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For the 80's incarnation, see Ratar-O.

Ratar-O is the dictator of the Rats.

History[]

Ratar-O is the descendant of Ratilla, who once wielded the Sword of Plun-Darr after discovering it in a swamp long after Mumm-Ra's defeat. After Jaga defeated Ratilla, he invoked a curse on the Sword of Plun-Darr, which raised  Mount Plun-Darr around the evil weapon in order to keep it out of the wrong hands. Much like his ancestor, Ratar-O believes the Sword of Plun-Darr will give him the power to make the Rat clan the dominant power on Third Earth, and he will do whatever he thinks is necessary to make his dream a reality. 

Determined to retrieve the Sword of Plun-Darr from its resting place, Ratar-O set up an extensive mining camp around the mountain—and following the fall of Thundera, he procured a massive number of Thunderian slaves from the Lizards in order to help excavate the blade. Due to the curse placed upon the Sword of Plun-Darr, however, many of the cat-slaves were lost trying to recover the weapon...an outcome that Ratar-O fully expected. To him, it mattered little how many of the cats died, so long as the Sword of Plun-Darr was his in the end. Anyone he caught trying to escape was swiftly executed, often with a single blast of energy from his Rat's Eye daggers. All the while, Ratar-O treated his fellow Rats only marginally better than the cat-slaves, often beating his aide Mordax for trivial mistakes.

Some time later, Lion-O, Tygra, Panthro, Cheetara and Pumyra raid Mount Plun-Darr in order to free the Thunderian slaves. While Tygra and Cheetara infiltrate the slave ranks, the others have an encounter with Ratar-O's servant, Mordax, who Pumyra beats up before Lion-O prevents her from killing him. However, Mordax manages to take advantage of this respite to capture Lion-O, Pumyra, and Panthro.

Shortly thereafter, Mordax turns his new prisoners over to Ratar-O. The leader of the Rats takes this opportunity to gloat about the fall of Thundera, and reveals his people's history with the Sword of Plun-Darr to Lion-O-.When Mordax concludes Ratar-O's narrative by proclaiming that retrieving the sword will make the Rat clan mighty once again, Ratar-O strikes him for speaking out of turn, then orders him to execute Lion-O. At that moment, however,  Tygra and Cheetara reach the Sword of Plun-Darr, buried deep within the mountain, and break its crystal seal. The chain reaction causes an earthquake on Mount Plun-Darr, and the ensuing shockwaves cause Ratar-O's palace to collapse, burying almost everyone inside.

When Lion-O manages to extricate himself, Ratar-O emerges and attacks Lion-O,  viciously proclaiming that he will rule over all that he surveys. Lion-O counterattacks with a fierce punch that sends the rat sprawling, denouncing him as a tyrant who rules through fear, abusing his own servants as much as his slaves. In response, Ratar-O smugly retorts that at least his kingdom remains. At this moment, however, Mordax emerges, still wielding his scythe. However, he has been moved by Lion-O's earlier kindness, and refuses to follow Ratar-O's orders to kill Lion-O. Instead, he gives the Sword of Omens to the ensuring that he'll be able to fight Ratar-O on equal footing.

In the ensuing duel, Ratar-O's greater experience in combat gives him the initial advantage, with the tyrant repelling Lion-O's initial attacks and knocking him off his feet with a blast from the Rat's Eye daggers. However, when Ratar-O tries to finish him with a second blast, the young king uses the Spirit Stone encased in his Gauntlet of Omens to project an energy shield, reflecting the blast right back at Ratar-O. The ensuing explosion hurls Rtar-O backward into the wreckage of his throne, where he's left in a battered and unconscious heap.

Later, when Lion-O's talking to the free cat-slaves, he tells them that Ratar-O fled underground, so he won't be able to prevent them from escaping. What became of the Rat tyrant remains unclear, as he was nowhere to be seen when Pumyra and Lion-O hid within Mount Plun-Darr in their attempt to keep the Sword of Plun-Darr out of Mumm-Ra's clutches.

Appearance[]

His design is very close to how he looked in the original series, but closer inspection shows that he actually looks more like the original Ratilla, at least in terms of costume design (Even his helmet is more similair to the one that Ratilla wore, rather than the 80s version of Ratar-o's helmet).

It should also be noted that unlike his ancestor, Ratilla, Ratar-O has a noticeable paunch, suggesting that he lives off the glory of his ancestor and prefers to let others do his fighting for him. However, he retains enough strength to remain a deadly foe in combat, able to match Lion-O blow for blow.

Quotes[]

  • So you're the child king of the Thundercats. A shame you have no kingdom, and an even greater shame I missed its tragic fall.
  • Not much of a king, are you? I pulled my people out from underground, built this mine, enslaved your pathetic kind, and will soon rule over all I survey. And you?

Personality[]

Initially, Ratar-O comes off as a cultured and aristocratic leader, speaking eloquently in a refined voice and speaking warmly of his ancestor, Ratilla. He claims that Ratilla fought bravely for the good of the Rats, and that he intends to carry on that fight. He also voices a determination to lead his people from the desolate swamps they currently reside in, speaking at length of how they have been forced to live off the scraps and detritus of the other animal clans.

However, these refined mannerisms mask Ratar-O's true nature—that of a brutal and power-hungry tyrant. His massive ego causes him to look down on most other people, including his fellow Rats; this arrogance can also be seen in battle, where he was a tendency to boast of his own glory and taunt his enemies. Moreover, his selfishness and brutality cause him to demand absolute obedience from his followers, and he will often abuse those who offend him in some way—often, it is his unfortunate right-hand Rat, Mordax, who has to bear the brunt of his flighty temper. As Lion-O himself points out, the Rats are "just slaves on the other side of the whip." Perhaps most telling is the fact that Ratar-O doesn't contest this claim, instead smugly replying that his people still thrive in comparison to the Cats.

However, Ratar-O's disregard for the feelings of his servants leads to his downfall, as Mordrax turns on him for his constant cruelty and returns the Sword of Omens to Lion-O so that he can fight Ratar-O on equal ground.

Appearances[]

Trivia[]

  • Ratar-O is the complete opposite persona of Lion-O:
    • Ratar-O is a rat while Lion-O is a cat (lion) which are natural enemies in real life.
    • While Lion-O is kind and cares about people, Ratar-O is evil and only cares about himself.
    • Ratar-O's ancestor wielded the Sword of Plun-darr, while Lion-O's ancestor wielded the Sword of Omens.
  • Ratar-O and Lion-O shares the same last letter in their names.

Gallery[]

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