History NightmareFuel / SamuraiJack

* Just let it sink in. After dozens of episodes of trying, [[TheBadGuyWins Aku finally got that sword and defeated Jack; Aku, the embodiment of evil, had his one good day and basically won]]. [[DownerEnding Rendering Jack's fifty-year-long struggle meaningless]].

** Aku smells his own scent on Ashi, and soon realizes that ''she is merely a piece of himself''. He explains that a long time ago, he visited the Cult of Aku's temple and dispensed a cup full of ''his own bodily fluids''; which the High Priestess then drank down, making her pregnant with [[HalfHumanHybrid seven hybrid offspring]]. The origins of Ashi and her sisters sounds a hell of a lot like a [[CosmicHorrorStory Lovecraftian]] [[Literature/TheShadowOverInnsmouth horror story]]. And just to make it worse, his visit appears to have been involuntary. The Daughters of Aku raised enough power through prayer, devotion and self-sacrifice to ''summon Aku''.

* While inside an animal-driven transport, Jack and Ashi are surrounded by a large group of green tiger men all wearing black shirts with big red letters printed on them. As the tension builds up, it doesn't take long before Jack realizes they're yet another gang of {{bounty hunter}}s, as they assemble in such a manner that their shirts spell out words like "DIE" and "DEATH", and finally stopping at "DIE SAMURAI JACK" before they make their move.

* While inside an animal-driven transport, Jack and Ashi are surrounded by a large group of green tiger men. As the tension builds up, it doesn't take long before Jack realizes they're yet another gang of {{bounty hunter}}s, as they assemble with shirts that spell out "DIE SAMURAI JACK".

** And then immediately afterwards, the Emperor futilely tries to attack Aku again. So Aku has him sent into the source puddle from which he spawned... but instead of being absorbed like so many were by proto-Aku, The Emperor is quickly willed back out by the newborn Aku... tied up to a giant black tree. Aku then flies to the village and begins to set in on fire. The poor Emperor who is expecting a child soon, now finds himself bound in a CrucifiedHeroShot and ForcedToWatch while [[BigNo screaming in horror]] as Aku wreaks havoc upon his kingdom, which seems bad enough... but just imagine how terrified the citizens of the city were to see a monster emerging from the forest of black trees, bent on destroying everything.

** And then immediately afterwards, the Emperor futilely tries to attack Aku again. So Aku ties him up to a black tree, slips into the ground, then pops back up by his kingdom and attacks it. When the king is bound in a CrucifiedHeroShot and ForcedToWatch while [[BigNo screaming in horror]], just imagine how terrified the citizens of his city were.

* Aku unwittingly infects Jack with a [[TheVirus small piece]] [[TheCorruption of himself]], and soon Jack starts to [[BodyHorror look scarier]] [[TransformationHorror and scarier]] [[SlowlySlippingIntoEvil as time goes on]].

* Aku unwittingly infects Jack with a [[TheVirus small piece]] [[TheCorruption of himself]], and soon Jack starts to [[BodyHorror look scarier]] [[TransformationHorror and scarier]] as time goes on.

** Aku smells his own scent on Ashi, and soon realizes that ''she is merely a piece of himself''. He explains that a long time ago, he visited the Cult of Aku's temple and dispensed a cup full of ''his own bodily fluids''; which the High Priestess then drank down, making her pregnant with [[HalfHumanHybrid seven hybrid offspring]]. The origins of Ashi and her sisters sounds a hell of a lot like a [[CosmicHorrorStory Lovecraftian]] [[Literature/TheShadowOverInnsmouth horror story]]. And just to make it worse, his visit appears to have been involuntary. The Daughters of Aku raised enough power through prayer, devotion and self-sacrifice to ''summon Aku''.]

* Jack watching the dead bodies of the slaughtered town (by [[PsychoForHire Scaramouche]]). Unlike previous seasons, this is the first time we witness a very graphic image of dead people (including young men and children), [[DarkerAndEdgier setting the gritty tone of the season]]. For obvious reasons, Jack is visibly horrified.

* Just the appearance of the alien tigers. Think of the Ultimate Chimera from ''VideoGame/MOTHER3'', but painted green with stripes and covered in fur. Not to mention the demonic roaring...

* That entire statement where Inner Jack [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman mentions the scores of robots Jack slew compared to one human life]] and throws it back in his face for thinking one is lesser than the other in this universe. It's almost [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall as though the writers are throwing the fact they are releasing the handbrake on the violence from past seasons in our faces as well.]]

* That entire statement where Inner Jack [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman mentions the scores of robots Jack slew compared to one human life]] and throws it back in his face. It's almost [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall as though the writers are throwing the fact they are releasing the handbrake on the violence from past seasons in our faces as well.]]

** Lulu disappearing. Especially if you take the scene the way it's depicted (with her fading away right in front of X-49) as a literal depiction of the events, rather than a metaphor (something that is entirely possible with Aku's omnipotent magic). It drives home just how horrible Aku's dystopia is. It doesn't matter where you hide or where you run. If Aku wants you, Aku '''will''' have you. And there is absolutely nothing you can do about it.

** What passes for Aku's {{Leitmotif}} cements this. It's just a deep, droning [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC6deOAReoM noise]]. It's absolutely not music, but it's perfect for a heartless, soulless monster who is essentially the embodiment of all the evil in the world.

