Ron Stoppable
Context
Ron Stoppable is a core character in the Kim Possible cartoon series and movies. See our Kim Possible character profile for context.
Background
- Real Name: Ronald Stoppable.
- Other Aliases: The Middleton High “Mad Dog” Mascot, Zorpox the Conqueror, The Fearless Ferret II, Dr. Van Foker Dumple (clears throat) Stein.
- Marital Status: Single, but dating Kim Possible.
- Known Relatives: Hana (adopted sister), Mr & Mrs Stoppable (Father& Mother, unnamed), Rueben (cousin), Shawn (evil cousin).
- Group Affiliation: Team Possible, (former) Sunshine Spreaders, Rocket Boosters.
- Base Of Operations: Middleton.
- Height: 5’ 6” Weight: 140 lbs. Age: High school senior.
- Eyes: Blue Hair: Reddish-blond.
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Powers and Abilities
As Kim Possible’s (semi-ineffectual) sidekick, Ron has the stereotypical abilities related to Kim and his work as teenaged secret agents/superheroes… Only, while with Kim, he’s unable to do anything really helpful except by accident. His ability to do so (by accident, that is) is pretty well established, and is known by those who have observed it as “The Ron Factor”.
Not only is Ron much more competent when acting on his own, but he also has intermittent access to Mystical Monkey Powers he absorbed from a magical artifact. These boost his abilities quite a bit… But he has only ever accessed them while with Kim on one occasion, during the series finale‘, to save Kim’s life from alien conquerors.
Those powers have something to do with Ron’s position as the champion of the Yamanouchi Ninja School in Japan. But exactly what they have in relation to each other was never fully revealed.
Other assets
Aside from his typical sidekick skills, Ron demonstrates highly developed running and evasion skills which help him to get away from trouble. He also demonstrated a surprisingly high stamina. His “Mad Running-Away Skills” have enabled him to become a record-setting Running Back for the Middleton Football Team in his Senior year.
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Ron has on occasion demonstrated genius level intellect, normally when he is “Evil Ron”, but also in his normal incarnation, though even more rarely.
Oddly, Ron has also demonstrated an uncanny ability to actually converse with and understand animals. Most often, this is seen in his interactions with Rufus, although it could be argued that Rufus is already, albeit unusually, communicative with others as well.
He has, however, also shown that he can communicate very well with other animals: Chippy the Chimp, Roachie (the giant roach, surprise…), and Professor Dementor’s giant weiner dogs to name a few.
Video
1080p official excerpt from So the drama.
History
When his best friend Kim Possible started going out to save the world on a regular basis between baby-sitting jobs, Ron somehow wound up playing her sidekick. He came along with his pet naked mole rat, Rufus.
Ron was happy to play backup to Kim and provide welcome distraction and comic relief. Yet he found himself becoming more and more significant to her adventures. He even found himself having adventures and saving the world occasionally without her.
Eventually, he went on an exchange student program to the Yamanouchi Ninja School in Japan. There he learned Tai-Shing Pek Kwar (Monkey Kung Fu) and became the School’s champion due to his having been exposed to the Mystical Monkey Power.
Continuing to adventure with Kim, they soon found themselves having more than friendly feelings for each other, and at the beginning of their Senior year, began dating.
Adventures in stoppability
Due to her mad skills and her knack for foiling their world-conquering plans, Kim has assembled an odd array of arch-foes that she defeats on a regular basis, as well as a huge network of contacts, allies, friends, and assistants.
Ron has actually gotten a number of foes all his own, due to his odd tendency to have a more-than-significant hand in their defeat.
Ron usually winds up fighting Senor Senior Junior, or Dr. Drakken (tho Drakken can never recall Ron’s name). Lord Monkey Fist in particular will go after Ron to the exclusion of all else, since he’s jealous of Ron’s Mystical Monkey Power, which should have gone to him.
Ron is unsure exactly which way his life is going since graduation, as Kim is planning on an international career, but whatever comes, you can bet they’ll be doing it together.
Description
A normal(ish) geeky boy with strawberry blond hair and freckles. Usually wears cargo pants and a hockey jersey, and has a naked mole rat in his pocket.
His first and last name is a take on “Unstoppable”, and he is voiced by Will Friedle (of Batman Beyond fame).
