Richard Castle



Castle is the only son of Martha Rodgers and a man known as Jackson Hunt, and also the father of Alexis Castle. He is the partner and former fiancé, now the husband of DetectiveKate Beckett. The character is portrayed by Nathan Fillion.

History
Richard Alexander Rodgers was born to Martha Rodgers and a spy known by Castle as Jackson Hunt on April 1, 1969,[1]just after midnight. Given his birthdate, Martha called him her April Fools’ baby, and on his birthdays, she would sit him down and solemnly tell him that he was adopted before taking it back as Richard got serious, and yelling, “April Fools!”[2] His maternal grandparents had a successful "mind-reading act" on Coney Island. ("Suicide Squeeze")

Given the very active social life and short-lived career of his mother, he had grown used to his mother's antics and lifestyle to the point where he was the one taking care of his mother, who was often in trouble. He also had several nannies look after him who, on his account, spent most of their time watching daytime television, withOne Life to Live becoming the inspiration to write his first novel.

Richard never knew who his father was and initially had no intention of finding out who he was, reasoning that he never met his dad or even had a father figure in his life (which Richard jokingly denies, saying he had lots of father figures because of Martha's various relationships) so he doesn't really feel the loss. According to his biography at RichardCastle.net, Martha would always gently tell Richard on his birthdays that she had no idea who his father was, which never bothered Richard as it allowed him to imagine that his father could be anyone he wished. However, Martha also once told Richard that she "had loved a lifetime" the night she met his father. ("Suicide Squeeze") Richard becomes annoyed when his colleague Javier Esposito speculates that his father was among several that she had slept with at a time, making their dilemma like that of Mamma Mia. Police captain Roy Montgomery thinks Richard might have a little cop somewhere in his family tree. ("Suicide Squeeze")   As an adult, Richard finds it plausible that his father might be in the C.I.A., since that would explain why his father disappeared. ("Linchpin")

Rick apparently spent his days as a child in the New York City Public Library, where he had picked up his ability of speed reading and his love for classic books, mostly those by Edgar Allen Poe, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Carolyn Keene.

As a child, he had written several stories for his own, personal amusement, and sometimes for his friends, beginning with "gross" thriller stories, to non-fiction, which left Richard feeling constrained. He returned to his old imaginative thrillers which scared his school friends enough to make Rick realize his ability to manipulate human emotion as a good storyteller of thrillers. When he hit puberty, though, Richard lost all interest in reading, which then began his days of being a teenaged, stubborn boy. Eventually, obviously, he went back to his old reading and writing habits in a matter of a few apparently unremarkable years.

When Rick was in the eighth grade, he had a crush on Sherry Ort, who "broke his heart, stole his lunch money and then laughed about it with her friends. ("Fool Me Once...")

At 14, he was transferred to Edgewyck Academy. Homesick and without friends, he turned to writing. Damian Westlake, the literary magazine editor at Edgewyck, took Rick under his wing. He was the first person to recognize Rick's talent, and encouraged and mentored him. Since then, Castle had looked up to his friend as a hero. Even decades later, Castle still gets choked up as he recounts the story. Richard also claims to have been kicked out of New York's finer academic institutions at least once. ("Hedge Fund Homeboys")

In his junior year of high school, Richard had a sweet girlfriend named Lizzie, whom he broke up with. ("Anatomy of a Murder")

During his first year of college, Rick fell in love with a girl named Allison at a party, but never saw her again, even though he spent a year trying to find her. He still thinks of her often. ("Suicide Squeeze")

At one point, Rick changed his legal name to Richard Edgar Castle, with his new middle name a homage to Edgar Allan Poe.

During his college writing career, he has held the Old Haunt in high regard, seeing it as the legendary pub with the aura that helps him write. He wrote his first book, In a Hail of Bullets, in a stall in the bar. A photo of him was since then hung on the wall of fame over the booth.

In a Hail of Bullets was first rejected multiple times before Black Pawn finally published his book. Soon enough, it became a bestseller. Apparently, he blew through all the money he got for his book in a matter of just six months. Also, he kept his first rejection letter and had it framed in his home office as a reminder and for motivation.

Rick then embarks on a relationship with Kyra Blaine, Castle's apparently first true love. Although Kyra's parents strongly disapprove of Castle's relationship with their daughter, their relationship goes on for three years until Kyra decided she needed space and went to London. She apparently expected Rick to follow her, but he never did. It is evident that even years after their last encounter, they still harbor feelings for each other.

After college, Richard met Meredith, an impulsive and free-spirited actress. Richard suggests that he married the red-headed Meredith because she reminded him of his mother. ("Always Buy Retail") After their whirlwind romance, they have Alexis and get married. A little into the marriage, Meredith cheated on him with her director and moved to Malibu before asking for a divorce between them. Richard gained custody of Alexis, due to her mother's spontaneous lifestyle, and has since been raising her while Meredith travels, looking for her next career ventures, and occasionally visits to stir up trouble as Richard's deep-fried twinkie, a guilty pleasure who is over-all bad for him. Meredith thinks of Richard as a "deliciously sweet souffle" but says sooner or later souffle always fall. ("Significant Others") Not wanting a nanny to mess up raising Alexis, they never hired one and Richard took care of her himself. Although they had both agreed to no nannies, she did have the occasional babysitter, one in particular is Rina.

Also, after Alexis was born, Richard stopped going to the Old Haunt.

While writing his Derrick Storm series, he shadowed Sophia Turner, a covert operative for the CIA and his first muse ever that became the basis for the character, Clara Strike. Their relationship began much like how his and Beckett's began apparently, filled with tension and immediate intense attraction. After months of fighting the urge, the two give in eventually, but the relationship barely lasts as they realize that the only thing that could have held them together was the tension that was keeping them apart in the first place. Sophia stated that she hopes she had just never slept with him so that they could have at least kept that longing. Even after the breakup though, the pair still somehow cared for each other.

