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 in the forest getting ready for battle. In an attempt, the Viking chief and his army march to get to the Well of Ozric that is guarded by three blind archers. But just when they got close to the the tower, a rain of arrows shower the sky from the tower, hitting the Vikings from below and destroying every robot with accurate and deadly precision.
The chief relays his story to a patron about the Well of Ozric, explaining that the Well can grant the person one wish of their most deepest desire. Soon the chief is ordered to get of the chair and ordered to scrub the deck. Jack approaches him and enquires its authenticity to which the chief points to the island but warns him of the three archers that were able to destroy his army, Jack proceeds anyway.
When Jack arrives he sees the remains of the army in the snow. As he approaches the Tower an arrow hits his geta, 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 again trying to flare them with his sword but is unsuccesful and driven back to the same tree. Jack then drops his straw hat to witness it being shredded by the arrows, making him realise that the archers are 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 practising his senses by listening to the environment around him, he declares 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 reach 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 inbetween all three as they each fire an arrow at him which Jack ducks just in time for the arrows to directly hit each other and hit the archers. The Archers spark and their outer coating melts away back to the well to reveal that the archers are human. They grant Jack the well but soon warn him of what the well's spirit did. The warriors had originally fought to get to the well and wished to be great warriors. The well granted their wish but robbed them of their sight and minds to be enslaved as the Well's guardians. They were trapped in this state until Jack defeated them.
Jack furious of the Well's true nature, drew out 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, his nobility and his sacrifice.
Trivia
- Despite being the seventh episode of the series, it actually aired a week before Episode V: Jack in Space.