Personality
Ron is a high school student with an eccentric personality who serves as a “bumbling sidekick” to the show’s titular protagonist Kim Possible. He was Kim’s best friend from Seasons 1-3 and eventually progressed to the level of boyfriend during the Season 3 finale.
He provides much of the franchise’s comic relief, but also serves as an anchor to Kim’s competitive/image conscious personality.
Ron is the polar opposite of Kim. He reacts differently in almost every situation, excels at things that she has difficulties with (and vice versa), and sees the world in a different way. He is probably also the most varied character in the franchise, and is the character whom has displayed the most contradictions/contrasts in terms of personality and capabilities.
Fears
Another long-running trait of Ron’s is his list of phobias. His fear of monkeys is frequently mentioned, and he has also been shown to be pathologically fearful of insects, mechanical horses (triggered by an accident with a coin operated horse ride in which he lost 2 baby teeth), garden gnomes (triggered by a gnome related tricycle accident), and many other things.
Often, episodes show him panicking on missions when confronted by anything threatening or dangerous. He also had a tendency to be paranoid in some cases, an end result of his childhood phobias and bad experiences.
Despite his fears, Ron usually manages to come through in the end. Kim’s cousin Joss remarks that Ron’s actions in loyally following Kim into danger despite being afraid of practically everything is a mark of true bravery.
The other sides
He’s usually being portrayed as awkward, childish, distracted, and an underachiever. Nevertheless, Ron’s character has been been shown to have hidden depths and abilities which the franchise occasionally explored as plot devices or McGuffins.
Among Ron’s hidden talents are demonstrable creative and intellectual streaks. He wrote the song that Kim sung at the school talent contest (music and lyrics) and wrote the “Naked Mole Rap”, is a talented cook, and enjoys success in many craft-related activities (including constructing his own custom Mad Dog head).
He also often makes profound observations on life, society and all kinds of logics that belie his normal portrayal a having an “uncomplicated mind”.
Ron also invented the Naco (a Taco/Nacho hybrid), which is a popular fast-food snack in the Possible-verse.
Quotes
“K.P.! HELP!!”
Ron: [Rummaging in Kim’s backpack] “Hmm. Knock out gas that looks like lip gloss or lip gloss that looks like lip gloooo…” [Passes out and drools]
Ron: [Suddenly alert] “Knock out gas.”
Kim: [sarcastically] “Thanks for checking. ”
“Oh, sure, you save the world on a regular basis, and no one remembers your name. But you lose your pants six or eight times, and they never let you live it down !”
[Shaking hands with Drakken] “Hi, I’m Ron Stoppable. We’ve met, but you always seem to forget my name.”
Drakken: “I do seem to recognize the air of buffoonery.”
“That would be so cool if it wasn’t going to be the last thing we ever saw !”
Kim: “You’re trying out for the football team ?”
Ron: “Amping up the college applications.”
Kim: “I suppose it looks better on a college application than ’Flooded the cafeteria‘…”
Monique:: “Oh ! The chess club incident…”
Ron: “The first rule of chess club: never talk about chess club.”
Ron: “Taking over the world is one thing, but you ruined Bueno Nacho. You’re gonna pay.”
Dr. Drakken: “Please, have mercy, uh – the name escapes me – oh, I beg of you !”
Ron: “Say. My. Name. SAY IT !”
Dr. Drakken: “It’s… uh, er… um, S…Stoppable.”
[Crack of thunder]
Ron: [quietly] “Boo-yah.”
[Ron opens his first “naco” royalties check]
Ron: [stammering] “I-it’s for nuh… nuh… nuh…”
Kim, Bonnie Rockwaller: [looking] “NINETY-NINE MILLION DOLLARS ?”
[Bonnie immediately starts tousling Ron’s hair]
Bonnie: “Ron Stoppable, you are such a hottie !”
Ron: “Are you saying that because I’m rich ?”
Bonnie: “Uh-huh.”
[Pause]
Ron: “…Cool !”
[Ron gives the Sumo Ninja an atomic wedgie] “Woah. Better get some ice on that, champ.”
“Monkeys ! AHHHH ! MONKEYS !!!”
DC Universe History
Kim Possible could actually probably take place in the DCU with no problems, particularly since most heroes tend to stick with their own Rogue’s Galleries. If including Kim, Ron fits in just as well.
If not, he can be inserted as any active “normal” sidekick (i.e., one with no Powers), such as Rick Jones, Jimmy Olsen, or even one of the lesser Robins, given his possible level of competence.
