The Pirncess and the Bounty Hunters
Episode numeral: XLIV
Original air date: 11/12/03
Far to the north, six world renowned bounty hunters converge on an isolated cabin- Jujunga, an Aborigine hunter armed with a didgeridoo that doubles as a blowgun; I and Am, two telepathic Cat Folk; The Gentleman, a Southerner with an affinity for knives; Boris, a towering Russian brawler; and a mysterious figure in powered armor carrying a sword. They've all come for the same purpose- Samurai Jack has been reported to be heading this direction, and each bounty hunter has come to collect. Jack isn't there, yet, so the hunters decide to pass the time by telling each other their plans and why they'll be the one to succeed.
First up is Jujunga- his plan is to lure Jack with the enthralling music of his didgeridoo, and when he gets too close Jujunga will shoot him with a poisoned dart. The masked figure scoffs at this plan, saying Jack is always on high alert and will hear the sound of Jujunga inhaling to fire the dart and thus be able to escape.
The Gentleman offers his plan- exploiting Jack's hyper focus he will throw his cape at the samurai, both to distract Jack and shield the Gentleman from attack. The Gentleman will then use two throwing knives to kill the samurai. The masked hunter is not impressed, saying Jack is too disciplined to fall for a trick like that.
I and Am are next- they plan to double team Jack, with I using a chain to tangle Jack's legs and immobilize him. While Jack struggles to free himself, Am will attack from above and rain grenades on Jack, blowing him to pieces. The masked hunter again shoots this plan down, saying Jack could cut through the chains and dodge the bombs.
Boris dismisses all these plans and presents his own brilliant strategy- rush Jack and beat him to death with his superior strength, trusting that his own bulk will be enough to tank Jack's sword. The masked figure calls Boris stupid.
Now the masked hunter is unmasked and - she is Princess Mira, a renowned fighter who hopes to use Aku's bounty to buy freedom for her people. She offers all the other bounty hunters an equal share and then some if they'll use her plan: the six will ambush Jack at once, with I stealing Jack's sword and Jujunga stunning Jack with his dart before Mira, Boris, and the Gentleman rush in and beat Jack so he cannot run away, and finally Am will drop his bombs on Jack for the finishing blow. Though some (mainly Boris) are iffy on the plan, they agree and begin to set their trap. When their preparations are complete, I and Am spot Jack and Mira orders everyone to hide in the holes they have dug to conceal themselves. After a tense wait Jack finally arrives in the right place for the attack to begin.
It fails, utterly: While I manages to grab Jack's sword, he yanks it back and pulls I from his hiding spot, using the motion to strike down Jujunga. The Gentleman attacks, but Jack easily dodges the cape and knives and takes down the Gentleman. Mira doesn't even get a full swing in before Jack shatters her sword and her mask, knocking her back. Finally, Jack catches Am's bombs and hurls them at Boris, blowing him up, before striking Am as he sails past. All of this happens in the amount of time it takes a single drop of water to fall from a nearby icicle, and Jack is completely unharmed.
Mira is the only bounty hunter left, pulling herself to her feet while Jack has his back to her. She draws a dagger and contemplates attacking Jack on her own, but her strength fails her and she slumps over in defeat. Jack says nothing, continuing his journey and disappearing into the forest.
Tropes:
- Affably Evil: The Gentleman is very polite suave and sophisticated even when facing his enemies.
- All for Nothing: All the planning that the bounty hunters spent the entire episode coming up with to kill Jack is rendered moot in a matter of seconds.
- Art Shift: A variation. As each of the bounty hunters explains their individual plans to kill Jack, they are accompanied with a separate visual in a different animation style accordingly: Aborigine artwork for Jujunga, a silent-era style film (complete with black and white filter) for the Gentleman, oriental Okami-style art for I and Am, and childish crayon drawings (akin to Dexter's Laboratory episode "Dexter and Computeress Get Mandark!") for Boris. Mira also explains each plan's flaws through the same animation styles.
- Buffy Speak:Gentleman: Is she the one who... captured that guy... on that planet?
- But for Me, It Was Tuesday: Jack doesn't even acknowledge the bounty hunters after he's defeated them, continuing on his journey without saying a word.
- Carnival of Killers: Samurai Jack has, of course, never been a stranger to this trope, but this episode really jacks up the National Stereotypes flavoring. We've got the stoic (presumably Australian) Aborigine blowgunner, the Inscrutably Chinese-coded Creepy Twins, the genteel Southern dandy, and of course - the Dumb Muscle Russian.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Jack takes down all six bounty hunters in the time it took for one drop of water to hit the ground.
- Compressed Hair: Mira has a thick mane of red hair underneath that helmet.
- Dramatic Unmask: Princess Mira unmasks herself to the other bounty hunters.
- Expy: I and Am are clearly based on Si and Am from Lady and the Tramp. Their leitmotif is even a sound alike of "We Are Siamese (If You Please)."
- Iaijutsu Practitioner: Princess Mira is shown practicing this technique by repeatedly drawing her sword, slashing a water drop from an icicle, and sheathing the blade, all in the span of less than half a second. Unfortunately for her, Jack's even faster.
- I Gave My Word: "The Gentleman never goes back on his word."
- Know When to Fold 'Em: A tragic example. Mira is the only one of the bounty hunters still conscious and draws out a dagger for another attempt to defeat Jack. Realizing how futile it is to continue fighting him, she sheds a Single Tear, drops the weapon, and falls on her knees, dolorously accepting she can't save her people.
- Samus Is a Girl: The mask Princess Mira was wearing with her Powered Armor filtered her natural feminine voice with a Darth Vader-esque masculine voice. This made it all surprising to the rest of the bounty hunters (who are all male), when she unmasks herself and reveals her true gender.Boris: A WOMAN!
- Sour Supporter: Boris is the only one of the six that doesn't like the final plan, though it's more because he's being bossed around by a woman rather than it being a bad plan.
- Villain Episode: The episode's perspective is from the bounty hunters that have teamed up to kill Jack rather than Jack's continued quest. Jack does not even have any speaking lines for the very small amount of screentime he gets by this episode's end.
- Villain Team-Up: The six bounty hunters team up to kill Jack together.
- The Voiceless: Jack only appears at the end but never says a word.
- Wrecked Weapon: Jack breaks Mira's sword and I's chain during the course of the fight.
