Alister Azimuth

General Alister Azimuth is the anti-heroic tritagonist of Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time. He was a revered, yet rebellious leader of the Lombaxes. The Court of Azimuth was designed by him, and he was a childhood friend of Kaden. He was a Four-Bolt Magistrate of the Lombax Praetorian Guard and also an elder councilman of the Center for Advanced Lombax Research.

Azimuth possessed a variety of equipment including a Praetorian OmniWrench, Hoverboots, and a pocket watch containing a picture of him and Kaden. Azimuth also had his own ship, which looked similar to the Aphelion.

History

Early life

Alister was best friends with Kaden and as children they had many adventures together in the Breegus System, notably hoverbooting on Krell Canyon. As they grew older Kaden had a son and presumably joined Alister in the Center for Advanced Lombax Research and Lombax Praetorian Guard.

Exile

“	For my crimes...I was forbidden from joining the Lombaxes. And so...I live in exile.	„
	~ Alister speaks of his exile

Later, the Lombaxes were approached by an inventor who, unknown to them, was Percival Tachyon. He possessed ideas for technology considerably more advanced than what they were using at the time. Despite warnings from Kaden to do otherwise, Azimuth helped the inventor by giving him access to Lombax technology, believing it could repair the galaxy from the Great War.

Tachyon instead would use this technology to crush Fastoon and build his new empire. The General held himself responsible for the attack as well as the deaths of Kaden and hundreds of Lombaxes. When the Lombaxes escaped, Azimuth was forbidden from joining them and was exiled. He would eventually find himself in the Breegus System on Torren IV. From this point on, Alister began gathering information about the Great Clock, hoping it could undo his mistake.

Rebellion and skirmishes with Nefarious

A few decades later Doctor Nefarious rose to power in the Polaris Galaxy. Alister had many confrontations with the doctor and his henchman Lord Vorselon. Despite being captured briefly by Vorselon, Azimuth managed to destroy one of Nefarious's transports, and an outpost in the Korthos Sector belonging to Vorselon.

Meeting Ratchet

“	No.. It can't be... You're Kaden's son.	„
	~ Azimuth realises who the "assassin" is

When Azimuth first met Ratchet, he initially thought that the young Lombax was an assassin wearing a Holo-Guise who had been sent by either Vorselon or Nefarious to kill him. Ratchet chased him, and when he caught up, Azimuth recognized Ratchet as Kaden's son.

Azimuth spoke with Ratchet about the Great Clock, and taught Ratchet how to use hoverboots. Afterwards Alister told Ratchet to meet him in Axiom City on planet Terachnos, where they could find a way to talk to Clank in the Great Clock.

He and Ratchet infiltrated Pollyx Industries, a company specializing in Zoni technology, and discovered that the last remaining Obsidian Eye in the universe was located in Krell Canyon on Lumos. After battling and defeating a VX-99 sent by Dr. Nefarious they set off for Lumos.

On Lumos, Azimuth explained the story of his exile to Ratchet. He also revealed his plan to gain control of the Great Clock and prevent his actions from leading to the vanishing of the Lombaxes and the death of Ratchet's parents. He promised Ratchet that he would help him get his family back.

Conflict over the Clock

When Ratchet and Clank learned that the Great Clock could rip apart reality if misused, they unsuccessfully attempted to dissuade Azimuth from using it. Azimuth became upset, and the general left in his ship. After Ratchet and Clank defeated Dr. Nefarious, Azimuth saved them just before the ship they were standing on collided with the Nefarious Space Station.

The three of them flew to the Great Clock where Clank requested to stay to protect the facility. Still intent on using the Clock, Azimuth asked Ratchet about the Lombaxes. Ratchet replied that they'd moved on, but said that the past should not be changed, backing out of Azimuth's plan.

Frustrated and outraged that Ratchet no longer wanted to "save" the Lombaxes, Azimuth shot Ratchet with an energy blast from his wrench, killing him. Azimuth raced Clank to the Orvus Chamber, but the robot managed to seal it off before he could reach it.

Inside, thanks to advice given to him by the plumber, Clank shifted time six minutes into the past and prevented Ratchet from being hit by Azimuth's blast.

Duel at the Orvus Chamber and Death

Pursued by Ratchet and Clank, Azimuth raced to the Orvus Chamber and activated a time shift to prevent the attack on Fastoon. Ratchet then fought him to prevent the destruction of the universe. Upon his defeat, Ratchet told Alister that the Great Clock wasn't a time machine—it was only meant to keep time and space intact.

Realizing his mistake, Alister bid Ratchet a final farewell and used his wrench to move the damaged master switch, reversing the massive wave of quantum energy reverting time back to its normal flow. Though he was successful, the resulting final blast of energy killed Alister. Alister's Praetorian OmniWrench was taken by Ratchet and put on the wall of his garage along with his other weaponry.

Legacy

In Ratchet and Clank: Into the Nexus, the Lombax History Wing of the Intergalactic Museum of History, there is a statue of him near Ratchet and Clank's, explaining while some of the galaxy's population sees him as a villain who put the entire universe in inter-dimensional danger for his own selfish reasons, other see him as a hero whose only crime is to give Tachyon access to the Lombax Archives, which resulted in the start of Percival's Cragmite Empire and all he wanted is to correct that mistake that he made in the past.

Personality

“	Alister Azimuth. He was a great Lombax, until shame and anger got the best of him...	„
	~ Docent 427 describing Alister Azimuth as a great Lombax that became corrupted by his desire to use the Great Clock to undo his mistake.

Alister was very much a lombax man who carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, feeling immense pride in his accomplishments, and great shame in his mistakes. He was known to be daring, courageous, and very charismatic, being able to instantly bond with and convince Ratchet of his plans with much zeal and conviction in his voice and approach.

He was known to banter during battle and make references to Kaden, often to Ratchet's growing chagrin. However, Azimuth's charisma and charm concealed a deep pain and darkness within his heart. His shame in allowing Tachyon to rise to power and the subsequent massacre of his race and his own banishment tormented him for over twenty years and drove him quite mad.

He could be violent, impulsive, and downright murderous at times in his quest to undo his mistake with Tachyon, such as when he turned on and killed Ratchet. He showed much cognitive dissonance in the face of information about the Great Clock's nature that contradicted his own preconceived ideas.

Alister also had a weakness and susceptibility towards obsessive behavior, such as his desperation to protect the galaxy after the Great War and his desire to use the Great Clock. His days as a military man also left him hostile and easily given to kill his enemies over incapacitating them. But deep down, he was a man who loved his way of life, his people and his friends. His guilt tormented him to the end of his days.