Honestly, when Insomniac Games first teased a purple-furred female Lombax in the 2020 trailer for Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, the internet basically imploded. People were obsessed. Was she an alternate-dimension Ratchet? A long-lost sister? The hype was real. But once the game actually dropped on PS5, we realized Rivet Ratchet and Clank wasn't just a gimmick or a simple palette swap. She was the soul of the game. She brought a gritty, lonely, yet hopeful energy that the series desperately needed after nearly two decades of the same duo.
Rivet is a survivor. She’s spent years fighting an uphill battle against Emperor Nefarious in a dimension where the bad guys actually won. That changes a person. Or a Lombax. While Ratchet is often the wide-eyed optimist (mostly), Rivet is a bit more cynical, a bit more guarded, and way more used to working alone.
The Mystery of the Missing Arm
One of the first things you notice about Rivet isn't just her fur color—it’s the robotic arm. This isn't just a cool design choice to make her look "edgy." It’s a core part of her history. In the game’s lore, Rivet lost her organic arm during an encounter with one of Emperor Nefarious’s pursuit bots. It’s a literal scar of her resistance.
Interestingly, Insomniac didn't make a huge "traumatic" deal out of it in the moment-to-moment gameplay. She just lives with it. It’s her reality. This kind of representation is huge for players with limb differences. It shows a hero who is "broken" by some standards but is actually more capable than anyone else on the screen. She built her own life, her own tools, and her own resistance movement on Sargasso.
The contrast between her and Ratchet is sharp. Ratchet has Clank. He has the Galactic Rangers. He has a support system. Rivet? She had a hammer and a hideout.
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Why Her Gameplay Feels Different (Even When It Isn't)
Mechanically, Rivet and Ratchet share the same XP bar and weapon wheel. If you buy a Topiary Sprinkler as Ratchet, Rivet has it too. Some critics argued this was a missed opportunity for unique skill trees. Maybe? But from a narrative perspective, it works because it emphasizes their "quantum duality." They are two versions of the same soul, shaped by different worlds.
Even though the buttons you press are the same, the vibe is totally different. Rivet's animations are a bit more aggressive. Her voice acting, provided by the incredible Jennifer Hale (who played Female Shepard in Mass Effect), carries a weight of exhaustion. When she meets Clank—whom she initially calls "Bolt"—you see her walls start to crumble. Watching a hardened rebel learn to trust a robot after years of being hunted by them is the best character arc the series has ever seen.
Breaking the Lombax Lore
For years, the "Last Lombax" trope was the driving force of the narrative. Ratchet was the lonely hero looking for his people. Then came Alister Azimuth in A Crack in Time, which ended... poorly. Fans wondered if we’d ever see another Lombax who wasn't a villain or a fleeting memory.
Rivet changed the stakes. She proved that the Lombaxes aren't just a dead race to be mourned; they are a living, breathing part of the multiverse. Her existence opens the door for the "Lombax Dimension" story that Insomniac has been teasing since the PS3 era.
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- Sargasso: Her home base. It’s a swampy, industrial mess that reflects her grit.
- The Resistance: She isn't just a pilot; she's a symbol of hope for an entire dimension of oppressed citizens.
- The Hammer: Unlike Ratchet’s OmniWrench, Rivet uses a heavy-duty hammer. It feels more "industrial," like something a mechanic would use to smash a tank rather than just tighten a bolt.
The "Rift Apart" Impact on PS5
We have to talk about the tech. Rift Apart was the first true showcase of the PlayStation 5's SSD. Transitioning between Ratchet on Ardolis and Rivet on Torren IV happens in seconds. No loading screens. Just pure, chaotic jumping through purple rifts.
This tech allowed Insomniac to tell a "split" story. You aren't playing as one character with a sidekick; you’re playing two parallel lives that are destined to collide. The moment they finally meet up at Zurkie’s is a payoff that took fifteen hours of gameplay and several years of real-world anticipation to reach.
Some fans were worried Rivet would "replace" Ratchet. That didn't happen. Instead, she acted as a mirror. She showed Ratchet what he could have become if he hadn't met Clank in that crash landing on Veldin all those years ago. She’s the "What If?" version of our favorite hero, and she’s arguably more compelling because of her hardships.
Character Design and the "Fandom" Factor
Let's be real: Rivet's design is a masterclass in character appeal. The large ears, the expressive eyes, and the purple/white color palette make her stand out instantly in a lineup. Digital artists went wild the second she was revealed. But it’s the small details—the way she fidgets with her prosthetic or the slight hesitation in her voice when she talks about her past—that make her feel human. Or, well, Lombax-ish.
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Addressing the "Mary Sue" Complaints
Whenever a new female lead is introduced into a long-running franchise, a small corner of the internet starts throwing around the "Mary Sue" label. It’s predictable. But it doesn't apply here. Rivet fails. She makes mistakes. She’s prickly and sometimes difficult to like in the first few chapters because she’s so defensive.
She doesn't just "show up and be perfect." She’s a veteran of a war she’s been losing for a decade. If anything, her competence is earned through a massive amount of off-screen suffering and on-screen struggle. Her relationship with Kit (the alternate-dimension Clank) is built on mutual trauma and the slow process of forgiveness. It’s deep stuff for a "kids' game."
What’s Next for Rivet?
The ending of Rift Apart leaves the door wide open. The duo (now a quartet) is heading off to find the Lombaxes. This isn't just Ratchet’s mission anymore. Rivet has as much of a claim to that heritage as he does.
There are rumors—nothing confirmed, but the "leaks" are out there—that the next entry in the series might feature Rivet as the primary protagonist, or at least a 50/50 split again. Given how well-received she was, it would be a massive mistake for Insomniac to put her back on the shelf. She’s a certified star now.
Actionable Steps for Players and Fans
If you're just getting into the lore or want to dive deeper into the world of Rivet, here’s how to maximize the experience:
- Play the "Sargasso" side missions early: You get a lot of Rivet’s backstory by helping the Morts. It’s not just filler; it’s world-building.
- Listen to the "Lorbs": On the planet Savali, there are collectibles called Lorbs. They contain audio logs from a Lombax scout named Mags. These logs bridge the gap between the old games and Rivet’s dimension.
- Photo Mode is your friend: Rivet’s model is one of the most detailed in gaming history. Seriously, zoom in on her fur or the scratches on her prosthetic arm. The level of craftsmanship is insane.
- Watch the credits: There’s a lot of great concept art that shows the different designs Rivet almost had (including some where she looked way more like a traditional soldier).
Rivet didn't just join the Rivet Ratchet and Clank universe; she saved it from becoming stagnant. She added a layer of emotional complexity that makes the high-speed shooting and platforming feel like they actually matter. Whether you’re a fan from the PS2 days or a newcomer who started with the PS5, it’s hard to imagine the series without her now. She’s not just a "female Ratchet." She’s Rivet. And she’s exactly what the franchise needed.