Ashi was the deuteragonist (Though in the series as a whole, Aku could fill this role, while Ashi shares the role of tritagonist with the Scottsman and The Emperor. She was also originally quaternary antagonist before becoming an ally of Samurai Jack in Season 5) of Samurai Jack. She was the 18-year-old girl, former leader and the only confirmed living member of the Daughters of Aku, seven sisters who served as assassins attempting to kill Jack. It is only later that she came to have doubts about Aku's true nature after Jack saves her life and she makes a full turn-around when Jack shows her the destruction Aku has unleashed on the world.
She served as Jack's most important ally in Season 5, in Episode XCIX she and Jack eventually fall in love with each other. Eventually, after meeting Aku in person in Episode C, it is revealed that Aku was her biological father, after which he corrupts her unwillingly into his service. In Episode CI, she used her powers as a human-demon hybrid to help transport Jack back to the past to defeat Aku, but tragically passes away on the day of her wedding to Jack as a consequence of Aku's death.Ashi later becomes Jack's love interest and later wife in the series.
Biography[]
Ashi and her six sisters were birthed from the High Priestess, the leader of an all-female cult of Aku, and raised as assassins by them to do what no other fighter could do: kill Samurai Jack. The High Priestess named them the Daughters of Aku and raised them with the most brutal methods of training throughout all of their childhood and youth, attempting to sculpt them into the ultimate warriors. During her training as a child, Ashi found a hole in the wall to gaze upon the outside world. The High Priestess told her that the world was a creation of their master, Aku, and that it was threatened so long as Jack lived to oppose Aku's rule. She was then thrown back into training and received punishment. When their training was complete years later, they donned their masks and head coverings, and set out to fulfill their mission. (Episode XCII)
Ashi and her sisters set up traps for Jack in a forest, destroying his motorbike and starting an intense battle with the samurai, forcing him to hide and later escape to an abandoned temple. Ashi and her sisters looked for their hiding enemy, pursuing him to the temple's underground crypt. Here they had another intense battle with the samurai, but he succeeded in killing one of Ashi's sisters and blew up the temple with the others still inside. (Episode XCIII)
After breaking out of the rubble and tracking the samurai to a forest, Ashi fought Jack again in the next episode. However, this time Jack had the elements of concealment and surprise on his side, rather than the other way around as previously. Unlike their first battle, she found herself and her sisters overwhelmed as one by one Jack killed the other Daughters until only Ashi was left, hanging off a cliff by the chain of her kusarigama. Seeing her sisters perish and having been bested, Ashi had a momentary breakdown as she ranted and swore that she would kill Jack, even as he dropped her to her presumed death. (Episode XCIV)
Initially playing dead, Ashi survived the fall and tried to kill Jack again numerous times, despite being chained up with her own weapon, eaten whole by a giant monster and Jack's numerous attempts to save her life, undeterred from her purpose. Eventually, after escaping the monster, Ashi attempts to kill Jack with her sickle by sneaking up on him, before noticing a ladybug fly by. This triggered a flashback to when she was a small child training with her sisters, when a ladybug flew into her hand and she observed the beauty of it, before it was unceremoniously squished and killed by her mother, labeling it a distraction and "not part of Aku's order." Ashi continued to hear these words until she sees Jack hold the ladybug in his hand and releasing it unharmed. After being saved by Jack from the belly of a colossal beast (despite her constant animosity towards him and continued attempts to kill him) and watching his humble and honorable nature to the most simple of life, she started to question her ways. Finally realizing that Jack was not the enemy, she drops her weapon and reconsiders her purpose, deciding to meditate with Jack on an island from a distance, indicating that she has made peace with the Samurai.(Episode XCV)
After returning to the mainland with Jack and learning the true nature of Aku, she sees the error of her ways and becomes his ally, going against her mother and her cult. At the same time, she no longer saw Aku as a god but a demon to be destroyed, finally convinced after being shown solid evidence by Jack that Aku is truly evil. Shortly after, she agreed to help Jack save a group of kids who are being mind-controlled by implanted chips. While Jack distracted the children, Ashi searched for the source of the mind-controlling signal, only to be captured and brought before the sadistic Dominator. While being tortured and forced to watch as Jack is overwhelmed, Ashi was angered when the Dominator gloated about turning the children into weapons due to them being naive and vulnerable, striking a nerve and allowing her to break free of her restraints, since it reminded her too much of how she was also turned into a living weapon for no good reason. Fighting back the Dominator's electric onslaught, Ashi managed to overpower and kill her torturer, freeing the children in the process. Upon discovering that the children are alive and well, Ashi calls out for Jack, but the samurai had mysteriously disappeared. (Episode XCVI)
