Played by Hollywood action star Steven Seagal,[1] Ryback is a chief petty officer, culinary specialist[2] and former Navy SEAL operator with top training in martial arts, explosives, special-weapons and tactics.

He struck his CO (Commanding Officer) after his SEAL teammates were killed because of poor intelligence during the invasion of Panama, Operation Nifty Package, in which they were sent to disable General Manuel Noriega's private jet at Punta Paitilla Airport.

According to his fictional Colorado's driving license, he has brown eyes, black hair and he is 6 ft 5 in (1.96 meters) tall and weighs around 220 lbs (100 kilograms).

The gold chief's stripes shown at the end of the first film also indicated multiple earning of the Navy's Good Conduct Medal.

As the action genre tends toward hyperbole, Ryback is an amalgam of everything that signifies Ultimate Warrior status, even more than Riggs had been in Lethal Weapon.