PlayStation 5.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart launches June 11, exclusively for the PlayStation 5.

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