It's really cool how the animators always emphasized how alien Aku actually is in his fights with Jack. He may talk like a human and think in similar ways to a human, but when the cards are down Aku doesn't FIGHT like a human, he fights like an intangible mass of evil magic, which is what he is.
Yeah I guess "always" was an exaggeration :P. But like in the graveyard fight, or in his first fight with Jack in the pilot, or his fight with Jack's Dad. Besides, in that fight, Jack specifically told him to come in human form.
westnile21 I know r.i.p. mako iwamatsu remembering him as Aku in samurai in samurai jack and uncle iroh in avatar the last airbender and evil laughter as aku in samurai jack it goes on mako is up there in heaven with judge frollo r.i.p. Tony Jay mako iwamatsu (December 10 1933-july 21 2006) tony jay (February 2 1933-August 13 2006)
Damn Aku's face at 0:42 is seriously animalistic & bloodlusted. It just shows that even if Aku could be amusing and over the top, he was a true villain in every sense of the word. His desire to kill Jack without hesitation wad pretty dark
It wasn't simply Aku's personality and own desire to destroy and be evil there. Aku had, after such a long time, was about to land the final killing blow unto his sworn enemy and only true rival. He was excited and happy as hell, he had finally gotten rid of the only thing that could stop him and was about to kill him with his own weapon nonetheless, he couldn't have imagined it going down any better
Merciless Freak This may not be a *good* answer because its a matter of perspective. I would assume that Aku has looked at Jack for so many years, that at a certain point he grew tired of seeing the same thing: Jack walking proud and armed with his sword. I would bet that it just drove Aku even further to depression as a reminder that he could be killed by Jack and eventually he never wanted to check again.
Aku: I knew that you knew I would cheat, And now you will know what it means to be a fool! Jack: You are the fool aku.. Aku: why? Jack: because I knew that you knew that I knew that you knew that I knew you would cheat. I love that ep XD
Nope, wasn't a last minute script change or anything, it was stated at the beginning of the show the sword was made to destroy evil and could only be used for good, by good
"You can run but you cannot hide 'cause I can smell your blood". Damn Aku is a savage and I like how Jack gets a horrified expression after hearing this line at 0:11.Old cartoons definitely have a rewatch value after you've grown up and can appreciate the storyline and details more.
0:37 i just love this villian because he doesnt make some evil speech , he doesnt talk about his evil plans or lay a last cool phrase before the kill like in action movies or other series. He straight out try to kill him without saying a single word and with those crazy eyes of him.
The thing I loved so much about seasons 1-4 Aku is how perfectly Mako blurred the line between absolutely hilarious and absolutely terrifying at the same time using his voice.
0:24 honestly the most epic scene in the whole series in my opinion. Just the fact that all the sound cuts out and the background turns red, as well as aku seeming so large compared to Jack just emphasises as feeling of powerlessness. It’s fuckin lit.
This first fight was a great way to show/remind people just how _terrifying_ Aku is. He may prefer to act indirectly against Jack, but in a direct fight, he is a BEAST.
Fun fact for those who don't know; this is the second time Greg Baldwin replaced the voice of Mako (Aku) after he died. The first was Iroh from Avatar the last Airbender
Even when Aku takes human form, and forgoes his magical enhancement, he shows he’s a capable fighter, against other opponents, he would probably win in a melee, but against Jack, a master martial artist, he isn’t used to fighting hand to hand enough, preferring to rely on magic, maybe a few years of training and experience, and he would win.
"Even i had forgotten that i could solve that equation.... for it stuck into the depth pf my mind and so it can not harm those who had it in their hearts.."
What I always wondered. How should Aku measure what "super-human"-strength is? Jack is the only human that directly fights him and he is not like the peak of physical strength. Sure, throwing pillar around is obviously super-human, but where is the limit? Just look at the scottsman and how easily he can swing Jack's body around.
Yeah but Jack is like... 160 pounds. People can swing that around, if with difficulty. But being stronger than Jack isn't the issue. It's being so strong you can lift tens of tons and stuff like that that is the issue.
Frozen Stag Okay, so the sword was "forged in purity and strength," that's fine, "it can only be used for good," (destroying evil incarnate is surely a "good" thing)... "in the hand of evil, it can never harm an innocent." Jack has now killed someone, and he definitely has demons, but I wouldn't classify his hand as "evil." Perhaps the question is, can Aku hurt jack with the sword now? Recent events make it more ambiguous as to whether he is still "an innocent"
Frozen Stag I don't think so, because he killed one of the Aku's daughters for good act, not for evil. Just saying, because, he's gonna fight them again in the next Episode of the 5th season.