When searching for Jack on a blimp, Ashi finds herself being targeted by two mysterious figures. When they reveal themselves to be friends of Jack they ask her if she is a friend to Jack as well, leaving her lost in her thought. Ashi then assures them she also wants to help Jack. After hearing the story about how Jack saved the Woolies, the airship captain informs her that Jack got off at their current exit, to which she quickly hops off the blimp. After landing in a forest, she ends up meeting the Three Blind Archers, who tell of Jack's nobleness, then later the Ravers, who dance and sing upon being reminded of Jack, causing Ashi to join in as well. Upon arriving at a cave with a waterfall, Ashi remembers how her mother forced her and her sisters to jump into a pile of burning darkness, creating a bodysuit that also allows her to store her weapons. Ashi at first walks away from the cave, but then jumps in and starts scraping the scabs off her body with rocks. While climbing out of the cave, she realizes that she is naked, and creates a new outfit out of leaves. Later on, when she arrives at a tavern in the forest, she meets Da Samurai, who explains that he gave up his samurai life after Jack enlightened him. Back outside, Ashi meets a shadowy person and is asked if Jack is her friend, to which Ashi assuredly says yes. The shadowy person then tells Ashi to follow the path north, after which she finds Jack in a cemetery about to commit seppuku. Ashi tries to snap Jack into his senses, yet The Omen fights to keep her from interfering. Eventually, Ashi is able to get to Jack when she tells him the children from the factory are still alive, allowing Jack to save her from the Horseman and defeat him. After the ghosts of the other samurai return to their graves and Jack compliments Ashi's new dress, she asks what their next move is, and Jack responds it is time to find his sword. (Episode XCVII)
After Jack tells her the story of how he lost his sword, they arrive at the site on the back of a large bird. Exploring the pit, but failing to find the sword, Ashi wonders if someone could have stolen it, to which Jack responds the sword abandoned him and not vice versa. Back outside, Ashi thanks the bird, and it nuzzles her in return. While Jack meditates to find his sword, Ashi remains behind to protect his body. Sure enough, an entire army arrives to kill Jack. Ashi confronts them, much to their amusement, but she actually managed to fight and kill them all. Afterwards, Ashi spots another hostile near the top of the mountain and calls for the bird to take her back to high ground. The assassin fired multiple arrows at Jack, but Ashi quickly catches one mid-air, blocking the rest with a large stone slab. Ashi is surprised that the attacker is none other than her own mother. The High Priestess criticizes Ashi's lack of focus, but offers her another chance to kill Jack. Ashi refuses, explaining that Jack showed her the truth about Aku. Furious, the High Priestess attacks them both, but Ashi manages to defend Jack and herself using only a ram's horn. The High Priestess scolds Ashi for sparing Jack and betraying their family, despite the fact the Samurai killed her sisters. Ashi retorts their fates were already sealed, being raised as nothing more than living weapons. Before the High Priestess can finish Jack, Ashi recovers from the rubble she had been buried under and manages to throw one of her mother's arrows back at her, hitting her in the back and sending her falling to her death. Ashi herself falls to the ground shortly after, exhausted from the fight. Jack wakes her up upon returning from the spirit world. She compliments his new look and getting his sword back, and Jack himself remarks that Ashi has also been busy. When Ashi asks what their plan is now, Jack tells her Aku is their next target. (Episode XCVIII)
After finding Jack's sword, Ashi and Jack journey through a desert, stopping to rest at an outpost resembling a Middle-Eastern-style city. Jack offered Ashi some food from a local vendor, but she politely refused after it temporarily turned his head into a fish. On the camel barge transporting them through the desert, Ashi's affection for Jack begins to surface as they both find themselves being awkwardly hemmed in by multiple green tiger-men. When a trap is sprung, Ashi helps Jack fight their attackers, with the tension between them continuing to rise. Ashi and Jack both agree it's time to leave and escape from the barge, continuing their journey on foot. Stopping at an oasis for water, Jack shows Ashi how to make straw hats for each other, further enhancing their relationship. Eventually, the two are caught in a sandstorm, but find shelter in a towering monolith. Investigating the facility, Ashi and Jack discover it is actually a prison ship, and Ashi is suddenly bitten on the leg by a leech-like creature. Fortunately, Jack kills the creature and removes the poison in time. Hearing an animal-like scream in the distance, they retreat deeper into the prison before confronting their pursuer: a massive monster made of the same leeches from earlier, and barely manage to escape while fighting it off. Shortly after, the duo are directed to the ship's armory, where Jack receives a special weapon that can kill the creature, Lazarus 92. Unfortunately, Ashi misfires a laser rifle, causing Jack to miss the part involving the weapon's activation. Ashi then dons a riot shield and sword-staff and says she is ready, with Jack reluctantly agreeing. Once they find the creature, Jack attempts to turn on the weapon, but fails. Ashi realizing that Jack doesn't know how to turn it on and tries it herself. In the process, she is attacked by Lazuras-92 and her leaf dress is eaten off, leaving her completely naked. An embarrassed Jack explains private parts are personal, leaving Ashi confused due to her sheltered upbringing and forcing Jack to lend her his gi mid-battle. The two are then surrounded by the leeches when Jack finally activates the weapon and are nearly killed while saying each other's names. After recovering for a moment from the weapon's discharge, Ashi and Jack finally realize their feelings for each other and embrace in a passionate kiss, having found true love together. (Episode XCIX)
