The Top 20 Rick and Morty Episodes

After 7 seasons, Rick and Morty is regarded arsenic 1 of the champion animated sitcoms of each time. It's hard to apical the show's winning blend of high-concept storytelling, absurd humor, and emotionally earthy characterization, adjacent if fans are often near waiting months (or adjacent years) betwixt caller installments.

While Rick and Morty had pivoted to an yearly merchandise schedule, Season 8 arrives this twelvemonth aft a longer hold owed to delays caused by 2023's five-month Writers Guild strike. It's yet acceptable to premiere connected May 25.

So, portion we hold for the adjacent sensation of Rick and Morty, let's instrumentality a look astatine IGN's picks of the champion Rick and Morty episodes. We've adjacent expanded the lineup to see caller picks from Season 7. Where bash "Pickle Rick" and "Rixty Minutes" fall? Read connected to find out.

20. Fear No Mort (S7E10)

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Rick and Morty caps disconnected its seventh play not by introducing a caller wrinkle successful the overarching Evil Morty saga, but by forcing the duo to look their top fears. Their travel into the Fear Hole successful a Denny’s bath results successful a fun-filled romp wherever Rick kinda, sorta reunites with his precocious woman Diane and Morty grapples with his fearfulness of nationalist ridicule. True to form, this occurrence piles connected the twists and subversions until the eventual reveal, which is that Rick ne'er really followed Morty into the Fear Hole successful the archetypal place. Suddenly, we’re craving a Grand Slam Breakfast…

19. Mortyplicity (S5E2)

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This is the uncommon occurrence wherever the halfway Smith household hardly makes an appearance, and we emotion it for that. In “Mortyplicity,” Rick’s failsafe measurement of gathering a decoy household goes predictably haywire, resulting successful decoys gathering decoys gathering decoys, until the full satellite is engulfed successful a decoy civilian war. The galore variants of the household members are hilarious to watch, though it’s decidedly Glockenspiel Jerry who steals the show. His tragic epilogue, acceptable to the haunting tune of Queen’s “Who Wants to Live Forever?”, remains 1 of the show’s champion post-credits segments.

18. "The Ricklantis Mixup" (S3E7)

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This Season 3 occurrence is simply a lawsuit of defying expectations successful the champion way, Billed arsenic an occurrence astir Rick and Morty journeying to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, "The Ricklantis Mixup" winds up astir wholly ignoring the 2 successful favour of a communicative acceptable astatine the Citadel. Here we spot the plights of galore different Rick and Mortys, not each of whom get to unrecorded a glamorous beingness of escapade and hedonism. The astonishment ends paid disconnected connected a erstwhile escaped extremity successful a terrific way, mounting the signifier for a large showdown successful Season 5.

17. Mort Ragnarick (S7E9)

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Any occurrence that ends with Rick trapping the Pope successful a Pokeball (or Pope-y-ball) decidedly earns a spot connected this list. The premise down “Mort Ragnarick” is delightfully absurd, arsenic Rick tries to pat into the unlimited vigor of Valhalla portion besides navigating a humor feud with poor, misunderstood Bigfoot. That wacky premise grows steadily much and much ridiculous, until the occurrence reaches the constituent wherever the combined forces of Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, The Mummy, and Wolf-Man are defending Rick’s afterlife laboratory from an service of charging Vikings. Good stuff.

16. "Solaricks" (S6E1)

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As a whole, Season 6 isn't Rick and Morty's strongest outing, but it does boast 1 of the show's champion premiere episodes. "Solaricks" picks up aft the melodramatic Season 5 finale, arsenic Rick and Morty conflict to past successful a beingness without portals. That dovetails into a hilarious misadventure wherein everyone who's been displaced by a portal is whisked backmost to their location dimension. "Solaricks" besides provides a batch much discourse to the rivalry betwixt Rick and his top nemesis, Rick Prime, portion besides making large usage of the Beth/Space Beth dichotomy. Plus, who knew Jerry could beryllium specified a badass?

15. “One Crew Over the Crewcoo’s Morty” (S4E3)

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Heist movies are fun, but sometimes the convoluted plots and nonstop barrage of twists and fakeouts tin beryllium a small much. Unless you’re talking astir Rick and Morty spoofing heist movies, successful which case, the much the merrier. This Season 4 gem boasts a hilariously labyrinthine crippled that lone grows much preposterous implicit the people of 20 minutes.

This occurrence introduces Rick’s instauration Heist-o-Tron, a robot programmed to cipher the cleanable heist, and his nemesis, Rand-o-Tron. Few episodes are truthful palmy successful taking a ridiculous premise and continually gathering upon it. “One Crew Over the Crewcoo’s Morty” besides has the payment of bringing backmost fan-favorite quality Mr. Poopybutthole, arsenic good arsenic giving the Internet its astir meme-worthy enactment since “I’m Pickle Rick!!!!”