-->'''Aku:''' Pathetic fools! You are all insignificant insects compared to might of ''Aku!'' ''(raises his hand)'' And insects get... ''(slams his hand down on a group of archers mounted on Woolies)'' '''''SQUASHED...!''''' And... ''(lifts his hand up to reveal all of the beings he crushed have been turned into miniature versions of himself wielding pitchforks)'' '''EXTERMINATED!!'''
* Aku's reaction after Ashi invokes her EleventhHourSuperpower to help Jack finally return to the past to slay him is rather chilling, [[KarmicDeath even if he deserves it]]. Just imagine how you would feel if you realized you were going to die and you couldn't do anything about it, [[AllForNothing after at least fifty years of trying to stop your eventual killer from doing so]]:

** Further adding to this is how Aku doesn't just die -- Jack ''[[RetGone completely erases him from existence.]]''

-->'''Inner Jack:''' Look at you. You've survived worse. This isn't about your pathetic little cut, it's about that girl you killed. We've never killed a human before, have we? Sure, '''mountains''' of robot corpses. But '''this'''... This was the first human being. '''Real flesh and blood.''' What happens when the others find you? You'll have to kill them too. ''Can you?''' Will you be able to when the time comes? Maybe ''they'' will kill '''you?''' (''{{Beat}}'') Or is ''that'' what you '''want?'''

-->'''Inner Jack:''' Look at you. You've survived worse. This isn't about your pathetic little cut, it's about that girl you killed. We've never killed a human before, have we? Sure, ''mountains'' of robot corpses. But ''this''... This was the first human being. ''Real flesh and blood.'' What happens when the others find you? You'll have to kill them too. ''Can you?'' Will you be able to when the time comes? Maybe ''they'' will kill ''you?'' (''{{Beat}}'') Or is ''that'' what you ''want?''
-->'''Jack:''' (''pained'') No.

** At one point, Jack is forced to flat out run from the Daughters of Aku, racing down twisting, turning passages in the dark, then we get a JumpScare when Jack actually runs into one of the girls, who has managed to outmaneuver and get ahead of him. It's only fortunate for Jack that separating from her sisters proved to be a fatal mistake for her. Leading to...
*** We actually get to see Jack '''[[GutPunch killing]]''' a human being up-close for the first time. He spent the episode believing that the Daughters were [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman just another one of Aku's machines]], and after being confronted by one of them, he ''slices'' her neck. That is ''genuine blood'' Jack's seeing. While it was undeniably in self-defense, his reaction is one of genuine guilt and horror.

* The Daughters of Aku hunting Jack. The whole scene felt like the "Jack in Egypt" episode. They're systematic, thorough, and well-trained. When they lose track of Jack, they don't panic. They hide in the shadows at various points in the ruins they've chased him into to lull him into a sense of security, then ''strike'' from the darkness, letting the others know his location. After that, it's not even really a fight. It's an escape. Jack is forced to hide in a ''coffin'' at one point, looking more terrified than we'd ever seen with only a firefly to give him light, as if silently begging for them to go away... which they obviously won't. The light is slowly snuffed out... and the next thing we see out of the darkness is all seven Daughters shattering the coffin he's in, Jack springing out of it through desperation. It's the worst trial Jack's been through for the entire series, bar none.

** Jack's first vision. While drinking from a stream, he starts to imagine leaves falling from a nearby tree are his parents and the tortured forms of his people. At the end of the vision, we get to see ''hordes of zombie-like people floating downstream'', screaming and reaching out for Jack to save them. ''Jesus Christ, Tartakovsky''.

** In each of the visions Jack sees... SOMEONE on horseback. We're never told or fully shown who it is... but whoever it is? It's something that TERRIFIES Jack. Yes JACK IS TERRIFIED OF SOMETHING.

** In each of the hallucinations Jack sees... SOMEONE on horseback. We're never told or fully shown who it is... but whoever it is? It's something that TERRIFIES Jack. Yes JACK IS TERRIFIED OF SOMETHING.
** Jack's first hallucination. While drinking from a stream, he starts to imagine leaves falling from a nearby tree are his parents and the tortured forms of his people. At the end of the vision, we get to see ''hordes of zombie-like people floating downstream'', screaming and reaching out for Jack to save them. ''Jesus Christ, Tartakovsky''.

** The second hallucination starts with Jack sitting by the fire while eating a dead rat, when he sees a vision of his father in the fire, asking why he never came back. As Jack desperately tries to explain himself, the vision gets bigger and the fire spreads out of control as his father gets angrier. It ends with Jack's father screaming at his son, accusing him of abandoning his destiny and people while making the mother of all {{nightmare face}}s.

** The third and final vision shows Jack imagining small children ([[DeathOfAChild the kids from the village who were murdered by Scaramouche]]) futilely pleading for his help. But what makes it frightening, is not so much what it contains, but when it happens: during the middle of the fight with Scaramouche. Jack is ''still in danger'' when he starts hallucinating! Scaramouche even uses his distress to land a shot on him! While the attack wasn't lethal, next time he might not be so lucky. It really does paint a picture that Jack is a broken man, and that these hallucinations (much like in real life) aren't just limited to when he's alone. They could happen anywhere, at any time no matter what he's doing or what kind of danger he's in, making Jack his own worst enemy.

** The fact that a ''hallucination'' has to be at the wheel of Jack's senses for Jack to pick up on danger is just as bad, if not worse.

* An [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge angry Jack]] is a ''terrifying Jack''. He becomes a raging, screaming warrior amidst all of the injuries and the beatings he takes from Aku's Beetle Drones, as he is practically ''covered'' in [[SymbolicBlood oil]]. Even the Drones look terrified of him, before he promptly slaughters them all.

* The carnage and devastation caused by the Ultra-Robots is worth mentioning, especially the [[DesolationShot ruins of the second city]]. [[SceneryGorn Mutilated innocent robots with horrific faces strewn about, some of them on pikes]], [[SymbolicBlood and oil EVERYWHERE]].

* The Aku-possessed Jack carves up an innocent robot bystander's face [[DisproportionateRetribution for bumping into him on the street]]. We get a very close, slow shot of this happening; never before has the SymbolicBlood looked so terrifying.

*** Unlike all those other times when the Omen has appeared, this time he '''[[SuddenlyVoiced speaks]]'''. And the one thing he says? "[[WhamLine It is time.]]" Almost like he was simply ''waiting'' for Jack to just give up his journey...

