Ridley

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Template:Character-infobox

“Ridley Hits the Big Time!”
Introduction, "A Piercing Screech" Trailer for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Ridley is a high-ranking member of the Space Pirates, and one of the main villains in the Metroid series of video games. He is directly responsible for the murder of Samus Aran's mother and partially responsible for the death of her father. In several instances, Ridley appears as an upgraded cybernetic version of himself called Meta Ridley. In addition to the Metroid series, Ridley has made an appearance in all games in the Super Smash Bros. series (aside from Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS), as well as in Nintendo Land in animatronic form.

History

Captain N: The Game Master

Ridley
Ridley's appearance from Captain N: The Game Master.

Ridley makes a cameo in the episode, "Gameboy" in Captain N: The Game Master, depicted as a large orange dragon. He also makes appearances in the Valiant adaptation of the series released for the Nintendo Comics System, where he looks more like his American artwork for Metroid, being a blue, multi-eyed, pteranodon-like alien.

Super Smash Bros. series

Template:SSB Infobox

Super Smash Bros.

In Super Smash Bros., Ridley can occasionally be seen flying in the background of the Planet Zebes arena.

Super Smash Bros. Melee

Ridley's cameo appearance in Super Smash Bros. Melee.
Ridley fighting Samus Aran, in the opening cinematic of Super Smash Bros. Melee

Ridley also makes a brief appearance in the opening cinematic of Super Smash Bros. Melee, where he can be seen battling his archenemy, Samus Aran. A trophy of Ridley can also be obtained in this game.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Ridley art in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Ridley's artwork for Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Ridley fighting Samus, in Super Smash Bros. Brawl

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Ridley is fought twice in the Subspace Emissary.

The first time he is encountered, he is fought by Samus and Pikachu. As the two reach the exit to The Research Facility, where her Power Suit had been held, Ridley appears without warning and snatches up Samus. Roaring, he slams her into a wall and drags her along it. Pikachu comes to Samus's rescue, hitting the space dragon with a Thunder attack, after which the battle begins. Ridley fights similarly to Master Hand, using many brutal physical attacks. When he is defeated, he falls off the arena.

Meta Ridley fighting Diddy Kong

He later reappears as Meta Ridley, attacking a group including Captain Falcon, Captain Olimar, R.O.B., Samus Aran, Pikachu, Diddy Kong, and Donkey Kong as they try to escape the floating Isle of the Ancients before it is engulfed in subspace.

As this battle is fought while trying to escape an island, there is a set time limit of two minutes that the player has to defeat Meta Ridley, who is more difficult to beat than Ridley was. Additionally, there is the added difficulty of the battle taking place on top of Captain Falcon's ship, the Falcon Flyer, so it is possible for the player to fall off the edge and lose.

Meta Ridley uses some of the same attacks as Ridley did, such as scraping his tail across the top of the Flyer and firing fireballs, but also shows additional ones that involve grabbing the Falcon Flyer and lowering it down with his weight, sometimes even lowering it off of the screen. Fortunately, most of Meta Ridley's attacks can be avoided by jumping off the Falcon Flyer at the right time. Meta Ridley's fireballs can also be reflected right back at him.

If the player manages to defeat Meta Ridley, a cutscene is shown, and the Falcon Flyer escapes while the island is engulfed into subspace.

Both fights are reprised in The Great Maze with any characters that have been rescued throughout the Subspace Emissary. He is also fought in the Boss Battles game mode. There is no time limit when fighting Meta Ridley in either The Great Maze or in Boss Battles mode.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Zero Suit Samus and Ridley.
Zero Suit Samus and Ridley, in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Ridley is a stage hazard boss on the Pyrosphere stage. His physical appearance, like Samus's, is based on his appearance from Metroid: Other M. Once attacked enough by a player, Ridley allies with that player, and attacks the other players. He can also transform into Meta Ridley by absorbing enough energy. He can be defeated, and, as if he was a character, defeating him rewards the player with a K.O. point; he can be defeated by his own ally as well.[1]

