Richard B. Riddick more commonly known simply as Riddick, is the main anti-hero protagonist of a Riddick series. Riddick stands around six feet tall, with a muscular frame, and is cunning. His eyes reflect light due to his "eyeshine" and he also has a deep baritone voice. Riddick usually wears welding goggles during the day because of his augmented night vision. His attire usually consists of a black tank top shirt, dark-colored cargo pants, a utility belt, and combat boots. He usually keeps knives or shivs on his person.

As explained in Pitch Black, Riddick is a Furyan, and one of the last of his kind; the sequel, Chronicles of Riddick, explains that the evil Lord Marshall systematically killed all but a few of the planet's inhabitants. Riddick was once in the military, as stated in the special features on The Chronicles of Riddick DVD; this also explains how he is an experienced pilot. His fighting style is a more aggressive, brutal variation of martial arts.