Immediately after, Ashi and Jack quickly realize they are kissing and stop, nervous and mildly disgusted by the venom. Ashi offers Jack his gi, but he insists she keep it until she finds new clothes, claiming the ship is drafty. Soon, they spot a hole in the ceiling leading outside. Ashi searches for something to wear while Jack heads back outside. After finding a sweater and boots in a locker room, Ashi comes across Jack showering outside and kindly leaves him his gi. That evening, after hunting some worms for dinner, the two awkwardly try to make small talk. Ashi asks Jack if he ever thinks about his home, and Jack answers that he does so all the time, opening up to her with the memories of his home throughout the seasons. When Ashi asks if there was a girl in his life, Jack explains there wasn't time, since he was only 8 when Aku attacked. While Jack admits the time before Aku's return was nice, the memories of his home are the only way he will see it again. The next morning, a distraught Ashi wakes up to find that Jack has left her again. She later finds him in a robot graveyard, demanding to know why he left. Jack explains that, in addition to witnessing the suffering of many innocent people, Aku has taken everything from him, leaving him with nothing but memories, and doesn't want the same to happen to Ashi. Instead, Ashi assures him they will defeat Aku together. Sure enough, Aku reveals himself, accompanied by Scaramouche. Aku claims he is aware that Jack lost his sword, having learned the information from Scaramouche. When Jack reveals the opposite, Aku telekinetically destroys Scaramouche's head in frustration. He casually prepares to leave as Jack attacks him, but smells something familiar nearby: himself. Ashi arms herself with a sword as Aku approaches her, warning him to stay back. Smelling part of himself inside her, Aku remembers the time when he personally paid a visit to the members of the Cult of Aku, providing them with some of his essence. He then deduces that the High Priestess drank his essence shortly after and gave birth to the Daughters of Aku, revealing to a shocked Ashi that she is Aku's biological daughter. When Jack attacks him once again, Aku simply uses his essence inside Ashi to control her body like a puppet, forcing her to fight against Jack. Jack pleads with her to resist, assuring her she is nothing like her parents, but she is unable to do so. Unhappy with this, Aku throws a giant robot onto them and tells Ashi she needs to "bring out her best" (i.e., himself), corrupting her with an upgraded version of her old outfit. Despite this, Jack manages to break Ashi's sword and cut her arm, briefly getting through to her. Ashi begs Jack to kill her and destroy Aku, but he can't bring himself to do so and stands down. Before Ashi can finish Jack, Aku orders his daughter to stop, joyfully claiming the Samurai's sword as Jack accepts defeat. (Episode C)
As Aku prepares to kill Jack on worldwide television, Jack once more tries to get through to Ashi, though he appears to be unsuccessful. After a period of indecision, Aku decides it's best for Ashi to do the deed. As Ashi prepares to kill Jack, all of the samurai's allies arrive and fight Aku and his forces in a grand-scale battle, while Jack confronts the corrupted Ashi. Eventually, Jack frees Ashi of Aku's control after confessing his love for her. Disowning her father and dueling him evenly with his own powers, Ashi fetches Jack's sword and warps Jack and herself back to the past, to the moment after Aku sent him to the future. Jack then proceeds to destroy Aku once and for all, thus preventing the rise of the demon and sparing both the universe and the future from his tyranny.
Unfortunately, since Ashi was Aku's daughter and Aku no longer exists, she fades away before she and Jack could be married some time later, and falls before reaching the altar. Because Jack had altered history, her path was altered as well, and she disappeared from his arms. (Episode CI)
Appearance[]
Ashi and all the Daughters of Aku shared the same appearance. They all had slim, petite builds and all of them have large, narrow eyes, red lips, and are 'wearing' some sort of black bodysuit. When undercover, they usually wear a white, horned mask to conceal their own identities. It is suggested they are of Asian descent.
The only difference between Ashi and her sisters is their varying hairstyles. Ashi's hair is combed up to a single point initially, though she later re-styles it when she changes her outfit.
She may be considered attractive, as the Dominator refers to her as pretty. When Jack notices her new looks, he awkwardly compliments her hair and clothing, much to her amusement.
