Top 10 Saddest Rick And Morty Moments

Rick isn’t the best father… or grandfather… or father-in-law. Focusing on his relationship with Beth, though, Rick often tiptoes around his parental shortcomings. When the family gains another Beth, Rick is the only one interested in determining which one is a clone. Watching a wiped memory, Rick finds that Beth asked him to decide if he wanted her to be in his life. Rick ultimately decided to clone Beth, randomizing the two so that not even he would be sure. The season ends with a moment of self-reflection as lonely Rick admits what everyone else knows, albeit to himself. While Rick has failed as a father, he sees an opportunity to do right by Phoenixperson, but the good friend ship has also possibly set sail.

Every once in and a while, “Rick and Morty” will introduce a character who comes and goes. In that short amount of time, however, we develop a surprisingly deep connection. Take Roy Parsons, for example. Strapping on a virtual reality helmet, Morty steps into Roy’s seemingly all-too-real shoes. His life literally flashes by, from his promising youth, to his disappointing adulthood, to his life-affirming battle with cancer, to his sudden death. Morty is thrust back into the real world, finding out that his wife, child, and the past 55 years were all fake. We know Roy technically isn’t real and he’ll live another day under Rick’s control. Regardless, Morty’s turn as the character is a strangely relatable portrait of how fleeting life is.

Like Roy, Hoovy’s presence is short yet effective. Unlike Roy, though, Hoovy’s death has far-reaching coincidences. When Morty opens a portal, the kindly being offers to help carry some wine back to his dimension. Leaving behind his pregnant wife, Hoovy assumes he’ll only be gone a couple of seconds. Time flows differently between dimensions, however. Upon returning, Hoovy is horrified to find his home in ruins, his beloved turned to bones, and his grown-up son overcome with vengeance. Japheth stabs his father, believing he abandoned them. With his dying breath, Hoovy tries to explain it wasn’t his fault, shifting Japheth’s rage towards Morty. In a flash, a simple mistake not only ruins Hoovy’s life, but also the lives of several future generations bent on revenge.

Although Rick initially intends to execute Tony for using his private toilet, the two make an unusual connection that could blossom into friendship. This only causes Rick to push back more as he tries to keep Tony out of his life and off his toilet. Rick learns a lesson in getting what he wants upon learning that Tony died in a ski accident, having been inspired by his heaven simulation. Returning to his lavatory, Rick plays a holographic message that was meant for Tony. Sitting on the toilet, Rick finds that all the mean things he intended for Tony to hear actually mirror his own loneliness and self-loathing. Rick reflects on the friendship that could have been, as well as the countless relationships he’s self-sabotaged.

A female parody of Captain Planet, Planetina comes to love Morty almost as much as she loves the environment. Morty reciprocates these feelings, even resorting to murdering Planetina’s “kids” when they try to sell her off. That’s not even the darkest turn that their relationship takes, as Morty comes to see just how far Planetina will go to prevent pollution. While Morty has blood on his hands too, Planetina crosses a line that not even he can justify. As weird and disturbing as their relationship is, it’s genuinely tear-jerking when Morty tells Planetina that they can’t be together. Alison Brie’s voice acting is especially powerful as she seamlessly transitions from declaring her love for Morty, to holding back her heartbreak, to telling Morty off.

Overrun with parasites, the Smith family is forced to obliterate numerous colorful characters that they’ve grown attached to, including Sleepy Gary. Although they seemingly expunge all the parasites, Beth remains suspicious of Mr. Poopybutthole, shooting him. To the shock of Beth and the audience, Mr. Poopybutthole was real… and so is his blood on the wall. This surreal shooting is given an uncomfortably realistic touch as a panic-stricken Beth rushes to the kitchen, shakingly pours herself a glass of wine, and tries to cope with what she just did. The good news is that Mr. Poopybutthole survives and slowly but surely recovers. The bad news is that he can’t bring himself to talk it out with Beth, leaving her feeling even more guilty.

The Season 2 finale finds Rick at one of his lowest points. Just as Rick starts to let down his defenses and open up, Tammy reminds him how deceiving and coldblooded others can be. Tammy reveals that her entire relationship with Birdperson was part of a sting operation to capture enemies of the Galactic Federation. Birdperson is barely able to react to his beloved’s betrayal before she shoots him and Rick cries out over the loss of his best friend. Rick ultimately gives himself up to the Federation with a defeated look on his face. Although it turns out that Rick has a few tricks up his sleeve, this was still a dire note to end the season on.

Usually, when Rick does something noble or loving, there’s an ulterior motive. As Morty falls into an endless void of cats, though, Rick jumps in after him and gives his grandson his time-stabilizing collar. Rick doesn’t have an exit strategy to save himself. He makes the conscious decision to give up his life in exchange for Morty’s. Rick even accepts his fate, hoping that Morty will be better than he was. It’s a side of Rick that we rarely get to see, showing that he’s not 100% heartless. It’s more like 99.9%, but that .1% is huge for Rick. Thankfully, Rick finds another collar in the void, escaping at the last second. However, this doesn’t take away from the emotional impact of Rick’s actions.

In what may be the show’s most infamous moment, Rick and Morty flee their Cronenberged world and slip into another reality where they recently died. Watching Rick and Morty bury their own bodies will leave you haunted and downhearted, but it doesn’t end there. A couple of episodes later, Morty tells Summer about the graves in the backyard and where he really comes from. It’s a callback that catches us off guard, as the series had been mostly episodic up until this point. What’s even more shocking and depressing is Morty’s words to Summer about the meaninglessness of existence. Whether you find Morty’s outlook bleak or identifiable, it’s a brutal moment that adds new layers to the characters and the show’s continuity.

You know the opening montage from “Up?” This sequence isn’t quite as devastating as that, but it comes close enough. Playing with his reset button is no longer a priority after Morty meets his dream girl. As cynical as this show can be, Morty’s relationship with his girlfriend is a sincere one portrayed through visuals and music. Their romance overcomes disagreements, plane crashes, cannibalism, and freezing weather… only for Jerry to Jerry it up. Morty isn’t able to rewrite the relationship, although it’s implied that his girlfriend might remember him later. By this point, though, Morty has already faked his death. While a part of us can’t help but laugh at the tragic absurdity, it’s legitimately upsetting seeing this beautiful relationship deteriorate into acid.