Just imagine, you go through years of grueling training, to inherit a sword from your father to fight this ultimate evil that enslaved your family, destroyed your land, destroyed everything and took away everyone you've ever loved - only to die by the blade you dedicated your life to wielding, by that same evil. Aku's goal was to not necessarily kill Jack (that was a major part of it of course), but specifically to make Jack suffer. Make him suffer as much as humanly possible, for as long as possible. Even if Jack managed to kill Aku after he destroyed all the time portals, Jack would STILL not be able to go back to the past and be doomed to wander this post-Aku world for all eternity until something kills him. And Aku would die knowing that his greatest rival will never find peace. So when he pinned Jack down in the Zombies episode, he could've used anything - he couldve choked him to death, he could've used his body as a guillotin, he could've stabbed him over and over. But it wouldn't be an ''honorable'' thing to do. It wouldn't hurt as much. Now using the weapon he was trained to wield? THAT will sting. THAT will hurt. THAT will make Jack die thinking he failed his father, his mother, and literally the entire Earth, bringing him as much suffering as possible.

And even if Aku wasn't the one to personally kill Jack, if it was a random guy in a back alley with a knife - it would still HURT. It's like when you get killed by a low level enemy in a video game you KNOW how to play. The despair knowing most of the world wants you dead, and the thing that kills you wasn't even the Big Bad, but a random drunkard that accidentally beat the life of you. Aku have thought of every possibility to make his life as miserable as possible, because he LOVES it, because he loves causing unnecessary suffering unto people, it is his passion, it is his entire purpose, his being, and that is how he manages to feel alive as the ultimate evil.

I’ll start from earliest “improvement” (i use it lightly, just my thoughts on how they could have progressed these scenes) to now:

4 - Ashi, instead of being willing to learn from Jack after he kills her sisters (she still doesnt need to feel grief for them), because it is proof that all he does is destroy. They do still have that moment where Ashi is conflicted about hurting him, but she still knows what she must do. However, of course, Jack has escaped by then.

5 - she follows him, and finds her way into the village of of people missing their children. While asking for him, she learns that Aku’s minions have taken their children and Jack has gone to save them. Talk of children makes Ashi sympathetic, though she refuses to believe that Aku is the one doing it. She goes to save them, because after all, she wants to kill the samurai, not other creatures that were created by Aku. She goes to his city, over sees the operations of evil, and it precedes as was, without their interaction. Jack believes he has killed the kids, and she finds them alive.

6 - Ashi searches around the world for Jack, still confused, but still loyal to her mother’s word. She lies about being a friend of Jack, because she believes its safer and less likely to cause trouble. After the encounter with the sadist electrician, not enraging a roomful of potential enemies would be a good idea, even if she can take them on. She gains a sense of self preservation. She sees how people are helped by Samurai Jack, and her confliction grows with her beliefs. Eventually, she finds Jack at the graveyard, and instead of giving him a talk (that seemed a bit ooc), she gets straight to the point. Those Children are alive, and if he really is useful and helping the world, what he is doing now really isnt going to help anybody. A true warrior survives until their goal is done. That’s what she’s doing, and he really cant be that much of a threat as she thought he was if he’s ready to die now. Jack saves her again, and they start off with a rocky mutual acceptance. Ashi is ready to accept Aku is evil

7 - They go off to the mountain, and Ashi learns what the sword is, and what it means. She fights the army again, her mother again. She’s tempted, actually tempted, before turning on her in the last minute because this isnt normal. there is more focus on her anger and rage, and less on her vulnerability after passing out. In fact, she doesnt at all. She waits, soaked in blood, and Jack’s final moments with the gods arent rushed so he can be admired by Ashi. They leave, Ashi now determined that Aku must be defeated. Jack feels Ashi lacks balance

8 - The focus is not on silly relationship jokes (which make it feel so forced *aku ugh*). I feel like, in terms for the two to be equal, Ashi has to keep the angry, harsh edge she has in the beginning. Or at the very least, not to sound like a shy teenager. I think fitting in the scene where she cleans herself and changes outfits would have been better here in the beginning before the action, to explain that she is starting to accept herself and the world around her. Wish they’d keep her updo, made her look more mature. Ashi should definitely be more confident, even if she’s not used to this strange odd world. Her belonging to this world, acting like it, but still being an outsider, like Jack is someone who is an outsider, not acting like it, yet belonging, is something that should be played up. I like foils, theyre a pretty interesting character dynamic... especially with romantic couples.

next up, gets into a bit more speculative. and a bit more self serving. Okay, so say, Ashi kicks ass, violently, all by herself. She is definitely just as good as Jack at fighting, but unlike Jack, who can and will hold back, she doesn’t. She lacks balance. Its a massacre, and Jack, who has respect for her, also worries. Because she’s coming so far, but she needs control. And that’s where their relationship starts, by Jack showing her control of her emotions, control of her impulses, and generally getting her to be more trusting of him and the world as a whole, not because its a good place, but because she knows she can handle it and doesnt need to panic and destroy everything in sight when things go wrong. Less helpless teenager, more independent and self reliant woman who only needs jack help to teach her what balance is. And maybe... just maybe... someone willing to wield the blade Jack holds, in case anything happens to him...