Background

Rioichi Cooper was born in a village in feudal Japan. His odd coloring for a raccoon, which is more akin to a tanuki(raccoon dog) than a raccoon, may indicate that his father was a tanuki and married into the Cooper clan. His mastery of ninjustu could also imply that perhaps his father was a ninja master, though the same could be inferred from his skills as a chef. Because he was a Cooper, he probably grew up hearing about the exploits of his mother and ancestors as honorable master thieves who only stole from other criminals or the dishonorable, knowing that one day he'd make his own stamp on his family name. He likely received the Thievius Raccoonus, the book containing all of his family's exploits and most of their secret techniques, at a fairly young age, as fifteen was considered adulthood in that era, and began to hone his skills as not only a master thief, but a master ninja as well.

His specialty became infiltrating heavily guarded fortresses and palaces around Japan, using his new skill, the Ninja Spire Landing, which allowed him to land and balance easily on sharp or small point. He later expanded upon the technique by creating the Leaping Dragon, though this he didn't record in the Thievius Raccoonus. Like his ancestors before him and his descendants, he added the treasures he stole to the wealth of the Cooper Vault, and was one of the Coopers who added to the gauntlet of obstacles that only a true Cooper should ever be able to navigate. His contribution forced the one running the gauntlet to use the Ninja Spire Landing to travel an enclosed area where naginata thrust in and out of the walls and pit below. It required both mastery of the technique as well as speed and precision, because idling or a moment's hesitation could cause a miss or loss of the current perch, resulting in a fall to one's death.

Rioichi was also an accomplished chef, possibly because he had plenty of practice in needing to fend for himself. He later invented sushi and opened a sushi restaurant, which was both very prosperous and gave him the cover he needed for his Cooper lifestyle. He even devised a door system for the back areas of the restaurant, using each of his three sushi knives as a key and the only means to open the doors.

In Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, a shogun received bad/poisoned sushi and Rioichi was framed as the one behind it. He was arrested by a tiger foreigner, his restaurant closed and put under guard, and he was imprisoned in a cage above a chasm in a high-security jail...his sushi knives were confiscated as well, but he was able to stash his weapons, especially his Cooper cane, before he was captured. Apparently the guards made a habit of taunting him about his captivity, until one day a raccoon appeared to free him, disguised as a guard.

This newcomer, Sly, did trigger a trap that caused the area between him and the cage to collapse, but he managed to reach Rioichi anyway, using skills that made Rioichi recognize that he could only be a Cooper. Sly freed him after explaining he was a relative from the future, and they escaped the prison and retreated to Sly's safehouse within the village. Once there, Rioichi told them the little he knew about the foreigner currently in command, El Jefe. El Jefe had turned his peaceful village into something just short of a military base, not surprising once Sly's friend, Bentley, dug up information revealing that El Jefe was not only also from the future, but was a military strategist in the practice taking over small countries and selling them to the highest bidder.

Deciding the first order of business was to get control of the restaurant back, they fcused on that first. Sly used his disguise to take the place of the guards at the door, boosting Rioichi up to a window so he could slip in unnoticed. After retrieving his equipment, Rioichi reclaimed his knives from the guards and turned his restaurant sign back on, resolving to improve the security in the shop after this was resolved. El Jefe had added his own futuristic security upgrades, but they were easily avoided. He also told Bentley and Murray the location of his secret fishing spot, where they caught a lot of fish for him to get business going again.

Bentley found tha El Jefe often visited the geisha house to speak with Madam Geisha, and that she was currently away on vacation. Because El Jefe didn't yet know, the plan was for Rioichi to help steal Madam Geisha's outfit so Murray could impersonate her and find out anything that might be useful to beat El Jefe. Rioichi didn't see how this would work, let alone how Murray would fit into the costume, but he helped get them access to the outfit. Things went a bit off-plan, when Murray literally crashed in on the scene, the hippo having to don the outfit in record speed before the alert guard got a good look at him. Rioichi then found himself completely amazed by how easily Murray not only fooled, but completely entranced the guards. By the time the hippo was done, they didn't even see Rioichi when he stood before them waving his hand in their faces.

