Splinter , often referred to as Master Splinter or Sensei by his students/sons, is a fictional character from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and all related media. A mutant rat, he is the grave and stoic sage of the Turtles, their ninjutsu and martial arts instructor, and their adoptive father. The character was originally a parody of the Marvel Comics character Stick .
96-456: In both the original comics and the live-action movies , Splinter is a pet of a ninja named Hamato Yoshi in Japan , and uniquely intelligent for his species. Yoshi becomes embroiled in a deadly dispute with a fellow ninja by the name of Oroku Nagi and is eventually murdered in turn by Nagi's brother, Oroku Saki , as revenge for his brother's death. However, in the 1990 film and 2003 TV series Nagi
192-580: A kunoichi and comes to regard her with a fatherly fondness. Splinter ventures from his lair on only two occasions. The first is when he falls under the control of the Rat King , who attempts to persuade him to forsake his humanity and embrace the life of a rat. Splinter eventually breaks free with the Turtles' help and defeats the Rat King. The second is when Shredder kidnaps April and lures Splinter to his stronghold for
288-400: A tax refund together with a loan from Eastman's uncle, they formed Mirage Studios and self-published a single-issue comic book that would pastiche four popular comics of the early 1980s: Marvel Comics ' The New Mutants , which featured teenage mutants; Cerebus , which featured anthropomorphic animals; Ronin ; and Daredevil , which featured ninja clans dueling for control of
384-501: A clan of evil ninjas who became the Turtles' arch-enemies, satirizes the Hand , who were a mysterious and deadly ninja clan in the pages of Daredevil . After conceiving the Turtles' mentor as a rat who had come from Japan and was a ninja master, Eastman and Laird thought of giving the turtles Japanese names, but as Laird explained, "we couldn't think of authentic-sounding Japanese names". Instead, they went with Renaissance artists, and picked
480-505: A cyborg. In a plot twist, Raphael even took on the identity of The Shredder and assumed leadership of the Foot. With Volume 3, the Turtles were incorporated into the Image Universe , which provided opportunities for a few crossovers and guest appearances by characters from Image series. The series ceased publication on a cliffhanger in 1999 with issue #23, and it was no longer considered part of
576-587: A discarded book after being mutated. In the movie, Splinter tells April that he does not remember his life before being in a laboratory, implying that there may be more to Splinter's character. In Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , voiced by Eric Bauza and Sander Argabrite (as a younger version of the character), Splinter is once again Hamato Yoshi, a descendant of the Hamato clan; however he
672-584: A documentary by Peter Laird about how he and Kevin Eastman created the characters with rare original comic book art, archival pictures and all-new interviews. However, the inability by Fathom to reach an agreement with 4Kids Entertainment and Mirage Studios led to the event's cancellation. An edited version of the movie was released on July 11, 2009, worldwide on TV. The film was then released on July 29 in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. In other countries,
768-502: A fight ensues and the canister the droids have been carrying smashes open, splashing both Yoshi and his turtles with a mutagen. As the result of stepping on the tail of a black rat upon entering an alley, Yoshi mutates while the Turtles take on human characteristics. Realizing he can no longer live a normal life, he retreats to the New York sewers where he raises his pets as sons and teaches them ninjutsu. Compared to his earlier counterparts, he
864-430: A final confrontation. Splinter overpowers Shredder's men and engages his old foe. Shredder reveals that Splinter's daughter, Miwa, had not died and that Shredder had taken her and raised her as his own. Splinter nearly defeats Shredder, only to be attacked by Miwa; Miwa, whose name is now Karai, has been taught, by Shredder, that Splinter is responsible for her mother's death. As the second season progresses, Splinter tells
960-579: A four-issue mini-series co-starring Flaming Carrot (the Turtles previously guest-starred in issues #25–27 of the Carrot's own Dark Horse -published series), and the Fugitoid teamed up with Mirage regular Michael Dooney's creator-owned character Gizmo for a two-issue limited series. Kevin Eastman and Rick Veitch created a story starring Casey Jones, which was initially serialized in the four-issue anthology series Plastron Cafe , and later colorized and released with
