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{{Infobox Character
|name=William T. Riker
|image=[[Image:Captainriker.jpg|200px|center]]
|quote="Wanna screw?"
|race=[[Human]]
|affiliation=[[United Federation of Planets]]
|gender=Male
|birthdate=unknown
|deathdate=unknown
}}'''William Thomas Riker''' served as First Officer on the ''[[Enterprise-D]]''.  He made no secret of his ambition to be its captain in the future. He passed up more than one promotion to stay with the Enterprise crew, most notably to take command of the ''[[USS Melbourne]]''<ref>TNG "The Best of Both Worlds" pt 1</ref>.  Eventually he did accept an offer to command the ''[[USS Titan]]''<ref>''[[Star Trek: Nemesis]]''</ref>.

== Starfleet Career ==
Riker's first assignment was aboard the ''[[USS Pegasus]]'' under the command of [[Eric Pressman]], during the illegal development of the [[Phase cloak|phase cloaking device]].  At some point, crew of the Pegasus refused to continue their engagement in the violation of the [[Treaty of Algeron]] and mutinied. Riker defended Pressman and together with Pressman and a few other crew members, managed to leave the ship in an escape pod.  They believed they witnessed the destruction of the ship.  The incident was covered up until Starfleet learned that the Pegasus had not been destroyed and Admiral Pressman took the Enterprise-D to recover the illegal device on board.  Riker finally decides to reveal both the truth and the device to [[Jean-Luc Picard|Captain Picard]] who reveals it to the [[Romulan]]s. We do not know what happened in the aftermath of this revelation of a severe treaty violation.<ref>TNG "Pegasus"</ref>

The entity [[Q]] once became impressed with Riker.  Making a bet with Picard, Q briefly gives Riker the same power the Q possess.  Through the rest of the crew rejecting the favors Riker performs for them with Q power, Riker himself rejects Q's offer.

While leading a rescue mission, a duplicate of Riker is discovered that was created by one of their many [[technobabble]] transporter accidents years earlier.  The twin had been stranded on the planet until rescued by the ''Enterprise''.  The twin differentiates himself by using the name [[Thomas Riker|Thomas]]<ref>TNG "Second Chances"</ref>.

Riker is considered an exceptional pilot, chiefly because he is one of the few people in [[Starfleet]] who can fly a [[shuttle]] manually.  He was able to fly through a nebula and plant mines on several threatening [[Cardassian]] warships,<ref>TNG "Chain of Command" pt 2</ref> Riker briefly commanded the ''Enterprise'' after Picard was captured and assimilated by the [[Borg]].  His combat tactics against the [[Borg Cube|cube]] were less than spectacular, consisting of a slow turn.<ref>TNG "Best of Both Worlds" pt 2</ref>  Those tactics didn't show much improvement when the ''Enterprise'' was attacked by an obsolete [[Klingon Bird of Prey|BOP]], resulting in the destruction of the ship's stardrive section and the saucer crash landing.<ref>''[[Star Trek: Generations]]''</ref>

Riker is the only human known to have served as a temporary host to a [[Trill]] symbiont.

[[Image:Riker_angelone.jpg|thumb|right|Riker, competing with Troi for biggest slut on the ship.]]
== Personal life ==
Before his assignment to the ''Enterprise'', Riker once had a romantic relationship with [[Deanna Troi]].  The former relationship seems a point of friction in the early days of TNG but it never causes any serious problems, even when Riker is "the big lady's man on the ship" or when [[Worf]] and Troi begin their short-lived romance.  Possibly inspired by the [[Metaphasic radiation|fountain of youth]] discovered around the [[Ba'ku]] planet, Riker and Troi renew their relationship<ref>''[[Star Trek: Insurrection]]''</ref> and eventually marry<ref>''[[Star Trek: Nemesis]]''</ref>

Riker has a strained relationship with his father, chiefly due to his mother dying at a young age.  His hobbies include playing jazz trombone and poker. When playing cards with him, its a safe bet he's bluffing.

==References==
<references/>

[[Category: ST Characters]]