Season 2 can be found HERE: ua-cam.com/video/KQJ3TaUJkhQ/v-deo.html Thank you so much for watching. These videos aren't monetized, so if you want to support me, my Patreon has an exclusive video with more early access and exclusive content in the future: www.patreon.com/Colby2DUA-cam ko-fi.com/colby2d Let me know what other shows you want me to cover in the future!
This show was always one of those unsung classics growing up. The fact that Jack can be both a comedic goofball and also scarilly competitent really sells him as an Adversary
I love frenemies/rivals that also happen to win a lot, or that you can root for because they’re just as likable as the protags, always makes for a fun time
My favorite was the spirit lady. Just casually being Jacks “little helper” until she gets her body back. Enjoyed the series that even the villains will get some wins too.
what I liked about it the most was the lesson "progress is not linear" that it SHOWED you. it was never the main focus, they never said it out right, but the losses and the reactions let us know its OK to stumble, even get off the path. what really matters is correcting and getting back on
Remember when omi lost against catnape losing the golden tiger claws, she nearly became unstoppable and became very difficult to defeat her, then master fung taught them something about the thousand lessons in defeat, one of them being that in worst case scenarios, the object isn't for you to try and win, but to have your enemy lose, when omi was cornered by catnape and Jack, he decided to through the claws into the portal to the earth's core, thus while he didn't win anything, the enemy lost a powerful weapon they couldn't use anymore, that's a very important lesson, as a tie in this case is a best case scenario
Was going to make a “UM ACTUALLY” comment, until I watched the video all the way through and saw that this was covering only Season One. So yeah, Dojo is (currently) undefeated in showdowns!
I remembered the backstory that EVERY Shen Gong Wu was used by the original Dragon Monk to defeat Wuya, and wondered how in the heck he could use the Heart of Jong and Sapphire Dragon with their huge downsides...then we got the Emperor Scorpion and I realized that it's the necessary CONTROL for Shen Gong Wu otherwise too self-driven to be net benefits on their own. Episode 9 was the first episode I saw.
Also because the Shen Gong Wu were designed to be used as a set, that justifies in-universe a wide variety of non-overlapping designs and functions. There are not going to be multiple tunics for example because functionally you can only wear one at a time.
@@Colby2D There is a funny clip of when her and Dante Bosco (Zuko) are doing a panel at a con and someone asks what would happen if Zuko and Azula went on a soul adventure together like how he did with each of Aang's group. She immediately says "I'd get pregnant" which completely breaks Dante and he cant even respond. Its a really funny video on UA-cam
Omi's golden skin just seemed like a reference to the Buddha to me. Even though he stands out like crazy, it's not unheard of for main characters to become artistically distinct from the rest. The Simpsons is an example. A couple seasons in, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie are pretty much the only characters whose hair are a part of their skull, so they don't even look like they fit in to their own show. Omi was probably conceived VERY early in pre-production, and they were too attached to how he looked to change him after they decided on a style.
Yeah I really like the concept that he’s gold because buddhism, and the characters are all written so nicely that it’s not really considered an issue among most fans which is pretty interesting to me
@@Colby2D Dunno if they're hinting at religious preference, but I think it may be symbolic as well as a "literal" reference to the Chinese Shaolin monks' darker gold-like skin color, but gone gone the "classic gold route" for recognizability. You google 'gold' and get a different visual than what a 'gold' color crayon or pencil would give you, as I don't think a more realistic hue would have had the same vibe, but that's just speculation, on why they did it. Doesn't really matter why.
@@notsam2270i always figured he either wasn't exactly human or that his jieba glows for the same reason Aang's tattoos glow- there's some beyond human spiritual power that empowers him
My headcanon is that Jack's whole family have supervillain origins, hence why a random girl at one of their parties had the skills to become a fairly effective Catwoman-expy.
I keep forgetting about Jack having family lol. Though iirc he has a little cousin he's forced to babysit later on who is also evil, so you may be onto something
The way I see it, the Showdown with the glass of water was about not letting the water hit the ground, or at least be returnable to the glass. I imagine if Omi swallowed the water, he would've lost.
this might be wildly incorrect but there was this ye olde black & white movie about a guy repeatedly trying to cross an empty pool with a candle without letting it flicker out. fire/water + pool/desert, and the way Omi cups the glass when the wind is blowing makes me think of it.
It's also a reference to the movie "The Golden Child", where Eddie Murphy's character faces a similar challenge of not spilling water through an obstacle course, and solves the dilemma the same way.
With Episode 2 I saw it as a character illustration of Clay further teaching his friends the importance of Occam's razor. Sometimes, to win a showdown, a simple solution is required.
Wuya actually holds a special place in my heart as an example of a villain who made a serious effort to avoid holding the idiot ball. For the first two seasons, at least. She did pull one "sudden but inevitable betrayal" with Mala Mala Jong, but... well, I can forgive her for that as her patience was almost assuredly shot from close proximity to Jack Spicer for an extended length of time. Also, what happened in the next few episodes are a contributing factor, and I don't even know why I'm being evasive as if spoilers matter, but I guess I'll continue to dodge spoiling, regardless.
It is kind of funny to think that we have ever reason to believe Wuya would have upheld her deal with Jack if he just slightly more bearable to be around.
Jack Spicer is easily my favorite character in this show. Equal parts goofball and competent, great design, charismatic vocal performance. Honestly he may be one of my favorite antagonists in the history of western comedy/action cartoons lol.
I believe the specific thing regarding the self punch in the face is supposed to denote Strength vs. Fortitude. Clay can take a lot of hits, including from himself, the Mime cannot. A sort of Tank vs. Glass Cannon situation.
Big ups to my goat, Clay. I like how episode 2 establishes that he’s got a level of cleverness that a beefy cowboy character typically wouldn’t have in a show like this. I don’t think I saw the other seasons so I’m excited to see where the show goes. Big fan of cartoons with solid continuity and a sense of progression.
