Samurai Jack

Samurai Jack, sometimes addressed as The Samurai or simply Jack, is a sobriquet adopted by the titular protagonist of the Cartoon Network/Adult Swim animated television series Samurai Jack (20012004; 2017). He was created by Genndy Tartakovsky and is voiced by Phil LaMarr. The character is introduced as a Japanese prince raised since youth as a samurai warrior, who trains under numerous teachers in a variety of skills in order to destroy the demon Aku with his divinely crafted sword. Seconds before he can kill Aku, the demon sends him eons into the future, where Aku's future self rules all of Earth unopposed. Adopting the alias "Jack", the samurai makes it his mission to find a way back to his time and prevent Aku's post-apocalyptic dystopia. Conception and character Samurai Jack, as a character, was originally conceived by the series creator Genndy Tartakovsky. The basic premise of Samurai Jack comes from Tartakovsky's childhood fascination with samurai culture and the bushido code, as well as a recurring dream where he'd wander a post-apocalyptic Earth with a samurai sword and travel the world fighting mutants with his crush. The show is meant to evoke 1970s cinematography, as well as classic Hollywood films such as Ben-Hur, Lawrence of Arabia and Spartacus. Thematic and visual inspirations come from Frank Miller's comic book series Rōnin, including the premise of a master-less samurai warrior thrown into a dystopic future in order to battle a shape-shifting demon. Similarly, the episode "Jack and the Spartans" was specifically inspired by Miller's graphic novel 300 that retold the Battle of Thermopylae. Cartoon Network executive Mike Lazzo recalled Tartakovsky pitching him the series with Phil LaMarr as Jack as the main character: "He said, 'Hey, remember David Carradine in Kung Fu? Wasn't that cool?' and I was like, 'Yeah, that's really cool.' That was literally the pitch." Cartoon Network billed [Samurai Jack] as a series "that is cinematic in scope and that incorporates action, humor, and intricate artistry." Storylines After his father is captured and his homeland taken over by the demon lord Aku, the child who would become known as "Samurai Jack" was trained to be the ultimate samurai by teachers from various cultures around the world in order to wield his family's sword against Aku. After reuniting with his mother as an adult, he leaves to destroy Aku using his father's sword.