Fongoid

"For the Fongoids!"

- A war cry from a Fongoid Warrior.

The Fongoids were a friendly species, originally native to planet Torren IV. They left the planet after it became a wasteland. The Fongoids split up, and some settled in villages on planets like Quantos, Zanifar, and Morklon. The smaller communities of Fongoids had been the focus of Lord Vorselon and Nefarious' usefulness. They were great engineers as well, as they designed the Spiral of Death and Tombli Outpost.

Pre-Ratchet and Clank
Thousands of years prior to A Crack in Time, the advanced Fongoids hailing from Torren IV were entrusted by the Zoni with the gift of time travel, as they felt it would enrich their lives. However, after 3000 years of misuse and overuse, the Fongoids created time paradoxes that wore the fabric of spacetime thin, which resulted in the destruction 83 planets and moons and nearly destroyed the universe. Orvus thus constructed the Great Clock to repair the unintentional damage inflicted by the Fongoids and to maintain temporal stability in the universe. In retribution, the Zoni stripped them of the ability to travel back and forth through in time and ordered the Fongoids to abandon most technology, which the Fongoids quickly agreed too. The Fongoids left their industrialized homeworld of Torren IV and colonized wild planets such as Quantos, Zanifar and Morklon. For example, the tribes of Quantos apparently abandoned their technological abilities and knowledge to live a more simplistic, tribal life, meanwhile following the Polaris Defence Intiative 1887-Upsilon.

The Fongoids were known as an ancient race, and they considered the Zoni to be the keepers of time.

Pre-Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction
A Fongoid Tribe colonized the wild swampy planet of Morklon. The clever Fongoids built a Fongoid Settlement in Gimlick Valley and dammed the swamp, turning into a beautiful farming valley. However they soon became the targets of the aggressive Agorians, who claimed the planet as their own during the famed Battle of Gimlick Valley. The famed Fongoid warrior, Zahn Gribnak led an army of under-equipped and poorly trained warriors in battle in a futile attempt to stop the Agorians. The Agorians quickly captured, threw in jail,shortly pardoned, threw them back in jail and executed the Zahn Gribnak and his comrades. With nobody to protect the Fongoid Settlement, Commander Argos destroyed the dam that kept Gimlick Valley from flooding, which resulted in the death of every single Fongoid except for Zahn Gribnak's son, Yurik, who lived forgotten and alone in the swamps of Morklon. Meanwhile a few years later, Fongoids on Zanifar watched as an asteroid carrying Dr. Nefarious and Lawrence smashed into Zanifar. The Fongoids thought this was a sign from Orvus that they could be trusted with Technology again. After Nefarious got over his grief of being defeated during the events Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, he managed to brainwash the Fongoids of Zanifar to stop celebrating Spring Break and aid him in building the Tombli Outpost in Tombli Valley. The Fongoids quickly aided the mad doctor and built his outpost. In return for their hard work at building the Tombli Outpost, Dr. Nefarious made them slaves and sent them to his slave camp in the Tombli Outpost.