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Ron Stoppable
A 720 Point Character
| Dex: 04 | Str: 02 | Bod: 04 | Motivation: Thrill of Adventure |
| Int: 06 | Wil: 03 | Min: 06 | Occupation: Student, sidekick, Smarty-Mart employee |
| Inf: 02 | Aur: 02 | Spi: 06 | Resources {or Wealth}: 001 |
| Init: 021 | HP: 030 |
Powers:
Dumb Luck: 04, Speak with Animals: 02
Bonuses and Limitations:
- Dumb Luck: Minor Marginal.
- Speak with Animals: Oddly (as is typical with Ron), SWA does not work for all animals. Giant Mutant Weiner Dogs, Giant Roaches, and Chimpanzees all seem affected, but not, say, dogs or cats. Basically, if it would have a weird vibe, Ron can talk to it. Note that Ron can speak with Rufus as if to a person, so SWA doesn’t apply.
Skills:
Artist (Actor, Cooking, Dancer, Musician): 04, Acrobatics*: 04, Martial Artist*: 04, Thief (Escape Artist, Stealth): 06, Vehicles (Air Vehicles, Land Vehicles, Water Vehicles): 02, Weaponry (Exotic Weapons, Melee Weapons, Missile Weapons)*: 04, Weaponry: (Video Games): 06
Advantages:
Monkey Mojo, Leadership (or rather Sidekickship – limited to Kim Possible who has to be in his line of sight, 5 pts), Lightning Reflexes Buddy (Rufus), Schtick (Gratuitous Fan Service (Losing his pants)).
Connections:
Kim Possible, (High) Wade Load (High), Felix Renton (Video Gaming Buddy with a cybernetic wheelchair, High), Patrick North (Aka the Fearless Ferret, Low), Mr. Barkin (Low).
Drawbacks:
Arch Enemy [Lord Monkey Fist, Gill], Eclipsed (Kim Possible), Enemy: Senor Senior Junior, SIF (Monkeys), MIF (Bugs), SIA (Bueno Nacho), Weirdness Magnet.
Equipment:
- Grappel Gun [STR 05 BODY 05, EV 05, Range: 04, R#02, HP Cost: 15, Drawbacks – Lethal, Attached to the rockets are swing lines 4 APs long].
- JETPACK [BODY 04, Flight: 05, R#02, HP Cost: 27]. The jetpack is disguised as a normal backpack until deployed, whereupon it sprouts wings and a crash helmet. The helmet has /BODY/ 05, with the Partial Armor Limitation.
- Scooter [BODY 02 STR 02, Running: 01 (Yes, it’s THAT slow), R#05].
- Kimmunicator [BODY 03, Radio Communication: 17, Recall: 11, Remote Sensing: 01, Miniaturization: 06 R#02, HP Cost: 119]. The Kimmunicator can act as an 8 AP Type C Omni-Gadget once per adventure. Unlike Kim, Ron seems not to have the Separate Omni-Gadget function (see Kim Possible w/u). Wade has been known to activate and use (Kim’s) Omni-gadget function remotely via Radio Communication. One assumes he could do it with Ron’s as well.
Rufus
| Dex: 04 | Str: 00 | Bod: 01 | Motivation: Rodent |
| Int: 04 | Wil: 04 | Mind: 03 | Occupation: Mole |
| Infl: 04 | Aur: 04 | Spi: 04 | Wealth: N.A. |
| Init: 016 | HP: 020 |
Powers:
Claws (Teeth): 01, Sharpness (Teeth): 03, Shrinking: 07
Bonuses and Limitations:
Shrinking is Always On and already factored in.
Skills:
Acrobatics (Climbing, Dodging): 04, Martial Arts: 04, Gadgetry: 06 (Only for Taking Stuff Apart), Weaponry: (Melee, Video Games): 06
Advantages:
Popularity, Monkey Mojo.
Rufus was originally conceived of as a Pet, but given his ability to act independently to a much greater extent than is usual for an “animal”, it became clear that Rufus was more of a sidekick or a minor chr in his own right.
Given the popularity that fans show Rufus, I included him as a Buddy. He could also have been a Silent Assistant, given the number of times he has helped a mission, unawares to his human companions.