Eventually, Rick meets Gina Cowell, his book publisher and (former) agent. Martha introduced them. ("Anatomy of a Murder")  and was on good terms with Gina, unlike with Richard's first wife, Meredith. ("Always Buy Retail") Castle proposed to Gina in a hot air balloon in February. ("A Rose for Ever After") There was tension in his marriage with Gina because of Rick's tendency to keep Alexis to himself and to resent Gina's efforts to bond with his daughter. ("Anatomy of a Murder") There also apparently wasn't much sex during the marriage. ("Famous Last Words") Although much of the history of their relationship is unknown, they do marry but eventually get a divorce. The divorce settlement was costly for Castle. ("Flowers for Your Grave") Despite this, they continue to work together on Castle's books.

Meanwhile, as a family man, Richard Castle has proven himself to be a great father and son to the beloved women in his life: his daughter Alexis, who, due to her own evident maturity, acts like the parent among the duo, and his mother Martha, who Richard takes in after she is swindled by her recent ex-husband. They currently live in his large loft apartment at 595 Broome Street in Soho. ("Lucky Stiff")[3]

Castle also plays regular poker games with fellow best-selling authors James Patterson, Stephen J. Cannell,Dennis Lehane and Michael Connelly. He is also good friends with the mayor, Robert Weldon, who, because of their friendship and Robert's love for Castle's books, often heeds Castle's many requests.

Evidently, Richard Castle gained universal acclaim as a mystery writer for his Derrick Storm books, amongst his 26 bestsellers, and as a rich socialite known for his parties and rather wild lifestyle.

In 2003, Richard Castle was arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. During the incident, he stole a police horse while he was naked. The charges were dropped because of his friendship with the Mayor. ("Flowers for Your Grave"), ("Heartbreak Hotel") During one visit to The Sapphire in Atlantic City, Castle accidentally set a mattress on fire and the drapes were covered in jam. Castle recalls it as a "fun night." ("Heartbreak Hotel") He once "drank every meal for a week" after a girlfriend cheated on him, even though he didn't like her. ("Nanny McDead")

At one point, Richard realizes that he no longer enjoys writing about Derrick and he kills him off, thus ending the series, resulting in several disapproving comments among his readers and peers, many of them stating that he could have just crippled Storm instead of killing him.

Season 1
During the party celebrating the launch of Castle's latest Derrick Storm novel, his publisher, Gina, pressures him with a deadline for his next book. As much as he tries to hide and deny it, Rick was suffering from writer's block.

Coincidentally, a 'copy-cat' killer begins murdering people based on the way Rick's victims are killed in his books. This draws the attention of the NYPD Department, particularly Detective Kate Beckett, a reader of his novels who immediately noticed the pattern, so they interrogate him. This, however, sparks the curiosity of Rick, who then decides that he wants to be involved with the case since the killer is copying deaths off of his books. After the wrong suspect is arrested, Rick is still convinced that he can figure out who the true killer is, so he steals police evidence, which gives Kate permission to arrest him for a while. Rick's theories, however, begin to make sense to Kate and she begins reinvestigating, with Rick following her again. After somehow helping solve the case, he continues to be intrigued by Kate Beckett. Using his friendship with the Mayor, he is given permission by Captain Roy Montgomery to shadow Kate for research on his new series of novels about a new detective based almost entirely on Beckett, except a sluttier version with a "stripper name" Beckett does not approve of: Nikki Heat.

Eventually, after Castle's theories and stories begin to actually become helpful, she, along with the two other detectives on her team, Detectives Ryan and Esposito, begins to consider Castle as sort of her partner and a consultant for the police, although he chooses not to help with paperwork. Castle has even gone as far as having a bullet proof vest made for himself that says 'WRITER', as opposed to the others' that says 'POLICE', so he can participate in raids. For the first few months, the partnership is often strained by Castle's habit of taking police evidence, or at least pictures of them, and his luck in personally encountering the suspects and sneaking in behind breaching teams, even after Beckett constant ordering him to remain behind. More than once, his attempts to follow them have played a part in the jeopardizing a bust. Despite this, Castle's familiarity with numerous obscure subjects has allowed him to continue working with Detective Beckett on what are classified as "unusual" homicides, Castle often being able to provide further assistance and information about the current case due to his wide range of contacts assembled during his writing career and the research he has carried out during that time.

He and Beckett also began thinking in sync; they both tend to call out a theory at the same time and finish each other's sentences. Although Beckett must often step in to stop him from getting carried away with his theories when they threaten to obscure the search for the facts, his writing career has given him a knack for noting minor details in the situations they investigate.

Alexis and even Martha somehow play a part in helping Rick solve some cases. When he gets stuck, Alexis and Martha sometimes throw in some ideas for Rick, sometimes even unknowingly, which in turn actually gives him clues or new paths to follow in a case.

At one point, after realizing how bad the precinct coffee is, Richard buys the station an espresso machine, which everyone loved.When his last Derrick Storm novel, Storm Fall, is finally released, Martha is skeptical about how the book will do. She makes it her duty to search for early reviews on the book and check if anyone is buying them, particularly looking for bad news, and she passes these on to Rick, who is slightly affected, until Alexis reads to him a great review of his book from The Ledger. On his reading and book signing, he is even more reassured to find that his book was a hit. ("Hell Hath No Fury")

In "Always Buy Retail", Meredith, Castle's ex-wife, comes home to New York for what was thought to be an ordinary visit. However, Meredith announces that she wants to move back to New York for good to be with her family again. Sadly, her ex-husband and daughter are not as happy as she is about her decision because as much as they love her, they know that kind of woman Meredith can be, so they prefer loving her at a distance. Martha, who like Meredith is a struggling actress, finds out that Meredith was going to try Broadway since she was no longer getting other offers, which is the reason why she is moving back to New York. Richard, hoping to help all of them in the situation, invests in an indie feature film that was willing to offer Meredith a role, which she takes so she moves back to L.A..

