Aku, Shogun of Sorrow: A Respect Thread

[Estrecca]

MAGIC (I) - Battle Magic

Aku is a considerably powerful wizard, although this is something that isn't visited as often as his shape-changing.

This post in particular deals with the forms of magic that Aku has displayed and which would be useful in battle, regardless of the battlefield and its conditions.

Crystal Prison

The episode Jack and the Lava Monster (S1E10) features a flashback in which a cursed Viking chieftain explains how he was transformed into a rock monster. Essentially, Aku came to his kingdom, destroyed it and to amuse himself used his eyebeams to imprison the warrior inside an unbreakable crystal, which the demon then buried under a mountain so that the magic would keep the prisoner alone with his suffering forever.

After a number of centuries, the Viking developed geokinetic powers and telepathy through sheer force of will and fashioned around his crystal prison a body of rock that he later used to challenge warriors exploring his mountain to duels to the death, in the hopes that one of them would eventually best him and break his curse, allowing him to die a warrior's death. In the end, Jack and his sword were able to break the spell of eternal imprisonment and killed the Viking warrior.

I lay before him, ready to battle for the last time.
But the villain did not destroy me.
Nay, the fate dealt to me was much more cruel.
He imprisoned me within an unbreakable crystal... denying me a warrior's end.
[...]
'Twas his enjoyment that day to punish me for eternity.
Thrust me, he did, into the core of the mountain.
'Twas his plan for me to spend all of eternity in the mountain... never to join my fallen comrades in Valhalla, the resting place of all great warriors.
Through countless eons I laid still, but my will was strong.
I found a way to manipulate the material around me.
Out of the rock, I formed the body thou seest before thee.

Ringout Eyebeams

In episode The Samurai Called Jack (S1E2), Aku reveals to a group of aliens that he is guilty for the situation that forced them to request his help. One of the aliens insults Aku who makes the offender disappear with an eyebeam blast. He reveals, however, that rather than disintegrate him, he transported him to a place called "the Pit of Hate" from where he would return once he learned "proper respect". Much later, in Jack versus Demongo, the Soul Collector (S2E10), Aku summoned his minion Demongo from that same place, therefore proving that the place exists.

It is somewhat unclear whether the Pit of Hate is some extra-dimensional nether realm or just some nasty location in Earth where Aku happens to keep both his main minions and folks he wants to give a lesson to. As a consequence, it cannot be stated with certainty whether these eyebeams have a dimensional component or not.

YOUNG ALIEN: You monster!
ALIEN: Be quiet! I am sorry, my lord. The boy is young and foolish. He does not know what he says.
*eyebeams*
AKU: The boy will return. He will learn proper respect for Aku in the Pit of Hate.

Time Portal

Seen in The Beginning (S1E1) and in every episode opening afterwards. Aku's final move in his first duel against Jack was to "tear open a portal in time" that left the samurai stranded thousands of years into the future.

In order to do this, Aku released energy rings from his mouth which concentrated above Jack, before forming a column of energy around the samurai. After a couple of seconds, the energy column disappeared and Jack along with it.

It is unknown why Aku hasn't used more often this power against his enemies, whether he can make portals to the past too or if he can travel through time on his own.

[Estrecca]

MAGIC (II) - Scrying & Teleportation

Scrying

Aku has been shown to use a form of magic that lets him conjure a "window", which shows him whatever he wants to see.

The scrying window does not require specific knowledge of what Aku is looking for or its location. This was shown in The Samurai Called Jack (S1E2) when Aku was told by one of his agents that an unidentified warrior had sworn to liberate Aku's talking dog slaves. The demon summoned his scrying window without knowing the location or identity of the individual, and was visibly surprised to discover that it was Jack recently arrived to the future. This flexibility was further proven in Aku's Fairy Tales (S1E13) when Aku used it to observe random children playing Samurai VS Demon.


http://imageshack.us/a/img402/5869/a...portalrand.jpg

AGENT: My lord master, I have great news for you.
AKU: What information can be considered great for the immortal Aku?
AGENT: An ancient warrior of great power and skill has revealed himself. He has vowed to liberate the canines from your mines.
AKU: What impertinence is this? Show me the fool!
*Aku summons scrying window*
AKU: So fate has arrived. Many years have gone since that day. And now, my formidable foe, you will pay for my pain in the past.