Rufus shares Ron’s “Monkey Mojo” schtick (See below), tho his version is a bit less powerful; Rufus is only able to use the various Mystic Monkey Artifacts such as the Lotus Blade. He never demonstrated the ability to boost his Stats as Ron did.
Monkey Mojo
Having absorbed part of the Mystical Monkey Power from a mystical monkey artifact, Ron has the ability to call on the Mystical Monkey Power (that’s fun to say, isn’t it ?) to augment his abilities. Usually this will only be apparent when he is in direct conflict with Monkey Fist, or acting as the Champion of the Yamanouchi Ninja School.
The Monkey Power acts to Increase Ron’s Physical stats by 1 CS each, with a relevant increase in his Linked Skills, Notably Martial Artist, Acrobatics, and Weaponry.
In the final episode of the show, Ron managed to access the full scope of the Mystic Monkey Power (there it is again !). His Stats experienced a 3 CS Increase, and he was surrounded by a protective aura (Force Field: 02) in the form of the Mystic Monkey Spirit. In this state, he was powerful enough to take on two foes simultaneously that Kim herself was unable to defeat individually.
There seem to be several Mystical Monkey artifacts scattered around which can only be activated by those with the Monkey Mojo Advantage. The most important of these is the Lotus Blade, a mystical artifact owned by the Yamanouchi Ninja School.
Out of Kim’s Shadow
Ron has on occasion had to act the hero on his own, with Kim being unavailable, captured, mind-controlled or otherwise gone. Also when he was acting as stand-in for The Fearless Ferret, or as Champion of Japan’s Yamanouchi Ninja School.
The stats above are for Ron when he is acting with Kim. When he acts as Kim’s sidekick, he is quite noticeably less competent – almost an idiot. When he is adventuring on his own, All his Action Attributes (DEX, INT, INF) and Linked Skills have a + 1CS Bonus for all actions.
He is the Yin to Kim’s Yang, as she is noticeably *less* competent when alone. In game terms he has the Eclipsed Drawback (see New Rules File – Drawbacks).
This Bonus applies whenever he is operating without Kim, unless he is working for her, or in her general interests. Basically, the GM should apply the lower stats whenever there’s a risk Ron (the sidekick) might overshadow Kim (the hero). Ron usually acts as the distraction for the villains to allow Kim to pull a daring maneuver, and most times requires rescuing.
The lower stats also apply whenever Ron and Kim have “broken up” (most noticably during “Sitch in Time”, when Ron had to relocate to Norway with his parents, also when Kim’s memory was wiped and she couldn’t remember being Ron’s girlfriend), but not when Ron has turned evil (It’s happened more than once — see “Evil Ron” for details). It seems to happen only when they are not “spiritually” together.
Note that as both the Fearless Ferret and as Evil Ron, the increased stats in this section apply.
Early Ron
Early Ron (Season 1 mostly) did not have Monkey Mojo or his related abilities. After he attended the Yamanouchi School, his stats became those in the main stats block.
The Fearless Ferret
Appearing in the episode “The Fearless Ferret”, Timothy North is a former TV actor who had played the role of the titular character on the TV show The Fearless Ferret, a TV superhero in the vein of the Batman TV series from the 60’s.
However, his show was canceled after two seasons, so he used his money to duplicate the set. Over the years, North had actually believed that he was the Fearless Ferret, and, as such, disappeared into his delusions.
When Ron arrived at North’s house and learned of his former role (the one that he refused to let go of),North attempted to train Ron into becoming a new Fearless Ferret. Although Ron was excited at first, he eventually came to his senses and, with Kim’s help, tried to help North realize that it was time to move on from his TV life.
Timothy North is voiced by none other than Adam West, the very man who North’s character was based on.
As the Fearless Ferret, Ron had access to a wider variety of equipment than he does as a sidekick, all of it provided by his mentor:
- Ferret Com [BODY 04, Radio Communication: 10].
- Ferret Claw [STR 05 BODY 05, EV 05, Range: 04]. Attached to the claw is a swing line 4 APs long.
- Claw Gloves [BODY 04, Claws: 02].
- Smokescreen [BODY 02, Fog: 08].
- Ferret Deodorizer [BODY 02, Shade: 04 (Shade vs Smells Only)].
- Ferret Tail [BODY 04. What the tail actually does isn’t shown].
- Flicker [BODY 02, Flash: 06 (Steady Light Only).