Eventually, Richard begins to worry about his daughter, especially when she begins telling her about a boy she liked. Richard then begins opening up to Beckett about his worries about Alexis, and Beckett in turn gives him advice about how to handle the issues.

At one point, particularly in A Death in the Family, when he meets Alexis' date to the Junior-Senior Prom, Owen, Castle planned on scaring the boy with a costume but with his daughter and mother's warnings, he ends up not being able to carry out the scare and just videotapes them as they leave for prom. And instead of being a normal, worried parent, Richard trusts his daughter and even demands that she have fun like other kids should.

On several occasions, Rick's contacts prove helpful and surprising to his group of friends in the precinct. One in particular in this season is Sal Tenor, his connection with the mafia who he had met when he was still doing research for his Derrick Storm novels.

As Beckett and Castle spend more time together, layers of their personality begin to unravel between the two. Castle sees more of Beckett's sensitive side, especially when it comes to the way she relates with the families of the murder victims. When she finally decides to tell Castle about the unsolved death of her mother, Castle, being the curious man he is, asks Esposito for a copy of her mother's files and starts a quiet investigation of his own.Richard calls on the help of Dr. Clark Murray, a forensic pathologist he often went to for advice on the deaths in his books, to see if there was anything the previous medical examiners may have missed. Later, he comes back to report his findings to Castle, saying that there was something he saw that the original medical examiner seemed to have overlooked. He told him that the file concluded that the stab wounds were random, but he noticed that there was one stab to the kidney that was precisely twisted inside that killed her, and that the other stab wounds are for show. Looking into other files, Clark saw that there were three other stabbings with the similar method around that time that the ME also dismissed as random.

Not wanting to hide it from her if it could lead to her mother's killer, Castle tells Beckett, despite her warnings that if Castle meddled further into her past, particularly her mother's death, their little 'partnership' is over.

Season 2
In the season two premiere, "Deep in Death", it is obvious that Rick's decision to touch the death of Beckett's mom created a huge barrier between them, and Rick seemed to have kept his distance, but Kate has no choice, but to continue putting up with him, especially when the mayor has them more committed to their deal when a Cosmopolitan article about Rick's new book, Heat Wave, and the involvement of the NYPD offers good press and publicity for the police for a change. Just then, a murder occurs and the two are forced back into action as they are shadowed by the journalist still covering their story.

Richard apologizes to Kate for the disturbance and, when Kate keeps up with her bitter responses, reminds her that she should not be so angry at him since he did discover something on her mother's murder, but she shrugs this all off. It is evident that Lanie is aware of what Castle did and is siding with Kate, until she finds out that Castle found something wrong in her mother's file. And while Esposito and Ryan know, they choose not to choose sides and just content themselves with laughing by the sidelines. After the body is stolen in Castle and Lanie's presence, Beckett agrees to let Castle work that one last case with them, and that he will leave her alone after that. He agrees, but he also adds that he will most likely let her change her mind.After the case is closed, Richard reminds Kate of her mother's case again, saying that if she is afraid of going back to her old habits if she investigates her mother's death again, she shouldn't be because he will help her. Kate retorts that she is afraid of possibly catching the culprit and watching him walk away if he/she is not convicted. She then asks Richard to honor their deal and leave. Richard goes home to his daughter, who opens up about her own teenage problems. She asks him why boys always have to justify their mistakes and don't just apologize, making Richard realize what his mistake was. He goes back to the precinct and apologizes to Kate, who responds with their classic "See you tomorrow" as Castle walks away, signifying that the partnership is back on.

In The Double Down, Rick sees Lanie in a dress for the first time. He checks her out and Lanie calls him out for it. Later, Ryan and Esposito begin acting strange when Castle begins asking questions about a separate murder case that they are investigating. Ryan and Esposito, who seem to show that they do not need Castle's help on solving their case, barely share any information to him. When Castle says that it must be just an ordinary case, the pair becomes defensive, so Castle gets into a bet with Ryan and Esposito regarding which team would be able to close their cases first. Other officers in the precinct get wind of it and they eventually join in. Hiding it from Beckett did not work since she later finds out; initially mad, Beckett later joins in, not knowing that, other than money, their hairs and daily attires are at stake. None of them win though, since both teams end up helping each other close their cases, anyway. In Inventing the Girl, Rick is approached by a model in a fashion week event he and Beckett were investigating. He assumes the girl was flirting with him, not realizing that it was actually Katrina, Alexis' old babysitter. When he finds out, he is shocked and obviously disappointed, shuddering when the boys tease him about the model, saying that they should stop talking about young girls that way since they could be someone's daughter or babysitter. He later invites her to his loft so that she and Alexis could reconnect.

For publicity purposes, Rick gives the reporter from the Cosmopolitan magazine an advanced copy of Heat Wave so they can publish a review before its release. Rick later finds out that Beckett is upset that he didn't give her, the main inspiration of Nikki Heat, an advanced copy, so Rick bends the rules to convince his editor to let her have one. After receiving the copy, Kate later pretends to not have began reading the book yet, but she has already in act read a part of it. Later, when she finds out there is a sex scene in the book, she waits for Castle to leave and reads it in one of the stalls in the precinct's toilet, only to be caught by Castle, who directs her to the page of the sex scene.

In "When the Bough Breaks", Rick was offered to write three novels for the relaunch of a franchise revolving around "a certain British secret agent", unnamed because Castle and his agent claimed that saying the name would jinx the deal, that he was apparently a fan of. Castle initially thought that Beckett might be relieved that he will no longer shadow her; however, it actually became evident that Beckett seemed upset about the thought of no longer having Castle around when he moves onto another book series. In the end, though, he and his agent decide to reject the offer when Nikki Heat became a hit, leaving his publisher wanting three more books and offering him more money. The fact that the "certain British secret agent" deal would have terminated his partnership with Beckett may have also contributed to his decision.

