Highlights
- Mr. Nimbus is Rick's archnemesis and the first character to call him by his full name, Richard.
- Mr. Nimbus has authority and power over Rick, which visibly upsets him and makes for an entertaining dynamic.
- Dan Harmon, the series creator, designed Mr. Nimbus to be someone who can truly defeat Rick and someone Rick reveres, adding complexity to their relationship.
Rick and Morty's protagonist, Richard Daniel "Rick" Sanchez (Justin Roiland) is apparently as invincible because he is a genius scientist. He can do practically anything due to his intelligence, which prompts some to wonder if there's anyone who can defeat him. A number of fans are convinced that the biggest threat to Rick is Rick himself, because of his self-destructive habits and reckless behavior. Others feel his weakness is his partner-in-crime and grandson Morty. In several episodes, Rick obviously cares for him and even saves his life, suggesting Morty can be his kryptonite. However, this may be unknown to some viewers, but there's a particular character designed to bring dread to Rick. This is neither himself nor Morty, but Mr. Nimbus.
Mr. Nimbus, voiced by series creator Dan Harmon, first appeared in the Season 5 episode "Mort Dinner Rick Andre," when Morty lands their Space Cruiser on Earth from another adventure onto the ocean. In the scene, grandfather and grandson land safely and the surroundings were calm and serene. However, Rick felt the opposite. He was visibly alarmed when he realized where they were, as if he was in the wrong place. Even before Mr. Nimbus appears, Rick's look of dread suggests he is meeting someone he doesn't like or probably fears. It's quite surprising, as Rick seems to be on the losing end around Mr. Nimbus, who clearly gets on his nerves. Rick's arrogance dissipates, a rarity in the show, making Mr. Nimbus' presence all the more inviting to viewers who want to see Rick having a hard time.
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Who is Mr. Nimbus in Rick and Morty?
Mr. Nimbus | |
|---|---|
Voice Credit | Dan Harmon |
First Apperance | "Mort Dinner Rick Andre" (season 5, episode 1) |
Personality Traits | Impulsive, thrill-seeking, perverse, cold, and lacks sympathy. |
Abilities |
|
Mr. Nimbus is Rick's archnemesis. He is the first character to call Rick using his full first name "Richard." Rick confirms the animosity between them when Morty asks who Mr. Nimbus is, telling his grandson:
"My f***ing nemesis."
Mr. Nimbus' character appears to be a satire of Marvel's King Namor. Like Namor, he is not that popular with the mainstream, but is very powerful. He is a fish-like anthromorphic being with three-layer pointed ears and frills on the side of his neck. He has thick black hair, yellow and green eyes, and blue lips. Except for his outrageous facial color, Mr. Nimbus is like a superhero character from the Marvel and DC comics, in his purple cape and red swimming speedos.
The addition of Mr. Nimbus turned the show upside down, with Rick seemingly at a disadvantage. Mr. Nimbus clearly has authority and power over him. Rick even describes him as a cold-blooded killer with the ability to control the police. Mr. Nimbus' presence alone visibly upsets Rick, making the episode all the more fun and entertaining because it's effortless. Rick's discomfort and dread around Mr. Nimbus could be due to the latter knowing the former better than anyone else, including how far he had fallen from the respected genius he once was.
Mr. Nimbus is not a gag character; rather, he has a lot of personality. However, the writers seemingly took a jab at fans looking for character canon when an angry Rick tells Nimbus to stop making "canonical backstory" at the mention of his late wife, Diane.
Although there's little information about Mr. Nimbus, he is obviously a significant character in Rick's life since he knows Diane. The duo appears to have had a close relationship in the past because, in one argument, Mr. Nimbus tells Rick that he used to fear and respect the latter, but that changed and all he felt at the time was pity.
Rick and Mr. Nimbus have a complicated relationship, as they often argue and make up. When Rick is in danger while attempting to save Morty and Jessica from a futuristic Narnia-like world, Mr. Nimbus arrives and rescues them using his superpower as he is the king of the ocean and Atlantis. In a hilarious turn of events, the archenemies almost reconcile, as Mr. Nimbus tells Rick he was the only friend he had before they had a falling out. However, things fall apart again when Summer arrives with a conch shell, which is the source of Mr. Nimbus' power. The King of the Ocean later realizes that Rick betrayed him by trying to ruin the source of his power.
Between the two, Mr. Nimbus seems to have the upper hand, because he is not afraid of Rick. He even beat Rick and surrendered him to the police. He instantly becomes a fan-favorite character because he is incredible at being the only individual who can put the mad scientist in his place. He matches Rick's wit and attitude, and his ridiculous side balances his superpower. Mr. Nimbus' debut in the series ended with a surprising threesome with Jerry and Beth.
What did Dan Harmon say about Mr. Nimbus?
Dan Harmon spoke about Mr. Nimbus in an interview with Variety. It appeared that the character was part of his not-so-pleasant childhood experience. Harmon admitted that he couldn't understand the popularity of underwater characters like Aquaman and Prince Namor, as he found those toys offered to 10-year-old kids so uncool. He eventually made a character out of that thought: Mr. Nimbus.
I think that extrapolating from my impression of all underwater superheroes, then it became more like, so who is this guy? Well, this is that friend of yours who is so confident in themselves that they’re incredibly alienating and off-putting. We knew from square one that the important thing about Nimbus had to be that he could truly kick Rick’s ass at the end of the day. [...] Rick actually does respect this guy and fears him.
However, Mr. Nimbus wasn't just any new character in the series. Like Prince Namor, he is equipped with superpowers to take down the main protagonist. Harmon made Mr. Nimbus and Rick's relationship complex because he designed Mr. Nimbus not just as someone who could beat Rick, but also as someone Rick revered. It seems to be a reminder of those uncool toys ripping off kids with their money, but the kids still loving and enjoying them.
Series creators Harmon and Justin Roiland (the latter of whom resigned earlier this year due to complaints about his behavior) seem to take pride in the character of Mr. Nimbus, because they picked the "Mort Dinner Rick Andrew" episode as their contender for the 2022 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program. Although it lost to the Arcane episode "When These Walls Come Tumbling Down," Harmon was convinced that the episode was a reflection of the entire animated series. In the same Variety interview, he stated his belief that it possessed the wit and fun that the audience loved about the show:
The premise had kind of a Neil Gaiman-y tone to it. It was really from his heart and kind of a Valentine to sci-fi and fantasy. And then we felt it was funny and had all of the elements of ‘Rick and Morty,’ as opposed to us being like, ‘Oh, it was such an important episode,’ [...] It really was about, this does represent the show at its best, in our opinion.
They also brought back the fan-favorite supervillain in season 6, episode 8,"Analyze Piss." Rick and Mr. Nimbus fought again but decided to end their battle mutually before another enemy, Cookie Magneto, approached them. It remains unclear when fans will see Mr. Nimbus again. However, it's definitely clear that the audience wants to see more of his and Rick's bickering.