1056-503: A full-color series that maintained the continuity of the first volume. Written and illustrated by Jim Lawson , the series lasted only thirteen issues before ceasing publication in October 1995. The cancellation was due to declining popularity and lagging sales as well as a flood at Mirage Studios. The Savage Dragon creator Erik Larsen relaunched the series in June 1996, with the publication of
SECTION 10
#17330934512411152-415: A great aptitude in using anything as a potential weapon, as shown in his films' he fights with Fish and Ladders in the episode 'Evil League of Mutants'. Splinter's physical appearance remains fairly consistent in all incarnations of the character; he is portrayed as an elderly rat dressed in robes. The coloration of his fur varies depending on the incarnation. While brown fur is the most common depiction, he
1248-439: A hard time convincing them at first but they believed him when they heard his wise wisdom and that he didn't want to fight them as they worked together to set things right. Despite his love for his sons, Splinter is fairly militant with them, especially when they are young and inexperienced. Splinter's main fear is that he and his family will one day be exposed to the outside world, as he is understandably protective. He disciplines
1344-598: A human if the player reaches the ending. Splinter is a playable character in the 2003 video game , Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Battle Nexus , TMNT: Mutant Melee , TMNT: Smash Up and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge . Splinter appears as a supporting character in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 with Hoon Lee reprising his role. In December 2023, he was added to Fortnite as an outfit. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Mirage Studios) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ( TMNT )
1440-455: A humanoid rat. Although, Master Splinter did get the chance to be human again in the episode "Splinter No More", but realizes he prefers being with the turtles and had no place as a human anymore. Yoshi raises the turtles by himself and gives them the names of his favorite Renaissance artists: Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo. Yoshi is given the nickname "Splinter", due to his proficiency at breaking wooden boards, and he teaches them
1536-484: A major turning point, as Mirage made a concerted effort to return the series to continuity . A 13-part story arc entitled "City at War" began with issue #50, which was the first issue to be completely written and illustrated by both Eastman and Laird since issue #11. Both "City at War" and Volume 1 concluded with the publication of issue #62 in August 1993. Mirage Studios launched Volume 2 with much fanfare in October 1993, as
1632-572: A monthly comic book. For this reason, many guest artists were invited to showcase their unique talents in the TMNT universe. The breadth of diversity found in the various short stories had the adverse effect of somewhat disrupting continuity and gave the series a disjointed, anthology-like feel. Some of these artists, including Michael Dooney , Eric Talbot , A.C. Farley, Ryan Brown , Steve Lavigne , Steve Murphy , and Jim Lawson , continued to work with Mirage Studios for years to come. Issue #45 kicked off
1728-461: A new trade paperback Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Collected Book Volume 1 which was released in July 2009 with a cover price of US $ 29.95, unlike previous editions collecting issues #1–11, plus the four micro series one-shots, this new edition included reprinting Fugitoid issue #1, and some bonus material. A new hardcover deluxe reprint collection was published by IDW Publishing , which had been given
1824-541: A portal to the nether world in an attempt to revive the Shredder and bring him back to life. After the crisis is stopped, Splinter has a final goodbye with his family and friends, and his spirit peacefully floats into the sky and returns to the afterlife once more. The IDW Comics series, which began in 2011, presents a new origin for both Splinter and the Turtles. All five were originally test subjects at Baxter Stockman's bioengineering firm, Stockgen Corporation. When agents of
1920-561: A previously unseen conclusion in the two-part Casey Jones mini-series. Eastman then collaborated with Simon Bisley on a mini-series that was supposed to be released by Mirage under the title Casey Jones & Raphael , but after one issue, it was released by Image under the title Bodycount as a four-part mini-series which began with an expanded version of the sole Mirage-published issue. The first collected volumes were released by First Publishing, who published four volumes from 1986 to 1988, collecting colorized versions of issues #1–11, plus
