The animated sci-fi series Rick and Morty has taken viewers on an adventure through space and the Multiverse. Starring the titular grandfather-grandson duo, many of the episodes feature alternate versions of themselves, such as clones or characters from different dimensions. This has led to the characters befriending, hooking up with, and even killing their alt-selves, as well as much debate in the fandom over which versions of the characters reign supreme.
Release Date
December 2, 2013
Directors
Bryan Newton, Dominic Polcino, Anthony Chun, John Rice, Stephen Sandoval, Jeff Myers
Writers
Tom Kauffman, Wade Randolph, Eric Acosta, David Phillips, Erica Rosbe, Sarah Carbiener, Matt Roller, Michael Waldron, Caitie Delaney
-
Spencer Grammer
Summer Smith (voice)
-
Justin Roiland
Rick Sanchez / Morty Smith
While we all know that the Rickest Rick is C-137, what about the Mortyest Morty? In this list, we’ve tried to rank the most entertaining, interesting Mortys in the series, from versions who helped save the Multiverse to Mortys who left their worlds a little worse off, but made our viewing experience all the better.
10
Cronenberg Morty
Adult Swim
Most fans fondly remember “Rick Potion No. 9,” the episode where Morty Prime accidentally Cronenberged his dimension and had to escape with Rick to Dimension C-131. Unsurprisingly, a Cronenberg version of Morty experienced a similar series of events where he accidentally humanified his world and had to leave with Cronenberg Rick to the now-Cronenberged C-137 dimension. Cronenberg Morty would later reappear in “Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind,” only to tragically be killed off in the anime, but not before leaving a lasting mark on fans.
A Potential Return
To be fair, the canonicity of the Rick and Morty anime has been fiercely contested. Plus, with the sheer amount of Rick and Morty alt versions, it’s possible that the Cronenberg Morty killed in the anime was actually a different Cronenberg Morty than the one viewers met in “Rick Potion No. 9.” However, when portal travel was reset in “Solaricks,” the various different Ricks and Mortys (and several Jerrys) were sent back to their original dimensions. This means that Cronenberg Morty would have returned to his humanified planet, and based on the dangers that the Cronenberg world posed for Morty, it’s tragically possible that Cronenberg Morty, if still alive during that episode, didn’t survive.
9
Hammerhead Morty
Adult Swim
First appearing in “Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind,” Hammerhead Morty immediately caught viewers’ attention for the simple reason that he had a hammerhead. Bizarre versions of the characters have appeared several times before, including the aforementioned Cronenberg-forms, and of course, the infamous Pickle Rick. However, there’s something special about Hammerhead Morty that makes him stand out from the crowd. Sadly, he was later shot in the episode “The Rickshank Rickdemption,” leaving viewers uncertain about this fan-favorite character’s fate.
More Than Just a Hammer
Although he only shows up briefly, Hammerhead Morty hit the nail on the head when it comes to memorable Mortys. Is this entirely because of his head shape? Yes, but given some of the things that other Mortys are remembered for, that’s not a bad thing. Plus, one of his few lines of dialogue, “I’m more than just a hammer,” has seemingly proven true, since in the eyes of viewers, he’s one of the best Mortys out there.
8
The One True Morty
Adult Swim
Although he hasn’t officially appeared in the series, we’d be remiss to not mention the One True Morty on our list. First mentioned in “Close Rick-Counters of the Rick Kind,” followers of the One True Morty believed that he will one day return and offer them salvation. Whether this implies just freedom from their holding cell or freedom from Ricks in general is a bit vague. Regardless, the One True Morty has enough Morty fans that it’s hard for us not to like him, too.
His True Identity
Potentially, the One True Morty and Morty Prime are one and the same. After all, he helped free the other Mortys from their cell, and one of the worshippers even referred to him by that title. However, in the game “Pocket Mortys,” the One True Morty is a playable character, and he doesn’t come from the Cronenberged dimension. For now, his real identity remains a mystery, but the fun of trying to figure out who he is, and when/if he’ll show up in the series, is just part of the entertainment.
Related
13 Trippy Animated Series That Will Mess With Your Head
These mind-bending animated shows push the limits of reality, blending absurd humor, horror, and existential chaos.
7
Lawyer Morty
Adult Swim
Appearing in “The Rickshank Rickdemption,” Lawyer Morty was hired not to defend Summer and Morty, but rather, because he’s fun. In spite of him not having a law degree, the Citadel of Ricks liked to keep him around and watch him dance. Sadly, as with many other Mortys on this list, Lawyer Morty’s fate currently remains unknown. At the end of the episode, many Mortys were killed, and we just have to hope he wasn’t one of them.
Look at Him Go!
Although he wasn’t a real lawyer, Lawyer Morty was one of the realest Mortys of them all. Constantly smiling and trying to show off his pog collection, what’s there not to like? Sure, he did an abysmal job defending his clients, but he did a great job of winning over viewers’ hearts, to the point that it’s borderline illegal not to root for the little guy.
6
Marta Morty
Adult Swim
In the episode “Rick: A Mort Well Lived,” Morty was sucked into a game of a similar title where his consciousness was dispersed among NPCs. Out of all these NPCs, Marta Morty was the Mortyest, as well as the most fully developed as a character. After finding out that the NPCs would have to fly with Rick outside the game in order to return to Morty’s mind, Marta tried to convince the other versions of him/herself to join her. She would later change her mind and want to stay in the game, and Rick would pay for said game to continue playing so she could live out the rest of her life in peace.
