Warning! This blog contains spoilers. If you're not up to date with Rick and Morty season 3 episode 1 my question for you is "why not?" Go watch it and come back.
Rick and Morty from universe C-137 are the main characters of the show, but is this Morty the original Morty? The answer to this question we need to look at season 1 episode 10 Close Rick-counters of a Rick kind.
This episode teaches us that Morty is just a shield for Rick. The stupidpity brainwaves of Morty cancels out the smart brainwaves in Rick. Therefore Ricks have no attachment to their Mortys, and replacing them is a lot easier then investing their time in them. However, Rick C-137 is different. In S1E10 we find out that Rick C-137 has an emotional bonding to his Morty.
Rick and Morty is a show about infinite universes with infinite possibilities. The main story is that Rick leaves his daughter Beth (Morty's mom) at a young age. She meets Jerry (Morty's dad) in high school, and get knocked up at prom. They have Summer (Marty's sister), so they decide to get married. Beth and Jerry have horrible marriage, because of getting married to have a good face rather then love. Beth is an alcoholic with daddy issues, so when Rick comes back 20 years later, she brings him in no questions ask. This is the story for all Ricks except for one.
Rick C-137 comes from the universe where he actually stays with his family. He is there to see Morty's first steps. You discover this in S1E10 as he becomes teary eyed remembering baby Morty. This is extremely important, because he is the only Rick that invests time into his Morty. He is constantly explaining stuff to Morty (writers did this so the audience could understand what's going), and we even see Rick sacrifice his own life to save Morty in S2E1 A Rickle in time. Something crazy happens when Rick invests time into Morty.
We discover throughout the episodes that Morty C-137 is more courageous, and smarter then all the other Mortys. In S3E1 The Rickshano Rickdemption. Morty C-137 even stands up to the Ricks, and proclaims that his Rick is the Rickyest Rick there is. When Rick invests time, Morty becomes smarter and bolder. This is the reason why I believe Morty C-137 is not the original Morty.
In the first episode Morty is as dumb as doorknob, and has no recollection of Rick. If something happened to Rick's original univers, and brought Morty along, then Morty wouldn't be how he was in the first episode. If he switched Morty at a young age would be too hard on Rick to wait so many more years to see his family he loves, so he would have entered the family sooner. So the real question is who is the original Morty?
My theory can be discovered in S1E10. I believe Eyepatch Morty is the original. He is extremely smart, and was able to control a Rick. He could have come from a universe where Morty is smart, but I think it was one where Rick invested time in him at a young age. Also he is interested in Rick C-137. Out of all the Ricks why frame that Rick? Is it because he is trying to get back at Rick for deserting him? Maybe Eyepatch Morty was doing it to try and tell Rick C-137 "I'm your original Morty, and I'm still alive." Who knows? After all it's just a theory.
Comment below what you think. Also what's your theory?