So begins the introductory sequence to this cartoon from Genndy Tartakovsky, creator of Dexters Laboratory. It tells the story of a young samurai who, after escaping the destruction of his kingdom as a young boy and being trained by warriors from around the globe, returns to his kingdom to defeat the villainous demon-sorcerer Aku. As the opening monologue above indicates, before the samurai could finish him off, Aku sent him thousands of years into the future, into a world that Aku had crushed neatly under his feet.Inspired by some jive-talking locals to adopt the alias "Jack", the samurai now wanders the world, fighting the machinations of Aku (and other evildoers) and trying to find a way home.Supposedly, Genndy intended to finish off the story with a movie, but in any case, Cartoon Network called it a day after 52 episodes, and instead of its expected Grand Finale, it ended on an episode about Jack carrying a baby around.Noteworthy for its outline free style, impressive action sequences, and long stretches without dialogue. In the final season particularly, the show took unusual stylistic risks, such as the episode in which Jack fights a ninja entirely in light and shadow.Rumors are always abound concerning Tartakovsky working to get a movie made to conclude the story, though now it seems it is finally in pre-production at Frederator Studios and Bad Robot.
Character Tropes Include:
0% Approval Rating: Played straight most of the time, but subverted in that Aku seems to be aware of it, and made a rather clumsy attempt to get children to like him in the episode "Aku's Fairy Tales". The rest of the time - seeing as almost nothing can hurt him - he doesn't care. It wasn't always quite down to zero percent though, Jack's largely to blame for people thinking there could be anything besides Aku's rule.
Action Girl: The Scotsman's wife; she single-handedly beats an army both her husband and Jack — two of the greatest warriors ever — had trouble fighting, and starts off said fight by punching a god in the gut. Just because said god called her fat. Did I mention that she was entirely unarmed?
She is also one of few people Jack, without question, ran away from a fight with.
A Day in the Limelight: The Scotsman gets some focus in XLV and XLVI ("Scotsman Saves Jack"). X9 in "Tale of X9".
Ambiguous Robots: Any time Jack slices someone/something up, it's usually mechanical, presumably to avoid explosions of gore in a children's cartoon. (And if not, it's likely to be something Made of Evil, like Aku himself or his demon minions.) Though many of his enemies are just clear-cut robots, others don't show any signs of being mechanical until we see the stumps of their dismembered limbs crackling and spewing oil.
Appropriated Appellation: "Jack" is not his name, but rather a slang term much like "Guy" or "Dude" that he chooses to identify himself by.
Art Shift: Used to great effect to make the visions Jack experiences (and the episode as a whole) in "Jack and the Haunted House" more terrifying.
Also, in "The Princess and the Bounty Hunters", when each bounty hunter tells his or her plans for defeating Jack, the animation is rendered to closely represent the art styles of each bounty hunter's homeworld: traditional Japanese brushstrokes for the Hive Mind cat hunters, a filter to give the effect of a black-and-white movie for the gentleman hunter, stereotypical Russian animation for the Russian bounty hunter, traditional African art for the vaguely African hunter, and blue with white outlines for Princess Mira, giving it a science-fiction feel.
Baleful Polymorph: One episode saw Jack transformed into a chicken after accidentally bumping into a foul-tempered wizard on the street. He was then swept up and placed into a cockfighting match, but proceeded to kick all kinds of (chicken-sized) robot nonetheless.
Berserk Button: Several characters have fallen into this:
The Scotsman's wife-do not, under any circumstances, insult her appearance.
Also, the wizard from "Chicken Jack" seems to fly off the handle pretty quickly if you bump into him and accuse him of not watching his way.
Carnival of Killers: A lot of episodes usually feature bounty hunters contracted to take out Jack.
Cat Folk: There is a race of lion-people who are Proud Warrior Race Guys. They are commissioned by Aku to hunt Jack and succeed in doing so, only to let him go out of respect.
Except for the episode where he fights the stone viking.
Jack: Surely he takes me for a fool to follow deeper into his trap. [Spiked ceiling starts to lower] Jack: A fool I be!
Or in "The Scotsman Saves Jack, Part 2." After Jack's memories are restored following his Surfer Dude amnesia:
Jack: I am forever in your debt. Scotsman: Ah, don't mention it. So, how ya been? Jack:(in surfer voice) Like totally cool. Scotsman: What?! (they laugh)
Or in "Jack vs Mad Jack", Jack delivers a deadpan line after being attacked by a cross between Chewbacca and Domo-Kun in such a manner, it's almost impossible to think how he could have said it with such a straight face.