* At one point, Jack is taunted by another apparition of his past self... only now the apparition is twisting and contorting in strange poses with fanged teeth, and bears a constant cruel expression on his face. The animators are taking a character design we know and love, and making it look... ''[[DerangedAnimation so wrong]]''. To elaborate: this apparition appears inhumanly tall and slender, like a HumanoidAbomination. His face is more narrow. He moves inhumanly fast. He has sharp, jagged teeth like a shark, and his expressions showcase them quite well, being the very embodiment of NightmareFace: cruel scowls, {{Psychotic Smirk}}s, and {{Slasher Smile}}s galore. Lastly, he speaks in a much more malicious and psychotic tone, getting very creepily excited over the thought of more killing and mocking Jack, trying to goad him into embracing BloodLust. Not to mention he resembles Mad Jack, or how Aku portrayed Jack in his fairy tales. The [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech brutal speech]] combined with the pained "no" Jack gives in response made the whole scene feel like he was tortured.

* Jack himself can be [[TheBerserker pretty scary]] sometimes. In fact, this is main reason why [[EnemyWithin Mad Jack]] [[spoiler:(his Inner-Self)]] ''exists''.

** For more {{t|earJerker}}ragedy, when a now-grown-up Jack returns to his home country, he finds everyone [[FateWorseThanDeath has been]] [[MadeASlave enslaved]]. His father got the worst of it; he has become [[HowTheMightyHaveFallen a weak and decrepit old man]], and is denied adequate food and water. Aku sure knows how to [[BreakTheBadass destroy even the strongest of spirits]].

** The fight ends with the Guardian delivering a [[CurbStompBattle very one-sided]] [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown and brutal beating]] that knocks Jack into unconsciousness, and then the Guardian is about to finish off Jack ''by dropping a boulder on him''; but he only relents and spares Jack after [[spoiler:the time portal shows him a vision that Jack is indeed TheChosenOne of prophesy, who may (eventually) go back in time]].

* When the {{greaser| delinquents}} robots attack Jack and knock him unconscious, the normally [[BewareTheSillyOnes goofy]] and [[BewareTheNiceOnes friendly]] Creature [[DisneyDeath believes that Jack died]], and now it's '''[[UnstoppableRage pissed]]'''. The Creature ''[[HulkingOut transforms into a horrifying monster]]'' and [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge chases after the robots]], [[MookHorrorShow mauling each of them to death]]. The last robot is absolutely ''terrified'', hiding behind a rock and futilely praying that he'll make it. By the end, [[KillEmAll the Creature has left nobody alive]]... (well, except for Jack).

** And then immediately afterwards, the Emperor futilely tries to attack Aku again. So Aku ties him up to a black tree, slips into the ground, then pops back up by his kingdom and attacks it. When the king is bound in a {{crucified| hero shot}} pose and {{forced to watch}} while [[BigNo screaming in horror]], just imagine how terrified the citizens of his city were.

* This is a mostly a goofy episode involving Jack dealing with the [[SmallNameBigEgo Da Samurai]], until the last few minutes. Suddenly, an ''army'' of Aku's assassin robots from earlier in the episode show up, but these ones are {{dual wielding}} swords and opening the panels in their heads to reveal [[UncannyValley creepy long faces with razor-sharp teeth]]. That alone is scary enough, but after Jack finally defeats the entire army, they all combine into what can only be described as a MechanicalAbomination. Thankfully, it goes down easier than the army did, but it's still freaky to watch.

** Left with no other choice, [[spoiler:X9 accepts Aku's latest (and last) mission for him: to find and kill Samurai Jack. X9 chases down Jack in an abandoned building, and to say it's tense is an understatement. The encounter ends with [[JumpScare Jack slicing down X9 from behind]], [[ShootTheShaggyDog making his efforts to save Lulu worthless]].]]
** [[spoiler:There's a lot of FridgeHorror from the fact that not only is her owner dead, but Lulu was still last seen ''under Aku's captivity''. It's all too likely that Aku may have [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness put down Lulu after her usefulness as a bargaining chip to manipulate X9 had ended]]. [[NothingIsScarier The poor dog's ultimate fate is deliberately left unknown]]. And it is a known fact that the protoplasm that Aku used to be [[EatTheDog devoured a dog named Shinichi.]] Let's hope Aku [[FridgeHorror didn't do THAT!!]]]]

* The side-plot with the lone white wolf fighting against a pack of tiger-like alien beasts. [[spoiler:While the blood from the Daughter was more subdued, the animal fight is a total bloodbath where everyone involved seems to die gruesomely, quite a [[AnimalMetaphor bad omen]] for Jack and the Daughters.]]
** Just the appearance of the alien tigers. Think of the Ultimate Chimera from ''VideoGame/MOTHER3'', but painted green with stripes and covered in fur. Not to mention the demonic roaring...

** Worse, we see Jack pass out over and over from this bleeding for what seems like days on end. Then he encounters a seemingly normal frog that {{suddenly shout|ing}}s, '''"THEY'RE COMING!"''' and it becomes unclear if that is just a hallucination or an actual sapient frog that can talk trying to warn him of danger, either way being very disturbing.