In "Sucker Punch", while attempting to catch the killer responsible for the death of Beckett's mother, Castle willingly donated $100,000 of his own money to set up a fake dead drop to try and lure the killer out so that he could be caught, subsequently offering to terminate his partnership with Beckett after she was forced to shoot the real killer – revealed to be a contract assassin who wouldn't disclose the identity of the person who hired him – in order to save his life, although Beckett rejected the offer on the grounds that Castle made her hard job more fun.

Personality
Castle is often pointed out as immature and childish, yet also charming. He is a well-renowned womanizer and tends to flirt with every attractive woman he comes across, even signing some chests of his fans.

One of Rick's pet peeves is, being the writer he is, wrong grammar, particularly the misuse of irony and coincidence which he almost always points out.

Although initially portrayed as relatively jocular and slightly immature about his role in investigations, Castle has demonstrated significant character depth as the series progresses. While a skilled investigator with a knack for noting minor details in the situations they investigate, such as when he noted that rent for a victim's apartment would have been paid for after her death, there are times when Beckett has to step in to stop him becoming carried away with wild theories that threaten to obscure the facts; as an example, he once speculated that Doctor Joshua Leeds had been killed for his involvement in an organ-smuggling ring before they discovered that he was wanted for plastic surgery he had performed for someone in witness protection.

An unanswered question is the source of Castle's interest in murder mysteries. Long before he started following Beckett, he was known as the "Master of the Macabre".
 * In "Vampire Weekend", it is suggested that Castle's interest in death, murder, and the macabre may be the result of witnessing a childhood trauma. When confronted several times about it by Beckett, Castle merely found ways to avoid the question. Later, he tells Beckett a story of a son of one of his old nannies in the Hamptons who he apparently found dead. However, as soon as he tells the story, he admits it's fiction. Later in the episode, he admits to his daughter that one of the reasons he writes is to try and understand how criminals could do the things they do.


 * In "3XK" though, when Tyson explores Castle's morbid curiosity, it is hinted that this curiosity comes from Rick's suppressed impulses which he then just puts into writing, insinuating that he is drawn to death because it thrills him for some unknown reason. When Tyson comes back in Probable Cause, he says that it is not unlikely that Castle would have began killing anyway, since he had already killed several people in his mind every day when he writes his books. This is never confirmed or denied by Castle, though.
 * In "Close Encounters of the Murderous Kind", he told Ashley's parents that he enjoys studying the psychology of people doing evil and inexplicable things, but was also trying to impress them at the time.
 * He told Beckett (and, it is implied, Sophia Turner) that he is in it for "the story".
 * In "Target", we find out that Castle has a very dark side when it comes to the people he loves when they are in danger, even willing to resort to torture if that's what it takes to get information out of a suspect.

Appearance
Richard Castle has apparently been described often as "ruggedly handsome," an attribute that several ladies have fallen for. He has blue eyes and dark brown hair. He often wears a coat or jacket over his shirt.

Rick is also apparently often included in the annual list New York Ledger's Top Ten Most Eligible Bachelors. As of The Third Man, Rick was ranked number 9, dropping from his previous ranking, number 7.

Abilities
In addition to Castle's knowledge of a multitude of topics, he has also demonstrated a high level of marksmanship and personal defensive training, even out-shooting Beckett on a range as part of a bet after previously missing three shots on purpose then getting three in the 10-ring.

During a confrontation with serial killer Scott Dunn, Castle even managed to shoot his gun out of Dunn's hand before he could shoot at the currently-downed Beckett, although Castle claimed after Dunn's arrest that he'd actually been aiming for the other man's head. He beat Hal Lockwood into submission and fought off Dick Coonan despite being held at gunpoint; both were hardened, trained, professional killers. In "Probable Cause", Rick was able to shoot Jerry Tyson in the chest even while he was using Beckett as a body shield. In "Tick, Tick, Tick…", he operated a taser with proficiency, so it is shown he is at least familiar with basic police weaponry.

Castle is also an expert fencer and frequently duels with Alexis. Castle's flashes of startling competence in combat is at odds with the fact that he's typically fairly inept in a fight.

Castle is also shown (albeit off screen) to know torture techniques. When Alexis is kidnapped in  "Target", Castle interrogates Douglas Stevens, who refuses to tell him anything. We later hear Stevens' screams offscreen, then find out that he gave Castle the information.

Castle also happens to be very good at Texas Hold'Em Poker, priding himself with his almost unreadable poker face.

Kate Beckett

 * Main article for the relationship between Castle and Beckett here

Castle's relationship with Beckett began as a rocky, forced partnership when Rick decided to shadow her for his Nikki Heat novels. From the beginning, being the womanizer he used to be, Rick had tried to flirt with and woo the detective, who just continuously rejected his advances. Eventually, though, after several solved cases together, they form a bond and friendship that consisted of constant teasing and banters, which others around them usually easily pick up on. Their friendship gradually develops even further until they both have more serious feelings for each other, but are at different stages of admitting it. They eventually do and start a romantic relationship.About a year later Castle proposes to her and she says 'Yes',they plan a big wedding but on their wedding day,Castle gets kidnapped leaving Beckett to search for him for two whole months before he is found in the ocean on a small boat.But he does not remember what happened to him.After another few months they get married in an intamate ceremony attended by only Martha,Alexis and her father Jim Beckett.

Others
Kyra Blaine

Kyra is Richard Castle's first true love; the girl that Richard describes as "the one that got away". During college, just after finishing his first best-seller, Rick meets Kyra Blaine and pursues a relationship with her. Although Kyra's parents strongly disapprove of Castle for their daughter, apparently because of his lack of character, their relationship goes on for almost three years. At one point in their relationship, Kyra decided that she needed space. Their last moment together was spent dancing under the clock at Grand Central Station before her trip to JFK for her flight to London. She apparently expected Rick to follow her, but he never did.

During their separation, Kyra has apparently read all of Rick's books. One of his books, A Rose for Everafter, was actually dedicated to Kyra. He also kept the original manuscript of the book, with one old photo of them tucked into it.