- Magnifier [BODY 01, Microscopic Vision: 02].
- Ferret Plane [BODY 04 STR 04, Flight: 06].
- Ferret Mobile [BODY 04 STR 04, Running: 05].
Evil Ron
In the Season 3 episode, “Bad Boy,” Kim and Ron infiltrate the Supervillain Trade Show dressed in costumes provided by Wade of his favorite comic book villains. Ron’s identity is Zorpox the Conqueror.
During a fight with Drakken and Shego, a mind-altering device known as the “Attitudinator,” is broken and malfunctions, transferring all of Drakken’s evil into Ron’s mind. Initially, Ron was unaware of what had happened.
But as the next day progressed, Ron’s personality became steadily more “evil,” from starting a food fight in the school cafeteria to converting his old tricycle into a superweapon to attack his bratty cousin Shawn at a family wedding.
During this latter act, he re-dons the Zorpox costume, adapts his trademark exclamation, “boo-yah,” into an evil laugh, and regards Kim as his enemy, rather than his friend. Another sign of his evil personality is that his skin turns blue like Drakken’s.
To everyone’s amazement, Ron turns out to be a natural at supervillainy, creating several cutting-edge superweapons, and also using much of the technology in Drakken’s lair more effectively than Drakken ever has. Shego is so impressed – “who knew the buffoon was a natural ?” – that she abandons Drakken and becomes Ron’s new sidekick.
When Ron reveals that he has devised a shield that protects him from Shego’s powers if she gets angry, Shego actually becomes afraid of him (something she never felt towards Drakken).
With the transformation complete, Ron made a double play for world domination. Using one villainous scheme as a decoy in order to prevent Kim from interfering with his true plan, he attempted to disrupt the world’s weather in an effort to force the global community to surrender its supply of “nacos.”
Ron/Zorpox was eventually stopped by Drakken (now free from his dark side), who placed a newly repaired “Attitudinator” on Ron’s head, restoring both him and Drakken to their original selves once more. Drakken realized that he had a responsibility to do so, because “it’s better that I’m bad than if he’s bad.”
Ron’s villainous alter ego did not surface again until Zorpox’s personality makes a brief reappearance in Stop Team Go, again under the influence of the Attitudinator, where he proceeded to battle the likewise temporarily-evil Team Go, showing amazing martial arts abilities while defeating a small army of Wegos, and helping to defeat Electronique.
It is possible that as Zorpox, Ron has access to more of his suppressed abilities, and may be able to consciously use the Mystical Monkey Powers due to his overconfidence while evil.
Zorpox is one of several hints dropped during the show’s run that Ron’s constant bumbling and failures stem less from actual incompetence and clumsiness than from his lack of focus and, more importantly, his lack of confidence.
Since Drakken seemed to retain his mad scientist inventing and engineering skills when his evil was transferred to Ron, Ron may possess untapped potential as an engineer and inventor himself.
An example of this is in the episode Naked Genius when Ron is kidnapped and forced to make a functioning doomsday device out of everyday equipment, however, the fact that Ron is amazed that the device actually works indicates than Ron did not consciously design or build it to be so, suggesting that it may simply be a “fluke”, or another expression of “The Ron Factor”.
In Stop Team Go, he demonstrated that Ron is a much more capable fighter than he normally appears, incapacitating a swarm of about thirty Wegos in under ten seconds.
Ron also evidences the Genius Advantage while Zorpox, and possibly Sharp Eye. Ron as Zorpox also has Gadgetry Linked to his (elevated) INT.
While under the influence of the Zorpox personality, Ron invented, discerned new uses for, or repaired the following items: (Stats are approximate)
- Plasma Catapult [BODY 06, Energy Blast: 06 (Autofire Bonus), R#03, AV 04].
- Tricycle ATV [BODY 04, Running: 05].
- Sonic Annihilator [BODY 08, Vibe: 08, (Extended Range Bonus +10)].
- Force Field [BODY 03, Force Field (Self Only): 06].
- Mega-weather Generator [BODY 08, Weather Control: 16].
- Repaired Attitudinator [BODY 02, Broadcast Empathy: 12].
Helper(s): Alan Wilkinson, civanfan2, imdb.com , wikipedia.org, disney.com , Sébastien Andrivet.
Source of Character: Disney’s Kim Possible animated series, movies So the Drama and Sitch in Time.