Jack and the Traveling Creatures
Episode numeral: XXXII
Original air date: 4/26/03 (produced in 2002)
As Samurai Jack is told to travel North to the city of Kojima, along the way, he has to cross a lake thanks to a creature who is able to ferry him across. Afterwards, the Lake Creature notices Jack's katana and takes him upriver to where the Mountain Creature has Jack defeat of group of enemies to pass its test before summoning a large bird-like creature to take Jack to a graveyard full of debris, before arriving at the source of a shimmering light: A time portal and its Guardian.
The Guardian explains that only one person is destined to defeat him and use the time portal, and he deems Jack unworthy. All the debris was of other warriors who fought the Guardian and lost their lives when they refused to give up and leave. However, knowing that the time portal is his means to return to his own time and prevent Aku's Bad Future from becoming reality, Jack refuses to turn and depart, and draws his katana. The Guardian draws his own blade, and the battle begins.
After a long, hard, arduous battle, the Guardian soon manages to knock Jack unconscious after being enraged by the destruction of his suit, but before he can kill Jack by crushing him under a large boulder, the time portal intervenes, apparently telling the Guardian something that he understands and has him stand down and spare Jack's life, before having the bird-like creature that brought Jack to the time portal return to take Jack's unconscious body away after the Guardian loads him onto the creature. Once the creature has departed with Jack, the Guardian looks after them with a saddened look before turning to the time portal as it displays a vision of Jack, looking much older and wiser, standing triumphant on a cliff edge.
Tropes:
- Always Someone Better: The Guardian is the sole character in the series to defeat Jack in single combat, with nothing but his own strength and skill to boot.
- Ambiguous Situation: The vision the portal shows of is an older Jack. We're never given any indication if this is Jack's future, much less if it's before or after returning to his time, or if this is a possible future. The IDW comics would take the latter route. This gets confirmed in the fifth season, where we get a brief scene showing that Aku has indeed killed the Guardian and destroyed his portal, obliterating the future of the vision.
- Apologetic Attacker: The Guardian apologizes to Jack for beating him into the ground, and allows him to be rescued. Though this is only after the portal tells him that Jack is the one destined to use it.
- Beef Gate: Jack needs to fight and defeat the time portal's guardian if he dares to try using it.
- Combat Breakdown: Jack's fight with the Guardian starts as a duel with swords, but progresses to scavenged weapons before finishing with a fisticuffs brawl.
- Curb Stomp Cushion: Jack initially holds his own for a bit against the Guardian, using the various weapons scattered around the battleground to fend off the Guardian's assault and disarm him from his sai blades. Jack even manages to hit the Guardian with his own missiles; but this has no real effect except for ruining his suit and pissing him off. After that, The Guardian quickly inflicts a Curb-Stomp Battle on Jack.
- Don't Make Me Destroy You: Just before their final clash, the Guardian suggests Jack leave before he "really gets hurt". Jack stubbornly refuses to back down and gets a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown for his trouble.
- HA HA HA—No: The Guardian's answer when Jack first requests to use the portal.
- Jaw Drop: Jack has one when he sees that Guardian was unharmed by the missiles he sent back at him, with only his suit ruined.
- Kaiju: The three great beasts (the titular "Traveling Creatures") that bring Jack to the time portal.
- Mook Horror Show: The Guardian's grounds are littered with the remains of numerous fallen robots, all of them having been destroyed trying to gain entrance to the portal.
- My Favorite Shirt: The Guardian gets serious in the fight with Jack after he deflects his missiles back at him, trashing the suit he was wearing.
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: The fight ends with the Guardian beating Jack into unconsciousness with his own bare hands, and nearly finishes him off before he gets a command from the portal itself to spare him.
- No-Sell: Nothing Jack does affects the Guardian beyond mild annoyance, except wrecking his suit. That just pisses him off.
- Only the Chosen May Wield: The Guardian explains that only one man has been prophesied to defeat him and gain access to the time portal. Unfortunately for Jack, he's not that man... ...until it turns out that he is, but the time isn't at that moment to use it until he's garnered the experience glimpsed at the end.
- Punch-Clock Villain: The Guardian serves an antagonistic role, but is not really evil at all, he's just very dedicated to his job.
- Shout-Out:
- The opening voice-over references a character called "Goseki" in the city of "Kojima". This is a nod to mangaka Goseki Kojima whose work had been previously alluded to in Season 2 Episode 6.
- The Guardian is one big homage to Morpheus from The Matrix; his appearance, usage of a katana, and the way The Hero is reflected in his eyes, are all reminiscent of him. There's also a nod to the One (aka Neo).
Guardian: I told you, man- you ain't the one.- If you get the Guardian of the Time Portal mad, he will go all blue Hulk on you!
- Strong and Skilled: The Guardian is both much stronger and a better fighter than Jack.
- We Will Meet Again: The final scene has the portal showing the Guardian an image of Jack as an aged king returning to the portal, implying that they will fight again and Jack will emerge victorious.
