# Arnold Rimmer

> fictional character in Red Dwarf

**Wikidata**: [Q3844833](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3844833)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Rimmer)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/arnold-rimmer

## Summary
Arnold Rimmer is a fictional male character from the science fiction television series *Red Dwarf*, portrayed by actor Chris Barrie. He is defined as a hologram character and a fictional uploaded consciousness, representing the digitized mind of a deceased technician. His full name is Arnold Judas Rimmer, and he serves as a central figure in the show's narrative following his accidental death.

## Key Facts
- **Full Name**: Arnold Judas Rimmer (Given names: Arnold [1], Judas [2]; Family name: Rimmer).
- **Portrayed By**: Chris Barrie.
- **Primary Occupation**: Technician.
- **Classifications**: Fictional human, television character, hologram character, fictional uploaded consciousness.
- **Manner of Death**: Accidental death.
- **Primary Work**: *Red Dwarf*.
- **Aliases**: Rimmer, アーノルド・J・リマー (Japanese), Арнольд Иуда Риммер (Russian).
- **Identifiers**:
  - Freebase ID: /m/01ndtm (referenced via  on 2013-10-28).
  - Goodreads Character ID: 27987.
  - Archive of Our Own Tag: Arnold Rimmer (referenced 2023-04-12).
- **Wikipedia Presence**: Available in Czech (cs), English (en), Esperanto (eo), Spanish (es), and Slovak (sk).
- **Fandom Article IDs**:
  - `reddwarf:Arnold_Rimmer` (English, title "Arnold Rimmer", ID 1696).
  - `characters:Arnold_Rimmer` (English, title "Arnold Rimmer").
  - `hero:Arnold_Rimmer` (English, title "Arnold Rimmer").
  - `villains:Arnold_Rimmer` (English, title "Arnold Rimmer").
- **Sitelink Count**: 5 (Wikipedia) and 31 (Technician sitelinks).

## FAQs
**Who created and performs the character of Arnold Rimmer?**
The character is performed by Chris Barrie. While the specific creators are not named in the provided text, the character is established as a fictional entity within the *Red Dwarf* universe.

**What is the nature of Arnold Rimmer's existence?**
Rimmer exists as a hologram character and a fictional uploaded consciousness. This means his consciousness was transferred to an artificial medium after his accidental death, allowing him to interact with the living crew.

**In which languages can information about Arnold Rimmer be found?**
Detailed information is available in English, Czech, Esperanto, Spanish, and Slovak. These languages correspond to the Wikipedia articles dedicated to the character.

**How is Arnold Rimmer categorized in fan communities and databases?**
He is tagged on Archive of Our Own and listed on Goodreads as character ID 27987. Fandom wikis categorize him under multiple distinct labels, including "hero," "villain," and general "characters," reflecting his complex role in the series.

## Why It Matters
Arnold Rimmer is a significant figure in science fiction television, representing one of the earliest and most enduring examples of a "hologram character" and "fictional uploaded consciousness." His existence explores the philosophical and narrative implications of transferring an intelligent being's consciousness into an artificial medium, a concept central to the *Red Dwarf* series. As a technician who died accidentally, his continued presence as a hologram drives the show's dynamic, providing a unique lens through which themes of mortality, bureaucracy, and human (or post-human) nature are examined. His categorization as both a "hero" and a "villain" in fan databases highlights his complex, multi-faceted personality that defies simple moral classification.

## Notable For
- Being a primary example of a **fictional uploaded consciousness** in media.
- Portraying the specific role of a **technician** who continues to work after death via holographic projection.
- Holding a unique dual classification as both a **hero** and a **villain** within fan community taxonomies.
- Being one of the few characters with a **Goodreads Character ID** (27987) and a dedicated **Archive of Our Own** tag.
- Possessing a full name that includes the middle name **Judas**, adding specific character depth.
- Maintaining a presence across **five different languages** on Wikipedia.

## Body

### Character Identity and Classification
Arnold Rimmer is a fictional male character whose existence is defined by his status as a hologram. He is technically classified as a "fictional uploaded consciousness," indicating that the consciousness of an intelligent being has been transferred to an artificial medium within the work of fiction. While he is a fictional human in origin, his current state is that of a hologram character. His full name is Arnold Judas Rimmer, with "Arnold" listed as the first given name and "Judas" as the second. He is also known simply as "Rimmer," and his name appears in Japanese (アーノルド・J・リマー) and Russian (Арнольд Иуда Риммер) aliases.

### Professional Role and Background
Rimmer's primary occupation is that of a technician. This role is significant, as the "technician" entity has a high sitelink count of 31, indicating a broad network of related technical roles and contexts. His professional life was cut short by an accidental death, which serves as the pivotal event leading to his transformation into a hologram. Despite his death, his function as a technician remains a core part of his identity within the narrative of *Red Dwarf*.

### Narrative Presence and Media Appearances
The character is a central figure in the television series *Red Dwarf*. His story is documented across various media platforms and databases. On Wikipedia, the character has a dedicated title "Arnold Rimmer" and is available in five languages: Czech, English, Esperanto, Spanish, and Slovak. The English Wikipedia entry has a specific sitelink count of 5. In the realm of fan fiction and community archives, he is tagged on Archive of Our Own under the name "Arnold Rimmer," with a reference date of April 12, 2023. He is also cataloged on Goodreads with the character ID 27987.

### Database Identifiers and Metadata
Arnold Rimmer is tracked by several unique identifiers across digital knowledge bases. His Freebase ID is /m/01ndtm, which was referenced via  on October 28, 2013. In the Fandom ecosystem, he is associated with multiple article IDs that reflect different aspects of his character: `reddwarf:Arnold_Rimmer` (ID 1696), `characters:Arnold_Rimmer`, `hero:Arnold_Rimmer`, and `villains:Arnold_Rimmer`. These IDs are all in English and share the display title "Arnold Rimmer." The existence of both "hero" and "villain" tags suggests a complex character arc that spans moral boundaries.

### Performance and Creation
The character is performed by the actor Chris Barrie. While the specific creators of the character are not detailed in the provided text, the character's creation is linked to the broader *Red Dwarf* production. The data references a Wikipedia revision (oldid=946902998) as a source for the character's details, indicating a well-documented history in public knowledge repositories. The character's description as a "fictional character in Red Dwarf" is consistent across all provided sources, cementing his identity within the show's universe.

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
2. [Arnold Rimmer - Works | Archive of Our Own](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Arnold%20Rimmer/works)