The Most Mind-Bending Episodes Of 'Rick And Morty', Ranked
Even after (almost) nine seasons, Rick and Morty (2013) continues to be the animated sci-fi show to beat. Beneath the potty-mouth humor and gross-out gags, the Dan Harmon series is boundary-pushing, smart, and darkly funny. No other show taps into existential dread and big philosophical questions quite like Rick and Morty, with most episodes aimed at making you ponder some of life's biggest concepts, just with a healthy dose of humor thrown in.
If you crave television that goes deep or even leaves you scratching your head, thinking, "What the heck did I just watch?" Then, you've come to the right place. Here are the most mind-bending Rick and Morty episodes, ranked by how far-out and twisty they get. Watch them now on Hulu and Prime Video.
8. Season 1, Episode 6, "Rick Potion #9"
"Rick Potion #9" might be an early Rick and Morty episode, but it foreshadows just how gross, wild, and darkly humorous the show can get. In an attempt to help Morty achieve his longtime goal of wooing Jessica, Rick creates a love potion that spirals out of control when it mutates with the flu. What follows is a vision out of a David Cronenberg movie, so much so that Rick and Morty dubs the deformed monsters created by Rick's "cure" Cronenbergs.
That's not necessarily so mind-bending in and of itself. However, things take a turn for the twisted when Rick and Morty have to leave their universe because of the Cronenberg apocalypse. They locate a parallel universe where those Rick and Morty variants just died, prompting Rick and Morty to take their place and bury themselves in the backyard. As you can imagine, Morty is rightly traumatized. Still, it's far from the weirdest episode in the show, which is why it ranks last on this list.
7. Season 4, Episode 1, "Edge of Tomorty: Rick, Die, Rickpeat"
Traumatizing or mind-bending? Truthfully, "Edge of Tomorty: Rick, Die, Rickpeat" is a little of both. After Rick drags Morty along to help him collect death crystals, which allow people to see the possible way they could die, Morty becomes obsessed with obtaining the death where he dies in Jessica's arms. In true Rick and Morty fashion, though, there's a twist, and that vision Morty sees isn't the result of love, but because Jessica decides to become a hospice worker.
Like the Star Wars prequel trilogy or Game of Thrones (2011), "Edge of Tomorty" demonstrates the dangers of prophecies or knowing too much about the future. In stories like these, it's destruction and panic that follow instead of peace. Life often feels too unpredictable, but in some ways, that's for the best, as Rick and Morty proves.
6. Season 4, Episode 8, "The Vat of Acid Episode"
If American Dad! (2005) is anything to go by, some of the best animated series have a "floating in a tube" episode. (Remember "The Vacation Go?" If not, go watch it!) Here, Rick builds Morty a device that lets him "save time" and restart, similar to a video game. As you can probably imagine, this turns into an existential nightmare… for multiple reasons.
For one, the device doesn't exactly work how Morty initially thought. The "redo" comes with a price, which kills the current Morty and transplants his consciousness into another Morty variant. As if killing thousands of Mortys for petty "redos" isn't already bad enough, Morty has to grapple with the fact that life isn't that easy. Growth doesn't come from undoing the imperfections; it happens when we embrace and overcome them.
5. Season 1, Episode 4, "M. Night Shaym-Aliens!"
"M. Night Shaym-Aliens!" is the perfect episode of Rick and Morty for anyone who loves simulation/what is real? movies like The Matrix (1999), Inception (2010), or, as the title implies, director M. Night Shyamalan's signature twist endings. In an attempt to steal Rick's dark matter recipe, aliens trap Rick, Morty, and Jerry in a simulation, which Rick eventually realizes is just one simulation layered inside many.
It's definitely a twisty premise that also benefits from a healthy dose of comedy from Jerry not realizing he is in a simulation, despite the obvious signs that something is amiss. Like the best Rick and Morty episodes, "M. Night Shaym-Aliens!" explores the meaninglessness of life and how humans often try to find purpose through mundane tasks or achievements.
4. Season 2, Episode 1, "A Rickle in Time"
As the title suggests, "A Rickle in Time" picks up after Rick froze time in the Season 1 finale—and, of course, there are consequences. With their resumed time unstable, Summer and Morty's tension and uncertainty about who Rick favors cause their current time to fracture. This issue continues to grow as more uncertainty—this time with Rick—creates more timeline divides.
From the Smith house floating in an empty void to Rick distrusting and fighting against himself, "A Rickle in Time" is quite the headspinner. It also has a surprisingly sweet scene between Rick and Morty, which, at the time, was one of the earliest glimpses of Rick's vulnerability and love for his grandson.
3. Season 7, Episode 10, "Fear No Mort"
Honestly, "Fear No Morty" is one of those Rick and Morty episodes that you really need to watch multiple times to take it all in. The plot kicks off with a "Fear Hole" located in the men's bathroom of a random diner. The idea is that a person enters the hole, encounters their greatest fear, then emerges refreshed and fearless. So, of course, Rick and Morty both jump in… or so it seems.
If you haven't seen "Fear No Mort" yet, this one is best enjoyed without spoilers because the ending twist is one of the reasons this episode remains so memorable. It offers plenty of those "what's real or not real?" moments and delves into some pretty philosophical themes, and how people can fear both growth and stagnation, sometimes even at the same time. If you like episodes that dissect Rick and Morty's complex, co-dependent relationship, this one will be a new favorite.
2. Season 5, Episode 2, "Mortyplicity"
Looking for a Rick and Morty episode that captures the existential dread of something like The Truman Show (1998)? Then, look no further than "Mortyplicity." What starts as a seemingly normal day with the Smith family transcends into utter chaos when our POV Smith family realizes they're actually decoys created by Rick to keep his original family safe.
Bizarre? Absolutely. What's worse is that the decoy families start killing each other off, each hoping that their victory will prove they're the real family. There's something inherently terrifying about the concept because, truly, what could be worse than discovering your entire existence is manufactured? What's the meaning of life when you're just a replaceable variant of another family that the man in charge doesn't actually care about? Woof. That's deep.
1. Season 2, Episode 4, "Total Rickall"
"Total Rickall" earns the top spot on this list because it's my favorite Rick and Morty episode of all time, and it's definitely a mind-bender. It kicks off with the slow realization that alien parasites have invaded the Smith household and multiply by implanting positive memories of new "characters" in their host's mind. Rick decides to put the house in lockdown, but it's already filled with dozens and dozens of characters, whom everybody feels attached to.
Sure, this results in fun characters like Sleepy Gary, Pencilvester, and Ghost in a Jar. However, at its core, "Total Rickall" manages to convey the same sense of paranoia in The Thing (1982), just with more dark humor. If you're watching this episode for the first time, you honestly won't know what to think. Even though the majority of these new characters are impostors, the Smiths' fabricated memories of them make killing them all the more horrific. Again, this one is another existential nightmare disguised by good comedy.
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