Alien: Googooplex... (he falls unconscious) Jack:(he stands over him) Looks like there will be no money for you, crazy round man.
Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Aku, as evidenced any time anyone ever trusts Aku, such as the fish people, the scientist who makes the assassin robots, and Jack himself when they duel.
The married cowboy couple that attack Jack. It is implied they love eachother, but are so obsessed with money that they regularly betray each other, especially the woman. The man even has a restraining order on his wife, but he forgets it when she sweet talks him. Right when they have Jack, she betrays him, but she is unable to defeat Jack alone. Jack then ties them together and throws them off the train where they dangle comically. The woman then says that she didn't mean it and she wants her husband's help escaping promoting the man to yell something like, "The order says a hundred feet, woman! A hundred feet!"
Cowboy Episode: Episode XXIX is set on a train, where Jack is pursued by a (married) couple of bounty hunters.
"The order says a hundred feet, woman! A hundred feet!"
Dance Battler: DJ Salvatore from "Jack and the Rave". He actually holds his own against Jack for a good while.
Dangerously Genre Savvy: Although hero and villain alike ordinarily suffered from Contractual Genre Blindness, one episode started with a hilarious subversion - Aku confronts Jack, and then explains exactly how this confrontation is going to play out. Then he suggests that they end the endless cycle with a final duel. Of course, it's a trap. Less predictably, Jack knows it's a trap. However, Aku knows Jack knows it's a trap... but he doesn't know that Jack knows that Aku knows that Jack knows that it's a trap. Or... something like that.
Death Seeker: The Norse warrior cursed with immortality by Aku. As a follower of the Norse religion, he needs to die in glorious battle to join his people in the afterlife, something forever denied to him due to his immortality. Not quite immortality, but being placed in a nigh-unbreakable crystal prison, from which he cannot attack or be harmed, really makes it hard to die in combat.
The Drifter: Jack. He once came across the lands he called home as a child; he was nostalgic for awhile... then moved on.
Mr. Fanservice/Fan Yay: Studmuffiny Jack frequently getting his clothes ripped off in battle (though this happened more in later seasons than it did in season one).
And he knows it, too; if his clothes get a single cut or tear on them, off they go.
The lion-like hunters in one episode evoke the Predators.
Eye Beams: Aku seems to have a whole range of abilities stemming from those awesome peepers; thus far, abilities include force blasts, incendiary force blasts, alchemy, summoning, teleportation, transformation, necromancy, and general spellcasting. Basically, whenever Aku's feeling lazy, he'll just use his eyes.
There's also the giant sun guardian dude (presumably the Egyptian god Ra or Horus), who zaps away the three minions of Set with no trouble.
Fantasy Kitchen Sink: Being set in the distant future, there's the expected sci-fi fare of aliens and robots (lots and lots of robots), but the world is equally filled to the brim with zombies, elementals, demons, mystical guardians, and at least three pantheons of air. Hell, half the episodes revolve around trying to reach some magical artifact to achieve the Series Goal.
Fire-Forged Friends: Jack and the Scotsman initially mock and fight each other, but after beating down some bounty hunters together, they become fast friends.
Fish People: The Triceraquins from "Jack Under the Sea".
Forged by the Gods: Jack's sword was forged by the chief deities of multiple religions using the pure spirit of his father, making it the only weapon able to kill Aku.
Honor Before Reason: One of the more prominent examples of this is in "Jack, the Monks, and the Ancient Master's Son" where he chooses to save the lives of two monks instead of entering the portal to the past and preventing thousands of years of Aku's rule.
Jerkass: Lots of characters, most notably Aku himself. It actually cost him victory at least twice (most notably when he pulled the standard "Agree not to harm someone/thing if you do X for me, then do it anyway" with the scientist who made his assassin robots, who then gave Jack the means to destroy them.)
Jive Turkey: 'Da Samurai' is an unabashed parody of this trope.
General: There are only three archers, yet they decimated my whole army. You are just one man. Do the math.
Laughably Evil: Aku, also Faux Affably Evil. He's one of the few genuinely, irredeemably evil villains who can come across as funny while simultaneously being threatening.
Large Ham: Aku (just listen to the opening monologue). The late voice actor Mako makes this a crowning example of Large Ham done right.
The Scotsman. Despite the fact he is only in a few episodes, he counts.
Mecha-Mooks: To get past censoring, most enemies Jack encounters are machines. Some baddies he fights don't even look like robots until he slashes them open.
