User:Jackhynes/References in Samurai Jack

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These are in-episode references in the cartoon Samurai Jack.

Contents

[edit] 2 Stupid Dogs

  • One of the canine archaeologists in "The Samurai Called Jack" is Big Dog.

[edit] Adamantium

  • In the episode "Jack and the Ultra Robots", the evil robots were indestructible because they were coated in adamantium, the metal from the Marvel Universe used to coat Wolverine's skeleton.

[edit] The Cat in the Hat

  • In "Jack and the Rave", Jack's disguise includes a The Cat in the Hat-style head cover.

[edit] Coleridge

  • In one episode Jack is asked by an old man if he wants to hear a tale about a mariner, identical to the start of the epic poem by Samuel Coleridge, 'The rime of the ancient mariner'.

[edit] Dexter's Laboratory

  • In "Jack versus Mad Jack", one of the bounty hunters in the woods that is riding a robotic elephant is the Intergalactic big-game hunter, appropriately named Huntor, who appeared in the sub-series "Dial 'M' for Monkey", that appeared in "Dexter's Laboratory".

[edit] Enter the Dragon

  • In the Dome of Doom in "Jack and the Smackback" Jack twirls his nunchakus like Bruce Lee.

[edit] Giant Robo

  • In the Episode "Robo-Samurai Vs. Mondo-Bot", the Egyptian appearance of Jack's robot form is strongly reminiscent of the title robot of this series.

[edit] Greek Mythology

  • In "Jack and the three Gems", the origin of the gems is based on the life of the Gods and Titans of the ancient Greece. Even the name of the gods are taken from this source (for example: Kronos).

[edit] Hanna Barbera

  • In "Samurai Jack and the Clenches" and "The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful", Hanna Barbera characters Quick Draw McGraw and Baba Looey make a brief appearance. In the latter episode, Baba Looey is called "Baba Louis".
  • In "Samurai versus Samurai", a portable stereo unit makes the same sound as El Kabong's guitar when it strikes someones head.

[edit] The Herculoids

  • The six-legged insect/horse that appears in The First Fight resembles a heroic creature named Tundro from the Hanna-Barbera animated series The Herculoids.

[edit] The Highlander

  • In "Jack and the Scotsman, Part 2", Jack asks the question asked by Sean Connery in Highlander, "Haggis. What is Haggis?" To which the Highlander replies, "Sheep stomach filled with meat and barley."

[edit] The Hobbit

  • In "Jack and the Baby" the troll-like villains argue about how to cook the baby.

[edit] Jonny Quest

  • In "Chicken Jack", a one-eyed, spider-legged machine is similar to the title device in a Jonny Quest episode, The Robot Spy.

[edit] Kung Fu (TV series)

  • In "Samurai versus Samurai" Jack enters a bar and orders a cup of hot water. In Kung Fu, Caine enters the crowded bar and asks for water, to the barman's displeasure.

[edit] The Last Dragon

  • In "Samurai versus Samurai", Jack spends the episode in conflict with an overbearing man calling himself Da Samurai; Da Samurai looks and sounds a great deal like Sho'nuff, the villain from The Last Dragon.

[edit] Lone Wolf and Cub

  • Severed robots often spew oil like the arterial sprays of the Lone Wolf’s victims.
  • In "Jack Remembers the Past" Jack remembers seeing a man and child (Lone Wolf and Cub). Lone Wolf battles three Masters of Death on a bridge, which starts Jack's interest in being a Samurai.
  • The last shot of "The Princess and the Bounty Hunters" is an almost direct translation of the last shot in the second movie.
  • The entire episode "Jack and the Baby" is a homage to the series ending finally with the child, having been exposed to Jack and the samurai life, being destined to life as a warrior as is Daigoro.

[edit] Lupin III

  • In the Episode "The Thief and The Pyramid", Jack competes with a thief to claim a magic jewel. The Thief strongly resembles gunman and partner in crime Daisuke Jigen, but with a white suit and red hair.
  • "In Jack and the Creature", the crystal Jack quests for is referred to as the "Crystal of Cagliostro" a likely reference to the Lupin film The Castle of Cagliostro, helped by the fact that the titular creature has more than a passing resemblance to the big Totoro from My Neighbor Totoro, also written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki.

[edit] The Love Boat

  • In "The Scotsman Saves Jack" we see numerous crews from various types of ships enslaved on the Sirens' island, including the original Love Boat crew.

[edit] MDK (video game)

  • In "Jack and Swamp Monster" an artifact and several platforms are suspended by air streams. Jack jumps between platforms and uses his clothing as an airfoil the way Kurt Hectic does in one of MDK's arenas.

[edit] Miyamoto Musashi

  • In one of Jack's flashbacks he sees Musashi with Iori, being approached by evil robots of Aku. He then disposes of them rapidly. Samurai Jack stands in awe, as Musashi walks on.

[edit] Monty Python

  • In "Three Tales of the Samurai", the two-headed worm asks Jack the 3 questions from the bridge in the Holy Grail, "What is your name? What is your quest? And what is your favourite colour?" Jack even says the wrong colour like in Monty Python, "Blue...No, red.", with the exception that in Monty Python, the "red" was "yellow".