Ashi's bodysuit is revealed to be dark magic, received when she was young after her mother pushed her (and presumably her sisters,) into a pit of burning hot dark magic from the Pit of Hate. Ashi's mother refers to the magic as the "darkness that Aku was born from." The suit was removed by Ashi while searching for Jack. Ashi now wears a fluorescent dress made from leaves, and has let her hair down in a natural style. After her brutal slaughtering of the army in XCVIII, her dress took major battle damage, tearing by her feet and upper body area most notably. By Episode XCIX, it was completely eaten off by Lazarus 92, causing Jack to lend her his gi mid-battle. In Episode C, Ashi finds a blue-green, sweater-like uniform and black boots inside the ship. Later, during her unwilling duel against Jack, Aku provides her with a new bodysuit, including a black mask with antlers, white eyes and red flaming eyebrows, granting her abilities similar to her father.
In Episode CI, she wore a set of traditional Japanese wedding dress, shiromuku.
Personality[]
Ashi seemed to possess a curiosity about the outside world, especially when she was younger, and developed into a cunning strategist. She was clever enough to go after the archers first in her final test, making the task much easier. Like the rest of her sisters, she possess little to no knowledge of the outside world in which she doesn't know what a deer is and assumes a male deer is Aku's minion due to its antlers. When she begins to question if Jack is truly evil, she demands he teach her and becomes impatient when he tells her to wait until the next morning. She also asks him questions like where the stars come from, further implying her love for nature and her abundant curiosity. A hallucination of her mother once referred to her as weak because she was often distracted and unfocused.
She also doesn't comprehend the sense of decency, as when her clothing was eaten by Lazarus 92 leaving her naked once more, she doesn't mind and was confused by Jack's embarrassment seeing her in such condition. She also find Jack's reminder that male and female private parts are personal does not make sense. Jack presumably taught her several concepts and terms during their relationship afterwards, as she understand the concept of marriage and living her role as Jack's wife.
Furthermore, she initially does not understand the concept of love and compassion, initially seeing the loving bond between a deer couple as madness due to the fact that she (like her sisters) assumed the stag will devour the doe. This was also seen when she and her sisters did not mourn the first of their sisters to die by Jack's hand, reciting their mother's words "death is failure". In addition, like Jack, she tends to suffer from her conscience haunting her (in the form of her mother), reminding her to kill the samurai. This part of her conscience seems to stem from the abuse she received from her mother along with being indoctrinated since birth to kill the samurai.
Still, she has an emotional breakdown after witnessing all of her sisters die before her and failing to kill Jack. This is likely due to her being raised to kill Jack under the extreme and violent tutelage of her mother, who raised them to think of failure as the pinnacle of disgrace and something that was an impossible occurrence. Her breakdown also likely stemmed from her shock at being defeated by Jack, someone she was raised to see herself and her sisters as inherently superior to (implying she is prideful and a little arrogant, which could have partially led to her downfall). Also, in episode XCVI, when the Dominator taunts how easy it is to manipulate children and turn them into weapons, she reacts angrily, implying she has unresolved feelings towards the abuse she endured from her mother along with her sisters' deaths.
She remained fervent in attempting to kill Jack, proving a determined single-mindedness as a result of her upbringing. She is very stubborn and initially firm in her beliefs, spending long hours yelling and cursing Jack while stating Aku would punish him while they traveled inside a giant beast. She is capable of holding grudges and noticeably has a short temper, getting frustrated easily. Along with this is an indomitable will, undeterred by failure and capable of withstanding the most gruesome of torture, as evidenced by her many attempts to kill Jack despite her numerous failures along with being able to overcome torture in episode XCVI. While she grew up believing Aku to be creator of all things and a God with Jack being a parasite that tormented the land, upon seeing Jack's humble and honest appreciation of life (letting a ladybug go), she questions her beliefs. This demonstrates that while stubborn, she is capable of change and that deep down she is a compassionate person who loves the beauty of the world along with nature. She is horrified to see the truth of Aku and his evil, but slowly accepts it. She is even horrified to hear that children were being taken to a factory to be tortured and used, proving further that she is a kind soul who wishes to protect the innocent. Overall, she seems to have been a misguided woman who thought she had been doing the right thing and protecting people by serving Aku and killing Jack, but eventually sees the error of her ways.
After learning the truth from Jack, she has disowned her mother, put her past behind (especially as she removes her "bodysuit" and leaves her past behind) and is now set on stopping Aku. She believes in defending the good and protecting nature. She also managed to learn more about Jack while searching for him, thanking everyone for telling her their stories and allowing her to see Jack as the true savior of the people. He managed to teach her (both directly and indirectly) about the world and about herself, and allowed her to mature and grow as an individual. She was even able to let go of her serious persona for a second to dance to a rave dedicated to Jack's memory and bask in the beauty of nature. Furthermore, she is more balanced and rational than before. In the seppuku scene, she repeatedly reasons with the troubled Jack by pointing out various people he has just saved and the hope he instilled in their hearts.
Despite becoming a kind person and learning the truth, she still retains a brutal ruthless nature towards her enemy, mercilessly killing the Dominator, an entire Orc Army, and her own mother.
