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Rick and Morty is an American adult animated multimedia franchise originating with the Adult Swim television series of the same name created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, which premiered in 2013. The television series revolves around Rick Sanchez, an eccentric, alcoholic scientist who takes his grandson Morty Smith on dangerous, outlandish adventures throughout the cosmos and alternate universe. The franchise also includes the spin-off series Vindicators 2 , the anime series, and several comic book series published by Oni Press. The following is a list of characters from the Rick and Morty franchise.
Character | Voiced by | Seasons | The Anime | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |||
Rick Sanchez [a] | Justin Roiland | Main | |||||||
Ian Cardoni | Main | ||||||||
Yōhei Tadano | Main | ||||||||
Joe Daniels | Main | ||||||||
Morty Smith [b] | Justin Roiland | Main | |||||||
Harry Belden | Main | ||||||||
Keisuke Chiba | Main | ||||||||
Gabriel Regojo | Main | ||||||||
Jerry Smith [c] | Chris Parnell | Main | |||||||
Manabu Muraji | Main | ||||||||
Joe Daniels | Main | ||||||||
Summer Smith [d] | Spencer Grammer | Main | |||||||
Akiha Matsui | Main | ||||||||
Donna Bella Litton | Main | ||||||||
Beth Smith [e] | Sarah Chalke | Main | |||||||
Jun Irie | Main | ||||||||
Patricia Duran | Main |
Character | Voiced by | First appearance | Seasons | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |||
Jessica | Kari Wahlgren | "Pilot" [f] [g] | Recurring | Guest | Recurring | ||||
Principal Gene Vagina | Phil Hendrie | Recurring | Guest | ||||||
Mr. Goldenfold | Brandon Johnson | Recurring | Guest | ||||||
Tammy Gueterman | Cassie Steele | "Meeseeks and Destroy" [f] | Recurring | Guest | |||||
Birdperson Phoenixperson | Dan Harmon | "Ricksy Business" | Guest | Recurring | Guest | ||||
Squanchy | Tom Kenny | Guest | Recurring | Guest | Recurring | ||||
Space Cruiser / Car D.I.A.N.E. / Diane Sanchez | Kari Wahlgren | "Pilot" "The Ricks Must Be Crazy" (voice) | Silent | Recurring | Silent | Recurring | Guest | ||
Wayne "Mr. Poopybutthole" | Justin Roiland | "Total Rickall" [g] | Recurring | Guest | |||||
Jon Allen | Recurring | ||||||||
President Andre Curtis | Keith David | "Get Schwifty" [g] | Guest | Photo | Recurring | ||||
Gene Gilligan | Tom Kenny | "The Whirly Dirly Conspiracy" | Guest | Silent | Guest | Recurring |
Richard D. "Rick" Sanchez (voiced by Justin Roiland in season 1–6, [1] Ian Cardoni in season 7–present), is a sociopathic, nihilistic, grouchy, immature, crude, rude, narcissistic, self-centered, alcoholic mad scientist who is the widowed father of Beth Smith and the maternal grandfather of Morty and Summer. He is 70 years old as of season 3. The main premise of the show revolves around Rick's high-concept science-fiction misadventures with Morty (often against his will). His sociopathic tendencies coupled with immense intelligence lead his daughter's family to worry about the safety of their son. An extremely intellectual character – frequently referred to by himself and others as the Smartest Man in the Universe – that views his time as valuable, [2] he disparages many ordinary human conventions such as school, marriage, and love, though he displays genuine affection towards his grandchildren and daughter throughout the series. His reaction to the mundane requests asked of him by Morty and other family members suggests he considers himself wholly superior to them, though in several instances throughout the series he shows a lonelier side. He frequently 'burp-talks' words in the middle of a sentence while speaking, presumably as a result of his alcoholism. He is identified as Rick Sanchez of Earth Dimension C-137, or Rick C-137. In "The Wedding Squanchers", Rick, alongside Squanchy and Birdperson, were revealed to be freedom fighters against the Galactic Federation who labeled them terrorists with warrants for their arrest. In order to guarantee the safety of his family, Rick leaves a tip on where he can be found as he surrenders to the Galactic Federation and is incarcerated in one of their prisons. In "The Rickshank Rickdemption" it is revealed that Rick actually turned himself in, in a scheme to destroy the Federation's economy; when the Council of Ricks interferes, Rick also takes the opportunity to take down the Council of Ricks. Rick also orchestrated "sending" Jerry away for his earlier attempt to convince the family to turn him into Federation custody and making Rick "the de-facto patriarch of the household". However, Rick's attempt at driving Jerry away was unsuccessful, resulting in a diminished role in the family. The character was inspired by Emmett Brown from Back to the Future and Marvel's Reed Richards.