** What is probably the most difficult part of the episode to get through is watching Jack finally force himself to extricate the dagger from his chest. It is ''not'' pretty- he has to slowly work it out of his body as it's wedged in VERY tightly, during which time he squeezes his eyes shut, sweats bullets, and grits his teeth, steeling himself for the pain of ripping it out. Then, as he ''does'' pry it loose, darker-colored blood from his insides begins to ooze out and he groans very weakly, having grown extremely tired. Finally, he yanks the blade out and screams with INCREDIBLE pain... then promptly passes out one more time from the agony. Keep in mind this is the kind of pain that is so excruciating that a person would risk biting their tongue from gnashing their teeth and would have to have a stick or something else sturdy to bite on!
* At one point, Jack is taunted by another apparition of his past self... only now the apparition is twisting and contorting in strange poses with fanged teeth, and bears a constant cruel expression on his face. The animators are taking a character design we know and love, and making it look... ''[[DerangedAnimation so wrong]]''. To elaborate: this apparition appears inhumanly tall and slender, like a HumanoidAbomination. His face is more narrow. He moves inhumanly fast. He has sharp, jagged teeth like a shark, and his expressions showcase them quite well, being the very embodiment of NightmareFace: cruel scowls, {{Psychotic Smirk}}s, and {{Slasher Smile}}s galore. Lastly, he speaks in a much more malicious and psychotic tone, [[spoiler:getting very creepily excited over the thought of more killing and mocking Jack, trying to goad him into embracing BloodLust]]. Not to mention he resembles Mad Jack, or how Aku portrayed Jack in his fairy tales. The [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech brutal speech]] combined with the pained "no" Jack gives in response made the whole scene feel like he was tortured.
-->'''Inner Jack:''' Look at you. You've survived worse. This isn't about your pathetic little cut, it's about [[spoiler:that girl you killed. We've never killed a human before, have we? Sure, ''mountains'' of robot corpses. But ''this''... This was the first human being. ''Real flesh and blood.'' What happens when the others find you? You'll have to kill them too. ''Can you?'' Will you be able to when the time comes? Maybe ''they'' will kill ''you?'' (''{{Beat}}'') Or is ''that'' what you ''want?'']]

** [[spoiler:That entire statement where Inner Jack [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman mentions the scores of robots Jack slew compared to one human life]] and throws it back in his face.]] It's almost [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall as though the writers are throwing the fact they are releasing the handbrake on the violence from past seasons in our faces as well.]]

* When he first wakes from his fall into the snow, Jack's mind quickly flashes back to the fight with the Daughters of Aku, only he imagines one of them with the ''real'' Aku's face in place of the mask, [[UncannyValley distorted into a more violent looking sneer with the same humanoid proportions of one of the Daughters]], kind of like a mix between a JumpScare and a FreezeFrameBonus. It just goes to show in Jack's eyes, the fight isn't over even when the enemies have fallen, and that the Daughters of Aku were NotSoDifferent from the genuine article.
** As Jack recollects himself after his most recent battle when several Daughters of Aku met their end at his hands]], he gradually gets surrounded by droves of crows, [[spoiler:perhaps drawn by the carnage that just took place, and maybe angered by the fact one of the crows died in the crossfire. When he discovers a blood trail, he follows it to find Ashi lying seemingly dead on the ground. Then, the crows start ''mocking him''.

* That... flying fish-like creature. It has six eyes that can cover all its blind spots like [[WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon the Red Death]], and transparent {{bioluminescen|ce is cool}}t skin that makes its bones see-through. When bathed in light, it looks like an even more ghoulish version of [[Videogame/SuperMarioGalaxy Kingfin]] is chasing after Jack and Ashi.

** This also makes one wonder just how desperate (or [[TooDumbToLive foolish]]) anyone would have to be to attack a mighty demon who's well known for being {{nigh invulnerable}}, without even trying to use [[AchillesHeel Jack's holy sword]] on him.
** We've seen Aku take on the forms of everything from an army to a mass of darkness. Here, Aku merely shapeshifts into a giant ball and ''steamrolls'' over all the attacking tanks. After all this time, this is probably the simplest form he's ever assumed (possibly out of sheer laziness or lack of imagination), but never has something so simple worked so effectively, and it shows how little effort he has to put into killing enemies.
*** The resulting "[[CurbStompBattle battle]]" (or more accurately, near-total ''massacre'' of almost all the troops) is so bleak and purely one-sided that [[spoiler:the Scotsman, everybody's favorite badass, ''immediately'' turns tail because [[AdultFear he wants to save his brood of many daughters from getting killed]]. Aku watches them fleeing and has ''this'' to say:]]

** '''The Scotsman's death'''. In order to buy his daughters enough time to escape, the Scotsman fearlessly puts himself and [[DoNotTauntCthulhu a few hard-hitting insults]] between Aku and their retreat, which ends with the Scotsman getting incinerated by Aku's [[EyeBeams heat vision]], leaving behind a skeleton that crumbles into black ashes. Though the horror is lessened somewhat when the Scotsman immediately [[OurGhostsAreDifferent returns as a jovial spirit]].
*** Perhaps the worst of it all is that in the Scotsman's last stand, the ultimate warrior of the future who was effectively Jack's ''one equal in all the world'', accomplished ''nothing''. Aku wasn't even ''vaguely entertained''. He just slipped back to his depressed boredom and buggered off to his tower. The Scotsman's passing wasn't even given the slightest fanfare, and again, ''this'' was the definitive, most powerful individual opposing Aku after Jack himself. Granted, he was an old, wheelchair-bound man and nowhere near his prime from 50 years ago, but how quickly it happened is rather chilling.

** Perhaps the most chilling example is when they sneak into the [[{{Egopolis}} City of Aku]] and witness a ship carrying exiled alien criminals who were banished from their homeworlds arriving. They are subsequently welcomed and referred to move into peaceful towns, with a video screen placing emphasis on two {{children| are innocent}}; and when a confused criminal points out that the area is already occupied, the disbelieving clerk scoffs and asks him if that's an issue. Cue the [[SlasherSmile penny dropping]] as the criminal [[RapePillageAndBurn realizes what they're getting at]]. As noted by Jack, this sort of thing happens on a ''routine basis'' under Aku's rule.

** He activates [[BrainwashedAndCrazy mind-control chips that turn the kids into crazy berserkers]]. They now look like savage monsters with {{red eyes| take warning}} who swarm Jack, biting and clawing at him. The Dominator did this to exploit Jack's [[NeverHurtAnInnocent reluctance to attack innocent children]].