2016-482: A sales collapse in 1986–87. The "Return to New York" story arc concluded in the spring of 1989 and by this time the Ninja Turtles phenomenon was well established in other media. Eastman and Laird then found themselves administrating an international merchandising juggernaut, overseeing a wide array of licensing deals. This prevented the two creators from participating in the day-to-day work of writing and illustrating
SECTION 20
#17330934512412112-411: A sewer drain. He is rescued from drowning by Karai and left in an area of the sewer to recover. At the end of the 3rd season, Splinter asks Shredder for a truce to stop the alien Triceratons. Shredder agrees but at the end of the battle, Shredder kills Splinter. The turtles hold him one last time before they, Casey and April flee with Fugitoid, as he arrives at the very last moment in a spaceship as Earth
2208-480: A short, squat turtle wearing a mask with nunchaku strapped to its arms was humorous to the young artists, as it played upon the inherent contradiction of a slow, cold-blooded reptile with the speed and agility of Japanese martial arts . Laird suggested that they create a team of four such turtles, each specializing in a different weapon. Eastman and Laird often cited the work of Frank Miller and Jack Kirby as their major artistic influences. Using money from
2304-460: A third volume under the Image Comics banner. The series was written by Gary Carlson and drawn by Frank Fosco, and marked the return to black and white artwork. This volume was notable for having a faster pace and more intense action while inflicting major physical changes on the Turtles themselves; Leonardo losing a hand, Raphael's face being scarred, Splinter becoming a bat, and Donatello becoming
2400-521: A traffic accident, four baby turtles and a canister of mutagenic ooze are sent down into the sewer. The canister mutates both Splinter and the turtles; it also enhances the former's already sophisticated intellect. Splinter names the four turtles Leonardo , Donatello , Raphael , and Michelangelo (after a book on Renaissance artists that he found in a storm drain) and trains them in the arts of ninjutsu so that they can avenge his dead master while raising them as his own sons, as well as educating them. In
2496-493: A very public arrival, subsequently establishing a peaceful base in Upper New York Bay. Since the arrival, aliens — and other bizarre lifeforms, like the Turtles — have become more accepted within society. No longer forced to live in hiding, the Turtles can now roam freely among the world of humans, albeit under the guise of being aliens. The series continued until the acquisition of the franchise by Viacom in 2009. As part of
2592-491: A vision of the ancient Aeons themselves but is overpowered by the form of a demonic Aeon. As April becomes possessed by the cosmic entity from within the Sol Star fragment, he attempts to reach her but is contained by April's exceptionally strong telekinesis. Regaining consciousness in the ransacked lair, he warns Donatello to be very careful as that being was not April. When April awakens from her ordeal, he expresses how impressed he
2688-494: Is a comic book series that was published by Mirage Studios between 1984 and 2014. Conceived by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird , it was intended as a one-shot, but due to its popularity it became an ongoing series. The comic created the Turtles franchise of five television series , seven feature films , numerous video games , and a range of toys and merchandise. Notable for its black and white format and darker tone compared to
2784-623: Is a 2009 American animated superhero film directed that is a crossover between two different incarnations of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. The plot follows the Turtles of the 2003 animated television series as they team up with the Turtles of the 1987 television series to save the multiverse from the wrath of Ch’Rell, the Utrom Shredder of the 2003 television series. Directed by Roy Burdine and Lloyd Goldfine and written by Goldfine, Rob David, and Matthew Drdek, it
2880-433: Is at how April was able to literally destroy her demons. He is once again killed by Shredder during a battle when Super Shredder impales him with his mutated claws and throws him off a rooftop. Splinter is buried at the O'Neil farmhouse. His spirit still gives his sons advice. In season 5, Splinter's spirit briefly returns to the physical plane in order to help his family and friends after Shredder's henchmen accidentally open
2976-514: Is being erased. After a fight with the Dragons and Hun which results in their erasure, the Turtles escape to Turtle Prime, where they encounter their prime counterparts. The twelve Turtles team up and are joined by Splinter, Karai, 1987 Shredder, and Krang against Ch'rell. During the battle, Ch'rell's exo-suit grows giant, but proves to be vulnerable to the Technodrome's laser beam. Utrom Shredder seizes