Rioichi's next task was to collect poisonous bulbs from high plants in his fishing caves, which he then used to spike enough sushi to knock out all the guards around the Dragon Gates, so that Sly could get the gates open. Beyond the gates was a bridge where El Jefe summoned a bunch of mice from the future to stop them before retreating behind another gate. Sly and the others engaged the mice, while Rioichi traveled under the bridge to get the gate open, then they regrouped and pursued El Jefe...only to have him jump on Rioichi from above the door, steal his can, and toss him aside. El Jefe then destroyed the bridge, making it hard to follow him. Sly left Rioichi to look after Bentley and Murray while he chased El Jefe. He managed to beat the tiger, but the cane was taken by whoever El Jefe really worked for.

It's likely Rioichi continued as well as he could without the cane after Sly and the others left, but it wasn't too long before Bentley and Murray returned to his time, enlisting his and several other Coopers' help in reclaiming the stolen Cooper canes, saving Sly, and returning time to normal. Rioichi retrieved his own cane, and that of "Bob", the first Cooper in history, because his skills were most suited to reach them. In doing so, a bit of the timestream was fully repaired and he was sent back to his proper time after bidding his new friends and his Cooper relatives farewell. If he'd been able to, he likely would have stayed to the end.

Personality and Abilities

Rioichi is shown to be a mellow and confident man, rarely expressing surprise and just as rarely losing focus of what's important. He's shown to be a bit wise and spiritual despite the apparent fact he's not all that old. He sometimes uses Japanese sayings to make a point, and his idling animation sees him sitting to meditate until he levitates off of the ground a little. He is definitely the most level-headed of the Cooper ancestors shown thusfar, being patient. quiet, and not looking to just charge in without thought...also voicing the fewest complaints. He does possess the same honor that seems the norm for the Cooper clan though.

He is somewhat formal and generally respectful when addressing others, and seems to keep his more negative thoughts on characters such as adversaries mostly to himself. He holds the guards and allies of those he's up against in extremely low regard, shown especially when in mulling over the fact he needed to remove the guards from his restaurant he actually said that he needed to "clear these vermin" from it.

Rioichi takes a great amount of pride in his skills and ninja status, cocky almost to the point of true arrogance. When he knows that he can do something completely on his own, despite the worries of others, he will make it known and show minor impatience to someone making it seem more complex than it is. But he can still appreciate the help offered and use teamwork quite efficiently, and recognizes when he is in someone's debt. He will even follow through with plans when he doesn't fully understand how they will work, so long as he feels the planner knows what they are doing. His general presence has a noticeable level of self confidence, but his skill is the only thing he appears cocky about. In every other way he seems to have a balanciing level of humility. He's not actually working to show off, it just is what it is. He is good at what he does and will remain that way.


It's more than a little implied he's a hard worker, diligent in what he does, master in three fields...one that's vastly different than the other two, yet he doesn't cut corners and even catches his own fish for the restaurant. He's completely committed to what he chooses to do and not easily intimidated overall, whether it's in doing something or facing an adversary.

Abilities
Rioichi possesses many of the skills famous in the Cooper clan, agility and stealth being two easily noted. One major one is the ability to sense "thieving opportunities" around him, meaning that anywhere that he can use a stealth technique he sees strange sparkles in that place. Like all Coopers, he carries a cane with a hooked end, his being made of bamboo and able to snap into two separate canes for dual-wielding, but he also carries a ninjato sheathed on his back that he could use if he chose to. Close combat isn't his strongest point, though he can fight fairly well if he needs to. He fights best channeling energy through his cane(s) and combining cane strikes with shuriken thrown. Opponents larger than himself are best dispatch quickly before they spot him however.

Rioichi is known for combining his ninja training with his thief skills. He is the only Cooper able to sprint silently, letting him pass sleeping or unaware people without being heard. He was the creator of the Ninja Spire Landing, and can easily perch on small points. From there he can use his Leaping Dragon technique, focusing his energy and becoming invisible...but not intangible, then launching himself quickly over a great distance to another spot that he can sense thieving opportunities in...another small point, a climbable surface, a hanging hook, a wall to sidle on, etc.