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

SmashWiki article: Ridley (SSBU)
Ridley's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, from E3 2018.
Ridley in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Ridley's Meta Ridley variant in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Meta Ridley variant

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Ridley is a playable character for the first time, announced during the E3 2018 Nintendo Direct alongside fellow newcomers Inkling and Daisy. His appearance in this game seems to primarily be based off of that in Super Metroid, while he has a similar size to his appearance in the original Metroid. His Final Smash involves him slamming an opponent or opponents against Samus's Gunship and shooting plasma at the ship; the falling gunship can be seen in the background after the attack. Two of his alternate costumes swap him out for Meta Ridley (although he is still referred to in-game as simply "Ridley").

Ridley does not share a victory theme with Samus, instead using an intense and sinister variation of the Metroid victory theme; the flourish itself is shared with Dark Samus, and this trait is shared with fellow newcomers Chrom, King K. Rool, and Piranha Plant, as well as several veterans, namely Meta Knight, Bowser, Bowser Jr. (and the Koopalings), Rosalina & Luma, Dark Pit, Robin, Lucina, and Corrin.

In his reveal trailer, "A Piercing Screech" Mario, Mega Man, and Samus Aran are traversing through a mechanical room on a walkway. Ridley stealthily takes Mega Man and Mario out by impaling the former with his tail and crushing the latter's head. Samus eventually senses something amiss and points her arm cannon behind her, only to find Mario's discarded hat. Suddenly, the walkway quakes with Ridley bursting out from underneath and knocking a shocked Samus off her feet. Ridley then proceeds to roar before giving an inhuman smirk as he twirls Mario's hat around his finger. In the ending of the trailer, Ridley, after presumably causing a blaze to kill Samus, is flapping his wings only to glare in slight irritation when Zero Suit Samus uses her jet boots to leap from the blaze and descend down to attack him.

Ridley is a heavy fighter, being heavier than Snake, R.O.B., and Banjo & Kazooie but lighter than Samus, Bowser Jr. (and the Koopalings), Dark Samus, and Terry, while having the same weight as Wario, Ike, Simon, and Richter.

Classic Mode route
It Can't Be! Space Pirates!
Round Opponent(s) Stage Song
1 Samus Norfair Title Theme - Metroid
2 Fox, Falco Venom Break: Through the Ice
3 Olimar Distant Planet Fragment of Hope
4 Rosalina, Mario, Peach Mario Galaxy Fated Battle
5 Meta Knight Halberd Dangerous Dinner
6 Zero Suit Samus Frigate Orpheon Vs. Ridley
Final Master Hand, Crazy Hand (intensity 7.0 or higher) Final Destination Master Hand
Master Hand / Crazy Hand (intensity 7.0 or higher)

Special moves

This section is under construction. Therefore, please excuse its informal appearance while it is being worked on. We hope to have it completed as soon as possible.

Plasma Breath
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Ridley's standard special in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Plasma Breath in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
SmashWiki article: Plasma Breath

Plasma Breath is Ridley's standard special move.

Names in other languages
Language Name Meaning
Space Pirate Rush
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Ridley's side special in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Space Pirate Rush in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
SmashWiki article: Space Pirate Rush

Space Pirate Rush is Ridley's side special move.

Names in other languages
Language Name Meaning
Wing Blitz
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Ridley's up special in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Wing Blitz in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
SmashWiki article: Wing Blitz

Wing Blitz is Ridley's up special move.

Names in other languages
Language Name Meaning
Japanese リドリーチャージ

Ridley Charge

Skewer
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Ridley's down special in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Young Link under the effect of Ridley's Skewer in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
SmashWiki article: Skewer

Skewer is Ridley's down special move.

Names in other languages
Language Name Meaning

Final Smash

Plasma Scream
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Ridley's Final Smash in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Plasma Scream in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
SmashWiki article: Plasma Scream

Plasma Scream is Ridley's Final Smash.

Names in other languages
Language Name Meaning

Nintendo Land

A robotic Ridley from the Metroid Blast attraction
The animatronic Ridley, from Nintendo Land

In Nintendo Land, an animatronic Ridley appears as a recurring antagonist in the Metroid Blast attraction. Ice Ridley, a version of Ridley unique to this game, also appears.