14. Analyze Piss (S6E8)

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Rick and Morty makes nary bones astir the information that Rick Sanchez is simply a unspeakable person. But is helium susceptible of honorable self-reflection? Can helium really enactment speech the booze and the intergalactic hallucinogens agelong capable to genuinely amended himself? This occurrence suggests that possibly determination is simply a bully antheral warring to flight that self-absorbed, narcissistic shell. And it does truthful successful the astir Rick and Morty wat possible, by forcing Rick to go a urine-spewing supervillain named Pissmaster arsenic a mode of sparing Jerry’s feelings. The things we bash for family…

13. "The Ricks Must Be Crazy" (S2E6)

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Ever wonderment however Rick powers his beat-up but amazingly versatile spaceship? This occurrence answers that question arsenic it drags Rick and Morty connected a mind-bending quest done the microverse that fuels Rick's battery. As Rick feuds with his microscopic rival Zeep Zanflorp (Stephen Colbert), the bid muses connected the futility of beingness and the unthinkable sacrifices that marque Rick's dimension-hopping manner possible. And portion each of that is unfolding, this occurrence gives america a hilarious subplot wherever Rick's vessel works to support Summer astatine each costs.

12. “Rickmurai Jack” (S5E10)

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If “Rickternal Friendshine of the Spotless Mort” gave fans the answers they craved regarding the destiny of Birdperson, past the Season 5 finale is wherever the bid yet resolved that all-important question - “What is Evil Morty truly up to?”.

“Rickmurai Jack” opens with an amusing preamble wherever Rick’s crow obsession reaches its inevitable climax, implicit with a Vampire Hunter D-style makeover and plentifulness of anime combat scenes. From there, Evil Morty steps backmost into the spotlight and reveals his existent plans for the Citadel. What follows isn’t a high-stakes conflict for the destiny of the multiverse. That would beryllium excessively predictable. Instead, viewers travel to larn “Evil” Morty is motivated by thing much oregon little than to scope a spot genuinely escaped from Rick’s malign influence. Who needs a supervillain mastermind erstwhile Rick repeatedly proves to beryllium his ain worst enemy?

11. "Meeseeks and Destroy" (S1E5)

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This was the archetypal occurrence that proved supporting characters similar Beth and Jerry could outshine Rick and Morty themselves, fixed the close circumstances. While Morty's ill-fated effort to prime an escapade is memorable (and traumatizing) capable connected its own, the existent item of this occurrence is Mr. Meeseeks, a do-gooder whose little beingness is devoted to helping others execute their goals. Helping Beth find affectional fulfillment proves acold easier than helping Jerry instrumentality a fewer strokes disconnected his play game. Nice going, Jerry!

10. “Mort Dinner Rick Andre” (S5E1)

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“Riiiiiichard!!!”

While not each fans were thrilled with the weirder absorption of Season 5, astir would hold the play starts disconnected beardown with the debut of Rick’s antecedently unmentioned nemesis, Mr. Nimbus. Easily among the show’s astir hilarious one-off supporting characters, Mr. Nimbus has everything we could anticipation for successful a lusty, preening Aquaman/Namor parody.

To its credit, though, this occurrence doesn’t deterioration retired Mr. Nimbus’ welcome. That feud (and Rick’s misguided counterattack) mostly plays retired successful the background, with the accent alternatively connected Morty’s unwitting brushwood with beings from different magnitude wherever clip moves overmuch much quickly. Throw successful a goofy subplot astir Beth and Jerry contemplating a threesome with the King of Atlantis, and you person each the makings of a terrific play premiere.

9. Unmortricken (S7E5)

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Rick and Morty has ever been a bid of mostly standalone sci-fi adventures occasionally punctuated by episodes that propulsion guardant an overarching narrative. Seasons 6 and 7 veered distant from the Evil Morty storyline to absorption much connected Rick’s rivalry with the dreaded Rick Prime, the Rickest of each Ricks. That saga culminates successful this epic occurrence wherever Rick and Morty are forced to squad up with Evil Morty to yet instrumentality down Rick Prime. It’s a amazingly abrupt decorativeness to the Rick Prime conflict, but that really works successful the show’s favor. Ultimately, Rick is forced to face the thought that getting precisely what you crave doesn’t capable the gaping void successful your soul.

8. “The Vat of Acid Episode” (S4E8)

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Based connected the rubric and the opening scene, this occurrence leads you to judge it’s headed successful 1 absorption earlier veering wildly (and hilariously) disconnected course. Morty’s vexation implicit not being capable to instrumentality complaint of his and Rick’s adventures winds up starring to the instauration of a prevention constituent button. Morty gains the powerfulness to rewind clip and undo his mistakes. Of course, it isn’t agelong earlier that powerfulness goes terribly wrong.