In addition, Aku has shown the ability to magically manipulate distant things through his "window" in Jack and the Zombies (S3E4), and revealed that he could summon it in places other than his throne room in Jack and the Hunters (S2E9), when he used it to show Jack's appeareance to the Imakandi hunters. This also appears to show that the range of Aku's divination magic is inter-stellar, since he was observing things happening in Earth from another planet.



Nevertheless, this powerful scrying tool has certain limitations as shown by Jack, the Monks, and the Ancient Master's Son (S3E10). This episode reveals the existence of a Shaolin temple in Aku's Earth, kept hidden from his eyes thanks to the efforts of an ancient shaolin master with telepathic powers.

JACK: Aku! His eyes are always watching! l must leave. l have betrayed your secret. l have revealed you to him. l should not be here. l must leave!
MASTER: Do not concern yourself, for we are safe.
Aku cannot see you here, for I shield this location from his vision.
You are safer here than any other place on Earth.

Teleportation

Aku has shown teleportation quite a few times and, oddly enough, seems to use a different method every time he teleports

Sometimes he 'blinks' into presence, sometimes he turns himself into an spiral that shrinks into himself before disappearing, sometimes he appears in a puff of smoke...

The specifics, such as his teleportation range, are a bit murky and he doesn't use this power in combat. He has, however, shown himself to be extremely precise in his arrivals, to the point that in Aku's Fairy Tales he appeared upon a throne, already in sitting position.


http://imageshack.us/a/img837/930/akuteleportspiral.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img692/2608/a...ortredglow.jpg

In addition to personal teleportation, Jack and the Gangsters (S1E12) stated that Aku's entire castle can teleport. However, this happened offscreen and it isn't known how it is accomplished, so the possibility of it being some kind of technological teleporter, rather than Aku's personal power exists.

Besides, we couldn't even if we wanted to.
When we dragged you out, Aku's castle disappeared.
Who knows where it'll pop up next.

[Estrecca]

MAGIC (III) - Other Magic

Animal Control

While presenting himself as a wise, albeit ill-tempered wizard during the events of Jack and Swamp Monster (S3E8), Aku was frustrated by the speed of their travel and cast a spell that summoned a giant crocodile to carry them. Afterwards, Aku and Jack were shown riding a giant pteranodon and snake, presumably summoned and controlled using the same magic.



Illusions

Aku would seem to have the ability to make minor illusions or, at least, that's how I interpret the apparition of a miniature Samurai Jack in Aku's hands in the middle of his rant at the beginning of Jack versus Demongo, the Soul Collector (S2E10).

http://imageshack.us/a/img267/3275/a...turejackil.jpg

Matter Creation

The demon has shown the ability to create matter out of nothing with his sorcery. This is most clearly shown in Jack and the Hunters (S2E9), when he creates a pile of treasure as payment while trying to convince the Imakandi to hunt Jack for him, and The Birth of Evil I (S3E11), when after dunking Jack's father in the pool of evil he created a giant tree to tie the emperor to.

Interestingly enough, when the giant tree was destroyed by Sleipnir in The Birth of Evil II (S3E12), the effect was reminiscent of the sword's effect upon Aku's own flesh, suggesting a common vulnerability.

http://imageshack.us/a/img109/9974/a...uremateria.jpg


Weather Control

Finally, Aku has shown the ability to control the weather to an extent. His very first act upon appearing in The Birth of Evil I was to summon clouds to cover the land in darkness and right after presenting a pile of treasure to the Imakandi in Jack and the Hunters, Aku promised further payment by creating a rain of precious jewels falling from a sudden storm that would "flood their world".