Profiles

Super Smash Bros. Melee trophy

Name Image Game Description
Ridley Ridley Metroid
8/89
The head of the Space Pirates on Zebes, Ridley soars through space on wicked wings. Ridley may look like a mindless monster, but he's actually quite intelligent. After the SR-388 incident, where Samus captured the infant Metroid, Ridley took the Space Academy by storm, annihilating the complex and taking the Metroid back.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Trophies

Name Image Game Description
Ridley BrawlTrophy378.png NES Metroid The leader of the Space Pirates. He looks like a pterosaur but has high intelligence and a brutal nature. He plans to steal the baby Metroid from Samus for his own use. Ridley utilizes wings for a full range of flight and attacks with fireballs from his mouth and whips of his tail. As the culprit behind the murder of Samus's parents, the connections with Samus run deep.
Meta Ridley BrawlTrophy379.png GCN Metroid Prime The meta form of Ridley, revived using the Space Pirates' genetic engineering and cybernetic technologies. His thin chest plate--and weak point--is protected by a highly resistant membrane. Meta Ridley is highly mobile and features a multimissile system, a bomb launcher, and powerful wings. Ice attacks are particularly effective in dealing damage to him.

Stickers

Image Artwork from Effect in The Subspace Emissary
A Sticker of Ridley in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Metroid [Darkness] - Attack +30
Usable by: Ganondorf
A Sticker of Ridley. Metroid: Zero Mission [Arm] - Attack +25

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U trophies

Name Image Appears In American English description British English description
Ridley RidleyTrophyWiiU.png NES Metroid (08/1987)
SNES Super Metroid (04/1994)
Samus's long-standing rival in battle. In this game, he's a common foe to all the fighters in the Pyrosphere stage. However, if you manage to launch him or knock him over, he'll become an ally to whoever dealt the last blow. Defeating him in a timed battle nets you +1 KO. Samus's long-standing rival in battle. In this game, he's a common foe to all the fighters in the Pyrosphere stage. However, if you manage to launch him or knock him over, he'll become an ally to whoever dealt the last blow. If you can defeat him during a timed battle, you'll get +1 KO out of it!
Little Birdie LittleBirdieTrophyWiiU.png Wii Metroid: Other M (08/2010) It may be hard to believe, but this is a younger version of the infamous Space Pirate Ridley. No matter how cute he is, don't think that you can love him and take him home--his next form is lizard-like with a sharp tail, and he has no problem turning his caring owner into a tasty snack! Everyone knows Ridley as a terrifying evil space dragon, but would you have guessed he looked like this as a baby? He's kind of cute and creepy at the same time. Don't let his innocent act fool you into thinking he'd make a nice pet, though - once he sheds his skin and enters his reptile phase, you'll just become his next meal!
Mystery Creature MysteryCreatureTrophyWiiU.png Wii Metroid: Other M (08/2010) What once was a cute little bird has changed into a lizard-like creature. It still has some white feathers from its previous form, but that's where the similarities end. Is there something in its blood that drives it to confront Samus whenever possible? Her parents were Ridley's victims, after all. If Little Birdie is Ridley's cute baby years, this must be his awkward teenage phase. The feathers on his back are the only real clue that it's the same creature. Is there something in Ridley's genes that make him hate Samus so much? The original Ridley killed her parents, and now this one is out to get her too!

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate spirits

Name Image Series / game Type Class Strength / effects How to obtain Spirit battle
Opponent(s) Battle conditions Stage Song
Meta Ridley Meta Ridley's Spirit sprite from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Metroid Series Fighter N/A N/A Challenge (Smash: Use Ridley's down special, Skewer, for a critical hit on an opponent 4 times within a single battle.) N/A N/A N/A N/A
Omega Ridley Omega Ridley's Spirit sprite from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Metroid Prime Series Primary (2) Legend Attack
Weight ↑
World of Light (Dark Realm) Metal Ridley Rule: Curry-Filled
  • Stamina battle
  • The enemy breathes fire
  • The enemy is metal
Norfair Vs. Meta Ridley