I hated PDAs growing up because I think I was just at the age where when I would’ve needed one, cell phones were a lot more advanced, but I remember friends having them in middle school and hardly using them lol
I've used PDA's and grew up in that time, and I still can't tell you "what" it is. They all sucked so hard that you couldn't actually use then for anything.
Season 2 should be uploaded on Sunday (4/28) it’s twice as long, so it’s a big project! Thanks so much for watching, liking and subscribing helps me a ton, and I’d love to know what other shows you’d like me to cover
I’ll cover seasons 2, 3, and chronicles. I’ll probably try to do them a season at a time, unless there’s some other format or feedback you have, please let me know
Honestly it'll be really interesting to see the final tally at the end of season 2 and 3. This show was really good and its kind of a shame how under rated it is.
For sure, things definitely shift a lot in season 2, so I’ll be sure to compare the two seasons individually, and who’s the collective winner at the end of each season
@@Colby2D Things are definitely gonna get more interesting as you tally up the win rates for more recurring villains. Wuya, Chase, and Hannibal all have multiple showdown to their names. Plus Dojo even gets to partake in a showdown or two!
If we are talking showdowns exclusively and not counting group wins, Clay is dead last with only 2 wins for the entire series, both in Season 1. Poor guy. But with him counting non-showdown victories like tackling Jack for the Two-Ton-Tunic, then maybe he'll have a better final count.
I never realized how often they actually lost in this show. That is actually something really unique I haven't heard discussed anywhere else. I hope the other seasons get reviews like this. I wonder how their stats change as the show goes on.
I completely forgot Rai was the only one to bet on Kim. There's a bunch of small scenes throughout the show hinting at his crush on her, but I guess this would be the earliest one.
Yo, seriously, I saw the thumbnail and said, “Self, this was a show that existed. Huh, I guess I’ll check this video out-“ I remembered. I had forgotten so much. I loved this show. I wrote fanfic for this show. I was on a message board where we roleplayed and made OCs and original shen gong wu. I was Mikori, of Earth with affinity for Life Force. I made plants grow with the Blooms of Sakura. My love life- It all came back in a flash, and I just can’t believe how much I had forgotten.
I got into show a few months back and ended up falling in love with it. I was too young to catch it because I was born the year before it aired & ended when I was four and my only knowledge of it was through crossover amvs as well as the reboot in the 2010s only seeing like an episode or two .
@@Colby2D I would say something that has a set color but it is changed no matter the texture or whatever messes with some people brains like seeing a orange apple it tastes and looks the same but the color is well "wrong" And him looking "normal" makes him look abnormal Ike is u made the tongues of Ed edd and Eddie Normal colored or u made courage a normal dog color
It makes sense that Clay is tougher and can withstand more punches of equal force. So if the mime his punching himself with the same force as Clay, he will be taken out quicker.
I just want to thank you for making this vid. This show has always been bouncing around in my head for decades now but I had no clue what it was called. It's kinda like when you don't even know if something is real or you just dreamed it, but for this whole show.
Thanks for watching! It’s a really great show but yeah growing up I felt really similarly about it, and then one day I was like “let’s actually watch an episode” and I found out it was really good!
You're pulling on my nostalgia twice over with that PMD music behind this Xiaolin Showdown video. I also distinctly remember the first few episodes like I just watched it yesterday. Imma continue watching but you gotta let me cry over PMD for a bit
as you mentioned, the fact that the villains win basically just as often as the heroes did a lot for the stakes. Really helped keep younger me invested especially when the face-heel turn for Raimundo happened & season 2 introducing one scarily good antagonist to the fold.
Here’s the thing about Clay’s father that you seemed to miss, he’s not a secret master or badass. He’s a counter to Clay, lacking the skill, strength and wit and only being a big guy. He thinks he knows what’s best but is actually very deeply out of his depths when confronted by real wuxia magic. He can’t destroy a robot or teach the cast a secret technique because then that means that narratively he has a point when he says Clay shouldn’t think or plan and only needs to be big and strong
That’s a fair point. I think sometimes these story structures go on to show that both sides have things they’re good at, justifying their perspectives, but they can see eye to eye and respect their different paths, which I think can be somewhat of a common structure especially in stories of like “character leaving the family business, farm, town, etc”
I think the reason why I loved this so much as a kid was becasue it was possible for the protagonists to lose. There was tension I never knew who was going to win. Other shows like Digimon they almost always won becasue losing would mean death. But thank you for reminding me of this series. I kind of want to rewatch it now
Yeah I loved digimon but I didn’t care much for the fights because you know they’ll win you just don’t know how. Digimon I guess did have more losses than other similar shows like Pokémon, which I like all of, just for different reasons
I feel like there's some irony to be found that Jack Spicer shares a name with a gay man, and the first thing I saw when I looked him up on tumblr was ship art of him and Blossom.
The only thing I can remember from this show is that one episode when caiuo had to move a cup a water without spilling a drop across this gauntlet of challenges. So he put the water in his mouth and went through the course and at the end he spits the water back in his cup shut was so iconic I saw it one time and can still remember
Lol that’s funny, that scene is actually included in my part 2 of this! K was kinda like “I could see this being considered cheating but it’s such a good idea I can’t hate”
I remember a while back where people said hes yellow because the creator is racist to chinese. ...while the creator was chinese. Reminds me of Stellar Blade.
Wait a second. This thumbnail moved memories inside me I have long forgotten. I remember that pale guy, I refer that he really liked weapons and that I really liked that.
