Rick and Morty: Rick's 'Secret' Backstory

"Creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland have stated that they conceived a backstory for Rick with no intention of ever revealing it, because they are of the opinion that too many shows "jumped the shark" by revealing too many details. However, they have admitted to putting in clues to one of Rick's dark secrets since the beginning, and later confirmed that a fan had correctly guessed the secret in an online forum. By a process of elimination, fans have been able to narrow it down to four fan theories: Rick is aware that he is a fictional character; Rick's constant drinking isn't alcoholism, he is drinking an extract that keeps him super-intelligent; Rick is actually an aged Morty who traveled back in time; and finally: Rick's 'original Morty' is dead, and has been replaced by a copy from a parallel dimension."