Mortimer Chauncey "Morty" Smith (voiced by Justin Roiland in season 1–6, [1] Harry Belden in season 7–present) is Rick's neurotic 14-year-old grandson who is frequently dragged into Rick's misadventures. Morty is good-natured but he is easily distressed. He is often reluctant to follow Rick's plans, and he often ends up traumatized by the unorthodox and morally questionable methods Rick uses to 'fix' situations. The main Morty the episodes follow is referred to as the "Mortiest Morty" by Rick due to his courage, which nearly every other Morty lacks due to their main use being makeshift cloaking devices, in which "Morty waves" cancel out a Rick's "genius waves" (a concept Morty takes offense to), and is later revealed to be designated "Morty Prime" in the commentary for "Solaricks". In "The Rickshank Rickdemption", Morty is angry at Rick for abandoning them and convinces Summer not to do so and even comes close to killing Rick when it appears that he is threatening Summer's life, though in the end, after Rick returns home, Morty is glad to have his grandfather back. However, in "The Rickchurian Mortydate", Morty refuses to be at Rick's side when he decides to leave and stays with his parents and Summer. In "Raising Gazorpazorp", he accidentally impregnates an alien breeding robot, which gives birth to his half-alien son, Mortimer Smith Jr.; another son of Morty's, Naruto, is later born in "Rickdependence Spray". Throughout the series, several characters mention that Morty has a learning disability, and he often displays low self-esteem. Despite this, he's shown to be intelligent and resourceful at times, and as the series progresses, he learns how to use many of Rick's devices and even manipulates Rick into taking Jerry on an adventure. By the end of season three he displays an uncanny degree of common sense as well as a deep understanding of Rick's twisted mind, as seen in "Vindicators 3: The Return of Worldender". The character was loosely inspired by Marty McFly from Back to the Future .
Gerald "Jerry" Smith (voiced by Chris Parnell [1] ) is Summer and Morty's insecure 34-year-old father, Beth's husband, and Rick's son-in-law, who strongly disapproves of Rick's influence over his family. Jerry used to work at a low-level advertising agency until he was fired for incompetence. Generally insecure, he is frequently led into conflicts stemming from opportunistic posturing, while his marriage is sometimes jeopardized by his wife's reactions to his poor relationship with Rick. Beth views Jerry as meek under his boasts, ultimately fearful of confrontation. However, it is strongly suggested that in spite of their problems, they are emotionally codependent. The episode "Mortynight Run" reveals that one of the Ricks, keenly aware that every Jerry is incapable of surviving off of Earth, created a daycare where every Jerry is dropped off by their Rick and Morty during adventures should he attempt to accompany them; in "Solaricks", it is revealed that Jerry was switched in the Jerryboree, with the main character Jerry of the series having been introduced in "Mortynight Run". It is revealed in the same episode that in some dimensions, Beth has left Jerry and remarried. By the end of "The Wedding Squanchers", having attempted to talk his family into selling Rick out, Jerry becomes the only member of the family to benefit from the Earth joining the Galactic Federation. After the federation collapses, Jerry puts his foot down and tells Beth it is him or Rick, but Beth chooses her father and tells Rick that she and Jerry are getting a divorce. Rick later claims to Morty in a rant that he planned this because Jerry had planned to betray him. As Jerry leaves, Summer ignores him and Rick waits for him to leave. Summer comes to terms with the separation and reconciles with him. In "The Rickchurian Mortydate", Jerry and Beth reconnect and she calls off the divorce, and they later establish a throuple with Beth's clone, Space Beth.