It is unclear, however, whether the jewels he showed were solid (which would be another Matter Creation feat) or an illusion to explain the promised reward (which would be an Illusions feat).


http://imageshack.us/a/img90/4791/akudarkensskies.jpg

[Estrecca]

MAGIC (IV) - Situational Magic

Unlike the magic in the previous three posts, this one deals with a few feats that despite being some of Aku's most impressive showings seem to have required either specific conditions, location or the use of magic artifacts.

Evil Clone Spell (Mad Jack)

Jack versus Mad Jack (S1E8) is an episode that focuses in the fight between Jack and an evil clone of himself, magically created by Aku from his throne room.

Ultimately, Jack won against his evil clone by meditating and restoring his serenity of spirit, since the frustration that he had been feeling as a result of countless bounty hunter attacks was what allowed Aku to cast the spell and create Mad Jack in the first place.

So... feat exists, but Aku requires an opponent feeling negative emotions. Also, the cloning is not particularly instantaneous, so it might be difficult to perform the spell in an arena type versus.


http://imageshack.us/a/img35/2613/ak...jackdefeat.jpg

Necromancy

The second stage of Aku's unusually successful plan in Jack and the Zombies (S3E4) involved raising the deceased corpses of a huge graveyard, turning them into an army of zombie warriors. These zombies were not very durable, but used weapons and shields, and one of them randomly displayed intelligence and supernatural powers (flight and possession, which it used to take control of Jack's sword and give it to Aku).

So... feat exists, but Aku needs some corpses before he can do this. Not that that is a huge problem for Aku in most situations, of course.

http://imageshack.us/a/img152/7638/a...necromancy.jpg


Soul Trap

At the end of Jack versus Demongo, the Soul Collector (S2E10), the titular villain was killed by his army of previously enslaved warriors. His essence reformed inside a crystal skull being held by Aku who crushed it in punishment for his minion's failure, despite pleas for mercy.



Though the feat exists, obviously enough, it is unclear whether this was accomplished by Aku's personal power or some power of the crystal skull (which looked like a larger version of the skulls used by Demongo in his reanimation tricks earlier in the episode). And if this was a power of the skull, it is unknown if Aku has more of these around or he smashed the only one he had.

So... feat exists, but essentially useless for arena type versus.

Titan Revival Spell

Aku's endgame during the Jack and Swamp Monster (S3E8) situation was to gather the three artifacts formerly belonging to Chronos, father of Zeus, and then cast a spell from a grimoire that created a mindless cosmic energy facsimile of the titan, under Aku's command. Though the spell was successfully cast, Jack had actually seen the betrayal coming and sabotaged the spell, which caused the pseudo-titan to fall apart shortly afterwards.

So... feat exists, but requires very specific artifacts that Aku no longer has access to.

http://imageshack.us/a/img593/674/ak...osrevivals.jpg

[Estrecca]

FINAL NOTES

There are a number of feats that haven't been included in the above posts, for a variety of reasons.

*The Samurai Called Jack (S1E2) included Aku claiming to have stolen the oceans of another world in a different galaxy entirely. Since we don't know any specifics and Aku might have used some of his hi-tech to accomplish the deed, instead of his personal power, I hesitate to call it a feat of his. Particularly because it far dwarfes anything else ever done by Aku.

ALIEN: My lord, we are the Vadaquas from the Mosconian Galaxy. Our water planet has been pillaged. All the oceans that were once our home are gone. We have searched long to find a planet with oceans rich enough to sustain our people. And your world is our last hope for survival.
AKU: I know of your plight, Vadaquian. For you see, I am he who has taken your waters and the riches within them.

*Jack Under the Sea (S1E9) featured the undersea city of the Triceraquins, amphibians who were banished to the bottom of the ocean along with their city by Aku, who promised them to lift their city if they captured Jack for him (only to go back on his promise immediately). Not included as a feat, for exactly the same reasons as the oceal stealing incident.