[edit] Powerpuff Girls

  • The dogs in "The Samurai Called Jack" are mining the remains of the City of Townsville. A billboard in the background shows a picture of the Talking Dog which was in an episode of the Powerpuff Girls.

[edit] Pulp Fiction

  • In "Jack and the Farting Dragon", Jack asks for information from a Scissorsmith, who then asks "Do you see the words 'free information' anywhere on that sign?" and, after Jack replies "No", the Scissorsmith says "That's because I don't sell free information!". This is a reference to Jimmie asking Jules and Victor if they saw a sign on his house saying "Dead Nigger Storage".

[edit] Raiders of the Lost Ark

  • In the Episode "The Thief and the Pyramid" Jack carefully takes the diamond from the pedestal like Indiana Jones.

[edit] Reservoir Dogs

  • In "Jack and the Gangsters" the villains' names reference Mr. Blonde, Mr. Pink and Nice Guy Eddie.

[edit] Spider-Man (film)

  • Jack, the monks, and the ancient master's son (310) has several slowed punches with Jack looking down the length of the arm, which is very much like the slowed punches in the Spider Man film.

[edit] The Seven Samurai

  • The banner that is created in "The First Fight" is a homage to the banner in Seven Samurai which also represents the strong (Jack or the Samurai) defending the weak (the canines or the village).

[edit] The Simpsons

  • In "Jack and the Rave", Jack sucks a pacifier as Maggie Simpson does.

[edit] Space Ace

  • In "Jack and the Farting Dragon", Jack asks the Scissorsmith where each of the branches in the fork in the road lead. The first leads to the Dragon's Lair according to the Scissorsmith. Jack then asks where the other road leads, and the Scissorsmith says, 'Space Ace'. ('Dragon's Lair' and 'Space Ace' were cartoon-based video games that came out in the 1980's. They were created by Cinematronics. The gameplay (or lack of) was based around choosing from a limited number of paths, a feature that is likely being spoofed here.)

[edit] Star Wars

  • In "The Scotsman Saves Jack" Jack and The Scotsman travel to a town to look for a boat to sail. The dialogue is like that of the Mos Eisley/Cantina sequence in Star Wars.
  • In "Jack and the Flying Prince and Princess" when Jack rescues the princess in an enemy uniform she asks, "Aren't you a little short for a demonic minion?". Jack replies, "Oh, the uniform!". This is a reference to Luke's first meeting with Leia. Earlier in the same episode Aku mentions that he thought he 'sensed a presence' as Darth Vader says in the first film. The same episode also quotes the famous line "I have a bad feeling about this".
  • When Jack is attacked by the robot soldiers in "Jack and the Ultra Robots" the robot with the Samurai sword says "All too easy," before Jack gets a Deus Ex Machina. Darth Vader uttered this line in "The Empire Strikes Back" when Luke fell into the carbonite chamber seconds before Luke jumped out.

[edit] What's Opera, Doc?

  • In "Jack and the Rave", a shot (featuring a waterfall) at the mud pool where the final battle takes place looks similar to the background scene in What's Opera, Doc? just after Elmer Fudd sings, "Be vewy quiet, I'm hunting wabbits."

[edit] Yojimbo

  • Theme music used in "Jack and the Scotsman, Part 1" as Jack approaches the never-ending bridge.
  • Theme music used in "Jack versus Demongo, the Soul Collector" when we first see Jack, and then again after he defeats Demongo.

[edit] Japanese folklore & mythology

  • In the episode "Jack Remembers the Past", the giant statues Jack sees covered in moss and other vegetation are shishi, lion monsters that protect a location from evil.


  • In the episode "Jack's Sandals", the Japanese family who makes his new set of geta has a sign above their shop saying "Tengu Jet". The tengu is a mythical Japanese creature with the body of a monk, and the legs, wings, and sometimes beak of a crow.
  • In the episode "Jack and the Baby", Jack tells the story of Momotarō to the baby he rescued from the trolls. Momotarō is the story of a boy sent by heaven to a childless couple which goes on to fight oni with the aid of a dog, a monkey and a pheasant.

[edit] Reference to Samurai Jack

  • In the Justice League Unlimited episode "Epilogue", one of the members of the Royal Flush Gang is made to resemble a feudal Japanese warrior... a "Samurai" Jack. Considering the puns made of other members of the gang, the joke is likely intentional.
  • The Duck Dodgers episode "Samurai Quack" was dedicated to spoofing the various stylistic elements and plot devices of the series, such as only ever killing robots and the removing of clothes before the final battle of the episode.
  • In one episode of Dexter's Laboratory, another cartoon created by Genndy Tartakovsky, boy-genius Dexter frequently says "Samurai Jaction" rather than "action". e.g "That's enough Samurai Jaction for you!". Also in the post-2001 episodes, a Samurai Jack action figure is sometimes visible in the shelf in Dexter's bedroom.