Beth Smith (née Sanchez) (voiced by Sarah Chalke) is Rick's daughter, Summer and Morty's mother, and Jerry's wife. She is a veterinarian who specializes in horse surgery, a job she internally feels to be beneath her and is often defensive when her career is compared to human medicine. Several episodes have dealt with Beth's deep dissatisfaction with her life, stemming from her belief that she has "settled" in her marriage, family, and job. She wanted to become a "real" surgeon but became pregnant with Summer at 17. She is an assertive force in her household, while also displaying traits of selfishness, humor, and intelligence. She, from childhood, views Rick more favorably than her mother due to the parental separation. [2] Harmon expanded upon this origin in an interview: "Kids can sometimes idolize their worst parent and blame their supportive parent for chasing off the dad with the guts to leave. ... She believes that Rick, as crazy as he is, is the better of her two parents even though she was raised by her mother and she blames her mother's unremarkability on her father's departure and will do anything to keep her father back in her life." [2] In "The Rickshank Rickdemption", Beth is heartbroken that Rick abandoned her again and is unhappy with the federation's new conditions as the medicine they provide makes horses healthier than ever, which affects her job. She is glad when Rick comes back home again, but Jerry, sick of Rick, forces her to choose between Rick and himself. Beth chooses Rick over Jerry, leading to their implied divorce. In "The ABC's of Beth", it is revealed that Beth shares the same sociopathic tendencies as her father. Rick offers to make Beth a clone of herself to tend to her family while she can explore the multiverse. In "The Rickchurian Mortydate", she begins to believe that she herself is the clone and goes to Jerry for help. Beth realizes that she loves Jerry and calls off the divorce, renewing her bond with her family and no longer insecure about Rick abandoning her again.
Summer Smith (voiced by Spencer Grammer [1] ) is Morty's 17-year-old older sister, a more conventional and often superficial teenager, who is obsessed with improving her status among her peers. Summer is generally similar to her mother, and she is often shown to be very smart and humorous, but she has also shown elements of Jerry's approval-seeking. She occasionally expresses jealousy that Morty gets to accompany Rick on his inter-dimensional adventures. In the second season, she accompanies Rick and Morty on adventures more frequently and sometimes will even prove herself to be more competent than Morty, especially when emotional nuance is required. Summer has, on occasion, been shown to think similarly to Rick, such as quickly figuring out a way to save herself and Rick from execution and correctly deducing that dead flies in Rick's garage were more than they appeared. Summer cares about Rick and sees him as a hero, though he is often contemptuous and dismissive of her teenaged life perspective and values. In "The Rickshank Rickdemption", she is the only member of the family who wants to rescue Rick, despite the pleas of her brother that Rick is nothing more than a selfish jerk. When their parents agree on a divorce, Summer begins resenting her father and starts showing her dark side until she reconciles with him.
The Prime Smith family, consisting of Jerry, Beth, and Summer (voiced by Parnell, Chalke, and Grammer), were the main characters when Rick and Morty began, and as such were identical to the "current" Smith family. In "Rick Potion #9", they are left behind as Rick C-137 takes Morty to a new dimension to live after he irreparably turns everyone besides them into body horror mutants referred to as "Cronenbergs". By the time Morty Prime and the Summer return to his original dimension in the season 3 premiere, "The Rickshank Rickdemption", the sanity of the original Smiths seems to have eroded, as they attempt to kill Summer and hold Morty captive because of their association with Rick. On thawing out, having regained a semblance of sanity in the comic arc "Look Who's Cronenberging Now", Summer Prime sacrifices herself to stop the plans of an invading Coalition of Ricks. In the season 5 finale, Beth Prime is briefly seen in a Rick's 'crybaby backstory' as he crashes into their garage in his ship; in the season 6 premiere, "Solaricks", it is revealed that Beth Prime has also since died, leaving Jerry (now dubbed Apocalypse Jerry) alone. Having regained his humanity, Jerry spent his days reading and scavenging, rejecting Morty on his brief return and berating him for "leaving us to freeze", their residual injuries from having been frozen having been what led to Summer's sacrifice play (attributed to not having "thawed right") and Beth's death, until being killed by Rick Prime: the original Rick of the reality, with Rick C-137 having initially elected to live with the Prime Smith family and surrounding timelines out of a wish to track down Prime and kill him for having killed C-137's Diane and Beth (the latter as a child).
Different versions of the main characters inhabit other realities and dimensions. Other Ricks are mostly similar to the "main" Rick, though some have unique features which set them apart. Most other Mortys seen in the show are far more timid and weak-willed than the main Morty, an exception being Evil Morty.
The following characters are seen when Rick and Morty watch the inter-dimensional cable in the episodes "Rixty Minutes" and "Interdimensional Cable 2: Tempting Fate":
Mortimer Chauncey "Morty" Smith Sr. is one of the eponymous characters from the American animated television series Rick and Morty. Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, and voiced by the former for the first six seasons of the series, followed by Harry Belden beginning with the seventh season. Morty is a 14-year-old boy loosely inspired by Michael J. Fox's Marty McFly from Back to the Future. Morty is known for his awkward, anxious, second-guessing, doubtful personality, and low sense of self-esteem; the character has been critically well-received. He is the good-natured and impressionable grandson of Rick Sanchez, the son of Jerry and Beth Smith, the younger brother of Summer Smith, and the father of Morty Jr., Thoolie, Naruto, and Maria Smith. He is also known to be easily manipulated. In September 2021, Jaeden Martell portrayed Morty in a series of promotional interstitials for the series.
