Changes: Ridley

Latest revision as of 02:32, 29 March 2024

This is a featured article.

This article refers to the recurring boss. For other uses of the name Ridley, see Ridley (Disambiguation).

“	Heh, humans are always so weak to the death of their own kind! Who knows, perhaps I even ate your "mama" so that my cells may live, hmm? Is she here... or here?! AT LEAST PAY YOUR RESPECTS!	„
—Ridley^[2]

Ridley (リドリー, Ridorī^?) is a high-ranking Space Pirate and one of the most recurring characters in the Metroid series, appearing as a boss in over half of the games released thus far. He is the archenemy of Samus Aran, a status he gained over the years since his prominent role in Super Metroid; in addition to this, he also became widely regarded as the main villain of the entire franchise despite never being the primary antagonist of any game. Ridley's actual role is that of a secondary antagonist where he answers to a higher power and/or his presence is overshadowed by an unrelated threat, depending on the game.

Summary

Sadistic and bloodthirsty, Ridley delights in death and destruction, and was responsible for the massacre of the colony K-2L. Since then, he and Samus have clashed several times, with Samus usually emerging the victor. But Ridley's brutality is matched only by his resilience, and he regularly returns from apparent death to do battle with Samus once more. As such, he is fittingly referred to as the Cunning God of Death (狡猾の死神^?) in his Zero Mission official art on the Japanese website.

Resembling an emaciated pterodactyl-dragon with glowing eyes, the true name of Ridley's species is unknown. Despite his appearance and often bestial behavior within the games, Ridley's position as a Space Pirate leader has been confirmed since back in Super Metroid's instruction booklet, with the Metroid Prime manual and in-game scans further describing him as a mainstay and enforcer of the Pirate armies. The Magazine Z manga depicts him as being highly intelligent and even capable of speech. He also successfully built a robot in his own likeness, according to the co-creator of the Metroid series. Ridley is often depicted as a comrade of Kraid in supplementary materials such as official merchandise, artwork, media and the manga, while the games themselves vaguely reference this through their statues.

Although Ridley often appears in different forms and varying sizes, it is clarified not only through scans in the Metroid Prime series but also through events in Metroid: Other M that all his incarnations chronologically seen before the latter game are indeed the same individual despite his numerous defeats (the exception being Mecha Ridley). Strangely, some of his prior battles ended with his entire body seemingly exploding but in-game lore states he somehow survived these violent defeats until his final battle in Super Metroid. His proficiency for survival is also displayed in the manga: following the destruction of his flagship and its wreckage falling on top of Ridley, he reappears unscathed later on, claiming to have healed his wounds by consuming the bodies of the dead humans in K-2L.

Ridley has been present in all but five Metroid games - Metroid II: Return of Samus, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, Metroid Prime Hunters, Metroid Prime: Federation Force and Metroid Dread. Minor references to him can still be found in several of these via his associated theme in their demos, cosmetic Paint Jobs based on him and images of the character present in galleries. Ridley is usually the penultimate or ante-penultimate boss in the games he's featured in, and half of them present multiple battles against him and/or some manifestation of him. His sole appearance as a final boss is in Metroid: Samus Returns, the remake of Metroid II.

Biography

Main article: Biography of Ridley

Boss Battles

Metroid

In Metroid for the NES and Famicom, Ridley is one of the two bosses on Zebes who must be defeated to access Tourian. He awaits in a chamber in Mini-Boss Hideout II. Here, Ridley is approximately Samus' height.

Ridley only attacks by hopping in place while shooting zig-zagging fireballs. He can be damaged by any weapon; his fireballs, however, are indestructible and excel as a defense mechanism, blocking long-range weapons and nullifying Bombs. If Samus possesses the Ice Beam, she can freeze the fireballs, keeping Ridley from shooting any more until the ice thaws. Depending on the position the fireballs are frozen in, this can either leave Ridley exposed to attack or completely block him off.

Ridley's battle is more challenging in the Japanese Famicom version of the game, due to the console's superior specs over the American NES version. The Famicom randomly chooses a different trajectory for each fireball, meaning players must deal with a wide variety of speeds and patterns. The NES can only choose a single trajectory for all fireballs each time the NES is turned on, consistently leaving safe zones where the fireballs never reach.

Once Samus defeats Ridley, 75 Missiles are added to her maximum amount. His defeat also activates one of the two Stone Statues overlooking the path to Tourian.

Metroid: Zero Mission

In the remake Metroid: Zero Mission, Ridley is off-world aboard the Space Pirate Mother Ship when Samus infiltrates the Pirate base on Zebes. Following the defeat of Kraid, he returns to Zebes to ambush Samus in Lower Norfair.

Ridley is much taller and more agile than in the original Metroid. He flies around using his attacks from Super Metroid, spitting fireballs and swiping at Samus with his tail. His fireballs can be destroyed by any of Samus' weaponry, unless he has grabbed her in his talons first. He falls quite quickly to Super Missiles.

Ridley explodes upon his defeat, allowing Samus to leave with the Unknown Item she had obtained just before the battle. This also unlocks one of the Stone Statues blocking the way to Tourian.

Also in the same game is his incomplete project Mecha Ridley, a robot which guards the Space Pirate Mother Ship and serves as the final boss of Zero Mission.

Metroid Prime series

Main articles: Meta Ridley and Omega Ridley

SSBU Spirits Meta Ridley — Meta Ridley in *Metroid Prime*.

After his defeat on Zebes, Ridley's remains were recovered and reconstructed with cybernetic implants, turning him into a cyborg. He is known as Meta Ridley for the entirety of the first Prime game and the prologue of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, until his final battle in the latter game where he becomes the Phazon-infused Omega Ridley.

Metroid: Samus Returns

Main article: Proteus Ridley

MSR ProteusRidley artwork — Proteus Ridley in *Metroid: Samus Returns*

Despite not appearing in Metroid II: Return of Samus, Ridley is present in the game's remake as Proteus Ridley. Returning from his defeats in the Metroid Prime series with fewer cybernetic implants, he ambushes Samus and attempts to capture the last Metroid just as they are about to leave SR388. This marks the first time in the series where Ridley acts as a final boss.

Super Metroid

Ridley is first fought in the Ceres Space Colony, carrying the last Metroid in his talons after slaughtering the scientists of Ceres. He attacks with fireballs as usual, but neither he nor Samus can be defeated - once Samus takes a certain amount of damage, Ridley retreats with the Metroid and returns to Zebes, with it being implied that Ridley set Ceres to self-destruct. If the player shoots Ridley 100 times without losing, Ridley briefly drops the baby, but quickly recovers it and flees before Samus can retrieve it.

Ridley is one of the four bosses that must be defeated to unlock the Golden Statues and access Tourian. He and Samus clash again in the depths of Lower Norfair. He is a nimble flier who uses the height of the chamber to his advantage, raining down fireballs from above. Ridley can also use his invulnerable tail to shield himself, even against the Screw Attack. He also uses his tail for offensive maneuvers, many of which would be seen in future Metroid games, such as the whip and pogo stick-like attacks. With no weak points, Samus must simply dodge Ridley's attacks while landing hits of her own - it takes 30 Super Missiles to bring him down. Upon losing all of his health, he aggressively moves to grab Samus one last time. If he succeeds, he flies her to the center of the room to make one last roar before exploding into pieces, dropping Samus. If she manages to evade his final attempts at grabbing her, Ridley eventually dies anyway.

Ridley's defeat offers Samus no reward besides access to Tourian; in the next room she finds a shattered capsule that once held the last Metroid, a final jab from her nemesis. Once Samus kills Mother Brain, planet Zebes explodes, taking Ridley's remains with it. Metroid: Other M states that this defeat marks the first true death of Samus's arch-nemesis; Ridley had seemingly survived all of his previous battles, regardless of apparent occasions of disintegration.

Metroid: Other M

Main article: Ridley (clone)

Following his death, Ridley's DNA lingered on the surface of Samus' Power Suit. As the Galactic Federation took samples from it to clone the Zebes wildlife, they unknowingly cloned Ridley as well, not recognizing his juvenile form Little Birdie. On the BOTTLE SHIP, Samus encounters Little Birdie in the Biosphere, and once it molts into a Mystery Creature, it attacks her at the Exam Center. She tracks it to the Geothermal Power Plant, where it emerges in its adult form as the draconic Ridley. He seemingly kills Anthony Higgs before fighting Samus, but she defeats him using the Plasma Beam. He then retreats to the Bioweapon Research Center, only to be killed and reduced to a husk by the Queen Metroid.

Metroid Fusion

Main article: Neo-Ridley

Neo Ridley Animation — Neo-Ridley in *Metroid Fusion*.

The husk of Ridley's clone was transferred to the Sub-Zero Containment in the BSL research station, where it was eventually copied and disintegrated by an X Parasite. Using the corpse's DNA, the X transforms into an unnatural imitation known as Neo-Ridley, which Samus defeats and absorbs to gain the Screw Attack.

The original Ridley appears in one of the endings of the Japanese version, acquired by completing Normal Mode in over four hours. He is seen advancing on a young Samus and what are presumably her mother and father, the latter of whom is shooting Ridley to no avail. It should be noted that this was the first time that Ridley's involvement in the K-2L raid was ever referenced by official Metroid media.

Physical appearance

Ridley's signature traits are scaly skin, wings, a pointed head, a bent neck, and a long tail with a bladed tip; overall, he closely resembles a European dragon or pteranodon. He is most commonly depicted with vibrant purple skin and yellow eyes, though this varies.

In the first Metroid, his Japanese artwork depicts him as a dragon with large eyes and blue skin, while his American artwork portrays him with a vastly more alien design, featuring a sucker-like mouth and numerous ocular organs. Due to technical limitations of the time, Ridley's sprite had purple skin and green eyes, and his wings were very small in proportion to the rest of his body.

Super Metroid established a more consistent look for Ridley. He has didactyl feet, glowing eyes, a longer neck, and an exaggerated tail so long that it is used as a weapon. His head has even more pterodactyloid features, including a head-crest. His physique is also grotesquely emaciated, exposing his ribcage and musculature just beneath his flesh. While arwork gave him red skin and orange eyes, sprites gave him his signature purple skin and yellow eyes.

In subsequent appearances, Ridley maintained most of the design traits introduced in Super Metroid, though his colors leaned towards purple rather than red. Notable design departures include his mutation as Neo-Ridley in Metroid Fusion, his green-brown skin, red eyes, and red patagium in Metroid: Zero Mission, the Metroid Prime series which introduced his Meta Ridley form, and his clone in Metroid: Other M who had a more muscular build, opposable thumbs and tridactyl feet, and red patagium.

Ridley's size has fluctuated greatly throughout the series. In the first Metroid he was barely taller than Samus, while in Super Metroid he was over twice her size. His Meta Ridley form in Metroid Prime 3 may be the largest he has ever been as Samus can fit almost entirely in his mouth, though later on in the same game he reappears noticeably shrunken down as Omega Ridley, now only large enough to fit her Arm Cannon in his jaws.

Personality and traits

“	First, enjoy the slaughter to the fullest!!	„
—Ridley, to the Space Pirates, immediately prior to their massacre of K-2L in the Metroid manga.

Not much is known about Ridley within the games, as most of his time on screen consists of being in combat with Samus while rampaging and roaring like an animal. This makes him an ideal killing machine to fight on the front lines of the Space Pirate forces and likely why he is frequently seen alone.

ZM Ridley cutscene — Ridley sits quietly in the Space Pirate Mother Ship, in *Metroid: Zero Mission*.

However, there are nonetheless glimpses of intelligence and deviousness. A cutscene in Metroid: Zero Mission showed him sitting quietly aboard the Space Pirate Mother Ship, exhibiting self-control. Another moment of self-control is in Super Metroid, where he hid in the shadows and left the Baby in plain view for Samus to find before making his presence known to her, at which point he gave her ample time to strike first while he stared her down. It is also implied he activated the Ceres Colony's Self-Destruct System. In Metroid Prime, Ridley bombed the Cradle on Tallon IV specifically to prevent Samus from accessing and destroying the source of Phazon within the Impact Crater. In Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, he attacked Samus on Norion when she was traversing through ducts in her Morph Ball form to limit her defensive options. Later, he made sure to have Samus fall down the Generator C shaft with him to ensure she would at least fall to her death if he was beaten. Interestingly, Ridley's cunning seems to be embedded on a genetic level, as his clone, who was feral as a result of lacking civilized upbringing, was nevertheless capable of manipulating or provoking fellow bioweapons into attacking the 07th Platoon while he focused on Samus.

His capacity to reason was shown during his fight with Samus on SR388, where despite clearly being aware of the Baby's role in aiding Samus late into the fight, he made no attempt at killing it with the implication that he still needed to capture it alive for the Space Pirates on Zebes. Additionally, if she were to inflict enough damage to him at Ceres he will preemptively flee with the Metroid, demonstrating he can assess the situation and disengages from a losing battle to avoid jeopardizing the plans of his organization.

Ridley is also shown to be prideful and to have a sadistic sense of humor. He had Mecha Ridley created in his image, displaying narcissism.^[3] His bloodthirsty tendencies were indicated in a Pirate Data scan explaining his reconstruction as Meta Ridley, where the crew stated that Ridley becoming the mainstay of security was "a job he will certainly relish."^[4] His sadism also manifests in his clone when he toys with the emotionally shocked Samus using the sharp-end of his tail as holds her in his hands. This characterization is also displayed in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate; in his third victory pose, he is seen from behind raking the ground with his claws as if eviscerating a downed opponent, before grinning wickedly at the camera. In his character trailer, A Piercing Screech, Ridley twirls Mario's cap on one finger to mock his victim and taunt the latter's companion, Samus. In addition, one of the gameplay scenes in the same trailer has a brief hint towards his sadistic nature where, after using Skewer on Link, he proceeded to crouch and watch as Link keeled over.

Because of this capacity for pride, Ridley has developed a bitter rivalry with Samus Aran due to her constant interference and his various defeats at her hands. He is shown to make spiteful jabs at her, such as leaving the Baby's empty capsule in the adjacent room behind him to ensure he gets the last laugh if she defeats him. His pride and hatred has sometimes been a detriment as well: Ridley's final ambush on Norion leads to both him and Samus falling down a pit but instead of flying away and leaving her to die, he tries to kill her himself during the free-fall and consequently suffers injuries that make him incapable of stopping Rundas from rescuing her. It's also implied that his hatred of Samus may be rooted as genetic memory, due to his clone being especially eager to kill Samus, with the Mystery Creature's Trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U / 3DS hinting that its antagonism was rooted in Ridley's murder of Samus's family. His hatred of Samus is given a reference with his Final Smash Plasma Scream, where he always attacks her Gunship irrespective of whether Samus herself is one of the fighters launched into it.

The manga and comics are the only sources of media where Ridley is seen talking. A possible explanation is that the sounds Ridley and the Pirates make in the games are the Space Pirate language, translated for the reader's benefit. Regardless, Ridley's speech and thoughts being shown to the reader reveal details of his personality that are not entirely communicated in the games while other aspects are exclusive to these literature works.

In the manga, Ridley is presented far more clearly as a leader of the Space Pirates, showing the character giving orders to his subordinates who respect him and obey without question. He is portrayed with an incredibly brutal disposition and love of destruction when, during a Pirate raid on K2-L with the main goal of stealing Afloraltite, he orders his army to annihilate the planet's peaceful inhabitants as a priority, going as far as to tell them in the midst of the chaos to "First, enjoy the slaughter to the fullest". His cruelty is further made apparent when he attacks a small girl trying to befriend him, pretending to pity her at first and then killing her mother in the process. Ridley even went so far as to taunt Samus by saying that he may have eaten and incorporated the cells of her mother's corpse, and sardonically wondered where her cells rested in his body, as well as sarcastically demanding while forcing a then-catatonic Samus to kneel that she "at least pay her respects" in reference to her mother. Despite the emphasis on Ridley's malice, the manga manages to portray him with some rationality and self-control, such as when he tells his soldiers on K2-L to nevertheless take caution around the highly explosive Alfloraltite during their enlivened attack, and how he seemingly withdraws himself from the raid at some point to be content with simply watching his subordinates continue the massacre, at least until he got confirmation that the Alfloraltite was secured.

Ridley also displays a foul temper and an arrogant belief that nothing can defeat him. He seems to hold a grudge against Samus for her deceased father's role in the massive failure of Ridley's raid on K2-L. He also refers to Samus's existence when meeting her for the first time since the K-2L raid as a "nightmare", implying that his hatred for Samus stemmed also from the fact that she survived the massacre at all. He, like many Space Pirates, also believes in the superiority of certain races over others, counting himself among the privileged elites and seeing the "lower" races such as humans as pests to exterminate. Interestingly, Ridley grudgingly shows respect to those who are natural leaders, such as when Gray Voice ordered the Pirates to their battle stations; Ridley, taken aback, smirked at being told by Gray Voice to attend to his job and sarcastically addressed him as "Sir Military Commander" as he left.

Powers and abilities

MetaRidleyCutscene — Meta Ridley charges his Plasma Breath, in *Metroid Prime Remastered*.

Ridley is a cunning and brutal warrior. His most recurring ability is his plasma breath, which can take the form of rolling fireballs or short-ranged plumes of flame. While fighting hand-to-hand, Ridley slashes with his long claws and bites with his giant teeth. His nimble tail has a razor-sharp blade at the end, which he uses to slice or impale targets. He is an adept flier whose wings let him move through the air at incredible speeds to outrun and ambush opponents. He can even fly through outer space to an unknown extent, able to at least fly from the Frigate Orpheon to Tallon IV unaided (it remains unseen if he flew from the Ceres Space Colony to Zebes unaided or not). One of Ridley's signature combat techniques is grabbing victims with his superior strength, able to hold Samus in one claw for point-blank plasma blasts or to bash and scrape her along surfaces.

In Metroid: Other M, Ridley's clone displays the ability to change the pigments of his skin and harden it, a state called Black Ridley that enhances his speed and strength and makes him immune to Samus' beam attacks. He can only be damaged by Super Missiles in this state. In Super Metroid, he appears briefly camouflaged into the darkness of his arenas, possibly thanks to this ability to change skin pigments.

As Meta Ridley, he was installed with various built-in weaponry that enhanced his firepower. These included a plasma breath laser, aerial bombs, missile salvos, and stomp shockwaves. As Omega Ridley, he could also channel Phazon into these attacks.

Ridley is incredibly adept at survival, able to heal himself by consuming others and incorporating their cells into his body.^[5] He is infamous for his uncanny ability to cheat death on many occasions. Notable occasions of his survival include:

In the manga, his survival of an explosion on K2-L by consuming the bodies of dead humans.
Being reconstructed after his first defeat by Samus on Zebes, becoming Meta Ridley.
Surviving his fall into the Impact Crater on Tallon IV, being given an improved armorskin.
Surviving his fall into Generator C on Norion, being infused with Phazon to become Omega Ridley.
Returning via unknown means as Proteus Ridley, with no traces of Phazon and fewer cybernetic implants, following his defeat in the Pirate Homeworld's Leviathan Seed.
Shedding his remaining cybernetics after his defeat on SR388, appearing whole once more on the Ceres Space Colony.

