‘Furiosa’: Rictus Erectus, Explained

Some characters will stick with you. Whether it’s due to their eye-catching designs or their cool accents — some directors truly nail the little details. Other characters stick with you because of their weird names, and Rictus Erectus from Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga may be the prime example.

While we might have already met Rictus and his brother Scrotus in Mad Max: Fury Road, many fans watching Furiosa as a standalone film may not be familiar with them. Instead, they meet the duo as they proudly proclaim their names: Rictus and Scrotus. Very loudly. To be fair, we can’t blame them for trying to yell out their names at every chance they get.

Either way, if you haven’t watched any of the Mad Max iterations before Furiosa, you’re definitely missing out, but we’ve done all the homework for you. If you’re curious about Rictus’ role in the story, allow us to explain.

Who is Rictus Erectus in Furiosa?

Rictus Erectus is one of the antagonists in Furiosa and the second major antagonist of Fury Road. His name, while not a direct translation, essentially alludes to his grotesque and rigid demeanor. Aside from his name, Rictus is the heir of Immortan Joe and all his assets. For this reason, Rictus fights for his father’s cause alongside the War Boys in both iterations of Mad Max.

In Fury Road, Rictus aims to dethrone Imperator Furiosa, continuously pursuing and fighting against her at every opportunity. In the prequel, however, we see Rictus and Furiosa’s very first encounter, where he inappropriately and persistently touches a very young Furiosa, even going so far as to kidnap her from the room where she was with the wives. He’s a certified weirdo, and not even his name can erase that.

Regarding physical prowess, Rictus Erectus is quite a formidable opponent. Aside from his herculean figure, he is also extremely skilled with firearms and hand-to-hand combat. He is incredibly powerful physically and can even fight face-to-face with Max and hold his own —though he ultimately lost in Fury Road. Despite being incredibly intimidating, Rictus is not invincible.

The prequel Fury Road saw him killed during the process of Nux’s sacrifice. We’d say it was quite a befitting ending for someone responsible for acts of terrorism, mass murder, and assault. Nonetheless, there isn’t much else to share about Rictus. Despite being quite detestable, both he and his brother have a comedic flair to them throughout Furiosa, but we can assure you that Fury Road will surely show you his most despicable traits.