Ratchet is the primary protagonist of the Ratchet & Clank series, being one of the titular heroes and a main playable character in the games. He is an intergalactic hero, a skilled mechanic, and one of the last remaining lombaxes in the universe. Son of Kaden, Ratchet was born on Fastoon in the Polaris Galaxy but came to grow up as an orphaned mechanic on Veldin in the Solana Galaxy. His life was changed once he met Clank, a small robot who crash-landed on Veldin and became his lifelong companion and best friend. The two have since shared many adventures, often working alongside Captain Qwark, as they have saved galaxies from many galactic criminals and other supervillains, the most notable of which being Dr. Nefarious. During his time, Ratchet has worked for Megacorp as a trained commando, the Galactic Rangers as a sergeant, the Q-Force as a leading member, and the Polaris Defense Force. Ratchet is a street-wise, headstrong, thrillseeking hero who shows immense bravery and enjoys a challenge. He has a light-hearted personality, often chiming in with wisecracks and lightening the mood with jokes. Though he has struggled balancing his own needs and those of the people, he ultimately comes down on the side of keeping the people of the universe safe, and is fiercely protective of his close friends and his foster homeworld of Veldin. Ratchet uses his skills as a mechanic, a pilot, and a combatant to protect the universe from threats. His most common weapon is the OmniWrench, which he uses in melee combat, though he has also wielded powerful weapons and gadgets from Gadgetron (such as the Swingshot, RYNO V, and Agents of Doom), Megacorp (such as the Dynamo, Plasma Coil, and Bouncer), GrummelNet (such as the Groovitron, Mr. Zurkon, and the Buzz Blades) and the lombaxes (such as the Alpha Disruptor).