His battle against Samus during her final visit to Zebes is the definitive end of the original Ridley. However, true to his title as the "God of Death", Ridley quite literally returns from the dead through astonishing circumstances:

Ridley's DNA lingered on Samus' Power Suit after their battle on Zebes, allowing Galactic Federation personnel to unknowingly collect his DNA and create his clone on the BOTTLE SHIP.
Following the death of Ridley's clone, his deceased body was moved to the BSL research station, where his DNA was copied by an X Parasite to form the mimicry Neo-Ridley.

Official data

Metroid manual

Ridley: "It's the head of Mini-Boss Hideout II. It jumps up into the air and breathes fire. It's the original life form of the planet Zebes and is controlled by Mother Brain. Destroy it and you win 75 missile blasts!!!"

Virtual Console retranslation

Ridley: "Flies up into the air and breathes fire. An indigenous life-form of Zebes, this creature is being controlled by Mother Brain."

The Official Nintendo Player's Guide

RIDLEY: "It attacks Samus by spewing fireballs. A missile attack is very effective, but if you have the wave beam, it would be a good idea to use the beam continuously while jumping through the lava."

Nintendo Power Volume 29

RIDLEY: The First MINI-BOSS: "When you enter the chamber, Ridley begins firing balls of flame. Make sure your energy tanks and missiles are filled up. Two methods of attack can be successful. Using the Wave Beam, maneuver beneath Ridley's platform and fire upwards. Keep jumping to reduce the damage. The other method is to use missiles from point blank range or near the door.
Not only does Ridley shoot fire, it hops around on the platform.
If you stand in the lava while attacking, jump continuously to reduce the damage."

Super Metroid manual

RIDLEY: "(The Boss of Norfair)
Ridley headed the mission to the Space Colony and stole the Metroid Hatchling. It whips out at enemies with its long tail and spits fire while flying through the air."

Super Metroid Players' Guide

"Samus met him at the start of the game, just before the science academy went down in flames. The winged space pirate leader had other things on his mind at that point, like getting away with the last Metroid. This time he has only one objective - to see Samus' quest come to an untimely and stomach churning end...
Ridley attacks in three main ways. First off, he flies off the top of the screen then swoops down quickly. When he disappears, it's best to jump up as you'll catch a glimpse of him hovering. If you know where he's swooping from it's easier to take evasive action. The second attack takes the form of swipes from his spiny tail. These are very hard to avoid so just keep jumping. He can also launch a series of fireballs from his mouth which have to be avoided. If Samus isn't careful, Ridley may catch her in his mouth. In this case, wiggle the pad left and right while pounding the buttons to try and shake free of his grip.
A good strategy is to morph down on the opposite side of the screen to Ridley's next swoop and drop a power bomb. Keep this going until you run out, then switch to super missiles. Finish him off with regular missiles and charge beams."

Defeating Ridley: Jump up when Ridley flies off...; Leap over his spiny attacks...; Use bombs and missiles against him.

Samus (JoyRide Studios)

"The dragon-like Ridley is the first boss you'll encounter in Metroid for the NES. To slay the beast, use powerful attacks such as the Wave Beam or a missile fired at point-blank range."

"Use the Ice Beam to freeze Ridley's projectiles, then close in and fire missiles at point-blank range."

"If you use the Wave Beam, you'll have to stand in the lava to take your shot. Keep jumping to minimize your damage."

Metroid: Zero Mission interview

"Though there are many secrets in the Metroid series, my instant thought is why is Ridley preserved in the freezing chamber? What was the Galactic Federation planning to do with him?"

Yoshio Sakamoto: "For the time being, I don't know. Maybe it will be revealed in the near future?" ^[6]

Official Metroid: Zero Mission website

RidleyZMsite — Image from the *Zero Mission* website.

"Extremely dangerous! Enormous wing-span and long, whip-like tail. Moves very fast and attacks with alarming ferocity. Emits fireballs of gas from elongated beak. Will try to pick up enemies and crush them with razor-sharp talons. Vulnerable to Super Missiles. DANGER LEVEL: VERY HIGH."

"Powerful wings"
"Razor sharp talons"
"Elongated beak"

Metroid Prime 2: Dark Echoes Q&A

QUESTION: I have again great things to say [about Metroid Prime 2]. The details to the settings are amazing... Anyway, as for my question: Metroid Prime 2 comes after Metroid Prime 1, correct? And, since the Space Pirates are also present... does this mean that Ridley will be back, too?

ANSWER: If you play to the end, I think you’ll figure it out.[1]

QUESTION: I'm in the middle of playing the game right now. It's very interesting. I have a small question. In the previous game there were limited time scans (pained smile) and was wondering if there any of those in this one? In my opinion so far the game has a great presentation that does not lose your interest. I often forget what time it is. And even if I play for a short amount of time it feels like you’ve made a good amount of progress. I’m expecting Ridley to appear at any moment because for me he is the true Metroid nemesis. I hope to be snatched and taken away. Basically I’d like to see Ridley in literally every game...

ANSWER: If you see something, scan it! It’s the basics. If not, you may regret it... Whether or not Ridley will appear, you’ll be able to tell if you finish the game.[2]

Nintendo of America tweet

"Did you know? If you’re able to do enough damage to Ridley, he’ll momentarily drop the Infant Metroid before leaving the Ceres Research Station.

Play Super Metroid and other classic #SNES games now with #NintendoSwitchOnline! https://nintendo.com/switch/online-service/nes/"^[7]

Cameo appearances

"What's the matter? All I said was that Komaytos look like little Metr-"

Non-canon warning: This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo.

Ridley appeared in the Captain N: The Game Master comics and TV series.
- Ridley appears in the comic stories Welcome to Videoland, Money Changes Everything (in name), Breakout, and When Friends Fall Out (as a flashback) based on his original concept art. In Breakout, he impersonated Judge Racklas, another member of his species, after Mother Brain had all of her own crimes reattributed to Princess Lana. In the comics, his design was derived from the art for Ridley for the NES version.
- In the TV series, Ridley appears as an orange potbellied dragon. Although this is very different from his original design, it is identified as "Ridley" in concept artwork, and storyboards show Ridley with an appearance that much more closely matches his original NES manual artwork, with multiple eyes and a pointed tail. Ridley appears in the episode GameBoy as one of the monsters generated by Game Boy while under Mother Brain's control.
Ridley appears in the Super Metroid comic from Nintendo Power, with largely the same role as in the game. However, a notable difference from the game is that, other than their brief encounter on Ceres Space Station, he never actually fights Samus, and instead "called a retreat" and left the Space Pirates to fend for themselves when Samus arrived, with Armstrong Houston also noting that Ridley was a coward upon witnessing this. As such, he never actually was killed by Samus.
Ridley is on the box and cartridge art for Super Metroid, which also appears in WarioWare: Smooth Moves on the Wii, in the microgame Super Nostalgic Entertainment System.
As part of another collaboration between Nintendo and Team Ninja, Ridley's clone and his signature theme make a cameo appearance in Dead or Alive Dimensions. He attacks characters from the background of the Geothermal Power Plant arena, and is killed by a Power Bombing Samus when a sound is made in the mic.

NL Kraid and Ridley — Kraid and Ridley animatronics in Metroid Blast

Ridley appears in Nintendo Land as an animatronic boss in the Metroid Blast attraction. Ice Ridley is an additional variant whose attacks freeze the Mii players. Depending on the mission, Ridley may be fought alone, or he may be teamed up with Ice Ridley or Kraid. Ridley can also be unlocked as a prize, placing a non-hostile version of the animatronic in the main plaza. Its description is "Violent, villainous, and highly intelligent, Ridley is Samus's nemesis, commander of the Space Pirates, and the galaxy's greatest threat. Attack him from the back when he's stunned."
Defeating Ridley acted as one of the challenges in NES Remix 2 as well as its 3DS port, Ultimate NES Remix. A promotional 3DS wallpaper for the latter game also featured Ridley fighting Link (the latter in his Zelda II: The Adventure of Link sprite).
A flashback of Samus's battle with Ridley in Metroid appears in the Discover the Hunter Trailer for Metroid Dread.

Super Smash Bros. series

Main article: Ridley (Super Smash Bros.)

Ridley has made appearances in all games in the Super Smash Bros. series in some form, but it was not until Super Smash Bros. Ultimate that he became a playable character.

Development notes

An unused Fake Ridley, similar to Mini-Kraid, exists in the data for Metroid. It was cut for unknown reasons, though other Ridley imposters would eventually be introduced in later games.

Ridley has multiple different vocalizations throughout his appearances. In Super Metroid, his vocalizations were directly taken from the roars of the character Anguirus from the Godzilla film series. In Metroid Fusion and Metroid: Zero Mission, Ridley (or in the case of Fusion, Neo-Ridley) gave notoriously loud shrieks similar to a parrot. In his 3D appearances as well as Metroid: Samus Returns, he is given more bestial roars, which were also given a slight alien filter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Etymology

The name "Ridley" is an English name which means "Reed clearing; cleared land; barren land",^[8]. Although technically befitting his bloodthirsty and sadistic nature, Ridley's name is commonly assumed to have derived from Ridley Scott, the director of the first film of the Alien film series, which was acknowledged as a significant influence on Metroid. As further evidence of this homage to Ridley Scott, Ridley's stinger-tipped tail and (since Super Metroid) his lean skeletal appearance bear a close resemblance to the titular Alien Xenomorph.

Size

Main article: Ridley is too big

Ridley's size has mostly wavered throughout the series, and even from panel to panel in the prequel manga. The only constant since Super Metroid is that he is larger than Samus. This led to the "Ridley is too big" meme among fans who disagreed with his suitability as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, a sentiment Masahiro Sakurai agreed with. However, he was eventually made playable in Ultimate, now standing roughly as tall as Bowser for ease of implementation.

During the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate conference, Sakurai stated that Ridley was about four meters tall (or 13'1½"). Based on previous games, Ridley could very well be the smallest of the Space Pirate generals at a confirmed height of four meters, as Phantoon is massive in Other M, Kraid is quite large in Super Metroid and Zero Mission, Draygon is slightly taller, and Mother Brain's main body in Super Metroid significantly adds to her height.

Metroid Prime 3 frequently changes Ridley's size between gameplay and cutscenes, as well as in-between camera shots within the latter. Hacking into the data reveals Meta Ridley is at 450% of his "default" size when he is first seen in Cargo Dock C, then changes repeatedly from 275% to 350% in the cutscene within Generator C. His size settles on 450% during the battle in the Generator Shaft, but is reduced to 250% for the cutscene at the end of the battle. Omega Ridley is at 100% size during the intro & outro cutscenes, but 250% size for the entire fight.

In all of his 2D appearances, Ridley's wings are disproportionately smaller than his body to the point of making them unlikely to even lift Ridley off the ground, and yet he soars through the air with ease. This was likely an intentional design choice to prevent him from taking up most of the screen in his in-game fights. His 3-D appearances and manga rectify this by giving him wings that exceed the size of his main body.

Metroid: Other M is the only game where Ridley's upper jaw is not longer than the lower one, and is also the only game where it points upwards, not down.

Music

Ridley's signature battle theme was originally used as a generic boss fight background music in Super Metroid (also being used for the Torizo, Golden Torizo and Draygon fights), but in later games, it has been associated solely with Ridley. Although there have been variations of Ridley's theme in each game (different tempo, extra beats, etc.), the music's rhythm and sound are consistent and used for every incarnation except for his very first boss fight in the original Metroid. The theme has also been used during the countdown sequences of Super Metroid, Fusion and Other M, with the first one having alarm blaring being heard in the background for this reason.

Trivia

Japan Baby Ridley — *Super Metroid* commercial.

In every 2-D game featuring him, Ridley's fireballs have an uncanny resemblance to Mario's 2-D fireballs. Whether or not this similarity is intentional is unknown. Except in Corruption and Zero Mission, Ridley's fireballs are always indestructible.
No explanation is seemingly given for Ridley suddenly leaving Ceres when he gains the upper hand in the battle against Samus. When the latter's health is lowered to a critical point, he chooses to let her live instead of ending the life of the greatest threat to all Space Pirates and their ambitions. This decision dooms the remaining Space Pirates on Zebes, as Samus soon recovers and builds up enough strength to single-handedly wipe them all out, including killing the original Ridley for good.
Ridley's absence in Federation Force was explained by the developers as wanting to distance themselves away from familiar Metroid elements,^[9].
While Meta Ridley's theme is found in Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt and Metroid Prime 2: Bonus Disc, it is only in the former where it is featured in regular gameplay. In the latter, the theme's existence is only known through its internal data and is a variant slowed down by 50%. Unused text in the full version of Metroid Prime 2 implies that Meta Ridley's theme was going to be present in the multiplayer mode.
Ridley's physical similarities to the Aliens/Xenomorphs from Alien are further highlighted with his design in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Additionally, in his reveal trailer, he kills Mario and Mega Man in a similar fashion to the Xenomorphs.
Ridley appears on the Super Metroid Stare-E-O Poster.

Ridley Pirate Homeworld monitors — Space Pirate monitors depicting Ridley's image.

In the Pirate Command sector of the Pirate Homeworld, images of Ridley can be found on the glowing orange monitors. Rooms with these monitors include Command Courtyard and Command Station.
Samus has kept a tendency in most games to shoot Ridley directly inside his mouth and throat, either during cutscenes or in-game battles.
Meta Ridley can be seen on Nintendo Monopoly representing Tennessee Avenue for $180, though the property is simply referred to as "Ridley". It features a claw-like appendage at the tip of his tail instead of the usual spear-tip, and his wings are attached below his arms akin to a bat.
Ridley apparently does not seem to need oxygen to live. Metroid Prime clearly portrayed him flying out into space without any gear as he escapes the Orpheon, though this may be due to his cybernetics. Additionally, the Super Metroid comic features him exiting out into space and his Super Smash Bros. Melee trophy states that he flies through space with his wings; however, these sources are considered non-canon.

There is no explanation on how he is able to fly in an environment which does not contain air or gas, a necessary medium for any creature with wings to take flight; he is nevertheless seen flapping his wings. Meta Ridley's wings appear to be energy-based, which may hold some significance.

The Ridley clone's blood is green, as shown in Other M. This is a common trope for alien creatures in science fiction environments. However, Ridley's blood is shown to be red in Corruption during the boss battle on Norion before he falls down the shaft. Coincidentally, some reptiles in real life also have green blood.
Although Ridley is canonically male, several official sources (including the manuals for Metroid and Super Metroid) refer to Ridley with gender-neutral pronouns.
An April Fool's Day cover for the magazine Game Informer that jokingly claimed that Team Ninja would work on the next Metroid game depicted Ridley wearing a two-piece bikini reserved for females (which had itself been a reference to Team Ninja's Dead or Alive Xtreme series).
Other M reveals that Ridley's vision is tinted green, possibly as a result of nictitating membranes that cover and protect his eyes.
His animated reveal trailer in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the first time since Ridley's role in the Metroid manga where Ridley has displayed a sense of humor, playfully twirling the hat of a defeated Mario when revealing himself to Samus with something of a grin.
In Super Metroid, there is a glitch where Ridley gets stuck on the platform in his lair, thus (like the Omega Ridley glitch) leaving him unable to do anything.^{[citation needed]} This can be fixed by reloading the game.
The Metal Alien from the Contra series (another series inspired by the Alien franchise) bears a slight resemblance to Ridley. Further referencing this is the Metal Alien's strikingly similar attacks.

Appearances

Metroid

Victory Techniques for Metroid
Metroid: Zebes Invasion Order
Famiken Ryu: Metroid and Super Xevious - The Riddle of Gamp
Metroid: The decisive battle against Ridley!

Super Metroid

Metroid Fusion
Metroid Prime

Metroid Prime Trilogy art booklet

Metroid: Other M

Past is Prologue

Miitomo (Pet)
Metroid Prime: Federation Force (Paint Job)
Metroid: Samus Returns
Metroid Dread (Chozo Archives)

Crossover Appearances

Nintendoland — Ridley's trophy in the main hub of *Nintendo Land*.

Captain N: The Game Master

Comics

Welcome to Videoland
Money Changes Everything (Mentioned)
Breakout
When Friends Fall Out (Flashback)

Cartoon

Game Boy

Super Smash Bros.
Super Smash Bros. Melee
WarioWare: Smooth Moves

Super Nostalgic Entertainment System

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Gallery

For concept art, see Ridley/Gallery.