* It turns out that Scaramouche's head is still alive, and he is trying to contact Aku to tell him that Jack has lost his sword. While the whole subplot is mostly PlayedForLaughs due to his {{ineffect|ual sympathetic villain}}iveness (due to him being [[LosingYourHead reduced to only his head]]), it's only a matter of time before he succeeds in informing Aku. Better hope Jack can find his sword in time...
** [[NightmareRetardant No need to worry now]], seeing as Jack [[HesBack later gets his sword back]] in the next episode. Scaramouche and Aku are in for a rude surprise... yet Scaramouche telling Aku that bit of news is still not something to be taken lightly, because even with Jack's sword back in his hand, he was still in for a much bigger nightmare...
* The reveal that Ashi, along with her sisters, were only children when [[spoiler:[[TrainingFromHell they were stripped naked and forcibly dropped into a symbiotic-type substance covering their nude bodies]]. Topped off with the image of [[https://68.media.tumblr.com/e55a809e10fa4177f7e95793e28ebc7e/tumblr_oouhnkkOXR1tykwh1o1_1280.png a young Ashi screaming]].]]

** Mildly (''very'' mildly) mitigated, if one considers that [[spoiler:since Ashi had perfectly-healthy skin beneath the black layer, it might not have been a layer of charred skin, so much as soot and ash that had bonded with her skin. But ''none'' of that changes how agonizing the whole process was for Ashi, and how horrific her childhood was.]]
* When Ashi visits Da Samurai's pub, she encounters many old villains that have faced Jack in the past. One of them is a robot who wears tin armor because [[spoiler:his body was reduced to [[BodyHorror a bundle of wires (which look a lot like nerves and blood vessels)]], and the armor is the only thing holding him together. [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tin_man.JPG Behold and sweet dreams]].]] It's a very minor example compared to the other events in the episode, but still a testament on [[GoodIsNotSoft how brutal Jack can be against evildoers]].
** While it's played for a quick gag, consider that ''[[TheCollector Demongo]]'' has [[UnexplainedRecovery somehow returned]], and he is still searching for warriors to [[YourSoulIsMine steal their souls]]. The only thing that saves the bar patrons (and potentially [[BadassNormal Ashi, who would've been worthy of capture]]) from being enslaved by him, is because he thinks all of them are pathetic losers, so he decides to go look elsewhere.

*** For that matter, the ''mere fact'' that Jack, our beloved childhood hero, the ultimate LawfulGood paragon, the best FriendToAllLivingThings, the greatest NiceGuy to have ever lived, was on the verge of committing '''''{{seppuku}}'''''. Not just any kind of suicide, it's ''seppuku'' (or ''hara-kiri''): a ritual suicide that would have him '''[[GuttedLikeAFish disembowel his own stomach]]''' before getting '''[[OffWithHisHead beheaded by the Omen himself]]''', while ''Ashi is forced to watch''. The sheer horror of such a scene makes the whole fight between Ashi and the Omen that much more intense given what is at stake.

* The flashback to circa 50 years ago. After Aku destroyed the last time portal in front of poor Jack, Aku [[spoiler:{{transform|ation horror}}ed three [[RidiculouslyCuteCritter cute little goats]] that tried to help Jack [[BrainwashedAndCrazy into vicious giant monsters]], and tricked Jack ([[UnstoppableRage who was blinded by his intense rage]]) into killing them all. What makes it even more distressing is that Jack had ''[[AccidentalMurder killed innocent life]]'' after losing control. It's no wonder that after finding their remains in the present day, Jack is still haunted by his deeds.]]
** Aku has [[http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=505lp0&s=9 THIS]] facial expression just before turning the little goats into monsters. Why his iris are swirls is anybodies' guess, but it looks ''incredibly'' unsettling.

* Jack's inner-self [[spoiler:(AKA [[EnemyWithin Mad Jack]])]] freaking out during his metaphysical journey to regain the sword, and he starts actively fighting with his host. Worse, in his previous appearances, he was blue; this time, he's ''red''. Each time he reappears, [[TookALevelInJerkass he gets even meaner and scarier]].
** Inner Jack, ''period''.As Jack begins to come to terms with the fact that his own rage and frustration were what caused him to lose his sword in the first place, Mad Jack (being the manifestation of these dark emotions) becomes increasingly unhinged, his appearance turning absolutely ''[[NightmareFace monstrous]]''. To say nothing of [[FamousLastWords what he says when Jack purges him from his mind]]:
--->'''Mad Jack:''' "''YOU NEED ME!!!''"

*** [[spoiler:Although this is mitigated by the fact that in "Episode XCVII", Scaramouche's severed head somehow reactivates, and he merrily boasts of how he's still alive.]]

** [[spoiler:At one point, Jack is forced to flat out run from the Daughters of Aku, racing down twisting, turning passages in the dark, then we get a JumpScare when Jack actually runs into one of the girls, who has managed to outmaneuver and get ahead of him. It's only fortunate for Jack that separating from her sisters proved to be a fatal mistake for her.]] Leading to...
*** [[spoiler:We actually get to see Jack '''[[GutPunch killing]]''' a human being up-close for the first time. He spent the episode believing that the Daughters were [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman just another one of Aku's machines]], and after being confronted by one of them, he ''slices'' her neck. That is ''genuine blood'' Jack's seeing. While it was undeniably in self-defense, his reaction is one of genuine guilt and horror.]]
*** The sound made during the [[spoiler:SlashedThroat]] is probably one of the most brutal noises in the entire series up to this point. [[spoiler:It isn't just skin being penetrated with a blade and blood splashing out, there's almost a bone-like sound adding a disgusting edge to the strike. Odds are, Jack was inches away from dealing out a full-on decapitation.]]

