Episode VII: Jack and the Three Blind Archers

Episode VII: Jack and the Three Blind Archers is the seventh episode in the first season of Samurai Jack. Jack must get past three powerful archers to reach a wish-granting well.

Plot
The episode begins with a Viking chief and his large army of robot Vikings marching through a forest in order to reach the fabled Well of King Ozric. Just when they begin to attack, however, a rain of arrows shower the sky from the tower, hitting the Vikings from above and destroying every last robot with accurate and deadly precision.

The chief relays his story to a patron about the Well of King Ozric, explaining that the Well can grant the person one wish of their most deepest desire. Once he finishes, the chief is ordered to get off the chair and is tasked with swabbing the deck. Jack approaches him, having overheard the tale, and inquires its authenticity. The chief confirms it by pointing to the island, but warns him of the three archers that were able to destroy his army. Jack proceeds anyway.

When Jack finally arrives, he sees the remains of the army in the snow. As he approaches the tower, an arrow hits his geta. With another step, three more arrows hit his other geta. After one more step, he jumps back as more arrows hit where his foot was. As Jack observes the tower he sees the three archers. They ready their bows as Jack's Kimono flaps. The archers then fire arrows which rip Jack's Kimono and soon pin him to a tree. Jack then flips out his sword to cut the arrow in two and he pulls free and covers behind the tree, sheathing his sword as four arrows pierce the tree next to him.

Jack tries to blind them with his sword, but is unsuccessful and driven back to the same tree. Jack then drops his straw hat to witness it being shredded by the arrows, discovering that the archers are all blind. Meditating under a waterfall, Jack remembers a training session where he had to fight blindfolded to heighten his senses and comes to the conclusion that he must fight on their level. So he blindfolds himself and after practicing his senses by listening to the environment around him, Jack declares himself ready.

Jack returns and runs towards the tower as the archers ready their arrows to fire. He picks up their pull and release and dodges their arrows until he manages to arrive under the tower. The archers listen carefully for his next move. Sure enough, Jack jumps at the edge of the tower and jumps again as the arrows hit the walls. He lands in between all three as they each fire an arrow at him, to which Jack ducks just in time for the arrows to directly hit each other, redirect, and hit the archers. The Archers appear to short-circuit and their outer coating melts off back to the well, revealing that the archers are humanoid. They allow Jack to use the Well but soon warn him of what the Well's spirit did. The warriors had originally fought their way to the Well and wished to be the greatest of warriors. The well granted their wish, but robbed them of their sight and minds to serve as its guardians. They were trapped in this state until Jack defeated them.

Jack, furious of the Well's true nature, draws his sword, proclaiming his wish that the Well's spirit be destroyed to never claim another innocent and plunges his sword into the well. The "wish" is granted to the shock of the three warriors, who watch Jack leave the area, commenting on his skill, nobility and sacrifice, declaring him the greatest of warriors.

Credits

 * Written by
 * Mark Andrews
 * Bryan Andrews


 * Directed by
 * Genndy Tartakovsky


 * Storyboards by
 * Bryan Andrews
 * Michael Manley
 * Chris Reccardi


 * Voices
 * Phil LaMarr as Samurai Jack / Patron / Alien #2
 * Joe Alaskey as General / Alien #3
 * Clyde Kusatsu as Grand Master
 * Kevin Michael Richardson as Well of Ozric / Lil Guy / Alien #1


 * Casting by
 * Collette Sunderman

Trivia

 * Despite being the seventh episode of the series, it actually aired a week before Episode V: Jack in Space.
 * The Well of King Ozric is likely named after King Osric from Conan the Barbarian, one of several homages to the 1982 film within the show.