"Rick Potion #9" is the sixth episode of Rick and Morty. It premiered on Adult Swim on January 27, 2014, was written by Justin Roiland, and directed by Stephen Sandoval. In the episode, a love potion goes wrong, creating a virus that begins to infect the entire world population, making everyone fall in love with Morty. The episode received critical acclaim, receiving praise for its story, subplot, and ending. It was seen by 1.7 million viewers at first airing. The title of the episode is in reference to the 1959 song "Love Potion No. 9" by the Clovers.
The pilot episode of the American animated television sitcom Rick and Morty was written by series creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland, and directed by Justin Roiland. The episode premiered on Adult Swim on December 2, 2013. The series introduces protagonists, alcoholic scientist Rick Sanchez and his innocent teenage grandson Morty Smith, as they embark on a dangerous interdimensional adventure to fetch Mega Tree seeds. The pilot had a positive reception and was seen by about 1.1 million viewers when it premiered.
"A Rickle in Time" is the first episode in the second season of the American animated television sitcom Rick and Morty, and the twelfth overall episode of the series. Written by Matt Roller and directed by Wes Archer, the episode first aired on Adult Swim in the United States on July 26, 2015. The title of the episode is a pun to the novel, A Wrinkle in Time.
Richard Daniel "Rick" Sanchez is one of the two eponymous characters from the Adult Swim animated television series Rick and Morty and resulting multimedia franchise. Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, he is voiced by the former during the first six seasons of the series, then by Ian Cardoni beginning with the seventh season, and Yōhei Tadano in Rick and Morty: The Anime, after voicing the character in the Japanese dub of the series and various promotional short films. Rick is a misanthropic, alcoholic mad scientist inspired by Christopher Lloyd's Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown from Back to the Future and Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic from Marvel Comics. In September 2021, Lloyd portrayed Rick himself in a series of promotional interstitials for the series.
Bethany "Beth" Smith (née Sanchez) is one of the main characters of the American animated television series Rick and Morty and the resulting franchise. Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, Beth is a veterinarian who specializes in horse surgery, who in the first three seasons is struck with a deep sense of dissatisfaction with her life, stemming from her belief that she has "settled" in her marriage, family, and job, leading her to accept her father into her household after he abandoned her as a teenager. Known for her selfish and humorous personality, alcoholism, and abrasiveness when criticized, the character has been well received. She is the level-headed and assertive daughter of mad scientist Rick Sanchez, mother of Morty and Summer Smith, wife of Jerry Smith, and grandmother of Maria, Naruto, Thoolie, and Morty Smith Jr..
"Total Rickall" is the fourth episode of the second season of the Adult Swim animated television series Rick and Morty. Written by Mike McMahan and directed by Juan Meza-León, the episode premiered on August 16, 2015. It shows the Smith family, along with Mr. Poopybutthole, overwhelmed by an infestation of parasites who implant false memories into them so they cannot tell who is real.
"The Rickshank Rickdemption" is the first episode in the third season of the American animated television sitcom Rick and Morty, and the twenty-second episode overall in the series. It was written by Mike McMahan and directed by Juan Meza-Leon. The season three premiere first aired unannounced on Adult Swim in the United States on April 1, 2017 when it was watched by 676,000 American households in its initial airing. On the first day of its original broadcast, "The Rickshank Rickdemption" was replayed every half hour from 8pm to 12am ET with improved ratings, as a part of Adult Swim's annual April Fools' Day joke.
"The Whirly Dirly Conspiracy" is the fifth episode of the third season of the American science fiction comedy television series Rick and Morty. In the episode, Rick takes Jerry on a mission to an alien resort when the latter feels left out, and Summer accidentally grows to a huge size and inside-out.