Metroid

Super Metroid

Metroid: Zero Mission

Other appearances

References

^ Q&A: Is Ridley from Metroid Really Native to Zebes? « Legends of Localization. Mato Tree (2014). Retrieved on 2014-04-04.
^ Metroid: Volume 2 pg. 12, based on the translation by Metroid Database
^ Development Room, Metroid: Zero Mission Official Site
^ "Meta Ridley" Pirate Data. Metroid Prime.
^ Metroid: Volume 2, Chapter 8, Page 10. Metroid Database (2002). Retrieved on 2013-10-03.
^ http://www.metroiddatabase.com/old_site/?g=features&p=faq3#stage03
^ Nintendo of America (NintendoAmerica). 21 January 2020 4:00 p.m. Tweet. https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/1219726360291053568
^ https://www.thenamemeaning.com/ridley/
^ http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-07-01-metroid-prime-federation-force-dev-explains-decision-to-not-focus-on-samus
^ Nintendo of Europe (Nintendo Europe). "Happy #ReptileAwarenessDay! To celebrate, why not tell us who your favourite reptilian juggernaut is to fight against in #SuperMetroid, now available to play with #SuperNES – #NintendoSwitchOnline!" Oct 21, 2019 9:46 a.m. Tweet. https://twitter.com/NintendoEurope/status/1186277558368661504

Ridley
Forms	Mecha Ridley • Meta Ridley • Omega Ridley • Proteus Ridley • Little Birdie Mystery Creature • Clone • Black Ridley • Neo-Ridley • Fake Ridley • Ridley-2 • Ice Ridley
Areas/Rooms	Ridley's room (Ridley's Lair) • Biotech Research Area 2 • Exterior Docking Hangar Phendrana Shorelines • Artifact Temple • Generator Shaft • Pirate Homeworld Leviathan Core Landing Site • Geothermal Power Plant • Neo-Ridley's room
Attacks	Kinetic Breath Weapon • Meson Bomb Launcher • Ultrathermal Flamestrike Projector Multi-Missile System • Phazon-enhanced armorskin • Fireball shockwave • Hyper claw slash Arcing-fireball attack • Rocket • Spike Bomb
Music	Ridley's Chamber • Tourian • Vs. Ridley • Vs. Meta Ridley • Omega Ridley • Nemesis Ridley
Other	Biography • Gallery • Greed • Judge Racklas • Space Dragon • Chapter 17 Ridley in Super Smash Bros. • A Piercing Screech • 65: Ridley • "Ridley is too big"

Main antagonists
Metroid series	Ridley • Mother Brain • Queen Metroid • MB • James Pierce • SA-X • Raven Beak
Metroid Prime series	Metroid Prime • Gorea • Emperor Ing • Dark Samus • Doomseye
Spinoff/Other Media	True Chozo • Dragüd • Amok Mommy • Dominion • Greed • Mad AI

*Bosses in the Metroid* series**
Metroid	Kraid • Ridley • Mother Brain
Metroid: Zero Mission	Charge Beam Beast • Acid Worm • Kraid • Kiru Giru • Imago • Ridley • Mother Brain • Ruins Test • Mecha Ridley (Unused: Crocomire)
Metroid II: Return of Samus	Alpha Metroid • Arachnus • Gamma Metroid • Zeta Metroid • Omega Metroid • Queen Metroid
Metroid: Samus Returns	Alpha Metroid • Arachnus • Gamma Metroid • Zeta Metroid • Diggernaut • Omega Metroid • Queen Metroid • Proteus Ridley
Super Metroid	Torizo • Spore Spawn • Kraid • Crocomire • Phantoon • Botwoon • Draygon • Golden Torizo • Ridley • Big Metroid • Mother Brain
Metroid: Other M	Brug Mass • Fune • Namihe • King Kihunter • Groganch • Mystery Creature • Goyagma • Fumbleye • RB176 Ferrocrusher • Rhedogian • Vorash • Ridley • Nightmare • Queen Metroid • MB (Desbrachians) • Phantoon
Metroid Fusion	Arachnus • Elephant Bird • Zazabi • Serris • Security Robot B.O.X. • Barrier Core-X • Scientist • Yakuza • Nettori • Nightmare • Neo-Ridley • SA-X • Omega Metroid
Metroid Dread	E.M.M.I. (01P, 02SM, 03MB, 04SB, 05IM, 06WB, 07PB) • Central Unit • Corpius • Kraid • Robot Chozo Soldier • Drogyga • Chozo Soldier • Escue • Experiment No. Z-57 • Golzuna • Elite Chozo Soldier • Raven Beak (Raven Beak X)
*See also: Bosses in the Metroid Prime* series**

Space Pirates
Pirate Classes	Pirate • Militia • Trooper (Dark) • Shadow • Grenadier • Trooper Pirate • Hussar • Commando Pirate Pirate Commando (Dark) • Commander • Armored • Bruiser • Melee Trooper (Cloaked) Deck Commander • Phazite Armored
Zebesians	Gray • Gold • Silver • Cyborg • Super • Aqua • Hologram
Aerotroopers	Flying Pirate • Aqua Pirate • Armored • Advanced • Assault • -G Dark
Elite Pirates	Phazon Elite • Omega Pirate • EPG-8644 and EPG-8656 • EPG-8701 and EPG-8702
Turrets, Robots, Mines and Drones	Auto Defense • Mega • Despair-Class • Dread-Class • Remorse-Class • "Vigilance" Class • Sentry Drone • Aqua Drone • Cloaked Drone • Preed (Dark) • Puffer Mine • Aeromine • Jumpmine Proximity Mine • Crawltank • Crawlmine • "Jolly Roger" Drone • Phazon Harvester Drone • Pirate Surveillance Drone • Pirate Cargo Drone
Pirate Creatures	Atomic • Badger Clover • Berserker Lord • Berserker Knight • Bombu (Pulse/Scatter) • Evir • Gronkat • Korakk Beast • Kihunter (King) • Mimic • Olbap • Scarp • Scritter • Thardus • Urtragian Shriekbat • Zero Shock beast • Thrash-hunters
Pirate Leaders	Ridley • Mother Brain • Kraid (Mini-Kraid) • Dark Samus • Gandrayda • Phantoon • Draygon • High Command • Weavel Pirate Boss • Boss • Dragüd • Doruba
Pirate Characters	Bug Brain • Chief Astrogation Officer • Commando unit 87 • Experiment 7526 • P-1 • Technician 12 • Units 013 and 043 • Unit 686 • Rundas • Ghor • Gandrayda • Aurora Unit 313
Locations	Agon Mining Facility • Glacier One • Pirate Homeworld • HQ • Tourian Citadel • Metroid
Organizations	Facility Command • Project Helix • Project Titan • Removal Squad • Security Command • Science Team • Sympathisers • Special-forces unit • Team Sclera Planteers of Krom
Miscellaneous	Assault on the Pirate Homeworld • Class Platinum-AAA threat level • Code Blue • Crane • Datanet • History • Lotus Milestone • Metroid project "Dread" • MB • Rotation Control Unit • Command Network • Gallery • Language • Boarding Pod • Crate Kraid's Missile Gun

Biomechanical
Hybrids	Asborean • Chozo Statue • Darkling • Dark Samus • Dark Suit • Light Suit • PED Suit • Samus Aran • Omega Suit
Biomechanical	Aurora Unit • Security Robot B.O.X. • Cortex Chamber • Dark Diligence Drone • Dark Ingsmasher • Dark Quad • Fusion Suit • Mother Brain • Nightmare • Quadraxis • SA-X • Space Pirate Boarding Pod
Cyborgs	Crash Pillar • Ghor (-G) • Kyratian • Leviathan Battleship • Pirate Militia • Preed (Dark) • Puffer Mine • Ridley (Meta/Omega/Proteus) • Samus Aran • Slench • Space Pirate • Weavel • Zebesian (Cyborg/Super) Large Leviathan-class armed ship • U-ton

Diets
Carnivores	Phazon tendril • Ridley • Vorash • Yapping Maw Plants: Bloodflower • Dark Phlogus • Samus Eater • Shrieker • Sporb • Tangle Vine • Tangle Weed • Venom Weed • Zazabi
Detritivores	Grizby • Phazon Leech • Parasite (Plated/Ice/Queen) • Sbug
Insectivores	Bryyonian Shriekbat • Flickerbat • Gel Ray • Glowing spidervine • Ice Shriekbat
Omnivores	Green Kralee • Human • Ice Parasite • Little birdie • Space Pirate

Galactic Federation
Politics	Chairman of the Galactic Federation • Galactic Federation Council • Federation governor • Galactic Federation Circuit Court
Figureheads	Commander Adam Malkovich† • Chairman Vogl • Chairman Keaton • Chief Hardy • Chief Rodney Aran† • Ensign • General Alex Miles • The Colonel • the ringleaders • Virginia Aran† Judge Racklas
Enemies	Space Pirates • Metroids • Ridley† • Horus Rebellion • Mother Brain† • Rundas† • Ghor† • Gandrayda† (NZG41) • Dark Samus† • MB† • the ringleaders • Zombie researcher
Members	Commander Mauk • Damara • Doctor Wells • Dr. Madeline Bergman • Federation Empath • "Federation official" • Federation surgeon • Federation survey team • Fleet Troopers Fleet Admiral Castor Dane • Fleet Mechanics • G-5 • Gray Voice • Head Quarantine Officer • Kreatz • Lab Workers • Luis Ramirez† • Michael Kelbaugh† • Old Bird • Operators • Platinum Chest • Potato Farmer • Quarantine Officer • Ryan Powell† • Scott Petersen† • Sir • Trooper 002 Big Bro • Captain Dare • Commander Nemo • grave digger • Jeff McCloud† • Klaus Schneider† • Lily Thran† • Miguel Luis Garcia† • Officer • Police-Man • Bomad • Zegan Doh • Fleet Admiral
Military	07th Platoon (Members) • Chief • Chozo R&D Division • Commanding Officer • Federation Bureau • Federation Force • Federation Police Force Federation Marines (PED/Missile/Demolition/Dark/Dark Missile) • 3rd Division of the Federation Space Army • Special Investigations Group Federation Fleet • Talon, Blade and Nova Squadrons • Galactic Federation Marine Corps (Task Force Herakles/Squad Bravo/Forces One-Two/Crew†) Galactic Federation Army • Galactic Federation Special Squadron† • GF Database • GF Naval Base Demeter • Olympus-class battleship • Operation Golem • Project Metroid Warriors • Special-forces unit
Spacecraft	Beatrix III† • Carrier • Extractor • Federation Army Special Ops Battleship VIXIV IV • Federation Cruisers Icarus and Baldur • Galactic Federation mothership (Quarantine room/Empty training room/Meeting room) • G.F.S. Aegis • G.F.S. Anhur • G.F.S. Enkidu • G.F.S. Olympus • G.F.S. Theseus • G.F.S. Tyr • G.F.S. Valhalla • Galactic Federation Battleship VIXIV • G.F.S. Daedalus • Lusitania (Drive unit†) • Galactic Federation dropship Federated Force research station‏‎ • Starship
Controlled Locations	Aliehs III • Biologic Space Laboratories research station† • BOTTLE SHIP† • Ceres Space Colony† (Space Science Academy†) • Corella 5 Daiban (Federation Meeting Assembly Hall/Galactic Federation Academy) • Dasha region • Excelcion (Research station/mining outpost) • Norion (Base Sector Zero) • Jamoru • Jigrad Kalandor region (Federation Solar System Bryyo/Elysia/Norion) • K-2L • Leviathan Battleship† • Space Research Vessel Marina† • SR388† Sun (Earth/Galactic Federation Headquarters) • Zebes† • Federation Bureau Headquarters • RX 338
Miscellaneous	Biologic's research team • Bottle Ship P.A. Announcer • Bounty Claim Form • Cycle • Federation Formal Dress • Federation mark • Galactic Federation Data Galactic Federation Crate (Ordnance/Transport) • GF Research and Development Division • Industrial-grade pesticide • Intelligence team • Leviathan Command Codes • Mech • Mission File PED Delta squad • Planet Reclamation Division • Power Suit • RB176 Ferrocrusher • Rogue Contract • Seguru • Technology • Tivus • "Elfin" • "Simian" • "Ceratopsid" Vaccine "Metroid" • Zero Mission
† means this person, location or object is deceased or destroyed.

[1] Q&A: Is Ridley from Metroid Really Native to Zebes? « Legends of Localization. Mato Tree (2014). Retrieved on 2014-04-04.

[2] Metroid: Volume 2 pg. 12, based on the translation by Metroid Database

[3] Development Room, Metroid: Zero Mission Official Site

[:0-4] "Meta Ridley" Pirate Data. Metroid Prime.

[5] Metroid: Volume 2, Chapter 8, Page 10. Metroid Database (2002). Retrieved on 2013-10-03.

[6] ttp://www.metroiddatabase.com/old_site/?g=features&p=faq3#stage03

[7] Nintendo of America (NintendoAmerica). 21 January 2020 4:00 p.m. Tweet. https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/1219726360291053568

[8] ttps://www.thenamemeaning.com/ridley/

[9] ttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-07-01-metroid-prime-federation-force-dev-explains-decision-to-not-focus-on-samus

[10] Nintendo of Europe (Nintendo Europe). "Happy #ReptileAwarenessDay! To celebrate, why not tell us who your favourite reptilian juggernaut is to fight against in #SuperMetroid, now available to play with #SuperNES – #NintendoSwitchOnline!" Oct 21, 2019 9:46 a.m. Tweet. https://twitter.com/NintendoEurope/status/1186277558368661504

