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Why Rick and Morty Is One of the Most Emotional Shows Ever

Jacob Shelton
Updated January 6, 2021 85.2K views 22 items
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Vote up the most emotional parts of Ricky and Morty.

Rick and Morty is a groundbreaking sci-fi comedy series that not only satiates our desire for a weirder version of Back to the Future, but it’s also strangely adept at helping people work through their personal trauma. Everyone has their favorite Rick and Morty scenes. Whether they’re of the depressing ilk, or they’re more of the whimsical “what the heck just happened?” variety probably says something about how fun you are at a party. This list counts down the Rick and Morty emotional scenes that still continue to kick you in the stomach even after you’ve watched them a hundred times. Keep reading to find out why Rick and Morty is one of the most emotional shows on TV, let alone Adult Swim.

It takes almost no time for the conceit of Rick and Morty to wear off, and for the series to start burrowing into the viewer’s emotions. It’s almost as if the creators of Rick an Morty, Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland, want to find what makes you cry and push your tear button until you’re all out of saline. Or what fills you with existential dread. With Rick and Morty, Adult Swim has capitalized not just on fun sci-fi entertainment, but on what is one of the the most strangely emotionally draining shows that’s ever been produced.

Vote up the most emotional moments from Rick and Morty, and if there’s a scene from the show that pulls on your heartstrings, tell us about it in the comments.
  • 1

    Rick's Attempted Suicide

    If you're a fan of Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon, then you know he's the master of creating visual representations of his character's inner pain, thus the creature who exists in a state of constant pain who's kept frozen as a means to keep it from feeling said pain. It would almost be a Buddhist approach to emotion if Rick didn't kill the creature with a death ray right before trying to kill himself (he's saved by drunkenly passing out at his desk).

    521 votes
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  • 2

    When Rick Gives Morty a Collar to Reunite Morty's Splintered Uncertainties

    Every once in a while, Rick comes through for everyone in a big way - usually after he almost destroys everything, but whatever. After fracturing time itself, he tries to bring everything back together with a set of collars that reunite the uncertainties in someone's life. When Morty's collar doesn't work, Rick gives his to Morty, effectively sacrificing himself for his grandson. 

    374 votes
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  • 3

    Morty Showing Alt Summer Her Brother's Grave

    It's easy to forget that everything after the events of "Rick Potion #9" takes place in an alternate dimension, but all of that heaviness comes back when Morty shows his sister (who's technically not quite his sister) the grave of her brother. It's a touching discussion of death in a series about a dimension-hopping duo.

    327 votes
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  • 4

    Morty's Death

    Morty's death occurs offscreen sometime near the end of "Rick Potion #9" in an alternate dimension. After Rick and Morty accidentally turn the entire world into creepy Cronenbergian bug people who are in love with Morty, they fail to create an antidote and travel to a similar dimension where their counterparts create a working antidote, but died shortly after fixing everyone. This solution creates an existential nightmare for poor Morty.


    345 votes
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  • 5

    The Death of Bird Person

    Bird Person was probably one of Rick's only true friends. The stoic avian person manages to get over past heartbreak and fall in love. So when he's betrayed and murdered by his new bride (on their wedding day!), it makes us feel like if Bird Person can't have love, what do we deserve? It's also another sign to Rick that the multiverse is a cold, unfeeling place where opening oneself up to love is pure folly.


    327 votes
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  • 6

    Wubba Lubba Dub Dub

    You know, Rick's catchphrase that means everything's going great and everybody should party so, so hard? Just kidding, it's his secret code that means, "I am in great pain, please help me." 


    310 votes
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