Rick and Morty is one of Adult Swim’s most successful adult animated sitcoms. It is currently the evening network’s third longest-running original show, behind Aqua Teen Hunger Force (premiered 2001) and Off the Air (premiered 2011). So far, the Cartoon Network‘s evening show has aired for 7 seasons.
Rick and Morty originally premiered on December 2, 2013. The animated series follows the life of the Smiths family, especially the son, Morty Smith, and his maternal grandfather, the mad scientist Rick Sanchez. Through the years, with several recurring and guest characters, these are the 10 best characters on Rick and Morty.
President Andre Curtis
Often referred to as The President, the character is one of Rick and Morty‘s most popular characters. As the President of the United States, the character was created based on real-life political figures. President Andrew Curtis was based on Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Mitt Romney in several episodes. The President’s first appearance in Rick and Morty was in season 2, episode 5 (“Get Schwifty”). In the episode, Rick and his grandson, Morty, teleport to the Pentagon to meet with The President to inform him of an alien threat. Throughout the series, The President has a love-hate relationship with Rick.
Birdperson
Birdperson is introduced in Rick and Morty in season 1, episode 11 (“Ricksy Business”) as Rick’s best friend. However, he’s a superhero-esque being, later revealed to be part of a band with Rick and Squanchy. In the finale of season 2, Birdperson married Tammy Gueterman. However, it’s revealed she’s an undercover agent for the Galactic Federation, killing Birdperson. Birdperson’s character remained in the series after being turned into a cyborg named Phoenixperson. He remained a recurring character until the end of season 5. He made an appearance in season 7 as a guest character.
Tammy Gueterman
Tammy Gueterman’s character is another character that has made quite an impression on Rick and Morty‘s audience. As an undercover agent for the Galactic Federation, she infiltrates Earth by posing as Summer Smith’s classmate. She shoots and kills Birdperson on the day of their wedding and later oversees the experiment that transforms him into a cyborg. With Summer’s help, Rick killed Tammy Gueterman in season 5.
Mr. Goldenfold
Another interesting character on Rick and Morty is Morty’s mathematics teacher, Mr. Goldenfold. The overzealous teacher often stresses the importance of mathematics during class at Harry Herpson High School. Despite this, he comes off as incompetent, often giving students random grades. Part of his creepy personality seems to stem from the fact that he’s a divorcee with repressed sexual attractions. He’s also revealed to enjoy eating poop. Mr. Goldenfold has balding hair and a mustache and wears a yellow V-neck sweater.
Jessica
Jessica is a student of Harry Herpson High School and a classmate of Morty. They take math classes under Mr. Goldenfold. Morty has had a crush on Jessica for a long time, but she hardly ever gives him any notice. Like Mr. Goldenfold and Principal Gene Vagina, Jessica’s character was also introduced in the pilot episode. She’s one of the top recurring characters in Rick and Morty. However, besides not making an appearance in season 6, Jessica appeared as a guest character in season 5.
Jerry Smith
Jerry Smith is the patriarch of the Smiths family. He’s the father of Morty and Summer and the husband of Beth Smith. Jerry and Beth were High School lovers who felt it was best to marry after Beth became pregnant with Summer after having unprotected sex during prom. Jerry also had to put up with Beth’s father, Rick, who had lived in his house for years. For most of Rick and Morty, Jerry and Rick often disagree and argue, blaming Jerry for causing his daughter to give up on her dreams by getting her pregnant and marrying her.
Beth Smith
Beth Smith is a horse surgeon and the matriarch of the Smith family. During the early seasons of Rick and Morty, Beth is overwhelmed with dissatisfaction about her life. Believing she settled being a wife and mother too early, it begins to cause a strain in her marriage with Jerry. Although her father abandoned her as a teenager, she opened her home for him to stay. When Jerry gives her an ultimatum to choose between him and her father, Beth chooses Rick Sanchez, leading to their separation. Although known for being selfish, for the daughter of a mad scientist, Beth Smith is surprisingly quite level-headed.
Summer Smith
Summer Smith, the secondary protagonist, is the 17-year-old daughter of Jerry and Beth Smith. She’s Morty’s older sister and Rick’s granddaughter, who’s more focused on improving her social life. A fan-favorite character on Rick and Morty, Summer is known for her intelligence and smartness and initially felt jealous of her little brother for being chosen to accompany their grandfather on his inter-dimensional adventures. However, she, too, began to accompany the eponymous duo on their adventures. Summer married Hemorrhage when the trio traveled to the Post-Apocalyptic Dimension in the “Rickmancing the Stone” episode. Although she abandons him after her grandfather helps restore civilization, they’re still technically married (even though Hemorrhage becomes a couch potato).
Morty Smith
Morty Smith has an opposite personality from his sister, Summer. The 14-year-old has an awkward, low self-esteem and doubtful personality. However, he’s level-headed in their adventures compared to his mad grandfather, Rick. Morty accompanies Rick in all of his inter-dimensional adventures. It’s later revealed he’s not the real son of Jerry and Beth from that dimension. He made this known to Summer after she wanted to run away from home after finding out she was a result of an unwanted pregnancy and was considered for an abortion. Morty Smith, one of the main protagonists in Rick and Morty, is one of the show’s best characters.
Rick Sanchez
The mad, alcoholic, misanthropic scientist Rick Sanchez is unarguably the best character in Rick and Morty. His inter-dimensional travels and adventures give him an advantageous knowledge of the universe, which makes him less interested in life. Although introduced as Beth Smith’s father, Jerry’s father-in-law, and Summer and Morty’s grandfather, Rick chose to replace the real (now deceased) clone of Beth’s universe. Of all the characters in Rick and Morty, Rick Sanchez has garnered the most reception from audiences and critics.
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