** Especially when [[spoiler:Jack and the White Wolf meet personally, as they both are covered from head to toe in symbolic lines of blood across their bodies. It's quite a miracle that Jack and the Wolf somehow survived these near-mortal wounds. And the tension beforehand where Jack is forced to pick up the dagger used to wound him as his only means of defending himself is proof of how backed into a corner Jack is and that this is his only option left if he wants to live]].

** When the Daughters escape the destroyed temple, [[spoiler:they comment on their deceased sister that "Death is failure", and proceed to leave her corpse to rot without batting an eye.]]
*** [[spoiler:They actually took the effort to get her out of the temple, which doubles as a tomb, only to leave her unburied. It would have arguably been better to just leave her in the temple, but instead, they dragged her corpse out. And given their comment, it's very likely that they '''intentionally''' left her body out in the open to be picked apart by scavengers instead of giving her a proper burial as a punishment for her death/failure.]]

* Upon coming to terms with his guilt and that, like his father, [[spoiler:he'd have to take lives if he wanted to complete his mission]], Jack's first act is to attempt to prevent a fight. [[ShutUpKirk The Daughters of Aku reject this notion]].
** [[spoiler:Not even seconds later, he pops out from beneath their feet in the snow and harpoons two of the sisters before they can even react.]]
** [[spoiler:After Jack kills one of the Daughters with a thrown sword through the chest, her sister just pulls it out to fight Jack with it, without even ''looking'' at her.]]

** [[spoiler:When Jack decides to drop the Daughter's weapon and resort to using his [[GoodOldFisticuffs bare hands]], he kills a Daughter by punching her in the face hard enough to make her neck snap instantly and her body spin out and fall to the depths.]]

** [[spoiler:In the end, the defeated Ashi starts fanatically ranting about killing Jack, even after having seen all of her sisters die at his hand, and likely being seconds away from death herself.]]

** As Jack recollects himself after his most recent battle [[spoiler:when several Daughters of Aku met their end at his hands]], he gradually gets surrounded by droves of crows, [[spoiler:perhaps drawn by the carnage that just took place, and maybe angered by the fact one of the crows died in the crossfire. When he discovers a blood trail, he follows it to find Ashi lying seemingly dead on the ground. Then, the crows start ''mocking him''.]]
--->'''Crow:''' [[spoiler:"'''MURDERERRR!!'''"]]
--->'''Another Crow:''' [[spoiler:"'''''KILLERRRRR!!!'''''"]]
--->'''Jack:''' [[spoiler:"[[RuleOfThree No... no...]] '''[[BigNo NO!]]''' ''THEY CHOSE THE PATH...!'' ''THEY'' '''''CHOSE!!!'''''"]]

* Ashi's ''relentless'' fanatical ranting and borderline ''psychotic'' raving for about a minute straight after being saddled to Jack shows how deeply poisoned with hate she's been. It's a wonder he didn't just ''muzzle'' her. Worse, she shows absolutely zero concern about [[spoiler:the loss of all her siblings and being the only apparent survivor, now alone and the only child]]. She instead stays steadfast and unfeeling anything but hate like she was conditioned, only showing self-preservation toward fulfilling the one purpose that she was born for -- killing Jack.

** Just knowing that Ashi remembers her mother's appearance by her mask in a warped, demonic form, and not by her ''real face'' is [[TearJerker heartbreaking]]. What kind of mother keeps her face hidden from her own children their entire lives?? Not only does it show how cold and detached she is from her daughters, but how inhuman she is, because she's more akin to a ''monster'' than a human in at least one of her daughter's eyes; for all Ashi knows, she was born from a monster instead of a human, and that's probably not far from the truth!

* The episode begins with a [[RedshirtArmy human army]] launching an attack on Aku's lair. Unfortunately for them, they couldn't have chosen a worse time, as Aku decides the best way to break himself out of his funk... ''is to annihilate them all''. Making matters worse, [[spoiler:the leader of the army is ''the Scotsman''. He's become very elderly and is now stuck in a wheelchair, making his chances of survival look very bleak.]]

--->[[spoiler:'''Aku:''' "Oh? Better make it a '''''[[KillEmAll complete]]'' [[LeaveNoSurvivors annihilation]]'''!"]]
** [[spoiler:'''The Scotsman's death'''. In order to buy his daughters enough time to escape, the Scotsman fearlessly puts himself and [[DoNotTauntCthulhu a few hard-hitting insults]] between Aku and their retreat, which ends with the Scotsman getting incinerated by Aku's [[EyeBeams heat vision]], leaving behind a skeleton that crumbles into black ashes. Though the horror is lessened somewhat when the Scotsman immediately [[OurGhostsAreDifferent returns as a jovial spirit]].]]
*** [[spoiler:Perhaps the worst of it all is that in the Scotsman's last stand, the ultimate warrior of the future who was effectively Jack's ''one equal in all the world'', accomplished ''nothing''. Aku wasn't even ''vaguely entertained''. He just slipped back to his depressed boredom and buggered off to his tower. The Scotsman's passing wasn't even given the slightest fanfare, and again, ''this'' was the definitive, most powerful individual opposing Aku after Jack himself. Granted, he was an old, wheelchair-bound man and nowhere near his prime from 50 years ago, but how quickly it happened is rather chilling.]]

** [[spoiler:After Ashi breaks the mind control, the kids get electrified and incapacitated, [[DisneyDeath which made it seem like they died]]. Jack [[DespairEventHorizon believes that he's failed to save the day again and]] ''[[HeroicBSOD finally snaps]]'', so he decides to willingly follow the Omen (the ominous spirit that's been haunting him) to an unknown place.]]
*** [[spoiler:Unlike all those other times when the Omen has appeared, this time he '''[[SuddenlyVoiced speaks]]'''. And the one thing he says? "[[WhamLine It is time.]]" Almost like he was simply ''waiting'' for Jack to just give up his journey...]]
*** [[spoiler:In addition to this, remember the previous circumstances where the Omen appeared; Jack was either feeling immense guilt, was contemplating suicide, or on the verge of dying. The implication here is that Jack [[DeathSeeker now wants the Grim Reaper itself to take him away to his final fate]].]]
*** [[spoiler:AdultFear kicks in when you realize [[WomanChild Ashi]] has suddenly been abandoned by [[ParentalSubstitute the only person who's ever been like a father to her]] in the middle of godforsaken nowhere, and she starts calling out for him in desperation, much like a lost child crying out for a parent who willingly ran out on them.]]

* It turns out that Scaramouche's head is still alive, and he is trying to [[spoiler:contact Aku to tell him that Jack has lost his sword. While the whole subplot is mostly PlayedForLaughs due to his {{ineffect|ual sympathetic villain}}iveness (due to him being [[LosingYourHead reduced to only his head]]), it's only a matter of time before he succeeds in informing Aku. Better hope Jack can find his sword in time...]]
** [[spoiler:[[NightmareRetardant No need to worry now]], seeing as Jack [[HesBack later gets his sword back]] in the next episode. Scaramouche and Aku are in for a rude surprise... yet Scaramouche telling Aku that bit of news is still not something to be taken lightly, because even with Jack's sword back in his hand, he was still in for a much bigger nightmare...]]

** To further expand on this, when Ashi finally decides to [[spoiler:remove the old burnt skin and soot, she had to use ''rocks'' to scrub it off, and it still took her an entire night. ''It was that heavily bonded to her skin''.]]

** While it's played for a quick gag, consider that [[spoiler:''[[TheCollector Demongo]]'' has [[UnexplainedRecovery somehow returned]], and he is still searching for warriors to [[YourSoulIsMine steal their souls]]. The only thing that saves the bar patrons (and potentially [[BadassNormal Ashi, who would've been worthy of capture]]) from being enslaved by him, is because he thinks all of them are pathetic losers, so he decides to go look elsewhere.]]
* [[spoiler:The dark specter that is [[TheGrimReaper The]] [[{{Shinigami}} Omen]] is real. And he will ''kill'' anyone that tries to interrupt Jack's [[DrivenToSuicide suicide attempt]]. When Ashi tries to interfere, he comes after her with a drawn sword, throwing her through tombstones, and growing increasingly vicious as Ashi gets closer and closer to breaking Jack away from his DespairEventHorizon.]]
** Speaking of which, [[spoiler:Jack doesn't even look up when Ashi's trying to get through to him. He just holds the short sword that the Omen gave him, holding it above his abdomen for the killing blow. ''That's'' how close he was to giving up completely.]]
*** For that matter, the ''mere fact'' that [[spoiler:Jack, our beloved childhood hero, the ultimate LawfulGood paragon, the best FriendToAllLivingThings, the greatest NiceGuy to have ever lived, was on the verge of committing '''''{{seppuku}}'''''. Not just any kind of suicide, it's ''seppuku'' (or ''hara-kiri''): a ritual suicide that would have him '''[[GuttedLikeAFish disembowel his own stomach]]''' before getting '''[[OffWithHisHead beheaded by the Omen himself]]''', while ''Ashi is forced to watch''. The sheer horror of such a scene makes the whole fight between Ashi and the Omen that much more intense given what is at stake.]]

* [[spoiler:During her fight with Ashi, the High Priestess [[NearVillainVictory comes dangerously close to killing Jack]] several times while the latter is meditating and thus completely defenseless. To say nothing of the fact that [[OffingTheOffspring she is fully willing to kill her only remaining family member to do so]].]]
** [[spoiler:Never mind the fact that the High Priestess is far from the ZeroEffortBoss that one might reasonably have expected her to be; from the moment she sheds her cloak, and is revealed to be wearing the same black ash coating on her skin like her daughters had, it's obvious that she's more than capable of killing Ashi and Jack, even ''without'' her bow or sacrificial dagger.]]
** [[spoiler:Ashi's ability to throw an arrow barehanded is so potent that ''she doesn't need a bow to launch it hard enough to maim someone''. Her mother gets [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice impaled through the waist]] and [[DisneyVillainDeath falls down the mountain]].]]

** Inner Jack, ''period''. [[spoiler:As Jack begins to come to terms with the fact that his own rage and frustration were what caused him to lose his sword in the first place, Mad Jack (being the manifestation of these dark emotions) becomes increasingly unhinged, his appearance turning absolutely ''[[NightmareFace monstrous]]''. To say nothing of [[FamousLastWords what he says when Jack purges him from his mind]]:]]
--->[[spoiler:'''Mad Jack:''' "''YOU NEED ME!!!''"]]

* Jack wanders off and discovers that [[spoiler:long ago, Aku probably ''[[KilledOffScreen murdered the Guardian]]'' and destroyed the time portal that he was guarding. All that's left is a ruined obelisk and [[CoolShades a pair of broken red shades]], [[NeverFoundTheBody but no corpse can be seen]]. '''[[NothingIsScarier What the heck happened??]]''']]
** As shown way back in [[spoiler:his own episode, the Guardian was so tough and badass that ''[[NighInvulnerable missiles can't even scratch him]]'', and he was able to ''[[CurbStompBattle easily defeat]] [[OneManArmy Samurai Jack]]''. Unfortunately, the Guardian seemed to [[DeathByIrony have ironically fallen victim to]] [[TheWorfEffect a one-sided fight himself]]. [[FridgeHorror Whatever Aku did to the Guardian]] ([[EyeBeams such as]] [[DisintegratorRay the obvious]]), it could not have been pretty.]]