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 {{semi-protected|small=yes}}
 {{-}}
 {{Featured article}}
 {{-}}
 :''This article refers to the recurring boss. For other uses of the name Ridley, see [[Ridley (Disambiguation)]].''
 {{Infobox Character
 |name        = Ridley
 |image       = SSBU Spirits Ridley.png
 |caption     = Official artwork of Ridley as he appears in ''[[Metroid: Zero Mission]]''.
-|species     = Unknown ("[[Space Dragon]]" in non-canon media)
+|species     = Unknown ([[space dragon]] in non-canon media)
 |homeworld   = [[Zebes]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://legendsoflocalization.com/qa-is-ridley-from-metroid-really-native-to-zebes/|title=Q&A: Is Ridley from Metroid Really Native to Zebes? « Legends of Localization|publisher=Mato Tree| year=2014| accessdate=2014-04-04}}</ref>
 |born        = Prior to all events of the [[Metroid timeline|''Metroid'' timeline]].<br />Reborn through cloning in ''[[Metroid: Other M]]''.
 |gender      = Male
 |eyes        = Yellow, orange, yellow-green (varies between appearances)
-|affiliation = [[Space Pirate]] military commander.|death = ''[[Super Metroid]]''<br/>''[[Metroid: Other M]]'' ([[Ridley (clone)|clone]])<br/>''[[Metroid Fusion]]'' ([[X Parasite]] [[Neo Ridley|clone]])}}
+|affiliation = [[Space Pirate]] military commander.|death = ''[[Super Metroid]]''<br/>''[[Metroid: Other M]]'' ([[Ridley (clone)|clone]])<br/>''[[Metroid Fusion]]'' ([[X Parasite]] [[Neo Ridley|clone]])|hair=None}}
-{{cquotetxt|''Heh, humans are always so weak to deaths of their own breed! Who knows, perhaps I consumed your "mama" so that my cells may live, hm? Is she here... or here?!''|Ridley|color=gray|size=360%}}
+{{cquotetxt|''Heh, humans are always so weak to the death of their own kind! Who knows, perhaps I even ate your "mama" so that my cells may live, hmm? Is she here... or here?! AT LEAST PAY YOUR RESPECTS!''|Ridley<ref>''[[Metroid: Volume 2]]'' [https://www.metroiddatabase.com/old_site/manga/official_vol_2_jp/ch_0008/MetroidManga2-06.jpg pg. 12], based on the [https://www.metroiddatabase.com/old_site/manga/official_vol_2_en/ch_0008/metroid_v02_ch008_012.png translation] by [[Metroid Database]]</ref>|color=gray|size=360%}}
-{{nihongo|'''Ridley'''|リドリー|Ridorī}} is a high-ranking [[Space Pirate]], the archenemy of [[Samus Aran]], and one of the most common recurring characters in the ''[[Metroid (series)|Metroid]]'' series, appearing in most of the games. Sadistic and bloodthirsty, Ridley delights in death and destruction, and was responsible for the massacre of the colony [[K-2L]]. Since then, he and Samus have clashed several times, with Samus usually emerging the victor. But Ridley's brutality is matched only by his resilience, and he regularly returns from apparent death to do battle with Samus once more. As such, the Space Pirate leader is fittingly referred to as the '''{{Nihongo|Cunning God of Death|狡猾の死神}}''' in his ''Zero Mission'' official art on the [[Metroid Zero Mission Official Site|Japanese website]].
+{{nihongo|'''Ridley'''|リドリー|Ridorī}} is a high-ranking [[Space Pirate]] and one of the most recurring characters in the [[Metroid (series)|''Metroid'' series]], appearing as a boss in over half of the games released thus far. He is the archenemy of [[Samus Aran]], a status he gained over the years since his prominent role in ''[[Super Metroid]]''; in addition to this, he also became widely regarded as the main villain of the entire franchise despite never being the primary antagonist of any game. Ridley's actual role is that of a secondary antagonist where he answers to a higher power and/or his presence is overshadowed by an unrelated threat, depending on the game.
+==Summary==
+Sadistic and bloodthirsty, Ridley delights in death and destruction, and was responsible for the massacre of the colony [[K-2L]]. Since then, he and Samus have clashed several times, with Samus usually emerging the victor. But Ridley's brutality is matched only by his resilience, and he regularly returns from apparent death to do battle with Samus once more. As such, he is fittingly referred to as the '''{{Nihongo|Cunning God of Death|狡猾の死神}}''' in his ''Zero Mission'' official art on the [[Metroid Zero Mission Official Site|Japanese website]].
-Resembling a skeletal dragon with glowing eyes, the true name of Ridley's species is unknown. Despite his bestial appearance, Ridley is known to be highly intelligent and even shown to be capable of speech in the [[Metroid (Magazine Z manga)|''Magazine Z'' manga]]. He was also apparently capable of building a [[Ridley Robot|robot in his own likeness]]. Though Ridley often appears in different forms, it is clarified through scans found in the [[Metroid Prime series|''Metroid Prime'' series]], as well as events portrayed in ''[[Metroid: Other M]]'', that every one of his incarnations chronologically seen prior to ''Other M'' and ''[[Metroid Fusion]]'' are indeed the same individual (the exception being the Ridley Robot), despite his numerous defeats. Strangely, some of his prior battles ended with his body seemingly exploding, but in-game lore states he survived these violent defeats until ''[[Super Metroid]]''. In most games he appears in, he has been the penultimate or ante-penultimate boss.
+Resembling an emaciated pterodactyl-dragon with glowing eyes, the true name of Ridley's species is unknown. Despite his appearance and often bestial behavior within the games, Ridley's position as a Space Pirate leader has been confirmed since back in ''Super Metroid''<nowiki/>'s instruction booklet, with the ''[[Metroid Prime (game)|Metroid Prime]]'' manual and in-game scans further describing him as a mainstay and enforcer of the Pirate armies. The [[Metroid (Magazine Z manga)|''Magazine Z'' manga]] depicts him as being highly intelligent and even capable of speech. He also successfully built a [[Mecha Ridley|robot in his own likeness]], according to the [[Yoshio Sakamoto|co-creator]] of the ''Metroid'' series. Ridley is often depicted as a comrade of [[Kraid]] in supplementary materials such as official merchandise, artwork, media and the manga, while the games themselves vaguely reference this through [[Stone Statues|their]] [[Golden Statues|statues]].
+Although Ridley often appears in different forms and varying sizes, it is clarified not only through scans in the [[Metroid Prime series|''Metroid Prime'' series]] but also through events in ''[[Metroid: Other M]]'' that all his incarnations chronologically seen before the latter game are indeed the same individual despite his numerous defeats (the exception being Mecha Ridley). Strangely, some of his prior battles ended with his entire body seemingly exploding but in-game lore states he somehow survived these violent defeats until his final battle in ''Super Metroid''. His proficiency for survival is also displayed in the manga: following the destruction of his flagship and its wreckage falling on top of Ridley, he reappears unscathed later on, claiming to have healed his wounds by consuming the bodies of the dead humans in K-2L.
-The manga also revealed that Ridley is extremely adept at survival. Ridley was apparently capable of healing his wounds by eating human flesh, as illustrated in the manga in a part where he claimed that he survived the destruction of his flagship by consuming the bodies and cells of the dead humans in [[K-2L]].
+Ridley has been present in all but five ''Metroid'' games - ''[[Metroid II: Return of Samus]]'', ''[[Metroid Prime 2: Echoes]]'', ''[[Metroid Prime Hunters]]'', ''[[Metroid Prime: Federation Force]]'' and ''[[Metroid Dread]]''. Minor references to him can still be found in several of these via his associated [[Vs. Meta Ridley|theme]] in [[Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt|their]] [[Metroid Prime 2: Echoes Bonus Disc|demos]], cosmetic [[Paint Job]]s based on him and images of the character present in [[Gallery#Metroid_Dread|galleries]]. Ridley is usually the penultimate or ante-penultimate boss in the games he's featured in, and half of them present multiple battles against him and/or some manifestation of him. His sole appearance as a final boss is in ''[[Metroid: Samus Returns]]'', the remake of ''Metroid II''.
 ==Biography==
@@ Line 28: / Line 31: @@
 ==Boss Battles==
 ===''[[Metroid]]''===
+{{Infobox Boss
-In ''Metroid'' for the Famicom Disk System and Nintendo Entertainment System, Ridley is located in his subterranean base, [[Ridley's Lair|Mini-Boss Hideout II]]. [[Ridley's room|His room]] consists of a large, floating platform with two levels of differing height (with the boss on the highest), and a pool of [[lava]] located below. In his debut, Ridley is approximately Samus' height, and despite having wings (albeit very small ones), he merely hops up and down while spitting zigzagging fireballs at her. The American artwork of Ridley portray him with a vastly more alien design, featuring a head with a leech-like mouth and numerous ocular organs of varying sizes scattered about (as seen in the [[#Gallery|Gallery]] at the bottom of this page).
+|name=Ridley
+|image=Metroid Boss Ridley.gif
+|caption=Ridley's sprite in ''[[Metroid]]''
+|location=[[Ridley's room]]
+|attacks=Fireballs
+|weakness=[[Missile]]s, [[Ice Beam]]
+|music="[[Tourian (theme)]]"
+|reward=75 Missiles
+}}
+In ''Metroid'' for the NES and Famicom, Ridley is one of the two bosses on [[Zebes]] who must be defeated to access [[Tourian]]. He awaits in a [[Ridley's room|chamber]] in [[Ridley's Lair|Mini-Boss Hideout II]]. Here, Ridley is approximately Samus' height.
-Samus can use any weapon her [[Power Suit]] possesses to damage him. His fireballs, however, are indestructible and excel as a defense mechanism, destroying any long-range weapon and nullifying the blast from [[Bomb]]s on contact. If Samus possesses the [[Ice Beam]], she can temporarily freeze all of Ridley's projectiles, rendering him incapable of shooting out any others until the ice thaws. Depending on the position the fireballs are frozen in, they can either leave Ridley completely exposed to any attack, or prevent anything, including Samus, from getting close to him, thus careful precision is required when using the Ice Beam.
+Ridley only attacks by hopping in place while shooting zig-zagging fireballs. He can be damaged by any weapon; his fireballs, however, are indestructible and excel as a defense mechanism, blocking long-range weapons and nullifying [[Bomb|Bombs]]. If Samus possesses the [[Ice Beam]], she can freeze the fireballs, keeping Ridley from shooting any more until the ice thaws. Depending on the position the fireballs are frozen in, this can either leave Ridley exposed to attack or completely block him off.
-Interesting to note is that Ridley's battle is noticeably more challenging in the Japanese Famicom version of the game, due to the console's superior specs over the American NES version: in the former console, each individual fireball created by Ridley has a different trajectory randomly picked from a set, meaning that players will have to deal with projectiles traveling at different speeds with small or large zigzag patterns, practically leaving no safe zone. The latter console can only choose a single trajectory for all of Ridley's fireballs every time the NES itself is turned on. This signifies that the American version will ''always'' feature multiple safe zones in the room where the fireballs can never reach, allowing players to either stand next to Ridley and shoot him without repercussions, or stand a set distance away and simply jump and fire at Ridley without receiving damage. It is mostly due to this hardware limitation that makes Ridley the least challenging boss in the NES game.
+Ridley's battle is more challenging in the Japanese Famicom version of the game, due to the console's superior specs over the American NES version. The Famicom randomly chooses a different trajectory for each fireball, meaning players must deal with a wide variety of speeds and patterns. The NES can only choose a single trajectory for all fireballs each time the NES is turned on, consistently leaving safe zones where the fireballs never reach.
-Once Samus defeats him, 75 [[missile]]s are added to her maximum amount. He is one of [[Zebes]]' guardians that must be defeated in order to activate the [[Stone Statues]] overlooking the path to [[Tourian]].
-[[File:Zeromissionridley.gif|thumb|Samus battles Ridley in his lair, in ''Metroid: Zero Mission''.]]
+Once Samus defeats Ridley, 75 [[Missile]]s are added to her maximum amount. His defeat also activates one of the two [[Stone Statues]] overlooking the path to Tourian.
 ===''[[Metroid: Zero Mission]]''===
+{{Infobox Boss
-In ''Zero Mission'', Ridley, looking more like his later appearances, is instead initially off-world at the time Samus infiltrates the base, but returns with his ship by the time she reaches [[Lower Norfair]]. Ridley is much taller and more agile than in the original ''Metroid''. He flies around and tries to kill Samus with his "classic attacks" first seen in ''Super Metroid'', though they are noticeably far less chaotic and his tail is less maneuverable. Ridley will often spit out different-sized fireballs in a variety of ways, but these can be destroyed with any weapon. He is also capable of using his crushing grip and fireballs in a combined form to heavily damage Samus. When she defeats Ridley, he explodes and disintegrates, allowing Samus to leave with the [[Unknown Item]] she had obtained just before the battle.
+|name=Ridley
-Also in the same game is his incomplete project: the '''[[Ridley Robot]]''', which guards the [[Space Pirate Mother Ship]] and serves as the end boss of ''Zero Mission''.
+|image=Ridley_(Zero_Mission_Animation).gif
+|caption=Ridley roaring in ''[[Metroid: Zero Mission]]''
+|location=[[Ridley's room]]
+|attacks=Fireballs, tail strikes, grabbing
+|weakness=[[Super Missile]]s
+|music="[[Vs. Ridley]]"
+|reward=[[Unknown Item]] ([[Gravity Suit]]) in room prior
+}}
+In the remake ''Metroid: Zero Mission'', Ridley is off-world aboard the [[Space Pirate Mother Ship]] when Samus infiltrates the Pirate base on Zebes. Following the defeat of Kraid, he returns to Zebes to ambush Samus in [[Lower Norfair]].
+Ridley is much taller and more agile than in the original ''Metroid''. He flies around using his attacks from ''Super Metroid'', spitting fireballs and swiping at Samus with his tail. His fireballs can be destroyed by any of Samus' weaponry, unless he has grabbed her in his talons first. He falls quite quickly to [[Super Missile|Super Missiles]].
+Ridley explodes upon his defeat, allowing Samus to leave with the [[Unknown Item]] she had obtained just before the battle. This also unlocks one of the Stone Statues blocking the way to Tourian.
+Also in the same game is his incomplete project '''[[Mecha Ridley]]''', a robot which guards the Space Pirate Mother Ship and serves as the final boss of ''Zero Mission''.
 ===[[Metroid Prime series|''Metroid Prime'' series]]===
 {{Main|Meta Ridley|Omega Ridley}}
+[[File:SSBU Spirits Meta Ridley.png|thumb|Meta Ridley in ''[[Metroid Prime (game)|Metroid Prime]]''.]]
-[[File:Meta_ridley.png|thumb|Meta Ridley dodging Samus' projectiles]]After his defeat on Zebes, Ridley's remains were recovered and reconstructed with cybernetic implants, turning him into a cyborg. He is known as '''Meta Ridley''' for the entirety of the first ''Prime'' game along with the prologue of ''[[Metroid Prime 3: Corruption]]'','' ''until his final battle in the latter game where he becomes '''Omega Ridley''' following his infusion with [[Phazon]].
+After his defeat on Zebes, Ridley's remains were recovered and reconstructed with cybernetic implants, turning him into a cyborg. He is known as '''Meta Ridley''' for the entirety of the first ''Prime'' game and the prologue of ''[[Metroid Prime 3: Corruption]]'', until his final battle in the latter game where he becomes the [[Phazon]]-infused '''Omega Ridley'''.
-=== ''[[Metroid: Samus Returns]]'' ===
+===''[[Metroid: Samus Returns]]''===
 {{Main|Proteus Ridley}}
-[[File:Metroid Samus Returns Proteus Ridley Ridley Returns - Capture Baby (Cutscene).png|thumb|Proteus Ridley attempting to capture the last Metroid in ''[[Metroid: Samus Returns]]'']]
+[[File:MSR ProteusRidley artwork.png|thumb|Proteus Ridley in ''[[Metroid: Samus Returns]]'']]
-Despite not appearing in ''[[Metroid II: Return of Samus]]'', Ridley is present in the game's remake as '''Proteus Ridley'''. Returning from his prior defeats in the ''Metroid Prime'' series with fewer cybernetic implants, he ambushes Samus and attempts to capture [[Baby|the last living Metroid]] just as they are about to leave [[SR388]].
+Despite not appearing in ''[[Metroid II: Return of Samus]]'', Ridley is present in the game's remake as '''Proteus Ridley'''. Returning from his defeats in the ''Metroid Prime'' series with fewer cybernetic implants, he ambushes Samus and attempts to capture [[Baby|the last Metroid]] just as they are about to leave [[SR388]]. This marks the first time in the series where Ridley acts as a final boss.
-This game marks the first time Ridley acts as a final boss.
 ===''[[Super Metroid]]''===
+{{Infobox Boss
-[[File:Ridleysupermetroid.png|thumb|Ridley's final battle in Super Metroid]]
+|name=Ridley
-Ridley is first fought in the [[Ceres Space Colony]], carrying the [[baby|last Metroid]] in his talons after [[Metroid Theft Incident|slaughtering]] the scientists on Ceres. He uses the same attacks as his later encounter, but neither he nor Samus can be defeated - after he or Samus takes a certain amount of damage, Ridley escapes the colony with the Metroid and goes back to [[Zebes]], with it being implied that Ridley had set Ceres to [[Self-Destruct System|self-destruct]]. It is possible to damage Ridley enough that he will drop the baby, but he quickly recovers it and flees before Samus can retrieve it.
+|image=SuperMetroid Ridley Sprite.gif
+|caption=Ridley's sprite in ''[[Super Metroid]]''
+|location=[[Ridley's room]]
+|attacks=Fireballs, tail strikes, grabbing
+|weakness=[[Super Missile]]s
+|music="[[Vs. Ridley]]"
+|reward=Access to [[Tourian]]
+}}
+Ridley is first fought in the [[Ceres Space Colony]], carrying the [[baby|last Metroid]] in his talons after [[Metroid Theft Incident|slaughtering]] the scientists of Ceres. He attacks with fireballs as usual, but neither he nor Samus can be defeated - once Samus takes a certain amount of damage, Ridley retreats with the Metroid and returns to [[Zebes]], with it being implied that Ridley set Ceres to [[Self-Destruct System|self-destruct]]. If the player shoots Ridley 100 times without losing, Ridley briefly drops the baby, but quickly recovers it and flees before Samus can retrieve it.
-Samus fights Ridley again in his hideout in the depths of [[Norfair]]. He is one of the four bosses that must be defeated to unlock access to [[Tourian]]. Unlike his previous forms, [[Meta Ridley]] and [[Omega Ridley]], the space dragon is vulnerable to many different types of weapons, from any angle. However, Ridley can use his invulnerable tail to shield himself against any attack, including breaking through the near invincible [[Screw Attack]]. In addition to defense, he uses his tail for unique offensive attacks, many of which would be seen in future releases of ''Metroid'' games, such as the whip and pogo stick-like attacks. Body slams, indestructible fireballs and damaging grips are also used in battle. With no weak points or special tactics available, Samus must simply dodge Ridley's attacks while landing hits of her own - it takes 30 [[Super Missile]]s to bring the monster down. However, he generally does not die immediately upon losing all of his health; instead he continuously and aggressively attempts to grab Samus in his talons. If he succeeds, he will fly with her to the center of the room and release one last roar before suddenly breaking apart, dropping Samus unharmed. If she manages to evade his final attempts at grabbing her while dealing additional damage, Ridley will eventually die normally.
+Ridley is one of the four bosses that must be defeated to unlock the [[Golden Statues]] and access Tourian. He and Samus clash again in the depths of Lower Norfair. He is a nimble flier who uses the height of the chamber to his advantage, raining down fireballs from above. Ridley can also use his invulnerable tail to shield himself, even against the [[Screw Attack]]. He also uses his tail for offensive maneuvers, many of which would be seen in future ''Metroid'' games, such as the whip and pogo stick-like attacks. With no weak points, Samus must simply dodge Ridley's attacks while landing hits of her own - it takes 30 Super Missiles to bring him down. Upon losing all of his health, he aggressively moves to grab Samus one last time. If he succeeds, he flies her to the center of the room to make one last roar before exploding into pieces, dropping Samus. If she manages to evade his final attempts at grabbing her, Ridley eventually dies anyway.
-When defeated in Norfair, Ridley's body combusts and breaks apart, with every individual piece disintegrating into ash. After Samus kills [[Mother Brain]], planet [[Zebes]] explodes, taking Ridley's remains with it. ''Metroid: Other M'' states that this defeat marks the first '''''true death''''' of Samus's arch-nemesis; Ridley had seemingly survived all of his previous battles, regardless of disintegrations.
