Beth Smith, née Sanchez, debuted as a central character in the pilot episode of the animated series Rick and Morty, which premiered on Adult Swim on December 2, 2013. Voiced by Sarah Chalke, she is portrayed as an adult woman with blonde hair, often dressed in practical attire reflecting her professional life. As the daughter of the brilliant but erratic scientist Rick Sanchez and the wife of Jerry Smith, Beth serves as the mother to Summer and Morty Smith, functioning as the family's primary stabilizing force amid the chaos introduced by Rick's interdimensional adventures. A skilled veterinary surgeon specializing in equine procedures at St. Equis Hospital, she embodies intelligence and competence in a household frequently disrupted by multiversal events.

Beth's character is marked by a complex blend of assertiveness, deep-seated insecurities, and unresolved abandonment issues stemming from Rick's prolonged absence during her childhood. In the early seasons, she strives to maintain familial normalcy while grappling with dissatisfaction in her marriage to Jerry, whom she perceives as inadequate, and her own unfulfilled ambitions influenced by her father's genius. Her personality reveals sarcastic wit, occasional ruthlessness mirroring Rick's traits, and a reliance on wine to cope with stress, highlighting internal conflicts between responsibility and a latent desire for greater excitement beyond her suburban existence.

Significant developments occur in later seasons, particularly in "The ABC's of Beth" (Season 3, Episode 9), where she confronts her potential sociopathy and requests Rick to clone her, allowing one version to pursue adventure while the other remains with the family. This leads to the introduction of Space Beth in the Season 4 finale "Star Mort Rickturn of the Jerri," resulting in an ambiguous duality where neither Beth is confirmed as the original. Subsequent episodes, including explorations in Season 6, depict her embracing greater agency, reconciling with her identities, and navigating evolving family dynamics, solidifying her growth from a frustrated matriarch to a multifaceted figure capable of independence and self-acceptance.