When the Afro Samurai anime first aired on Spike TV in 2007, was unlike anything else on American TV. Although its mix of swordplay and cyberpunk was explored in Samurai 7 (which, incidentally, was produced by Gonzo, the same house as Afro Japanese animation), and the combination of feudal Japan and hip-hop had fueled Samurai Champloo, none of them had afro secret weapon: Samuel L Jackson not only the star of Pulp Fiction and the Star Wars prequels to the voice of the contractor and his character Sidekick, Ninja Ninja, Jackson, but also co-produced the animated series.