From “The Whirly Dirly Conspiracy” to “Rixty Minutes,” these are the “Rick and Morty” episodes that IMDb fans rate highest—each one packed with sci-fi chaos, character drama, and moments that hit harder than the jokes.
“Rick and Morty” has been on the air for more than 10 years. and in that time it has turned interplanetary nonsense into something fans genuinely argue about. Not just for the science-fiction ideas—comedic movie parodies and bigger. more emotionally charged storylines about Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith. and the messy relationships that ripple through their world.
At the center of it all are Rick and Morty themselves: genius yet nihilistic scientist Rick Sanchez and his grandson Morty Smith. both previously voiced by the now-fired Justin Roiland. With the release of the eighth season. fans are also leaning back into what makes the series stick—those plot-driven episodes that consistently become conversation starters.
Here’s the ranking, based on IMDb ratings, beginning with the top spot fans have crowned.
35. “The Whirly Dirly Conspiracy” (Season 3, Episode 5) — 8.4/10
Morty brings Rick and Jerry along on an easygoing vacation. It starts at the request of Morty, who’s worried about his father’s mental health. The plan is supposed to be fun in an intergalactic resort where it is impossible to die—exactly the kind of premise Rick usually loves.
But an enemy from Rick’s past shows up with a demand: coerce Jerry into helping him murder Rick. What stands out for viewers is the episode’s willingness to dig into the underrated dynamic between Rick and Jerry—the layers behind their aggressive relationship. the meaning it gives to their anger. and the way it ends with a slight. unexpected respect.
34. “Big Trouble in Little Sanchez” (Season 2, Episode 7) — 8.4/10
Rick’s “Tiny Rick” moment is part of the fun in “Big Trouble in Little Sanchez,” but fans point to what the episode does with its B-plot.
Beth and Jerry travel to an intergalactic couples therapy resort designed to fix their relationship. It doesn’t just fail—it spirals. The physical manifestations of their perceptions of one another begin to destroy and take over the entire resort.
The episode leans into Beth and Jerry’s troubled relationship without avoiding the toxicity and misalignment between them. At the same time. it suggests their connection can transcend norms and critical thinking. framing love as something beyond a hard science. And it’s hard for viewers to ignore that both Tiny Rick and XenoBeth make appearances as one-off villains in the same episode.
33. “Ricksy Business” (Season 1, Episode 11) — 8.4/10
As the series’ first-ever season finale, “Ricksy Business” plays it more relaxed than the later finales that would follow once the show was picked up for additional seasons. Still, it lands on a compelling note.
Morty and Summer try to throw a house party while their parents are out of town. Rick doesn’t merely join the chaos—he one-ups it by attempting to throw an intergalactic party at the same time.
The contrast between an unrestrained galactic house party and a traditional high school party is where a lot of the episode’s energy comes from, even though the high schoolers seem unfazed by the madness. The escalation gets wilder when the house ends up transported to an alien planet.
It also marks the debut of iconic members of Rick’s friend group, including fan-favorites like Birdperson and Squanchy.
32. “That’s Amorte” (Season 7, Episode 4) — 8.4/10
“That’s Amorte” takes the kind of strange, disturbing sci-fi premise “Rick and Morty” does best and turns it into an episode that still finds room for something unexpectedly tender.
On a foreign planet, humanity’s insides turn into spaghetti after they commit suicide. At first, Rick and Morty try to stop themselves from eating the spaghetti. But once the taste becomes “miraculous. ” they keep coming back for more—while the planet’s economy transforms to make mass profit off its own suicidal populace.
The episode’s dark absurdity and dystopian extremes become a fan-favorite through its final montage. A man’s memory of his full life plays over an exceptional cover of Oasis’s “Live Forever,” a tearjerker moment many viewers say almost single-handedly elevates the entire episode.
31. “Analyze Piss” (Season 6, Episode 8) — 8.4/10
“Analyze Piss” starts with Rick annoyed by an endless string of gimmick-themed villains. So he voluntarily seeks therapy to figure out why he attracts them.
When a urine-themed villain named “Pissmaster” shows up at the Smiths’ house, Rick tries to avoid encouraging more imitators. But Jerry surprisingly gets involved to defend Summer’s honor.
After Jerry wins the fight, he becomes a famous hero. That shift leaves Rick to sort through his emotions.
Fans also highlight how the episode subverts its own premise. Rick demonstrates growth by empathizing with the Pissmaster. and after relating to the pain in the villain’s life. he finds satisfaction from (almost) anonymously redeeming him in the eyes of the public. Absurd and tragic at once, “Analyze Piss” takes a ridiculous title and uses it to humanize pride.
30. “Look Who’s Purging Now” (Season 2, Episode 9) — 8.5/10
In “Look Who’s Purging Now,” Rick and Morty stop in a quaint town just in time for a planet’s night of consequence-free violence and mayhem.
Rick decides to stay and watch. Morty doesn’t. He demands they intervene to save a cute female alien. Their help backfires and leaves them stranded, and Rick then calls in a weapon upgrade from Summer that brings out a new and violent side of Morty.
Morty usually operates from a moral high ground, so viewers feel the shock when he quickly transforms from frightened victim to a blood-lust-crazed murderer—and Rick reacts in kind.