Splinter (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3072-443: Is eventually explained. Yoshi escaped his responsibility as a Hamato due to his mother being forced to leave him, nursing a growing resentment towards his clan until his departure. Later, a combination of being exploited by his former girlfriend to perform in gladiatorial combat and deep-seated worries the turtles were created to be soldiers gave Splinter an intense aversion to violence. Afraid that his sons would be put in harm's way he
3168-481: Is framed by his rival, Oroku Saki, for trying to murder their common dojo master. Unable to prove his innocence and expelled from the Foot Clan, Splinter moves to New York City, where he lives as a hermit in its sewers and befriends the rats. One day, he comes across four baby turtles which were accidentally dropped by a boy through a sewer grate. Splinter keeps them as pets and treats them like his children. When he finds
3264-412: Is less diligent in training them in ninjutsu, until he learns that the Foot Clan have been assembling the Shredder's armour, and he takes a more active role in preparing them for the danger his irresponsibility has placed them in. When they discover that their idol Lou Jitsu that they have been playfully emulating for years is in fact their sensei, they learn to appreciate their father more. Splinter shows
3360-419: Is nearly always calm. Even when angry, he refrains from raising his voice. He is the quintessential calm, all-knowing, and wise master of all martial arts. Also, Splinter has strong willpower as he doesn't give up without a fight. Also, in the 1987 series, Splinter can control his brain waves through his willpower. Splinter cares for his adopted sons with fierce devotion, rescuing them in very critical moments in
3456-401: Is not completely cut off from the pleasures of modern culture. Splinter is often depicted to be a fan of soap operas. This is stated in a few different incarnations but is most displayed in the 2003 series sixth season, where that hobby is mentioned several times. It is also mentioned in both the 2007 animated film and the 2012 series that he very much enjoys dessert, particularly Ice pops . In
3552-420: Is on an icy asteroid where he was banished. 1987 Shredder and Kang beam Ch'rell to the Technodrome and revive him from the block of ice he was frozen in, but find him too insane for an alliance and try to vivisect him. However, Ch'rell's adopted daughter Karai , who had been monitoring his exile, breaks into the Technodrome and frees him, declaring the weapon's technology property of the Foot Clan. While tracking
3648-546: Is overly protective of the Turtles. He is depicted as less of a traditional martial arts master and more of a worrisome single father figure, though he is still skilled in martial arts. Splinter appears as a supporting character in most video games based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the Nintendo Entertainment System, he transforms back into
3744-638: Is presented as ex-martial arts film star "Lou Jitsu" (taking inspiration from Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee) with an extremely relaxed attitude to life. He lives with his sons in their sewer lair and can be seen spending his time reliving his glory days by rewatching his movies as an action hero before he had been unexpectedly mutated into a rat. As the Turtles were intentionally mutated using Yoshi's DNA (revealed in 'Evil League of Mutants', and later shown in 'Goyles, Goyles, Goyles'), they are his biological sons in this iteration rather than adopted. This adaptation's seemingly extreme deviation of Splinter's usual personality
3840-516: Is removed entirely. Additionally, in the 1990 film, Splinter escapes from his cage during the murder, and attacks Saki, clawing at his face. Saki, in turn, slices his ear off. It is suggested that this mutilation is the reason Saki took the Shredder disguise to hide the scars. In contrast, in the 2003 TMNT cartoon series, it was Hun's face which Splinter clawed. Without a home, Splinter is forced to run away and live in New York City 's sewers. Due to
3936-597: Is restored in the final episode and helps defeat the Cyber Shredder. In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem , much like the 2014 film, he is not Hamato Yoshi, nor is he connected to him in any way. But like the Mirage comics, he is exposed to mutagen in the sewer and not experimented on. He was a street rat that hated humans and went into the sewers to scavenge for food. But instead of food, Splinter found four baby turtles that were covered in green ooze. Splinter rescued
Splinter (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) - Misplaced Pages Continue
