While you are waiting for Rick and Morty season 8 to release on May 25, 2025, you could watch the show’s spiritual successor, Solar Opposites, to fill the void of the adult animated series. Solar Opposites is an adult animated sci-fi sitcom created by Rick and Morty’s Justin Roiland (co-creator and voice actor) and Mike McMahan (writer). Premiering on Hulu in 2020, the TV series gained attention due to its Rick and Morty connections, and has 5 seasons so far. Solar Opposites season 6 is set to premiere in late 2025, and is confirmed to be the final season.

Solar Opposites follows 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 Opposites feels very much like Rick 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 sets Solar Opposites apart in various ways, making headway on the growing list 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

Considering Justin Roiland is the co-creator of both Rick and Morty and Solar Opposites, it makes sense that there is an overlap in audience across the two sci-fi shows. Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty prides 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 Morty has 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’s Solar Opposites compete with such a legacy.

That being said, Solar Opposites shares a lot of similarities with Rick and Morty which makes it easy for fans to watch. Not only does most of Solar Opposites share 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. As Rick and Morty’s spiritual successor, Solar Opposites is 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 various Rick and Morty Easter eggs in Solar Opposites have made people theorize that the two shows share the same universe. However, Justin Roiland spoke to RadioTimes.com in 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 Opposites is more episodic than Rick and Morty, and, despite being a sci-fi show, it focuses 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, the side stories in Solar Opposites are 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 like Rick and Morty, you may want to give Hulu’s Solar Opposites a watch.

Sources: RadioTimes.com