JACK IS BACK. The time-traveling, robot-slaying, master swordsman Samurai Jack will return to the screen in 2016 on Adult Swim. We have no idea how creator Genndy Tartakovsky ressurrected the series, which hasn’t had a new episode since 2004—a statement that simultaneously makes us feel old as hell and even more incredulous about how it escaped development purgatory. Rumors about a movie have been circulating as recently as September, with DIY films, fan art, and even an indie video game paying tribute to Tartakovsky’s work. Suffice it to say, Samurai Jack was one of the most beloved anime-influenced cartoons of this writer’s childhood.
Tartakovsky is hot off the press trail for Hotel Translyvania 2, so we’re excited to see him turn his attention back to our sandal-clad protagonist. In 2004, series ended with a cliffhanger that would make Tony Soprano blush, answering none of our questions about Jack’s quest to slay the evil Aku. Our final impression of Jack is one of a flawless warrior, taking on con artists, law enforcement, world-renowned assassins, and even his shape-shifting nemesis with relative ease. The short teaser Adult Swim dropped today features the silhouette of a figure dressed in bulky samurai armor, rather than the simple robe we’ve come to expect from Jack’s wardrobe. Does this mean the final fight with Aku is upon us, and Jack is pulling out the stops? We’ll find out in 2016.
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The season is currently in production in at Cartoon Network Studios in Los Angeles, and will premiere on Adult Swim’s Toonami block. In the meantime, here are a few choice GIFs of the show that will hack and slash their way back into the center of your TV-watching heart.
Stay up to date with Samurai Jack news on Adult Swim’s website.
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