She cares about Jack so much that she was willing to search for him and help him get get his confidence back, as well as save him from the Omen. She has also become protective of him (most likely because he is her savior and because of his at times fragile sanity), defending him from a whole army of orcs and even her own mother while he leaves to get his sword (Episode XCVIII). She even comes to his aid when he visits the Guardian's time portal, saying that she will stay by his side and that no matter what, something brought them together (Episode C). Eventually, she was willing to put others' lives above her own, using her new powers to make the ultimate sacrifice to send Jack back to his own time to defeat Aku, saving many lives, but at the cost of her own life. (Episide CI)
Appearances[]
Season 5
- Episode XCII (first appearance; goes on a hunt for Jack with her sisters)
- Episode XCIII (One of her sisters dies)
- Episode XCIV (Takes watch in the search to find Jack and kill him; last to "die")
- Episode XCV
- Episode XCVI (becomes Jack's ally)
- Episode XCVII (changed looks and dress)
- Episode XCVIII
- Episode XCIX (falls in love with Jack and starts a relationship with him)
- Episode C (Learns Aku is her father. Tragic unwilling "betrayal" of Jack.)
- Episode CI (last appearance, gets erased from existence on the day of her wedding to Jack due to Aku's death in the past.)
Powers and Abilities[]
According to The High Priestess, Ashi is strongest of all the Daughter of Aku members.
- Skilled Archer: Ashi has shown to have excellent skills in archery. She is capable of taking down multiple opponents with the bow while climbing.
- Enhanced Agility: Ashi's training throughout her entire life has honed her skills as being very fast and have amazing jumping and parkour skills which can arguably be seen as on par with, or even better than Jack's.
- Skilled Melee Fighter: Ashi and her sisters have become more skilled at close-quarter combat than their trainers.
- Intelligence: Through her training, Ashi developed a talent for strategy. During the final test, she incapacitated the Cult archers at the top of the cliff face, swinging the fight in her and her sisters' favor.
- Peak Human Conditioning: Like Jack, who spent the majority of his life preparing to face Aku, Ashi has spent the majority of her life preparing to fight Jack and has honed her body to the absolute limit of human potential.
- Peak Human Resilience: Ashi has been beaten endlessly throughout her training, hardening her as a warrior. She and her sister also durable enough to endure harsh weather condition since they can fight Jack without the elements hindering their combat capabilities despite being unclothed all the time.
- Peak Human Senses: Ashi and her sisters were trained to be able to react to dangers, such as archer fire, by instinct. Her reflexes, endurance, stamina and agility are drastically enhanced to superhuman levels.
- Peak Human Speed: Ashi is shown to be swift. She is capable dodging arrows while climbing a cliff and grabbing one of the fired arrows out of thin air. She and her sisters are capable of dodging machine gun fire.
- Peak Human Strength: She and her sisters have deceptive raw strength for their lean frame. They are able to destroy Jack's armor merely through punches. They are also able to easily smash through stone and concrete. She was strong enough to lift a large man in a metal suit and throw him through glass. During her battle against the army that comes to kill Jack, she is shown to be strong enough to push hundreds of soldier larger than her off the mountain cliff without difficulty, as well as breaking their spears, armor, shields or pulling the arm of a muscular man out of its socket with her bare hands. Afterwards, she picks up a large stone slab to protect Jack and herself from a hail of arrows, lifting it above her head before destroying it.
- Indomitable Willpower: Ashi seems to possess a strong will to correct her mistakes and help her persevere through hardships. This made her into a powerful and cold assassin. As described by her mother towards her and her sisters, "Aku's fire stirs through all of you."
- Pain Resistance: She is strong enough to resist the 10,000 volts of electrical torture from the Dominator, which would normally kill a regular human. She survived a high fall that was damaging enough to leave her bleeding without any apparent pain. She also survived being thrown into hot coals as a child.
- Enhanced Stamina: In order to protect Jack, Ashi fought and defeated an entire army and her own mother before finally collapsing from exhaustion.
- Hammerspace: Ashi's original outfit allowed her to store her weapon of choice when not in use. The ability was seemingly lost when she removed her old uniform. In Episode XCVII we see Ashi using this ability as she had a spare kusarigama she used when jumping out of the blimp.
- Tailoring Skill: After cleansing herself of the darkness from her skin, Ashi tailors her new clothing from local flora, literally leaving her past in the dust.
- Animal Taming: She may, to some extent, be good at taming animals. In Episode XCVIII, the large bird she and Jack rode took a particular liking to her and even came back to help her when she called for it. It is very likely Jack taught her this skill.
- Weapon proficiency: Ashi is shown to be proficient with most weapons she comes across. Initially wielding a kusarigama (sickle and chain), she later demonstrates skill with a swordstaff and shield in Episode XCIX. She is also good at improvising, using a ram's horn as a makeshift dagger in XCVIII, then later throwing shards of glass as makeshift shuriken in XCIX. Unlike Jack, however, Ashi has little to no experience with firearms, shown when she accidentally misfired a laser rifle in the prison ship's armory.