The episode is fast, action-packed, and built around a The Purge-inspired plotline. It uses that setup to explore the corruption of a ruling class and the chaos that can exist without the system giving people permission to burn.
The B-plot involving Jerry also gets credit, especially when it’s revealed why he wants to spend time with Summer.
29. “Auto Erotic Assimilation” (Season 2, Episode 3) — 8.5/10
“Auto Erotic Assimilation” brings Rick face-to-face with an old flame. When Rick answers a distress call with Morty and Summer, it leads to Unity, Rick’s ex—played by Christina Hendricks.
Unity is a hive-mind organism who has assimilated an entire planet into its consciousness after an emotionally wrought breakup with Rick. The two rekindle their romance where they left off, while Morty and Summer question the morality of a hive mind.
As Rick and Unity go on a bender of drugs and sex, the episode drops hints at Rick’s self-destructive behavior as a symptom of deeper psychosis.
But it’s also presented as the first time viewers truly see how deeply depressed and unhappy the smartest man in the universe is. In this story, Rick uses chaos as distraction from pain, and the same tendencies prevent him from establishing the bond he needs to heal from the death of his wife.
The emotional core sneaks up through “outlandish comedy,” with the episode’s plot acting like a sleight of hand—leading audiences toward laughs before landing on toxic relationships and loneliness.
28. “Solaricks” (Season 6, Episode 1) — 8.5/10
“Solaricks” is the Season 6 opener, and it starts by picking up the fallout from the Season 5 finale.
Rick and Morty manage to leave the fallen citadel without portal technology. Rick resets his portal fluid, sending himself, Morty, and Jerry back to the original dimensions. Summer works with both Beths to send out a beacon Rick can use to return.
But while Summer sets up the path back, Rick sees the chance for long-awaited revenge.
In a series known mostly for standalone episodes, fans see this as a necessary choice—resolving lingering plot threads while raising the stakes the duo faces. “Solaricks” also explains why a specific Rick returned to Beth and set up shop in her garage.
It pushes the narrative forward, answers questions, and sends the Smiths on an adventure that, for once, bonds them instead of driving wedges.
27. “Night Family” (Season 6, Episode 4) — 8.5/10
“Night Family” introduces a new device that solves one minor problem but sparks an internal rebellion.
Rick allows the family to use the “Somnambulator,” which lets the user assign unwanted tasks to sleeping bodies. The Smith family quickly offloads their chores to their sleeping selves, known as the “Night People.” When the balance of power isn’t respected, unrest turns into rebellion.
As the Night People version of the family tries to take control of their lives, the waking Smiths must rely on Rick to swallow his pride.
For a show that often leans on science-fiction tropes. “Night Family” shifts gears into a more horror-leaning vibe. especially through how the Night People are presented. Summer gets her moment to shine as the leader of the Night People uprising. offering insight into how she subconsciously feels about the power dynamic in the waking world.
The episode also makes the personalities clear: with more confidence, Summer would pose a challenge to Rick.
26. “Rixty Minutes” (Season 1, Episode 8) — 8.6/10
Also known as “Interdimensional Cable,” “Rixty Minutes” abandons the classic adventure structure and becomes “Rick and Morty’s” clip show version of television across the multiverse.
Rick and Morty sit down and watch TV from across different dimensions. Each channel delivers its own blend of strange and chaotic humor, shaped by what television and advertisements look like in other worlds.
Then the episode turns personal. The idea of a universe where Jerry is an acclaimed Hollywood actor creates a crisis between Jerry and Beth. They search the multiverse for their “perfect universe.”
Fans love the Interdimensional Cable gimmick for its iconic moments and gags, including Gazorpazorpfield, Ants in My Eyes Johnson, and the movie trailer, Two Brothers. But what pushes it beyond other clip-show moments is its emotional core.
It’s among the early episodes that truly delve into the struggles of their marriage while still preserving the love between them.
The eighth season may be the latest chapter, but IMDb fans are still circling back to episodes like these—stories that turn sci-fi riffs into character revelations, even when the title sounds like a joke on purpose.
Rick and Morty IMDb ranked episodes Season 3 Episode 5 Big Trouble in Little Sanchez Ricksy Business That's Amorte Analyze Piss Look Who's Purging Now Auto Erotic Assimilation Solaricks Night Family Rixty Minutes
IMDb ratings are overrated lol
Wait Justin Roiland is “now-fired”?? So they just kept the show going without him? Kinda wild. Also I don’t even know what episode is #1 but I feel like it should be something with the big portal stuff.
I think the top one is “Rixty Minutes” right? Like that title sounds familiar and the ratings usually match what I remember. But I only watched like half the season so maybe I’m mixing it up with another episode where Morty’s like trapped in time or whatever. Either way Rick being nihilistic is basically the whole vibe.
I’m sorry but ranking episodes by IMDb feels like cheating, because those scores change and also people rate based on memes not plot. “Whirly Dirly Conspiracy” was funny though, and anything with Jerry is automatically cursed 😂. I kinda wish they’d include more emotional stuff though because some episodes hit way harder than the jokes, like the whole family drama part. Also didn’t the show start getting different after that Roiland thing? Not sure.