Identity Crisis
To be fair, Marta-Morty is technically Prime Morty, or at least some aspect of him. By leaving her in the game, a part of Morty was taken away from him forever. Sure, it was less than .000001%, but Marta had some of Prime Morty’s best characteristics—bravery, kindness, passion—making the loss significant all the same.
5
Slick Morty
Adult Swim
Slick Morty appeared in “The Ricklantis Mixup” as a Morty attending school. He was programmed with an experimental drama chip, which made him especially pessimistic. To be fair, he had plenty of other reasons to feel this way, as he’d been assigned five different Ricks, all of whom died, and was expected to go work for a sixth. Before he and his friends could graduate and get their assignments, Slick Morty suggested they journey to the Wishing Portal, which was rumored to grant a Morty’s wildest dreams if he threw in something important.
Careful What You Wish For
Sadly, Slick Morty jumped into the Wishing Portal (which was actually a garbage shoot), hoping that, by sacrificing himself, something in their world might change. Shortly after, Evil Morty became president, and for a while, things did improve for the other Mortys. This didn’t last long, however, as Evil Morty would later cause many other Mortys to perish. As for Slick Morty? Several accounts suggest that he survived the fall, so it’s possible that he might make a reappearance at some point in the future.
Related
13 Darkest Moments From Rick and Morty
Interdimensional travel isn’t all fun and games. Out of many contenders, we’ve rounded up our picks for the darkest moments from Rick and Morty.
4
Campaign Manager Morty
Adult Swim
One of the more tragic Mortys on this list, Campaign Manager Morty appeared in the highly-rated episode, “The Ricklantis Mixup,” as a Morty who was trying to help another Morty become president of the Citadel. He continued to doubt his candidate’s chances, which ultimately led to this other Morty firing him. Soon after, he discovered that Candidate Morty was actually Evil Morty in disguise. After failing to assassinate him, (Former) Campaign Manager Morty was condemned to death, and he frantically tried to tell his executioner Ricks the truth as they ejected his body into space.
A Different Story
Campaign Manager Morty is one of those Mortys where it feels like there’s more to explore about his character. Why did he manage the campaign of someone he didn’t believe in? What was his life like before he met Candidate Morty? Sadly, we’ll likely never know these details, given his unfortunate fate. Still, we can appreciate what he tried to do and the fact that, if he had succeeded, it would have led to a very different story ending.
3
Arcade Morty
Adult Swim
One of the newest Mortys in the series, Arcade Morty, is a clone who lived on a planet of other Mortys, plus one Rick. When their home was attacked by other Ricks, Arcade Morty and Doc Morty teamed up with Homesteader Rick to save them. Sadly, both Doc Marty and Homesteader Rick lost their lives in the battle, but Arcade Marty refused to take their sacrifices for granted. Instead, he used their losses as fuel to help him find the saved Mortys new homes and a greater purpose.
More to Explore
At the end of “The Rick, The Mort & The Ugly,” another Rick and Morty (most likely Rick C-137 and Morty Prime) stumble upon Arcade Morty. They believe that he killed his Rick, and as Arcade Morty tries to defend himself, they refuse to listen. It’s possible that this brief interaction is a sign of more to come and that Arcade Morty could play a bigger role in the main dimension, as well as the series as a whole.
Related
This looks like its going to be a lot of fun.
2
Morty Prime
Hulu
Originally called C-137 Morty, Morty Prime is the main Morty that viewers follow throughout the show. Currently, he lives in the Par-mi-see-an Dimension after C-131 was frundled (with C-131 being where he moved to after C-137 was Cronenberged). Essentially Rick’s sidekick, Morty has experienced tremendous growth throughout the series, at times trying to control his adventures with Rick and at other points attempting to distance himself from Rick entirely. Although he started the series off fairly cowardly and seemingly unintelligent, multiple times, he’s shown real bravery and smarts in the face of danger.
A Prime Example of Mortys
Prime Morty is by far one of the most interesting and important Mortys in the series, which makes sense, as he’s the one the audience has seen the most of. However, even if he weren’t a main character, this Morty would still stand out. As previously mentioned, he helped a group of other Mortys escape Evil Morty and was responsible for Marta Morty’s existence (albeit unintentionally). He also tends to serve as a moral center contrasting many of Rick’s worst traits. In short, because he’s a main character, we’ve been given so many reasons to be invested in Morty Prime, but at the same time, there are very obvious reasons why this Morty was chosen to lead the show.
1
Evil Morty
Adult Swim
Unique among Mortys for his ruthlessness and intelligence, Evil Morty first appeared in the episode “Close Rick-counters of the Rick Kind.” Initially, it seemed like Evil Rick was using him as a sidekick to kill other Ricks and kidnap Mortys, but in truth, Evil Morty was pulling the strings. Later on, Evil Morty would run for and successfully be elected to office, at which point he used his power to escape the Central Finite Curve. More recently, he returned in “Unmortricken” to help Rick C-137 kill Rick Prime, but he has since told Rick C-137 and Morty Prime to leave him alone, or else.
Evil Morty?
Whether or not Evil Morty is actually “evil” is a subject of much debate. Yes, he did imprison and torture numerous Mortys, not to mention kill seemingly hundreds of Ricks, but Morty Prime has also killed numerous characters, while Rick C-137 has killed untold thousands, if not more. Plus, Evil Morty’s killings were all done with a singlular purpose: to escape the Central Finite Curve, and with it, all iterations of Rick. Now that he’s succeeded, Evil Morty has infinite possibilities to become an even better, Mortyer Morty, and possibly reveal that he was the good one (at least, comparably) all along.
You can view the original article HERE.
