Aku is the shapeshifting master of darkness and the main antagonist of Samurai Jack, the Cartoon Network series created by Genndy Tartakovsky that premiered in 2001. Voiced in the original run by Mako Iwamatsu, the character became known for his booming delivery, theatrical pauses and sudden shifts from calm menace to screaming rage. Clips of his lines circulated on soundboards and in fan edits long after the show ended, and this extended die shout survives because it captures his personality in a single, instantly recognisable outburst.