Samurai Jack

Samurai Jack is an American action-adventure animated television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky for Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. Tartakovsky conceived Samurai Jack after finishing his work on his first Cartoon Network original series, Dexter's Laboratory, which premiered in 1996. Samurai Jack was inspired by Tartakovsky's enjoyment of the Kung Fu televised drama starring David Carradine as well as his fascination with samurai culture.

The titular character, "Jack", is an unnamed Japanese samurai who wields a magic katana capable of cutting through virtually anything, that he must use to defeat the ultimate evil being known as Aku. Originally, before Jack could finish him off, Aku sent the samurai forward in time to a dystopian future ruled by the tyrannical shape-shifting demon. Jack, who was brought to the future with only his gi, geta, and sword, quests to travel back to his own time and defeat Aku before he can take over the world. Jack's search for a way back to his own time period transcends Aku's control, but Jack's efforts are largely in vain due to the ways back to his home ending up just out of his reach.

Premiering on August 10, 2001, with a three-part made-for-TV movie called The Premiere Movie, the first episode has nine and half minutes of silence, without dialogue—which was unheard of in children's animation featured on any American television show—a hallmark staple of the series in addition to its groundbreaking animation style that featured character designs without black outlines. Samurai Jack originally ran for four seasons comprising thirteen episodes each until September 25, 2004, without concluding the overarching story. The show was revived twelve years later for a darker, more mature fifth season that provided a conclusion to Jack's story; it premiered on Adult Swim's Toonami programming block on March 11, 2017, and concluded with its final episode, which serves as the series finale, on May 20, 2017. Episodes were directed by Tartakovsky, often in collaboration with others.

The series has garnered critical acclaim, and won eight Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Animated Program, as well as six Annie Awards and an OIAF Award.

Aku, an evil shapeshifter, takes over the land. Jack tries to defeat him, but Aku sends him into an alternate timeline where he's already won, and Jack must find his way back to the normal timeline in order to stop the timeline he's in.