Top 10 rats of the Deadlock's Rat King

The Rat King has around 100 individual voice lines calling out his subordinates by name. Here are our favorite of his royal subjects.

With the release of the Rat King in Deadlock, we also learned he’s quite the respectful leader. He knows the names of all of his vastly numerous subjects, and he’ll call them out as he needs them in several abilities in conversations. A lot of the callouts are simply saying “[name], go get them” in some fashion, but some of Rat King’s callouts truly let you in on a little bit of extra lore about the kingdom. Here are some of the best of the bunch.

10. Hera

I just know that the rat that carries the name of the most jealous and embittered goddess of the Greek Pantheon has some bite to her, and the line about what happens when you go against Hera seems to support my suspicions. A breaker of strategies is just what a king needs when it comes to wily opponents, and it sounds like Hera fits the bill.

9. Liv

Liv, on its own, is an okay name. But there’s a lot to unpack in the context of what Rat King says about her. Is Liv untrustworthy? Has she let Rat King down before? Is she just kind of a goof that bumbles her way through the job? We don’t know, but Rat King does and he seems to be concerned about it if he has to call on her. Nonetheless, good on the benevolent Rat King for giving second chances.

8. Jimmy T

Jimmy T seems to be a rat of resources himself. There are a few groups of rats in Rat King’s arsenal, either by family or organized clubs, and the Silver Bullet Crew sounds like one of the slickest crews of the bunch. Are there six of them? Do they bite like a bullet? Do they wear little cowboy hats? So many questions, and certainly not a crew you want hanging off your arms, legs, and face.

7. Gumdrop

Now here’s an interesting detail. Do rats just breed with whatever or do they care about monogamy, polyamory, and the like? Rat King would suggest that yes, and it’s perfectly acceptable. And quite frankly, I’m happy for Gumdrop and company. Lovers who love, fight, and feast together sound like a happy and rewarding relationship.

6. 2nd Carl

When I first read 2nd Carl’s name, I probably asked what you might be asking yourself now: What happened to 1st Carl? Well, it turns out original Carl is fine. He’s in another voice line elsewhere. However, 2nd Carl feels well worth mentioning. He was a good enough Carl to keep the name despite there being another Carl, and it sounds like he might be even more dangerous than his predecessor.

5. Cathy with a C

Leading up to this line (in fact you can see it right above Cathy with a C in the image) is Kathy with a K, and she sounds like a tough customer. But then you learn about Cathy with a C, who’s even worse. I kind of wanted to have both of these on my list, but ultimately Catchy with a C sounds like she earned the distinction of being the one you don’t want to run into the most, more than her “K” named counterpart anyways. Make sure you know the difference.

4. Stabbin’ Mike

To be clear, there are two Mikes in Rat King’s repertoire: Stabbin’ Mike and Bitin’ Mike. However, if I’m being honest, Stabbin’ Mike sounds a bit more dangerous. Biting is something any rat can do (though I will submit, Bitin’ Mike must have an impressive gnash to be named for it). Stabbing though? If a rat is stabbing you and it’s not the bipedal giant Rat King, that’s impressive. Not just that this Mike can wield a blade, but can also use it effectively enough to be called “Stabbin’ Mike.” Stabbin’ Mike knows what to do when Rat King calls for him – presumably an unhealthy amount of stabbin’.

3. Dutch

Being an old and storied rat doesn’t happen by chance, but Dutch made it to his senior years in the Rat King’s employ and looks to always be just one job away from settling down for good. That isn’t just loyalty and kinship. That’s also skill, experience, and a little bit of knowing when to back off and get while the getting’s good. I hope Dutch gets his beach sunset with a thimble of melted cheese and a tiny umbrella in it someday, but as it goes right now, everytime he thinks he's out, they keep pulling him right back in.

2. Rabies Ronnie

Now this name is a perfect setup if ever there was one. The name “Rabies Ronnie” already implies you would do well not to let Ronnie bite you, but lest there be any doubt in your mind, the Rat King is there to ensure that whatever Ronnie decides to gift to you, it will likely be accompanied by the dastardly disease that makes up his moniker. Quite a gift that keeps of giving, too.

1. Valerie

It’s important to remember that the Rat King doesn’t demand every second of his subjects’ lives. When they’re off the clock, they do more than defend him, and many of them have interests of their own. Sweet little Valerie is a good example. She’s got it bad for Victor (a handsome Frankenstein’s monster-like being), but Rat King also knows his subjects well enough to look after them. He has a pretty good hunch it won’t go well if Valerie and Victor meet and he tries to make sure Victor knows not to break her soft little rodent heart. It’s not just a glimpse of the separate lives of his subjects, but also similarly a glimpse into how much Rat King cares for his people’s well-being. Good luck, Val, you’ll find the one someday.

Those are our picks of Rat King’s best rats in Deadlock. With the City Never Sleeps update out now, stay tuned to the Deadlock topic for more content.

Sign up for our monthly roundup of exclusive content, top stories, and updates from Shacknews - once a month, no spam.

Shacknews staff does not use generative artificial intelligence (AI) in their content. Shacknews strictly prohibits the use of its content for AI training or to generate text, including text in the style or format used for this publication. Shacknews reserves all rights to this work.