Samurai Jack - Season 5 Alternative Ending (Fanon Version)

As we know, Samurai Jack's final season concluded a while ago...and the ending really divided people. In my own opinion, the ending wasn't anything spectacular but it was cool to see so many of Jack's allies as well as seeing him finally beat Aku and return to the past after so long.

As a whole, the series was solid in my opinion and, most importantly, the fact that we got a conclusion to the series was great to see as it could have easily joined the many TV series that never got a finale at all.

As I've said, however, some people weren't happy and - like with good movies - a bad conclusion can potentially ruin what could otherwise be an entertaining experience. As such, I've decided to play a bit of "what if" and seeing what ideas I can come up with that may conclude the series with a happier and more satisfying outcome. After all, I'm not the only person to toy with the idea.

For my alternate version, Episodes 1-7 will stay as they are while I will begin my changes, however major or minor, with Episode 8. Episode 9 onward would be extended episodes.

So, here we go:

Episode 8
When we see Jack and Ashi in the marketplace, we also see a camera crew covering a story for a TV show. Elsewhere, we see Scaramouche - now attached to his octopus body and crawling around on land - stop to watch the TV as he looks for information regarding getting to Aku faster. As he watches, he notices to his horror that Jack is in the background and now with his sword back; Scaramouche initially despairing that he's too late. However, he then notices Ashi with Jack and begins to come up with a new plan.

Before he can say anything, he's snatched up by a bird of prey. Off-screen, we hear a scuffle before seeing the octopus body fall away. Scaramouche, now with his head attached to the bird, gleefully comments on how happy Aku will be once he tells him his new plan, before flying into the distance while singing his own lyrics to the song "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins.

The rest of the episode continues as normal.

Episode 9
In this version, Ashi and her sisters are not Aku's biological daughters and the episode - up to Scaramouche's scene - continues as normal, albeit with Scaramouche now attached to the body of the bird of prey rather than the octopus as he manages to get into Aku's fortress to talk to Aku.

When he first tells Aku that Jack has a female companion, Aku initially doesn't get the significance and threatens to destroy Scaramouche for thrice wasting his time. However, Scaramouche quickly explains that by using Ashi as a bargaining chip to get Jack's sword, this opens an opportunity for Aku to 'kill two birds with one stone'; not only capturing and killing Jack, but also extinguishing the hope he has given to the various peoples of Earth who are rising against Aku's rule. Seeing the possibilities, Aku snaps out of his depressed state and transforms Scaramouche back to his original form - with the pair dancing like before.

During the scene where Jack heads to the Guardian's location, he finds the portal destroyed and the broken remains of the Guardian's glasses before having his conversation with Ashi when she asks him why he left. At the end of the conversation, they are confronted by Scaramouche alone, who seeks a rematch now Jack has got his sword back. However, Scaramouche is also joined by Aku's other top assassins: Deathblow, Da-Bomb! and Gentle-Jim - each with their own appearance and powers:


 * Deathblow would be a robot whose armour design would be a cross between Deathstroke, Deadpool and Punisher. His powers would be proficiency with various weapons as well as been able to artificially control the air both for attacks and for mobility, with the lower half of his body looking like a mini tornado.


 * Da-Bomb! would be an African-American man, similar in appearance to Dillon from the 1987 film "Predator". He would have similar mannerisms to Da-Samurai and - as his name suggests - rely on various explosives.


 * Gentle-Jim would be an anthropomorphic bear (his name been a twist on Gentle Ben) with cybernetic enhancements that allow him to absorb and manipulate kinetic energy.

Jack and Ashi are separated by Scaramouche's telekinetic sword and Da-Bomb's explosives, with Scaramouche and Deathblow taking on Jack while Ashi (out of sight of Jack) battles both Da-Bomb and Gentle-Jim. Jack manages to overcome Scaramouche after misdirecting one of Deathblow's attacks - knocking Scaramouche's tuning sword away - before disabling Scaramouche by slicing into the back of his head with his sword. He has a tougher time with Deathblow, but manages to defeat him after destroying his weapons with his sword and then cutting the power to his air control - leaving him defenceless. Ashi, meanwhile, defeats both Gentle-Jim and Da-Bomb by recovering Scaramouche's tuning fork and tricking the pair into destroying the base of one of the giant warriors. As the pair are briefly distracted from the warrior falling towards them, Ashi uses the tuning sword on Gentle-Jim's power supply and activates several of Da-Bomb's explosives - with the pair been crushed and killed. Before Jack and Ashi can reunite, both are ambushed by another foe; Jack is attacked by Demongo, while Ashi is attacked by Aku (disguised as Ikra). While Jack battles Demongo's warriors, Ikra battles Ashi and learns more about her 'relationship' with Jack. After learning enough and recognising her from meeting her mother several years ago, Ikra captures Ashi (in a way similar to the possessed trees from the 2013 "Evil Dead" reboot) and transforms back into Aku before demanding to a horrified Jack that he surrender. When Jack refuses and tries in a futile attempt to save Ashi, Aku responds by force-feeding his essence down Ashi's throat - transforming her into her corrupted form and controlling her to fight Jack. The rest of the episode plays out as before, with Jack battling and briefly beating Ashi but been unable to kill her when she begs him to and thus surrendering to Aku.