Palutena's Guidance

  • Pit: RIDLEY CONFIRMED!
  • Palutena: Uh, yes. that's Ridley. Samus's archnemesis.
  • Pit: I never thought I'd have to fight an alien space dragon in Smash...
  • Viridi: Kirby's a space alien too, ya know! Jury's still out on him being a dragon, though.
  • Palutena: Ridley may look like a mindless killing machine, but he's exceedingly intelligent. He's also the leader of the ruthless Space Pirates.
  • Pit: So what's the story behind him and Samus?
  • Palutena: Ridley killed Samus's parents when she was young.
  • Pit: That's messed up!
  • Palutena: Samus and Ridley first fought in the depths of Norfair on Planet Zebes. They crossed paths again when Ridley stole the Baby Metroid. Meta Ridley was made through genetic engineering and cybernetic enchancements. Omega Ridley is the one infused with Phazon... Neo-Ridley was born when an X parasite absorbed Ridley's genes. And yet another Ridley was created by cloning cells found on Samus's suit!
  • Pit: You sure know a lot about Ridley. And none of it is about how to fight him!
  • Viridi: There's also a robot version of Ridley. He built it himself, which officially makes him a narcissist.
  • Pit: Is that canon?
  • Palutena: Canon or not, all of these Ridleys shared the same fate-they were all defeated by Samus.
  • Pit: Not surprising. Samus is a beast!
  • Palutena: So is Ridley. Mind the sharp barb on his tail.

Super Smash Blog bio

  • Joining the battle from the storied Metroid series, Ridley's long tail and sharp claws let him unleash a torrent of devastating attacks. His Final Smash is a powerful stream of plasma breath intense enough to bring down Samus's starship.

amiibo

  • Ridley is the leader of the Space Pirates in the Metroid™ series and Samus’s long-standing rival in battle. He looks like a pterosaur but has high intelligence and a brutal nature. Ridley utilizes wings for a full range of flight and attacks with fireballs from his mouth and whips of his tail.

Names in other languages

Ridley
Language Name Meaning
Japanese リドリー
Ridorī
Ridley (named after Ridley Scott, director of Alien, with the name itself being of English origin and means "Reed clearing; cleared land; barren land", befitting his bloodthirsty personality.)

Chinese 利德雷
Lìdéléi
Ridley

Korean 리들리
Lideulli
Ridley

Russian Ридли
Ridli
Ridley

Meta Ridley
Language Name Meaning
Japanese メタリドリー
Meta Ridorī
Meta Ridley

Russian Мета-Ридли
Meta-Ridley
Meta-Ridley

Trivia

  • Ridley appears in Nintendo Monopoly, in which he takes the place of Tennessee Avenue. He costs $180.
  • Ridley's trophies in Melee and Brawl both state that he is the head of the Space Pirates on Zebes. This is false, however, with the real head being Mother Brain as well as Space Pirate Command.
  • Due to the time limit that is given during the Meta Ridley battle, Trophy Stands will appear more frequently, especially on the easier skill levels.
  • Ridley's stock icon for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U uses his appearance from Super Smash Bros. Brawl, instead of his Metroid: Other M appearance.
  • Ridley's stock artwork in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate resembles Bowser's stock artwork from Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U.
  • Ridley's splash screen introduction in his Super Smash Bros. Ultimate reveal trailer; "Ridley Hits the Big Time!", may be a reference to "Ridley is Too Big", an Internet meme originating from arguments against Ridley being a playable character in the Super Smash Bros. series.
  • His appearance in Ultimate is the first game to directly showcase his more intelligent and cunning personality traits, as while various sources in both prior Smash games as well as his home franchise (most directly in the Metroid manga) strongly implied that he possessed these traits, they were not immediately apparent in his characterization in the games, where he is generally portrayed as simply a monster.

References

  1. ^ Wii U - Super Smash Bros. for Wii U 50-Fact Extravaganza. Posted to YouTube by Nintendo (October 23, 2014). Retrieved October 23, 2014.