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Riker, William T. (Jonathan Frakes)

Executive officer of the Starship Enterprise-D under the command of Jean Luc Picard ("Encounter at Farpoint" TNG). Riker was born in Valdez Alaska on Earth in 2335. Riker's mother died when he was only two years old and he was raised by his father Kyle Riker. The elder Riker abandoned his son when he was at age 15, an act that William held against his father until2365when, at age 30, father and son were reunited aboard the Enterprise-D ("The Icarus Factor" TNG).

Riker graduated from Starfleet Academy in 2357, and was ranked eighth in his class at graduation. As of 2369, he had been decorated five times ("Chain of Command" TNG). Riker's first assignment after graduating from the Academy was aboard the U.S.S. Pegasus, a ship that disappeared under mysterious circumstances ("The Pegasus" TNG). Early in his Starfleet career, Riker was stationed on planet Betazed, ("Menage a Troi" TNG), where he became romantically involved with pyschology student Deanna Troi. Riker, then a lieutenant, chose to make his Starfleet career his priority over his relationship with Deanna, and accepted a posting on the U.S.S. Potemkin. While aboard the Potemkin, Riker led a rescue mission on Nervala IV and was subsequently promoted to lieutenant commander and was commended for "exceptional valor" during the rescue. It was not realized for years later that a transporter malfunction during the final beam out caused an identical duplicate of Riker to be created on the planet's surface ("Second Chances" TNG). William Riker was then promoted to executive officer aboard the U.S.S. Hood under the command of Captain Robert Desoto.

Riker joined the Enterprise-D at planet Denab IV, having transferred from the Hood ("Encounter at Farpoint" TNG). Riker accepted the Enterprise-D posting despite the fact he'd been offered his own command of the U.S.S. Drake ("The Arsenal of Freedom" TNG). One of Riker's greatest personal tests came in 2364 when the entity Q offered him a gift of supernatural powers, an offer Riker was able to refuse ("Hide and Q" TNG). Riker became the first Federation Starfleet officer to serve aboard a Klingon vessel when he participated in an Officer Exchange Program in 2365, serving as first officer aboard the Pagh ("A Matter of Honor" TNG). Riker was offered command of the U.S.S. Aries in 2365, but he declined the appointment, preferring to remain aboard the Enterprise-D ("The Icarus Factor" TNG). Riker suffered a near brush with death while on a survey mission on planet Surata IV, where contact with an indigenous plant form caused him to loose consciousness for several hours ("Shades of Grey" TNG). Riker was charged with murder in the 2366 death of Dr. Nel Apgar at planet Tanuga IV after Apgar's research station exploded. He was acquitted when a holodeck recreation of the events leading to the death demonstrated Apgar had been responsible for the explosion ("A Matter of Perspective" TNG). In late 2366, Riker refused a third opportunity to command a starship when he was offered the U.S.S. Melbourne during the Borg incursion that year ("The Best of Both Worlds" TNG). Shortly thereafter Riker was granted a temporary field promotion to captain, and given command of the Enterprise-D following the capture of Captain Picard by the Borg. The Melbourne was later destroyed by the Borg in the battle of Wolf 359 ("The Best of Both Worlds" TNG).

Riker's approach to command was frequently unconventional. Prior to his service aboard the Enterprise-D, Riker had been a lieutenant aboard the Starship Potemkin. During a crisis aboard that ship, Riker positioned the ship over the planet's magnetic pole, thus confusing his opponent's sensors. Indeed, Data once observed that Riker relied upon traditional problem solving techniques less than one quarter of the time ("Peak Performance" TNG).

As a boy, Riker was responsible for cooking for himself and his father. As Enterprise-D executive officer, Riker regarded cooking as a hobby ("Time Squared" TNG). One of Riker's passions was for old Earth jazz music, and was a pretty fair trombone player ("11001001" TNG).

_{William Riker was first seen in Encounter at Farpoint" (TNG).}

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