The Terrifying Backstory of Scary Terry in Rick and Morty

Highlights

Rick and Morty excels at showcasing different sides of its characters, as seen with Scary Terry, who starts off as a monster but later reveals a more vulnerable side.

Scary Terry makes his debut in the episode "Lawnmower Dog" as a clever parody of a horror character from the 80s, bearing similarities to Freddy Krueger.

Despite his limited appearance in just one episode, Scary Terry briefly reappears in a promotional short and continues to be showcased in the comics. He is brilliantly voiced by Jess Harnell, who also lends his voice to various other characters in the series.

Rick and Morty boasts a multitude of wacky and eccentric characters spanning its six seasons, making it challenging to keep tabs on all of them. Whether their role is significant or minor, characters such as Mr. Poopybutthole and Noob-Noob leave an enduring impact on Rick and the Smith family. One of the show's strengths lies in its ability to reveal various facets of a single character. Just as the audience believes they have a character figured out, the series turns the tables and unveils a different side to their persona. An exemplary case of this is Scary Terry.

Initially portrayed as a fearsome monster relentlessly pursuing Rick and Morty within a dream realm, Scary Terry sheds his menacing facade once his duty is fulfilled. Returning home to his family and eventually drifting into slumber, he is haunted by nightmares even more terrifying than himself. Who truly is Scary Terry, and what could possibly evoke fear in him?

Which Rick and Morty Episode Introduces Scary Terry?

Scary Terry, an 80s horror character knockoff, was introduced as one of the initial side characters in the show. He first appears in the second episode of the first season, titled "Lawnmower Dog." In this episode, multiple storylines unfold simultaneously: Rick grants sentience to the family dog, Snuffles, while he and Morty embark on an adventure to manipulate their math teacher, Mr. Goldenfold, into giving Rick an A grade. Rick and Morty enter Goldenfold's dreams to accomplish this, progressively delving deeper, similar to the concept of the film Inception. They eventually find themselves in the dream of a centaur who experiences nightmares about an abandoned factory and is pursued by a man with sword-like fingers.

Scary Terry, labeled by Rick as a legally-distinct imitation of an 80s horror character, serves as the sword-fingered monster in this dream. He relentlessly pursues Rick and Morty throughout the factory, assuming various sizes and unexpectedly appearing to obstruct their path and attack them with his sword-like fingers. Similar to the character he parodies, Freddy Krueger, Scary Terry possesses the ability to traverse through dreams, hindering Rick and Morty's plan to escape by entering a new dream.

Nevertheless, Rick and Morty outsmart Terry, who continuously utters, "You can run, but you can't hide, b--ch!" However, Terry's assumption of them running is foiled as they cleverly decide to hide instead. Frustrated, Terry abandons his pursuit and returns home to his family; his wife Melissa and their son Scary Brandon. Once at home, Terry struggles with maintaining a healthy work-life balance and momentarily loses his temper with Melissa. However, upon realizing the distress it causes their son, Terry quickly apologizes, and they all happily retire for the night.

Rick and Morty decide to infiltrate Scary Terry's dream, where his nightmare does not involve scary monsters, but rather being bullied at school and forgetting to wear pants. In order to alleviate his night terrors, Rick and Morty enter his dream and provide him with pants, while also confronting the cruel teacher and fellow students. Impressed by Rick and Morty's assistance, Terry agrees to join forces with them. Together, they embark on a journey through previous dreams to ultimately return to the original one, where Terry persuades Mr. Goldenfold to award Morty an A in math.

Successfully accomplishing their mission, Rick, Morty, and Scary Terry part ways. However, Rick later revisits Terry's dream to casually spend time with him in a more relaxed classroom setting.

Did Scary Terry Ever Appear Again?

Unfortunately, "Lawnmower Dog" remains the only episode featuring the appearance of Scary Terry. He serves as the primary antagonist-turned-ally, playing a significant role, but never reappears (except for a post-credit scene with Rick). Additionally, "Lawnmower Dog" bids farewell to Snuffles, the Smith family dog, as he departs to reside with other sentient dogs in a society where they can thrive.

Scary Terry briefly resurfaces in an Adult Swim promotional short for Rick and Morty season 3 entitled "Rick and Morty Exquisite Corpse". Following Morty accidentally dropping a flask filled with LSD, he and Rick embark on a wild hallucinogenic journey. During this excursion, Scary Terry emerges from underneath Morty's bed before transitioning to another scene.

Although Scary Terry never returns to Rick and Morty on-screen, he does show up in the comics. In Rick and Morty Issue 5, Scary Terry ends up giving Morty his hat, which contains all of his powers, to protect them from the evil scientists in the Dreamverse. Once Morty puts on the hat, he transforms into "Scary Morty" and successfully defeats the scientists.

Who Did the Voice of Scary Terry?

In the realm of Rick and Morty, it is common to hear a singular voice actor taking on multiple roles. Much like any other character, Scary Terry's voice is brought to life by Jess Harnell. Throughout the initial season of this animated series, Harnell's talent was showcased as he lent his voice to various characters. These include the portrayal of the homeless Santa Claus, Ruben, and the scientist Roger in the episode "Anatomy Park" (season 1, episode 3). Additionally, Harnell also voiced the Greebybobes in "Get Schwifty" (season 2, episode 5).

Harnell has lent his voice to numerous other roles, including portraying Crash Bandicoot in the video game Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!, and portraying several characters within the Ratchet and Clank franchise. Aside from his voice acting endeavors, Harnell is a member of the contemporary rock band known as Rock Sugar.