Top 10 Times Rick Was Actually Nice to Someone

Fatherhood didn’t come to him naturally, but Rick’s the only parent we can think of who made their child an artificial fantasy land, complete with a rainbow river! Putting little Beth’s safety first, Rick populated Froopyland with a bouncy terrain, breathable water, and harmless creatures. That said, this dream world eventually evolved into a nightmare world with Beth’s childhood friend Tommy getting trapped inside for years. It’s also revealed that Rick created Froopyland to distance Beth from the neighborhood kids, as she expressed the desire to harm them. While he mainly wanted to spare himself the effort of having to clone anybody who got on Beth’s bad side, Rick still cared enough to keep his daughter out of trouble and other children out of danger.

Whenever Rick drags Morty on an adventure, it’s almost always guaranteed to be life-threatening and emotionally-scarring. In a refreshing change of pace, Rick takes Morty on a fun-filled adventure to the lost city of Atlantis. Of course, we hilariously never get to see this adventure, as the episode instead focuses on what the various other Ricks and Mortys are up to at the Citadel. Based on a post-credits scene, however, it’s clear that the two had a blast. Upon arriving home, Rick fondly reminisces about the trip he just had with his grandson, most notably their encounter with some alluring mermaids. Moments like this demonstrate that Rick enjoys having Morty along for the ride and is capable of showing him a good time.

Birdperson is among the few individuals in the multiverse who Rick considers a true friend. Although he’s pessimistic about the concept of marriage, Rick shows up to Birdperson’s wedding, albeit reluctantly. At the suggestion of Morty, Rick opens up at the reception where he delivers a mostly ad libbed toast. Despite getting off to a cynical start, the speech builds to a heartfelt climax as Rick calls Birdperson his best friend (sorry, Squanchy). He even accepts Birdperson’s bride Tammy, saying that he loves both of them. Unfortunately, this touching moment is ruined when Tammy exposes herself as a Galactic Federation agent and takes out Birdperson. Rick sees people die virtually every day without batting an eye. So, his emotional reaction to Birdperson’s sudden demise speaks volumes.

Rick is at his evilest when he’s blackout drunk, but even Drunk Rick has a warm, fuzzy side. In order to complete his final periculous puzzle, a recording of Drunk Rick instructs the Vindicators to present something that he doesn’t have, but they do. Regular Rick comes to the conclusion that his drunk self was talking about Morty, who steps onto the platform. Morty’s treated to a peaceful ride as Drunk Rick confesses his affection for the viewer. As sincere as Drunk Rick’s words are, they aren’t intended for his grandson. Morty realizes that Drunk Rick made this message for Noob-Noob, a Vindicator intern/janitor who laughed at his joke. Regardless, Drunk Rick obviously thinks highly of Noob-Noob, even if Regular Rick can’t remember him.

One of the many ordeals that Rick wiped from his memory, Morty learns that his body was once possessed by a parasitical alien known as Voltamatron. Science can’t get Morty out of this pickle, but Rick has an ace up his sleeve: the power of love. Rick tells Morty that he loves him, in spite of his constant ridicule, and that he needs to fight. Beth and Summer follow Rick’s example, giving Morty the encouragement to force the alien out of his mouth slowly. Too slowly actually, resulting in the family making fun of Morty and Voltamatron sliding back up. While Rick does fall back on bad habits, it’s not every day that he expresses love for Morty (or anybody), making this memory almost heartwarming.

When an alien named Tony uses his personal toilet, Rick’s first instinct is to destroy him. Affected by the widowed Tony’s words, Rick fart bombs him instead, which we guess is nicer than shooting him. Tony returns for another dump, motivating Rick to ensnare him in a simulation of his idealized heaven. After Tony pieces together what’s happening, he emerges with a new lust for life, which sadly results in a fatal ski accident. He may deny it, but Rick connected with Tony and is upset by this loss. Rick pays his respects at Tony’s funeral, giving his father a cloning kit and cash. Returning to the toilet where he had a crude surprise for Tony, Rick reflects on what could’ve been a beautiful friendship.

At the very least, Rick is a fun grandparent. While Beth and Jerry are on vacation, Rick throws an epic house party, inviting an assortment of colorful characters who get along surprisingly well with Summer’s classmates. While Morty is stressed throughout most of the rager, Rick does try to teach him a valuable lesson about cutting loose. Of course, they cut a little too loose, as the house is ultimately trashed. Rick freezes time, however, giving him, Morty, and Summer six months to clean up. In the midst of repairing the house, Rick and his grandchildren find the time to make Jack-o’-lanterns, depants frozen people, and go TV shopping. Rick genuinely bonds with the kids, bringing them in for a hug and a new catchphrase.

To keep Morty as his sidekick, Rick allows him to take the reins on an adventure. Rick bets that their trip to a fantasy world will be a bust, but Morty is eager to prove otherwise. Well, Rick isn’t wrong, as Morty gets into an uncomfortable jam with King Jellybean in the bathroom. Rick deduces what happened, but instead of rubbing failure in the traumatized Morty’s face, he tries to lift his spirits. Putting his own ego aside, Rick helps Morty complete the adventure and congratulates him on a job well done. Rick doesn’t let King Jellybean off the hook either, obliterating him before disappearing through a portal. He might put Morty in constant danger, but that doesn’t mean Rick isn’t protective of him.

It’s not often that we see Rick’s vulnerable side, but when an evil counterpart imprisons him, he can’t hold back his deep-seated feelings. Planning to expunge him following an experiment, Evil Rick straps Rick C-137 in for a highlight reel of his life. Morty pops up in several clips and upon seeing a memory of his baby grandson, Rick begins to cry. While he doesn’t say it, Rick appears distraught over the idea of leaving Morty behind. Morty is more than just a human cloaking device to him, which separates C-137 from other Ricks. Given the fan theories regarding Evil Morty, this moment might carry even more significance than we initially realized. However you read it, Morty was at the root of Rick’s tears.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Everybody Loves Mr. Poopybutthole
“Total Rickall”

Buying Morty a Sex Robot
“Raising Gazorpazorp”

Accepting Jerry as a Family Member (Under Protest)
“The Rickchurian Mortydate”

Helping Summer Get Revenge on The Devil
“Something Ricked This Way Comes”

Scary Terry Pep Talk
“Lawnmower Dog”

As 64 different timelines simultaneously spiral out of control, Rick, Morty, and Summer must use time-stabilizing collars to restore balance. One Morty can’t get his collar to strap on, though, collapsing into the black void. Rick jumps in after him, but Morty loses his collar. Seeing no other alternative, Rick gives Morty his collar and sends him home. Rick doesn’t have a backup plan and prepares to disappear into the abyss of Schrödinger’s cats. It all works out regardless, as Rick finds Morty’s collar and fixes it just in time to escape. In the moment, however, Rick was ready to make the ultimate sacrifice so that Morty could live. When push comes to shove, Morty’s well-being is more important to Rick than his own.