Xiaolin Showdown's first series was the first time I had ever seen a villain win. While it is short lived and the status quo is restored it was a big deal to see them fall to such a point of dispair. Later series tried to replicate this, like when Omi is turned evil but it was never as impactful as the first time Wuya was resurrected
Episode 2 does have a character arc, it's just not Clay's. The arc is for literally everyone else, and maybe the audience too, which is very cool. The big and strong but kind/soft character in cartoons tends to be always dumb, or cowardly, or naive... The episode introduces Clay, but it also proves the rest of the team (and potentially the audience who are too used to the trope) wrong and it teaches them that there's more ways to win than just being super physically proficient.
That’s a really good point! It does a great job of showing just how important the mental aspect is to these showdowns, and clay is so unique probably my favorite character
I remember how cerebral this show was in which the good guys don’t always win. Very inventive. I seen a lot of old ‘87 TMNT and always wondered, “Come on…Do the Turtles always have to win in the end?…So predictable…”
Man, looking back... our old cartoons were damn good. They don't make them like they used to. This thing has so much depth and I watched it out of order and with plenty of reruns, valuing whenever I would see some new episode I didn't encounter before. Now you have shows you can stream from start to end in the span of an afternoon and they have less depth than one episode of this thing.
The show worked really well because it was pretty episodic but had the occasional mini arc. Producers really like to have shows they can play reruns of too, and I remember watching this more at nights on Cartoon Network
@@Colby2D thanks for responding. I'm going going to get to watching the rest of your videos. But how do you feel about Raymondo getting the shaolin dragon title at the end? I felt that was omi's dream and he got robbed!
I think Raimundo had way more development up to that point of the show. Sure it was Omi’s dream, but when you look at where they both ended up in comparison to where they started, raimundo took on a lot more responsibility and developed to be a lot more of a team player. I think if there was more seasons, Omi would’ve had more though!
Man i loved this show as a kid. Although Jack was criminally under-used. Dude was supposed to be an engineering prodigy. And genius level problem solver. He invented personal robotics and adaptive AI. And has earned near limitless finances using his intellect. Never really comes up that hes supposed to smart.
It's kinda funny that it seems like he self sabotages on purpose as when Omi is gone he ends up actually as the ruler of evil! With him doing stuff like sticking to making a silly horror film and being commited to the bit so hard it seems like he is just messing about tbh Though it's sad we never saw him use his whole potential
As for Mime battle, that's like the question "If you punch yourself and it hurts, are you strong or weak". I'm strong. Punching hard doesn't necessarily corresponds with taking a hit. Mime could mimic the punch itself, but he can't copy how resilient our cowboy man is. So here's that.
In the episode with Clay being smart and crafty it wasn't Clay who needed to learn a lesson, The other three did. Where their way of thinking had them stuck in a box they couldn't just brute force their way out of they had to use their imagination to overcome it. Then its shown that Clay's way of getting things done is sometimes the better option when jack chases after the bird instead of letting it come to him. Also Clay can be both stronger than the mime and also be able to take a punch greater than his own, the mime doesn't exactly seem like a fighter and he has to copy Clay perfectly or he'd be disrespecting the art so if Clay threw his most powerful jab the mime must follow.
Yeah someone mentioned that everyone kinda has a bad record because a lot of times when Jack wins, that means there’s 1 win and 4 losses, so naturally there will be more losses than wins overall
Touching on the mime vs Clay bit, I think it just shows Clay is tougher, being able to take a punch even from himself, where as the mime is weak and can’t even take a punch from himself
I want to give props for Jack knowing how to use the Changing Chopsticks and how the serious portrait this Wu more as a joke, but same how Spicer was seen as a joke villain he saw the potential of the Wu. Sure he didn't use it in a Showdown, but the same how Clide thought outside of the box, the same Jack thought outside of his box ( pun intended) to create a really complex robot that can mimic anything, sure that bot was a real treat when it was introduced in the episode and for the rest of the series is either a goon or non-existant. Like seriously a shape-shifting robot deserves more spotlight, not as mush as the Sapphire Dragon, but still another good episode with it would make it interesting. Again good writting for Jack.
Yeah sometimes as an evil genius jack is a lot more misguided genius, which makes sense since sometimes he’s more just an insecure kid rather than evil
Note regarding Kimiko wearing a US outfit at first, a lot of Asians have a huge love for the US, or at least used to, for various reasons, it's why you commonly see anime characters that have officially dyed their hair blond and why Asian tourists get so enthusiastic when exploring the US, so Kimiko's first appearance is based on this stereotype (fun fact, this obsession is part of why anime characters used to have really big eyes.)
Yesss, so glad somebody besides me recognizes this show's existence! Though for some reason, Jackie Chan Adventures always seems to come up when talking about this show... wonder why lol. I always preferred the ending of JCA myself, putting a very tight bow on everything, resolving every single plot thread, whereas Xialoin Showdown leaves the door open for everything by comparison. Though looking back on it through this video, I actually remember a lot more about this show than I thought. Maybe they both have their strong points.
I was debating going back and watching that, maybe making a video on it. Might not be as in depth or episode by episode, but I didn’t watch it much growing up
@@Colby2D From what I remember, it has a pretty similar plot structure, in terms of the enemy groups occasionally getting victories over the heroes, including some big enemy wins that completely shift the priorities of the heroes. I think it's totally worth a watch/rewatch! I don't know how many others would be interested in a video, but I'll definitely be there :D
This reminds me of the Shikon Jewel Shards in Inu Yasha, where having a gigantic number of possible objectives makes it okay to have episodes where the heroes beat the monster-of-the-week but the villain gets away with the loot.
I thought I had only seen a little of it, but I remembered almost every single episode in season 1! Go fig. Clay was always my favorite. As a big fellow from the American south myself, I got where people would under-estimate him, so I always wanted to see him do great things.
I don't think I have seen this series, except for maybe the one Kimiko won. Despite being a hothead, i think she'd be my favorite character, but am disappointed she had only a .222 batting average.
