Al

"Ratchet: Hey, you're that robot guy, right? Big Al: No, actually, I build robots. I myself am not a robot guy per say. Hehehehehe... Ratchet: Nerd. Clank: I like him."

- Ratchet, Al and Clank

Big Al was the owner of a large roboshack on planet Kerwan's bustling Metropolis, and was the only roboshack owner to have been publicized by Captain Qwark. He was the representation of the classic pudgy computer geek with interests in electronics and all things Qwark. He had two siblings, Bob and Edwina, who, like him, also owned a roboshack.

Ratchet & Clank
In Ratchet & Clank, Al was first seen in an Infobot video that Ratchet and Clank acquired from the Novalis Chairman. It depicted an advertisement hosted by Captain Qwark for Al's Roboshack on Metropolis, in which Qwark made the doubtful claim that Al made gadgets for him when the hero was knee-high to a sandmouse. Unbeknownst to the duo, the video had a Wanted poster of Ratchet and Clank on the side of the wall. The poster was removed when the two entered the roboshack. When Ratchet and Clank later entered the roboshack looking for the Captain, Al informed them that he had not seen him since the commercial. Soon thereafter Al recognized Clanks circuitry and announced that he could equip Clank with a Heli-Pack provided he'd receive a 1,000 bolt fee for service. After the duo handed over the amount, Al quickly grabbed Clank and equipped the Heli-Pack in a matter of seconds.

Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando
In Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, Al was only briefly mentioned in the introductory video when Ratchet and Clank, interviewed for the show Behind the Hero, stated they'd had a wiener roast at Al's, presumably this is the same Al.

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
In Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, Big Al was inducted in the Q-Force because of his mastery of electronics. He often baffled Ratchet with his tech-talk, who needed Clank to "translate" for him, because, according to the Lombax, Clank also spoke "nerd". Al was first encountered on Marcadia, interrupted by the duo while he tried using the planet's laser defense system to play a Qwark vid-comic. Eventually, throughout the course of the game, he decoded two data chips containing plans for Dr. Nefarious's Bio-Bliterator. Furthermore, Al eventually declared his love to Helga, accidentally doing so over the intercom on the Starship Phoenix. As well as that, he seemed to constantly lose his Starmaster Scientific Calculator as he was constantly using the intercom to ask anybody who found it to contact 'Lost and Found'.

Ratchet: Deadlocked
In Ratchet: Deadlocked, Al was aboard the Starship Phoenix when DreadZone abducted Ratchet, and so became the technical engineer for Team Darkstar. At first, Al simply made adjustments to Ratchet's armor. Later, he found Merc and Green and gave them to Ratchet and sold upgrades and weapons for them. While Ratchet fought for DreadZone, Al and Clank secretly tried to remove the Deadlock Collars. However, Ace Hardlight discovered this plan and ended up shooting Al with his blaster.

The roboshack owner was later taken away by an ambulance. As a result of the aggression, Al lost his arm and part of his head, which were then replaced with robotic parts. However, the fact that the shot had appeared to contact his hip or stomach has led some fans to believe that Al had merely fulfilled a tech-geek's desire to become a cyborg, and also perhaps because of his love of Helga, who was a cyborg herself.

In this state, Al somehow returned to DreadZone to help Clank hack into the craft that took DreadZone gladiators to the stadium and made it go to the control area. He later fled DreadZone Station in an escape craft along with Ratchet and Clank, and played messages of thanks aimed at Ratchet, including one message from Captain Qwark.

Ratchet & Clank: Going Mobile
In Ratchet & Clank: Going Mobile, Ratchet and Clank spoke to Al in Communication Station and he promised to send the McGuFIN using Bio Matter Converter Technology into the Secret Agent Clank vid-comic world for the duo to retrieve; however there was a malfunction and a power surge split the MCGuFIN into six pieces scattered across different Secret Agent Clank vid-comics. Al opened up infolinks and nodes to these vid-comics. After Ratchet and Clank collected all the parts and reassembled the MCGuFIN, he told them that to activate it, they would have to use an infolink in Maximillian's office and so he gave Ratchet the Circuit Jammer.

Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
In Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, Al was mentioned by Ratchet, after Clank told him about the Zoni. Ratchet, not believing Clank about them, thought there was something wrong with him and that Al should have checked him out when they went home. It was also discovered that Al had a Holo-Vision show called "Big Al's Bot Wars". The citizens of Kerwan were forced to watch re-runs of the show after the attack.

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
In Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time an ad for Big Al's Roboshack and gaming superstore suggests he had gone back to his old line of work.

Trivia

 * In the Ublik Passage, Space Pirates can be heard refrenceing Big Al and his show after the attack on Metropolis, "due to that little Cragmite fella, i have to watch that Big Al's bot Wars show every day in Metropolis, you know Big Al that Frak monkey guy" This possibly means Big Al really is a Frak monkey, which may prove that Ratchet's comment in Deadlocked was more than just an insult minus the "Blarg headed" part.

Appearances

 * Ratchet & Clank
 * Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando
 * Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
 * Ratchet: Deadlocked
 * Ratchet & Clank: Going Mobile
 * Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
 * Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time (heard only)