Day of the Samurai
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| Batman: The Animated Series episode | |
|---|---|
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| "Day of the Samurai" | |
| Airdate: | February 23, 1993 |
| Production Number: | 44 |
| Airdate Order: | 55 |
| Written by: | Steve Perry |
| Directed by: | Bruce Timm |
| Episode images (6) | |
"Day of the Samurai" is the fifty-fifth episode of Batman: The Animated Series. It originally aired on February 23, 1993. It depicts the return of Kyodai Ken, who last appeared in "Night of the Ninja."
Contents |
[edit] Plot
In Tokyo, at the dojo of Yoru Sensei, his star pupil, a young woman named Kairi, is practicing late at night. Her practice is interrupted by a ninja, who knocks her unconscious and carries her away, leaving behind a message for Yoru.
Yoru telephones Bruce Wayne in Gotham City, saying he needs Bruce's help. After he and Alfred arrive in Japan, Bruce goes to meet Yoru, wondering innocently how he can be of service. Yoru says that hopes "Wayne-san" can pass along Yoru's request to Batman, whom he "must know."
Bruce explains to Alfred the peculiar nature of Kyodai's ransom demand: Yoru is the last living descendant of an ancient master who developed a new fighting art, Kiba no Hoko ("The Way of the Fang"). It was such a deadly art that the master never taught it to anyone, and hid the only copy of the art's manual in a secret place known only to his family. Kyodai wants the scroll's location, believing the knowledge will enable him to defeat Batman – whom he now knows is Bruce Wayne, having fought both of them.
At the ransom drop, Batman brings a map to the scroll's location. Batman tries to rescue Kairi without giving it up, but Kyodai kicks her off the building's roof, forcing Batman to save her while Kyodai grabs the map.
The map guides Kyodai to a cave in the side of Mt. Kijiki, where he finds the scroll hidden in an ancient box. As soon as he unrolls it, however, it crumbles to fragments in his hands. Initially distraught, he looks closer and pulls out one intact fragment.
Later, Batman investigates the cave, and returns (as Bruce) with the fragments to Yoru. Yoru examines them, and finds that the missing piece gives instructions for the o-nemo-ri attack – a death touch. Unfortunately, Yoru never read the scroll, so he cannot tell Wayne where the fatal point is, and so it could be anywhere.
For the next phase of his plan, Kyodai kidnaps Alfred, and calls Wayne, ordering him to appear for their final match. Wayne traces the call to Kyodai's hideout, finding it empty, and that Kyodai has destroyed the scroll fragment.
They meet on the slope of an active volcano, Kyodai apparently not knowing that the local authorities have noticed it becoming active and evacuated the surrounding area. Before they duel, Kyodai compliments Batman on his mastery of stealth, saying he would have made a fine ninja. Kyodai then removes his mask, and Batman returns the favor.
They spar, Bruce trying to avoid contact, even as the volcano begins to erupt and lava flows down the side of the mountain. Then Kyodai lunges and jabs his fingers into a spot on Bruce's chest. Bruce groans and falls, apparently dead.
But as Kyodai turns away, Bruce rises, saying the ancient technique doesn't work. The fight continues, but is interrupted when a lava flow splits the ground between them. Kyodai is left trapped on a little islet of rock. Bruce throws a line on a Batarang to Kyodai, telling him to use it to spring over the gap. Silent, Kyodai kicks the batarang into the lava, then bows to Wayne – before another surge of lava hits the rock, throwing up a cloud of smoke between them. When it clears, Kyodai and the little islet are gone.
Bruce and Alfred make their way to safety. When Alfred asks how he survived the death touch, Bruce pulls a small armor plate from under his tunic and explains that he examined the practice dummy in Kyodai's hideout and found a soft spot that Kyodai had jabbed with his fingers many times.
Bruce bids goodbye to Yoru Sensei. Yoru asks Bruce to be sure to pass his respects along to Batman. In a moment of self-doubt, Bruce says that Batman is as much a ninja as Kyodai. Yoru responds, not so: Batman showed mercy to his enemy, and resisted the temptation to use the knowledge of the death touch – he is a true samurai. Bruce thanks his old teacher and departs.
[edit] Continuity
- Kyodai reappears after the events of "Night of the Ninja."
- Kairi appears, as a much older woman, in Batman Beyond, "Curse of the Kobra."
[edit] Background Information
[edit] Trivia
- Last appearance of Kyodai Ken. It is unknown if he was killed in the explosion or managed to escape.
- Goh Misawa replaces Chao-Li Chi as the voice of Yoru Sensei.
[edit] Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Kevin Conroy | Batman |
| Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. | Alfred |
| Robert Ito | Kyodai Ken |
| Julia Kato | Kairi |
| Goh Misawa | Sensei Yoru |
[edit] Quotes
Kairi: (in wonder) Komori no kami. |
| Previously produced episode: "Moon of the Wolf" | Episodes of Batman: The Animated Series | Next produced episode: "Terror in the Sky" |
| Previously aired episode: "Blind as a Bat" | Next aired episode: "See No Evil" |