Cool to see a video of an old cartoon that I actually remember every episode of. I must've made time specifically for Xiaolin Showdown as a kid. Would love to see a video on season 2!
For a lot of people in my age group (I was born in 2006) The 2012 Power Rangers Series, 2012 TMNT, or the Pokemon XYZ series was their introduction to action based media. But for me it was this and Gawayn on the starz channel, I miss being a kid sometimes, There was just so much to watch without ever getting bored
As the strongest Shaolin, Dopejo, fought the fraud, the King of Showdowns, he began to drink his sauce. Omi shrugged back in fear and Dojo said: "Stand proud, Omi. You are strong."
I watched this show, but it wasn't a favorite of mine like Jackie Chan adventure. IIRC, this came on around same time Sonic X was on Fox, and ngl, I always flipped to Fox Kids unless I've already seen that episode. But after watching your recap, I realize I watched way more episodes than I remember lol.
Season 2 can be found HERE: ua-cam.com/video/KQJ3TaUJkhQ/v-deo.html
Thank you so much for watching. These videos aren't monetized, so if you want to support me, my Patreon has an exclusive video with more early access and exclusive content in the future:
www.patreon.com/Colby2DUA-cam
ko-fi.com/colby2d
Let me know what other shows you want me to cover in the future!
Do you need someone to redraw your avatar?
This show was always one of those unsung classics growing up.
The fact that Jack can be both a comedic goofball and also scarilly competitent really sells him as an Adversary
I love frenemies/rivals that also happen to win a lot, or that you can root for because they’re just as likable as the protags, always makes for a fun time
@Colby2D the way Jack gets progressively more wild the longer he uses the Monkey Staff is always a treat.
The dude literally end up ruling the whole world without the héroes he defeated. Chase jung, buya and hannibal roy bean by himself
My favorite was the spirit lady. Just casually being Jacks “little helper” until she gets her body back. Enjoyed the series that even the villains will get some wins too.
Fun fact. Jackie chan is a better fighter and more recognized than Bruce shid Lee. Sorry Jackie is just better at everything
what I liked about it the most was the lesson "progress is not linear" that it SHOWED you. it was never the main focus, they never said it out right, but the losses and the reactions let us know its OK to stumble, even get off the path. what really matters is correcting and getting back on
Yeah i really liked the writing of the morals because it felt very authentic to the sentiments of martial arts
Raymundo arc foreshadowing...
Remember when omi lost against catnape losing the golden tiger claws, she nearly became unstoppable and became very difficult to defeat her, then master fung taught them something about the thousand lessons in defeat, one of them being that in worst case scenarios, the object isn't for you to try and win, but to have your enemy lose, when omi was cornered by catnape and Jack, he decided to through the claws into the portal to the earth's core, thus while he didn't win anything, the enemy lost a powerful weapon they couldn't use anymore, that's a very important lesson, as a tie in this case is a best case scenario
Dojo celebrating his 100% win rate while having literally only one win is a funny visual in my mind
Top 10 strongest anime characters
pish yeah right 100% ? dojo lost his rampage two headed singowu battle. when ohmi locked him in his box
Was going to make a “UM ACTUALLY” comment, until I watched the video all the way through and saw that this was covering only Season One. So yeah, Dojo is (currently) undefeated in showdowns!
Wait he lost to omi when dojo got obsessed with eating
It would also be fully in character.
I remembered the backstory that EVERY Shen Gong Wu was used by the original Dragon Monk to defeat Wuya, and wondered how in the heck he could use the Heart of Jong and Sapphire Dragon with their huge downsides...then we got the Emperor Scorpion and I realized that it's the necessary CONTROL for Shen Gong Wu otherwise too self-driven to be net benefits on their own.
Episode 9 was the first episode I saw.
That’s a really interesting point! Those shen gong wu are really cool
I never thought of that but that actually makes a lot of sense
Also because the Shen Gong Wu were designed to be used as a set, that justifies in-universe a wide variety of non-overlapping designs and functions. There are not going to be multiple tunics for example because functionally you can only wear one at a time.
Clay maxed out his constitution stat
100 constitution 90 intelligence 0 speed
I love Kimiko uses fire because the voice actress is also the voice of Princess Azula of the Fire Nation
Omg I didn’t even think of that
Facts, also she is the coolest and sweetest voice actress I've ever met. So shoutout to her for being amazing
@@Colby2D There is a funny clip of when her and Dante Bosco (Zuko) are doing a panel at a con and someone asks what would happen if Zuko and Azula went on a soul adventure together like how he did with each of Aang's group. She immediately says "I'd get pregnant" which completely breaks Dante and he cant even respond. Its a really funny video on UA-cam
Omi's golden skin just seemed like a reference to the Buddha to me. Even though he stands out like crazy, it's not unheard of for main characters to become artistically distinct from the rest. The Simpsons is an example. A couple seasons in, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie are pretty much the only characters whose hair are a part of their skull, so they don't even look like they fit in to their own show.
Omi was probably conceived VERY early in pre-production, and they were too attached to how he looked to change him after they decided on a style.
Given how he's a Sheolin monk who practices Buddhism, I'd say that's a reasonable venture of a guess.
Yeah I really like the concept that he’s gold because buddhism, and the characters are all written so nicely that it’s not really considered an issue among most fans which is pretty interesting to me
@@Colby2D Dunno if they're hinting at religious preference, but I think it may be symbolic as well as a "literal" reference to the Chinese Shaolin monks' darker gold-like skin color, but gone gone the "classic gold route" for recognizability. You google 'gold' and get a different visual than what a 'gold' color crayon or pencil would give you, as I don't think a more realistic hue would have had the same vibe, but that's just speculation, on why they did it. Doesn't really matter why.
i mean he has a hidden jieba (9 dot square) on his forehead *that literally glows* at times
he's probably some sort of deity and not human
@@notsam2270i always figured he either wasn't exactly human or that his jieba glows for the same reason Aang's tattoos glow- there's some beyond human spiritual power that empowers him
My headcanon is that Jack's whole family have supervillain origins, hence why a random girl at one of their parties had the skills to become a fairly effective Catwoman-expy.
