Samurai Jack (2001) poster TV-14

Samurai Jack

★ 8.4 2001 · 2000s 5 seasons Cartoon Network, Adult Swim

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Synopsis

A great warrior is displaced to the distant future by the evil shape-shifting wizard Aku. The world has become a bleak place under the rule of Aku, segregated into fantastic tribes and ruled by Aku's evil robot warlords. Jack travels this foreign landscape in search of a time portal that can return him to his home time so he can "undo the future that is Aku!".

Trailer

Cast & Crew

Phil LaMarr

Phil LaMarr

Samurai Jack (voice)

Greg Baldwin

Greg Baldwin

Aku (voice)

Tara Strong

Tara Strong

Ashi (voice)

Grey DeLisle

Grey DeLisle

The High Priestess (voice)

David Krentz

David Krentz

Writer

Mike Lazzo

Mike Lazzo

Executive Producer

Genndy Tartakovsky

Genndy Tartakovsky

Executive Producer

Bryan Andrews

Bryan Andrews

Writer

Genndy Tartakovsky

Genndy Tartakovsky

Writer

Trivia about Samurai Jack

Cartoon Network executive Mike Lazzo recalled Tartakovsky pitching him the series: "He said, 'Hey, remember David Carradine in Kung Fu?

There's hardly any dialogue.' But to me that just makes it more compelling." Lazzo supported Tartakovsky's efforts, calling him "an architect of the success of the Cartoon Network." According to Betty Cohen, then-president of Cartoon Network Worldwide, Samurai Jack was greenlit for 26 episodes before its pilot was produced, a decision Cohen attributed to Tartakovsky's success with Dexter's Laboratory.

Cartoon Network billed it as a series "that is cinematic in scope and that incorporates action, humor, and intricate artistry." The premise of Samurai Jack came from Tartakovsky's childhood fascination with Japanese samurai culture and the bushido code, as well as a recurring dream where he wandered a post-apocalyptic Earth with a samurai sword and traveled the world fighting mutants with his crush.

Similarly, the episode "Jack and the Spartans" was specifically inspired by Miller's graphic novel 300 that retold the Battle of Thermopylae.

The network announced the series' launch at a press conference on February 21, 2001.

A CD-ROM containing clips of the premiere movie and a countdown clock until the series' premiere was distributed as part of AOL 6.0's release.