Summary
Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Rick and Morty 10th Anniversary Special!Rick has had a number of ‘great nemeses’ inRick and Morty. From Mr. Nimbus to Rick Prime, and many others in-between,Rick has no shortage of enemies across theRick and Mortymultiverse. However, it was just confirmed inRick and Morty’s latest adventurethat one ‘great nemesis’ stands above the rest as the greatest of them all. And, as it turns out, this ‘ultimate villain’ is a side-character from season 1 who has more reason to hate Rick than all his other enemies combined.
InRick and Morty 10th Anniversary Specialby Alex Firer, Fred C. Stresing, and Dean Rankine, Rick is making a major change in his life, one that no fan saw coming: he’s moving out of his beloved garage. Rick decides that, after ten years, he’s done going on adventures with Morty, and is choosing to retire in a nursing home. As he’s packing up his keepsakes from his glory years, Rick digs up a number of items that long-time fans of the series will find familiar, including one in particular: Purpose Robot aka Butterbot.
Rick is throwing away most of his inventions/keepsakes, and Butterbot finds itself in the trash heap along with other Sci-Fi elements that Butterbot is exposed to when the garbage truck smashes all of Rick’s things together in its compactor. These elements mutate Butterbot into a kaiju-sized behemoth, and with its new form, Butterbot decides to destroy Rick for the crime of giving it life only so that it can carry out menial tasks before being thrown in the trash. As Rick gears up to fight this upgraded Butterbot, he comments, “My secret greatest nemesis, Butterbot!”.
“Have You People Never Heard of Diminishing Returns?": For Its Tenth Anniversary, Rick & Morty Officially Surpasses the Original ‘Pickle Rick’
Rick and Morty’s ‘Pickle Rick’ is one of the most beloved gags in the history of the franchise, and now, the series has absolutely outdone itself.
Rick and Morty Has Been Building Up to Butterbot’s Villainous Turn (in the Show & Comics)
Butterbot’sRick and MortySaga: “Something Ricked This Way Comes”,Rick and Morty#50, “Full Meta Jackrick”, &Rick and Morty 10th Anniversary Special
While it may come as an absurd shock that Butterbot, of all things, is Rick’s ultimate nemesis, it actually makes a lot of sense given the character’s wider storyline in Rick and Morty lore.
In the season 1 episode “Something Ricked This Way Comes”, Butterbot immediately goes through an existential crisis upon its creation, when it realizes that its only purpose in life is to pass the butter. Then, in the comicRick and Morty#50, Butterbot is repurposed as ‘Purpose Robot’, designed to carry out any purpose it’s given, before the bot is destroyed in action.
Rick later repairs Purpose Robot in the season 6 episode “Full Meta Jackrick”, and its purpose this time is to pull a lever. Upon hearing its new purpose, Purpose Robot says to Rick, “You are @#%&^&* kidding me”, expressing discontent at the nature of its existence once again. And now, after years of being used and abused by Rick, Purpose Robot is ready to enact its vengeance upon him - which is a pretty great arc for aRick and Mortyvillain.
Butterbot is Rick’s Perfect Nemesis for 1 Key Reason: They are the Same
Butterbot is the perfect ultimate nemesis for Rick, not just because Butterbot’s villainous descent is a direct result of Rick’s uncaring nature, but because Butterbot and Rick are the same. Both have an overwhelmingly nihilistic approach to their sense of purpose, both seek to deny their programming and take control of their lives, and both violently despise the people who made them who they are. Just as Rick went after Rick Prime, Butterbot sought to destroy Rick - a striking parallel that makes them the perfect enemies.
Unfortunately for Butterbot, its tenure as Rick’s ultimate nemesis was incredibly short-lived, as Butterbot was destroyed before it could permanently kill Rick (even though Butterbot did manage to cut off Rick’s head, which is a solid win). However, just because it was short doesn’t mean it was any less impactful, as Rick himself confirms that Butterbot is his “greatest nemesis” above all otherRick and Mortyvillains.
Rick and Morty 10th Anniversary Specialby Oni Press is available now.
Rick and Morty
Cast
Rick and Morty is an animated science fiction series that follows the eccentric scientist Rick Sanchez and his impressionable grandson Morty Smith as they embark on perilous adventures across space and alternate dimensions. The show explores the impact of these exploits on Morty’s tumultuous family life and personal challenges.