TRICERAQUIN KING: Due to the nature of our geography, it's not often that we receive visitors. In fact, you're the first. Of course, it wasn't always like this. We were once a very social race. Our people lived on the surface of the ocean and traded with the locals of the mainland. That was, of course, before he came and banished us to the bottom of the sea.
JACK: Aku.
TRICERAQUIN KING: Yes. But that's ancient history now.

*The Tale of X-9 (S4E11) episode includes a brief flashback in which we see a giant form Aku standing over the collapsing ruins of a modern city. Since we don't know the specific cause of the destruction, it wasn't included above.



*Finally, Aku has shown a couple of times vague (and wildly inconsistent) superhuman senses. In Jack and the Zombies (S3E4), he claimed that he could smell the blood of a hiding Jack (that he immediately eye-beamed his hiding place would seem to support the claim, though), something never shown before or afterwards (including situations in which it would have helped him). Along the same lines, in Jack and the Flying Prince and Princess (S4E8), Aku "sensed a presence" when a hiding Jack removed his sword from its sheath (which would have been useful in a number of situations, including the sword switcheroo nonsense of the next episode).

Where are you, samurai? You can run, but you cannot hide, because l can smell your blood.

And with this, the thread comes to an end, at least in regards to Aku himself. If you want to comment anything, now is a good moment.

If continued past this, the thread will only have a few more posts. One for Demongo, another for the Ultrabots, another for the evil DJ minion and a final one for the generic droid armies. This thread will not, in any case, contain profiles for Jack, the Scotsman or the other random powerful beings in the setting.

[Nik Hasta]

Epic thread Estrecca.

Well researched, well presented, on the whole an excellent Respect Thread.

[Dark Soul # 7]

Very excellent thread indeed.

One of the best respect threads I've seen in a while.

[Sol M]

Thirding this. Excellent presentation, very comprehensive thread, and included lots of stuff most people don't even remember the guy having done.

[Estrecca]

DEMONGO

Though featured in just one episode, Jack versus Demongo, the Soul Collector (S2E10), Demongo is one of the most memorable villains in the series, thanks to a combination of quirky appeareance, strange powerset and winning personality.



According to Aku himself, Demongo is one of his most powerful minions thanks to his power to "enslave the essence" of warriors he defeats and tasked him with the job of beating Jack. Oddly enough, we don't actually get to see how the essence-enslaving bit happens, but since Demongo didn't even try it probably is not something that can be done in the middle of combat.

Power-wise, Demongo has flight and teleportation. And is quite fast with both, since he was able to dodge several attacks from Samurai Jack in close quarters by spamming teleports and then floating above him.

http://imageshack.us/a/img217/9449/demongoflight.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img845/1427/d...meteleport.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img89/9972/de...peedflight.jpg

He also might also have control over a strange blue fire that appears when Aku first summons him from the Pit of Evil and then when he goes to confront Samurai Jack. However, this fire is not used offensively in Demongo's single appeareance and nothing definite can be said about the matter.

http://imageshack.us/a/img96/2780/demongosummoned.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img845/1427/d...meteleport.jpg

In terms of offense, Demongo throws one or more of the skulls that cover his torso, bombards it with a yellow energy ray, then laughs as one of the thousands of warriors he keeps inside himself is given new life and sent to combat Demongo's enemies/prospective victims.

http://imageshack.us/a/img528/6316/d...matesgiant.jpg

And if the reanimated warrior is defeated? No problem. Demongo reabsorbs the essence and can respawn his victim at will with a new skull.

http://imageshack.us/a/img844/7489/d...ereabsorpt.jpg

Of course, if he is in a hurry, he can animate a whole bunch of people or his whole army of enslaved essences in a few seconds.

http://imageshack.us/a/img5/2325/dem...rriorsfour.jpg


The members of this army are mostly lacking in feats, logically, although by statements they are all great warriors that managed to make themselves a nuisance to Aku. Little specific, however, except that four of them gave Jack some trouble and that they are one colorful bunch, which includes at least one giant, sumo ninja frogs, shuriken throwing mummies, knights with extending mace-hands, robots with machineguns for hands and lots more weirdoes.

