Novel Ru(II) and Ru(III) complexes having TPA (tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine, L1) and 5-Me-3-TPA (tris(5-methyl-2-pyridylmethyl)amine, L2) were prepared to establish their synthetic routes and to elucidate coordination geometry and interactions between tightly bound tripodal tetradentate ligands and (RuRuIII)-Ru-II/ centers. They include mononuclear Ru(II) complexes [RuCl(DMSO)(L)]ClO4 (1 (L1), 2 (L2)), dinuclear bis-mu-chloro Ru(LI) complexes [RuCl(L)](2)(ClO4)(2) (3 (L1), 4 (L2)), and mononuclear Ru(III) complexes [RuCl2(L)]ClO4 (5 (L1), 6 (L2)). They were characterized by X-ray crystallography (for 2, 3, and 5), H-1 NMR spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. For compound 2, the crystal structure was determined to possess S-bound DMSO ligand which was trans to pyridine and Cl- trans to the tertiary amino group of L2, and this isomer was obtained exclusively. Complex 1 was also isolated as a single isomer. Complex 3 was revealed to be a dinuclear bis-mu-chloro Ru(II) species with the center of symmetry midway between two Cl-. H-1 NMR spectra of Ru(II) complexes 1-4, the molecular structure of 2, and comparison of the molecular structure of 3 with 5 suggest that the interaction between the Ru(II) center, pyridyl moieties, and the DMSO ligand is strengthened by pi-back-bonding from the Ru(II) center to the ligands in addition to sigma-bonding of the tertiary amino group. Electrochemical measurements on 1-6 in CH3CN revealed that the methyl groups on pyridyl rings exert electron-donating effects onto the Ru centers to lower each redox process and such effect strengthens the Ru-S bonding in 2 compared with that in 1, accommodating ct-back-bonding from Ru(II) center to other pi-acceptors such as DMSO in 2 enough to prevent isomerization of DMSO binding mode. The dinuclear complexes 3 and 4 showed relatively large comproportionation constants, which suggest mixed-valent (RuRuIII)-Ru-II states would be stabilized.