Best Rick And Morty Supporting Characters Not Related To Them

As every fan knows, Rick and Morty is the greatest show in the history of the multiverse – and that's even counting the stiff competition of interdimensional cable. Of course, as Rick would tell you, the infinite Ricks from infinite dimensions are mainly responsible for the show's greatness. Rick might even concede that the many Mortys of the multiverse are another reason the series rules, but only because Mortys provide the contrast that make Ricks shine all the brighter.

But Rick could never strut his god-like stuff in an empty multiverse. Without other beings to vanquish, to worship him, or to feel intellectually and philosophically superior to, his life would be cosmically empty. Jerry, the galaxy's most petulant father-in-law, offers a satisfying outlet for Rick's ceaseless contempt — "I don't like your unemployed genes in my grandchildren," Rick tells him on one occasion — and sometimes, his granddaughter Summer comes in for a dose of disdain as well. But lording his skills over his own family only begins to fulfill the needs of Rick's voracious ego. Moreover, though he wouldn't admit this himself, Rick needs a galaxy full of characters to humble him, illustrate his past, and provide challenges. These are the best friends, foes, and foils from beyond Rick and Morty's family, who bring meaning to the titular duo's multiversal exploits.

While the finale of season one, "Ricksy Business," may not have galaxy-spanning stakes or chilling multiversal implications, it stands as a seminal episode for the important supporting characters it introduces, and for the insight it provides into Rick's mind. The plot seems inconsequential on the surface: When Beth and Jerry leave for a weekend to visit a Titanic-themed attraction, Summer and Rick throw a house party. "Wubba lubba dub dub," Rick yells excitedly, at the prospect of getting "rickety-rickety-wrecked." Summer's invites include her friend, Tammy, while Rick invites a far-flung assortment of beings from across the galaxy, including Birdperson, Squanchy, and Gearhead. All four of the guests will play important roles in subsequent seasons, none more so than Birdperson, who fatefully hooks up with Tammy at the party.

It turns out that Birdperson and Rick are old friends who have been through a lot together. When Rick passes out after a couple of days of heavy partying, Birdperson tells Morty and Summer that "Wubba lubba dub dub" actually means "I am in great pain, please help me" in his language. This is the first indication that Rick has more to him than the senseless pursuit of shallow pleasures. It also sets up further revelations about his and Birdperson's history as freedom fighters wanted by the Galactic Federation. Events conclude in their season four showdown, when Birdperson appears as the lethal cyborg, Phoenixperson, AKA ... wait for it ... PP.

Unlike other key supporting characters, Unity appears in just one episode, "Auto Erotic Assimilation." But this entity may be the most important non-family member in Rick's life ... not that he would admit to it. While Unity, a hivemind who can inhabit and control every person it encounters, first appears threatening, it turns out that it is a former flame of Rick's. While Morty and Summer have deep reservations about the fact that Unity enslaved an entire planet's population, this is a serious turn-on for Rick, not only because Unity is one of the few beings in the multiverse who can match his intellectual powers, but because she can use her control over the population to act out his most elaborate fantasies.

But there's a reason they broke up. Rick likes to party too hard, and he'll do anything to avoid the emotional responsibility of real intimacy. After an extended bender that causes Unity to lose control of the planet, it leaves love letters for Rick scattered across its population, admitting that, though she loves him, she must say goodbye. Rick returns home and attempts suicide rather than face his emptiness and grief, as the haunting "Do you Feel it" by Chaos Chaos plays the scene out. Rick and Morty traffics most comfortably in absurdity and satire, but occasionally, as in this episode, it achieves striking pathos as well.

Voiced by the great Keith David (Childs in The Thing), the President is alternately one of Rick's greatest allies and his greatest adversaries. They are introduced to each other in the season two episode "Get Schwifty," when an alien race of giant floating heads forces Earth into a musical reality show competition. Only Rick and Morty can create the hit song that saves the planet, as the aliens have blown up the Grammys and every musician in attendance. The President helps by staving off the generals who want to nuke the aliens, and recruiting the last surviving musician, Ice-T, to the cause. The episode concludes with Rick, Morty, and the President performing their latest hit, which the aliens love. They swiftly declare Earth the winner of the competition. 

Now the President has them on speed dial and enlists them for every two bit sci-fi problem around. "He treats us like we're the Ghostbusters," Rick complains. To compound problems, the stingy SOB won't even pose with Morty for a selfie! Things escalate in the season three finale, "The Rickchurian Mortydate," until he and Rick engage in a fight to the death in the Oval Office and on the White House lawn, before reaching a grudging resolution. Keith David brings authority and hilarity as the President and gets an extra shout-out for also voicing the indelible Reverse Giraffe from the episode "Total Rickall."

Jaguar doesn't get a lot of screentime, but he makes a strong impression in "Pickle Rick," one of the series' most beloved episodes. Voiced by (and presumably modeled after) the real-life badass Danny Trejo, he's also one of the few prominent characters of color in Rick and Morty. Rick, having turned himself into a pickle to avoid family therapy, has become embroiled in wacky hijinks down in the sewer. After vanquishing some rats and escaping to the surface, Rick finds himself deep inside the compound of generic international villains, à la John Wick, who try to eliminate him. When Rick proves to be an elusive target, the head villain releases their captive freedom fighter, Jaguar, and promises him a reunion with his daughter in exchange for killing Rick. Rick and Jaguar have an epic battle, proving to be well-matched adversaries. They manage to wound each other before developing a mutual respect.

Of course, as in any action movie worth its salt, the opponents become allies, teaming up to take down the criminals who have captured Jaguar and enslaved his country. This leads to one of the show's greatest post-credit scenes. Rick and Morty have been captured by the fiendish piano-themed villain, Concerto, and even Rick thinks they're goners. But at the last second, Jaguar swoops in out of nowhere to kill Concerto and free them. "Who was that?" Morty asks, to which Rick replies, "That, Morty, is why you don't go to therapy."

Noob Noob has a small but crucial role propping up Rick's ego in "Vindicators 3: The Return of Worldender." In this episode, Rick and Morty are summoned by the Vindicators, a third-rate Avengers-type outfit, who need Rick's help to vanquish an alien foe. There is no love lost between Rick and the Vindicators. He is beyond contemptuous of their powers and their character designs ("So your origin is what? You fell in a vat of redundancy?" he sneers), and they resent his snotty attitude. But one person does appreciate Rick's putdowns: The janitor, Noob Noob, a crooked-eyed being whose cred is helped immeasurably by the fact that he appears to be of the same species as the immortal Mr. Poopybutthole.

To prove his unquestionable superiority over the Vindicators, Rick annihilates Worldender by himself, then creates a series of deadly traps that they must solve or die. To prove he can literally outdo them in his sleep, Rick does this all while blackout drunk ... then remembers none of it. In the final test, the group must guess the most important person in Rick's life. This turns out not to be Morty, but Noob Noob, who gave Rick props for his "awesome jokes." Rick builds Noob Noob an elaborate shrine, and the little guy is also featured in the closing rap by Logic. All he had to do was appreciate Rick's meanspirtedness ... and of course, clean up his drunken diarrhea.