Necromancer: Demongo the Soul Stealer, supposedly Aku's most powerful minion.
Nigh Invulnerability: The Time Portal Guardian in "Jack and the Traveling Creatures." Jack manages to hit him with two of his own missiles, and it only manages to piss him off because the explosion ruined his favorite suit.
Ninja: Jack fought a robotic ninja assassin called Shinobi in one episode.
Samurai: Obviously, but also a very specific example. In the third episode, Jack takes on the full samurai mantle against an oncoming horde: longbow, spears, katana, and full "splint" armor, riding atop the closest thing to a warsteed available. As the episode's battle progresses, he slowly gets pared down to the essentials: a katana, the badass wielding it and lots and lots of oil.
Really 700 Years Old: Jack and Aku have been going at it since the days of medieval Japan, after all. Meanwhile, Aku is a tiny piece of a larger Eldritch Abomination killed by the gods Odin, Ra, and Vishnu.
Samus Is a Girl: Princess Mira. Her true gender is not revealed until she takes her helmet off.
Small Name, Big Ego: Da Samurai. His brief encounter with Jack sets him down the right path though.
Space Jews: In one episode Jack encounters an alien race with large noses who wear what look suspiciously like yamurkles, and are being mistreated in horrible conditions by cold, uncaring oppressors who believe they are naturally superior to other races. Remind you of anything?
The Unintelligible: Seems to be a staple of Genndy's, but specifically in "Jack and the Scotsman", we have the redneck boss pig, "BLA-BABADUGORBLUBURDEERBLAGOLBADU!!!" Brilliantly performed by the VA in that it almost sounds like he's actually saying something, as opposed to just speaking gibberish.
Later on though, as his mercenary army of soldiers, tanks, and walking artillery guns are approaching the heroes, "BANGBANGBANGITYBANGBANGBANG!"
Abnormal Ammo: the snake arrow in "Jack and the Hunters"
Absurdly Sharp Blade: Most of the swords and other bladed weapons are capable of cutting through robots made of metal easily. Of course Jack's blade is supernatural in origin, able to cut through anything. In one episode, he found that his strength wasn't enough to defeat a series of Elite Mooks but all he needed was a Powered Armor arm to give his sword the needed cutting power.
Not all of them. the gauntlet ran out of power before Jack could destroy the sword-wielding leader. Only by calling upon the spirits of his ancestors for help in making his Absurdly Sharp Blade go Up to Eleven was Jack able to beat it.
Arrow Cam: The episode with the three blind archers.
Arrow Catch: Jack does this in "Jack and the Hunters", although it's soon revealed the arrow is actually a snake!
He also does it again in the first episode... to Robin Hood no less.
Art Evolution: Jack's eyes, chin, and face have way more noticeable outlines in the first seven to eight episodes, which give his face a more jagged, crude, and nasty appearance.
Art Shift: At one point, in order to facilitate one of the coolest scenes in the show, a fairly realistic portrayal of sunlight and shadows shifts to stark, absolute, clearly delineated areas of black and white. When the fight's over, it turns back. The premise is rather silly, but the execution is beautiful.
Not to mention the fight in the Haunted House episode inside the dragon demon's world that takes on a black and white ink drawing look.
That first scene in (Samurai vs. Ninja)
Asteroid Thicket: Shows up in the episode "Jack and the Flying Prince and Princess"
Jack puts objects in his clothes on a regular basis
At one point Jack manages to pull his huge straw hat out of his sleeve.
Baleful Polymorph: Jack was turned into a chicken once. This affected his social skills more than his martial ones.
Also a bit of a side-effect after he turned back to normal. He use to love eating chicken prior to the curse. But when he went to a food stand after his fowl days, the chef asked him if he wanted to eat chicken. He flat out SNAPS yelling "NO!NO CHICKEN!"
Calling Your Attacks / Explaining Your Power to the Enemy: Generally averted. Though Jack does, at one point (s1e11, fighting the Scotsman on the bridge), inform his enemy of the name and function of his attack, he does so after he attacked and was remarking on how it should have worked, but didn't.
Not to mention the fact that the pilot debuts a 10-minute training montage throughout Jack's life since he was a kid, including his training with Horny Vikings, Warrior Monks, and Robin Hood, among many, many others. By the time the pilot is half done, it's proven that Jack is able to do things no mortal man could simply by virtue of being trained by the greatest warriors known.
Colour-Coded for Your Convenience: in a future that is Aku, people with black, green, and red colors aren't generally out to help Jack.
