'' was a successful children's Animated Television Series chronicling the adventures of a fictionalized version of Action Film star Jackie Chan . Many of the episodes contain references to Chan's actual works. This series ran on Kids' WB from September 9 2000 to July 8 2005 for a total of 95 episodes, or 5 seasons. During its run, it was also shown on Cartoon Network , and afterwards, its reruns landed on Toon Disney 's Jetix block. An Arabic translation has been airing on MBC 3 since early 2006. There have been several toys and Video Games based off the series.
The series features the fictional adventures of Jackie Chan, who is an Archaeologist , martial arts expert and Reluctant Secret Agent in the series. With help from his niece Jade, his grumpy old uncle (simply known as "Uncle") and his old friend Captain Black, he saves the world from evil forces that attempt to use magical artifacts to rule the world. Later seasons included other supporting characters that comprised the world-saving "J-Team". He often works for the spy group Section 13 against the criminal organization 'The Dark Hand' and various evil and supernatural forces. The first season involved the pursuit of 12 magical talismans. Subsequent seasons featured talisman powers, but more prominently involved Jackie Chan's pursuit of other Magic Items . While he travels around the world, Jackie lives in San Francisco, California , where both ''Section 13'' and ''Uncle's Antique Shop'' are located.
''See List Of Jackie Chan Adventures Characters ''
The main protagonists are:
- - an archaeologist, who works part-time for Section 13.
- - Jackie's niece from Hong Kong who is staying with him. Highly adventurous and impulsive, she constantly wants to get into the action.
- - Jackie's grumpy old uncle who owns an antique shop and is also a good Chi wizard.
- - A huge Japanese man who claims to be "too small for Sumo." Originally a Dark Hand criminal, he becomes Uncle's apprentice in the 2nd season and remains with the Chans for the rest of the series.
- - the leader of secret spy organization 'Section 13' and an old friend of Jackie.
''See List Of Jackie Chan Adventures Episodes ''
(13 episodes) Jackie is recruited by Section 13 to search for twelve magic talismans scattered across the world, in order to stop a criminal organization known as the Dark Hand from using them to revive an ancient demon sorcerer, Shendu . When the tiger talisman is split in half, so is Jackie, and his dark half hands over the talismans, allowing the Dark Hand to reanimate Shendu. Shendu travels to China to summon his dragon army to destroy all of Asia. Jackie pulls the talismans out of Shendu, causing him to transform back into a statue, and Jade destroys him. However, this leaves a vacuum to be filled by a new evil force.
(39 episodes) Shendu has possessed Valmont and is trying to bring his brothers and sisters - the Demon Sorcerers - into this world through a series of mystic portals, located with the magic Pan'ku box. Jackie must stop this to save the world. In this series there are also a large number of "filler" episodes, where Jackie goes off on his own adventures, encountering Leprechaun s, Spring Heeled Jack , and the Chupacabra , among others. There are also three episodes set during Season One. In the season finale, Shendu's spirit takes over Jackie and travels to Australia, rewriting the Book of Ages so that the demons were never banished and now rule the world. But Jade still remembers and, with the help of the J-Team, changes the world back.
(17 episodes) When Section 13 is infiltrated by the Dark Hand and the evil Chi wizard Daolon Wong , Jackie destroys the twelve talismans to keep them from being used for evil. This results in the twelve powers being spread all over the world, each taking up residence in one of twelve "noble" animals. Daolon Wong is searching for these magic powers, and it is up to Jackie to try and stop him before he gains them all.
(13 episodes) Tarakudo , the King of the Shadowkhan , is awakened by Daolon Wong. Taking the Enforcers as his servants, he sets off to find the legendary nine Oni masks which, when worn, each release a new type of Shadowkhan . Jackie battles the King of the Shadowkhan to stop him from plunging the world into eternal shadow.
(13 episodes) Drago , the son of the demon Shendu, escapes from Section 13 and sets off to find the seven magic objects that imprisoned the other Demon Sorcerers , which possess traces of their demon chi that would allow Drago to assimilate their powers. Jackie, Jade, Tohru and Uncle set off to stop him.
''See also List Of Magical Items In Jackie Chan Adventures ''
The series nearly always involves the supernatural, like Spells , Demons , and Chi .
A number of mythical beings appear in the show:
- , namely the Demon Sorcerers
- - warriors that can turn into shadows
- - A puppet. If someone pulls his leg, they become a puppet and he comes to life.
The talismans represent the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac :
- : Power of Reanimation (motion to the motion-less). Gives inanimate objects life. When Shendu was under the spell of Lo Pei, this talisman was required to maintain his form if the Talismans were used to free him from statue form. Found in an ancient Chinese lantern.
- : Power of Super Strength. Was found in a Mayan temple by El Toro Fuerte, and was discovered by Jackie in El Toro's mask.
- : Power of Balance. Splits the user's good and evil halves (Yin and Yang) into two separate beings, each holding a half of the talisman. The two beings rejoin when they reunite the broken talisman. Was found within a pie.
- : Power of Super Speed. Allows Time Travel as well if user is doused in Chronoton Radiation before use. Was found stuck in the shell of a tortoise in the Pacific.
- : Power of "Combustion". Allows energy to be discharged from the talisman. Valmont fused it on his hand. Found in a volcanic cave.
- : Power of Invisibility. Found in a secret passage in a cave, near the Amazon River.