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time
The Fongoid tribes of Quantos lived peacefully with one another and were free from most technology. However after Dr. Nefarious attacked the Great Clock, Time Anomalies struck Quantos causing areas to be frozen in time, things moving back and forth and the return of Zyphoids which hadn't been seen on Quantos in years. Ratchet and Qwark saved some Fongoids from Zyphoids and brought them safely back to the village. The Fongoids realized something was wrong as Zoni were seen mindlessly roaming around, a sign that something had happened to them. Also the Fongoids realized they had other things to worry about, Vorselon's Warship had been detected, searching for Azimuth. The Fongoid Tribe Leader, Alpheus, led Ratchet and Qwark into the Temple of Zahn to get the Zoni Vessel, so to collect lost Zoni as well as to fix the Aphelion. While they were in the Temple, Vorselon's Warship found the village, and Vorselon and dozen's of Nefarious Troopers invaded the village. The Fongoid's did their best, but were no match for Vorselon's Warships heavy weapons and bubble capturing devices and Nefarious Troopers supporting the Terraklon. In the end, only Ratchet and Alpheus managed to not be captured. Alpheus led Ratchet back to his ship and the Zoni fixed his ship to pursue the evil Lord Vorselon. After chasing him, engaging his space fighter escorts and sneaking into the ship, Ratchet found where the Fongoid prisoners as well, as Captain Qwark had been taken to Vorselon's Warship. They had been interrogated about the whereabouts of Azimuth, which they really did not know. Ratchet freed the Fongoids as well as Captain Qwark and together they fought Nefarious Troopers until they reached a hanger. There Captain Qwark led the Fongoids into an escape ship and returned the Fongoids to Quantos. While on Quantos, Captain Qwark asked the Fongoids if there were any races in the Breegus System that despised Nefarious and his goons. The Fongoids (either on purpose or by accident) suggested the warlike Agorians and even had the Agorians pick Captain Qwark to take them to the Agorian Battleplex so he could discuss a possible alliance.

Later on, Ratchet searched for Orvus in the Tombli Outpost. He encountered some Fongoids in an energy barrier, forced to build Dr. Nefarious' buildings, troops and ships. One of the Fongoids asked if Ratchet could turn of the energy barrier in the control tower to set them free and Ratchet quickly agreed. While heading toward the Control Tower, Ratchet met a Fongoid Warrior who managed to escape. With Ratchet's help he managed to get far away from the Tombli Outpost. Ratchet eventually reached the Control Tower and shut down the energy shield. With the shield down, the Fongoids were ready to go home. Ratchet went back in time to find Orvus and met some brainwashed Fongoids working on the Tombli Outpost before Nefarious made them his slaves. He talked to Fongoid Foremen who was in charge of the construction in the area. He told Ratchet that Orvus visited Nefarious inside the base since yesterday. However the bridge toward the main building was rusted in yesterday's rainstorm, and the replacement bridge could not be moved in until oil loosened the crank to the crane. While in the past, Ratchet met a Fongoid Vine Planter who decided to help build Nefarious' base instead of planting Vine Seeds.

Places inhabited by Fongoids

 * Breegus System, Polaris
 * Quantos, Phylax Sector
 * Zanifar, Korthos Sector
 * Morklon, Corvus Sector

Known Fongoids

 * Alpheus
 * Enessa
 * Fongoid Children
 * Zahn Gribnak
 * Yurik
 * Tufor
 * Enat
 * Zahn Jr.
 * Fongoid Foreman
 * Fongoid Farmer

Vullard
"Those wasteful Fongoids abandonded their cities, leaving their technology behind."—A Vullard commenting on the Fongoids. The Vullards appear to show disdain for the Fongoids.

Trivia

 * The ancient Fongoid civilization was likely the most advanced species in the known universe, being the only species able to travel back in time besides the Zoni.
 * Fongoid males exhibit a noticeable vocal tic, believed to be a hereditary side effect of thousands of years of time-travel-related blunders.
 * The Fongoid's worshipped the Zoni as gods, who still take care of them to this day.
 * Fongoids were known to praise Orvus, Zoni and Nefarious. Praising Nefarious, however, was because they were brainwashed.
 * The Fongoids prohibit themselves from using advanced tech as much as possible, going out of their way to rid themselves of it. However some tribes might be slightly liberal on the matter, as the case of the Fongoid tribes on Morklon, who have a Class 3 Agorian Warship as well as Battery Bots. However they only appear to use it for reenactments of the famed Battle of Gimleck Valley. It's also known they take some supplies from passing vessels nearing their tribes.
 * Also, all Fongoids still seem to be proficient in technology, in the case that the tribe of Morklon were repairing Argo's ship.

Behind the scenes
An image of a Fongoid is used in Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault as an icon for the online multiplayer ranking system.

Appearances

 * Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time

Non-canon

 * Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault