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Analyzing ‘The Birth of Evil’ arc in Samurai Jack.
A masterful allegory of grace-empowered righteousness.
Growing up, plenty of have made my childhood. But none have left a significant impression than Samurai Jack (created by ). So much so that when the season finale was announced to pick up where season 4 left off in 2004 (due to the show being cancelled then), I dropped everything to follow the rest of Jack’s journey when the episodes of season 5 finally aired in 2017.
A classic with a simple, timeless premise reiterated in the of each episode, Tartakovsky outdid himself in weaving a masterful storytelling packed with epic cinematography, action sequences, and minimal dialogue that powerfully conveys exposition and emotion.
In season 3 (2003), we are given an episode arc titled The Birth of Evil (Episodes 11–12), where the origin story of Aku is expounded upon. Tartakovsky won the for The Birth of Evil (and for good reason I’d say!).
As an adult, it dawned on me that the mythos of The Birth of Evil communicates otherworldly truths — our comprehension of good and evil presupposes religious legends and philosophical ideas. The story of Aku’s origins delivered a profound…
