Rick & Morty has become more of an ensemble piece over the years, but the central relationship is still between the title characters. While things between them have changed a lot over the years, one thing that generally hasn't is the two character's relationship. It's always had its ups and downs, but it's way more negative than positive. Rick is a legitimately terrible person, and the two have been in situations that showed just how toxic their relationship is.
Rick and Morty's relationship needs a lot of work in order to become anything besides the most negative thing ever. They're both damaged people, and between the two of them, there's really no hope for things between them to ever be normal.
8 Rick Destroys Everything He Touches
Rick is a terrible person, but he can also be rather tragic in a lot of ways. Rick can't really control himself, and his actions spill out, impacting everything around him. More than once, the Sanchez/Smith family has suffered because of his actions, as has just about everyone in Rick's orbit. He can't help but destroy everyone around him; he sees himself as a god and everyone else as lesser.
While Morty has so far been able to keep ahead of the blast wave of Rick's life, it's only a matter of time before he gets caught by it. Being around Rick has already wreaked havoc on his life, and the longer they are together, the greater the chance that Morty will suffer even more.
7 Rick Has Destroyed Morty's Happiness Many Times
Rick is a control freak and likes things to go his way entirely. This has affected Morty's life in many ways since they started hanging out. While Rick has indulged his grandson once or twice, he's also gone out his way to destroy any semblance of normality in Morty's life. Morty has lost so much working with Rick, including his entire planet and the original version of his family.
Morty wanted to be a normal teenager, but Rick took all of that away from him. He then compounds that every chance he gets. Every time Morty finds someone nice, Rick ruins it. When Morty likes doing something, like working with the Vindicators, Rick destroys it. Rick has personally made Morty more miserable many times to keep his grandson with him.
6 Rick Will Abandon Morty At The Drop Of A Dime
Rick is defined by his selfish nature. While it's kept him alive in a lot of drastic situations, it's also endangered Morty's life more than once. Rick will do anything to fulfill himself. Take the time when he found Unity again. Fans don't get to meet too many of Rick's love interests, but seeing him abandon his grandchildren so that he can do a lot of drugs and get with Unity shows why. Rick's self-aggrandizing nature makes him dangerous to be around.
Rick's tendency to abandon those he loves has helped Morty once or twice, but it's also terribly dangerous for the teenager. Rick puts Morty in terrible situations, and that's made all the worse by how liable he is to abandon him when it strikes Rick's fancy.
5 Rick's Enjoys Hurting Morty
Rick has a very twisted sense of humor. As a person just about completely without feelings, Rick mocks everyone and everything around him mercilessly, especially those he loves. While he often gets it as much as he gives it, that sort of thing doesn't really bother him. However, the same can't be said of the constant butt of his jokes, Morty. Morty is at an impressionable age, and being constantly belittled by his mentor is not good for him.
Many of the show's most memorable episodes have included Rick in some way tormenting Morty for his own enjoyment. This is no way for anyone to treat anyone else, with Rick just nonchalantly hurting Morty all the time.
4 Rick Puts Morty In Danger Because He Can't Hang Out With His Family Like A Normal Person
The Sanchez/Smith family is not at all normal, and Rick is a huge reason for that. He's never learned to engage with his family in any healthy way. So, even though it's completely in his power to live a life where his interdimensional shenanigans are separate from his family, he refuses to do so. The only way he can be with his family is if everything is exactly the way he wants it to be, which puts Morty in extreme danger.
The worst part is that Rick is known for putting himself in untenable situations just to see if he can survive. Unfortunately, these situations also put Morty in danger — danger that Morty hasn't always survived.
3 Rick's Alcoholism Makes Him An Unfit Guardian
Rick is an alcoholic, and he has no qualms about it. Rick drinks to excess constantly, and while there are reasons behind his hedonism, it doesn't exactly make him the most likable person. His alcoholism can be extremely unpleasant to be around, and it's screwed up his family for years. Rick has no desire to get help for it, and he doesn't care how it affects anyone around him.
Rick takes Morty on adventures that are extremely dangerous, and he's drinking nearly constantly. While mostly functional, Rick's usage of alcohol exacerbates his already terrible decision making, which puts Morty in even more danger.
2 Morty Has Grown Beyond His Grandfather, But Rick Stays The Same
Character growth isn't something that usually happens in shows like Rick & Morty, which is one of the reasons many fans love it so much. Characters that started one way ended up another way, becoming better, more nuanced characters. Morty has grown a lot since the beginning of the show. He's gone from a nervous teenager destined to be his father to someone who can handle himself in nearly any situation the universe can throw at him.
On the other hand, Rick is still basically the hedonistic narcissist he always was. He has no interest in improving himself; the only thing between him and Morty is that he drags the young man down. Morty can move beyond Rick, but Rick will never be anything other than who he is.
1 Rick's Enemies Are Morty's Enemies Now
Rick has traveled the cosmos for years, and he's made some rather formidable foes in that time. Since he and Morty began adventuring together, Morty has been put in the middle of these rivalries. Rick and Morty have faced down some dangerous foes, and now Rick's enemies are Morty's enemies. As long as Rick is around, Morty is safe, but Rick's capricious nature means he can be gone at any moment.
Morty's life isn't just in danger when he and Rick are out and about but at all times. While Rick protects his family, more out of a sense of them as his property than anything else, there may come a day when he loses interest in that. If that happens, Morty will be on his own against the multiverse's most dangerous beings.