Ridley

Ridley
First appearance	Metroid (1986, Metroid series) Captain N: The Game Master (1989, Mario-related media)
Latest appearance	Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018)

Template:Quote2 Ridley is a high-ranking member of the Space Pirates, and one of the main villains in the Metroid series of video games. He is directly responsible for the murder of Samus Aran's mother and partially responsible for the death of her father. In several instances, Ridley appears as an upgraded cybernetic version of himself called Meta Ridley. In addition to the Metroid series, Ridley has made an appearance in all games in the Super Smash Bros. series (aside from Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS), as well as in Nintendo Land in animatronic form.

History

Captain N: The Game Master

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

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

Super Smash Bros. series

Super Smash Bros.

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

Super Smash Bros. Melee

Ridley fighting Samus Aran, in the opening cinematic of Super Smash Bros. Melee

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

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Ridley's artwork for Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Ridley fighting Samus, in Super Smash Bros. Brawl

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

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

Meta Ridley fighting Diddy Kong

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

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

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

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

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

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

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

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

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Ridley in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Meta Ridley variant

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

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

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

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

Classic Mode route

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

Special moves

Plasma Breath

Plasma Breath in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Template:Main-external Plasma Breath is Ridley's neutral special move. When used, Ridley charges plasma in his mouth and then shoots up to five fireballs out in a curve. The number of fireballs that Ridley expels depends on the duration that the button is held. While Ridley uses this move in many appearances, the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate version is most similar to his battles in the original Metroid and Super Metroid.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	リドリーブレス[?]	Ridley Breath

Space Pirate Rush

Space Pirate Rush in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Template:Main-external Space Pirate Rush is Ridley's side special move. When used, Ridley dashes forwards with his arm in front of him. If he hits an opponent, he will grab them and drag them across the ground, dealing continuous damage. This is similar to his dash attack used in his battles in the Metroid Prime series, and the dragging is similar to his battle in Metroid: Other M.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	グラビングスクラッチ[?]	Grabbing Scratch

Wing Blitz

Wing Blitz in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Template:Main-external Wing Blitz is Ridley's up special move. When used, Ridley charges upwards into the air, hitting opponents with his wings. While it can be used as a vertical recovery, it is also noticeably powerful.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	リドリーチャージ[?]	Ridley Charge

Skewer

Young Link under the effect of Ridley's Skewer in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Template:Main-external Skewer is Ridley's down special move. When used, Ridley brings his tail back before suddenly stabbing forward with it. If the move is sweetspotted, it results in a critical hit and causes a Special Zoom effect, dealing extreme damage. Ridley uses his tail as a stabbing attack in most of his appearances, though it is usually a vertical stab.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	デススタッブ[?]	Death Stab

Final Smash

Plasma Scream

Plasma Scream in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Template:Main-external Plasma Scream is Ridley's Final Smash. Ridley lets out a roar and dashes forward. The opponents that are hit will be thrown onto Samus's gunship. As the gunship flies off, Ridley fires a plasma blast at them, causing the ship to destroy in an explosion. This Final Smash is an instant KO on opponents at 100% or higher. After this move is used, Samus's ship can be seen crashing in the background. This is a reference to a move he uses as Meta Ridley in Metroid Prime.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	デストロイビーム[?]	Destroy Beam

Nintendo Land

The animatronic Ridley, from Nintendo Land

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

Profiles

Super Smash Bros. Melee trophy

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

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Trophies

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

Stickers

Image	Artwork from	Effect in The Subspace Emissary
	Metroid	[Darkness] - Attack +30 Usable by: Ganondorf
	Metroid: Zero Mission	[Arm] - Attack +25

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U trophies

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

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate spirits

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

Palutena's Guidance

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

Super Smash Blog bio

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

amiibo

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

Names in other languages

Ridley

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	リドリー[?] Ridorī	Ridley (named after Ridley Scott, director of Alien, with the name itself being of English origin and means "Reed clearing; cleared land; barren land", befitting his bloodthirsty personality.)
Chinese	利德雷[?] Lìdéléi	Ridley
Korean	리들리[?] Lideulli	Ridley
Russian	Ридли[?] Ridli	Ridley

Meta Ridley

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	メタリドリー[?] Meta Ridorī	Meta Ridley
Korean	메타 리들리[?] Meta Lideulli	Meta Ridley
Russian	Мета-Ридли[?] Meta-Ridley	Meta-Ridley

Trivia

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