It literally is the meme of the supermodel moving next door to the tax evader.
I keep forgetting about Jack having family lol. Though iirc he has a little cousin he's forced to babysit later on who is also evil, so you may be onto something
The way I see it, the Showdown with the glass of water was about not letting the water hit the ground, or at least be returnable to the glass.
I imagine if Omi swallowed the water, he would've lost.
That’s also what I think it is😄
this might be wildly incorrect but there was this ye olde black & white movie about a guy repeatedly trying to cross an empty pool with a candle without letting it flicker out. fire/water + pool/desert, and the way Omi cups the glass when the wind is blowing makes me think of it.
It's also a reference to the movie "The Golden Child", where Eddie Murphy's character faces a similar challenge of not spilling water through an obstacle course, and solves the dilemma the same way.
@@hariman7727what about Out Cold's king of the mountain
With Episode 2 I saw it as a character illustration of Clay further teaching his friends the importance of Occam's razor. Sometimes, to win a showdown, a simple solution is required.
Yeah I think it’s a great way to show us how crazy showdowns can be for so many reasons
Wuya actually holds a special place in my heart as an example of a villain who made a serious effort to avoid holding the idiot ball. For the first two seasons, at least. She did pull one "sudden but inevitable betrayal" with Mala Mala Jong, but... well, I can forgive her for that as her patience was almost assuredly shot from close proximity to Jack Spicer for an extended length of time.
Also, what happened in the next few episodes are a contributing factor, and I don't even know why I'm being evasive as if spoilers matter, but I guess I'll continue to dodge spoiling, regardless.
Yeah Wuya does a good job holding the conflict together because it kinda allows Jack to be more goofy and chill with the other warriors
It is kind of funny to think that we have ever reason to believe Wuya would have upheld her deal with Jack if he just slightly more bearable to be around.
In the real world good doesn't always win, a powerful message you don't see in a lot of kids shows.
For sure, I always feel you learn more from a loss than a win in sports and stuff so it’s always nice to see
@@Colby2D "There's a benefit to losing. You get to learn from your mistakes."
Jack Spicer is easily my favorite character in this show. Equal parts goofball and competent, great design, charismatic vocal performance. Honestly he may be one of my favorite antagonists in the history of western comedy/action cartoons lol.
Clay was my favorite. Practical, reliable, honorable, and as smart as he was tough.
The fact that his dad straight up just gave him a dybbuk box is wild
I’ve never heard this term before now, but yes that’s definitely one of the crazier gifts you can receive
I believe the specific thing regarding the self punch in the face is supposed to denote Strength vs. Fortitude. Clay can take a lot of hits, including from himself, the Mime cannot. A sort of Tank vs. Glass Cannon situation.
I agree that’s a really good point
God- "White Omi isnt real he cant hurt you."
Colby2D- 👩🏻🦲
😭
Ngl, Jack knocked out in a boat had me laughing.
It’s scary!
Big ups to my goat, Clay. I like how episode 2 establishes that he’s got a level of cleverness that a beefy cowboy character typically wouldn’t have in a show like this. I don’t think I saw the other seasons so I’m excited to see where the show goes. Big fan of cartoons with solid continuity and a sense of progression.
Clay is so goated
10:23 "don't know what a PDA is"
I feel old, thanks
I hated PDAs growing up because I think I was just at the age where when I would’ve needed one, cell phones were a lot more advanced, but I remember friends having them in middle school and hardly using them lol
I've used PDA's and grew up in that time, and I still can't tell you "what" it is. They all sucked so hard that you couldn't actually use then for anything.
Both Courtney from Total Drama and Tucker from Danny Phantom had one and all I could think of was "why are they called public displays of affection?"
Season 2 should be uploaded on Sunday (4/28) it’s twice as long, so it’s a big project!
Thanks so much for watching, liking and subscribing helps me a ton, and I’d love to know what other shows you’d like me to cover
I'm looking so forward to this. Subbing just so I get notified for the season 2 video.
Yay!😊
Oh yo let's go! I just finished watching this ep in time for episode 2! This is an awesome nostalgia binge!
Thank y’all so much for watching! Please let me know what you wanna see me cover in the future, and subscribing helps me a lot!
Season two?
Please continue this series covering seasons two and three.
Great video. Definitely gotta do the other seasons. Even if they aren't all fights over the SGW, it would be a great video just for nostalgia.
I’ll cover seasons 2, 3, and chronicles. I’ll probably try to do them a season at a time, unless there’s some other format or feedback you have, please let me know
I think one season at a time sounds good. Honestly, whatever works best for you.
Looking back this is one of the few shows from the time where it seemed like the protagonists were evenly matched.
Yeah that was a big reason why I’d pay attention during the showdowns instead of watching it more in the background
Honestly it'll be really interesting to see the final tally at the end of season 2 and 3.
This show was really good and its kind of a shame how under rated it is.
For sure, things definitely shift a lot in season 2, so I’ll be sure to compare the two seasons individually, and who’s the collective winner at the end of each season
@@Colby2D Things are definitely gonna get more interesting as you tally up the win rates for more recurring villains. Wuya, Chase, and Hannibal all have multiple showdown to their names. Plus Dojo even gets to partake in a showdown or two!
If we are talking showdowns exclusively and not counting group wins, Clay is dead last with only 2 wins for the entire series, both in Season 1. Poor guy. But with him counting non-showdown victories like tackling Jack for the Two-Ton-Tunic, then maybe he'll have a better final count.
