Rick and Morty Season 8 isn't coming until 2025, and while that update was a definite bummer, there's a fantastic silver lining. Adult Swim greenlit an anime adaptation of the series based on those badass shorts that fans love, and it's set to debut before the upcoming season of the flagship series. I was already excited, though the latest look showcases an unexpected Smith family surprise that has me even more thrilled for Rick and Morty: The Anime to arrive.
In its newest clip, this spinoff of one of the best animated shows of all time shows off the Smith family protecting their home from suit-wearing invaders. While Jerry in superhero mode was pretty cool, I was more shocked and excited to see Space Beth protecting the fam by firing away at the goons. Take a look:
You gotta love it when anime series cut to such high-quality visuals during scenes' big moments. Unfortunately, the updated visuals still make it a toss-up whether she's the real Beth or her clone, despite some fans asserting online that they already know. More importantly, her presence makes me optimistic for one aspect I wasn't expecting from the anime.
Space Beth Didn't Appear In Rick And Morty Until Season 4
Space Beth doesn't officially appear in the original Rick and Morty until the Season 4 finale. Her existence came to be because Rick cloned Beth to allow her to live a more adventurous life than the one we're all familiar with. Those who keep up with the show know she eventually moved in with the family and entered a weird, throuple-esque situation with Beth and Jerry.
As of Season 7, now available to stream with a Max subscription, she still lives in the house with the Smiths, though we're still learning the details of how this arrangement works and whether or not Season 7 deserves the accolade of being the first season in years without incest driving a plotline or three.
Why Space Beth Being In The Smith Family Has Me Even More Excited For The Anime
Space Beth's appearance in Rick and Morty: The Anime was a surprise for me, but a welcome one. I guess I had assumed since its an anime version of the O.G. series that the characters would be starting from square one. This is to say, I expected the story to pick up similar to how it did at the start of the American series, and guessed we'd have to wait on appearances from the Adult Swim series' best side characters.
Based on this latest look, however, characters who appeared later in the series, like Mr. Poopybutthole, Jerry's parents, and Rick's nemesis, Mr. Nimbus, could all appear. It's great to see this spinoff will potentially be able to utilize all those major characters from the jump, rather than relying on the source material to dictate how things work.
I also appreciate that because it now gives me the impression Rick and Morty: The Anime should be seen as an extension of the original series rather than just a retelling of the same stories with new visuals. That said, if the new series gives audiences an anime take on "interdimensional cable," it may just become one of the best animated episodes of the year.
Rick and Morty: The Anime is slated to debut on Adult Swim and Max in late 2024. As mentioned, my interest in the series has shot up drastically, and it was already pretty high in the first place. Here's hoping it lives up to the hype and gives other fans of the characters a reason to tune in.