+Ridley's defeat offers Samus no reward besides access to Tourian; in the next room she finds a shattered capsule that once held the last Metroid, a final jab from her nemesis. Once Samus kills [[Mother Brain]], planet Zebes explodes, taking Ridley's remains with it. ''Metroid: Other M'' states that this defeat marks the first '''''true death''''' of Samus's arch-nemesis; Ridley had seemingly survived all of his previous battles, regardless of apparent occasions of disintegration.
 ===''[[Metroid: Other M]]''===
 {{Main|Ridley (clone)}}
-[[File:Samus grasped by Ridley Plasma Beam charge Geothermal Power Plant Pyrosphere HD.jpg|thumb|Samus battles Ridley's clone.]]
+[[File:MetroidOtherM OfficialGuidebook Ridley Render.png|thumb|Ridley's clone in ''[[Metroid: Other M]]''.]]
+Following his death, Ridley's DNA lingered on the surface of Samus' [[Power Suit]]. As the [[Galactic Federation]] took samples from it to clone the Zebes wildlife, they unknowingly cloned Ridley as well, not recognizing his juvenile form [[Little Birdie]]. On the [[BOTTLE SHIP]], Samus encounters Little Birdie in the [[Sector 1 / Biosphere|Biosphere]], and once it molts into a [[Mystery Creature]], it attacks her at the [[Exam Center]]. She tracks it to the [[Geothermal Power Plant]], where it emerges in its adult form as the draconic Ridley. He seemingly kills [[Anthony Higgs]] before fighting Samus, but she defeats him using the Plasma Beam. He then retreats to the [[Bioweapon Research Center]], only to be killed and reduced to a [[Brittle husk|husk]] by the [[Queen Metroid]].
-Samus tracks a [[Mystery Creature]] that molted from [[Little Birdie]] into the [[Geothermal Power Plant]] in an effort to finish it off, believing that it has metamorphosed into a more powerful form after finding a second molted skin. Unbeknownst to Samus, the animal she is tracking is actually a juvenile clone of Ridley from prior encounters that has been steadily growing through his predecessor's natural life-cycle. When she reaches the Power Plant, the creature emerges from the shadows in its adult stage, the distinguishable dragon-like form, and triggers a battle with Samus.
-Ridley's clone utilizes some of the original's "classic" attacks, as well as a few new moves of his own. His main form of attack is to swipe Samus with his claws, as well as whip her with his tail. Both attacks can be dodged with the [[SenseMove]]. Ridley will also breathe a short-ranged burst of flame if Samus is close enough, and can also charge up a large stream of fire. Ridley's most devastating attack is to charge at Samus and, if successful, slam her against the inner wall of the Geothermal Plant, outside of the platform they are battling on. He continues the attack by grinding her along the wall (reminiscent of his battle in ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl''), causing major damage. After this, Ridley will fly above the battlefield with Samus still held firmly in his hand, and breathe fire on her at point-blank range to knock her out of his grasp. This entire attack sequence can be avoided if Samus were to dodge Ridley's initial charge attack, which can be predicted as soon as Ridley lifts his left arm into the air. If she is caught and dragged onto the wall, Samus can begin using the [[Charge Beam]] to prepare her own blast at point-blank range, though she must fire at Ridley before he does the final segment of his attack.
-Ridley also has two aerial attacks at his disposal. His first move consists of stabbing the Hunter with his tail, then attempting to crush her from above. Well-timed SenseMoves can dodge this assault. His other attack consists of charging up a huge [[fireball shockwave|fireball]] and firing it at the center of the arena, creating a large shockwave that must be jumped over.
-Once Samus has inflicted enough damage to Ridley, he will keel over, stunned and vulnerable to a [[Lethal Strike]], in which Samus grabs hold of him and fires a charged shot in his throat. After performing a Lethal Strike, Ridley will immediately counter with a new ability: he will harden and darken his skin, gaining an aura on his chest. This ability renders him invulnerable to Samus' Plasma Beam shots. He will then immediately fly up to unleash a fireball to the ground. Samus can either wait until the effect wears off or fire a [[Super Missile]] at him, reverting Ridley back to normal instantly. If Samus is quick enough, she can fire a Super Missile at him before he manages to fly.
-As Ridley receives damage, his body gradually becomes ravaged. Once his life-bar is depleted, he will fall over, seemingly unconscious, but quickly gets back up during the following cutscene and escapes. He is later killed off-screen by a [[Queen Metroid]], his drained corpse left to be found within the [[Bioweapon Research Center]].
 ===''[[Metroid Fusion]]''===
+{{Main|Neo-Ridley}}[[File:Neo Ridley Animation.gif|thumb|190px|Neo-Ridley in ''[[Metroid Fusion]]''.]]
-{{Main|Neo Ridley}}
-[[File:Ridley-X3.png|thumb|Neo Ridley roaring at Samus]]The emaciated corpse of Ridley's clone was transferred from the [[BOTTLE SHIP]] to the [[Sub-Zero Containment]] in the [[BSL Station]], where it was eventually infected by an [[X Parasite]]. Using the corpse's DNA, the X transforms into an unnatural imitation known as '''Neo Ridley'''.
+The husk of Ridley's clone was transferred to the [[Sub-Zero Containment]] in the [[BSL Station|BSL research station]], where it was eventually copied and disintegrated by an [[X Parasite]]. Using the corpse's DNA, the X transforms into an unnatural imitation known as '''Neo-Ridley''', which Samus defeats and absorbs to gain the Screw Attack.
-Aside from this, Ridley also briefly appears in one of the [[Adult and Child Modes|Child Mode]] endings, where he is seen advancing on a young Samus Aran and what are presumably [[Virginia Aran|her mother]] and [[Chief Rodney Aran|father]], the latter of whom attempts to shoot Ridley to no avail. It is also to be noted that this was the first time that Ridley's involvement in the K-2L raid was alluded to.
+The original Ridley appears in one of the [[List of Metroid endings#Japanese endings|endings]] of the Japanese version, acquired by completing [[Normal Mode]] in over four hours. He is seen advancing on a young Samus and what are presumably [[Virginia Aran|her mother]] and [[Chief Rodney Aran|father]], the latter of whom is shooting Ridley to no avail. It should be noted that this was the first time that Ridley's involvement in the K-2L raid was ever referenced by official ''Metroid'' media.
 ==Physical appearance==
+Ridley's signature traits are scaly skin, wings, a pointed head, a bent neck, and a long tail with a bladed tip; overall, he closely resembles a European dragon or pteranodon. He is most commonly depicted with vibrant purple skin and yellow eyes, though this varies.
-Overall, Ridley had the appearance of a dragon, with his head and neck resembling that of a pterodactyl. He also possessed a spiked segmented tail with a hooked end.
+In the first ''Metroid'', his Japanese artwork depicts him as a dragon with large eyes and blue skin, while his American artwork portrays him with a vastly more alien design, featuring a sucker-like mouth and numerous ocular organs. Due to technical limitations of the time, Ridley's sprite had purple skin and green eyes, and his wings were very small in proportion to the rest of his body.
-In the NES version, he mostly appeared similar to his later appearances, although the head crest was missing, and was depicted as only slightly taller than Samus Aran. In addition, the artwork for Ridley, depending on the source, either depicted him with a leech-like head and tridactyl feet (concept art) or otherwise as a chibi dragon with expressive purple eyes (Japanese ''Metroid'' guide). Interestingly, both sources depicted Ridley with blue skin, although the game itself depicted Ridley with purple skin.
+''Super Metroid'' established a more consistent look for Ridley. He has didactyl feet, glowing eyes, a longer neck, and an exaggerated tail so long that it is used as a weapon. His head has even more pterodactyloid features, including a head-crest. His physique is also grotesquely emaciated, exposing his ribcage and musculature just beneath his flesh. While arwork gave him red skin and orange eyes, sprites gave him his signature purple skin and yellow eyes.
-In his appearances from ''Super Metroid'' onward (the only exception being ''Metroid: Other M'', not counting either [[Meta Ridley]] or [[Proteus Ridley]]), he was given a significant redesign: He has bidactyl feet, had a largely emaciated appearance, and his eyes were generally depicted as glowing ominously (although there have been a few instances where he was depicted with irises), as well as his head given definite pterodactyl features, including a head-crest and a distinctive bent neck. Most importantly is that he also had his size increase, although not to the same extent as [[Kraid]], where Samus' height just barely reaches the top of Ridley's chest while the latter is crouching.
+In subsequent appearances, Ridley maintained most of the design traits introduced in ''Super Metroid'', though his colors leaned towards purple rather than red. Notable design departures include his mutation as [[Neo-Ridley]] in ''Metroid Fusion'', his green-brown skin, red eyes, and red patagium in ''Metroid: Zero Mission'', the ''Metroid Prime'' series which introduced his [[Meta Ridley]] form, and his [[Ridley (clone)|clone]] in ''Metroid: Other M'' who had a more muscular build, opposable thumbs and tridactyl feet, and red patagium.
-In ''Metroid: Other M'', Ridley, or rather, his clone has some notable differences in physical appearance. In particular, he is given a more muscular build, and his snout now has the top half being smaller than the bottom half, as well as pointed slightly upward, and he possessed four fingers and a thumb instead of two fingers and a thumb on his hands as well as tridactyl feet. Despite this, however, in ''Metroid Fusion'', his appearance resembled how he generally looked since ''Super Metroid''. [[Neo Ridley]], however, is shown to be much larger with enlarged talons and claws, and also possessing thinner lips exposing his teeth constantly. Neo Ridley also seems to possess gill-like openings on his back, just behind his wings, and is depicted as being colored blue instead of his usual purple.
+Ridley's size has fluctuated greatly throughout the series. In the first ''Metroid'' he was barely taller than Samus, while in ''Super Metroid'' he was over twice her size. His Meta Ridley form in ''Metroid Prime 3'' may be the largest he has ever been as Samus can fit almost entirely in his mouth, though later on in the same game he reappears noticeably shrunken down as Omega Ridley, now only large enough to fit her Arm Cannon in his jaws.
 ==Personality and traits==
+{{cquotetxt|''First, enjoy the slaughter to the fullest!!''|Ridley, to the Space Pirates, immediately prior to their massacre of K-2L in the ''Metroid'' manga.|color=gray|size=360%}}
-While Ridley displays few personality traits in the games, the official ''[[Metroid Manga]]'' delved a great deal deeper into the personality of the Space Pirate general. Ridley first appeared in chapter one, where his brutal disposition, foul temper and love of death and destruction are made apparent when he orders his entire legion of Space Pirates to annihilate the peaceful inhabitants of [[K2-L]] as he looked on, even going as far as to tell them to "have fun" while causing carnage. His ability for cruelty is further made concrete in the manga, when he attempts to kill a [[Samus Aran|small girl]] who tries to befriend him; killing her [[Virginia Aran|mother]] while trying to shield the child. This characterization was given a brief nod in his third [[victory pose]] in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', where he is seen with his back turned pounding the ground in a manner that evoked tearing his downed opponent apart before quickly turning his head with a grin. He, like many of his Space Pirate brethren, also believes in the superiority of certain races over others, counting himself among the privileged elite species and seeing the "lower" races as something only to exterminate. His more sadistic and bloodthirsty tendencies were initially hinted at in a Pirate Data scan explaining his resurrection as Meta Ridley in ''Metroid Prime'', where the crew guessed that Ridley becoming the mainstay of the Space Pirates' security force after the completion of his cybernetics was "a job he will certainly relish." He also has some degree of narcissism, due to his commissioning the [[Ridley Robot]] as a symbol of his power.
+Not much is known about Ridley within the games, as most of his time on screen consists of being in combat with Samus while rampaging and roaring like an animal. This makes him an ideal killing machine to fight on the front lines of the [[Space Pirate]] forces and likely why he is frequently seen alone.
+[[File:ZM Ridley cutscene.png|thumb|Ridley sits quietly in the Space Pirate Mother Ship, in ''Metroid: Zero Mission''.]]
+However, there are nonetheless glimpses of intelligence and deviousness. A cutscene in ''[[Metroid: Zero Mission]]'' showed him sitting quietly aboard the [[Space Pirate Mother Ship]], exhibiting self-control. Another moment of self-control is in ''[[Super Metroid]]'', where he hid in the shadows and left the [[Baby]] in plain view for Samus to find before making his presence known to her, at which point he gave her ample time to strike first while he stared her down. It is also implied he activated the [[Ceres Space Colony|Ceres Colony]]'s [[Self-Destruct System]]. In ''[[Metroid Prime (game)|Metroid Prime]]'', Ridley bombed the [[Cradle]] on [[Tallon IV]] specifically to prevent Samus from accessing and destroying the source of Phazon within the [[Impact Crater]]. In ''[[Metroid Prime 3: Corruption]]'', he attacked Samus on Norion when she was traversing through ducts in her [[Morph Ball]] form to limit her defensive options. Later, he made sure to have Samus fall down the [[Generator C]] shaft with him to ensure she would at least fall to her death if he was beaten. Interestingly, Ridley's cunning seems to be embedded on a genetic level, as [[Ridley (clone)|his clone]], who was feral as a result of lacking civilized upbringing, was nevertheless capable of manipulating or provoking fellow bioweapons into attacking the [[07th Platoon]] while he focused on Samus.
+His capacity to reason was shown during his fight with Samus on SR388, where despite clearly being aware of the [[Baby]]'s role in aiding Samus late into the fight, he made no attempt at killing it with the implication that he still needed to capture it alive for the Space Pirates on Zebes. Additionally, if she were to inflict enough damage to him at Ceres he will preemptively flee with the Metroid, demonstrating he can assess the situation and disengages from a losing battle to avoid jeopardizing the plans of his organization.
-Despite these bloodthirsty tendencies, Ridley has shown to be an intelligent and competent battle tactician, orchestrating a great many successful battles, as well as proving a serious threat on his own. His battle tactician skills were best showcased during the battle of [[Norion]] when fighting Samus: He tried to kill Samus while she was traversing through ducts in Morph Ball form and thus preventing her to transform, and later he also made sure to have Samus fall down the [[Generator C]] shaft with him to ensure that, in the event he could not defeat her, she would at least die with him. Similarly, it was implied that the reason he bombed the [[Cradle]] was specifically in an attempt to prevent Samus from accessing the [[Impact Crater]] during the events on Tallon IV, and when fighting Samus for the baby on SR388, he also proceeded to use his cybernetic arm to block Samus's Arm Cannon blasts while rushing at her. Interestingly, his traits as a competent leader seem to also be embedded on a genetic level, as his clone, who was feral as a result of growing up without any education or civilized upbringing, was nevertheless seemingly capable of leading weaponized creatures into attacking [[Adam Malkovich]]'s [[Galactic Federation 07th Platoon|squad]] while he handled Samus alone in his [[Mystery Creature|adolescent form]]. However, his quick temper and his arrogant belief that nothing can defeat him often undermine these qualities, leading to a great many defeats for him as well, particularly at the hands of Samus.
+Ridley is also shown to be prideful and to have a sadistic sense of humor. He had [[Mecha Ridley]] created in his image, displaying narcissism.<ref>[[Metroid Zero Mission Official Site#Development Room|Development Room, ''Metroid: Zero Mission'' Official Site]]</ref> His bloodthirsty tendencies were indicated in a Pirate Data scan explaining his reconstruction as Meta Ridley, where the crew stated that Ridley becoming the mainstay of security was "a job he will certainly relish."<ref name=":0">"Meta Ridley" [[Pirate Data]]. ''Metroid Prime''.</ref> His sadism also manifests in his clone when he toys with the emotionally shocked Samus using the sharp-end of his tail as holds her in his hands. This characterization is also displayed in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''; in his third [[victory pose]], he is seen from behind raking the ground with his claws as if eviscerating a downed opponent, before grinning wickedly at the camera. In his character trailer, ''[[A Piercing Screech]]'', Ridley twirls [[List of characters in the Super Smash Bros. series#Mario|Mario]]'s cap on one finger to mock his victim and taunt the latter's companion, Samus. In addition, one of the gameplay scenes in the same trailer has a brief hint towards his sadistic nature where, after using Skewer on Link, he proceeded to crouch and watch as Link keeled over.
-Ridley grudgingly shows respect to those who are natural leaders, such as when [[Gray Voice]] ordered the Pirate Troops to their battle stations; Ridley, taken aback, smirked at being told by Gray Voice to attend to his job and sarcastically addressed him as "Sir Military Commander" when he flew off.
+Because of this capacity for pride, Ridley has developed a bitter rivalry with Samus Aran due to her constant interference and his various defeats at her hands. He is shown to make spiteful jabs at her, such as leaving the Baby's empty capsule in the adjacent room behind him to ensure he gets the last laugh if she defeats him. His pride and hatred has sometimes been a detriment as well: Ridley's final ambush on Norion leads to both him and Samus falling down a pit but instead of flying away and leaving her to die, he tries to kill her himself during the free-fall and consequently suffers injuries that make him incapable of stopping [[Rundas]] from rescuing her. It's also implied that his hatred of Samus may be rooted as genetic memory, due to his clone being especially eager to kill Samus, with the [[Mystery Creature]]'s Trophy in [[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U|''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U / 3DS'']] hinting that its antagonism was rooted in Ridley's murder of Samus's family. His hatred of Samus is given a reference with his Final Smash [[Plasma Scream]], where he always attacks her [[Gunship (Return of Samus)|Gunship]] irrespective of whether Samus herself is one of the fighters launched into it.
-Ridley has frequently displayed a very sadistic sense of humor, evidenced by his various comments against Samus upon their first meeting since K2-L. Ridley even went so far as to taunt her by saying that he may have eaten and incorporated the cells of her mother's corpse into his body and sardonically wondered what part her cells reside in. He then proceeded to bring his foot down on Samus, growling ''"At least pay your respects!"''; referring to her dead mother, showing just how much joy he takes in the suffering of others. This sadism can also be seen in ''Other M'', as the cloned Ridley appears to toy with Samus before being interrupted by [[Anthony Higgs]]. However, in the manga, he was shown to be momentarily taken aback by Samus' naivety and looked at her with apparent pity when she innocently tried to befriend him despite being scared of his terrifying appearance. In response to this gesture, Ridley called Samus cute, before refusing her offer in a sarcastically polite tone and revealing his intent to kill her.
+The [[Metroid (Magazine Z manga)|manga]] [[Super Metroid (Nintendo Power comic)|and]] [[Nintendo Comics System|comics]] are the only sources of media where Ridley is seen talking. A possible explanation is that the sounds Ridley and the Pirates make in the games are the Space Pirate language, translated for the reader's benefit. Regardless, Ridley's speech and thoughts being shown to the reader reveal details of his personality that are not entirely communicated in the games while other aspects are exclusive to these literature works.
-He seems to hold a grudge against Samus for her deceased father's role in the massive failure of Ridley's raid on K2-L. Rodney Aran intentionally ignited the Space Pirates' stolen supply of [[Afloraltite]], causing Ridley's ship to not only explode and take numerous Pirate lives, but to also crash on top of Ridley. His injuries subsequently forced him to consume dead humans, despite his utter disgust and low opinion of the species. In the following years, Ridley would develop an intense hatred for Samus due to her constant interference and his various defeats at her hands. It's also implied that his hatred of Samus's parents, and by extension, Samus herself, may have also been retained as genetic memory due to the [[Mystery Creature]] (a genetic clone of Ridley) being especially eager to kill Samus and toying with her, with its trophy hinting that its antagonism of Samus was ultimately rooted in Ridley's earlier murder of Samus's parents.