Years after their last meeting, Rick and Kyra cross paths again during Kyra's postponed marriage to Greg when a murder requires the presence of NYPD and Richard Castle. It is evident that even years after their last encounter, they still harbor feelings for each other. As the two catch up, they wonder what it would have been like for the two of them if they continued their relationship. Kyra contemplates the possibility that the murder and Rick's appearance is a sign that she shouldn't go through with her wedding plans.

One night, the two rendezvous at their 'secret roof' after Beckett and Martha dissuade him from coming to her, not knowing that Beckett was having Kyra under surveillance. The two reminisce about their past and Kyra tells Castle that she will still be thinking about him from time to time. The two then shares a long, final kiss.

According to a conversation they had, it also seems like the two have at least once thought about their future, wherein when marriage is considered, Kyra calls it a "Jurassic institution." Obviously, this has changed since she eventually decided to get married.

In episode "A Rose for Everafter", when Kyra's fiancée Greg becomes a suspect for the murder, Castle initially seems intent on pinning him as the killer, but when he realizes that Greg really loves Kyra, he tells her about it and supports them, clearing both of them from the suspects of murder. Receiving Castle's comments that Greg is fully committed to her, Kyra completes her closure with Castle, and happily leaves him all to Beckett (though somehow stunned her a bit).

Afterwards, Castle and Beckett attends Kyra and Greg's small wedding ceremony, where Kyra intentionally gives her blessings to Castle and Beckett.

Sophia Turner

Sophia Turner is Rick Castle's first muse. When he was doing research for his Derrick Storm novels, he was given permission to shadow the CIA agent. For a while, there had been this intense attraction and tension between the two. After months of fighting the longing and urge, the two finally give in and try a relationship. It does not last though, since the two ended up "driving each other crazy" now that the sexual tension is gone between them.

Twelve and a half years later, while Rick is now pursuing a relationship with Kate Beckett, Rick and Sophia cross paths again in the CIA headquarters. Kate almost immediately picks up on their past and notices how similar their ways are to their own, such as finishing each other's sentences, building theories together like no one else was around them, and Richard's habit of bringing both of them coffee.

His Derrick Storm character Clara Strike is based on Sophia Turner. But according to Castle, she only began as Sophia Turner but he ended up changing her into what he would have wanted her to continue to be: a woman more like Kate Beckett, which is most likely what Sophia was talking about when she said Rick "rewrote their ending".

Meredith

Meredith was Rick's first wife and is the mother of his only child, Alexis. Surprisingly, Richard is the mature one between the two of them, given Meredith's lifestyle that eventually led to their divorce. However, Meredith still constantly pops into their lives, and most likely during every visit, Richard tends to sleep with her, although both are aware that their relationship is now nothing more than that of ex-couples having sex.

When Meredith once considered moving back to New York, Richard became fearful of the idea of having Meredith back in his and Alexis' life, saying that she is like a "deep-fried twinkie" who is bad for his health when he gets too much of her everyday. Eventually, though, she decides to go back on the road after she gets a project (with a little help from Richard's friend), and the family part ways in good terms.

Meredith and Rick keep track of their "Top 10" best sex. So far, those enumerated by Castle and Meredith were those they had in Paris, Kauai in Hawaii, Yankee Stadium, 'that place in the Poconos', Mykonos, Coney Island, Staten Island, in a hot air balloon, Westminster Dog Show and the night they made Alexis, with their latest not making the list. ("Always Buy Retail")

Meredith compares being married to Castle to a "deliciously sweet souffle," full of romance and excitement, but said their marriage ended because Castle never let her get to know him as well as he knew her. "Souffles are wonderful but sooner or later, they always fall," she said. ("Significant Others")

Gina Cowell
 * Main article: Gina Cowell

Gina Cowell is Richard's second ex-wife, his current publisher and his former book agent. Rick proposed to her on a February evening on a hot air balloon. Although this relationship is not explored further, apparently, Gina is too high maintenance for Rick, while Gina is also often frustrated by Rick's sheltering of Alexis from Gina. Also, the couple often fight and, according to Rick, their relationship didn't involve much sex. Even after their divorce, the two continue to work together for his books.

At one point, the manuscript for Rick's second book is due so Gina is pestering Rick to hurry it along. One night, after his offer to go to the Hamptons is rejected by Kate, who seemed genuinely happy with Tom Demming at the time to Castle, Rick and Gina talk on the phone about his book deadline and end up talking for hours, just like old times. They rekindle their relationship and go to the Hamptons for the summer.

The relationship lasts for a while too, until they go back to their old fighting habits. Once, they argue when Gina buys Alexis and Ashley tickets to the Taylor Swift concert which Rick also bought separately. Then, in "Poof! You're Dead", their very loud and public argument in a restaurant is publicized on the paper, and so the detectives at the 12th precinct find out about their relationship problems. The two eventually break up again, through phone, but in seemingly good terms, after mutually realizing that they are no longer in love.

In the episode, "Limelight", trouble occurs when the tabloids that Castle is getting back together with Gina after allegedly witnessing Castle and Gina "cuddling" and Castle "gazing lovingly in her eyes", causing Beckett to (amusingly) question Castle about his "committment to the engagement".

Serena Kaye

Madison Queller

An old friend of Kate Beckett's, she met the team when a chef at her restaurant was murdered. Castle and Madison went on a date, but it was interrupted when Kate came to interrogate Madison after new evidence arose incriminating her as a suspect in the case, and the date was apparently never attempted again.

Jacinda

Jacinda (last name unknown) is a first-class flight attendant Castle met during his weekend return flight from Las Vegas. She's also Castle's date for one episode only. Her presence was mainly for revenge against Kate Beckett, who broke Castle's heart when she stated in the previous episode (47 Seconds; unknown to her, overheard by Castle) that she remember everything after she's been shot, including Castle's declaration of love, to which she shown no response, and known by Castle as "doesn't remember".

