- “C'mon you lazy scum! Let's skin this fox and his whole crew! Get more guys up here! Come on!”
- —Ruffian
Ruffian is a term for a crook or scoundrel with a penchant for theft or crime. In the Star Fox series, Ruffians are seen in "Assault" as various different Ape Soldiers and members of the Oikonny's rebel army employed by Andrew Oikonny and as minions of Wolf O'Donnell.
History[]
Andross's evil ambition has served as a magnet to attract the scum of the Lylat System into his service. At the time of the Oikonny Rebellion, various ruffians that survived the Lylat Wars and common scum were employed into the rebel army, mainly for wealth. These common thugs, hired guns and space pirates were leaderless after the demise of the late Emperor Andross until his nephew and heir, Andrew Oikonny, encouraged them to help strike back at the Cornerians from their Fortuna base, for a price. At first these crooks were broken up and divided by the Cornerian's battle formation V, until the stealth squadron proved a matched challenge for the Cornerian Army until they were backed up by the newly reformed Star Fox. The Battle of Fortuna was however short lived, for the events of the Aparoid Invasion caused a halt in the continued struggle between the Cornerians and Venomians. Oikonny's fleets, when the Aparoids arrived, called a retreat.
One such ruffian hacked into the Communications Channel of the Star Fox Team, warning them of their intrusion of the Sargasso Space Zone in an act of aggression. Fox McCloud responded as best he could by explaining their pursuit of Pigma Dengar to avoid confrontation. The brutish ape, denying any knowledge on Pigma or his whereabouts, was not at all moved by this and chose to summon more simian soldiers to attack the Star Fox team. After the Star Wolf team settled their discussions over their rivalries, Wolf explained that he threw Pigma off his team and ordered his men to drive Pigma out if he came near the territory.
After the Aparoid Invasion, the Star Wolf team disappeared. With the casualties suffered by the criminal gang, the threat posed by them to the Cornerian Army was no longer deemed realistic. The base was presumably placed under close supervision, but the dense surrounding asteroid field would make tracking difficult. Therefore, any surviving ruffians were captured or fled the hideout, until they can be rallied to a new cause.
In the game[]
In "Assault", ruffians act as minor enemies throughout the Sargasso Hideout and Space Zone. They are slightly more challenging than most aparoids considering they wear special space suits that allow them to be protected against single blaster shots, but can be easily defeated by charged shots very strong weapons. In the Hideout, there are three types of Ape Solders, all of whom will attack Fox on sight. Reinforcements will keep teleporting into the hideout until there are no transfer devices remaining. It is unknown exactly where the Ruffians were teleporting from.
- Ape Soldier: These basic enemies are recognizable by their space suits and blaster rifles. They are more challenging than aparoid crawlers because they are armed with blasters, and can take several single blaster shots.
- Combat mech: These large robotic combat suits are more challenging because of a forcefield that can withstand single blasters and machine gun firepower. They will mainly charge and ram at Fox or launch built-in homing missiles for distraction.
- Turret: Some Ape Soldiers are found manning a swivel turning, blaster turret. Their shots can be devastating and will stop Fox in his tracks. Single blaster shots are less effective therefore charged shots or stronger weapons are recommended. Sniper Rifle fire can utterly vaporise one and the crewman with a single shot.
Portrayals[]
- The ape soldier heard during the first mission is voiced by Henry Dardenne.
- The grey-haired ruffian who has a speaking line on Star Fox's communications channel before the level starts and when Star Wolf arrives was voiced by Lev Liberman.
- The white-haired ruffians are voiced by David Scully, using a voice similar to the one he gives Leon.
- The black-haired ruffians are voiced by Chet Morgan.
- The brown-haired ruffians are voiced by both David Scully and Chet Morgan.
Gallery[]
References[]
- http://f.starfox-online.net/archives/starFox64.comReconstructed/lieutenants.html
- Star Fox: Assault
- Star Fox: Assault/Damage reports
- Star Fox: Assault/Script
Members | Ruffian | |
Vehicles | Hunter | |
Bases | Sargasso Hideout |
Leader | ||
Members | Venomian • Ruffian | |
Air Force | Venomian Fighter • Rock Gunner • Star Warrior • Venomian Stealth Bomber • Oikonny's flagship • Venomian Battlecruiser • Venomian Carrier • Sargasso Battleship • Winged Prototype | |
Ground Force | Venomian Assault Mech • Venomian Heavy Assault Mech • Venomian Light Tank • Venomian Heavy Tank • Transfer gateway | |
Bases | Fortuna • Sargasso Hideout |