While you are waiting forRick and Mortyseason 8to release on Jun 15, 2025, you could watch the show’s spiritual successor,Solar Opposites, to fill the void of the adult animated series.Solar Oppositesis an adult animated sci-fi sitcom created byRick and Morty’sJustin Roiland (co-creator and voice actor) and Mike McMahan (writer). Premiering on Hulu in 2020, the TV series gained attention due to itsRick and Mortyconnections, and has 5 seasons so far.Solar Oppositesseason 6is set to premiere in late 2025, and is confirmed to be the final season.
Solar Oppositesfollows a family of Shlorpian aliens - Klorvo, Terry, Jesse, Yumyulack, and their pet Pupa - as they adjust to their new life on Earth, having crash-landed when escaping the destruction of their homeworld, Planet Shlorp. As a result of its shared creator,Solar Oppositesfeels very much likeRick and Morty, despite having no official connection to the series, and this can be seen in the show’s animation style. However, the fast-paced episodic narrative and generally upbeat comedy setsSolar Oppositesapart in various ways, making headway on the growinglist of great animated shows for adults.
If You Love Rick & Morty, You’ve Watched Solar Opposites, Right?
Solar Opposites and Rick & Morty Have An Audience Overlap
ConsideringJustin Roiland is the co-creator of bothRick and MortyandSolar Opposites, it makes sense that there is an overlap in audience across the two sci-fi shows. Adult Swim’sRick and Mortyprides itself on its originality through wacky sci-fi adventures, adult humor and distinct animation style, making it a hit series with a widespread fanbase. Since 2013,Rick and Mortyhas become one of the most well-known and popular adult animations, receiving multiple accolades and creating a hundred-million-dollar franchise. Therefore, it is hard to see another show like Hulu’sSolar Oppositescompete with such a legacy.
That being said,Solar Oppositesshares a lot of similarities withRick and Mortywhich makes it easy for fans to watch. Not only does most ofSolar Oppositesshare a voice actor(Roiland) and an animation style, but the overall premise is somewhat similar too; a family must juggle their domestic suburban life with the high sci-fi hijinks of someone who doesn’t want to stay in one place too long. AsRick and Morty’sspiritual successor,Solar Oppositesis a highly enjoyable watch, justifying its 98% Rotten Tomatoes score, however, it is also very different in many ways.
How Solar Opposites Is Different From Rick & Morty (Despite The Many Similarities)
Solar Opposites’ B Stories Overshadow The Hilariously “Innocent” Shlorpians
The animation style and variousRick and MortyEaster eggs inSolar Oppositeshave made people theorize that the two shows share the same universe. However, Justin Roiland spoke toRadioTimes.comin 2021, explaining that “They’re both my style of art so […] the characters being drawn by me is gonna bring comparisons,” but ultimately, they are separate shows.Solar Oppositesis more episodic thanRick and Morty, and, despite being a sci-fi show, itfocuses more on the aliens fitting in on Earth. Furthermore, Roiland remarked that their tones are very different.
They’re both my style of art so […] the characters being drawn by me is gonna bring comparisons. It almost kind of feels like they could be happening in the same world or universe, you know, or the same planet almost. And I kind of like that idea, that that’s what’s going on in one or many realities, that’s sort of the case. There’s a Rick and Morty and Beth and Summer and Jerry somewhere you know across the country.
Tonally they’re very different shows. I think they’re great in their own ways, you know, they’re different. I think it’s probably better for people to go in not expecting Rick and Morty but to just go in and expect something a little different and they’ll probably enjoy it maybe better that way.
Roiland explains that instead of “nihilistic, dark” characters like Rick,Solar Opposites’comedy stems from the “innocent and just kind of a little naïve” Shlorpians dealing with menial things in a domestic setting (although there is a surprising amount of gore for such an upbeat show). Interestingly, theside stories inSolar Oppositesare actually quite brilliant, making many fans wish that B stories like “The Wall” had their own spin-off shows. Ultimately, there are many things that separate the two animated shows, but if you likeRick and Morty, you may want to give Hulu’sSolar Oppositesa watch.
