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Episode CI is the tenth and final episode of Season 5, and the sixty-second and final episode of Samurai Jack. It aired on May 20th, 2017.
Premise
The fate of the entire universe hangs in the balance as Samurai Jack faces Aku.
Plot
The episode begins with many of Jack's allies gathering around their televisions to watch a live broadcast of Aku's lair. After trolling everyone with the show's original opening monologue (complete with Mako's dialogue), Aku announces that he has captured Jack and plans to execute him on live television.
Initially unsure how to finish off Jack, Aku finally decides that Ashi (still under his control) should be the one to kill him. Jack begs her to resist, but (on the surface) she appears to ignore him. As Ashi is about to stab Jack, the samurai's allies break into Aku's lair and begin attacking the demon. Seizing his chance, Jack escapes and makes a run for his sword, only to be stopped and attacked by Ashi.
Meanwhile, Aku laughs off the armies' attacks as he squashes a group of Blind Archers on Woolies, corrupting them into smaller versions of himself. Despite their best efforts, Jack's allies are slowly overwhelmed by the clones until the Scotsman and his daughters join the fray. Jack regroups with the Scotsman, who proceeds to introduce him to his many daughters. When Jack politely declines the offer to marry any one of them, he explains that he already met someone and gestures to Ashi, causing the Scotsman to question Jack's taste in women.
Following a savage beating from the Robo-Samurai, Aku goes up into the sky and releases a rain of spikes onto the army, killing most of the combatants. At the same time, Jack is swallowed by Ashi and tries once more to get through to her. After Jack confesses his love for Ashi, she finally breaks free of Aku's control. Aku then confronts Ashi, who declares that Aku isn't her father. Ashi then discovers that she still has Aku's powers, and after a brief battle, she fetches Jack's sword and uses her power to create a time portal to return to the point where Aku sent Jack to the future which Aku knows his past self will soon meet his doom and that means he'll cease to exist.
The scene then returns to the final scene in Episode I, when Aku sent Jack to the future. Jack and Ashi return shortly after, to Aku's surprise. Jack proceeds to slash Aku with his sword, trapping the demon around its blade. Jack then thrusts his sword into the ground, finally destroying Aku and his lair and escaping with Ashi just in time. Some time later, Jack and Ashi are about to be wed, but Ashi suddenly collapses. She explains that due to Aku's death, she will die as well, before fading away in his arms. A depressed Jack mourns in the forest over Ashi's passing. Suddenly, Jack sees a ladybug and is reminded that everyone can live peacefully now thanks to his efforts, looking out over the Aku-free forest.
Credits
- Directed by
- Written by
- Storyboard by
- Voices
- Phil LaMarr as Samurai Jack / Woolie
- Greg Baldwin as Aku / Ringo
- Tara Strong as Ashi
- John DiMaggio as The Scotsman
- Rob Paulsen as Sir Rothchild
- Makoto Iwamatsu as Past Aku
- Jeff Bennett as Monkey Man
- Daran Norris as Spartok / Max
- Grey Griffin as Flora
- Casting by
- Karie Gima Pham
Trivia
- This is the official series finale of Samurai Jack.
- Many of Jack's former allies and acquaintances return from previous episodes to aid in the final battle. These include:
- The Blind Archers
- Rothchild and his canine companions
- The Ravers
- The Woolies
- The Robots of Andromeda
- The Triseraquins
- The Spartans
- The "Jump Good" Monkey Man and his tribe
- The Robo-Samurai
- The Scotsman
- All of Jack's teacher, except the Russian boyar, the Mongol warrior, the Egyptian priest and Master Chu attended his wedding with Ashi. Instead, three Shaolin monks attended on Master Chu's stead.
- It is likely they were deceased or unable to attend for some reasons.
- Max's voice sounds rather different than in his initial appearance.
- Jack was finally able to return to the past and successfully destroy Aku for good.
- Tragically destroying Aku came with a cost: Ashi would pass away since she was Aku's daughter. The same would apply to her sisters as well.
- After the past Aku's destruction, everything he was responsible for in the future was undone. This may affect the existence and life of the people in the future, since Aku in some ways was the catalyst for their own existence, not to mention some events that has occurred. However, since no one else will suffer from Aku's tyranny anymore, Jack actually saved every race and planet in the universe from misery under his rule.
- There is an ancient Chinese legend that links the ladybug with love. The story goes that when a ladybug comes to call, it is a sign that true love will also pay us a visit. Further renditions of the legend state the number of spots on the ladybug indicate the amount of months that will pass until we are united with our true love. This may means that Jack will find another true love to fill in the void left by Ashi. Furthermore, ladybugs are also believed to be a sign of hope.[1]
- This also ties in with the red string of fate, with the ladybug being Jack and Ashi's string. According to the red string of fate, the two people connected by the red thread are destined lovers, regardless of place, time or circumstances. This magical cord may stretch or tangle, but never break. This myth is similar to the Western concept of soulmate or a destined flame.[2]
- The Guardian is officially confirmed to be killed.
- The ending scene from Episode I, where Jack defeats Aku but is propelled into the future, is completely re-animated with new voice work in this episode.
- This episode reveals that Jack spent fifty years in the future, but was absent from his era for ten seconds.
- This episode also features the old opening within the episode (including Mako's narration as Aku), albeit with the horse whiney sound effect removed, and different sound effects and foley for the sword swings and the time portal.
- The final portion (from "Now the fool seeks to return to the past..." onward) is a newly animated sequence.
- Mako is credited posthumously as Past Aku.
- This is the second and final episode in Season 5 without the classic ending of Will.I.Am rapping "Gotta get back to the past". The first was Episode XCIX.
- Jack sees a ladybug and lets it fly on his hand. He also lets it fly away which is similar to what happened at the end of Episode XCV.
- The ladybug was the first thing to change Ashi's mind.
- The tree Jack stands under in the end of the episodes is the same one Jack shows Ashi in Episode XCVI. Since Aku did not destroy it, its beauty was restored.
- The tree was the first place Ashi learned of Aku's destruction.
Paradox: If Jack killed Aku in the past and Ashi never existed, then she wouldn't have sent Jack and herself back into the past to kill Aku the moment he sent Jack into the future.
Allusion: The wedding scene and Ashi fading from existence is a reference to the end of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann where Nia fades from existence right in Simon's arms.
Goofs/Errors
- When Jack attacks Past Aku, Aku's eyebrows is missing at one frame.
Gallery
- Main article: Episode CI/Gallery