+In the manga, Ridley is presented far more clearly as a leader of the Space Pirates, showing the character giving orders to his subordinates who respect him and obey without question. He is portrayed with an incredibly brutal disposition and love of destruction when, during a Pirate raid on [[K-2L|K2-L]] with the main goal of stealing [[Afloraltite]], he orders his army to annihilate the planet's peaceful inhabitants as a priority, going as far as to tell them in the midst of the chaos to "First, enjoy the slaughter to the fullest". His cruelty is further made apparent when he attacks a [[Samus Aran|small girl]] trying to befriend him, pretending to pity her at first and then killing her [[Virginia Aran|mother]] in the process. Ridley even went so far as to taunt Samus by saying that he may have eaten and incorporated the cells of her mother's corpse, and sardonically wondered where her cells rested in his body, as well as sarcastically demanding while forcing [[Posttraumatic stress disorder|a then-catatonic Samus]] to kneel that she "at least pay her respects" in reference to her mother. Despite the emphasis on Ridley's malice, the manga manages to portray him with some rationality and self-control, such as when he tells his soldiers on K2-L to nevertheless take caution around the highly explosive Alfloraltite during their enlivened attack, and how he seemingly withdraws himself from the raid at some point to be content with simply watching his subordinates continue the massacre, at least until he got confirmation that the Alfloraltite was secured.
-While they have speaking roles in the manga and comics, Ridley and the Space Pirates have never displayed this ability in-game (the [[Omega Pirate]] of ''Metroid Prime'' being a possible exception). A likely explanation is that the sounds Ridley and the Pirates make in-game are the Space Pirate language, translated for the reader's benefit in the manga.
+Ridley also displays a foul temper and an arrogant belief that nothing can defeat him. He seems to hold a grudge against Samus for her deceased father's role in the massive failure of Ridley's raid on K2-L. He also refers to Samus's existence when meeting her for the first time since the K-2L raid as a "nightmare", implying that his hatred for Samus stemmed also from the fact that she survived the massacre at all. He, like many Space Pirates, also believes in the superiority of certain races over others, counting himself among the privileged elites and seeing the "lower" races such as [[Human|humans]] as pests to exterminate. Interestingly, Ridley grudgingly shows respect to those who are natural leaders, such as when [[Gray Voice]] ordered the Pirates to their battle stations; Ridley, taken aback, smirked at being told by Gray Voice to attend to his job and sarcastically addressed him as "Sir Military Commander" as he left.
 ==Powers and abilities==
-[[File:Orpheon screenshot 16.png|thumb|300px|[[Meta Ridley]], escaping the [[Frigate Orpheon|Frigate ''Orpheon'']].]]
+[[File:MetaRidleyCutscene.gif|thumb|left|Meta Ridley charges his Plasma Breath, in ''Metroid Prime Remastered''.]]
+Ridley is a cunning and brutal warrior. His most recurring ability is his plasma breath, which can take the form of rolling fireballs or short-ranged plumes of flame. While fighting hand-to-hand, Ridley slashes with his long claws and bites with his giant teeth. His nimble tail has a razor-sharp blade at the end, which he uses to slice or impale targets. He is an adept flier whose wings let him move through the air at incredible speeds to outrun and ambush opponents. He can even fly through outer space to an unknown extent, able to at least fly from the [[Frigate Orpheon]] to [[Tallon IV]] unaided (it remains unseen if he flew from the [[Ceres Space Colony]] to [[Zebes]] unaided or not). One of Ridley's signature combat techniques is grabbing victims with his superior strength, able to hold Samus in one claw for point-blank plasma blasts or to bash and scrape her along surfaces.
-Ridley has proven to be a fierce opponent in battle. While fighting hand-to-hand, Ridley primarily makes use of his lethal claws, talons, and tail. Ridley is also capable of breathing plasma in battle, either in the form of large fireballs, or a large stream. His tail was also razor sharp and could be used to impale other beings to significantly wound them, which he demonstrated on [[Grey Voice]]. His wings enable him to fly at fast speeds to outrun opponents. Ridley also possesses physical strength sufficient enough to grab Samus with one hand and drag her along the wall, as evident in ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' and ''Metroid: Other M''. He is also shown to be adept at survival, able to heal himself by consuming others and incorporating their cells into his body.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.metroid-database.com/old_site/manga/official_vol_2_en/ch_0008/metroid_v02_ch008_012.png |title=[[Metroid: Volume 2]], Chapter 8, Page 10 |publisher=Metroid Database | year=2002 | accessdate=2013-10-03}}</ref> In ''Metroid: Other M'', Ridley's clone displays the ability to change the pigments of his skin and harden it (this state is erroneously referred to as "Meta Ridley" in ''Smash Bros''), making him immune to Samus' beam attacks. While in this hardened state, Ridley's attacks also gain greater speed and strength. He also appears invisible or camouflaged when encountered in ''Super Metroid'', also likely an ability resulting from his ability to change the pigments of his skin. He also may have some control over lava and darkness, as during his fight against Samus in Norfair in ''Super Metroid'', the room he was in was initially dark until he revealed himself, in which case the room also proceeded to light up shortly thereafter and also proceeded to summon lava below while roaring, the latter of which only dissipated after he was killed by Samus.
+In ''Metroid: Other M'', Ridley's clone displays the ability to change the pigments of his skin and harden it, a state called [[Black Ridley]] that enhances his speed and strength and makes him immune to Samus' beam attacks. He can only be damaged by Super Missiles in this state. In ''Super Metroid'', he appears briefly camouflaged into the darkness of his arenas, possibly thanks to this ability to change skin pigments.
-Ridley is infamous for his uncanny ability to cheat death on many occasions. Notable occasions of this are:
+As Meta Ridley, he was installed with various built-in weaponry that enhanced his firepower. These included a [[Kinetic Breath Weapon|plasma breath laser]], [[Meson Bomb Launcher|aerial bombs]], [[Multi-Missile System|missile salvos]], and [[Ultrathermal Flamestrike Projector|stomp shockwaves]]. As Omega Ridley, he could also channel [[Phazon]] into these attacks.
-*His survival from his ship's destruction on [[K2-L]] by consuming the bodies of the dead humans, according to the manga.
-*His reconstruction as [[Meta Ridley]] following his first defeat on [[Zebes]].
+Ridley is incredibly adept at survival, able to heal himself by consuming others and incorporating their cells into his body.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.metroiddatabase.com/old_site/manga/official_vol_2_en/ch_0008/metroid_v02_ch008_012.png |title=[[Metroid: Volume 2]], Chapter 8, Page 10 |publisher=Metroid Database | year=2002 | accessdate=2013-10-03}}</ref> He is infamous for his uncanny ability to cheat death on many occasions. Notable occasions of his survival include:
-*Surviving his fall into the [[Impact Crater]] by unknown means.
-*Surviving another long fall into the shaft of [[Generator C]] on [[Norion]], becoming infused with Phazon and transforming into [[Omega Ridley]].
+*In the manga, his survival of an explosion on [[K2-L]] by consuming the bodies of dead humans.
-*Following his battle in the [[Pirate Homeworld]]'s [[Pirate Homeworld Seed|Seed]], he returned via unknown means with no traces of Phazon on his body and less cybernetic implants to battle Samus as [[Proteus Ridley]].
+* Being reconstructed after his first defeat by Samus on [[Zebes]], becoming [[Meta Ridley]].
-*After his crushing defeat on [[SR388]], he shed the rest of his cybernetics and appeared whole once more when he confronted Samus in the [[Ceres Space Colony]].
+*Surviving his fall into the [[Impact Crater]] on [[Tallon IV]], being given an improved armorskin.
-His battle against Samus during her final visit to Zebes would be the definitive end of the original Ridley. However, true to his title as the "God of Death", Ridley quite literally returns from the dead through astonishing circumstances:
+*Surviving his fall into [[Generator C]] on [[Norion]], being infused with Phazon to become [[Omega Ridley]].
-*Unbeknownst to Samus, Ridley's blood is splattered and preserved on her Power Suit during their last battle in [[Lower Norfair]] on Zebes, allowing Galactic Federation personnel to unknowingly collect his DNA and create [[Ridley (clone)|his clone]] on the [[BOTTLE SHIP]].
+*Returning via unknown means as [[Proteus Ridley]], with no traces of Phazon and fewer cybernetic implants, following his defeat in the [[Pirate Homeworld]]'s [[Pirate Homeworld Seed|Leviathan Seed]].
-*Following the death of Ridley's clone in the BOTTLE SHIP, his deceased body is moved to the [[Biologic Space Laboratories research station]] for preservation, where his DNA is copied and used by a [[X Parasite|shape-shifting organism]] to morph into a [[Neo Ridley|mimicry]] of Ridley.
+* Shedding his remaining cybernetics after his defeat on [[SR388]], appearing whole once more on the [[Ceres Space Colony]].
+His battle against Samus during her final visit to Zebes is the definitive end of the original Ridley. However, true to his title as the "God of Death", Ridley quite literally returns from the dead through astonishing circumstances:
+*Ridley's DNA lingered on Samus' Power Suit after their battle on Zebes, allowing Galactic Federation personnel to unknowingly collect his DNA and create [[Ridley (clone)|his clone]] on the [[BOTTLE SHIP]].
+*Following the death of Ridley's clone, his deceased body was moved to the [[Biologic Space Laboratories research station|BSL research station]], where his DNA was copied by an [[X Parasite]] to form the mimicry [[Neo-Ridley]].
 ==Official data==
 ===''Metroid'' manual===
+; Ridley
-''"It's the head of Mini-Boss Hideout II. It jumps up into the air and breathes fire. It's the original life form of the planet [[Zebes]] and is controlled by [[Mother Brain]]. Destroy it and you win 75 [[missile]] blasts!!!"''
+:''"It's the head of Mini-Boss Hideout II. It jumps up into the air and breathes fire. It's the original life form of the planet [[Zebes]] and is controlled by [[Mother Brain]]. Destroy it and you win 75 [[missile]] blasts!!!"''
+====Virtual Console retranslation====
+;Ridley
+:''"Flies up into the air and breathes fire. An indigenous life-form of Zebes, this creature is being controlled by Mother Brain."''
+===''[[The Official Nintendo Player's Guide]]''===
-====Virtual Console retranslation====
+; RIDLEY
-''"Flies up into the air and breathes fire. An indigenous life-form of Zebes, this creature is being controlled by Mother Brain."''
+:''"It attacks Samus by spewing fireballs. A missile attack is very effective, but if you have the wave beam, it would be a good idea to use the beam continuously while jumping through the lava."''
-===Official Nintendo Player's Guide===
+===''[[Nintendo Power]]'' Volume 29===
+;<nowiki>RIDLEY: The First MINI-BOSS</nowiki>
-''"It attacks Samus by spewing fireballs. A missile attack is very effective, but if you have the wave beam, it would be a good idea to use the beam continuously while jumping through the lava."''
+:''"When you enter the chamber, Ridley begins firing balls of flame. Make sure your energy tanks and missiles are filled up. Two methods of attack can be successful. Using the Wave Beam, maneuver beneath Ridley's platform and fire upwards. Keep jumping to reduce the damage. The other method is to use missiles from point blank range or near the door.<br />Not only does Ridley shoot fire, it hops around on the platform.<br />If you stand in the lava while attacking, jump continuously to reduce the damage."''
 ===''Super Metroid'' manual===
+;RIDLEY
-''"Ridley headed the mission to the [[Space Colony]] and stole the [[Metroid Hatchling]]. It whips out at enemies with its long tail and spits fire while flying through the air."''
+:''"(The Boss of Norfair)<br />Ridley headed the mission to the [[Space Colony]] and stole the [[Metroid Hatchling]]. It whips out at enemies with its long tail and spits fire while flying through the air."''
 ===''[[Super Metroid Players' Guide]]''===
 ''"Samus met him at the start of the game, just before the science academy went down in flames. The winged space pirate leader had other things on his mind at that point, like getting away with the last Metroid. This time he has only one objective - to see Samus' quest come to an untimely and stomach churning end...<br />Ridley attacks in three main ways. First off, he flies off the top of the screen then swoops down quickly. When he disappears, it's best to jump up as you'll catch a glimpse of him hovering. If you know where he's swooping from it's easier to take evasive action. The second attack takes the form of swipes from his spiny tail. These are very hard to avoid so just keep jumping. He can also launch a series of fireballs from his mouth which have to be avoided. If Samus isn't careful, Ridley may catch her in his mouth. In this case, wiggle the pad left and right while pounding the buttons to try and shake free of his grip.<br />A good strategy is to morph down on the opposite side of the screen to Ridley's next swoop and drop a power bomb. Keep this going until you run out, then switch to super missiles. Finish him off with regular missiles and charge beams."''
 ;Defeating Ridley
@@ Line 147: / Line 196: @@
 ===''Metroid: Zero Mission'' interview===
 ''"Though there are many secrets in the [[Metroid series]], my instant thought is why is Ridley preserved in the freezing chamber? What was the [[Galactic Federation]] planning to do with him?"''
-*'''[[Yoshio Sakamoto]]:''' ''"For the time being, I don't know. Maybe it will be revealed in the near future?"'' <ref>http://www.metroid-database.com/old_site/?g=features&p=faq3#stage03</ref>
+*'''[[Yoshio Sakamoto]]:''' ''"For the time being, I don't know. Maybe it will be revealed in the near future?"'' <ref>http://www.metroiddatabase.com/old_site/?g=features&p=faq3#stage03</ref>
 ===Official ''Metroid: Zero Mission'' website===
@@ Line 166: / Line 215: @@
 ANSWER: If you see something, scan it! It’s the basics. If not, you may regret it... Whether or not Ridley will appear, you’ll be able to tell if you finish the game.[https://shinesparkers.net/metroid-prime-2-dark-echoes-qa/4/]
+===[[Nintendo of America]] [[tweet]]===
-===Smash Tour (''SSB4 Official Game Guide'')===
+''"Did you know? If you’re able to do enough damage to Ridley, he’ll momentarily drop the Infant Metroid before leaving the Ceres Research Station.''
-''"Lasts 3 turns or until he's defeated in battle"''
+''Play Super Metroid and other classic #SNES games now with #NintendoSwitchOnline! https://nintendo.com/switch/online-service/nes/"''<ref>Nintendo of America (NintendoAmerica). 21 January 2020 4:00 p.m. Tweet. https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/1219726360291053568</ref>
-''"Bump into this enemy to trigger a battle. If a player manages to defeat Ridley, he or she is rewarded a massive boost to all stats. Stat boosts can also be earned if a player wins the battle by scoring KOs against his or her opponents. If Ridley is not defeated in time, he will retain his remaining stamina and move to another space on the board."''
 ==Cameo appearances==
 {{Noncanon}}
-*Ridley appeared in the ''[[Captain N: The Game Master]]'' comics and TV series.
+*Ridley appeared in the ''[[Captain N: The Game Master]]'' comics and TV series.
 **Ridley appears in the comic stories ''Welcome to Videoland'', ''Money Changes Everything'' (in name), ''Breakout'', and ''When Friends Fall Out'' (as a flashback) based on his original concept art. In ''Breakout'', he impersonated [[Judge Racklas]], another member of [[Space Dragon|his species]], after [[Mother Brain]] had all of her own crimes reattributed to Princess Lana. In the comics, his design was derived from the art for Ridley for the NES version.
 **In the TV series, Ridley appears as an orange potbellied dragon. Although this is very different from his original design, it is identified as "Ridley" in concept artwork, and storyboards show Ridley with an appearance that much more closely matches his original NES manual artwork, with multiple eyes and a pointed tail. Ridley appears in the episode ''GameBoy'' as one of the monsters generated by Game Boy while under Mother Brain's control.
@@ Line 179: / Line 229: @@
 *Ridley is on the box and cartridge art for ''[[Super Metroid]]'', which also appears in ''WarioWare: Smooth Moves'' on the [[Wii]], in the microgame Super Nostalgic Entertainment System.
 *As part of another collaboration between [[Nintendo]] and [[Team Ninja]], Ridley's clone and his signature theme make a cameo appearance in ''Dead or Alive Dimensions''. He attacks characters from the background of the [[Geothermal Power Plant]] arena, and is killed by a [[Power Bomb]]ing Samus when a sound is made in the mic.
-[[File:NL Kraid and Ridley.jpg|thumb|Kraid and Ridley animatronics in ''Metroid Blast'']]
+[[File:NL Kraid and Ridley.jpg|thumb|Kraid and Ridley animatronics in Metroid Blast]]
-*Ridley appears in ''[[Nintendo Land]]'' as an animatronic boss in the ''Metroid Blast'' attraction. [[Ice Ridley]] is an additional variant whose attacks freeze the Mii players. Depending on the mission, Ridley may be fought alone, or he may be teamed up with Ice Ridley or Kraid. Ridley can also be unlocked as a prize, placing a non-hostile version of the animatronic in the main plaza. Its description is ''"Violent, villainous, and highly intelligent, Ridley is Samus's nemesis, commander of the Space Pirates, and the galaxy's greatest threat. Attack him from the back when he's stunned."''
+* Ridley appears in ''[[Nintendo Land]]'' as an animatronic boss in the [[Metroid Blast]] attraction. [[Ice Ridley]] is an additional variant whose attacks freeze the Mii players. Depending on the mission, Ridley may be fought alone, or he may be teamed up with Ice Ridley or Kraid. Ridley can also be unlocked as a prize, placing a non-hostile version of the animatronic in the main plaza. Its description is ''"Violent, villainous, and highly intelligent, Ridley is Samus's nemesis, commander of the Space Pirates, and the galaxy's greatest threat. Attack him from the back when he's stunned."''
+*Defeating Ridley acted as one of the challenges in ''[[NES Remix 2]]'' as well as its 3DS port, ''Ultimate NES Remix''. A promotional 3DS wallpaper for the latter game also featured Ridley fighting Link (the latter in his ''Zelda II: The Adventure of Link'' sprite).
+*A flashback of Samus's battle with Ridley in ''Metroid'' appears in the [[Discover the Hunter Trailer]] for ''[[Metroid Dread]]''.
 ==''Super Smash Bros.'' series==
+:''Main article: [[Ridley (Super Smash Bros.)]]''
-[[File:Sbshot ridley.jpg||thumb|[[Planet Zebes]] background cameo.]]
-[[File:Sb2shot 03.jpg|right|thumb|''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' website.]]
-Ridley has made appearances in all games in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series in some form, but it was not until ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' that he became a playable character. While his appearances in the first two were only cameos, he took on a greater role in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' as a boss and in ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]'' as a stage hazard.
+Ridley has made appearances in all games in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series in some form, but it was not until ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' that he became a playable character.
+==Development notes==
-Before ''Ultimate'', Ridley was highly requested as a playable character in the series. On the Japanese website, he was the second-most requested character behind [[King Dedede]].<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20061107182538/www.smashbros.com/jp/toukou/index.html</ref> However, some fans argued he was too large to be playable and to include him would mean scaling him down in size. The contentious nature of Ridley has spawned the "Ridley is too big" meme.<ref>http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/ridley-is-too-big</ref> [[Masahiro Sakurai]] himself commented on the idea of a playable Ridley in an interview with ''[[Nintendo Power]]'':
+An unused [[Fake Ridley]], similar to [[Mini-Kraid]], exists in the data for ''Metroid''. It was cut for unknown reasons, though other Ridley imposters would eventually be introduced in later games.
