Samurai Jack Ending · 6:20pm May 21st, 2017
(Spoilers Ahead)
Well, we made it. It took about 13 years since Season 4, but Samurai Jack finally got an ending.
One last season in 10 episodes telling a singular story instead of being episodic. It was quite a change of pace, but a welcome one.
The first three episodes almost felt like a different show. Jack's entire being was torn to shreds after losing his sword, as he had to come to terms with killing the Daughters of Aku, who were some of his toughest foes.
Then the rest of the season was spent building Jack back up to the noble samurai we knew him as. Luckily he found a partner in Ashi, who convinced him there was still hope. She was a cool character with a nice redemption arc.
After Jack got his sword back, they decided to pull a romantic angle with the two. I remember the reactions, but I was surprised since that meant a new dilemma for Jack.
Then came the final battle. Pretty much everyone Jack's ever helped came back to aid him against Aku, who had captured him with the aid of Ashi, who was revealed to be his literal daughter and has his powers.
After Jack and Scotsman had one last talk, Jack finally got through to Ashi with three words. And then with the powers of Aku, Jack finally fulfilled his purpose.
He got back to the past and undid the future that was Aku.
But that came at a cost. Ashi and the world he was on would cease to exist. But after mourning, he accepted it as he finally ended Aku and saved the world from tyranny.
My opinions? I thought Season 5 was amazing from beginning to end. We saw Jack in a new light as a broken man who had to figure himself out. We witnessed a new character grow with Jack in his final journey in Ashi as she saw the world differently from what she was told.
The action was at its best. It wasn't over the top violent, but blood was shed tastefully to where it wasn't needlessly edgy. All the references to past episodes were amazing as it showed how much of an impact Jack had and he didn't even know it. Plus Ashi got to see the samurai for he truly was: a hero.
My only problem was the pacing. Some things felt a little rushed like Jack and Ashi's romance being built up in a singular episode and the finale, which should've been double-length to fully absorb the ending. Then again, there were only 10 episodes, but a standard 13 could've helped flesh things out.
But I'm just happy this show got a proper conclusion at all. A bittersweet one, but at least Samurai Jack finally won.
We'll see if I end up doing a sequel to The Samurai Called Jack cause this ending was perfect.
Strange part was that me and a friend talked about this season and I predicted the ending... It was a bit bittersweet.
I loved this season just the same. A perfect, but bittersweet ending to my third favorite cartoon of all time. What were your favorite episodes this season? From favorite to least favorite, mine were:
1. Episode 2
2. Episode 1
3. Episode 3
4. Episode 10
5. Episode 9
6. Episode 5
7. Episode 4
8. Episode 6
9. Episode 7
10. Episode 8
I liked the first part of the season but really didn't care for the romance plot or the ending.
I was hoping that he would be more of a mentor/father figure to Ashi and in the end Jack dies and she destroys Aku. He never makes it back to the past, accepting the future and that it can be made better going forward.
Pretty much my thoughts exactly
4541517 Yeah, it was more of a phyrric victory.
4541534 A lot of people were hoping for a mentor/student or father/daughter dynamic and honestly I was more indifferent either way. Both dynamics make sense I feel. And yeah, Jack deciding to move on in the future would be just as satisfying.
4541546 Good to hear you liked it as well.
And now all those time portals that Jack hunted down, and Aku destroyed, are whole and intact. And Jack can go befriend The Gate Guardian.
And maybe, there will be Convergance.
Pretty much everything you said is in line with how I felt about this final season of SJ. I watched the last episode and I kept thinking, "This show can't end all happy-happy. It'd be spitting in the eyes of the show's writers, producers, directors, actors and everyone associated with it." Then, Ashi disappeared.
I am glad Jack came to accept Ashi's sacrifice. He ultimately ended up in a good place.
Spoilers for the end of a popular anime: Did anyone else get a Gurren Lagann vibe from the ending of SJ? I mean, from the wedding to the bride disappearing because the hero erased her father, thereby erasing the bride's existence, it was very similar.
Man I am surprise that it took 13 long years for Jack to finally defeat Aku. I Episode 8 was kinda funny Ashi was naked in front of Jack was funny. But at the end of episode 10 after Aku was defeat as soon as everything was back to normal Jack and Ashi were about to be marry but because Aku was defeated in the past and Ashi was from the future that timeline no longer exist Ashi have vanish and broke his heart so sad. I glad that the show have ended.
I really enjoyed the ending of the series. It was a great season from beginning to end, in my humble opinion, and it really did feel like the original show aged up a bit (rather than a soulless cash grab). I'm not the biggest fan of how the wedding scene played out (it's a rather cheap way to generate bittersweetness), and I feel like the very last scene needed just a bit more time to develop and make sense, but overall, it worked well enough. I'll just watch it like I do Gurren Lagann: turn the last episode off after the climax and pretend that's where the series ends.