Throughout the unpredictable adventures ofRick and Morty, Rick Sanchez has casually dropped lines of genius. It should be expected by someone who considers himself the smartest man in the universe, but all the characters onRick and Mortybenefit from sharp scripts that pack clever jokes and quotable moments in each episode.
Rick and Mortyexplores heavy topics in their absurdist storylines, so a quote from the series can be emotionally profound, or it can be about when one of them turns into a pickle. That drastic swing between emotional vulnerability and space fantasy parody keepsRick and Mortyfeeling fresh.The following quotes are some of the best lines ofRick and Morty, ranked by their significance to the show’s themes, and how often fans find themselves repeating them.
Rick and Morty
10"Weddings are basically funerals with cake."
Rick Sanchez (Season 2, Episode 10)
When an intergalactic courier brings an invitation from Rick’s friend Bird Person, the excitement soon turns to disappointment when Rick sees it’s a wedding invitation for Bird Person and Tammy. Summer is excited about her friend Tammy getting married, but Rick declines to RSVP, saying that weddings are basically funerals. Rick refuses to reconsider, but when the courier transports Jerry back to Bird Person’s planet, there’s no choice but to go and retrieve him.
Really, the only surprise would have been if Rick loved weddings, but out of all the events he could draw a comparison to, picking funerals was cynically on brand. As someone whose main motivation was the loss of his wife,it’s not something Rick actually believes; it’s an impenetrable defense mechanism. Close connections are difficult for Rick, and Bird Person’s marriage feels like Rick’s loss.
9"Unless… my suffering is your nourishment?"
Jerry Smith (Season 3, Episode 2)
He may not always get respect from the other members of his family, but there have beensome great Jerry episodes, and he’s been the focus of some ofRick and Morty’s biggest laughs. After retrieving his unemployment check from the mailbox, Jerry is cornered by a growling feral dog. Jerry tries to offer the dog his snack, but that only makes the animal angrier. When Jerry realizes that the dog would rather have the check, he concludes thatthe dog isn’t hungry for food, but rather for his emotional pain.
Season 3 marks a particularly low point in the life of Jerry; he separates from Beth and moves into a small apartment in an effort to build a new life. These are developments that will ultimately be good for Jerry and be enough of a wake-up call to catalyze meaningful change in his life. Sometimes, though, a person has to hit rock bottom before they’re ready to take positive steps, and a wolf eating Jerry’s unemployment check is a hilarious bump down on his way to the ground floor.
8"Say the vat is good."
Rick Sanchez (Season 4, Episode 8)
To disagree with Rick is to feel his infinitely petty wrath, a fact Morty learns in the instant classic episode “The Vat of Acid Episode.” After Morty mocks Rick for his latest plan to dive into a fake vat of acid as a getaway, the two lock into a heated argument where Morty confesses he’s tired of feeling unheard. Rick angrily builds Morty’s idea for a gadget that can save a moment in time, but it doesn’t mean he won’t get the last word on the vat of fake acid.
The episode is noteworthy for its outstanding montage within a montage, but the script is packed with funny lines. When the vat of acid makes its second appearance in the story, Rick’s smug satisfaction while Morty trudges to the vat makes their brief exchangea hilarious example of how far Rick will go to make a point. “The Vat of Acid Episode” is one of thegreatest episodes ofRick and Morty, winning an Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program in 2020.
7"Wubba Lubba Dub Dub!"
Rick Sanchez (Season 1, Episode 5)
Starting in the Season 1 episode “Meeseeks and Destroy,” Rick ends the episode by breaking out a new catchphrase, “Wubba Lubba Dub Dub.” Rick announces that the seemingly nonsensical words will be his new thing, just like howArsenio Halldid it. The phrase would be sporadically said afterward, and it was a rare instance of Rick creating something that he wasn’t immediately bored with minutes after.
The catchphrase caught on with fans, an unexpected reaction toa joke that was designed to mock the existence of the TV trope;an example ofRick and Morty’s early tendencies to be one of themost meta shows on TV. Rick’s joyous use of his catchphrase took on a darker meaning when Bird Person revealed that “Wubba Lubba Dub Dub” was bird language for “I am in great pain, please help me.” After Season 1, the phrase was seldom used again, but it does make the occasional appearance, most recently in the Season 8 episode, “Summer of All Fears.”
6"Oh, geez, Rick…"
Morty Smith (Virtually every episode)
If someone wants to give you their impression of Morty (most likely unsolicited), there’s a guarantee that three words they’ll say. Right before any big adventure or after hearing dubious advice from Rick, Morty stammers a quick “Oh, geez, Rick,” before caving and going along with any plan.His weak protest is a sign that Rick hasn’t broken his humanity completely, and Morty’s moral compass, while acknowledged, is often ignored.
