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Morty Smith

Mortimer Chauncey "Morty" Smith Sr.[5] is one of the eponymous characters from the American animated television series Rick and Morty. Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, and voiced by the former for the first six seasons of the series,[1] followed by Harry Belden beginning with the seventh season. Morty is a 14-year-old boy loosely inspired by Michael J. Fox's Marty McFly from Back to the Future.[7] Morty is known for his awkward, anxious, second-guessing, doubtful personality, and low sense of self-esteem; the character has been critically well-received. He is the good-natured and impressionable grandson of Rick Sanchez, the son of Jerry and Beth Smith, the younger brother of Summer Smith, and the father of Morty Jr. and Naruto Smith, who can be easily manipulated. In September 2021, Jaeden Martell portrayed Morty in a series of promotional interstitials for the series.[2][3]

This article is about the fictional character. For the historian, see Morton Smith. For the minister, see Morton H. Smith.

Morty Smith

Morty C-132:
"Head-Space, Part Three" (2016)

Justin Roiland
Dan Harmon

Justin Roiland

Jaeden Martell (interstitials)[2][3]
Jay Bauman (Half in the Bag)[4]

Mortimer Chauncey Smith Sr.[5]

Morty

Human
Vampire (formerly)

Male

Morty Prime
Sir Mortanial (Morty the Molten)

Student
King of the Sun

The Vindicators
Knights of the Sun

Lightsaber (season 6)

Brides of Morty (volume 8)

United States, Earth

American[6]

14

An inter-dimensional traveller, several alternate versions of Morty from across the multiverse have appeared throughout the franchise. Although initially referring to himself as "Morty C-137" in reference to the designation given to his grandfather by the Trans-Dimensional Council of Ricks, in reference to Rick's original universe, "C-137", in "Rickmurai Jack", Rick is revealed to not be Morty's original Rick, with Morty's true reality designation, Morty Prime, being revealed in the audio commentary for "Solaricks". Book 1 of the Oni Press Rick and Morty comic series (comprising the first two volumes of the series) follows the Rick and Morty of Dimension C-132 (until their deaths in the "Head-Space" arc) while most issues of subsequent installments follow the Rick (C-137) and Morty (Prime) of the television series; the video game Pocket Mortys follows the Rick and Morty of Dimension C-123 who capture numerous alternate versions of Morty, including girl counterparts Morticia and Mortabel, while various other Mortys are the focus of episodes set in the inter-dimensional Citadel of Ricks and Mortys, ruled by President Morty of Dimension 79⊢⊇V, colloquially known as "Evil Morty" among fans and the media until the series' fifth season, where this name was officially adopted, whose origin story is explored in the seventh season episode "Unmortricken". The character has received a positive critical reception.[8]

Characterization

Inverse's Corey Plante commented that Morty's moral outrage is the basis of many storylines, contrasting with Rick's nihilism. Morty sees morality at a surface level, but his interventions cause disaster and lead to him committing extreme acts of violence. For instance, in "Mortynight Run", Morty rescues a being from assassination but is forced to kill it after discovering that it intends to destroy all carbon-based life.[9]

Biography

Season 1

In the first season of the series, Morty Smith of the Prime Dimension (Morty Prime) is 14 years old and is a student at Harry Herpson High School along with his older sister Summer. Morty seems to be suffering from anxiety and is easily stressed, largely as a result of traumatic experiences during his adventures with Rick. He is often dismissed as idiotic by Rick and others but is shown to be wiser than his grandfather in terms of understanding people's feelings and is capable of explosive anger and moral outrage in objection to Rick's attitude and actions.[7] In "Rick Potion #9", Morty is forced to abandon his original dimension (the Prime Dimension) and family for Dimension C-131 (where versions of him and Rick have just died) after a "love potion" Rick made for Morty mutated with the common cold, while in "Raising Gazorpazorp", Morty's use of a sex robot with a "built-in baby-maker" results in him siring a half-alien son, Morty Junior, who grows to maturity within the day before going on to write a best-selling book about Morty's raising of him entitled My (Horrible) Father.

Seasons 2–6

In "A Rickle in Time", Morty, Summer, and Rick spend six months repairing their house and screwing around with time frozen after the events of "Ricksy Business". In "Mort Dinner Rick Andre", Morty dates Jessica, and in "A Rickconvenient Mort", Morty dates Planetina.

Other versions

Evil Morty

An inter-dimensional traveller and former President of the Citadel of Ricks and Mortys, "Evil Morty" of Dimension 79⊢⊇V took control of his Rick with a mind control eyepatch as part of a plot to escape the Central Finite Curve.

Citadel of Ricks and Mortys

The Citadel of Ricks and Mortys is an inter-dimensional society populated almost exclusively by alternate versions of Rick and Morty from across the multiverse, founded by Rick C-137, and later ruled by the Trans-Dimensional Council of Ricks, the Shadow Council of Ricks, and President Morty (Evil Morty). Notable Morty residents include:

Development

The character was created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, who first met at Channel 101 during the early 2000s. In 2006, Roiland created The Real Animated Adventures of Doc and Mharti, an animated short parodying the Back to the Future characters Doc Brown and Marty McFly, and the precursor to Rick and Morty.[24] The idea for Rick and Morty, in the form of Doc and Mharti was brought up to Adult Swim, and the ideas for a family element and Rick being a grandfather to Morty were developed.[25]


Morty was voiced by Justin Roiland for the first six seasons of Rick and Morty and promotional material, while Harry Belden voices the character from the seventh season onward.[26]


In September 2021, Jaeden Martell portrayed Morty Smith in a series of promotional interstitials, directed by Paul B. Cummings, alongside Christopher Lloyd as Rick Sanchez.[2][3]

In other media

Guest appearances

Morty Smith appears in the couch gag of the 2015 The Simpsons episode "Mathlete's Feat", cloning a new Simpson family after accidentally killing the previous one.


Morty Smith cameos in the 2021 film Space Jam: A New Legacy, restraining the Tasmanian Devil before leaving him in the hands of LeBron James and the TuneSquad. In the 2023 episode "Rickfending Your Mort", this Morty and his Rick are revealed to have been mercy killed by Rick C-137.


Morty Smith appears in the 2022 Half in the Bag episode "Jayus Ex Mikeina" from Red Letter Media, with Roiland reprising his role, dubbing over Jay Bauman, who physically portrays Morty in the episode.[4]