Ultimately, Demongo was defeated when Jack grasped a cloud of essence being reabsorbed. This allowed Jack to access the astral dimension inside Demongo where the true selves of the enslaved warriors were being kept and from where they were freed thanks to Jack's sword. This left a now powerless Demongo to the tender mercies of the guys he had wronged.

http://imageshack.us/a/img823/6962/demongodefeat.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img690/2866/demongodefeated.jpg

[Estrecca]

ULTRA-ROBOTS (I)

Background

Appearing only in Jack and the Ultra-robots (S2E5), these machines represent the very best in robotics ever faced with Jack (along with giant robot Mondo Bot). These killer robots were designed by one Exdor and powered by fragments of Aku, who decided to test them upon activation by making them blow up Exdor's village (in violation of previous promises of safety in exchange for the creation of the robots).


http://imageshack.us/a/img41/3967/ul...rvillagede.jpg

Afterwards, the ultra-robots went on a rampage through several villages and cities, hoping that their crimes would draw the attention of Samurai Jack. They were successful in this and managed to soundly defeat the samurai thanks to their adamantium armor and advanced weapons systems, but failed to kill him.

http://imageshack.us/a/img33/38/ultr...reaftervil.jpg


Jack managed to escape and was contacted by Exdor, who wanted to help him to get his revenge. With a robotic arm provided by the scientist, Jack was strong enough to cut the adamantium bodies and killed seven of the eight robots before the device exhausted its energy. In order to defeat the last, sword-wielding ultra-robot, Jack had to call upon his honored ancestors, who provided him with a one-time power-up for his sword that allowed him to cut down this final enemy too.

http://imageshack.us/a/img823/4439/u...krobothand.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img27/4270/ul...oarmpwnage.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img40/4885/ul...armpwnage2.jpg

[Estrecca]

ULTRA-ROBOTS (II)

Powers and abilities

The very high durability granted by their adamantium armor is the main trait shared by the eight Ultra-bots and which set them apart from other robots faced by Jack during his adventures in the future. This durability allowed them to completely no-sell with no damage whatsoever several of Jack's sword strikes, despite his sword's magical nature.



Despite the name, however, this adamantium is not QUITE as completely indestructible like the Marvel super-metal, since Jack managed to overcome it with a strength enhancing glove (for seven of the robots) and by increasing the magic power of his sword (for the last).

Other than this, all the ultra-bots can turn themselves into baskets for camouflage (they can also rapidly roll around in this form) and share a number of different vision modes (heat vision and a green vision mode which allowed them to see Jack through a smoke screen).

http://imageshack.us/a/img525/7963/u...etdisguise.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img820/8753/u...heatvision.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img89/1120/ul...visionmods.jpg

However, in spite of the above similarities, the eight ultra-bots are all equipped with different weapons.

Buzzsaws: An ultra-bot had buzzsaws, made from the same material as its armor, instead of hands. It showed no ability for ranged combat and lacked secondary armaments.

http://imageshack.us/a/img59/1911/ul...zzsawhands.jpg

Claws: An ultra-bot with four claws, instead of fingers. These claws were attached to adamantium chains, allowing him to throw his claws at distant targets for mid-range attacks.

http://imageshack.us/a/img820/4884/u...tendoclaws.jpg

Cloak: An ultra-bot with the ability to make itself invisible at will. Strictly a close quarters combatant with larger-than-normal hands that allowed it to deliver enormously powerful blows.

http://imageshack.us/a/img51/591/ultrabotscloaking.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img571/1661/u...kingbeatdo.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img402/7835/u...kingdecloa.jpg

Explosive: This ultra-bot's weapon was a chest-mounted launcher of explosive cable, which he could use to cause rather powerful explosions. It showed some decent skill with its cable launching and managed, at one point, to wrap one of his explosive cables around Jack's wrists.


