  We provide a simple analytic formula for the two-loop six-point ratio
function of planar N = 4 super Yang-Mills theory. This result extends the
analytic knowledge of multi-loop six-point amplitudes beyond those with maximal
helicity violation. We make a natural ansatz for the symbols of the relevant
functions appearing in the two-loop amplitude, and impose various consistency
conditions, including symmetry, the absence of spurious poles, the correct
collinear behaviour, and agreement with the operator product expansion for
light-like (super) Wilson loops. This information reduces the ansatz to a small
number of relatively simple functions. In order to fix these parameters
uniquely, we utilize an explicit representation of the amplitude in terms of
loop integrals that can be evaluated analytically in various kinematic limits.
The final compact analytic result is expressed in terms of classical
polylogarithms, whose arguments are rational functions of the dual conformal
cross-ratios, plus precisely two functions that are not of this type. One of
the functions, the loop integral \Omega^{(2)}, also plays a key role in a new
representation of the remainder function R_6^{(2)} in the maximally helicity
violating sector. Another interesting feature at two loops is the appearance of
a new (parity odd) \times (parity odd) sector of the amplitude, which is absent
at one loop, and which is uniquely determined in a natural way in terms of the
more familiar (parity even) \times (parity even) part. The second
non-polylogarithmic function, the loop integral \tilde{\Omega}^{(2)},
characterizes this sector. Both \Omega^{(2)} and tilde{\Omega}^{(2)} can be
expressed as one-dimensional integrals over classical polylogarithms with
rational arguments.
