Wreck-it Ralph takes places within the arcade machines at Litwak's Arcade. After hours, the various characters in the games are able to gather via their shared power strip and mingle and hang out in other games. However, these characters know they cannot stray far from their games when the arcade reopens, or elsethe game will be considered broken and sent off for disposal by Mr. Litwak. This had happened to a racing character known as Turbo years earlier, affecting both Turbo's game and the one he infected. The titular character is Wreck-it Ralph, from a game called Fix-It Felix, Jr.. In his game, Ralph is the villain of the game and aims to wreck an apartment skyscraper, but is always stopped by the game's titular hero and playable character, Fix-It Felix, Jr.. Through events in the first film, Ralph makes friends with Vanellope von Schweetz, one of the playable racers from the game Sugar Rush, while Felix becomes romantically attached to Sergeant Tamora Jean Calhoun, from the shooting game Hero's Duty.
Films
''Wreck-It Ralph'' (2012)
Ralph, desiring to be the hero, sneaks into Hero's Duty to steal the hero medal there, but inadvertently fires himself off in an escape ship with one of the game's cybernetic bugs, also known as cy-bugs for short, through the power strip, and into Sugar Rush, where he meets Vanellope for the first time. Vanellope is a glitch within the game but who wants to become a playable character, and Ralph helps her along, forming a bond between them. Felix and Calhoun team up to find Ralph before Fix-It Felix, Jr. is to be unplugged, and before the cy-bug can damage Sugar Rush, also dooming that game. Ralph discovers that the population of Sugar Rush has been suppressed by King Candy, who is really Turbo; not only had he managed to escape into Sugar Rush, but also rewrote part of Vanellope's code, denying her her proper right as the game's star character. Ralph, Vanellope, Felix, and Calhoun work together to finally stop Turbo/King Candy, remove the cy-bugs from Sugar Rush, and saving both Sugar Rush and Fix-It Felix, Jr. from the cy-bug invasion and being unplugged, respectively. Ralph is finally recognized as a hero, and happily returns to his duties in his game, while Vanellope enjoys her new popularity among the arcade players.
''Ralph Breaks the Internet'' (2018)
Six years after the events of the first film, Sugar Rushs racing wheel is damaged, and due to the company that produced Sugar Rush being defunct years ago, Mr. Litwak plans to take the game away for spare parts. Ralph and Vanellope learn of a replacement wheel from eBay, and use a new Internet router in the arcade to travel to the Internet to get it, while the recently married Felix and Calhoun stay to make sure the other Sugar Rush racers have a temporary home. Ralph and Vanellope successfully win the auction but do not have the funds to get it, and look for job opportunities. When Ralph finds a way to earn all the funds by becoming a viral video star with the help of Yesss, he discovers that Vanellope may want to stay in the gritty racing game world of Slaughter Race and not return to the arcade thanks to Shank, one of the drivers here. This prompts Ralph to use a dark web virus to shut down the game and save Vanellope, only for the virus to turn on Ralph's own insecure feelings and start propagating through the Internet and destroying it. Ralph, Vanellope, and their newfound allies are able to stop the virus in time after Ralph accepts the fact that Vanellope wants to move on. The two say their goodbyes and Ralph returns to the arcade alone, just as Sugar Rush is plugged back in. The two keep in contact, however, and Vanellope promises that she will eventually return to live in the arcade once Shank has taught her every trick she can use in Sugar Rush.
Future
Directors Rich Moore and Phil Johnston said that a Ralph Breaks the Internet spin-off film focusing on the Disney Princesses could be made depending on the audience's response and "if there's a good story to be told". Also, John C. Reilly says that he has an idea for a second sequel, which would see Ralph and Vanellope "beaming themselves right out into space".
Video games
''Wreck-It Ralph'' (2012)
A 2012 video game of the same name was also released, featuring the title character Wreck-It Ralph, voiced by actor Brian T. Delaney.
''Wreck-It Ralph: Ralph Breaks VR'' (2018)
A VR arcade experience called Wreck-It Ralph: Ralph Breaks VR opened at The Void locations in 2018, along with the second film.
Other miscellaneous titles
''Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed''
Wreck-It Ralph appears as a playable character in the 2012 video game Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, voiced by actor Brian T. Delaney in English and Kōichi Yamadera in Japanese.
''Disney Infinity'' series
Wreck-It Ralph and Vanellope feature in the 2013 toys-to-life video game Disney Infinity. The characters are playable via toys available in both single packs and a "Toy Box" pack that adds locations and elements from the original film to the game's "Toy Box" mode. The toys are also compatible with the game's sequels, 2014's and 2015's Disney Infinity 3.0. Sarah Silverman returns to voice Vanellope, while Ralph is voiced by Brian T. Delaney.
''Kingdom Hearts'' series
Wreck-It Ralph appears in the 2019 video game Kingdom Hearts III as a Link. When summoned, he will place explosive blocks and destroy them, causing damage to nearby enemies. A world based on Wreck-It Ralph was added to the 2017 mobile gameKingdom Hearts Union χ as part of an update in April 2019.
Cast
Note: A dark grey cell indicates that the character does not appear in the film.
Wreck-It Ralph and Vanellope von Schweetz make background cameo appearances in the Butch HartmanThe Fairly Odd Parents episode "Dumbbell Curve", in the foreground of a crowd shot depicting a city cheering. Wreck-It Ralph also makes a brief appearance in the Futurama episode "Murder on the Planet Express", on a passing truck and arcade machine, while Vanellope von Schweetz is briefly featured in the El Goonish Shive arc "End of an Era", where character Susan uses their appearance as a digital avatar.