Combat Stilettos: Jack tries wooden ones with bladed heels in "Jack's Sandals", only to regret it when he gets wolf whistles.
Continuity Nod: In episode XIV, "Jack Learns to Jump Good", Jack learns to jump good. In episode XLVI, while competing with the Scotsman in a jumping contest, Jack reaches the goal-branch first, in one leap. When the Scotsman comments on this, Jack simply replies "Jump good."
In the episode before, Scotsman mentions how Jack is a protector of things, among those things, talking dogs, definitely from the second and third episodes.
In "The Aku Infection," Jack's body is being overcome with Aku's evil. He finds the strength to overcome it by a vision of his parents, which is accompanied by cameos of the Scotsman, the talking dogs, the Woolies, the Triceraquins and others that Jack has helped against Aku.
Crazy-Prepared It is implied that Jack's training was a well thought out plan set up by his parents in case Aku ever reappeared. It works perfectly and Jack comes back as the greatest warrior of the world at the time. Only the Scotman's wife and the Guardian of the Time Portal has been shown to be stronger.
Crossover Cosmology: Jack's include the likes of figures from Egyptian, Hindu, Norse, and Japanese mythology. Namely, Ra and Set, Odin and the Valkyries, and Indra and Kali.
Curb-Stomp Battle: The Woolies vs the Chritchellites was a curb-stomp. Originally, the Chritchellites enslaved the Woolies with an orb of "technology" which made them unable to walk upright and it sapped their strength. Furthermore, the electric spears only worked on enslaved creatures which was an Idiot Ball move. It was then reversed when Jack helped destroy the orb. The fight that defeated the Chritchellites literally lasted minutes.
Defeat by Modesty: Averted. Jack does suffer Clothing Damage a lot (particularly after season one), but he doesn't give up because of it.
Deus ex Machina: Usually involving Jack's sword. For example, Jack was once completely overpowered by his opponent, with no chance to win. What Jack decided to do? Pray. And so the gods listened, producing a wave of holy destruction centered on Jack, enabling him to win and succesfully end the episode in one piece. Similarly, but less egregious, it is revealed in another episode when Jack is under similar danger, that he can't be scratched by his own sword, preventing his opponent (who was wielding it) the victory.
Development Hell: The Movie. It's been in pre-production forever, and only a few tiny snippets of news every year or so is what tells us it's not canned.
Distant Prologue: The pilot episode, as well as the two-parter "The Birth of Evil" take place in what appears to be Medieval Japan.
Distracted by the Sexy: Jack tends to have a bit of a problem with ladies like Josephine Clench and Ikra, who is really Aku in disguise. In the Cartoon Network Action Pack "Jack and Jill" comic, he lets his guard down (again) for , an onna bugeisha (warrior woman) that he calls "Jill", who turns out to be Aku. Again.
Eldritch Abomination: Aku came from a very, very small piece of one that the gods were too busy beating the snot out of to notice it hadn't completely burnt up from their holy weapons. It fell all the way to some unimportant blue-marble type planet. Add some Nice Job Breaking It, Hero and Aku was given anthropomorphic form....
Empathic Weapon: Aku gets ahold of the sword at one point, but it fails to even scratch Jack (it strikes with a flat metallic "tink" sound) because it won't harm the pure. Aku's reaction is one of the most hilariousOh Crap faces in animation history.
Specifically, his GREAT FLAMING EYEBROWS blow out like candles.
Enemy Without: Mad Jack, an incarnation of Jack's dark side brought to life by Aku.
Enthralling Siren: In "The Scotsman Saves Jack", and of the humanoid with enthralling voices variety.
Evil Detecting Dog: in "Jack and the Warrior Woman", a mouselike creature accepts food from Jack, but hisses and runs from his traveling companion Ikra who turns out to be Aku in disguise.
Evil Laugh: Supplied by Aku, in nearly every episode.
Famous Last Words: Some of the robots that attack Jack (Shinobi, the final assassin robot) manage to say the word "Unbelievable" before dying in a cascade of sparks.
A sadder version occurs with X9, who manages to choke out "Lulu, take care of Lulu." Just after Jack kills him.
Five-Episode Pilot: Three episodes, technically. Episodes 4 through 6 that follow could be considered part of the pilot, though, since they follow the same continuity.
Genre Roulette: Apparently, and sometimes in the same episode!
Genre Savvy: Jack uses the fact that the world has no shading or outlines to fight a ninja in one episode.