- Corrupted form: During her unwilling fight against Jack in Episode C, Aku corrupts her into his likeness with several supernatural powers. It is shown that she inherits almost all Aku's power.
- Enhanced Strength: The suit increases her physical strength, making her strong enough to penetrate metallic objects with a sword and shatter the ground with one kick.
- Elasticity: In her corrupted form, Ashi can stretch and expand her limbs in any direction. Her limbs can also act like a whip that can easily rip through metal.
- Pyrokinesis/Infusion: Her bodysuit has flaming eyebrows similar to her father. She can also infuse weaponry with fire, such as a sword.
- 360-Degree Neck Rotation: She can rotate her head without snapping her neck.
- Shapeshifting/Weapon Creation: She can turn her forearms into blades.
- Eye beams: She can fire energy beams from her eyes.
- Time Portal Creation: Much like her father, Ashi has the ability to create time portals using her vocal chords. Ashi used this ability to send herself and Jack back in time to defeat Aku once and for all.
Relationships[]
Family & Relatives[]
- The High Priestess - As her birth mother and mentor, Ashi is slightly frightened of her and attempted to please her as best she could as a child during her extensive training. In a brief dream, Ashi sees a more monstrous version of her mother commanding her to kill Jack, showing that she harbors a deep fear of her mother. After seeing the truth about Aku's evil way, Ashi rebels and disowns her mother. Ashi's relationship with her mother was deeply abusive, as her mother frequently subjected her to both physical and mental torture, which included covering her entire body in burning ashes, which made up her apparent "outfit." The two confront each other in episode XCVIII, where her mother calls her a failure and tries to convince her to kill Jack. When this doesn't work, her mother resolves to kill her with no hesitation. She tries to manipulate Ashi, telling her of how Jack killed her sisters but she let him live, but Ashi retorts saying their fates were sealed the day they were born since they were trained to kill. Ashi successfully defends Jack from her mother, killing her in the process and leaving her past behind.
- The Daughters of Aku (Sisters) - Septuplets born to the High Priestess, Ashi and her sisters trained together their entire life in order to kill Jack. Initially, they do cared for each other's well-being, but because of their mother's mantra that weakness and failure are not tolerated, over time they started to disregard their own sisters' well-being and only think the success of their mission, as they didn't mourn the death of the sister that Jack has unintentionally killed. In "XCVI", Ashi was visibly angered Dominator's boasting on turning the alien children into weapons, suggesting unresolved feelings over her mother and the abuse all of her sisters and herself has endured in their life.
- Aku - As one of his worshipers and most devoted of followers, she regarded Aku as a god, and attempted to gain his favor by killing Jack. However, after Jack shows her the truth and consequences of Aku's power by Jack, she now regards him as a demon that must be stopped. Ashi has started to help him in undoing the work of Aku and his followers. It wasn't until later that she discovers she and her sisters are Aku's biological daughters, and Ashi is forced to attack Jack. Ashi disowned her father Aku, since she broke free from his control.
Allies[]
- ""No. You [Mother] were wrong about everything. Jack showed me the truth"."
- ―{{{2}}}, {{{3}}}
- Samurai Jack - Fated to destroy him once and for all, Ashi grew into a fiercely resolved woman bent on eradicating the samurai from the face of the Earth for good. Her first attempt to kill him alongside his sisters was partially successful, as they managed to surprise him and strip him of his armor and weapons. However, he managed to turn the tide on them and he managed to eliminate six of the seven daughters of Aku, with Ashi being the only survivor. She suffered a mental breakdown and cursed him, proclaiming Aku would kill him. After her fall, she tries to attack him several times and the two end up being eaten alive. Jack tries to keep her safe but she continues to attack him and taunt him, much to his frustration. He tries to show her the error of her ways and that Aku is the evil one, but she tells him to die. He even tries bonding with her by having small talk and saving her multiple times, though his attempts tend to annoy her and she remained resistant. When the two managed to escape, she began to see that he had a humble appreciation for life, making her question if he was truly evil. After beginning to see Jack as a kind soul who appreciated life (saving a ladybug), she begins to question her beliefs regarding Jack as "evil" and Aku as the "Creator of life and savior of all". She and Jack escape the island they are on and she follows him, demanding he show her the truth. Slowly she sees the horrors Aku has unleashed upon the world and sides with Jack, even helping him to free some alien children from being enslaved in a factory. When she sees he has gone missing, she sets out on a journey to find him while learning about the people Jack has helped, growing to care for him and acknowledge him as a hero while worrying for his wellbeing. After learning the truth from Jack, she has disowned her mother, put her past behind (especially as she removes her "bodysuit" and leaves her past behind) and is now set on stopping Aku. She also managed to learn more about Jack while