- : Power of Healing. It "expels the alien forces within," curing the user of illness, and can also heal injuries and repair broken objects. Found atop an unnamed mountain.
- : Power of Astral Projection, or the ability to eject the soul from the body and wander as an invisible spirit and able to enter a person's dreams. It was first found in a crate.
- : Power of Shapeshifting. Any item/person/animal may be changed into the shape of any animal. Found in Micronesia, underwater.
- '''). Found embedded in a shield in Episode 1.
- : Power of Immortality. It will additionally negate the effects of aging (the user won't actually turn young again but they will feel as though they have). Found in a windmill.
- : Power of Laser/Heat-Beam Eyes. Found on a Bavarian clock tower mechanical pig with cymbals .
In the universe of ''Jackie Chan Adventures'', several characters can use a form of magic using chi energy. Chi magic involves the use of potions, magic objects, and incantations. Below are some of the Chi incantations that have been used throughout the series. Each wizard usually uses the same incantation but can accomplish many different effects, ranging from banishing demons to turning living creatures to stone.
- -The main good incantation of the series, this spell is used most often by Uncle. It is used for multiple purposes, including: banishing Shendu from Jade's body, returning The Demon Sorcerers to the Netherworld, turning Shendu to stone, and extracting the Demon Chi of the Demon Sorcerers. The incantation is actually Cantonese for "spirits, demons, ghosts and monsters quickly go away " ().
- -The incantation used by Bai Tza during her attempt to flood San Francisco. In Mandarin it is along the lines of "summon water"
- -Incantation used by Shendu (in Jackie's body) to open the portal to the Book Of Ages.
- -The Japanese incantation used for the removal of Oni Masks. It is also used to imprison Tarakudo in his Oni Mask. Can be translated as "Come out, evil spell." ()
- -Drago's incantation, used to absorb Demon Chi and cause destruction.
- -Chant Tohru uses to attempt to ambush Drago's absorption of the Demon Chi.
- -Iso's incantation, used for evil chi spells.
A non-chi spell called that the Magisters used when they stole Stonehenge was also invoked. Neither Chinese nor of any relevance to Chi magic. Latin: "Out of fear, truth." This spell appears to have the same versatility as other forms of magic. Daolon Wong's incantations - as of present - are indecipherable.
- During an episode in Season Three, the TV Jade is watching switches to a picture of a man in a yellow Jumpsuit with black stripes down the sides. The man is Bruce Lee , and the movie she is watching is '' Game Of Death ''.
- "Enter ... the Viper" and Season 3's "Re-Enter the J Team" are references to Bruce Lee 's Enter The Dragon also the fight sequences in Jade's dreams are a spoof on the sequences from the 1999 film The Matrix
- Season 3's "Shrink Wrap", Jackie and Hak Foo find themselves shrunken to the size of ants and eventually end up inside of Tohru's ear. When Uncle and the gang realize where the two are, and that it's too late to stop the spell, Jade asks if Tohru's brain is going to go 'Scanner' on them in reference to the head exploding scenes in the movie.
- The episode "Scouts Honor" includes a reference to The Godfather trilogy when Jade is watching TV, a man on screen says, "Just when I get out they keep pulling me back in!" This line is later said by Jade when she is forced to return to the Buttercup Scouts.
There are many references to the real Jackie's live-action film career in the cartoon:
- Animated Jackie's all beige/khaki clothes are also similar in appearance to the real Jackie in his film '' Armour Of God ''. A second season episode was titled "Armour of the Gods" reference to his film '' Armour Of God ''.
- In the first episode entitled ''The Dark Hand'', Jackie fights Finn, Ratso and Chow in a playground. There is a similar playground fight scene in the Jackie Chan film '' Police Story 2 ''.
- In another first season episode ''Tough Break'', Jackie is seen waterskiing with a cast on his leg. This is a reference to the waterskiing scene from the Jackie Chan film '' Rumble In The Bronx '' where Jackie performed the scene with a disguised cast under his costume. Jackie had broken his ankle shooting a prior stunt where he jumped onto a passing hovercraft.
- The episode ''Project A, For Astral'' is homage to Jackie's film '' Project A ''.
- The Season Two episode ''Showdown in the Old West'' has Jackie's ancestor during the Old West looking just like '' Shanghai Noon ''. Another episode from season 2 is titled "Shanghai Moon"(instead of 'Noon') where Jackie fights the Moon Demon.
- In ''The Tiger and the Pussycat'', Jackie splits into "good" and "evil" twins. Jackie Chan played dual roles in '''' (known as ''Jackie Chan's First Strike'' in the US), Jackie has a fight scene whilst wearing stilts.
- In a Season 3 episode, Jackie is bitten by a snake. The poison affects him, putting him in a drunken state, which he uses to his advantage. This is an allusion to Jackie's movie '' Drunken Master ''. Another possible "Drunken Master" reference appears in season 5, in the episode "Clash of the Titanics." Jackie (wearing SCUBA gear) explores a sunken ship which holds the chi of the thunder demon, Tchang Zu. Jackie, pursued by Strikemaster Ice and his gang, is forced to surface too quickly and gets "the bends," a condition which makes him delusional, i.e., drunken.
- During the episode when Jade went back in time to Jackie's childhood, adult Jackie and young Uncle perform the same double team technique that Jackie Chan used in Rush Hour with Chris Tucker.
- Another scene pays homage to Jackie Chan's trademark act, where he fights against a number of enemies while talking on the phone.
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