Morty has experienced a massive amount of growth and an increase in self-worth since his Grandpa first arrived, regardless of how many times Rick had plucked memories from his brain. Not every “Oh, geez, Rick” comes with the same level of sincerity, because a few of those objections were half-hearted at best, but it’s a sign that Rick’s cynicism hasn’t rubbed off on Morty completely. Rick is tired of hearing Morty say it, but he should be concerned if Morty never says it again.
5"Well, then get your s–t together, get it all together, and put it in a backpack, all your s–t, so it’s together. "
Morty Smith (Season 2, Episode 7)
A vampire threat at Morty and Summer’s school is slightly interesting enough for Rick to get involved, who creates a teen version of himself or “Tiny Rick.” After the vampires are properly slain, teen Rick decides to pull a move fromThe Substanceand avoids returning to his older body. Summer shows concern for her grandfather, but Morty is enjoying the popularity he’s received by being friends with Tiny Rick. Morty turns Summer’s caution against her,telling her in the longest way possible what she should do with her feelings.
The portion of the included quote is only the beginning, with Morty tripling down on his point before he walks away from Summer. It’s a line perfectly delivered, where the laugh grows each time the viewers swear Morty is finished, only to pop his head back in to say more of the same. Moments like this gaveRick and Mortya loose and improvisational tone that made the show sound different from its contemporaries.
4"I’m Pickle Rick!"
Rick Sanchez (Season 3, Episode 3)
Rick will do anything to get out of therapy, including turning himself into a pickle. In the Season 3 episode titled, what else, “Pickle Rick,” Rick makes a stand against self-help by turning himself into food instead of going to a group therapy session with Beth and the kids. Morty is more annoyed than shocked when he finds his grandfather, but Rick is riding high on his accomplishment, proudly yelling, “I’m Pickle Rick!”
By the third season,Rick and Mortyhad sufficiently demonstrated the show existed without boundaries, andthe existence of the multiversemeant literally everything that could conceivably happen was possible. However, even with the information clear, Rick, going on an action-packed adventure as a pickle, was destined to become a classic episode of the series. After “Pickle Rick,”the brined version of Rick could be found as plush toys, ill-thought-out tattoos, and bongs wherever they could be legally sold.
3"To live is to risk it all; otherwise, you’re just an inert chunk of randomly assembled molecules drifting wherever the universe blows you."
Rick Sanchez (Season 3, Episode 2)
Even when Rick gives good advice, it still sounds cold and judgmental. Rick, Morty, and Summer teleport into the garage after a dangerous adventure, with Morty telling Summer to be more careful after the ringer on her phone almost got them killed. She blows off his warning, and Rick backs her up, telling Morty that truly being alive requires risk. If the advice sounds vaguely insulting, it’s because the cruel tone was directed at Jerry, who was standing outside the garage with his moving truck to say goodbye.
A solid portion of the time, Rick will say anything to support his stance, even if he doesn’t believe it, because the importance of winning a debate is more important than whatever the argument is about. At this moment, however,these are words Rick actually lives by, downplaying that risking it all also leads to losing it all. The words are a twist of the knife into Jerry, who lost everything he cared about in a lifetime spent playing it safe.
2"Your boos mean nothing – I’ve seen what makes you cheer."
Rick Sanchez (Season 4, Episode 3)
In “One Crew Over the Crewcoo’s Morty,” Rick and Morty take on a rival thief, in a satire of the overlycomplex nature of heist films. Rick doesn’t respect heist artists like Miles, and when Rick goes to HeistCon to confront the thief, he receives boos from the crowd upon his introduction. Angrily, Rick snarls at the heist fans that he doesn’t care what they think because he knows what they love.
Rick faces death threats as a way to break up the boredom of his day, so the disapproval of a group of heist enthusiasts has zero impact. The brilliance of Rick and the way he’s written is thathe’ll insult a group using the least number of words possible, because a longer insult wouldn’t be worth his time to say. The truth is, the boos do mean something to Rick – he thrives off them.
1"Nobody exists on purpose, nobody belongs anywhere, everybody’s gonna die. Come watch TV."
Morty Smith (Season 1, Episode 8)
When Rick creates a visor that shows the Smith family versions of their life in other realities, Summer finds out she was an unwanted pregnancy. Summer runs upstairs to pack her things and leave, but Morty steps in before she finishes. Morty tries to comfort his sister, and when Summer fires back that there’s no way he can understand what she’s going through, he points to his grave in the backyard and shares a simple philosophy.
This quote is a favorite amongRick and Mortyfans because it best sums up the tone of the series. On paper, the words look nihilistically callous, much like Rick does during any particularly fired-up rant. The intent is the opposite, where Morty offers comfort in the knowledge that even if life is a series of chaotic, random moments, the absence of order doesn’t prohibit a life well-lived.