searching for him, thanking everyone for telling her their stories and allowing her to see Jack as the true savior of the people. He managed to teach her (both directly and indirectly) about the world and about herself, and allowed her to mature and grow as an individual. She cares about Jack so much that she was willing to search for him and help him get back his mojo as well as save him from The Omen. When he goes to get his sword back, she wishes to go with him but he tells her he must do it alone, leaving her disappointed and dejected but she reluctantly agrees to stay. She has become protective of him (most likely because he is her savior and because of his at times fragile sanity which she has seen first hand both while being eaten and seeing him talk to himself and when he nearly committed seppuku), defending him from a whole army of orcs and her mother while he leaves to get his sword (Episode XCVIII). It is also revealed in the same episode that she does not hold the death of her sisters against Jack, instead understanding that was their fate since their mother raised her and her sisters to kill him and he had no choice but to defend himself. She instead blames her mother for rearing them in such a manner in the first place (which is very true). In XCIX she and Jack became even closer when he offers her food, makes her a hat and constantly holds hands with her. With Jack even sacrificing his robes for Ashi when she was naked during their fight against the alien. Afterwards the two kiss, officially starting their relationship and revealing the two have had true love between each other. However after Ashi was revealed to be Aku's biological daughter, he took advantage of her and attempted to kill Jack. Ashi eventually begs Jack to kill her and then Aku but Jack cannot bring himself to do so, and surrenders to Aku to keep Ashi alive. In Episode CI, She eventually used her power to help the Samurai destroy Aku in the past with the cost of her ceasing to exist.
Enemies[]
- The Omen: When Ashi found Jack meditating in the middle of a cemetery, she met up with the mysterious samurai who has haunted him since the beginning. The samurai tells her not to interfere as he is preparing to have Jack commit seppuku for his supposed failures. However, Ashi knew that every word the samurai spits out is a lie and tries to convince Jack not to give up hope. She reminded him of the people he saved and how he has regained hope in them just as he did with her. The samurai continues to lie and taunts Jack about the blue-furred children he supposedly killed. But Ashi manages to explain that the children are still alive and well. The samurai, who has had enough with her persistence, goes to kill her. However, after hearing the truth from Ashi, Jack protected her and destroyed the samurai once and for all.
Others[]
- Conscience: Interestingly, like Jack, Ashi suffers from doubts which manifest as her mother, a representation of her conscience and reminder of the purpose she was trained since birth to accomplish. Her mother first appears in episode XCV, where Ashi is asleep and she dreams of her mother appearing demonic and angry, telling Ashi to slay the samurai and scaring her awake. She then appears in episode XCVI, telling Ashi to kill the samurai in his sleep, but Ashi refuses as she wishes to learn the truth. The hallucination calls Ashi the weak one for always being distracted and claims she failed her. Her conscience seems to be a manifestation of her fear of her mother and a reminder in needing to fulfill her destiny, along with her doubts about her beliefs regarding both Aku and the samurai.
Killed Victims[]
- At least three Cult of Aku members
- The Dominator
- Thousands of soldiers of an Orc Army
- The High Priestess
- Herself (Indirectly caused by creating a time paradox by killing Aku in the past)
Quotes[]
Season Five
- "Death is failure."
- "You worthless scum! I will kill you! You can never escape from Aku! You will die! You will die a horrible death, and then Aku will sing, for he is free from the parasite that you are! Die, Samurai! Die, die, you scum!! Die! Die! Die, Samurai! You will die!!!"
- "Die!! Die!! Why won't you die!!? Scum, Aku will be triumphant!!'I will kill you as long as I have breathe in my body!! I will strike you down!!! Long live the glory of Aku!!"
- "Deceiver, worm!! Scum!!!"
- "Treacherous snake!!"
- "By Aku's will, you will die in here!!"
- "There is no hope for you, foolish samurai! Aku is the master of masters and will end you!"
- "No matter what you have planned for me, I will never buckle, never waver!!"
- "Your death is certain!! Aku desires it!!"
- "Aku has made a world of wonders and you have soiled it!!"
- "Aku is the father of fathers!! His greatness cannot be measured!"
- "You are a parasite, Samurai, feeding off Aku's generosity!!"
- "Aku, my master, this fool knows not of your greatness, your kindness, your understanding!!!"
- "Die."
- "I'd be happier as that creature's excrement than be grateful to you."
- "You look hideous."
- "Wait!"
- "You tell me that everything I know is wrong! But refuse to prove any of it! You're afraid! Afraid that I will see you are a liar!!"
- "What do you know of me? Everything I have endured until this moment!? You know nothing, Samurai. You are just a lowly, soulless pig!!"
- (Ashi is relieved when the blue alien children prove to alright by regaining their consciousness and freed from the mind control) "We did it! Samurai, we saved them!" (Ashi becomes concerned that Jack is nowhere to be seen) "Samurai? Samurai??" (worried) "SAMURAI JAAAAAACK!"