I never realized how often they actually lost in this show. That is actually something really unique I haven't heard discussed anywhere else. I hope the other seasons get reviews like this. I wonder how their stats change as the show goes on.
When i was a teenager, i knew a chick who literally was romantically obsessed with Jack Spicer.
Jack might be the most popular character from the show when I really think about it
Was it my ex gf by any chance?
@@OscarDirlwood possibly. What letter did her name start with?
@@spiderplant T
@@OscarDirlwood nope. I guess it's just contagious
Great video analysis! Man I miss Xiaolin Showdown. It was so creative in its own way.
Thank you! I miss it too🥲
Sadly Chronicles was not good
@@wafflebroz I have to agree. :( I hope Christy Hui regains 100% of the rights to the show some day, and can make a proper sequel.
There was a brief period where CN aired this back in the day, and the Mala Mala Jung episode went hard even though I had no idea what was going on.
I felt the same way, that’s how I saw the majority of the show back then
I'm having hard-core flashbacks about the show! Forgot how creative it was! It was an awesome three seasons!
Every rewatch I always underestimate how good it was
I always just thought omi was yellow because he was the "golden child" of the group, you know, subtle puns that don't need to be explained :D
I think I subconsciously felt that way about Omi
I completely forgot Rai was the only one to bet on Kim. There's a bunch of small scenes throughout the show hinting at his crush on her, but I guess this would be the earliest one.
Already waiting for the season two win/loss analysis lmao. Such a nice time reminiscing on a classic show!
Thank you! I’ll try to have it soon!
Damn, seeing this unlocked memories of this show I didn't know I had. Thanks for the surprise nostalgia
That’s awesome to hear, thanks for watching 🙂
Yo, seriously, I saw the thumbnail and said, “Self, this was a show that existed. Huh, I guess I’ll check this video out-“
I remembered. I had forgotten so much. I loved this show. I wrote fanfic for this show. I was on a message board where we roleplayed and made OCs and original shen gong wu. I was Mikori, of Earth with affinity for Life Force. I made plants grow with the Blooms of Sakura. My love life-
It all came back in a flash, and I just can’t believe how much I had forgotten.
I got into show a few months back and ended up falling in love with it. I was too young to catch it because I was born the year before it aired & ended when I was four and my only knowledge of it was through crossover amvs as well as the reboot in the 2010s only seeing like an episode or two .
That’s pretty cool! I plan to cover the reboot at some point in May, so stick around for that! Thanks for watching
@@Colby2D no problem and I can’t wait for your video on the reboot
Seeing white omme is ao so cursed and i dont know why. It did so much damage also great vid
Yeah his design and proportions made him too uncanny which definitely makes sense why he’s such a vibrant color lol
@@Colby2D I would say something that has a set color but it is changed no matter the texture or whatever messes with some people brains like seeing a orange apple it tastes and looks the same but the color is well "wrong"
And him looking "normal" makes him look abnormal
Ike is u made the tongues of Ed edd and Eddie Normal colored or u made courage a normal dog color
It makes sense that Clay is tougher and can withstand more punches of equal force. So if the mime his punching himself with the same force as Clay, he will be taken out quicker.
I just want to thank you for making this vid. This show has always been bouncing around in my head for decades now but I had no clue what it was called. It's kinda like when you don't even know if something is real or you just dreamed it, but for this whole show.
Thanks for watching! It’s a really great show but yeah growing up I felt really similarly about it, and then one day I was like “let’s actually watch an episode” and I found out it was really good!
You're pulling on my nostalgia twice over with that PMD music behind this Xiaolin Showdown video. I also distinctly remember the first few episodes like I just watched it yesterday. Imma continue watching but you gotta let me cry over PMD for a bit
Lol thank you for noticing and letting me indulge in the nostalgia combo
as you mentioned, the fact that the villains win basically just as often as the heroes did a lot for the stakes. Really helped keep younger me invested especially when the face-heel turn for Raimundo happened & season 2 introducing one scarily good antagonist to the fold.
For sure, and I just made a video on season 2, but chase young losing a lot, intentionally is so cool and just another way the show justifies losing
Holy shit i watched and loved this show as a kid ive tried to look this up but had no idea how to spell it correctly so i never got any results
I definitely typed Xiaolin several different ways in the hashtags for this video because of this lol
honestly throwing the golden tiger claws into the center of the earth was a big brain move
the teasing the show did with jack and jermaine possibly being the fifth member was one of the biggest teases
I love that they at least try to bring them to the temple, like it was cool enough I don’t mind being teased lol
Here’s the thing about Clay’s father that you seemed to miss, he’s not a secret master or badass. He’s a counter to Clay, lacking the skill, strength and wit and only being a big guy. He thinks he knows what’s best but is actually very deeply out of his depths when confronted by real wuxia magic. He can’t destroy a robot or teach the cast a secret technique because then that means that narratively he has a point when he says Clay shouldn’t think or plan and only needs to be big and strong
That’s a fair point. I think sometimes these story structures go on to show that both sides have things they’re good at, justifying their perspectives, but they can see eye to eye and respect their different paths, which I think can be somewhat of a common structure especially in stories of like “character leaving the family business, farm, town, etc”
I think the reason why I loved this so much as a kid was becasue it was possible for the protagonists to lose. There was tension I never knew who was going to win. Other shows like Digimon they almost always won becasue losing would mean death. But thank you for reminding me of this series. I kind of want to rewatch it now
Yeah I loved digimon but I didn’t care much for the fights because you know they’ll win you just don’t know how. Digimon I guess did have more losses than other similar shows like Pokémon, which I like all of, just for different reasons
I feel like there's some irony to be found that Jack Spicer shares a name with a gay man, and the first thing I saw when I looked him up on tumblr was ship art of him and Blossom.