"Morty's Mind Blowers" is the eighth episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Rick and Morty. It follows the two titular characters, both voiced by Justin Roiland, as they experiment with Morty's lost memories. The episode was directed by Bryan Newton and written by various screenwriters, including Mike McMahan, who would later serve as a producer on the fourth season, and both series creators Roiland and Dan Harmon. "Morty's Mind Blowers" originally aired on Adult Swim on September 17, 2017, and was watched by 2.51 million viewers. A comic sequel of the same name, written by Kyle Starks, Tini Howard, Sarah Graley, Benjamin Dewey, and Josh Trujillo, with designs by Angie Knowles and Roiland's personal approval, was published by Oni Press in Rick and Morty #50 on May 29, 2019.
"The ABC's of Beth" is the ninth episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Rick and Morty. Airing on September 24, 2017, the episode was directed by Juan Meza-León and written by Mike McMahan.
"The Rickchurian Mortydate" is the tenth and final episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Rick and Morty follows the titular grandson and grandfather duo as they feud with the President of the United States. The episode, directed by Anthony Chun and written by series co-creator Dan Harmon, aired on Adult Swim on October 1, 2017.
Mr. Meeseeks is a recurring fictional species in the American animated television series Rick and Morty. Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon and based on the title character from Scud: The Disposable Assassin by Rob Schrab, Meeseeks are a powder-blue-skinned species of humanoids who are created to serve a single purpose which they will go to any length to fulfill. Each brought to life by a "Meeseeks Box", they typically live for no more than a few hours in a constant state of pain, vanishing upon completing their assigned task so as to end their own existence and thereby end their suffering; as such, the longer an individual Meeseeks remains alive, the more insane and unhinged they become.
The sixth season of the American adult animated television series Rick and Morty premiered on September 4, 2022. Starring Justin Roiland as both titular characters, Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith, and their inter-dimensional counterparts, the season was ordered before the fourth season of the show finished airing, in May 2020. It is the final season to feature Roiland providing any voice as he was fired from the series on January 24, 2023, due to domestic violence allegations.
Gerald "Jerry" Smith is one of the main characters of the American animated television series Rick and Morty and resulting franchise. Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, and voiced by Chris Parnell, Jerry is depicted as a stay-at-home dad who finds contentment in his simple life. He unknowingly uses pity as his "signature move", which leads to people hiring him or giving him any sort of consolation. Jerry is infamous for his mutual rivalry with Rick Sanchez, his father-in-law, with the pair ultimately becoming friends in the sixth season. On many occasions in the early seasons, his relationship with his partner, Beth Smith, has been shown to be incredibly unhealthy, co-dependent, and incompatible, before gradually improving over the course of the series. One of Jerry's hobbies is beekeeping, which he picks up sometime during season four. As well as being the son-in-law of mad scientist Rick, Jerry is father of Morty and Summer Smith and husband of Beth Smith. Both the original character and their inter-dimensional replacements have received a positive critical reception.
The Vindicators is an American animated superhero comedy spin-off of the Rick and Morty franchise, owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, whose primary eponymous team consists of Vance Maximus, Supernova, Alan Rails, Crocubot, Million Ants, and Noob Noob, and were created by Sarah Carbiener and Erica Rosbe for the 2017 third season of Rick and Morty, premiering in "Vindicators 3: The Return of Worldender". Following the publication of a comic book sequel and prequel by Oni Press in 2018, the characters were revived after five years with Vindicators 2: Last Stand Between Earth and Doom, a ten-episode miniseries released to the Adult Swim YouTube channel in 2022 as the second television series in the franchise, with Carbiener serving as showrunner, and expressing interest in further seasons of the series being produced.
Rick and Morty is an American animated science-fiction comedy franchise, whose eponymous duo consists of Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith. Rick and Morty were created by cartoonist Justin Roiland for a 2006 parody film of Back to the Future for Channel 101, a short film festival co-founded by Dan Harmon. After six years, the sketch was developed into Rick and Morty, a half-hour prime time show that was a hit for Adult Swim, receiving universal acclaim across all seasons. Alongside the original television series, the characters of the show have been featured in a variety of media, including spin-offs, comic books, musical releases and video games. The show has earned hundreds of millions of dollars in income across their merchandising and media franchise.
Rick + Morty in the Eternal Nightmare Machine is an American pixel-animated short film based on the television series/franchise Rick and Morty, produced by Adult Swim and debuting on both the network and their YouTube channel on April 30, 2021, alongside a marathon of the series' fourth season, to promote its then-upcoming fifth season. Written, directed, and animated by Paul Robertson, the film received positive reviews from critics.
The seventh season of the American adult animated television series Rick and Morty premiered on October 15, 2023 and concluded on December 17, 2023. It consisted of ten episodes.