# Samurai Jack Samurai Jack is an animated action series created by Genndy Tartakovsky that first aired on Cartoon Network on August 10, 2001, following a lone samurai flung into a dystopian future ruled by the shape-shifting demon Aku. The show gathered a devoted online fanbase across Reddit, Tumblr and 4chan, and returned for a final Adult Swim season in 2017 that pushed its catchphrases and iconography back into wide meme circulation. ## Origin The series was created by animator Genndy Tartakovsky and first announced at a Cartoon Network press conference on February 21, 2001[3]. It premiered on August 10, 2001 and ran for four seasons and 52 episodes, ending its original run on September 25, 2004[3]. An Urban Dictionary entry summarizing the show was submitted by user Dave on March 28, 2004, describing Jack's endless hunt for a time portal back to the past[2]. IDW Publishing extended the story in comic form starting October 2013, with a 20-issue run written by Jim Zub and drawn by Andy Suriano that ended in May 2015[3]. On December 2, 2015, Adult Swim announced on YouTube that the show would return for a new season[1], and the fifth and final season began airing on March 11, 2017[3]. - **Platform:** Cartoon Network (broadcast) / Reddit, Tumblr, 4chan (fandom spread) - **Creator:** Genndy Tartakovsky - **Date:** 2001 ## Overview Samurai Jack follows a nameless Japanese warrior, called Jack, who wields a god-forged katana and gets banished by the shape-shifting demon Aku into a future where Aku's rule is total[1]. Fans quickly latched onto the show's minimalist dialogue, painterly backgrounds and long silent action stretches, which set it apart from the busier cartoons airing alongside it on Cartoon Network[3]. The show's opening narration, delivered by Mako as Aku with the line "Long ago in a distant land, I, Aku, the shape-shifting master of darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil," became the most-quoted piece of the series across fan boards and image edits[2]. Aku's cackle, Jack's silhouetted sword poses and the recurring Season 5 chant of "gotta get back, back to the past" are the pieces most often clipped, remixed and screencapped by the fandom[4]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Samurai Jack? Samurai Jack is a Cartoon Network animated action series created by Genndy Tartakovsky about a samurai trapped in a future ruled by the demon Aku[3]. ### Where did Samurai Jack come from? The show was announced at a Cartoon Network press conference on February 21, 2001 and premiered on August 10 of that year[3]. ### What does Samurai Jack mean? Jack is the name the samurai adopts in the future timeline, chosen for him by strangers who hear his voice; the title character's quest is to defeat Aku and return to the past[2]. ### How do you use Samurai Jack in memes? Fans typically quote Aku's opening narration, "Long ago in a distant land," or edit Jack's silhouette and sword poses into reaction images and AMVs[4]. ### Is Samurai Jack still popular? The show is a long-running favorite in animation communities and got a fresh wave of attention with its 2017 Adult Swim revival season[1]. ## References 1. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgXn0P8L1S0]() 2. [https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Samurai+Jack]() 3. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/samurai-jack]() 4. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSrv_n4tw7w]() 5. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMqQOGTshak]() 6. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6Oqw-ZPTdg]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/samurai-jack Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library