History Characters / SamuraiJackJack

* PositiveFriendInfluence: Becomes this to [[SamuraiJackAshi Ashi]], where she would eventually [[HeelFaceTurn change for the better]].

* GentlemanAndAScholar: {{Downplayed}}, especially given his rather limited academic experience. Nonetheless, Jack's own philosophy, as well as his numerous travels throughout the show (which can fall into the category of '''sociology'''), has him being fairly qualifiable as such.

* BruiserWithASoftCenter: A more pragmatic example (especially given that he mostly uses his own katana whenever he's fighting against different opponents, including Aku). Throughout the show, Jack has often been showing a rather stoic facial expression even to the nicest people he met. In reality, however, he's more honorable than what it suggests, further proven by his less-than-common and non-stoic expressions, which are also apparently genuine.

* AllAsiansKnowMartialArts: But this Asian knows all martial arts spending his entire adolescent training with the best warriors from every major country in the known world of his time, to picking up more fighting styles, technology, weapons, and animal taming techniques after being trapped in the future for 50 years.

* FatalFlaw: {{Wrath}}.

* SignificantWardrobeShift: In the TimeSkip between seasons 4 and 5, Jack ditches his iconic white kimono for a dark set of samurai armor, reflecting the shift in mindset from idealistic to dour. [[spoiler:When he reclaims his sword, he gets it back, symbolizing his newfound resolve]].

* TheMusketeer: If it's a type of weapon that existed in his time, he can pick it up and use it expertly. The same goes for when he only has his bare hands. He was also taught a number of other skills, such as sailing, hunting, and horse-riding, and is very good at all of them. While he doesn't use firearms in the original series, this changes in Season 5 due to having lived in the future long enough to become accustomed to them.

Our hero, an unnamed samurai prince, and the son of the Japanese emperor who initially released (and then defeated) the demon Aku. But when Aku later returned for revenge and ravaged Japan, the prince escaped and spent his youth training in every country in the known world, in preparation for the final battle... but before the final blow was struck, Aku flung him far into the future. Taking the alias of "Jack" from some jive-talking locals, he must now WalkTheEarth, seeking a way back to the past to finish that battle... not that this will stop him from setting things right in the future as well.

* ModestRoyalty: Despite being the prince of ancient Japan, he prefers a simple white gi as his usual outfit. Even as a boy, he is never seen wearing anything more ornate. In Season 5, he does get cool armor, but it doesn't take and gets shredded.

* DerangedAnimation: While his first appearance has some hints of it, his second appearance outright has his body contorting in strange poses, his presence shown in {{Dutch Angle}}s, and his [[NightmareFace face looking quite nightmarish]] as it [[UncannyValley wildly changes proportions between angles]]. He changes back to normal in his third appearance. [[spoiler:His fourth appearance is this in full force.]]

* AmbiguousDisorder: Season 5 shows that Jack is suffering extreme [[ShellShockedVeteran PTSD]] and depression. Though his vivid hallucinations imply that he's also suffering from something like psychosis.

* BalefulPolymorph: Jack gets cursed for the [[DisproportionateRetribution crime of accidentally bumping into a short-tempered sorcerer]]. Though eventually, Jack's back to normal after the same wizard [[KarmicTransformation turns Cacciatore into a chicken]].

* CluckingFunny: Jack is still [[TheComicallySerious acting more or less like himself]], even as a rooster.

* SimpleStaff: His preferred weapon if he can't or won't use his sword. In Season 5 he's taken to carrying a high tech version that can become [[BladeOnAStick a polearm]] or a cattle prod.

* NiceHat: Sometimes wears one made of straw. Episode 26 reveals that he knows how to hand-weave a hat from the husks of straw, which explains how he always manages to procure replacement hats when they get continually pulverized.
** The pilot had him wearing a kabuto helmet made from scrap metal as part of a set of improvised armor.