* [[spoiler:Scaramouche's second death is as brutal as it is [[BlackComedy hilarious]]. Aku angrily shoots a [[EyeBeams laser beam]] and [[YourHeadAsplode blows up his head]], to punish Scaramouche for (unwittingly) misinforming him about Jack's sword. If Scaramouche was human, it would be a [[BloodyHorror lot]] [[BloodyHilarious worse]].]]
* TheReveal that [[spoiler:the Daughters of Aku are ''[[NotHyperbole literally]]'' '''[[TheAntichrist Aku's daughters]]'''.]]
** [[spoiler:Aku smells his own scent on Ashi, and soon realizes that ''she is merely a piece of himself''. He explains that a long time ago, he visited the Cult of Aku's temple and dispensed a cup full of ''his own bodily fluids''; which the High Priestess then drank down, making her pregnant with [[HalfHumanHybrid seven hybrid offspring]]. The origins of Ashi and her sisters sounds a hell of a lot like a [[CosmicHorrorStory Lovecraftian]] [[Literature/TheShadowOverInnsmouth horror story]]. And just to make it worse, his visit appears to have been involuntary. The Daughters of Aku raised enough power through prayer, devotion and self-sacrifice to ''summon Aku''.]]
** [[spoiler:The moment Jack tries to strike down Aku after this revelation, Aku just... ''stands there'', with the absolute most contented smile on his face. Then, as listed below, Ashi moves to intercept Jack, not even being aware of it until it's happened. As she stammers out that she didn't do this, Aku's uncharacteristic response tells the whole story: '''"Yes, you did."''' Note the tone here. [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness There's none of Aku's usual ham whatsoever, only a chillingly calm, straightforward statement]]. That isn't a "proud papa" smile, that's ''satisfaction''. In that instant, Aku ''knew'' he had finally won.]]
*** [[spoiler:Exploiting his newfound "fatherhood", Aku decides to [[PeoplePuppets take control of Ashi]], [[{{Sadist}} gleefully]] forcing her to fight Jack against her own will. He then [[TransformationHorror forcefully and painfully turns Ashi into]] [[SuperpoweredEvilSide a twisted demonic version of herself]]; the new Ashi looks like a [[HumanoidAbomination tall and slender black figure]] with no facial features, except for [[GlowingEyesOfDoom glowing white eyes]] with [[UnusualEyebrows flaming red eyebrows]]. Who then begins bending around with an inhuman range of limberness and gains a black sword lit ablaze with Aku's fire and starts rapidly punching her sword into the metal of a junked robot like a needle of a sewing machine in an attempt to slay Jack, then causes a massive explosion just by ''flexing''.]]
*** [[spoiler:[[AndIMustScream Ashi is fully conscious of her actions]], even after her transformation into a HumanoidAbomination. If that wasn't enough, Jack accidentally cuts her demonized body, which burns like Aku's would. It causes some of the darkness covering her to recede for a brief moment, and she ''[[MercyKill begs for Jack to kill her]]''.]]
*** [[spoiler:But finding himself unwilling to kill another brainwashed innocent, and someone he deeply loves no less, Jack just [[DespairEventHorizon gives up all hope again]], ''[[KneelBeforeZod personally surrenders before Aku]]'', and '''allows his sword to be taken away'''. Obviously, Aku can't use the sword on Jack, but he can still deprive him of it. In the end, '''''[[TheBadGuyWins Aku has won]]''''', Ashi is under his thrall as his newest and most powerful minion, and Jack is left at their mercy for whatever fate Aku has planned for him. To say that this is Jack's DarkestHour before the final episode would be a massive understatement.]]
** [[spoiler:Aku managing to take away Ashi's physical control and bend it to evil and only allowing forces of evil to freely manipulate weapons is exactly the kind of thing in his standard repertoire of villainy. He took control away from the man who became the Rock Monster by imprisoning him, he got a banshee to control Jack's sword, Scaramouche could control a sword through magical scatting, he let the Dominator implant chips into alien children to force them to do evil, and so on.]]
** [[spoiler:There's the horrific implication that if Jack had spared Ashi's siblings, he would have had to face '''all seven''' Daughters of Aku in demonic form.]]
* [[spoiler:Just let it sink in. After dozens of episodes of trying, [[TheBadGuyWins Aku finally got that sword and defeated Jack; Aku, the embodiment of evil, had his one good day and basically won]]. [[DownerEnding Rendering Jack's fifty-year-long struggle meaningless]].]]

** Heck, when Ashi is about to kill Jack is perhaps the most tense and distressing scene '''of the entire series''', because we are about to witness the murder of our beloved hero while Aku shows pure excitement and joy in his face... [[spoiler:[[BigDamnHeroes until the awesome rescue!]]]]

* Aku's reaction after [[spoiler:Ashi invokes her EleventhHourSuperpower to help Jack finally return to the past to slay him is rather chilling, [[KarmicDeath even if he deserves it]]. Just imagine how you would feel if you realized you were going to die and you couldn't do anything about it, [[AllForNothing after at least fifty years of trying to stop your eventual killer from doing so]]]]:

** [[spoiler:Further adding to this is how Aku doesn't just die -- Jack ''[[RetGone completely erases him from existence.]]'']]
* [[spoiler:Ashi fading away, leaving only her bridal gown, because Aku's demise means he never gave the High Priestess the essence she used to make her]].
** [[spoiler:There's a ''mountain'' of FridgeHorror attached to this: Jack going back to the past to defeat Aku essentially meant he ''erased'' the entire future that existed because of Aku. But if he and Ashi had refrained from going back to the past, chances are all the people in that future would have remained extant, though at the cost of going back to those he cared for in the past and losing them. And Jack had to sacrifice one or the other. Pick one for the greater good of those to follow by taking Aku out in the past, or just take him out in the future and rebuild from there as [[TheAgeless an immortal]] whose offspring with Ashi would end up being the '''Grandchild(ren) of Aku''' who [[HistoryRepeats could possibly carry on the bloodline of his essence]]? One hell of a SadisticChoice if there ever was one.]]
** [[spoiler:Ashi lives on only in Jack's memory which is ''exactly what he feared might happen''.]]