Every ‘Rick and Morty’ Season Ranked From Worst to Best

Few animated series have accumulated as complex a critical history as ‘Rick and Morty‘. Adult Swim’s flagship sci-fi comedy has swung between near-perfect acclaim and genuine controversy across its run, producing a Rotten Tomatoes record that tells a fascinating story about audience expectations, behind-the-scenes upheaval, and creative momentum.

With Season 9 currently airing and holding a perfect score on the Tomatometer, now is a natural moment to look back at how every season stacks up. Below, all nine seasons of ‘Rick and Morty’ are ranked from lowest to highest rated, based exclusively on their Rotten Tomatoes critic scores.

Season 7

Season 7 of ‘Rick and Morty’ premiered on October 15, 2023, and it currently holds a 77% Tomatometer score based on 12 reviews, with an average rating of 6.30 out of 10. The season arrived under extraordinary circumstances, as it was the first season not to feature Justin Roiland providing any voice work, following his dismissal from the franchise in January 2023. Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden were hired to replace him as the voices of Rick and Morty respectively.

Critics like Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone acknowledged that the season was not operating on the same creative heights as previous efforts, while Inverse’s Jake Kleinman argued that the once-brilliant sci-fi cartoon appeared to be running out of ideas. The Rotten Tomatoes critics’ consensus described the season as one that settled into a holding pattern, while still yielding plenty of amusing invention.

Season 5

Season 5 of ‘Rick and Morty’ was met with a wildly mixed reception upon its arrival in June 2021, finishing with an 86% Tomatometer score. One critic described it as probably the weakest season since the show’s debut, noting that while some episodes were weaker, the last three episodes made up for shortcomings with character development and key revelations about Rick’s past.

Some reviewers pointed to a notable mid-season dip involving episodes like “Rickdependence Spray,” describing it as the moment the show course-corrected in the wrong direction. The two-part finale, however, delivered major lore payoffs involving Evil Morty and a revealing look at Rick’s backstory that helped redeem the overall run for a number of critics and long-time fans.

Season 2

Season 2 of ‘Rick and Morty’ premiered in July 2015 and shares its 91% Rotten Tomatoes score with Season 6, though it earns the lower position in this ranking as the earlier of the two tied entries. The second season has continued to perform strongly with critics over the years, consistently pointing to the show’s early creative ambition.

The season is widely remembered for deepening the mythology of the series and sharpening the family dynamics at the core of the show. Critics appreciated its willingness to push characters into genuinely uncomfortable emotional territory while maintaining the anarchic, dimension-hopping comedy that made Season 1 such a breakthrough.

Season 6

Season 6 also sits at 91% on the Tomatometer and represents a meaningful bounce-back after the more divisive fifth outing. The Rotten Tomatoes critics’ consensus described the season as one that explored whether the universe’s most toxic genius can actually grow as a person, bookended by some memorable serialized developments and full of fun in between.

Audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes described Season 6 as a consistent run and notably the last season featuring the original voice actor of the show’s titular characters. That historical footnote gives the season an added layer of significance, making it something of a farewell chapter to a specific era of ‘Rick and Morty’.

Season 8

Season 8 of ‘Rick and Morty’ arrived in May 2025 to an impressive critical response, initially launching with a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes before settling at 93% as more reviews were added over the course of the season. The rebound was significant, given that Season 7 had left the franchise at its lowest critical point.

Screen Rant reviewer Felipe Rangel praised Season 8 for continuing what the series does best, citing the main characters’ exciting dynamic set against the backdrop of wild adventures. The Rotten Tomatoes consensus described the season as delivering clever fun rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, proving consistently hilarious without overreaching.

Season 3

Season 3 of ‘Rick and Morty’ premiered in April 2017 and earned a 96% Rotten Tomatoes score, with the platform’s critics’ consensus praising the season for interrogating familial bonds, love, and nihilism, all delivered with the series’ trademark serrated wit.

One critic from Vox observed that when ‘Rick and Morty’ is at its best, it combines crackling disdain and imagination with something even more daring: humanity. Season 3 also delivered “Pickle Rick,” one of the most talked-about episodes in the series’ history, and a darkly comedic exploration of avoidance and emotional deflection that critics cited as a high-water mark for the show.

Season 4

Season 4 matches Season 3’s 96% Rotten Tomatoes score, though it earns a slightly higher position here as the more recent of the two tied entries. Following the final episode of the fourth season, the show was officially certified Fresh and, at the time of its conclusion, had scored a perfect 100% based on 29 total reviews, marking what was then the highest-rated season in the franchise’s history.

Critics praised Season 4 for offering a multitude of fresh, wild, and hysterical adventures that remained as unpredictable and nonsensical as ever, with one reviewer calling ‘Rick and Morty’ the most narratively risky animated series they had ever seen. The season proved the show could sustain its creative energy even after the longest production gap between installments at that point.

Season 1

The debut season of ‘Rick and Morty’ remains one of the highest-rated in the franchise, sitting at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and still regarded as a cornerstone of modern adult animation. One early critic predicted the show could become a top-rate crossover hit, praising its inventive weirdness and the confidence of its creative vision.

The series, which originated as a parody of ‘Back to the Future,’ quickly earned critical acclaim for its originality, creativity, and humor, and went on to receive multiple Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Animated Program. Season 1 introduced the world to the chaotic dynamic between Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith and set a standard that every subsequent season has been compared against.

Season 9

Season 9 of ‘Rick and Morty’ premiered on Adult Swim on May 24, 2026, with episodes also becoming available to stream on HBO Max and Hulu starting June 15, 2026. The season currently holds a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the highest-rated installment in the show’s history by the Tomatometer.

One critic noted that no episode in Season 9 feels like it is doing the same thing as one from a previous season, praising the fresh approach as doing heavy lifting in helping things feel new again. Adult Swim described the season with the playful tagline “all certified bangers” created by “real humans” rather than artificial intelligence, leaning hard into the show’s self-aware sensibility.

With Season 9 still actively airing and more episodes on the way, that perfect score may yet shift, which makes this the ideal moment to ask: which season of ‘Rick and Morty’ do you think truly earned the top spot?