Episode 10
Following the previous battle, Aku restrains Jack before he, Demongo and Corrupted Ashi head away - leaving the remains of his assassins. In Scaramouche's head, his nanites (revealed to be responsible for repairing him in the earlier episode) find Scaramouche's personality chip to be beyond repair, so they activate a second personality chip to take over - despite the chip been covered in notices telling the nanites not to activate it. Upon activation, Scaramouche's eyes turn red and, after stuttering, he speaks with a different voice - his first words been "...Lulu...sweet thing" - thus revealing he is actually the rebuilt form of X-49. We then see his memories of what happened after his fight with Jack, with X-49 been re-programmed by his 'funny' creator at Aku's order but also witnessing Jack saving Lulu before he was turned off again. After discarding some of Scaramouche's clothes and getting his bearings, he is approached by the mysterious woman (still in silhouette) who helped Ashi find Jack previously. The woman states that the day has come for Aku to fall and, after showing X-49 what happened to Lulu - with Jack giving her to the family he originally met in the haunted house and Lulu leading a happy life until her passing - tells X-49 he must help Jack succeed. Although doubting he can be of any real help against Aku, X-49 agrees as he feels he owes Jack for helping Lulu. The woman uses her power to teleport him away so he can prepare himself before using her powers to telepathically call to all of Jack's allies, warning them of his predicament and his location so his allies can prepare and come together to assist him.

As well as the allies already shown in the episode, there would be the following other individuals/groups that Jack helped/befriended (episode of appearance in brackets):
 * Extor (Jack and the Ultra-robots)
 * Da Samurai (Samurai vs. Samurai)
 * The Dragon and its Baby (Jack and the Farting Dragon)
 * The Tango Beast (The Scotsman Saves Jack, Part 1)
 * Imakandi (Jack and the Hunters)
 * The Creature (Jack and the Creature)
 * Tam Sung and the Shaolin Monks (Jack, the Monks, and the Ancient Master's Son)
 * Lebidopterins (Jack and the Flying Prince and Princess)
 * The Lizard Monks (The Aku Infection)
 * The surviving warriors/monsters (Jack vs. Demongo, the Soul Collector)
 * The Wolf (Episode XCIII, Episode XCIV)

Jack's various allies (although not all at this point) prepare themselves for war - including a scene of the Scotsman's sword been reforged similar to the sword Narsil in Lord of the Rings - and gather around Aku's fortress to set up their battle plan. After Aku shows his broadcast of Jack's past, how he ended up in the future and gloating to those that oppose him that their hope is dead, he prepares to kill Jack. However, this time he's distracted by the arrival of the army. Nonetheless, he gloats that following the previous attack on his fortress and the likelihood that individuals and groups inspired by Jack would try to save him, he's assembled the biggest army of his drones ever to defend his fortress and crush all opposition - making Jack watch (similar to how Aku made the Emperor watch as he destroyed his kingdom) as he unleashes his army of Beetle drones, Mantoids, Space Drones and even several of the Giant Beetle Drones the scientists made recently. Jack's allies prove to be a formidable force, to Aku's shock. Needless to say, Aku continues launching wave after wave of drones before activating several teleports within his fortress to summon drones and other robotic minions from around the planet - outnumbering Jack's allies on all sides. Riding on the back of the dragons, X-49 (now in his original attire) - along with the Wolf, and several Shaolin and Lizard Monks - manage to gain access to the fortress as X-49 uses Scaramouche's knowledge to work his way down to the teleports. After fighting their way through several demons, he and the Wolf reach the teleports and kill all the scientists - saving his 'funny' creator for last, both to thank him for giving him the emotions chip and also to make him suffer for telling Aku about Lulu and trapping him within his own mind when the scientist transformed him into Scaramouche. With that, the Wolf attacks and kills the 'funny' scientist while X-49 destroys the teleports before he and the wolf are forced to battle the legions of Tiger Men.