Aku is pretty genre savvy as well, especially in "Jack vs Aku". Unfortuntely for Aku, Jack was even savvier (see "I Know You Know I Know" for details).
Getting Crap Past the Radar: Most of the Getting Crap Past the Radar moments involve violence and bloodletting (mostly to robots and strange creatures that aren't human). In the way of sexual content and/or innuendo, there isn't much, unless you count the Fanservice of Jack getting his robe ripped to shreds, 90% of the episode "Jack is Naked," or the guys whistling at Jack's legs in Combat Stiletto heels.
In "The Scotsman Rescues Jack, Part 1", The Scotsman takes an amnesia-stricken Jack to bar named "The Stinking Hole" in order to revive Jack's memory, and to kick ass.
Note that the only instance of any sort of blood is a few drops for a split second in the last episode, "Jack and the Baby," when Jack pulls a baby 'possum from his pinkie. While not violent, it is notable for its uniqueness.
Ghibli Hills: The only indication of Aku's global ruination is within urban limits.
Hat Damage: Many many times to Jack's straw hat, most notably when Jack first meets the Scotsman on the ungodly huge bridge. Jack gets his revenge about three seconds later.
I Know You Know I Know: Taken Up to Eleven in Jack vs. Aku. Jack knew Aku wouldn't keep to their agreement (Aku: No superhuman abilities, no minions, only human form; Jack: No sword), so he hid his sword under a pile of rocks. Aku anticipated this, so he had his minions scour the battlefield for it. Jack anticipated this, so he had a fake sword made. Aku anticipated this, so he had multiple minions searching. Finally, Jack saw this coming, so he had multiple fakes made, with the real sword hidden in the one place none of the minions thought to look: Under the sand!
Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: Every episode is "Jack and the ___" or for introducing a rival character "Jack vs. the ___" The occasional episode had "Samurai vs. Ninja" or "Samurai vs. Samurai"
Technically, the episodes are labeled by roman numerals and don't have names (except on the DVDs, and the commercials announcing them when it was still on the air).
Leaning on the Fourth Wall: The elderly fisherman's summary "Tale of the Wandering Mariner" in "The Scotsman Rescues Jack, Part 1" pretty much describes what has happened in the series so far up to this point, just replacing Jack with a mariner.
Like Can Not Cut Like: In their first meeting, Jack can't destroy the Scostman's sword because, like his own, it has magical enchantments protecting it.
Lull Destruction: Averted. Some episodes have maybe a dozen lines total. There's a reason Jack is labelled as The Stoic.
Manly Tears: Episode X: Jack and the Lava Monster. This quote will invoke this trope on part of the audience, and anyone who's watched this episode will remember it.
"At last...the Gates of Valhalla, open to me!"
FREE
Also in Episode XIX, Jack Remembers the Past, in which even Jack can't fight his tears back when he stumbles upon the ruins of his childhood.
Marshmallow Hell: given to Jack by ... the Scotsman's wife when she hugs him
Nice Hat: Hello! Jack's straw hat. We actually see him making one in the biker/shoe sales man episode...
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Aku was given consciousness and free will by the hands of Jack's father. It must be added that he was the one who first defeated and imprisoned Aku into a tree thereafter.
Outside-The-Box Tactic: "Jack vs. Mad Jack" has Jack fighting a clone spawned from his irrational anger. At the conclusion, he catches on, steps back and meditates. With his anger calmed, the clone's power cuts off and it dissipates.
Phlebotinum Killed The Dinosaurs: When Aku comes to Earth, he comes in the form of a blazing meteor. Guess what standing right in the impact zone.
The Quiet One: Jack doesn't speak in a fair number of episodes, even in the flashbacks to his childhood only in one of them does he speak.
Rain of Arrows: In the episode with the three jackal archers and the well. Aku once shot hundreds of archers' arrows right back at them in this way, as well.
Ribcage Ridge: that big fish thing in the opening sequence.
Rule Of Cool: this series refines this to an art form.
Scenery Porn: Done very well considering the simplicity of the art style. Just about every episode starts off with Jack walking through it.
Sci-Fi Writers Have No Sense of Scale: Thankfully and beautifullyaverted. Aku, and the numerous Kaiju that Jack meets along his journey (whether friendly or foe) look absolutely massive compared to the humans they come in contact with. Though, Aku tends to avert this trope willingly.
Sealed Evil in a Can: Once in a while, but the servants of Set in particular are sealed in something quite can-shaped.