Omg😭 thank you for mentioning jack spicer I’m so glad someone else has mentioned him! (The real one)
I forget, most likely season 2, but I will never forget when Omi has the water symbol and the water crashing but he says ice
Giving him ice powers was really cool, definitely made his combat a lot more dynamic!
hearing the PBR ost in the back put a smile on my face ngl :]
Omg thank you for noticing
The only thing I can remember from this show is that one episode when caiuo had to move a cup a water without spilling a drop across this gauntlet of challenges. So he put the water in his mouth and went through the course and at the end he spits the water back in his cup shut was so iconic I saw it one time and can still remember
Lol that’s funny, that scene is actually included in my part 2 of this! K was kinda like “I could see this being considered cheating but it’s such a good idea I can’t hate”
Was surprised that it only covered the first season. Hope this continues. Would love to see in my recommended a part two
Gonna be uploading season 2 this week!
I remember a while back where people said hes yellow because the creator is racist to chinese.
...while the creator was chinese. Reminds me of Stellar Blade.
Wait a second. This thumbnail moved memories inside me I have long forgotten. I remember that pale guy, I refer that he really liked weapons and that I really liked that.
Ayo? Is that Pokemon Battle Revolution music? Now i'm subscribed.
Xiaolin Showdown's first series was the first time I had ever seen a villain win. While it is short lived and the status quo is restored it was a big deal to see them fall to such a point of dispair. Later series tried to replicate this, like when Omi is turned evil but it was never as impactful as the first time Wuya was resurrected
Episode 2 does have a character arc, it's just not Clay's. The arc is for literally everyone else, and maybe the audience too, which is very cool.
The big and strong but kind/soft character in cartoons tends to be always dumb, or cowardly, or naive... The episode introduces Clay, but it also proves the rest of the team (and potentially the audience who are too used to the trope) wrong and it teaches them that there's more ways to win than just being super physically proficient.
That’s a really good point! It does a great job of showing just how important the mental aspect is to these showdowns, and clay is so unique probably my favorite character
I remember how cerebral this show was in which the good guys don’t always win. Very inventive. I seen a lot of old ‘87 TMNT and always wondered, “Come on…Do the Turtles always have to win in the end?…So predictable…”
Man, looking back... our old cartoons were damn good. They don't make them like they used to. This thing has so much depth and I watched it out of order and with plenty of reruns, valuing whenever I would see some new episode I didn't encounter before. Now you have shows you can stream from start to end in the span of an afternoon and they have less depth than one episode of this thing.
The show worked really well because it was pretty episodic but had the occasional mini arc. Producers really like to have shows they can play reruns of too, and I remember watching this more at nights on Cartoon Network
Xiaolin showdown was my favorite show as a kids. Kids wb goat childhood.
Thanks for the video!
Thanks for watching!
@@Colby2D thanks for responding. I'm going going to get to watching the rest of your videos. But how do you feel about Raymondo getting the shaolin dragon title at the end? I felt that was omi's dream and he got robbed!
I think Raimundo had way more development up to that point of the show. Sure it was Omi’s dream, but when you look at where they both ended up in comparison to where they started, raimundo took on a lot more responsibility and developed to be a lot more of a team player. I think if there was more seasons, Omi would’ve had more though!
This show was amazing! You genuinely never knew who was going to win or lose, there was *genuine tension!*
Clay is definitely just tough and able to tank the punch. It's like a normal dude vs a professional heavyweight fighter.
Dude is a brick wall
Ive completely forgot about this show, I only have a vague memory of the little dragon belching hot sause fire.
Oh yeah that part happens in this video, it’s a pretty cool episode!
Man i loved this show as a kid.
Although Jack was criminally under-used.
Dude was supposed to be an engineering prodigy. And genius level problem solver.
He invented personal robotics and adaptive AI. And has earned near limitless finances using his intellect.
Never really comes up that hes supposed to smart.
It's kinda funny that it seems like he self sabotages on purpose as when Omi is gone he ends up actually as the ruler of evil!
With him doing stuff like sticking to making a silly horror film and being commited to the bit so hard it seems like he is just messing about tbh
Though it's sad we never saw him use his whole potential
As for Mime battle, that's like the question "If you punch yourself and it hurts, are you strong or weak".
I'm strong. Punching hard doesn't necessarily corresponds with taking a hit. Mime could mimic the punch itself, but he can't copy how resilient our cowboy man is. So here's that.
Yeah that’s a good way of looking at it, totally agree
In the episode with Clay being smart and crafty it wasn't Clay who needed to learn a lesson, The other three did.
Where their way of thinking had them stuck in a box they couldn't just brute force their way out of they had to use their imagination to overcome it. Then its shown that Clay's way of getting things done is sometimes the better option when jack chases after the bird instead of letting it come to him.
Also Clay can be both stronger than the mime and also be able to take a punch greater than his own, the mime doesn't exactly seem like a fighter and he has to copy Clay perfectly or he'd be disrespecting the art so if Clay threw his most powerful jab the mime must follow.
That’s a really good point, I really like how they portray clay, it’s always fun to see clever and unpredictable characters
This was a stellar video. I absolutely dined on this show when i was a kid. Love how the villains stayed, mostly, competent throughput the seasons.
I kinda figured Omi'd be at the top, but I'm more surprised just how... bad everyone did! I guess it helps with the unpredictability.
Yeah someone mentioned that everyone kinda has a bad record because a lot of times when Jack wins, that means there’s 1 win and 4 losses, so naturally there will be more losses than wins overall
Loved this show as a kid. Saturday morning cartoons over the analog airwaves were a highlight of my childhood.
