Samurai Jack is one of the most beloved Cartoon Network series of the early 2000s. Created by Genndy Tartakovskythis action-adventure packed series received immense praise for its portrayal of the Samurai culture. It quickly became a favorite for its incredible animation, fight sequences, futuristic landscapes, and most importantly, the assortment of unique villains.
From funny episodic antagonists, to evil masterminds who lasted throughout the show's entire run, here are some of the best Samurai Jack villains, ranked:
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8 Demongo
First on this list is Aku's most trusted servant, Demongo. Voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson (Teen Titans), Demongo is also called The Soul Collector, due to his ability to trap the soul of every opponent he slays.
This made Demongo one of the most formidable villains of the show. With the ability to summon any of the souls he collected, he would never run out of minions to throw at his opponents, often resulting in their defeat, because of exhaustion. As a demon himself, Demongo was unchallenged until he was defeated by Jack, when he took control of one of his minions, launching an evasive attack.
7 The Blind Archers
The Blind Archers are iconic villains, because they use their weakness to their strength. Voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson (Teen Titans), Phil LaMarr (Samurai Jack) and Joe Alaskey (Looney Tunes), these three men are confined to a tower in suffering from a longstanding curse.
With their sight damaged, the Archers get their incredible skills from their hearing and smell, making them expert marksmen who can wipe out entire armies of robots with just their arrows. Even Jack has a hard time defeating the Blind Archers, until he adapts to their style, tying a blindfold around his eyes to learn the art of their fighting.
6 The Sirens
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Borrowing from the tale of sirens in Greek mythology, the Sirens are next on the list. Voiced by Tara Strong (The Powerpuff Girls), Jennifer Hale (Avatar: The Last Airbender) and Janine LaManna (Carmen Sandiego), they are recognized as one of Jack's most formidable enemies.
This trio of pure evil knew when to charm their prey by transforming into beautiful women, adding to the allegorical nature of the show. With each having a distinct feature of their own, the Sirens would merge into their serpent-like form with a cloud of pink haze that would confuse their prey, leading them into their trap.
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5 The Daughters of Aku
There's nothing Aku loves more than Jack's emotional torture. The Daughters of Aku are a group of seven human-demon hybrids, designed solely to inflict physical and emotional pain on Jack, the protagonist.
The emotional pain component takes on a whole new meaning when the battle commences, and the audience comes to the realization that one of the daughters is Ashi (voiced by Tara Strong), Jack's future love interest. Talk about a real Romeo and Juliet conundrum here!
4 Shinobi
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The Shinobi, also known as the Warrior of the Night, is a silent robotic ninja who is one of the most iconic villains of the series. Inspired by the ninja warriors in ancient Japanese culture, the word Shinobi translates to “those who hunt in stealth.”
Shinobi and Samurai Jack go head-to-head in a silent yet earth-shattering fight that is an explosive burst of energy, shot completely in black-and-white. This beautifully choreographed showdown is laced with visual imagery as both men clash in a mix of swords and magic, in pin drop silence, making the entire scene much more terrifying.
3 Scaramouche
Taking inspiration from the mischievous Italian character known for causing trouble with everything he says, Scaramouche is one of the most interesting villains on this list.
Voiced by Tom Kenny (SpongeBob Squarepants), Scaramouche's biggest weapon is his voice, which he uses to sing his targets into defeat. But that's not all he's great at. With a lifetime spent as Aku's greatest assassin, Scaramouche has amazing sword fighting skills, which makes him one of the strongest and strangest villains of the entire show.
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2 Mad Jack
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They say one's biggest enemy is himself, and for Jack, nothing could be more true. Mad Jack is a physical manifestation of all the darkness that resides within Jack, making him Jack's strongest enemy, because his skill set is exactly the same.
Voiced by Phil LaMarr, who also voiced Jack, the confrontation between the two Jacks was the highlight of season one, with the final showdown being the most beautifully animated fight of the entire run of the show. The visuals provided a glimpse of Japan before and after World War II, when the country was stuck between its feudal past and its modern future.
1 Me
It would be unfair if this list ended without the mention of the single most evil being in the entire show. Voiced by Makoto Iwamatsu (Avatar: The Last Airbender) in seasons 1-4 and Greg Baldwin (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) in Season 5, Aku is the manifestation of all the villainous glory in Samurai Jack.
As a demon king who ruled over the world for eons, and would have continued to do so if Jack hadn't come to the rescue, no one could stand in Aku's way. What makes Aku the greatest Samurai Jack villain is his ability to shape-shift into any being, and to create an entire army of villains at his will. He is the source of all the torment that Jack goes through, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that both are obsessed with taking each other down.
