What is the first short film listed under Rick and Morty: The Anime?

The first short film listed under Rick and Morty: The Anime is “Samurai & Shogun.”

The six-minute anime short premiered unexpectedly on Adult Swim’s Toonami block on March 29, 2020, during the gap between episodes of the fourth season of Rick and Morty. It was produced and animated by Studio Deen and directed by Kaichi Sato.

The story places Rick WTM-72 in feudal Japan as a samurai protecting Shogun Morty from enemy Ninja Ricks. Its visual style and action draw heavily on classic samurai cinema and manga, especially Lone Wolf and Cub. Japanese voice actors Yōhei Tadano and Keisuke Chiba reprised their roles as Rick and Morty.

A common mix-up is confusing it with “Rick and Morty vs. Genocider,” which was the second anime short, or “Samurai & Shogun Part 2,” which appeared later in 2021. The first short is generally titled “Samurai & Shogun,” while episode listings may identify it as Part 1.