The clay mime thing is more about durability than power
Touching on the mime vs Clay bit, I think it just shows Clay is tougher, being able to take a punch even from himself, where as the mime is weak and can’t even take a punch from himself
That’s true, I like that they show clay is clever AND tough
I want to give props for Jack knowing how to use the Changing Chopsticks and how the serious portrait this Wu more as a joke, but same how Spicer was seen as a joke villain he saw the potential of the Wu. Sure he didn't use it in a Showdown, but the same how Clide thought outside of the box, the same Jack thought outside of his box ( pun intended) to create a really complex robot that can mimic anything, sure that bot was a real treat when it was introduced in the episode and for the rest of the series is either a goon or non-existant. Like seriously a shape-shifting robot deserves more spotlight, not as mush as the Sapphire Dragon, but still another good episode with it would make it interesting. Again good writting for Jack.
Yeah sometimes as an evil genius jack is a lot more misguided genius, which makes sense since sometimes he’s more just an insecure kid rather than evil
My favorite character is Jim Membership. Unfortunately, he still owes me money...
Jim never lets me leave,
Saphire Dragon was a great episode. It reiterated what the claws taught them. Sometimes no one should have a power.
Great work dude. Hope you decide to keep this going. I wasn't a dedicated watcher but caught most of the series randomly watching syndication.
Thank you! Making season 2 this week!
Note regarding Kimiko wearing a US outfit at first, a lot of Asians have a huge love for the US, or at least used to, for various reasons, it's why you commonly see anime characters that have officially dyed their hair blond and why Asian tourists get so enthusiastic when exploring the US, so Kimiko's first appearance is based on this stereotype (fun fact, this obsession is part of why anime characters used to have really big eyes.)
That’s really interesting, thanks for sharing!
id love to see this continued
Almost done with the other videos!
"FOLLOW ME, TO VICTORY!... I have no idea where I'm going..." ~ Omi
Yesss, so glad somebody besides me recognizes this show's existence! Though for some reason, Jackie Chan Adventures always seems to come up when talking about this show... wonder why lol. I always preferred the ending of JCA myself, putting a very tight bow on everything, resolving every single plot thread, whereas Xialoin Showdown leaves the door open for everything by comparison. Though looking back on it through this video, I actually remember a lot more about this show than I thought. Maybe they both have their strong points.
I was debating going back and watching that, maybe making a video on it. Might not be as in depth or episode by episode, but I didn’t watch it much growing up
@@Colby2D From what I remember, it has a pretty similar plot structure, in terms of the enemy groups occasionally getting victories over the heroes, including some big enemy wins that completely shift the priorities of the heroes.
I think it's totally worth a watch/rewatch! I don't know how many others would be interested in a video, but I'll definitely be there :D
Just noticed that you used Through The Sea Of Time while explaining the first Showdown.
Yeah, I was really in a mystery dungeon mood while making this one, good catch!
Never been more thankful to the algorhythm
Omg thank you💙
This is one of the few shows that i watch was a kid that i really want to look back for the story.
This reminds me of the Shikon Jewel Shards in Inu Yasha, where having a gigantic number of possible objectives makes it okay to have episodes where the heroes beat the monster-of-the-week but the villain gets away with the loot.
I went from forgetting this show was a thing to slowly realizing I'd seen all these episodes when I was a kid
I thought I had only seen a little of it, but I remembered almost every single episode in season 1! Go fig. Clay was always my favorite. As a big fellow from the American south myself, I got where people would under-estimate him, so I always wanted to see him do great things.
I don't think I have seen this series, except for maybe the one Kimiko won. Despite being a hothead, i think she'd be my favorite character, but am disappointed she had only a .222 batting average.
Cool to see a video of an old cartoon that I actually remember every episode of. I must've made time specifically for Xiaolin Showdown as a kid.
Would love to see a video on season 2!
thanks for reminding me of this gem of a show
Thank you for watching!
Man i was ready for the rest of the show lol great video and nostolgia bomb
Thank you, I’m uploading season 2 this week🙂
This has gotta become a series for the next seasons man
Thank you, I’m gonna try to make an episode for season 2 later this week, I really appreciate you watching
That was a good trip down nostalgia lane
Thanks for watching!
@@Colby2D of course. Are you planning on doing more xiolen showdown?
For a lot of people in my age group (I was born in 2006) The 2012 Power Rangers Series, 2012 TMNT, or the Pokemon XYZ series was their introduction to action based media. But for me it was this and Gawayn on the starz channel, I miss being a kid sometimes, There was just so much to watch without ever getting bored
This was my favorite toon growing up without cable in the early to mid 2000s, so excited to watch this 😁
31:04 I knew there was always some kinda connection between this show & Avatar. Now I remember why! He IS the Avatar!
Lol pretty much
Raymundo and Sponge Bob having the same voice actor still throws me
For sure, Tom Kenny is definitely one of the most talented voice actors out there
Kids WB is so criminally underrated
It’s true, I definitely plan to cover some of the other shows sometime, would be curious what your other faves from that era or channel were
Wuya was instantly a cartoon waifu in her human form lol
As the strongest Shaolin, Dopejo, fought the fraud, the King of Showdowns, he began to drink his sauce. Omi shrugged back in fear and Dojo said:
"Stand proud, Omi. You are strong."
Dojo vs Omi, the strongest of all time vs the current strongest
Never watched the show, but I'm not surprised Omi came in first - he has been training longer than the others after all.
This show has me in a choke hold for years
I watched this show, but it wasn't a favorite of mine like Jackie Chan adventure. IIRC, this came on around same time Sonic X was on Fox, and ngl, I always flipped to Fox Kids unless I've already seen that episode. But after watching your recap, I realize I watched way more episodes than I remember lol.
Ahhhhh fucking loved Jackie Chan Adventures as much as Showdown! Early 2000s were killing back then.
They really were. I’m uploading a video of Jackie Chan adventures in the morning, should be a good one!
I loved this show and idk about the intro but this video ends great
I appreciate that, thank you