- (surprised) "Hurt? I don't..." (and then speaks calmly) "Look, I'm not trying to hurt him. I'm trying to find him. I think he's in trouble."
- (conflicted with her feelings if she is Jack's friend) "I...don't know."
- (After her nightly cleansing, and realizing she had no clothes afterwards) "Uh oh"
- (Once the cloaked stranger asked if she was Jack's friend, hesitates, then truthfully admits softly) "Yes"
- (she sees Jack and she's relieved) "Samurai!"(She becomes very worried and frightened when she notices a sword laying before him)"Jack?"
- "No! The children! They're alive! You saved them!"
- "No. You were wrong about everything. Jack showed me the truth."
- "No, you killed them! We were made for one purpose: to kill! Our fate was sealed the day we were born!"
- "I guess I'll just... wait here."
- "You got your sword! And a shave and a haircut..."
- "So what's next?"
- "No!--Thank you. I'll...just try something over here."
- "Where do you think you're going?"
- "I'm waiting."
- "Why aren't you using the weapon?"
- "And your robe is going to protect me?"
- "You're acting weird."
- "Jaack I can't stop this!!! I can't control myself!"
- "Jack! Nothing is working!"
- "Jack! Kill me, Jack!"
- "KIll me, then destroy Aku!! You have to do it! Do it now! Kill me!"
- "No, you are not my father!"
- "No, you're not!"
- "Without Aku... I would have never... existed."(Ashi's last words to Jack before ceasing to exist)
Trivia[]
- Ashi appears in every episode of Season 5.
- Ashi can be seen as an antithesis to Jack as she was raised to kill him, similar to how he was trained from childhood to defeat Aku.
- As a child, Ashi showed a genuine interest in the world outside of the temple she and her sisters were kept in for their entire lives.
- Ashi's weapon is a kusarigama. Unlike the traditional kusarigama, her kusarigama is designed with a spike circle at the loose end rather than a iron ball.
- Ashi is the only one of the "Daughters of Aku" who has been named on screen.
- While three of her sisters' names have been revealed in the credits of Episode XCIV (Aki, Ami and Avi), which name belongs to which sister hasn't been revealed so far.
- Ashi has a similar hairstyle to Princess Ilana from the cancelled, incomplete cartoon show, Sym-Bionic Titan, another show created by Genndy Tartakovsky. The notable exception is that she has one bang instead of three.
- Tartakovsky revealed during a Q&A session that the resemblance was completely unintentional.
- In comparison, both Ashi & Ilana shared the same voice actress.
- As of Episode XCVII, Ashi changed her hairstyle making her hair no longer the same as Princess Ilana's.
- While Ashi's official voice actress has been revealed to be Tara Strong, in Episode XCII, some of her vocals were done by Kari Wahlgren.
- Despite being sheltered her whole life and not knowing what a deer was, Ashi has a high vocabulary.
- Da Samurai once refers to her as leaf girl due to her dress and the fact she wore a leaf over her head to protect herself from the rain.
- Her leaf attire coincidentally was shown during Earth Day.
- Her leaf attire represents her affinity for nature.
- Her new attire also is a literal visual pun, that being a 'new leaf'.
- Ashi has the highest confirmed kill count of any human or in the entire series with over tens of thousands of killed victims as of Episode XCVIII, with Aku (who has destroyed entire nations) having much more kills than her.
- Ashi has been Jack's longest traveling companion. While he has had other companions (most notably Scotsman and the Wolf) they have not lasted more than two episodes.
- Ashi is based on Genndy's childhood crush. "I had the same dream since I was 10, about the world being destroyed and run by mutants. I’d find a samurai sword, pick up the girl I had a crush on, and we’d go through the land, surviving."[1]
- Like Samurai Jack throughout Season Five, she undergoes a number of outfit changes.
- Ashi inheriting Aku's ability may have been hinted even earlier back in Episode XCVI, as despite her arms and legs being held by mechanical arms, in Ashi's anger, she had managed to somehow slip through them, with her limbs even appearing for a moment to be completely straight, possibly indicating that her limps shifted to a straight form to slip past the hold.
- In bittersweet irony, Jack's fear of Ashi becoming only a memory came true.
- Despite being raised to kill Jack once and for all, Ashi ironically became Jack's only hope to return to the past since all the time portals have been destroyed.
- There is an ancient Chinese legend that links ladybugs with love. The legend goes that when a ladybug comes to call, it is a sign that a true love will pay the person a visit. Further renditions of the legend state that the number of spots on the ladybug indicate the amount of months that will pass until the person is united with his/her true love.
- This also ties in with the red string of fate. According to the red string of fate, the two people connected by the red thread are destined lovers, regardless of place, time or circumstances. This magical cord may stretch or tangle, but never break. This myth is similar to the Western concept of a soulmate or a destined flame.[2]