Episode XLVIII: Jack vs. Aku

"Episode XLVIII: Jack vs. Aku" is the forty-eighth episode in the fourth season of Samurai Jack. This episode features Aku challenging Jack to a fair, one-on-one combat in order to settle things once and for all.

Plot
The episode opens with Aku in his tower and (humorously) picking up a phone and making an order for what sounds like a large pizza, but is revealed to be a huge giant bounty hunter. Aku sends him to get Jack, in which the giant arrives in a silly car and Jack easily destroys him. Moments later another giant robot arrives and extends a huge cannon that grows so long till it only shoots a pebble that bounces off Jack's sword and it falls over, blowing up. Next, an army of robots arrives but one trips and its sword goes flying as do the others, exploding all of them and the last one is struck down by the first robot's sword: Jack didn't even have to take a fighting stance. Disgusted by this, Aku decides to fight Jack himself.

Jack goes to pick up his hat when Aku appears before him with Jack shouting his name, at which Aku rolls his eyes sarcastically saying how observant he is. Jack starts to attack with his sword when Aku says to put it away and begins recalling how their battle will go; which will end with him fluttering away and shouting that he'll be back, they won't see each other for about a week, and then they will do the same thing all over again. Jack ponders this but knows Aku has tricked him many times before, saying he won't trick him again. He swings his sword and what Aku has been saying happens, then he reappears beside Jack saying that this is what he means.

Aku proposes a duel: no armies, no bounty hunters, but no sword as well, at which Jack looks shocked. Jack reluctantly agrees, but gives Aku three conditions (much to his dismay): No superhuman powers, no evil minions to assist him, and (the last one being a "two-parter") he can't shape-shift and must only come in human form. Aku is hesitant and angry, but accepts. They go their separate ways to meet at sunrise in the Valley of the Corpses.

The next day Jack is waiting and stows his sword in a rock and waits for Aku who appears (in a comedic gladiator form). Jack stretches with Aku looking on confused and then trying to stretch himself but fails. Aku then shouts it's time for fate to determine their destinies and Jack and Aku begin fighting with Jack winning finally after a long martial arts battle. Jack corners Aku on a ledge with a bo staff, and stating that his reign of terror is over; however, a pillar "happens to fall" near Jack and giving Aku time to escape and hide in shapeshifting form. Knowing he couldn't trust Aku to play fair, Jack quickly runs to his sword, only to find a note telling him to turn around. He does so and sees a minion holding his sword who throws it to Aku who laughs and mocks him while attempting to break it, only to reveal it was a fake. With a sly smile, Jack says that he knew Aku would cheat in the end, and that he hid fake swords all over the place beforehand, with all of Aku's minions getting one. Aku (in a comedic manner) tries frantically to find the real one, which Jack calmly reveals is under the sand. Jack gets it and slices at Aku in a explosion of dust.

The dust clears, and Aku is seen flying away in bat-form, shouting that he will be back. Jack replies back that he will be waiting for as long as it takes to destroy Aku.

Credits

 * Written by
 * Chris Reccardi
 * Aaron Springer


 * Directed by
 * Robert Alvarez
 * Genndy Tartakovsky


 * Storyboard Directed by
 * Chris Reccardi
 * Aaron Springer


 * Voices
 * Phil LaMarr as Samurai Jack
 * Makoto Iwamatsu as Aku


 * Casting by
 * Collette Sunderman

Trivia

 * This episode has the longest one-on-one interaction between Jack and Aku in the series.
 * This episode was popular amongst the fanbase due to both its humor and lamp-shading.
 * After the announcement of season 5 brought the series back into the public eye, Aku's "EXTRA THICK!" line became a popular internet meme as E X T R A T H I C C.
 * Due to the name of this episode, many people believed that this was the series finale.
 * After this episode, the series went on hiatus for almost a year until the last four episodes of Season 4 were released on September 25, 2004.
 * This was Iwamatsu’s final performance in the series as Aku before his death nearly three years later and before the series went into hiatus.

Errors & Goofs

 * In 3:23, the tip of the robot's extending cannon repeats twice.

Quotes
Aku: YES, IT DID!
 * Jack: That pillar did not move by itself, Aku!
 * Aku: Alright Jack, WHERE IS THE SWORD!?
 * Aku: EXTRA THICK!