3:30 I like the difference between Jack and Aku’s stances. Jack is an extremely well-trained warrior, with every movement having a purpose. Aku has no understanding of martial arts, he just interprets it as something that adds a bit of visual flair. The music is great as well, you can hear a bit of Aku’s theme mixed in with the intense drum beats at 4:07.
Well, he is a shape shifter demon, so I'm not scared of it or of Aku either. Except for his true form of a giant sized black mass of darkness and tendrils that looks like a giant puddle of spilled ink.
I wish I could still find the full versions of the Graveyard fight and the Swamp fight in RU-vid. Before Season 5 released, they used to be available, but now I can't find them anymore. :( Always loved the soundtrack and intensity that was present in those two particular fights. The graveyard one in special is my favourite, Aku feels like an unstoppable Eldritch horror!
Episodes like the one in the first clip are *extremely underrated.* We always see Jack beating Aku easily, either through sheer wits or skill. But here and in a few other episodes he proves to be nightmarishly oppressive when he fights seriously. I think part of how villainous he is, where he toys with jack, is really his biggest weakness. But in episodes like this, Aku goes all out. If anyone actually watches the show from the start, this episode really stands out, being non-stop fighting for two thirds of the runtime (it's season 3 episode 4 I think).
Aku:*stabs Jack with the sword* *sword just clink when hitting Jack's chest* PSYCHE!!!! Aku:WHAT?! That expression on his face when that happened got me laughing cuz he was so close but then 'HIS' moment got crushed.
I'll always remember mako from chuck norris' _eye for an eye._ Also _armed response_ with david carradine & lee van cleef. If I remember right he was also a japanese admiral in _pearl harbor._ And he guested in a couple of episodes of original _hawaii five-o_ with jack lord & james macarthur. (1981, '86, 2001, & 1968~80, respectively) He wasnt around for samurai jack, but I will also take an opportunity to remember the legendary keye luke. Most familiar as the blind master ho from TV's _kung fu_ with david carradine & ramadas pera. (1974~77) He was also the voice of zoltar & of luminous one in tatsuo yoshida's _battle of the planets,_ (1978~84) as re-rendered for american television by jameson brewer & sandy frank. Its too bad I know so little of his career. He worked relentlessly from the 1940's & into the 70's Thank you for recognizing our often overlooked oriental-american actors *rest in peace* mako iwamatsu 1933-2006 tatsuo yoshida 1932-1977 keye luke 1904-1991 lee van cleef 1925-1989 jameson brewer 1916-2003 david carradine 1936-2009
I gotta give props to Aku when he dueled Jack. He's actually pretty capable in hand-to-hand combat despite only ever using his power. Unfortunately, Jack simply outclasses him in that field. Plus Aku is quick to getting angry, so he's more prone to mistakes. And the thing is, even though Jack has the upper hand, he can't win without his sword, so all Aku would have to do is humor him until he's worn down. But that's just not how Aku is, and Jack knows it, so he gave himself an out by setting terms he knows Aku would break.
0:43 that animalistic look in his eyes shows that he’s no joke character or another cartoon villain. He’s a real genuine threat who will stop at nothing to kill Jack
Aku is a fantastic villian and every hero story deserves one. The way Jack accepted his faith in "Im sorry father" just hit hard. People talk about season 5 being "for grown ups" but there were elements of that even before
Aku had wicked humor but knew when to display his serious pure evil. The first scene here is that latter case, the delivery of the lines and the facial expressions make this scene and aku's character as a villain masterclass.
I can’t help but wonder how frightening Aku would be if he actually utilized his power correctly for example teleporting to Jack while he is asleep or using his Necromancy to manipulate his dead parents to attack Jack. Hell it would be impossible for Aku to lose to Jack if he just abused his teleportation ability.
I felt like akus desire to toy with his enemies got in the way of him utilizing his full potential ....cause in certain episodes he's just having a full blown casual conversation with his sworn enemy .
Copyright reasons, probably because if they left it at the normal pitch it would get blocked in some countries? And plus this is the UK, like Nick said. Thats my guess
You gotta love this cartoon! Jack being held down by Aku echoes Jesus on the cross: "Forgive me father". Intentional or not you gotta love the symbology.