Jacinda first appeared in episode 4x20 (The Limey), soon after Beckett and Lanie discuss about Castle's recent behaviours, and Lanie states that Castle has changed himself to wait for Beckett, and precisely after Lanie persuaded her to respond to his declaration immediately. But when the duo arrived at their crime scene for their next case, they were surprised when they spotted Castle in his Farrari with Jacinda, and Castle says to Jacinda to call her in an hour. Lanie quickly excused herself, leaving Beckett coping with Castle's situation, to which she describes as, "like watching a bad episode of Miami Vice", and says Castle like been "hit by a truck". Castle responds by saying there are "no bad episodes", and hit by a "truckload of awesome", indicating (directly to Beckett) that their relationship might be serious. Beckett asks Castle if he's all right, Castle says "Never better." Leaving Beckett in shock and confused of Castle's actions.

Jacinda later shows at the 12th precinct as Castle's lunch date, after turning his role of interrogation to Colin. The excuse was made perfectly, but Beckett still realized something's wrong, further confusing her. And later in the lab, when Lanie realised Castle's missing and asked, Beckett sarcastically points out Castle's on a "lunch date" with Jacinda, saying he's "probably trying to rack up his frequent flyer miles".

The next mention of Jacinda was after Beckett and Colin's undercover at the British Consulate. While discussing the number found at the crime scene, Castle mentioned solving the number with Jacinda - which is a part of the police document that's not allowed to civilian eyes, which slightly annoys Beckett, despite Castle says that he only took phone photos, and that Jacinda's a good crime-solver and has solved the number's origin over their dinner date.

Beckett then finds Castle in the coffee room, where she says that Castle shouldn't share police files to outsiders, and gets suspicious when she notices how defending Castle is of Jacinda. They were repairing to further the discussion when they were interrupted by Ryan with newfound leads.

Last mentioning of Jacinda was in the aftermath after the case closes, and Colin departs for London. Beckett attempts to talk to Castle, but he refused (directly, in fact), saying Jacinda has double-parked his Farrari in the loading zone. Beckett finally expresses to Castle that he likes Jacinda with his four dates in three days, and says that Jacinda may not be his type of girl. Castle replies that Jacinda is "fun and uncomplicated", and is "just the person" his life "needs right now", in direct contrast to Beckett's personality and her keeping secrets. This statement left Beckett broken, yet still unaware of the reason of Castle's actions.

No further contacts is known between Castle and Jacinda. It is likely they broke up afterwards.

Martha Rodgers
Martha is Castle (originally Richard Rodgers)'s mother. Richard has quite a complicated relationship with his mother. Although it seems like the relationship has not always been good, this has improved over the years after she moved into his apartment. They both look out for each other and, although are not very vocal about it, seem to love each other dearly Martha provides Richard with various wisdom and valuable lessons on human life, Richard's responsibility as a father, and relationship sustaining.

In the beginning, when Richard first volunteered to shadow Kate Beckett, she has been occasionally providing various advice to keep Richard and Kate close. After Kate's shooting, she constantly urges Richard to confess his love to Kate "before it's too late". After Kate's secret is out (47 Seconds), Martha said to Richard that love cannot be turned on/off whenever one wants. A statement that turns out to be true in the end (Always).

The next morning (After the Storm), when Martha bursts in and Kate hiding in the closet, it turns out later (Secret's Safe with Me) that Martha knew Kate was in the closet and their relationship all along. Before Richard proposes to Beckett (Watershed), he doubted whether their relationship will last. Martha notices, and told him that he always runs away in a relationship on his first setback, and question him about his doubt, thus removing him of any doubt he have. and resolving him to propose to Kate.

After the proposal, Martha still provides care to Richard and Kate. And constantly provides different new insights to relationships.

She and Alexis often (and maybe inadvertently) provide keywords or clues that would lead to case-solvings or breakthroughs, mainly via their everyday conversations.

Alexis Castle
Alexis is Richard's daughter from his first marriage with Meredith. Richard raised Alexis closely and very well. Richard often wonders how he raised a 'perfect' daughter and sometimes wants to let her get into trouble, but also often becomes very protective of her, like when he saw her with two friends in skimpy revealing costumes at Super Nova-Con in The Final Frontier.

Alexis and Richard have had an ongoing game of laser tag since she was 5 years old. Thirteen years later, Richard finally wins with his 1,000 points and the game is over, much to their dismay since it somehow symbolized the end of Alexis' childhood before she moves onto college. Not wanting it to end, the father-daughter tandem decide to go for another round.

Alexis is the reason Richard revealed his extreme dark side. When Alexis was kidnapped (Target), after tracking down Douglas Stevens, Richard demonstrated his skill of torture, and forced Stevens to give up the safe house where Alexis is being held.

Alexis' new boyfriend, Pi, after her trip to Costa Rica caused tension between them. Later she moves out with Pi (Time Will Tell). and after visiting Pi's apartment (Get A Clue), their connection has come to a hiatus until weeks later, during Frank Henson's murder trial (Like Father, Like Daughter), when they reconnected and solved the murder case.

Afterwards, during Thanksgiving reunion (The Good, The Bad & The Baby), she was stunned to see her father, Kate and Martha feeding a baby.

Alexis is very much a helper in her father and Kate's cases. She and Martha often (and usually inadvertently) provide keywords or clues that would lead to case-solvings or breakthroughs, mainly through their daily casual conversations.

Castle's Father
As a child, he never knew who his father was and had no intention of finding out who his father was, reasoning that he wouldn't have anything to look for since he never met him. Martha would always gently tell Richard on his birthdays that she had no idea who his father was, which never bothered Richard as it allowed him to imagine that his father could be anyone he wished. He was raised believing that his father was among several that she had slept with at a time, making their dilemma like that one of Mamma Mia, as often pointed out by his colleagues.

