Rinzler

“	User.	”
—Rinzler, sparing the life of Sam Flynn after he realizes that he is a user when spotting his blood.[src]

Rinzler
Biographical information
User	Alan Bradley
Compile Date	1983 (Transferred into the system) 1989 (Becomes Rinzler)
Derezzed Date	2010 (Presumed end of Rinzler identity)
Status	Alive(identity no longer exists)
Physical description
Circuitry Color	Orange (formerly) White (currently)
Gender	Male
Description	Masked program with limited circuitry coloring
Other information
Functions	Warrior, enforcer
Equipment	Dual identity discs Baton
Vehicles	Light Cycle (5th generation) Light Jet Recognizer
Allies	Clu(formerly) Jarvis(formerly) Black Guards
Out of universe information
Actor	Anis Cheurfa (Stunt) Bruce Boxleitner (Voice)
Appearances	TRON: Legacy TRON: Uprising Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance TRON RUN/r Fall Guys
Gallery

Rinzler is Clu's primary enforcer. He is an exceptionally skilled warrior and is the elite combatant in all games in the Grid. In addition, he is the only known program to use two identity discs in battle. Originally known as Tron, Rinzler's identity came into being when Tron was supposedly "killed" by Clu.

History

TRON: Uprising

Beck's Beginning

Tron was forced to adopt the name and appearance of Rinzler after his battle with Clu, using the disguise to avoid capture as most programs believed that he was dead. Tron used this disguise when he captured Beck and interrogated him after going Renegade, but he disposed of this disguise in order to reveal to Beck that Tron was still alive. This disguise would become permanent after Clu finally captured and reprogrammed Tron into Rinzler. sometime after the events of the show

TRON: Legacy

Although repurposed as an enforcer, Rinzler still retained fragments of his identity as Tron, such as his skills and determination. He would continue to uncover more and more of his identity during the incursion of the human known as Sam.

Rinzler appeared as the final opponent of the Disc Wars, where he fought Sam Flynn and identified him as a user after seeing him bleed, and after discovering he was a user, Rinzler brought him before Clu. He was later summoned when Quorra interrupted the light cycle duel, but was unable to prevent her from rescuing Sam. Despite the setback, he continued to assist Clu.

On Clu's Carrier Ship, Kevin, Sam, and Quorra noticed Rinzler patrolling the area, and Kevin immediately recognized him as Tron, the former System Monitor program of the Tron system. Quorra allowed herself to be captured by Rinzler in order to lead him away from Kevin and Sam. Rinzler took her to Clu for interrogation, before being charged with escorting her back to Clu's Command Ship. Once there, Rinzler interrupted Sam who had been in the process of liberating his father's identity disc. He pushed Quorra away to engage Sam in a disc fight, but this battle was cut short when he evaded two thrown discs only to be kicked off a nearby ledge by Quorra, lying forgotten at his feet.

Rinzler was left dangling only briefly and promptly vaulted back into the ship as Sam and Quorra made their escape. Clu then arrived with four Black Guards in tow, and together with Rinzler set out in pursuit of the fugitives, following their captured Light Jet with smaller Light Jets of their own. In the ensuing fight, Rinzler and Kevin Flynn made eye contact. From that point on, Rinzler began to experience flashbacks of when he had once saved Kevin, and was able to overcome Clu's reprogramming, eventually overriding it altogether, finally becoming Tron once again.

Once freed of Clu's control, he deliberately crashed his Light Jet into Clu's, derezzing both craft and allowing the three heroes a chance to escape. Clu and Rinzler scuffled briefly as they fell, but Clu grappled Rinzler's spare baton away, created a new Light Jet for himself, and left Rinzler to plummet into the Sea of Simulation below. Rinzler's circuitry flickered and died after he plunged into the sea. Then it relit in Tron's earlier white glow as he sank out of view.

Other appearances

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

Rinzler in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance.

In Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, Rinzler is the boss of The Grid for Sora, and he uses disk throws and physical attacks, he may turn the screen upside down, making it harder to avoid his attacks.

Side Sora

In Sora's story, he is tracked down by Rinzler in Tron City after escaping some Black Guards who attempted to abduct him, Sora and Rinzler prepare to duel each other, but Rinzler flees after hearing a communication. Upon leaving, Kevin Flynn explains to Sora that Tron had been changed into Rinzler by Clu.

After returning to Clu, Rinzler informs him of Sora when he shows him his Identity Disc. After searching it, Clu gives Rinzler his Identity disc back. Rinzler later encounters Quorra and Sora on Clu's Command Ship as they were looking for his source code. Sora attempts to remind him of his former self. This fails however, as Rinzler immediately pulls out both of his discs and attacks the teo, knocking them over. Once getting back up, Quorra is knocked unconscious by Rinzler and is captured by him.

Rinzler later fights Sora in a DIsc Wars game, but he is defeated by Sora once he manages to get Rinzler to his senses using his Key Blade. After Tron is left unconscious, Clu throws his Disc at Sora, but he misses him whenever Rinzler reawakens and pushes Sora out of the way, deflecting Clu's disc with his own and falling to his knees after. Clu's disc returns however, and it hits the area that Rinzler is in, breaking it and causing Rinzler to fall. Sora and Rinzler both try to reach each other, but are unsuccessful due to Rinzler falling towards the land below.

Rinzler in TRON RUN/r.

TRON RUN/r

Tron appears as a playable character in TRON RUN/r, and like all playable characters in the game, the color of his circuitry is interchangeable. Notably, Rinzler's helmet is shaped incorrectly as opposed to his film counterpart.

Rinzler in Fall Guys

Fall Guys

Rinzler appears as a crossover costume in Fall Guys, he was added to the game in May 24, 2021 and is a special costume. RInzler was able to be unlocked by purchasing the Tron costume pack and his top costs 700 Show-Bucks while his bottom costs 500 Show-Bucks.

Features

Rinzler has a jet-black helmet and red-orange circuitry similar to the Black Guards, although these splashes of color are far more limited on Rinzler than on other programs. Four squares make a 'T' shape on his chest, hinting at his true previous identity of Tron. His Identity Disc is a fusion of two discs that separate to form a matched pair when he needs to fight, a second disc having been acquired in 1989, prior to Tron's corruption. Rinzler often communicates his aggression in an electronically distorted growl, but otherwise has little use for vocal communication.

Trivia

• The t-shaped series of dots on Rinzler's chest near the collar of his suit match the ones on Tron in TRON.
• Rinzler is portrayed by Anis Cheurfa and is voiced by Bruce Boxleitner in TRON: Legacy.
• Rinzler has traits that echo Tron-creator Steven Lisberger's original conception of the Tron character, which his studio created in the 1970s as a backlight animation test, depicts an orange gladiator who throws two discs that boomerang back to him.
• Rinzler was named after Lucasfilm Executive Editor J.W. Rinzler, who authored books such as "The Making of Star Wars" and "The Complete Making of Indiana Jones." Joseph Kosinski officially acknowledged this link.