* DidNotGetTheGirl: [[spoiler: After finally killing Aku after years of trying, he was about to marry Ashi until she ceased to exist due to being born from Aku's essence. '''[[TheWoobie Poor Jack]].''' It was a necessary sacrifice for the greater good, but with his mission completed, he could eventually move on]].

* GainingTheWillToKill: At the end of "Episode XCIII", [[spoiler:he kills one of the Daughters of Aku, and spends a good portion of the next in a HeroicBSOD over having taken a human life. While recovering from his wounds, Jack recalls an incident as a child where his father killed some bandits who attacked their carriage, along with a speech from his father about how actions prove who we really are. With this, Jack manages to pull himself together, killing all but one of the remaining Daughters, though he's still quite bummed about doing so.]]

* HundredPercentHeroismRating: Aku's forces are the ''only'' ones who hate Jack. Everyone else adores and respects him for the good he's done; Episode XCVII is one big ContinuityCavalcade devoted to how much everyone Jack has ever helped and inspired see him as a [[HopeBringer beacon of hope]] in a world dominated by Aku. Even the bounty hunters at Da Samurai's BadGuyBar who Jack defeated in the past ''respect'' Jack despite all of them being physically crippled by him in some way. To drive the point home, in the GrandFinale, [[spoiler:Aku captures Jack and announces his plan to publicly execute him to [[MakeAnExampleOfThem make an example of him]] and [[HopeCrusher crush everyone's hopes]]. The exact opposite happens; rather than be disheartened, ''everyone'' Jack has ever helped storms Aku's fortress en masse to rescue him]].

** Best shown in his 'fight' with Da Samurai: Jack ''intentionally'' keeps his back to the guy most of the fight. He still completely stomps him into the ground without even trying.

-->'''[[SmallNameBigEgo Da Samurai]]''': Didn't you hear who I am!\\

* HopeBringer: He's given the oppressed masses someone to rally behind against Aku, with Season 5 establishing him as practically a messiah-like figure who's encouraged hope under Aku's reign. The Scotsman states outright that Jack has inspired numerous people to oppose Aku, and an entire episode is devoted to Ashi learning from the various people Jack has helped, from Da Samurai to the former Portal Guardians, how much the Samurai impacted their lives.

* ShellShockedVeteran: Decades of constant warfare against Aku's forces have left Jack becoming an extremely anxious, depressed, and paranoid NervousWreck. It's not helped at all by him being a firsthand witness of Aku's countless atrocities against innocent people, and now believes that he's ultimately powerless to stop all the evil and cruelty in the world.

* SignificantBirthDate: As shown in "The Birth of Evil," he was born the very same day that his father originally defeated Aku.

* SociallyAwkwardHero: While Jack is ''not'' [[NoSocialSkills totally lacking in social skills]], he's become a very shy and lonely man. This is the result of spending most of his life travelling alone to fight evil, [[ShellShockedVeteran being severely traumatized by his experiences]], and barely remembering what a stable and peaceful lifestyle is like. As such, he can be rather awkward around friends, foes, and strangers alike.

* TheStoic: [[NotSoStoic Most of the time]] when he's travelling around and nothing noticeable or sight-interesting things going around him. Only two people have ever made him lose his temper; [[LargeHam the]] [[VitriolicBestBuds Scotsman]] (by insulting him as a means to goad him into a fight) and [[DarkActionGirl Ashi]] (with her overzealous rants about how Aku is good and Jack is evil). That said, he's not completely emotionless and isn't above expressing his feelings.

* RiddleForTheAges: Whatever his birth name is.

* {{Ninja}}: He doesn't show it much, but he's not just a {{Samurai}}, he's well trained in ninjitsu and breaks it out when he needs to, such as against the Ninja in "Jack vs. the Ninja", [[spoiler:and against the Daughters of Aku]]. This is TruthInTelevision, since in RealLife many samurai were also trained as ninja.