You’ve probably seen The Secret Life of Pets a dozen times, especially if you have kids or just a soft spot for Kevin Hart’s high-pitched bunny rants. But if you’re trying to remember Ricky in The Secret Life of Pets, you might find yourself scratching your head. It's funny. We remember Max, Duke, and Snowball. We remember the tattooed pig and the lizard. But Ricky?
Ricky is the ghost of the franchise.
Honestly, he’s one of the most interesting characters because he isn't even on screen during the first movie. He’s a memory. A tragedy. A motivation. If you want to understand why the "Flushed Pets" are so angry and why Snowball is basically a tiny, fluffy cult leader, you have to understand what happened to Ricky.
The Tragic Backstory of Ricky in The Secret Life of Pets
Most people think Snowball is just "crazy." He's not. He’s grieving. During the first film, we learn that Ricky was a member of the Flushed Pets, the underground resistance movement of abandoned animals living in the sewers of New York City. He wasn't just any member, though. He was Snowball's best friend.
Think about that for a second.
A tiny rabbit and a (presumably) much larger bird—since Ricky was a duck—running the underworld. It's kind of dark when you really sit with it. While the movie plays it for laughs, the reality is that Ricky died before the events of the first film. He didn't just wander off. He’s gone. This loss is exactly what fueled Snowball’s intense hatred for humans. It wasn't just about being "unwanted" anymore; it was about the fact that life in the sewers is dangerous and, for Ricky, it was fatal.
Why Ricky’s Absence Defines Snowball’s Arc
Snowball mentions Ricky during a particularly emotional (and chaotic) moment. He talks about how they were going to take over the city. They had plans. Big ones. When Max and Duke are trying to navigate the sewer system, the mention of Ricky serves as a "vibe check." It reminds the audience that the stakes for these animals aren't just about getting a treat or a belly rub. It’s life and death.
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Death is a heavy topic for a kids' movie. Usually, Illumination Entertainment keeps things bright and bouncy. But with Ricky, they dipped their toes into some real-world grit. Animals get abandoned. They get lost. They don't always make it. By giving Snowball this dead best friend, the writers gave a comedic villain a reason to be genuinely hurt.
He's a grieving revolutionary.
The Mystery of What Ricky Actually Looked Like
We never see a flashback. There’s no "Gone Too Soon" photo on a sewer wall. So, what was Ricky? Based on the dialogue and the general vibe of the Flushed Pets, most fans and lore-trackers agree Ricky was a duck. Specifically, a duck who had seen some things.
The Flushed Pets aren't your typical "pet store" animals. They are the "urban legends." The baby alligators that people supposedly flushed down toilets in the 70s. The snakes that grew too big. Ricky fits into this "discarded" category perfectly.
- Type: Likely a domestic duck or mallard.
- Role: Co-founder of the Flushed Pets.
- Status: Deceased (Pre-movie).
It’s kind of wild that a character with zero screen time has such a massive impact on the plot. Without Ricky’s death, Snowball might have just been a bitter bunny. With Ricky’s death, he becomes a general leading an army against "the human oppressors." It’s high-stakes stuff for a movie about a terrier who likes a specific ball.
The "Mandela Effect" and Ricky in The Secret Life of Pets
If you search for Ricky online, you’ll see people asking if he was the hawk (Tiberius) or the guinea pig (Norman). He wasn't. Those characters are alive and well. The confusion stems from the fact that the movie moves so fast. Kevin Hart delivers lines at a million miles per hour. If you sneeze, you miss the mention of Ricky.
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There’s also a bit of confusion with The Secret Life of Pets 2. By the second movie, Snowball has been "domesticated" by his new owner, Molly. He wears superhero pajamas. He plays tea party. The memory of Ricky seems to have faded, or at least, Snowball has found a way to heal.
This shift is actually pretty profound.
It shows that even after a major loss—like losing a partner-in-crime like Ricky—recovery is possible. Snowball goes from a vengeful underground leader to a household pet who actually enjoys being loved. It’s a complete 180-degree turn for his character.
What the Experts Say About Character Motivation
Screenwriters often use an "absent catalyst." This is a character who never appears but drives every action the protagonist (or antagonist) takes. Think of Rebecca in the Daphne du Maurier novel, or even more modern examples in action cinema. Ricky is that catalyst.
According to various animation analysts, including those who track the "Illumination Formula," the studio rarely uses "dead friend" tropes. They usually stick to "misunderstood" or "lost." Choosing to make Ricky's death a canon fact gave the first movie a layer of emotional complexity it desperately needed to balance out the slapstick humor.
Is Ricky mentioned in the sequels or spin-offs?
The short answer is: barely.
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As the franchise progressed, it leaned much harder into the "superhero Snowball" persona. The dark, gritty sewer days became a punchline rather than a plot point. If you watch the "Super Gidget" short or any of the mini-movies, Ricky is nowhere to be found.
He remains a relic of the first film’s slightly more cynical edge.
But for the hardcore fans—the ones who analyze the lore of Max and Duke’s New York—Ricky is a legend. He represents the "lost" side of the secret life of pets. Not every pet gets a happy ending with a high-rise apartment and a bowl of premium kibble. Some end up in the sewers. Some don't make it out.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Parents
If you're watching the movie again, keep an ear out for the sewer scene. It changes how you see Snowball. Instead of just seeing a loud-mouthed rabbit, you see a guy who lost his number one.
How to spot the Ricky references:
- Pay attention to the sewer initiation: When Snowball is testing Max and Duke, his intensity is rooted in his past losses.
- Listen for the name: It’s dropped during a rant about the "human's lies."
- Watch Snowball’s eyes: There are moments where the bravado drops, and you can see the character’s actual pain.
The best way to appreciate the depth of The Secret Life of Pets is to acknowledge that it isn't just about what pets do when we leave; it's about the bonds they form with each other. Ricky was the ultimate bond for Snowball. His "secret life" ended prematurely, but his influence stayed on screen through every chaotic decision the Flushed Pets made.
To truly dive deeper into the world of the Flushed Pets, you can re-watch the original film with a focus on the background characters in the sewer scenes. While Ricky isn't there, the world he helped build is visible in every rusted pipe and makeshift throne. You can also explore the official The Secret Life of Pets "Behind the Scenes" features on the Blu-ray releases, which sometimes touch on the development of the sewer-dwelling characters and the darker backstories that didn't make the final cut.
Ultimately, Ricky serves as a reminder that every character—even a tiny, mentioned-once duck—has a story that matters.