Will Riker

Will Riker

25
    Star Trek: The Next Generation
Photo Credit: Everett Collection

Character Analysis

(Avoiding Spoilers)

Living... on the USS Enterprise one hundred years after Captain James Kirk’s original five-year mission to explore the unknown. Riker was raised in Alaska by a single father, Kyle Riker, who abandoned him at 15, at which point he entered the Starfleet Academy. He journeyed into deep space away from everyone on Earth, especially his father.

Profession... first officer under Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Picard chose Riker to be his right-hand man after learning the brash young officer was known for standing up to authority. Though their relationship began with the friction Picard was hoping for, they eventually become great friends.

Interests… jazz music and the futuristic martial arts practice known as Anbo-jyutsu. Riker is an accomplished pianist and trombone player, but he excels most in the Anbo-jyustu arena, where he even settled a decades-long feud with his father. 

Relationship Status... deeply in love with the ship’s half-Betazoid counselor, Deanna Troi. Alas, the timing is never quite right. They get together, break up and find other romances, but always come back to each other. And even when they’re apart, they remain great friends who can’t quite get over the romantic tension simmering under the surface. They even call each other “imzadi,” meaning “beloved” in her home language. 

Challenge... dealing with violent alien species like the Borg, the Q and the Klingons. Grappling with those evil forces takes up most of his time and energy. But he does have daddy issues that have given him a chip on his shoulder, and he won’t get past them until he meets back up with the elusive Kyle Riker.      

Personality... intelligent, friendly, and affable. Everyone on the ship is close with Riker. But they are friends with him with the understanding that he always wants what’s best for his crew. When he pushes back against them, or expects more from them, he does so because he cares.

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