http://imageshack.us/a/img826/5107/u...osivecable.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img811/5107/u...osivecable.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img825/3892/u...osiveroboc.jpg

Flamethrower: An ultra-bot with flamethrowers in place of hands. In addition to the ability to project flame from its "hands", it could also defend itself by creating a fireball around its body. Moreover, this fireball could be expanded for AoE attacks of great power (at the greatest observed yield, the effects seem equivalent to the detonation of a low yield nuke).


http://imageshack.us/a/img534/6164/u...eaoeattack.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img812/2718/u...fireballru.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img836/7651/u...flamethrow.jpg

Gun: Ultra-bot armed with two gatling-guns at the end of its arms with a high rate of fire. Along with the shuriken ultra-robot destroyed the explosive cable ultra-robot in a friendly fire accident, showing that their weapons are powerful enough to penetrate the adamantium armor.

http://imageshack.us/a/img39/8607/ultrabotsgunhands.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img846/5421/u...riendlyfir.jpg

Shuriken: An ultra-bot with rotative arms who attacked by launching shurikens. Though relatively less powerful in offense that some of his fellows, he could launch his projectiles faster than Samurai Jack could deflect them. Along with the gun ultra-robot destroyed the explosive cable ultra-robot in a friendly fire accident, showing that their weapons are powerful enough to penetrate the adamantium armor.

http://imageshack.us/a/img854/7118/u...tsshuriken.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img600/9765/u...ikenoverco.jpg

Sword: A sword wielding robot and the last ultra-robot standing. Showed great skills with the blade, enough to match Samurai Jack in sword combat, deflect laser bolts with its blade or cut an humanoid robot four times, before the pieces could hit the ground.

http://imageshack.us/a/img850/7640/u...dlaserbloc.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img651/4395/u...dquickcuts.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img233/117/ul...sswordkick.jpg

[Estrecca]

Epic thread Estrecca.
Well researched, well presented, on the whole an excellent Respect Thread.

Very excellent thread indeed.
One of the best respect threads I've seen in a while.

Thirding this. Excellent presentation, very comprehensive thread, and included lots of stuff most people don't even remember the guy having done.

By the way, I realize that I didn't comment about these.

Much appreciated and I like that you enjoy.

That said, is there anything else (any specific character or something like that) you'd want me to include in the thread? As it stands, the posts left before I finish this are the Evil DJ, the elite bounty hunters from THAT episode and the droid army (with some special mention for X-9, perhaps).

[Sol M]

By the way, I realize that I didn't comment about these.

Much appreciated and I like that you enjoy.

That said, is there anything else (any specific character or something like that) you'd want me to include in the thread? As it stands, the posts left before I finish this are the Evil DJ, the elite bounty hunters from THAT episode and the droid army (with some special mention for X-9, perhaps).

Well this thread seems to be including the majorly powerful antagonists, and I think the Guardian had some pretty good feats.

[Nik Hasta]

By the way, I realize that I didn't comment about these.

Much appreciated and I like that you enjoy.

That said, is there anything else (any specific character or something like that) you'd want me to include in the thread? As it stands, the posts left before I finish this are the Evil DJ, the elite bounty hunters from THAT episode and the droid army (with some special mention for X-9, perhaps).

I wouldn't mind the Scottsman getting some respect. Strictly speaking he's not a villain but he has fought Jack on occasion.



How can you not love this guy?

[Estrecca]

Well this thread seems to be including the majorly powerful antagonists, and I think the Guardian had some pretty good feats.

I wouldn't mind the Scottsman getting some respect. Strictly speaking he's not a villain but he has fought Jack on occasion.

Maybe in the future if I have one centered around Samurai Jack himself, but not in this one.

I got reminded of the Great Darkness, the Imakandi, the Cyberninja and the Minions of Set, however, so there is more work left than I had imagined.