Captain Montgomery has speculated that Castle's knack for police work may come from someone in his family. In Linchpin, Sophia suggests that Castle's father was connected with the CIA in a position of an adequate rank to get Castle access a writer would never normally be given. Although Castle claims he isn't interested in pursuing the mystery of his father's identity, Sophia's little hint drop about his father obviously awakened his curiosity about his father.

Richard discovers who his father is in season five's Hunt. The man introduces himself to Richard as Jackson Hunt, a name he admits is fake but for Richard and his family's safety, he cannot reveal his real name. Hunt tells Richard that he is an international spy or "intelligence asset", as Hunt prefers to be called. Though he had to stay at a safe distance, Hunt tells him he was always watching and, though Richard had no knowledge of this, he helped him gain access to the CIA for novel research. Richard did meet him when he was about ten in the library, Hunt gave him a copy of Casino Royale, the book that would inspire Richard to become a writer.

Esposito & Ryan
Richard has developed a strong bond with these two detectives. Initially, they act indifferently towards him, although amused at his and Beckett's spark, but eventually warm up to Castle and actually even look forward to his stories and theories about their cases. Eventually, they form what seems like a brotherhood that Kate and Lanie once referred to as "Sex and the City, but with boys." All three men have been going undercover or head to places during cases like Heartbreak Hotel and The Way of the Ninja except they always get thrown out.

In "Den of Thieves", Esposito introduces Ryan and Castle to his former partner, Ike Thornton, as his new partners.

In "A Deadly Affair", after Richard left for the Hamptons for a whole summer, they are evidently upset when they find out that Rick was already back in town, but didn't bother to call the precinct.

In "Cops & Robbers", although they normally have no involvement with "10-30" robbery calls, they do so in this one case because Castle is among the hostages being held in the bank.

In An Embarrassment of Bitches, the three of them seem to argue on who gets the dog food.

In "Probable Cause", although trying to be professionals doing their jobs as detectives by investigating thoroughly, when Castle is pointed out as the suspect to a murder, their main intention during the investigation was trying to look for evidence that Castle is innocent. Even after all the evidence began piling up against him, they still could not believe that their friend could have done such a thing, so they decided to help him, and Beckett continue investigating Jerry Tyson after Castle's escape from police custody.

After Kate forced them to read Rick Castle's books in the pilot episode, the two are since then sometimes seen reading or holding a book by Castle. Ryan even seemed to have become a fan, once saying that Rick's idea of bringing back Derrick Storm is bad since he was just beginning to accept his death[4], and later begins to talk crimes in a Castle-similar tone, giving a called "Castle-esque theory" (Heroes and Villains) and a wild speculation (Cops & Robbers).

In Law & Boarder, Castle choose the two to be his groomsmen.

Lanie Parish
Lanie and Rick first meet when the body of the third copycat murder is found. Richard shows off his knowledge of medical terms and Lanie compliments the details of death in Rick's writing.

Lanie is one of the first people to pick up on Rick and Kate's attraction and the first to actually point it out to Kate. She has shown to be very supportive of their relationship and has been rooting for them since the beginning, although being a friend of Kate, she also wants what would make her friend happy so when Rick seems to be pursuing other things, Lanie gives Kate advice on dating other men.

Jenny Ryan
Castle and Jenny first met when she came to the precinct to meet the gang. Jenny told Rick that Ryan gave her his copy of Heat Wave and how she couldn't put it down.

On Ryan's wedding day, Rick compliments how beautiful Jenny look in her wedding dress.

Roy Montgomery
Castle got along well with the former captain of the 12th Precinct. Initially only allowing Castle to shadow the detectives because of his deal with the mayor, he eventually softens up to him and begins to enjoy having him around, even seeing his input as helpful to their cases. He also sees and likes the effect he has on Beckett. Montgomery trusts Castle with Beckett's well-being and, as his dying wish from Castle, even asked him to keep Beckett away from them for a while as he faces off Hal Lockwood.

Robert Weldon
Mayor Weldon is a friend of Rick Castle who helps bail him out of trouble. Castle often uses his friendship with the mayor to his advantage, one of which is the permission to continue working with the NYPD homicide detectives at the 12th Precinct, initially only for research purposes.

When the mayor became a suspect in the murder of Laura Cambridge, Castle never believed that he could be capable of such an act and stood up for him no matter how much it put him and Beckett at odds. When the mayor was proven innocent, he tells Rick that his career is over because of the bad publicity the case had given him, and Richard is dismayed.

Other
Victoria Gates

Months after Montgomery's funeral, Gates took over as the new Captain of the 12th. She instantly dislikes Castle, seeing him as a "dilettante writer playing cop" and has him kicked out of the precinct. When Castle later talks to the mayor about it, she is infuriated but is forced to allow Castle back into the precinct. Although Gates does not approve of Castle's methods, she seems to see that his contributions are somehow useful, although she does not openly admit to it.

At one point, Castle gives Gates a rare Gemini doll which she collects and, for a short while, gets on Gates' good side. However, Castle ends up destroying two of her dolls for the case they were working on, so she is back to hating Castle again. However, in recent episodes, she has seemed to have warmed up to Castle, especially in 'Still', as she remarked he was brave to stay with Beckett while people were trying to disarm a bomb she was standing on.

Michael Smith

Months after Montgomery's funeral, Castle was contacted by Mr. Smith. Apparently, Montgomery told Smith that Castle could be trusted, so Smith tells him about the file against Bracken in his possession and their deal. Castle asks him to keep Beckett away from investigating the case any further so that they could keep her safe. Castle secretly met him twice in person in a dark parking lot when Castle asks for his help on the mayor's case, and he provides Castle with a subtle clue on who was truly responsible for the death being framed on Robert.

Castle and Beckett were later able to find Smith. Finding Smith tortured (by Cole Maddox), they are forced to look for the file on their own, with only a number murmured by Smith to lead them. They eventually find the file and find out about Senator Bracken. When they try to talk to Smith about helping them against Bracken, he tells them that he no longer wants to help since it would put him in even more danger than he already is; his fears were true, proven when he is later killed.