Jack's allies use the opportunity as Tam Sung uses his powerful affinity with Earth to empower the Celtic Magic of the Scotsman's sword - allowing him to summon the spirit of his wife, deceased clan members and the warriors who were killed during the Scotsman's initial attack on Aku's fortress (Episode XCVI). On top of this, an armada of Lebidopterins - led by Prince Astor and Princess Verbina - enter battle (similar to this scene from Flash Gordon), with some of their ships locating the Robo-Samurai and using their gravity control technology to bring it to the battlefield. Inside Aku's fortress, the Shaolin Monks manage to free Jack from his confinement but are stopped by Aku before they can recover Jack's sword. As he orders Ashi to kill them, the Lizard Monks use the potion they originally used on Jack when he was possessed by Aku's essence to knock Ashi unconscious. Jack and the Monks are then aided in their getaway by the Scotsman and the spirits of his Clan Members. Sadly, the Scotsman and his clan are absorbed by Demongo, although they succeed in delaying Aku long enough for the Robo-Samurai to smash his way into the fortress. While Aku is forced to battle Jack's allies, with Tam Sung and the Spirits managing to provide some protection from the worst of Aku's attacks, Jack and the Lizard Monks try to help free Ashi of the darkness inside of her - with her internal struggle against the evil mirroring the battle between Jack's allies and Aku's forces.

With the support inside her mind from both Jack and the spirits of her sisters, Ashi succeeds in regaining control - although she still possesses some of Aku's powers. As the Shaolin monks are defeated by the mind controlled Scotsman and his clan, Ashi and Jack enter battle with Demongo. However, Demongo's defeat humorously comes from the Scotsman's wife - who proceeds to beat the crap out of him before she enters Demongo's body and liberates the entire clan, restoring them, the Scotsman and herself back to life and in their prime. Demongo is then killed by Ashi using Aku's powers. Joined by X-49 and the wolf after they finally defeated the Tiger Men, the group head back - with Jack recovering his sword before he and Ashi enter into their final battle with Aku as they are the only two who can stand up to him. As a thunderstorm rolls in and their battle continues, Aku takes on his most powerful form as he shape-shifts into a giant Eight-headed dragon and begins attacking Jack from the sky where Jack cannot fight back. Ashi, using Aku's powers, transforms herself to look like a Phoenix before saving Jack. With Jack riding on Ashi's back, they pursue Aku and engage in a battle with him over a stormy sea (loosely referencing the battle between Susanoo and Orochi from Shinto Mythology). Battling over the sea and then on through the storm clouds, Jack and Ashi manage to beat Aku back and cause great damage to him despite his relentless attacks against the pair. Eventually forcing him the ground, with Aku taking on the form of other mythical/prehistoric creatures including a T.Rex, a Sphinx, a Manticore and a Naga. Finally, Aku is reduced to his human-sized form and is destroyed for good by Jack - with his evil minions and creations crumbling as his hold on the world is relinquished. This also affects Ashi, as her phoenix form suddenly catches fire and burns to ashes, much to Jack's horror. For a few moments, it looks like Ashi is dead, only for her to emerge from the ashes in her human form and embrace Jack - free of Aku's evil. The episode ends with Jack's allies celebrating the demise of Aku. In the distance, the mysterious woman quietly congratulates Jack and Ashi, but states there is one more challenge to pass.

Episode 11
The day after the destruction of Aku, a mass memorial is held for those who lost their lives in the conflict - with Jack watching over and having flashbacks to all the meetings with said individuals and groups, but also hearing Aku's voice in his head mocking him that he is still stuck in the future and will outlive every one of his allies who came to his aid. After the memorial is over, Ashi (now wearing a different outfit) goes to talk to Jack, who expresses happiness that he has finally completed his mission to destroy Aku after so long, but is concerned over what to do next as he has no way back to the past, cannot get old and feels like he no longer has a purpose. Ashi, however, suggests that they work together to continue helping people, get rid of the evil individuals and groups that remain and try to restore Earth to its former glory now Aku is gone for good (reminding him of the day he showed her the last tree from the destroyed forest). Her plan is greeted with approval by Jack's allies, who all agree to help and remind Jack of all the great acts he has done that have inspired others.

