Rick is a lanky, old man. He has long limbs and is very skinny. He has spiky grey-blue hair with a bald spot on the back of his oblong-shaped head, as well as a prominent unibrow of the same color. He has a droopy nose. His tanned grey skin is wrinkly, with bags under his eyes and a pressure fold above his unibrow that follows its position. He also has laugh lines on both sides of his mouth. He almost always wears a white lab coat with a turquoise undershirt underneath it, along with brown pants, a dark brown belt with a yellow buckle, and black shoes. Rick is shown to keep a drinking flask and his Portal Gun in each pocket of his lab coat. He is also occasionally seen with some green spill on his mouth, showing up mainly when he is drunk, or during a rare chance where he throws up. Rick speaks in a rambling, stammering manner that is often interrupted by belching and gagging, particularly when drunk or high. Rick is a genius scientist, capable of creating complex scientific inventions, including brain-enhancing helmets, dream-invading devices, portals to several different dimensions, cloning technology, cybernetic implants, various energy weapons and force fields, and the world's first amusement park inside the body of a living human. His brilliance can be muddled by his jaded personal views and his alcoholic tendencies. Rick is easily bored and does not do well with routine.

Morty is a young teenage boy. He has a medium complexion, short brown hair that "looks like a helmet" and a small, droopy nose. Morty's head is round and roughly in the shape of a circle, unlike many other characters in the show. He also doesn't have a visible neck. He typically wears a yellow shirt, blue pants, and white shoes. Morty also has a pronounced stutter (even when calm) and his voice constantly. Morty is a young, good-natured, and impressionable boy who can be somewhat easily manipulated. He has been described as 'challenged' and has difficulty in school. He also has a pronounced stutter. Despite his apparent lack of intellect, Morty has shown to be a good listener and follows directions well. These traits

Beth is a slender, pale fair-skinned woman of above average height with an oval-shaped face and slightly wavy shoulder-length blonde hair, she also has a big bust. She wears berry pink-colored lipstick for makeup, has a pointed nose, and long eyelashes. She wears a short-sleeve V-neck collared desire-red polo shirt, straight-leg blue pants and slip-on white shoes. Beth is an intelligent, ambitious, and independent woman who suffers from a variety of deep-seated insecurities. A dedicated veterinary horse surgeon, she is the family's main breadwinner and often tries to do the best for her family based on this sense of responsibility. She is highly insecure about her profession as a horse surgeon, and is quick to snap at the implication she is not a 'real' surgeon or a 'real' veterinarian.

He is of European-American descent. Jerry has a medium complexion and has scruffy, dirty brown hair, with slight curls. He has dimples and wears a dark green shirt, with a brown and beige stripe in the middle. He also wears light blue long pants and black shoes. Notably, he shares the exact same face with his daughter, Summer. At 5'10" (1.78 m), he is the second tallest member of the Smith-Sanchez family, behind Rick. Jerry is a loving husband & father, and one of the only empathic and sensible human characters in the show. He represents us, the very human viewers. Though because of those around him, and by comparison to other, less than ordinary characters, is commonly relegated to less than a punchline, being often viewed by other characters as an obnoxious loser, a pathetic father, and a pitiful husband. He is cinematicly directed in a way that makes us, by comparison to other characters, believe he is after his own interests and other people's acceptance, which comically leads him to make mistakes that put him in danger. Even though his relationship with his wife - Beth - is strained, he still loves her no matter what and doesn't abandon her.

Summer is a female teenager of average height, thin build, and wide hips. She has a fair complexion, shoulder-length ginger hair, an oblong-shaped face, and a pointed nose. Her most common outfit has been a bright pink tank-top, white capri-pants, and black slip-on shoes. She usually has her hair pulled back in a ponytail. Notably, she shares the exact same face as her father, Jerry. Summer has some personality traits of a typical American teenager, as she wishes to be popular among her peers, and finds the antics of her family to be dysfunctional, though she still cares for them. She's very attached to her phone and social media.