Episode VI: Jack and the Warrior Woman

"Episode VI: Jack and the Warrior Woman" is the sixth episode in the first season of Samurai Jack. Jack is aided by a strange woman in his quest to find a powerful jewel that may be capable of helping them both.

Plot
The episode opens in an Arabian style marketplace with crowds of alien creatures buying and selling various goods and services. A cloaked and hooded Jack slowly makes his way through the market until he sees a sign above a door whose markings match the ones on the scroll given to him by the Woolies. Upon entering the strange shop, Jack is greeted by a small, elderly creature who says that he has been expecting Jack. The little shopkeeper, after trying to sell Jack a rug, notices the Woolies scroll and reveals that he is an old friend of theirs. The shopkeeper leads Jack to a back room and shows Jack the "Light of Eternity." Visions from the light show Jack the way to a magical jewel which, if used by one who is pure of heart, has the power to send him home. However, the shopkeeper also senses an unknown "evil." Suddenly, several sword-wielding robots burst in and attack. Unable to reach his sword, it looks bad for Jack until the arrival of a green-skinned warrior woman wielding a black sword. The two fight their way out of the shop and escape the market on Ooklas, which are "like camels but different."

The two warriors make camp. During dinner, a small shrew creature approaches them. It happily eats from Jack's hand but flees from the woman in terror. She introduces herself as Ikra. She also came to the marketplace to find that same shopkeeper and learn the location of the jewel so that she could use its power to free her father who, as punishment for defying Aku, has been imprisoned in a ring of fire. Jack proposes that the two join forces and quest for the jewel using the directions he obtained from the shopkeeper.

They journey together across the desert for many days and encounter many dangers, with each warrior saving the life of the other several times. Finally, they reach a small oasis and find the jewel hovering over a pool of water. The jewel emits a beam of light and Jack surmises that it is testing the purity of their hearts. However, the jewel senses something wrong and a huge six-armed giant appears with the jewel resting in its forehead. Jack refuses to fight to prove his pure heart, but Ikra leaps to battle. Jack is stunned to see her sprout wings and fly around the giant before growing to huge size and overpowering the guardian. Ikra seizes the jewel and, just as Jack is announcing the end of his long quest, she throws the jewel to the ground, smashing it to pieces. Jack is horrified by what his supposed friend has done but, before his eyes, Ikra reveals herself to be Aku in disguise. Aku had a premonition of this jewel that could undo his spell and send Jack home and knew he had to destroy it. Knowing that Jack would do whatever he could to find it, he let Jack lead him right to the jewel. Enraged at being deceived, Jack lunges at Aku with his blade and demands Aku fight him, but the evil demon transforms into a bird and flies away, promising to fight once he has found a way to defeat Jack and his sword. Jack falls to his knees cursing Aku and vowing to destroy him.

Credits

 * Written by
 * Michael Manley
 * Genndy Tartakovsky


 * Directed by
 * Rob Renzetti
 * Genndy Tartakovsky


 * Storyboards by
 * Genndy Tartakovsky
 * Chris Reccardi


 * Voices
 * Phil LaMarr as Samurai Jack
 * Makoto Iwamatsu as Aku
 * Jennifer Martin as Ikra
 * Danny Mann as Elder


 * Casting by
 * Collette Sunderman

Trivia

 * This is the first time Aku had appeared to Jack since he was sent to the future.
 * This is the first episode where Aku changed his voice when shape-shifting.
 * There are many hints of Ikra's true self throughout the episode prior to the reveal:
 * The color scheme of Ikra resembles that of Aku's.
 * When the shaman senses the 'ultimate evil' and Jack (thinking it's the robots sent to kill him) agrees, the shaman tries to warn Jack with "You don't understand!"
 * After Jack and Ikra escape from Aku's robots, the robots simply stop their chase and close their eyes with satisfaction, aware of a deception at play.
 * After a mouse accepts food from Jack, it acts terrified when Ikra attempts to do the same and burrows in the sand.
 * Ikra's backstory and motives are eerily similar to Jack's.
 * At the banquet, Ikra seemed to enjoy the female belly dancer, but when the male one entered she seemed disturbed, hinting that she's actually male.
 * When the jewel tests Jack and Ikra's hearts, it finds that Ikra's is pure evil. The guardian tries to attack Ikra, and Jack only gets hurt by accident.
 * Near the end, Ikra can fly and become a giant to defeat the jewel guardian.


 * Aku (as Ikra) is seemingly surprised to hear Jack refer to himself by his adopted name, despite having referred to the warrior as "Samurai Jack" just three episodes prior.