A dataminer has discovered a secret alternate ending to the 2001 cartoon Samurai Jack in the most recently-released tie-in game, Battle Through Time.
The scene follows Jack and Ashi following the culmination of the game itself, picking up in a reimagined sequence taken from the series finale, which aired in 2017. Jack actually gets to smile, and a reunion brings an emotionally-charged, feel-good series culmination. He’s home.
“Gotta get back. Back to the past.”
That line conjures an immense amount of emotion, a reminder of a striking show that survived for five seasons, the last of which aired over a decade after its predecessor. In 2017, Samurai Jack series creator Genndy Tartakovsky returned to deliver an epic, gut-wrenching finale that brought the titular samurai against his most difficult foes yet. Seven young women, their minds twisted and their very forms bred by the evil machinations of Aku himself, are tasked with one mission: kill the samurai.
Of course, things don’t go as intended - though, Jack does eventually get back to the past. He loses his newfound love in the process, however, and wanders in a daze of sadness at the end of the series, uplifted only by a subtle hint of Ashi’s continued life and happiness in a world beyond his own. For many, the canon ending for Samurai Jack did not meet their expectations. While the show’s revival made longtime fans happy and the new narrative itself offered extraordinary promise, the finale is oftentimes met with disdain due in large to it leaving Samurai Jack in such a state of gloom.
YouTube dataminer Canzah reveals the game’s hidden finale sequence, which offers a retcon of the show’s sad ending. He explaining in his video description: “Secret True Ending form the game Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time that acts as alternate ending to Season 5 of the TV show.” When asked by another user how he unlocked the ending, Canzah explained he had datamined it, though another YouTube content creator (Cyberman65) has found that the official way is collecting all the Emperor Kamon collectibles and defeating Aku once and for all.
Labeled the “true ending” by several fans amongst YouTube and Reddit comments, it points to an all-around victory on the part of both Adult Swim Games and Soleil. And, though it may be over on the surface, Tartakovsky hints at the potential for yet another escape into the world of Samurai Jack in a recent interview with PlayStation blog: “Well it is complete but having said that I’ve learned that there is really truly nothing ever final. So who knows in the future where and what might happen…”
Experience Battle Through Time now on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, or PC and get the real ending all Samurai Jack fans truly deserve.
NEXT: Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time - Beginner’s Guide
