Throughout the series and its accompanying films, he is the Enterprise's first officer, and briefly captain, until he accepts command of the USS Titan at the end of Star Trek: Nemesis.

Riker was originally scripted as a much more serious, by-the-book officer, but by the middle episodes of the first season, it was felt that he was too "official", and his character was toned down and became more of a ladies' man.

For the first two seasons, Riker is portrayed as a bold, confident and sometimes arrogant, ambitious young officer; however, over time he becomes more reserved, as experience teaches him the wisdom of a patient, careful approach.

Between sessions, Frakes grew a beard for his role in the Civil War miniseries North and South, and Gene Roddenberry asked him to keep it because he thought it made Riker look more nautical.

It is revealed that his presence is part of a holodeck simulation of historic events that Riker initiated to help himself make the decision to inform Captain Picard of the illegal research once conducted by Admiral Pressman aboard the Pegasus.

Picard and his gynoid companion Soji visit the Rikers' home, a National Parks-style lodge on the planet Nepenthe, and are welcomed with open arms.

He is temporarily in command of the USS Zheng He, the lead ship in a Starfleet squadron sent to the planet Coppelius to protect its inhabitants from imminent Romulan attack.

Riker, along with other former members of the crew of the USS Enterprise-D, return for an extended story arc in the third and final season of Picard, wherein they fight a rogue Changeling conspiracy against the Federation.

While conducting a heist at the advanced research center the Daystrom Institute on Picard's behalf, Riker is captured by the rogue Changelings, and reunited with Deanna in the sixth episode.

Riker had fallen into an existential crisis after Thad's death, and their relationship had turned into one of toxic codependency and longing for adventure, necessitating their temporary separation and Picard's help.

In 1993, mainframe software company Boole & Babbage announced that it had signed a two-year licensing agreement, paying Paramount Pictures $75,000 a year, to use Star Trek imagery in advertising for its products.

[11] Boole & Babbage's campaign used actor Jonathan Frakes, playing his character of Commander William Riker, in their Star Trek-themed advertisements.