Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Rick & Morty season 8, episode 3, "The Rick, The Mort & The Ugly".Four years after one of Rick and Morty season 8 teased the Citadel being rebuilt after it was demolished by Evil Morty during season 5's finale.

The events of "Rickmurai Jack" saw Evil Morty blow up the Citadel of Ricks, subsequently killing almost everyone who resided there. Luckily, there were a few survivors, most of whom were clones. While it seemed like this would be the last time we saw this crucial location in the franchise given everything that went down, "The Rick, The Mort & The Ugly" shockingly brought back the Citadel, at least to a degree. The city was indeed destroyed, but several clones took refuge in what remained of the safe haven, with Rick and Morty season 8 giving them a fresh start.

A Group Of Morty Clones Became Refugees On The Ruins Of The Citadel

The Mortys Started Their Own Small Town Where They Could Be Completely Free

Considering the show's main versions of Rick and Morty barely survived the destruction of the Citadel, it's no surprise there were few other survivors, but the location wasn't completely lost. Although everyone got sucked back to their original realities during the aftermath, the Citadel being a hub for spare parts meant the clones were transferred to the ruins of the location. It's possible that not all these clones were actually in the Citadel when it was destroyed, but regardless, they ended up teleporting to what was left of the city, eventually creating their own town where they took refuge.

Despite it being relatively rundown and simple, it at least provided these Mortys a place to be free from the control of Ricks. The different versions of Morty shown in episode 3 seemed to band together and look out for one another, doing their best to get by despite their lack of resources. Although there seemed to be a common resentment towards Ricks, one version of the character stayed just out of town, as Homesteader Rick frequently visited the town center for trade, helping the community stay afloat despite seeming to have little respect for Mortys.

Rick Clones Began Building A New Version Of The Citadel Using Mortys As Servants

Boss Hog Rick Offered Rewards To Anyone Who Captured Morty Clones

Whereas the Morty clones attempted to create a more peaceful community, the Rick clones tried to rebuild the Citadel, using Mortys to do so. Rather than living separately, the Rick clones infiltrated the Morty part of town and kidnapped as many clones as they could before forcing them to work for them. Additionally, some Mortys were used for experiments, showing the lack of equality between the two sets of characters. This played into the exact motivation that caused Evil Morty to destroy the Citadel in the first place, suggesting he only created a new cycle of poor treatment for Mortys.

The decision to rebuild the city shows how morally bankrupt most versions of Rick are, making Homesteader Rick's role in episode 3 all the more honorable.

Boss Hog Rick seemed to lead the project of rebuilding the Citadel, offering rewards as an incentive to those willing to round up and enslave any Morty clones. In addition, the Rick clones successfully created a more luxurious environment than where the Mortys reside, with season 8 really emphasizing the abusive flaws that most Ricks possess, especially when directed towards Mortys. As a result, the decision to rebuild the very city that doubles down on these power dynamics shows how morally bankrupt most versions of Rick are, making Homesteader Rick's role in episode 3 all the more honorable.

How Homesteader Rick Stopped The Rick Clones’ Evil Plans

Homesteader Rick Ambushed The Rick Clones & Blew Up Their Town

He may not have seemed overly sympathetic towards the Morty clones at first, but Homesteader Rick quickly became the MVP of "The Rick, The Mort & The Ugly", sacrificing himself to earn these clones their freedom. While almost every character in season 8, episode 3 was a clone, Homesteader Rick was not, making his selfless actions even more noble. After being shot by the Rick clones simply because he chose to live near the Mortys, Homesteader Rick was able to get patched up and embarked on a revenge mission, taking his modified truck towards the in-repair Citadel.

Unbeknownst to him, Arcade Morty and Doc Morty had snuck into his vehicle as they wanted to rescue the Mortys who had been captured, with Homesteader Rick reluctantly agreeing to let them tag alone. Upon making it to the Rick part of town, Doc Morty lost his life while Homesteader Rick and Arcade Morty fought through several enemies before getting captured. Here it was revealed that Homesteader Rick was actually a former cloning expert in the Citadel, responsible for making all kinds of Morty clones.

He was then offered his old job back by Boss Hog Rick which he accepted, but rather than making a regular clone, he created a huge Morty that was able to break out of his confinement and began killing the nearby Rick clones. Homesteader Rick then managed to help free the rest of the Mortys before sending them to safety in his vehicle, staying behind to fight the rest of the Ricks. Despite losing limbs and sustaining critical damage, he continued his revenge mission, where he was eventually confronted by Boss Hog Rick who berated him.

Despite his injuries, Homesteader Rick managed to set off explosives, seemingly killing himself, Boss Hog Rick, and what remained of the reconstructed Citadel. It may be the character's one and only appearance, but he certainly left an impression and proved to be one of the most skilled and irable Ricks shown in the franchise. His ending was undoubtedly bittersweet, but "The Rick, The Mort & The Ugly" was a breath of fresh air, earning Rick and Morty season 8 some excellent reviews.

What Happened To The Surviving Morty Clones In Rick & Morty Season 8, Episode 3

Using Homesteader Rick's Ship, The Morty Clones Found Themselves New Homes

After fleeing the destroyed Citadel, the Mortys thought about returning to their home, but Arcade Morty suggested finding new homes after Homestead Rick gave them a fresh start. As a result, each version of Morty exited the ship at a different location, waving goodbye as they settled down somewhere that felt suited to them. While Rick and Morty didn't show the fate of each individual clone, the show indicated that they all found happiness, with Arcade Morty being the last to reach his destination. However, rather than going somewhere new, he decided to return to the episode's original setting.

Even though the Rick clones burned down most of the town while kidnapping the Morty clones, Arcade Morty returned to make graves for Homestead Rick and Doc Morty, honoring their involvement in the mission. It was an emotional end to his journey, but just as he was finding a sense of peace, the main version of the protagonists returned, dismissing everything that happened while accusing Arcade Morty of killing Homestead Rick. His fate after the central duo left is unknown, but his conclusion suggested that Arcade Morty could still show up in future Rick and Morty episodes.