Damian Westlake Damian Westlake is Castle's old friend from boarding school. They knew each other since Castle was 14 years old at Edgewyck Academy, when he was homesick and friendless. He first met him when he was submitting his journal at school to the school magazine, with Westlake as the publisher, and he not only published Castle's journal, but also encouraged him to continue writing.

Westlake is a writer, and though his works were never published, he was, as Castle described him, a hero-like figure and the one person that inspired him to be a formal writer. Castle stated that if it wasn't for Damian Westlake, he'd be "a lawyer, a grifter, or a rodeo clown, but not a writer". His faith in Westlake never wavered since then.

He contacted Richard Castle during his wife, Victoria Westlake's murder case, and Castle was very painful to see Beckett, the lead investigator, put Westlake as prime suspect.

is unshaking faith in Westlake caused a rift between him and Beckett, as the murder case relates to the other murder case of Westlake's father that occurred 20 years ago: the case was never resolved and the police named Westlake was the prime suspect. Beckett told Castle to go home as he was too emotional on this case. Castle angrily left the 12th precinct, and he started to conduct research of his own. He talked to Westlake and asking about his father's murder. Westlake states that he was innocent, and asks Castle to help grant him a chance like he granted him. [[File:20142191498218.jpg|thumb|220x220px|Damian Westlake arrested]

Castle reconciled with Beckett the next day and they commenced the investigation, where his faith in Westlake was tested when the financial records shown that Westlake wasted all his own inherited money, then went on using his wife's money on expensive stuff, and that their prenup states if Victoria was dead, Westlake receive $10 million. The faith was further tested when Castle found out Westlake was cheating on his wife with the receptionist at the Verick club. As Beckett tries to convince Castle that the friend he placed his faith in didn't exist, the police arrested Damian Westlake and brought him to the precinct. During the interrogation, Westlake repeatedly stated that he didn't kill his wife, but Beckett didn't believe him. Westlake was eventually incarcerated and Castle was devastated.

With counsel from his mother, Castle pressed the investigation and visited Westlake in his cell, where he learned that Westlake and Victoria went into a fight and she sent him an envelope containing their divorce paper. Castle subsequently located Blanca, the delivery person in charge, and she tells Beckett, Ryan and Esposito that she saw Victoria alive after Westlake left for game with his friend, to which Beckett has no way of counter-statements but to agree that Westlake didn't kill Victoria, and Castle was joyous to see Westlake released. However, even so, she still believes that Westlake hired other people to commit her murder. For her suspicions on Westlake was based on him being a suspect in his father's murder case, Castle took matter into his own hands and started investigating the Phillip Westlake murder case.

Beckett and Castle split up the investigation. During Beckett's investigation she discovered that Westlake stole his wife's ring and coordinated with an appraiser to swap 26 of her jewelry with fake ones. She initially thought the reason Westlake killed Victoria to gain $10 million additional money, but was proved wrong when Westlake shown her the jewelry he'd hidden, and she grudgingly admit that Westlake wasn't the killer. Ryan and Esposito's investigation on Simon Campbell paid off - the security system of their house recorded someone exiting the house. They staked out at the house and discovered Campbell with another woman, and they brought them both in for questioning.

Meanwhile, Castle enlisted Alexis' help with Phillip Westlake's case, and he suddenly came across a familiar face. He contacted the retired detective Ray Salazar, and provided him with new leads that pointed at Michael Rutherford, a scholarship student at Castle's school, a clever but sociopathic person, and a thief, and Westlake turned Rutherford in for stealing. Westlake and Rutherford weren't friends, but they run in same circles. And Castle, suspecting Rutherford murdered Westlake's father both for Westlake's money and for revenge, asked Salazar to investigate Rutherford in Phillip Westlake's murder.

Both investigation concluded and both Castle and Beckett discovered Victoria's killer. After a confrontation with Campbell and Patenelli, it was revealed that Amber Patenelli was the actual killer of Westlake's wife, for refusing not to reconcile with Campbell, thus clearing Westlake from her murder.

However, the results of Castle's investigation on Phillip Westlake's murder case revealed another truth. Castle met Westlake in his house, where Westlake was getting ready to leave for Barcelona, and stated him the case. Michael Rutherford was the one murdered Phillip Westlake and has been arrested. However, Rutherford's confession revealed more painful truth - that Westlake cut a deal with Rutherford and they co-conspired to break into Phillip's house and murder him in order for Westlake to inherit his father's possessions. And when the police caught Rutherford, they also found the Rolex watch and map of Phillip's house Westlake provided him in the plot. Castle's faith in Westlake shattered into cold disappointment when he didn't answer Castle's ask for denial. As detective Salazar and the police came to arrest him for the conspiracy, Castle told Westlake that he told the police that Westlake will surrender peacefully. Westlake sat on his couch, alone, awaiting the arrest.

Castle leaves the house and witnesses Westlake's arrest with undisguised pain on his face.

Trivia

 * Castle changed his name to Richard Edgar Castle because he thought it sounded better and changed his middle name to Edgar in honor of Edgar Allan Poe. His birth name is Richard Alexander Rodgers.
 * Castle's stated his safe word' is "apples"

Development
According to Fillion, the character's name "Rick Castle" was intended to sound "like you're saying 'Rich Asshole'," and executive producer Andrew W. Marlowe confirmed that "'it's certainly a way when you're yelling his name for it to sound a little bit like...' a profanity." The actor also describes Castle as "a bit of a douche" with "a bit of a Peter Pan Syndrome" stemming from a lack of "real male adult role model[s] in his life."[6]

Marlowe explained that he designed Castle's character as one that presents a "storytelling point of view" as a counterpoint to Beckett's evidence-based policework.[7] On casting Fillion to fill the role, Marlowe describedCastle as "the right vehicle for the right personality."[8] He also acknowledged the similarity between the Castle/Beckett relationship and the Booth-Brennan relationship of Bones