Little man: There's a fork in the road! Follow the rocky path! It will take you to the Dragon's Lair! Jack: Where will the other one take me? Little man:Space Ace!
Planet of the Apes, of all things, gets referenced in "Jack Is Naked" when Jack, almost naked, goes for a dip in a pool at the base of a massive waterfall finds out that his gin and sword were stolen by a poor village girl. Of course, he thinks they were stolen by a rabbit.
There are a few references to Star Wars in "Scotsman Saves Jack":
Early in the episode, The Scotsman is accosted by an unintelligible Greedo-like alien. Neither of them shoots first; Scotsman just takes him out with one punch.
Before they meet the fish-men:
Scotsman: I've got a bad feeling about this...
Upon reaching the seaport:
Scotsman: You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy!
When Jack and The Scotsman are chartering a ship:
Captain: That's the real trick isn't, and it's gonna cost you, ten thousand.
Jack: Ten thousand, guy we can almost buy our own ship for that. Dude, I know this guy...
Captain: Yeah, but who's gonna sail it boy, you?
Jack: Wow, yeah, I could. I worked on a boat before.
Scotsman: That'll do ya.
Captain: All right then, all aboard.
Also many Star Wars references and similar elements in "Jack and the Flying Prince and Princess:
The Queen: You are our only hope.
The robot that accompanies the prince and princess resembles C-3PO, even saying "oh my!"
After trying to lose the tailing ships in an asteroid belt:
Astor: Ha ha! We lost one of 'em!
Verbina: Great Astor, but don't get cocky.
The design of the royal siblings' escape vehicle resembles that of the Tantive IV.
After being captured by Aku's minions:
Astor: I've got a bad feeling about this...
Aku sees a glimmer from Jack's sword out of the corner of his eye:
Aku: Mmm... strange. I though I sensed... a presence.
After the siblings meet Jack for the first time in disguise:
Verbina: Aren't you a little short for a demonic minion?
Shovel Strike: Jack temporarily arms himself with a shovel in "The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful".
Shower Scene: "Jack is Naked" features the waterfall variation.
Stupid Evil: Aku many times actually comes up with good plans that leaves Jack on the ropes, however several of them fall apart due to Aku's complete inability to resist throwing some Villain Ball, be it kicking arounda vengefulMook or prolonging Jack's death for some torturous (but escapable) device.
Throwing Your Sword Always Works: Jack in his first fight with Aku as Jack's father does the same in "Birth of Evil, Part 2" to Aku, and the Spartan King when he borrows the sword briefly.
Unlimited Wardrobe: How many kimonos does he have, anyway? Lampshaded in the episode where his geta sandals break, and he has to find new ones. Another episode starts with Jack weaving a new hat.
Vanity License Plate: in "Jack's Shoes", one of the biker's license plates is "HRT_CHU".
Villains Out Shopping: Subverted in one episode. Aku sits on his throne, frowning, then picks up an off-screen phone receiver, dials a number and has the following conversation with an unintelligible voice at the other end between each line:
"Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha..."
"Yes, I can hold."
"Yes...I'd like to place an order for delivery."
"A-ku."
"I think I'm in the computer..."
"Yes, that's it! I'd like a large..."
"What? Huh?"
"Extra thick!"
"Thirty minutes or it's free? EX-CELL-ENT! HAAAAA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!"
The Worf Barrage: the Mondo Bot uses all of its projectile attacks against Robo-Samurai to no effect before they fight with swords.
Wretched Hive: Heckbucket Seaport. The Scotsman even says that "you'll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy", in a clear Shout Out. (The crabcakes aren't bad either!)
Xanatos Gambit: In the episode "Jack and the Swamp Monster", Aku's plot seems to fall under this, though there is a certain ambiguity to it. In his Paper-Thin Disguise, Aku leads Jack on a quest to uncover some magical artifacts, which invariably turn out to be tucked away in elaborate deathtraps. Under this scenario, Jack could either die while trying to retrieve the artifacts or he could successfully retrieve them and just end up handing them over to Aku. What's ambiguous about it is whether or not Jack retrieving the artifacts was necessary for the plan or if Aku could have simply retrieved them himself if he wanted; the deathtraps don't look like they'd be particularly dangerous to Aku, after all.
Yank the Dog's Chain: Despite always seeming to be near success, the inevitability of him failing to either return to the past or beat Aku in the present.
Throw the Dog a Bone: Several episodes, however, end with the way home not lost, and with the explicit promise that Jack can return and use them later on. A pity The Movie fell through...
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