Throughout the entire series of Rick and Morty, Rick Sanchez, or Rick C-137, as he's known among the other Ricks of the multiverse, is unapologetically cynical and contemptuous of everything. He has done some truly awful things to others and rarely shows remorse for his actions or behavior. His jaded views are shaped by the existence of infinite dimensions consisting of infinite versions of everyone, leading him to believe that, "nothing has meaning."
However, while Rick is usually selfish and mean-spirited because of his nihilistic views, he also displays moments of genuine concern and sympathy for others. Many of these moments of kindness are still tainted with cynicism, but they do show that he isn't completely heartless.
10 He Had A Deep Respect For Noob-Noob
Rick often seems to have a soft spot for the little guy, the ones who go unnoticed and unappreciated. This is the case when Rick and Morty are summoned to help the Vindicators defeat Worldender. Rick is not shy about showing his disdain for the superhero group as he levels them with insults. While the others aren't amused, Noob Noob, the Vindicator's intern/janitor, vocally approves as he sweeps the floor in the background. This doesn't go unnoticed by Rick, who later records an elaborate and emotional drunken goodbye for the aspiring superhero, thanking him for showing him props for his awesome jokes and calling him cool and smart and different from the other "morons." Unfortunately, he forgets who Noob Noob is by the end of the episode.
9 He Is A Dedicated Friend To Birdperson
Rick usually pushes everyone in his life away or keeps them at a distance. However, his loyalty to Birdperson proves he has a place in his heart for true friendship. Birdperson seems to be the only one who understands the real Rick Sanchez. He recognized Rick's catchphrase, "Wubba Lubba Dub Dub!" as a cry for help and when Birdperson is resurrected as the cyborg Phoenixperson by the Galactic Federation, he nearly kills Rick during a brutal one-on-one battle before Space Beth flips his off switch.
Rather than holding a Rick-style grudge against his former best friend, Rick brought Phoenixperson back to his garage lab with the intention of fixing him.
8 He Helped Summer Get Back At The Devil
In the episode "Something Ricked This Way Comes," Summer finds a job working in a shop for a man named Mr. Lucius Needful, who is in fact the Devil in disguise. Summer consistently defends Mr. Needful against Ricks' attempts to thwart her employer's plans, even with the knowledge of who he is.
When Mr. Needful betrays Summer after helping him transform his shop into a multi-million dollar online enterprise, Rick is sympathetic and devises a plan to help her get revenge. The two bulk up in the gym and beat the Devil down on a stage in front of thousands of people.
7 He Got Revenge Against King Jellybean For Assaulting Morty
Despite constantly ridiculing Morty for his decisions in the episode, "Meeseeks and Destroy," and his distaste for accepting when he's wrong, Rick is eventually willing to capitulate and admit he is starting to enjoy himself on the adventure Morty chose for them to go on. He also shows the true depth of his love and loyalty for his grandson when he figures out Morty was assaulted in the restroom of a tavern by King Jellybean. He allows Morty to win their bet, even if it meant Morty would get to choose every tenth adventure and shoots King Jellybean through a portal as payback.
6 He Cried When He Saw His Memories Of Morty As A Baby
While it seems most Ricks in the multiverse are quick to dismiss their Mortys and even treat them with outright contempt. Rick C-137 often shows affection and love for his Morty. Of course, Rick refuses to admit these feelings out of embarrassment, especially to the other Ricks he encounters.
This is the case when Rick is held captive by "Evil Rick" and forced to review his memories. He visibly tears up at seeing a memory of picking up a happy baby Morty. This elicits a derisive response from "Evil Rick" who is disgusted by the idea that any Rick would cry over a Morty. Rick is quick to deny it, but it's clear he has a soft spot for his Morty.
5 He Doesn't Execute Jerry Because The Family Was Happy To Be United
Rick's disgust for his son-in-law is clearly apparent throughout the series. He openly hates Jerry, believing he's weak, stupid, and holding his daughter back. Rick was overjoyed when Beth and Jerry decided to split up, believing this would finally allow her to reach her full potential and be happy.
But, when the two decided to reconcile their marriage and went into hiding, Rick tracked them down with the intent of murdering Jerry with an assault rifle but changed his mind when he realized Beth was genuinely happier with Jerry and their family reunited. He decides to let Jerry live and even steps aside to let his son-in-law be the patriarch of the family.
4 He Apologized To Beth For Turning Himself Into A Pickle
Rick cannot admit being wrong, to the point that he actually erases any memories of his mistakes from Morty's memories. However, after turning himself into a pickle to avoid a family therapy session with Beth, Morty, and Summer he recognizes his mistake and how important therapy was to Beth.
Despite his disgust with psychiatry and psychiatrists, and his inability to admit he's wrong, he apologizes to Beth for lying to her about his reasons for turning into a pickle. The two bond while laughing about Morty and Summer's reactions to the divorce and go out for a drink together.
3 He Recognizes He Was A Terrible Father And Regrets It
While Rick rarely admits his mistakes to others, he is capable of recognizing his failures as a father. When Beth left the decision of which version of her, the original or the clone, he wanted to stay with the family, she was forcing Rick to declare whether or not he actually cared and wanted to have a relationship with her. Instead, Rick allows machines to choose for him and mind-blew himself so he wouldn't remember in order to avoid having to face his true feelings for his daughter.
After watching the memory alone and realizing what he had done, he admits to himself that he's a terrible father. This realization leaves him clearly devastated and ashamed of himself, which in itself is a sign that he cares enough about Beth to feel guilty for his behavior.
2 He Sacrificed Himself To Save Morty
Although Rick frequently professes his belief that nothing matters to anyone who will listen, he has shown he is capable of selfless sacrifice. When the fabric of time begins to break down and Morty falls into a black void after his time collar fails, Rick willingly dives in after him. Unable to fix the collar that will teleport Morty back to the garage lab to a point when time is stabilized, Rick gives up his own collar to save Morty, leaving himself to die alone in an endless void.
He even admits that he's fine with his sacrifice and wants Morty to be better than him, before realizing he can fix Morty's collar and save himself.
1 He Turned Himself In So His Family Could Go Free
His dislike of authoritarianism and bureaucracies telling others what to do and how to live put Rick at odds with the Galactic Federation, who considered him a terrorist before its dismantling. At one point, Rick is forced to go on the lam with the rest of his family when Federation agents ambush him and his coconspirators at Birdperson's wedding.
While hiding on a small planet, Rick learns that Beth, Morty, and Summer are willing to sacrifice their own freedom to protect him and keep him in their lives. This causes him to reflect on his selfishness and ultimately ends in him turning himself in and being sent to a Federation prison in exchange for his family's freedom.