Richard B. Riddick

Richard B. Riddick, commonly known as Riddick, is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Chronicles of Riddick series. This series includes the animated short film Dark Fury and the video games Escape from Butcher Bay and Assault on Dark Athena. Actor Vin Diesel has portrayed Riddick in all film and video game adaptations.

Within the series, Riddick is depicted as having a wide range of skills, including exceptional mobility, stealth, combat abilities, survival in harsh conditions, prison escape, and piloting. Despite his criminal background, he occasionally performs moral or heroic actions, often against his own survivalist instincts.

Originally shown as a human in Pitch Black, Riddick's race is later revealed to be Furyan in subsequent sequels. The Furyans are a warrior race nearly exterminated by a military campaign that left their home planet, Furya, desolate. Riddick is one of the last surviving members of this race. His eyes, a defining feature, allow him to see clearly in the dark, a trait associated with a specific caste of Furyans known as Alpha-Furyans. In Pitch Black, he implies that his eyes were surgically altered, but this is later attributed to his Furyan heritage. To protect his eyes from bright light, he wears tinted welding goggles.

Riddick's past includes roles as a mercenary and a member of a security force, eventually becoming a soldier. This background contributes to his complex character, blending elements of an antihero with occasional heroic actions.

Early Life
Riddick was born on the planet Furya. Before his birth, a Necromonger officer named Zhylaw consulted a seer who predicted a Furyan male would lead to his downfall. To prevent this, Zhylaw attacked Furya, attempting to kill all male infants, including Riddick, who survived.

Later, Riddick repressed memories of the massacre, believing his mother tried to strangle him at birth and abandoned him. Despite this, he received visions from Shirah, a surviving Furyan.

Pitch Black
In Pitch Black, Riddick is a notorious convict being transported by bounty hunter William J. Johns. While traveling with settlers aboard the Hunter Gratzner, the ship crashes on a planet with three suns after passing through a comet's tail. The survivors face deadly Bio-Raptors. By the film's end, only Riddick, a girl named Jack, and Imam remain alive.

Dark Fury
After escaping the planet, Riddick, Jack, and Imam are captured by mercenaries. Riddick tries to impersonate Johns but is quickly recognized. The mercenary leader, Antonia Chillingsworth, collects criminals, freezing them as art. Riddick and his friends must fight to escape. They eventually commandeer a shuttle, and Riddick leaves Jack and Imam at New Mecca before heading towards UV 6.

The Chronicles of Riddick
Five years later, Riddick hides on UV 6 while Imam learns of an impending Necromonger invasion of Helion Prime. Imam reveals Riddick's location, and after Imam is killed, Riddick seeks revenge. With Jack, now Kyra, he overthrows the Necromonger leader, the Lord Marshal, and becomes the new leader.

Riddick
Dissatisfied with his role, Riddick searches for Furya but ends up stranded on a desolate planet. A deadly storm approaches, and he uses a mercenary outpost's communication system to lure ships for escape. Complications arise when one mercenary is William J. Johns' father. Riddick forces the mercenaries to cooperate for survival.

Eyeshine. Riddick underwent a "surgical shine job" in Butcher Bay, granting him night vision but making his eyes sensitive to light, requiring welding goggles for protection. In Pitch Black, Riddick undergoes this painful surgery without anesthesia to counter "shiners," who share similar vision. The procedure costs 1000 credits, which Riddick pays with cigarettes. In the video game The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, after aiding a character, he is told not to "trust his eyes." The voice of Shirah helps him awaken his Furyan abilities, resulting in his eyeshine.

In The Chronicles of Riddick, Jack/Kyra challenges Riddick's claims, asserting the surgery is impossible.

Wrath of the Furyans. Shirah also assists Riddick in unleashing a powerful energy wave, featured in the director's cut of The Chronicles of Riddick. After she leaves a glowing handprint on him, Riddick releases a blue energy blast that annihilates Necromongers.

Physical Abilities. Riddick is exceptionally fit, exhibiting superior strength, speed, and rapid healing. He can dislocate limbs and withstand toxins, requiring multiple tranquilizer darts to slow him. His martial arts skills enable him to defeat powerful opponents, including the Lord Marshal.

Intelligence. Riddick possesses sharp deductive skills, quickly assessing threats and evading capture numerous times. He has a deep understanding of human nature, often predicting negative behaviors.

Willpower. Riddick’s determination is unyielding. He escapes from prisons and resists mental probing by the Necromongers, remaining defiant against the Lord Marshal. He channels grief into strength after Kyra's sacrifice.

Weapons. Riddick is adept with knives, particularly his Ulak blades, and adapts to any weapon, showcasing versatility in combat. In the third film, he uses a bone-sword, emphasizing his resourcefulness. His proficiency with weapons and strategic ingenuity make him a formidable adversary.