When Jack questions his allies about how they all knew he was in trouble, with all admitting to hearing a female voice in their head and seeing a vision of Jack's capture while X-49 admits to meeting the same woman. Before he can describe her, the mysterious woman reveals herself to all while still in silhouette - with Ashi also recognising her as the one who told her where Jack was when he was preparing to commit seppuku. Stepping into the light, the woman initially appears to be a light-green cat (similar in appearance to those Jack met before his first encounter with the Ultra-Robots) and explains she's been watching and waiting for Jack ever since he was born, as he is the one she has foreseen that will stop Aku's total domination of Earth from ever happening. When asked about her identity, she reveals that she is Gaia, the spirit of the Earth incarnated; adding that when the remains of the Ultimate Evil that would become Aku crashed into the Earth and began to consume all, she was weakened and slowly drained of her energies - unable to effectively resist the evil that had taken the combined might of three Gods to defeat. When the Emperor successfully defeated Aku thanks to the three Gods forging his magical katana, Gaia - regaining a large portion of her power back in the process - also planned for the day when Aku would return from his imprisonment.

Using her power to see into the future, she foresaw Jack's loss to Aku and his transportation into the future, as well as the havoc that Aku would wreak upon her with very little on the planet that could truly harm him. Her plan, therefore, was to create a method that would allow Jack to travel back to the specific point in time after Aku has transported Jack to the future. However, Gaia also used her power to create a mighty warrior who would protect the portal from anyone using it for their own gains or destroying it, adding an additional level of protection with her magic to keep the area hidden from Aku. For eons, her creation protected the portal from all who tried to use or destroy it - adding that the warrior denied Jack initially because Gaia had seen he was not ready yet; stating that Jack had fought Aku to a stalemate for years fighting on his own, but had gotten through his tougher battles with the aid of his allies and had finally defeated Aku thanks to the aid of his allies. Gaia finalises her story by stating that eventually, Aku did find the portal - with Gaia safely containing her Guardian and 'faking' the portal's destruction while she moved on from host to host - continuing to watch over Jack and wait for the day he and his allies were ready...and that day has arrived. Leaving her host (who promptly moves out of the way), Gaia appeared as a ball of light and transformed back into the final portal, with the Guardian appearing out of the portal - in a similar suit and with his red sunglasses - before asking Jack if he's ready for 'Round Two'.

Jack's allies help him prepare for the battle, with Extor creating armour for both Jack and Ashi to wear for the fight; Jack's armour resembling the armour he wore at the beginning of Season 5 while Ashi's looks like a futuristic Onna-bugeisha armour - both of which are powered by a combination of alien technology and magic, while other allies give Jack and Ashi weapons they can use throughout the fight with the Guardian. Prepared and with words of encouragement from their friends, Jack and Ashi begin their battle with the Guardian. The fight is long, with the Guardian still proving to be a powerful adversary. Working together and coordinating their attacks, however, allow Jack and Ashi to keep the Guardian on the back-foot. After destroying/disarming him of most of his weapons, the trio engage each other with their swords (Ashi using a magically-enhanced adamantium blade), which ends with Jack and Ashi successfully defeating the Guardian. Before Jack and Ashi use the portal, however, Gaia - via the Guardian - explains to Jack about the 'multiverse'; comparing Jack's journey to the growth of a tree and his return to the past as a seed floating away to grow anew while the tree it came from continues to grow. This settles Jack's concerns that his return to the past and undoing of Aku's dystopian future won't erase his friends, and so he and Ashi bid their farewells before leaping into the portal together. In the past, Jack and Ashi arrive moments after Jack was originally sent to the future and both battle Aku once again. In his weakened state, Aku tries to escape although Ashi pins him down using the magically-enhanced katana she has - allowing Jack to capture Aku in his sword and destroy him for good before the pair escape Aku's fortress.

Returning to Jack's home, he and Ashi reunite with his mother and father and help to restore the land. Sometime later, with Jack's parents looking older but otherwise restored to health, Jack and Ashi are married, with Jack's teachers all in attendance and the wedding this time going without a hitch. Finally, more time has moved on as Jack (now aging again and growing a beard) and Ashi (now having longer hair) are sitting underneath the tree together - wondering what will be happening in the future they left behind, with a shot showing Jack's allies helping to restore Earth, getting rid of all the evil individuals/groups left behind and building a giant statue of both Jack and Ashi together with Jack holding his sword aloft in a victorious pose. Back in their time, Jack and Ashi briefly see Gaia and the three gods in the clouds looking down on them with the sun's golden glow. Snuggling together, we also see that Ashi is now pregnant with Jack's child, with the episode ending by zooming out and fading to black.

Final Words
As I've said, I was fine with the way show ended and this is just my collection of ideas for if I wanted the show to have a happy ending.

Hope you like it and I'll be interested to hear what you guys think.