+Ridley has [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyUc3xQ3pcQ multiple different vocalizations] throughout his appearances. In ''Super Metroid'', his vocalizations were directly taken from the roars of the character [[wikipedia:Anguirus|Anguirus]] from the ''[[wikipedia:Godzilla_(franchise)|Godzilla]]'' film series. In ''Metroid Fusion'' and ''Metroid: Zero Mission'', Ridley (or in the case of ''Fusion'', Neo-Ridley) gave notoriously loud shrieks similar to a parrot. In his 3D appearances as well as ''[[Metroid: Samus Returns]]'', he is given more bestial roars, which were also given a slight alien filter in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''.
-{{cquotetxt|''I think that would probably be pretty impossible. [Laughs] If we had put our best efforts into it, we may have been able to do it. But he might have been a little slow. Would that be all right? [Laughs]''|Masahiro Sakurai|color=gray|size=300%}}
+===Etymology===
-Following the release of ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U'', Sakurai again addressed the requests of fans for Ridley to be playable but shot down their wishes, stating:
+The name "Ridley" is an English name which means "Reed clearing; cleared land; barren land",<ref>https://www.thenamemeaning.com/ridley/</ref>. Although technically befitting his bloodthirsty and sadistic nature, Ridley's name is commonly assumed to have derived from [[Wikipedia:Ridley Scott|Ridley Scott]], the director of the [[Wikipedia:Alien (film)|first film]] of the [[Wikipedia:Alien (film series)|''Alien'' film series]], which was acknowledged as a significant [[List of similarities between Metroid and Alien|influence]] on ''Metroid''. As further evidence of this homage to Ridley Scott, Ridley's stinger-tipped tail and (since ''Super Metroid'') his lean skeletal appearance bear a close resemblance to the titular Alien Xenomorph.
+===Size ===
-{{cquotetxt|''I definitely know that Ridley’s a much-anticipated name for fans, but if we made Ridley as a fighter, it wouldn’t be Ridley any longer. It’d have to be shrunk down, or its wings reduced in size, or be unable to fly around freely. Instead of going through a lot of very convoluted hocus-pocus to make Ridley a fighter, I figured it’d be better to keep Ridley as it currently is, the correct way, and have it feel like a truly threatening presence.''|Masahiro Sakurai [http://ca.ign.com/articles/2014/11/19/why-ridley-isnt-playable-in-smash-bros]|color=gray|size=300%}}
+{{Main|Ridley is too big}}
+Ridley's size has mostly wavered throughout the series, and even from panel to panel in the [[Metroid (Magazine Z manga)|prequel manga]]. The only constant since ''Super Metroid'' is that he is larger than Samus. This led to the "[[Ridley is too big]]" meme among fans who disagreed with his suitability as a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', a sentiment [[Masahiro Sakurai]] agreed with. However, he was eventually made playable in ''Ultimate'', now standing roughly as tall as Bowser for ease of implementation.
+During the ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' conference, Sakurai stated that Ridley was about four meters tall (or 13'1½"). Based on previous games, Ridley could very well be the smallest of the Space Pirate generals at a confirmed height of four meters, as Phantoon is massive in ''Other M'', Kraid is quite large in ''Super Metroid'' and ''Zero Mission'', [[Draygon]] is slightly taller, and Mother Brain's main body in ''Super Metroid'' significantly adds to her height.
-Since the release of ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'', many fans have created various mods for the game which allow Ridley to be playable in some shape or form.
+''Metroid Prime 3'' frequently changes Ridley's size between gameplay and cutscenes, as well as in-between camera shots within the latter. Hacking into the data reveals Meta Ridley is at 450% of his "default" size when he is first seen in Cargo Dock C, then changes repeatedly from 275% to 350% in the cutscene within Generator C. His size settles on 450% during the battle in the Generator Shaft, but is reduced to 250% for the cutscene at the end of the battle. Omega Ridley is at 100% size during the intro & outro cutscenes, but 250% size for the entire fight.
-===''Super Smash Bros.''===
-In ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'', Ridley appears occasionally in the background of [[Planet Zebes]]. His appearance is based off of his ''[[Super Metroid]]'' sprite.
+In all of his 2D appearances, Ridley's wings are disproportionately smaller than his body to the point of making them unlikely to even lift Ridley off the ground, and yet he soars through the air with ease. This was likely an intentional design choice to prevent him from taking up most of the screen in his in-game fights. His 3-D appearances and manga rectify this by giving him wings that exceed the size of his main body.
-===''Super Smash Bros. Melee''===
-In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', Ridley makes a brief appearance in the opening cutscene. In a homage to ''[[Super Metroid]]'', he is shown breaking through a wall and confronting Samus in a corridor, with the [[Metroid capsule|capsule]] containing the [[Baby|Metroid Hatchling]] in his talons. He also has a trophy in the game.
+''Metroid: Other M'' is the only game where Ridley's upper jaw is not longer than the lower one, and is also the only game where it points upwards, not down.
-====Trophy====
-''"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 Aran|Samus]] captured the [[Baby|infant Metroid]], Ridley took the [[Space Academy]] by storm, annihilating the complex and taking the Metroid back."''
-===''Super Smash Bros. Brawl''===
-[[File:RidleySSBB.jpg|thumb|250px|Ridley as he appears in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''.]]
-Ridley appears as a member of the Subspace Army and a boss during the [[Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary|Subspace Emissary]], fighting Samus and [[Pikachu]] at the end of the second Research Facility level. In the cutscene prior to the battle, Ridley ambushes and grabs Samus, flying upward and scraping her along the walls. Pikachu breaks Samus free from Ridley's grasp using Thunder. In the first battle, Ridley has higher health and uses moves ranging from [[Hyper claw slash|claw swipes]] to a move similar to Rayquaza's Extremespeed to a tail swipe across the entire stage. The tail swipe can do major damage (The move can do around 70% damage if the other person is at 0% damage) on harder difficulties and the extreme speed move is a main killing move. He flies from one side to the other and is similar in style to Master Hand in the way of how it attacks and then pauses.
-Ridley later attacks [[Donkey Kong]], [[Diddy Kong]], [[Captain Falcon]], [[Captain Olimar]], [[Samus]], [[Pikachu]], and [[R.O.B.]] as they are all escaping on the Falcon Flyer. In this fight, he is in his "[[Meta Ridley]]" form from ''[[Metroid Prime]]'' as he pursues. His attacks include firing missiles and energy beams from his mouth, diving at the player, and pounding on the Falcon Flyer in an attempt to send the player off-screen. During this fight, the player has only two minutes to defeat Meta Ridley.
-Ridley is later resurrected by Tabuu, the main villain of the game, to fight the player in The Great Maze (oddly, Ridley and Meta Ridley are both resurrected as separate beings).
-Hacking has uncovered data of Ridley as an Assist Trophy. This was likely scrapped in favor of making him a boss.
-Despite being non-canon, it should be noted that his ambush of Samus was later reused as one of the Ridley clone's attacks during his boss fight in ''Metroid: Other M'', and to a certain extent one of Proteus Ridley's moves in ''Samus Returns''. Coincidentally, the latter game also featured a similar save by a creature Samus befriended via its natural abilities (in that case, the [[baby]] draining Ridley).
-====[[Trophy]]====
-''"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|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 [[Aran|parents]], the connections with Samus run deep."''
-''[[Metroid]]''(1986)
-''[[Super Metroid]]'' (1994)
-'''[[Meta Ridley]]:''' '"''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 Beam|Ice attacks]] are particularly effective in dealing damage to him.''
-''[[Metroid Prime]]'' (2002)
-====[[Sticker]]s====
-*'''Ridley''' - ''[[Metroid]]'' [Darkness] Attack +30 (Ganondorf)
-*'''Ridley''' - ''[[Metroid: Zero Mission]]'' [Arm] Attack +25 (All)
-===''[[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]''===
-[[File:Ridley SSB4.png|thumb|300px]]
-Unusually, Ridley does not appear in any capacity in ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS]]'', not even as a trophy. He does, however, appear as a trophy in ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]''. Aside from this, he also has trophies in the latter game dedicated to his [[Little Birdie]] and [[Mystery Creature]] forms.
-It was implied by Masahiro Sakurai that an enemy of Samus's would appear on the [[Pyrosphere]] stage. The April 2014 [[Nintendo Direct]] featured Ridley's shadow, which suggested that he is to appear as a stage hazard on the [[Geothermal Power Plant]] similar to ''Dead or Alive: Dimensions''. This was confirmed as true on October 23, when a "50 Must See Things" video was released showing Ridley. Ridley is an AI character that can be "recruited" by a fighter if enough damage is dealt by that fighter, though it is also possible to KO Ridley (even if he is working with the fighter that KOs him), and he will count as a KO in the final match results. The head icon used for Ridley in these results is taken from his ''Brawl'' artwork. Ridley spawns [[FG II-Graham]] units, [[Joulion]]s and [[Zero]]. Ridley can consume energy from the purple pods on either side of the main stage platform, if enough damage is dealt, to become "Meta Ridley" (which is merely Ridley flashing and with more powerful attacks, and not his cybernetically enhanced form from the ''Prime'' series). Dummied data for the game indicated that Ridley, aside from acting as a pseudo-boss on the Geothermal Power Plant, was to also act as an Assist Trophy. Ironically, the first character to do so, Rathalos in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, was a dragon-like creature that also utilized some of Ridley's moves.
-A battle with Ridley and "[[Dark Samus]]" (Samus's [[alternate costume]] with her color scheme) is simulated in the [[Event Match]] Galactic Avenger, which involves Samus killing the two on Pyrosphere to "avenge [her] parents".
-====Trophy====
-''"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."''
-<gallery>
-File:Ridley Revealed in SSB4.png|Ridley with [[Zero Suit Samus]].
-File:Samus vs Ridley.png|Ridley engages Samus.
-File:Ridley flies in SSB4.png|Ridley flies up from the background.
-File:Ridley flying attack SSB4.png|Ridley flies into the foreground, similar to ''Super Metroid'' and ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl''.
-File:Ridley fighting SSB4U.png|Ridley fights alongside [[Ness]].
-File:Ridley transforming SSB4U.png|Ridley transforms.
-File:Ridley KO results.png|Ridley in the KO results.
-File:Ridley trophy SSB4U.png|Trophy
-File:SSB4U-RidleyPortrait.png|Unused boss character art.
-</gallery>
-===''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''===
-[[File:SSB Ultimate Ridley render.png|thumb|300px]]
-On June 12, 2018, Ridley was confirmed at the end of the Nintendo Direct as a playable character in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', after years of fan requests. This will be the first time Ridley has had a playable appearance in any video game, and shares this distinction with fellow ''Metroid'' antagonist [[Dark Samus]], as well as [[Palutena]], the [[Duck Hunt]] dog, the [[Wii Fit Trainer]] and [[Piranha Plant]]. He appears in [[A Piercing Screech|a CG-animated trailer]] where he ambushes Samus, [[Mario]] and [[Mega Man]]; Ridley seemingly kills the latter two by crushing Mario's head in his grip and stabbing his tail through Mega Man's torso. As he confronts Samus, he mockingly twirls Mario's hat on his finger. On a related note, this also acts as the first game to fully show his more sadistic and intelligent nature, something that was only indicated in the ''Magazine Z'' manga and other supplemental materials. His victory theme is a dark remix of the [[Item Acquisition Fanfare]].
-His design in this game was largely derived from his sprite in ''Super Metroid'', with elements of his clone's appearance in ''Other M''. According to Sakurai, he also takes design cues from his appearance in the NES/FDS version of ''Metroid'', specifically how he always appears hunched over even when flying.<ref>https://www.eventhubs.com/news/2018/jul/23/masahiro-sakurai-designed-ridley-super-smash-bros-ultimate-based-his-appearance-original-metroid-nes/</ref> He is significantly smaller in size than in previous ''Smash'' games, where his hunching stance is only slightly taller than Samus, akin to his appearance in ''[[Metroid]]''. His [[Meta Ridley]] appearance is available as an [[alternate costume]], while his other costumes appear to reference his ''[[Super Metroid]]'' artwork, [[Neo Ridley]] sprite, ''[[Zero Mission]]'' artwork, ''Metroid'' sprite, his [[Golden Statues|Golden Statue]] sprite, and [[Ridley Robot]] sprite.
-When [[Kirby]] inhales Ridley, he copies his fireball move and wears a hat modeled after Ridley's head.
-Ridley's splash art features the tag line "Ridley Hits the Big Time!", which is more than likely a reference to the debate over his size.
-A showcase of Ridley and [[Dark Samus]] in gameplay was released on August 21, 2018 by Nintendo, and is viewable here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZgDpD99RnU]
-His battle entrance is him flying down and landing while roaring before turning around. Likewise, he has three [[victory pose]]s: One has him in the middle of pummeling someone (presumably his downed opponent) only to turn around with a smirk appearing.<ref>https://twitter.com/MrBaconJam/status/1009851174743355392</ref> Another has him flying around and roaring, while the third has him swooping down and skidding to a halt before turning around in a dramatic manner.
-An [[amiibo]] of Ridley will be released alongside the game on December 7.
-Ridley's Boxing Ring title is '''Cunning God of Death''', which was also his title on the ''Metroid Zero Mission'' Official Site.
-====Special Moves====
-[[File:Ridley Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.png|thumb|200px|Ridley in gameplay.]]
-*'''[[Plasma Breath]]''' - Ridley spits out a fireball similar to Mario's. The move can be charged, which will make Ridley spit out multiple fireballs simultaneously. However, if Ridley is attacked while charging a fireball, it will backfire onto him and damage him. The attack deals about 4.4% damage per fireball, with the backfire causing about 24% damage to Ridley.
-*'''[[Wing Blitz]]''' - Ridley blasts upward. The move can be angled to fly in any other forward direction. It resembles the recovery move shared by Fox, Falco and Wolf.
-*'''[[Space Pirate Rush]]''' - Ridley grabs and drags his target across the ground before throwing them. This can also be initiated in midair to drag an opponent to the ground, or throw them into the blast zone. It resembles the attack he uses on Samus in his [[Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary|Subspace Emissary]] introduction cutscene. Additionally, Ridley can jump directly out of the throwing animation. The attack deals approximately 29% damage.
-*'''[[Skewer]]''' - Ridley stabs with his tail. The attack takes a long time to start up, but hits some distance away. If he hits with the base of his tail, the attack deals only 5.5% damage, but if it hits with the sweet spot at the center of his tail's tip, the target will be impaled, taking 50.4% + 8.9% damage.
-[[File:Ridley SSBU screen KO.png|thumb|Ridley's [[screen KO]].]]
-*'''[[Plasma Scream]]''' - Ridley headbutts an opponent onto the side of [[Samus's Gunship]], initiating a cutscene. As the Gunship flies off, Ridley shoots it down with an oral laser that engulfs both the ship and the target in an explosion. The Gunship can be seen crashing in the background of the stage afterwards. It deals approximately 40% damage.
-====Tweets====
-;Nintendo Versus:''"The Space Pirate Ridley joins Super Smash Bros. Ultimate from the Metroid series! He uses his long tail and sharp claws to strike down his foes. For his Final Smash, he unleashes a stream of fiery plasma at his opponent and Samus's starship."''<ref>Nintendo Versus (NintendoVS). 14 Jun 2018 4:10 p.m. Tweet. https://twitter.com/NintendoVS/status/1007339453658980353</ref>
-;Nintendo of Europe:''"Good news: Super #SmashBros Collection #amiibo figures for new fighters [[Inkling]] and Ridley are on their way! #NintendoE3"'' <ref>Nintendo of Europe (NintendoEurope). 12 Jun 2018 2:29p.m. Tweet. https://twitter.com/NintendoEurope/status/1006589257157234688</ref>
-====Super Smash Blog====
-'''6/13/2018<br/>Today's Fighter<br/>#65: Ridley'''
-''"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."''
-====Interview with Masahiro Sakurai====
-[[File:Ridley amiibo packaging.jpg|thumb|Ridley's amiibo package.]]
-From the [[Nintendo Switch]] News Channel.
-'''Can you tell us any specific details about the new fighters? Any tips for making the best use of their different playstyles?'''
-Sakurai: ''"I think both [[Inkling]] and Ridley, each for their own unique reasons, are very different in a 1-on-1 match and in a 4-player match.'' [...]
-''Ridley has a down special that deals massive damage in one hit, provide you hit them with the sweet spot, but this is actually pretty hard to hit in a 1-on-1 match. But in a 4-player match, it sometimes just works. Ridley is shaping up to be a character where the action you take based on the situation around you becomes an important factor. I think it’s fine to decide what a character’s forte is, or what kind of strategy to use with them based on your fighting style or likes and dislikes. But I feel that to have characters that are completely different not only by themselves, but also depending on the number of opponents they are facing, is deep."''<ref>https://nintendoeverything.com/sakurai-on-smash-bros-ultimate-tempo-items-changes-and-additions-choosing-taunts-much-more/</ref>
-'''The Smash characters are known for having unique taunt animations. I’ve always wondered, how are these decided upon. Do you have a favorite one?'''
-''"Well… it’s sort of whatever I feel like. (Laughs)'' [...]
-''As for a favorite taunt, I like all of them, so I can’t really say, but I do like Ridley’s down taunt. When you use it, Ridley, for some reason, stands up straight, so you can actually see how tall he really is. He’s pretty big. He’s about four metres tall."''
-'''Well, he is a commander of the Space Pirates…'''
-''"And I have no idea why. He doesn’t look like the.. intellectual type. (laughs)"''<ref>https://nintendoeverything.com/sakurai-on-smash-bros-ultimate-tempo-items-changes-and-additions-choosing-taunts-much-more/2/</ref>
-The last statement from Sakurai is an error, as Ridley's intelligence has been demonstrated in the ''Metroid'' games (and acknowledged in his ''Melee'' trophy description).
-====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 enhancements. 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."''
-====Gallery====
-<gallery>
-File:SSB Ultimate Ridley fireball charging.jpg
-File:SSB Ultimate Ridley jumping.jpg
-File:SSB Ultimate Ridley up special.jpg|[[Wing Blitz]]
-File:SSB Ultimate Ridley hammertime.jpg
-File:SSB Ultimate Ridley down special.jpg|[[Skewer]]
-File:SSB Ultimate Ridley vs Samus.jpg
-SSB Ultimate Ridley has Marth barbecue.jpg
-File:Super Smash Bros. Ultimate splash.png
-SSBU Panoramic with Ken and Incineroar.png
-Ridley.jpg|[[Character Showcase Video]]
-Ridley and Dark Samus SSBU gameplay thumbnail.png
-SSBU Rivals Samus Vs Ridley.png|''The Rivals'' trailer
-Super-Smash-Bros-Ultimate-Ridley.jpg
-ridley-plays-fast-and-vicious-in-super-smash-bros-ultimate-e_qyfz.jpg
-Ridley SSBU amiibo (Nov. 11 Direct focus).png|Ridley's amiibo
-Metroid character SSBU icons.png|Ridley's stock icon.
-Warning Challenger Approaching - Ridley.png|Challenger Approaching screen.
-Reggie Fils-Aime Ridley shirt.png|[[Reggie Fils-Aime]] wearing a Ridley shirt at the 2018 Game Awards.
-</gallery>
+==Music==
-{{Endnoncanon}}
+[[Vs. Ridley|Ridley's signature battle theme]] was originally used as a generic boss fight background music in ''Super Metroid'' (also being used for the [[Torizo]], [[Golden Torizo]] and [[Draygon]] fights), but in later games, it has been associated solely with Ridley. Although there have been variations of Ridley's theme in each game (different tempo, extra beats, etc.), the music's rhythm and sound are consistent and used for every incarnation except for his very first boss fight in the original ''Metroid''. The theme has also been used during the [[countdown]] sequences of ''Super Metroid'', ''Fusion'' and ''Other M'', with the first one having alarm blaring being heard in the background for this reason.
 ==Trivia==
 [[File:Japan Baby Ridley.png|thumb|''Super Metroid'' [[commercial]].]]
+*In every 2-D game featuring him, Ridley's fireballs have an uncanny resemblance to Mario's 2-D fireballs. Whether or not this similarity is intentional is unknown. Except in ''Corruption'' and ''Zero Mission'', Ridley's fireballs are always indestructible.
