Bobby Ricks

"Speaking of which, this next one goes out to Murphy Pendleton. A lost soul on a stroll. You keep on keeping on, bro and your pal DJ Ricks will do the same, playing the music y'all wanna hear.
 * —Ricks to Murphy via radio."

Robert "Bobby" Ricks, also known as DJ Ricks, is a character in Silent Hill: Downpour. He is a radio DJ on the local radio station WLMN FM. Ricks operates the radio station in the Centennial Building, a famous landmark.

Personality
Ricks was in the same situation as Murphy Pendleton; however, unlike Murphy, Ricks didn't have the courage himself to face the horrors of Silent Hill. This is why he was stuck inside using the radio station, to try and reach out to others who may have been able to help him escape Silent Hill. Because of taking this path of inaction, he was trapped in Silent Hill, coming Full Circle indefinitely unless he had gotten up the courage to leave himself.

Background
DLC notes in Silent Hill: Book of Memories reveal some of Ricks's backstory. Ricks became trapped in Silent Hill because he was responsible for an incident which led to someone being shot and murdered.

"There's this show on WLMN FM called "Truth Talkin'". It's been off the air for a while and I just found out why. I guess a guy called in cause his girlfriend was cheating on him, so the DJ tracked down the new dude and called him up. The boyfriend was supposed to show up and confront the bastard on air, but he SHOT HIM instead. ON LIVE RADIO! Can you believe it? Serves him right, if you ask me."

""Truth Talkin'" came back to WLMN FM today! I guess the reason it went on hiatus is because somebody got shot during one of the calls. The DJ didn't set it up or anything, it's normally just one of those awkward things where someone gets put on the spot. I guess this guy was sleeping with someone else's girlfriend? It's been like a year but the DJ sounded different. I don't know how he could deal with that. Even though it was an accident... I just don't know."

Silent Hill: Downpour
Bobby Ricks is first learned of when Murphy passes several radios. In these radio transmissions, Ricks will call Murphy out and say there is a dedication to him. If Murphy turns on radios randomly about the town, he will hear Bobby making dedications to other people, implying many others are in Silent Hill at this moment, but specific radios Murphy passes are automatically on and have Ricks dedicate to him. Murphy finally finds out he is a DJ at the top of the Centennial Building by Howard Blackwood.

After Murphy Pendleton makes his way into the radio station, he tries to get Ricks to answer his questions, but Ricks repeatedly acts like he never sent out a dedication, nor knows anyone by the name of Murphy. After Murphy shouts at him, Ricks tells him to be quiet, insinuating that the town itself is listening. Ricks tell him he's been stuck there playing records for a very long time, and he seems to be aware that Silent Hill is not a normal place, and there are rules you must follow. He plans to leave the town using a boat at the marina, but the keys were stolen during a ransack on the station. When he learned of Murphy and others, he began sending dedications out over the radio with some messages, hoping somebody would finally show up to help him. During this conversation, Anne Marie Cunningham appears and holds Murphy at gunpoint. Moments after, Ricks gets a phone call from someone, asking a dedication to himself, and a pack of Screamers attack the place leaving behind only Murphy.

in the third issue of Anne's Story, DJ Ricks and Anne survived the attack, but found themselves in a cage hanging in front of the clock of the Centennial Building. In the fourth issue, Ricks is killed by monsters who disembowel him while Anne manages to escape. DJ Ricks is never referenced by Murphy again, nor is any clue ever given to where he ended up, why he was in the town, or what he hoped Murphy could do. It is also never stated who called Ricks and told him to send out the messages, whether it was some form of manifestation, the town itself, etc.

Since there is a key that can be used to arrive to Ricks station at the top of the tower, it can at least be inferred that Murphy was intended to meet and speak with Ricks, but what he was supposed to find out isn't certain since Ricks doesn't say anything particularly helpful to Murphy outside the fact that he owns a boat and the keys are missing. It is possible that the conversation took a turn the way the town didn't want it to, and thus ended the conversation prematurely.

Trivia

 * Murphy's comment on Bobby is: "I don't know what his story was, but I am certain as hell he did not fit this place any more than I do. He knew things and his plan sounded solid, but in the end that narrow margin between knowing and doing, that little bit of courage to do things on your own, he lacked. That was what buried him here forever."
 * His full name is Robert, seen on the Japanese Downpour site.
 * He is the sixth person of African American heritage in the entire Silent Hill game series, appearing after Howard Blackwood.
 * Ricks makes a broadcast that Murphy can hear while at the Devil's Pit giving a shout-out to Murphy, knowing his name even though he had not yet met him. This happens throughout Murphy's journey until the two finally meet, give or take a random broadcast.
 * In certain parts of the game, when listening to another "random shout-out", Ricks will whisper to the listener stating that he knows a way out of town. It is most likely he is reaching out to Murphy directly.
 * Ricks appears to have a certain degree of knowledge about the powers of the town. When Murphy suggests to hotwire the boat due to the lack of keys, he tells him that the town does strange things to reality, and you must "play along the rules".
 * This is further evidenced as he receives phone call requests that appear to be dedicated to targeted victims. In the end of his role, a caller dedicates one to Bobby himself after he confesses his knowledge to Murphy. He acknowledges this after saying, "They're coming!" immediately after hanging up.
 * After his abduction, when Murphy continues turning on/listening to radios, Ricks can still be heard talking; however, the voice is distorted and is playing on a recorded loop as music is played afterwards like before his abduction.
 * In the third issue of Anne's Story, he was known to be alive after the raid in the radio station. However, the fourth issue of Anne's Story revealed that Ricks was killed when monsters disemboweled him.
 * Although hard to spot, Ricks made his first appearance in the Silent Hill: Downpour reveal trailer from E3 2010. He is seen when a TV flashes shortly after Murphy enters a building.
 * One of DJ Rick's radio shout-outs mentions a little boy getting his tonsils removed at Brookhaven Hospital, although Brookhaven is more of a mental institution than a regular hospital.
 * Ricks is also present and well in Downpour's "Surprise!" ending as well, jumping out with several other cast members as Murphy climbs out of the hole into the dimly lit room. He is somewhat startled at first when Pyramid Head approaches the cake.
 * While it's somewhat obscured by his jacket, Ricks appears to be wearing a University of Wyoming shirt given the visible letters (WYO) and the brown and gold coloring, which matches the university's colors.

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