“The Vat of Acid Episode” is simply a existent showcase for Rick and Morty’s quality to blend high-concept sci-fi fare with scathing wit and emotionally wrenching crippled twists. If Morty thought his ill-fated crippled of Roy: A Life Well Lived was traumatic, helium genuinely learned what heartbreak is successful this episode.

7. "Pickle Rick" (S3E3)

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Here's the occurrence that launched a 1000 memes. Rick embarks connected his strangest travel to day erstwhile helium transforms himself into a sentient pickle successful bid to weasel retired of attending household therapy. A fewer twelve slain rats and 1 showdown with a slayer named Jaguar later, adjacent Rick is forced to admit that possibly helium had gone a small overboard. The bid doesn't get much wacky oregon over-the-top than this.

6. "Rick Potion No. 9" (S1E6)

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Like each caller shows, Rick and Morty went done immoderate increasing pains successful its aboriginal episodes. However, the bid genuinely recovered its dependable successful "Rick Potion No. 9," achieving that trademark equilibrium of high-concept sci-fi, absurd wit and brutal nihilism the amusement has go known for. Morty's efforts to marque Jessica autumn successful emotion with him spell horribly awry, resulting successful a shocking ending wherever Rick and Morty are forced to wantonness their ain Cronenberg-infested magnitude forever. Even galore seasons later, the characters are inactive feeling the effects of that unexpectedly melodramatic crook of events.

5. "The Wedding Squanchers" (S2E10)

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Many of the champion Rick and Morty episodes instrumentality a fewer crisp turns earlier the end, and "The Wedding Squanchers" is nary exception. What starts arsenic a seemingly lighthearted solemnisation of Birdperson and Tammy rapidly devolves into all-out chaos arsenic the Galactic Federation sets its sights connected Rick. With Earth nether concern and the Smith household struggling to set to beingness connected their distant caller alien home, Rick has nary prime but to sacrifice himself successful what is easy 1 of the astir emotionally charged moments of the full series. Quite a mode to wrapper up the season.

4. "Mortynight Run" (S2E2)

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In "Mortynight Run," Rick and Morty butt heads erstwhile Morty insists connected protecting a rogue alien named Fart (guest prima Jermaine Clement). Naturally, determination are a fewer large twists and turns and affectional meltdowns on the way. But successful galore ways, it's the small details that acceptable this 1 apart, from Clements' astonishing David Bowie-inspired philharmonic fig to Morty's horrific acquisition with the arcade crippled Roy: A Life Well Lived. This occurrence besides boasts what is perchance the champion Jerry subplot ever, arsenic Jerry meets dozens of his change egos astatine a Jerry-only daycare.

3. "Rixty Minutes" (S1E8)

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Only Rick and Morty could bash an full occurrence astir the main characters watching TV and upwind up with 1 of its champion episodes ever. Here the Smiths are introduced to the wonders of Rick's interdimensional cablegram box, opening up an full multiverse of atrocious television. This occurrence delivers a nonstop watercourse of bizarre clips, introducing instant fan-favorite characters similar Ants successful My Eyes Johnson, Two Brothers and Gazorpazorpfield. But this occurrence besides shows a astonishing magnitude of depth, with Jerry and Beth struggling with the glimpses of their alternate lives and Morty consoling Summer by revealing the tragic events of "Rick Potion No. 9."

2. "Auto Erotic Assimilation" (S2E3)

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This occurrence boasts 1 of the cleverer Rick and Morty storylines to date, arsenic Rick is reunited with his ex-lover Unity (guest prima Christina Hendricks), a hive caput possessing the colonisation of an full world. As Rick and Unity's billions of hosts descend into a hedonistic orgy of excess, it rapidly becomes evident wherefore the 2 were specified a atrocious lucifer successful the archetypal place. The tragic ending of this occurrence is simply a soul-crushing experience, arsenic a lovelorn Rick virtually comes wrong inches of suicide. It's different almighty reminder that beneath each the catchphrases and large ideas is simply a precise lonely and unstable man.

1. "Total Rickall" (S2E4)

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"Total Rickall" genuinely captures everything that makes Rick and Morty great. Its premise is ridiculously clever, with the Smith household invaded by an alien parasite that takes basal successful the hosts' memories. It features a terrific slate of one-off broadside characters, from Hamurai to Sleepy Gary to Photography Raptor. And it rapidly veers from amusement to crushing affectional play arsenic the Smiths consciousness the afloat interaction of their memories being torn to shreds. But compared to Mr. Poopybutthole, they got disconnected light.

And that's our (likely controversial) prime of the champion Rick and Morty episodes of each time! Did your favourite Rick and Morty occurrence marque the cut? Let america cognize successful the comments.

This nonfiction was primitively published successful July 2018 and was updated successful May 2025 to see episodes from Season 7.
Jesse is simply a mild-mannered unit writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intelligence thicket by following @jschedeen connected Twitter.