-*Ridley has appeared in all but four ''Metroid'' games. These are ''[[Metroid II: Return of Samus]]'', ''[[Metroid Prime 2: Echoes]]'', ''[[Metroid Prime Hunters]]'' and ''[[Metroid Prime: Federation Force]]''. His absence in the latter was due to the plotline not focusing on Samus this time around,<ref>http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-07-01-metroid-prime-federation-force-dev-explains-decision-to-not-focus-on-samus</ref> but two [[Paint Job]]s based on him can be unlocked in the [[Campaign]] and [[Blast Ball]]. While not present in ''Metroid II'', Ridley is the surprise final boss of its remake, ''[[Metroid: Samus Returns]]''. In addition, despite his absence in ''Metroid Prime Hunters'' itself as well as [[Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt|its demo]], his Meta Ridley [[Vs. Meta Ridley|theme]] is present in the latter.
+*No explanation is seemingly given for Ridley suddenly leaving Ceres when he gains the upper hand in the battle against Samus. When the latter's health is lowered to a critical point, he chooses to let her live instead of ending the life of the greatest threat to all Space Pirates and their ambitions. This decision dooms the remaining Space Pirates on Zebes, as Samus soon recovers and builds up enough strength to single-handedly wipe them all out, including killing the original Ridley for good.
-*Ridley's name is likely derived from [[Wikipedia:Ridley Scott|Ridley Scott]], the director of the [[Wikipedia:Alien (film)|first film]] of the [[Wikipedia:Alien (film series)|''Alien'' film series]], from which ''Metroid'' games are [[List of similarities between Metroid and Alien|stated to have taken a lot of inspiration]]. His first appearance in ''Metroid'' also resembles to the Alien creatures from the same series. Throughout the series, Ridley's tail resembles that of the Alien creatures.
+*Ridley's absence in ''Federation Force'' was explained by the developers as wanting to distance themselves away from familiar Metroid elements,<ref>http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-07-01-metroid-prime-federation-force-dev-explains-decision-to-not-focus-on-samus</ref>.
-**His similarities to the Xenomorphs in terms of physical appearance is further highlighted with his design in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', and is even given a nod in the trailer [[A Piercing Screech]], which had him taking out Mario and Mega Man in a similar manner to the Xenomorphs.
+*While Meta Ridley's theme is found in ''Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt'' and ''Metroid Prime 2: Bonus Disc'', it is only in the former where it is featured in regular gameplay. In the latter, the theme's existence is only known through its internal data and is [https://youtu.be/kbFR7qBQOe0?si=nhSqModq0eFBITED a variant slowed down by 50%]. Unused text in the full version of ''Metroid Prime 2'' implies that Meta Ridley's theme was going to be present in the multiplayer mode.
-**The name "Ridley" is an English name which means "Reed clearing; cleared land; barren land",<ref>https://www.thenamemeaning.com/ridley/</ref> which is very fitting to Ridley's bloodthirsty and sadistic personality due to his various raids, such as at K-2L, resulting in most of the inhabitants being wiped out.
+*Ridley's physical similarities to the Aliens/Xenomorphs from ''Alien'' are further highlighted with his design in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''. Additionally, in his [[A Piercing Screech|reveal trailer]], he kills [[Mario]] and [[Mega Man]] in a similar fashion to the Xenomorphs.
-*In every 2-D game he is involved in, Ridley's fireballs have an uncanny resemblance to [[Mario]]'s 2-D fireballs. Whether or not this similarity is intentional is unknown.
+*Ridley appears on the [[Super Metroid Stare-E-O Poster|''Super Metroid'' Stare-E-O Poster]].
-**Ridley's fireballs are invulnerable in most games, the exceptions being ''Corruption'' and ''Zero Mission''.
+[[File:Ridley Pirate Homeworld monitors.png|thumb|Space Pirate monitors depicting Ridley's image.]]
-*Ridley appears on the [[Super Metroid Stare-E-O Poster]].
-*Ridley, [[Mother Brain]], the [[Omega Metroid]] in ''Fusion'' and [[Dark Samus]] share the distinction of having canonically bested Samus in an in-game battle. In Ridley's case, he manages to do this twice. The first chronological instance occurs in the final battle of ''[[Metroid: Samus Returns]]'', where he pins Samus to the ground with his claw and effectively renders her helpless until the [[baby]]'s intervention. The second instance is in ''Super Metroid''<nowiki/>'s intro where Ridley successfully accomplishes his mission of stealing the [[baby]] regardless of Samus' efforts, although the exact results vary depending on whether Ridley beats the player first or vice versa.
-**Worthy to note are two additional events in the games outside of boss battles where Ridley would have turned out victorious against Samus, if not for circumstances. Chronologically, the first instance is after their last battle on Norion, where despite Ridley being defeated, Samus would have perished with the fall he caused were it not for [[Rundas]] rescuing her. Finally, Ridley's clone would have likely killed Samus before the actual boss battle if [[Anthony]] had not distracted him.
-**In the case of ''Super Metroid'', Ridley's defeat of Samus is the only one of the above examples that was completely optional (as the player can technically still defeat Ridley in the first battle, though the only difference is that Ridley briefly "drops" the baby before retrieving it), as the other examples were either mandatory gameplay (Mother Brain in the same game, and the Omega Metroid in ''Metroid Fusion'') or otherwise occurred in cutscenes (Proteus Ridley in ''Samus Returns'' and Dark Samus in ''Metroid Prime 3: Corruption'').
-*Ridley is shown to be capable of bipedalism throughout most of his appearances in the series.
-*In ''all'' of his sprite-based appearances, his wings are curiously smaller than his body size, logically making them unlikely to even lift Ridley off the ground, and yet he soars through the air with ease. This was likely an intentional design choice to prevent him from taking up most of the screen in his in-game fights. His 3-D appearances and manga rectify this by giving him wings that exceed the size of his main body.
 *In the [[Pirate Command]] sector of the [[Pirate Homeworld]], images of Ridley can be found on the glowing orange monitors. Rooms with these monitors include [[Command Courtyard]] and [[Command Station]].
-*Samus has kept a tendency in most games to shoot Ridley directly inside his mouth and throat, either during cutscenes or in-game battles.
+* Samus has kept a tendency in most games to shoot Ridley directly inside his mouth and throat, either during cutscenes or in-game battles.
-*[[Vs. Ridley|Ridley's signature music theme]] was originally used as a generic boss fight background music in ''Super Metroid'' (also being used for the [[Torizo]], [[Golden Torizo]] and [[Draygon]] fights), but in later games, it has been associated solely with Ridley. Although there have been variations of Ridley's theme in each game (different tempo, extra beats, etc.), the music's rhythm and sound are consistent and used for every incarnation except for his very first boss fight in the original ''Metroid''. The theme has also been used during the [[countdown]] sequences of ''Super Metroid'', ''Fusion'' and ''Other M'', with the first one having alarm blaring being heard in the background for this reason.
 *[[Meta Ridley]] can be seen on [[Nintendo Monopoly]] representing Tennessee Avenue for $180, though the property is simply referred to as "Ridley". It features a claw-like appendage at the tip of his tail instead of the usual spear-tip, and his wings are attached below his arms akin to a bat.
-*There is concept art for a "Dark Ridley" that was to appear in ''[[Metroid Prime 2: Echoes]]'', but was ultimately left unused.{{Fact}} The presence of the word "Dark" implies he would have become a [[Darkling]] after being possessed by an [[Ing]].
-*''[[Metroid: Other M]]'' is the only game where Ridley's upper jaw is not longer than the lower one, and is also the only game where it points upwards, not down.
 *Ridley apparently does not seem to need oxygen to live. ''Metroid Prime'' clearly portrayed him flying out into space without any gear as he escapes the ''Orpheon'', though this may be due to his cybernetics. Additionally, the ''Super Metroid'' comic features him exiting out into space and his ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' trophy states that he flies through space with his wings; however, these sources are considered non-canon.
-:*There is no explanation on how he is able to fly in an environment which does not contain air or gas, a necessary medium for any creature with wings to take flight; he is nevertheless seen flapping his wings. Meta Ridley's wings appear to be energy-based, which may hold some significance.
+:* There is no explanation on how he is able to fly in an environment which does not contain air or gas, a necessary medium for any creature with wings to take flight; he is nevertheless seen flapping his wings. Meta Ridley's wings appear to be energy-based, which may hold some significance.
-*The Ridley clone's blood is green, as shown in ''Other M''. This is a common trope for alien creatures in science fiction environments. However, Ridley's blood is shown to be red in ''Corruption'' during the boss battle on Norion before he falls down the shaft.
+*The Ridley clone's blood is green, as shown in ''Other M''. This is a common trope for alien creatures in science fiction environments. However, Ridley's blood is shown to be red in ''Corruption'' during the boss battle on Norion before he falls down the shaft. Coincidentally, some reptiles in real life [https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/05/16/611115055/why-do-some-lizards-have-green-blood also have green blood].
+*Although Ridley is canonically male, several official sources (including the manuals for ''Metroid'' and ''Super Metroid'') refer to Ridley with gender-neutral pronouns.
-**Coincidentally, some reptiles in real life [https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/05/16/611115055/why-do-some-lizards-have-green-blood also have green blood].
+*[[:File:Metroidteamninja 1.jpg|An April Fool's Day cover]] for the magazine ''Game Informer'' that jokingly claimed that [[Team Ninja]] would work on the next ''Metroid'' game depicted Ridley wearing a two-piece bikini reserved for females (which had itself been a reference to Team Ninja's ''Dead or Alive Xtreme'' series).
-*Despite being shown to be a male through the logbook scans in ''Metroid Prime'', [[Retro Studios]] designer [[Mike Sneath]] refers to Ridley as a female (which was presumably due to the animation of the [[Meson Bomb Launcher]] attack making it look as though Meta Ridley was laying eggs). In the original ''Metroid'' manual, Ridley is referred to as an "it".
-**Similarly, even though Ridley was canonically a male, [[:File:Metroidteamninja 1.jpg|an April Fool's Day cover]] for the magazine ''Game Informer'' that jokingly claimed that [[Team Ninja]] would work on the next ''Metroid'' game depicted Ridley wearing a two-piece bikini reserved for females (which had itself been a reference to Team Ninja's ''Dead or Alive Xtreme'' series).
 *''Other M'' reveals that Ridley's vision is tinted green, possibly as a result of [[Wikipedia:nictitating membrane|nictitating membranes]] that cover and protect his eyes.
+*His animated reveal trailer in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' is the first time since Ridley's role in the ''Metroid'' manga where Ridley has displayed a sense of humor, playfully twirling the hat of a defeated Mario when revealing himself to Samus with something of a grin.
-*Ridley had at least three different vocalizations throughout his appearances. In ''Super Metroid'', his vocalizations were directly taken from the roars of the character [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anguirus Anguirus] from the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godzilla_(franchise) Godzilla series of films] . In ''Metroid Fusion'' and ''Metroid: Zero Mission'', Ridley (or in the case of ''Fusion'', Neo Ridley) gave shrieks similar to a parrot (these vocalizations are notorious for their loud volume). In his 3D appearances as well as ''[[Metroid: Samus Returns]]'', he is given a more bestial roar. In ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', he had bestial roars that were also given a slight alien filter.
+*In ''Super Metroid'', there is a glitch where Ridley gets stuck on the platform in his lair, thus (like the Omega Ridley glitch) leaving him unable to do anything.{{fact}} This can be fixed by reloading the game.
-*An unused [[Fake Ridley]], similar to [[Mini-Kraid]], exists in the data for ''Metroid''.
+*The [[w:c:contra:Metal_Alien|Metal Alien]] from the ''[[w:c:contra:Contra_(series)|Contra]]'' series (another series inspired by the ''Alien'' franchise) bears a slight resemblance to Ridley. Further referencing this is the Metal Alien's strikingly similar attacks.<!-- In Contra: Operation Galuga, the Metal Alien uses a tail strike on the ground and a flying side charge, both feel a lot familiar to Ridley's side-scrolling and Smash Brawl attacks respectively.-->
-*Based on previous games, Ridley could very well be the smallest of the Space Pirate generals at a confirmed height of four meters, as Phantoon is massive in ''Other M'', Kraid is quite large in ''Super Metroid'' and ''Zero Mission'', [[Draygon]] is slightly taller, and Mother Brain's main body in ''Super Metroid'' significantly adds to her height.
-*His animated reveal trailer in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' is the first time since Ridley's role in the ''Metroid'' manga where Ridley has displayed a sense of humor, playfully twirling the hat of a defeated Mario when revealing himself to Samus with something of an inhuman grin.
-*The way Ridley twirls Mario's hat in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' reveal trailer bears a striking resemblance to Mario in the beginning of the reveal trailer of ''Super Mario Odyssey. ''
-*Ridley's pose when entering and later using his Final Smash resembles his pose in the box art for ''Super Metroid''.
-*Technically, Ridley's appearance in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' is the first time to have him use the wave fireball technique since the original ''Metroid'', as well as the first time since the same game to have him be roughly the same height as Samus.
-*Ridley's ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' stock artwork features him making a similar pose to Bowser's stock artwork from ''Super Smash Bros. for the 3DS and Wii U''. Coincidentally, the name "Ridley" also refers to [[Wikipedia:Ridley sea turtle|several species of sea turtle]].
 ==Appearances==
-*''[[Metroid]]''
+*''[[Metroid (game)|Metroid]]''
-:*[[Metroid (1986 manga)|''Metroid'' (1986 manga)]]
+:*''[[Victory Techniques for Metroid]]''
 :*''[[Metroid: Zebes Invasion Order]]''
 :*''Famiken Ryu: Metroid and Super Xevious - The Riddle of Gamp''
@@ Line 404: / Line 296: @@
 :*''[[Super Metroid Nintendo Player's Guide]]''
 :*''[[Super Metroid Players' Guide]]''
-*''[[Blood of the Chozo]]'' ([[List of fan elements in Blood of the Chozo|mentioned]])
 *''[[Metroid Fusion]]''
-*''[[Metroid Prime]]''
+*''[[Metroid Prime (game)|Metroid Prime]]''
 :*[[Metroid Prime (Comic)|''Metroid Prime'' (Comic)]]
 :*''[[Metroid Prime: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide]]''
@@ Line 422: / Line 313: @@
 :*[[Metroid Prime Trilogy art booklet|''Metroid Prime Trilogy'' art booklet]]
 *''[[Metroid: Other M]]''
-:''[[TV Commercial :60 Spot]]''
+:''[[Past is Prologue]]''
+*''[[Miitomo]]'' (Pet)
 *''[[Metroid Prime: Federation Force]]'' ([[Paint Job]])
 *''[[Metroid: Samus Returns]]''
+*''[[Metroid Dread]]'' (Chozo Archives)
 ===Crossover Appearances===
 [[File:Nintendoland.jpg|thumb|Ridley's trophy in the main hub of ''[[Nintendo Land]]''.]]
 *''[[Captain N: The Game Master]]''
-:*Comics
+:* Comics
+::*''Welcome to Videoland''
 ::*''Money Changes Everything'' (Mentioned)
 ::*''Breakout''
@@ Line 446: / Line 340: @@
 *''[[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]''
-*''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate|Super Smash Bros.&nbsp;Ultimate]]''
+*''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate|Super Smash Bros.&nbsp;Ultimate]]''
 ==Gallery==
 ''For concept art, see [[Ridley/Gallery]].''
+===''Metroid''===
-{{Scroll box|content=
-<gallery widths="180" captionalign="center">
+<gallery>
-M1 Ridley.png|Original artwork for ''[[Metroid (game)|Metroid]]''
+NES Metroid HQ Ridley artwork.png|Original artwork for ''[[Metroid (game)|Metroid]]''
 M1bosses.PNG|Ridley and Kraid
 Samus artwork_11.png|Ridley and Kraid attacking Samus
-Metroid Boss Ridley.gif|''Metroid'' sprite
 Ridleychibi.png|Japanese ''Metroid'' guide
 Zomcard6.PNG|Canadian [[Topps]] card.
 MZIO page 129.png|''Metroid: Zebes Invasion Order''
 Famicom Choco - Ridley.png|[[Famicom Choco]]
+Ridley.png|Ridley as depicted in ''[[Victory Techniques for Metroid]]''
-Ridley Famiken Ryu.png|''Famiken Ryu''
 Nintendo1990Calendar-12-November.jpg|1990 [[The Power Game Calendar]]
+NSO Samus Icons.jpg|Ridley icon available through [[Nintendo Switch]] Online from September 26-October 3, 2022.
-Ridley.png|Ridley as depicted in the [[Metroid (1986 manga)|1986 manga]].
+</gallery>
-Captain N Ridley.png|Ridley as depicted in ''[[Captain N: The Game Master]]''
-Ridleymelee.png|''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' trophy textures.
+===''Super Metroid''===
-File:Ridley Metroid EX cameo.png|''Metroid EX''
+<gallery>
-ZM Ridley cutscene.png|Ridley in a cutscene from ''Zero Mission''
-ZeroMissionRidleyCutscene.gif|''Metroid Zero Mission''
-Boss battles.jpg|Ridley and Kraid battling Samus
-Ridleymzm.PNG|Concept art of Ridley for ''Zero Mission'', alongside a unique design labeled '''Ridley-2'''.
-Ridley concept.jpg|Artwork of Ridley from ''Prime''.
-Meta ridley artifact temple.jpg|[[Meta Ridley]]
-File:Ridley Pirate Homeworld monitors.png|Orange monitors featuring Ridley on the Pirate Homeworld.
 Storyboard2.jpg|''[[Super Metroid]]'' storyboard
-SM Ridley.jpg|''Super Metroid'' concept art
+SM Ridley.jpg|''Super Metroid'' artwork
-Npcomics_1-4.jpg|Ridley in the [[Super Metroid comic|''Super Metroid'' comic]].
+Super Metroid box.jpg|Ridley on the game's box art.
-Super Metroid box.jpg|Ridley on the box art of ''Super Metroid''
+Super Metroid statues.png|Ridley's [[Golden Statues|Golden Statue]]
-Super Metroid statues.png|Ridley's statue in ''Super Metroid''
+SM Ridley Facing Forward.png|Ridley facing forward.
-SM - Ridley dies on Samus.png|Ridley dying while holding onto Samus in ''Super Metroid''
+SM - Ridley dies on Samus.png|Ridley dying.
 Ridley SM guide.png|''[[Super Metroid Nintendo Player's Guide]]''
-Ridley15.PNG|Ridley as seen in ''[[Metroid: Other M]]'' 's E3 2009 trailer.
+Npcomics_1-4.jpg|Ridley in the [[Super Metroid comic|''Super Metroid'' comic]].
+Reptile Awareness Day.jpg|[[Nintendo of Europe]] [[tweet]]ed image on Reptile Awareness Day 2019 (October 21).<ref>Nintendo of Europe (Nintendo Europe). "Happy #ReptileAwarenessDay! To celebrate, why not tell us who your favourite reptilian juggernaut is to fight against in #SuperMetroid, now available to play with #[[SNES|SuperNES]] –  #[[Nintendo Switch|NintendoSwitchOnline]]!" Oct 21, 2019 9:46 a.m. Tweet. https://twitter.com/NintendoEurope/status/1186277558368661504</ref>
-MOMcommercial.PNG|''[[Metroid: Other M]]'' commercial]]
+</gallery>
-Rodney_Shoots_the_Afloralite.png|''[[Metroid Fusion]]''/''[[Metroid: Zero Mission]]''
-Zmf.PNG|''Metroid Fusion''/''Metroid: Zero Mission'' [[ending]]
+===''Metroid: Zero Mission''===
-RidleyPikachu.jpg|Ridley appears as a boss in ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl''.
+<gallery>
-RidleyMelee.jpg|''Melee'' trophy
+Rodney_Shoots_the_Afloralite.png|''[[Metroid Fusion]]'' ending unlockable in ''Metroid: Zero Mission''
-BrawlTrophy13.jpg|''Brawl'' trophy
+Zmf.PNG|Another unlockable ending.
-Ridley Paint Job.png|''[[Metroid Prime: Federation Force]]'' unlockable [[Paint Job]]
-Ridley trending in LA.png|Ridley trending on Twitter after his confirmation in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''.
+ZM Ridley cutscene.png|Ridley in the Space Pirate Mother Ship.
+File:Ridleyspaceship.gif|Cutscene animation.
-Ridley amiibo prototype in Paris.jpg|Ridley amiibo prototype
+Ridleyspaceship2.gif|Cutscene animation.
-A Piercing Screech Ridley twirls Mario`s hat.png|Ridley twirling Mario's hat on his finger in [[A Piercing Screech]].
+ZeroMissionRidleyCutscene.gif|''Zero Mission'' cutscene sprites
+Boss battles.jpg|Ridley and Kraid battling Samus.
+Ridleymzm.PNG|Concept art of Ridley for ''Zero Mission'', alongside a unique design labeled '''Ridley-2'''.
+</gallery>
+===Other appearances===
+<gallery>
+Ridley Famiken Ryu.png|''Famiken Ryu''
+Captain N Ridley.png|Ridley as depicted in ''[[Captain N: The Game Master]]''
+File:Ridley Metroid EX cameo.png|''Metroid EX''
+MOMcommercial.PNG|Ridley on K-2L in "[[Past is Prologue]]".
+File:Ridley Miitomo pet.png|''[[Miitomo]]''
+Ridley variants 1.png
+Ridley variants 2.png
+Ridley Paint Job.png|''[[Metroid Prime: Federation Force]]'' unlockable [[Paint Job]].
+MD Chozo Archives 09.jpeg|[[Chozo Archives]] #09, ''Metroid Dread''
+MD Ending Rewards 07.jpg|[[Ending Reward]] variant.
 </gallery>
-}}
-==References==
+== References==
 {{Reflist}}
 {{Ridley}}
@@ Line 535: / Line 438: @@
 [[Category:Detritivores]]
 [[Category:Nintendo Land]]
+[[Category:Reptilian]]