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Rick and Morty co-creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland confirmed last night that the show would be returning for a third season at the end of the month. Along with the announcement, the two creators also premiered the first trailer for the new season and fans have already declared a new favorite character.
Well, kind of.
In the trailer, Morty is looking for his dear grandfather, Rick, when he hears a voice coming from somewhere in the garage. After receiving cryptic instructions to turn over an oddly misplaced Pickle, Morty realizes that his grandfather has transformed into the fruit in question.
It’s a pretty bizarre moment for Morty — and for us, if we’re being honest — but people are pretty taken with the idea of Pickle Rick. Ringtones have already been created, fans have redrawn the more terrifying version of Pickle Rick (that includes the limbs of rats) and started Tumblr blogs dedicated to the new cartoon deity.
Although the turnaround on Pickle Rick becoming a sensation is pretty impressive, it’s in no way surprising. Rick and Morty is a series that found a dedicated fan base because of the absurdity it bases its comedy in.
Despite the celebratory tone surrounding Pickle Rick, this isn’t the first time that we’ve seen him. Adult Swim teased Pickle Rick a few months ago when it released the first episode of the third season as an April Fool’s Day surprise for fans. Those who tuned into the show at the time would have seen pickle Rick, but Adult Swim took the episode down 24 hours after it aired.
So while many may have seen Pickle Rick two months ago, there are a number of people just discovering the weird, fruity version of the character. Twitter accounts dedicated to the character have popped up, with multiple people joking that they’ll rally for an official emoji to be released.
Those who have already fallen in love with Pickle Rick will be happy to note that the character looks like he’ll be more than just a gimmick this season. You’ll have 10 episodes of getting to know the smaller, greener version of the character — the “prick” version of Rick, if you will.
Rick and Morty returns for a third season on July 30 at 11:30 p.m. ET on Adult Swim.