4032-413: Is sometimes depicted as having gray fur. In the original live-action movies, he is missing part of his right ear, which was cut off by Saki. In the 2012 series, Splinter is physically taller and younger than he was in past incarnations. He also has a more rat-like design along with distinctive body marks on his fur. Splinter is portrayed as wise, intelligent, and a skilled "elderly martial arts master". He
4128-552: Is sucked into a black hole. When the turtles go through the time and fail to claim all the Black-Hole Generator pieces to help in the battle against the Triceratons and warn Splinter in time to stop Shredder from killing him. Splinter defeats Shredder, somewhat paralyzing him as Tiger Claw takes him away. When Shredder has himself infused with mutagen, he kidnaps Karai and demands her to come. Splinter fights Shredder along with
4224-520: Is very strict in this series. Splinter's sons, along with their new friend April O'Neil, soon become involved in the conflict with both of Splinter's old enemies, the Shredder and the Kraang. Reluctantly allowing the group to get involved, Splinter appoints Leonardo as their leader and continues to offer counsel and lessons as they engage various foes. Recognizing great sensitivity in April, he begins training her as
4320-622: The Pre-Teen Dirty-Gene Kung Fu Kangaroos , and the Karate Kreatures were obvious parodies of TMNT . Even Marvel Comics featured an advertisement for Adult Thermonuclear Samurai Elephants in 1986, but it evolved into an X-Men parody eventually released as Power Pachyderms in 1989. Most of them were sold to comic shops in large numbers, but failed to catch on with readers. This speculation led to financial problems with both comic shops and distributors, contributing to
4416-416: The New York City underworld. The Turtles' origin contained direct allusions to Daredevil : the traffic accident between a blind man and a truck carrying radioactive ooze is a direct reference to Daredevil's own story (indeed in the version told in the first issue, Splinter sees the canister strike a boy's face). The name " Splinter " also parodied Daredevil's mentor, a man known as " Stick ". The Foot ,
4512-455: The Technodrome . During the battle, the dimensional teleporter malfunctioned, sending them all to the 2003 dimension. Checking recent tremor reports, the Turtles find the Technodrome, only to have to battle an army of Foot Soldiers led by Bebop and Rocksteady . 1987 Shredder sees the two Turtle teams and theorizes that another Shredder might exist in this dimension. Ch'rell, the Utrom Shredder,
4608-430: The "official" TMNT canon due in part to a lack of desire by co-creator Peter Laird to follow up material with which he was not directly involved nor fully approved. Raph's depiction as the Shredder however, was referenced in an episode of the third season of the 2003 animated series , "The Darkness Within", where Raph was exposed to his fear of giving into anger and becoming the very thing he hated. After its cancellation,
4704-598: The 2003 TMNT cartoon, he possesses a significant reputation as a ninja master; in a multi-part episode, he is revealed to be a champion of the Battle Nexus, a multi-dimension-spanning contest where the greatest combatants of various dimensions come together to fight each other for the title of Battle Nexus Champion. When the Turtles learn of the Battle Nexus, they participate as well, resulting in Splinter forfeiting when called upon to fight Michelangelo, as he wishes to allow his sons
4800-715: The 2012 cartoon iterations replacing their 2003 counterparts. In both specials, an interdimensional plot-launched by the 2003 Utrom Shredder in Forever and 1987 Krang and the 2012 Kraang in Transdimensional -involved the Mirage Comics world. This reality is referred to as Turtle Prime or the Primary Turtle Dimension, the destruction of which would set off a chain reaction wiping out all other Turtles and potentially their realities. Turtles Forever Turtles Forever
4896-407: The 2018 series, Splinter is displayed as somewhat irresponsible given his different history, spending most of his time eating and watching TV, although he occasionally shows the traits mentioned above. In the 2023 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem , he is shown to have an extreme hatred for the human race due to a perception that they were all out to hurt mutants, and as a result, he
SECTION 50
#17330934512414992-659: The CBG's newspaper format, many were disposed of, making it a highly sought-after collector's item today. The book premiered in May 1984 at a comic book convention in Portsmouth, New Hampshire . It was printed in an oversized, magazine-style format using black and white artwork on cheap newsprint and had a print run of only 3,275 copies. It was a period of intense speculation in comic book investment, with especially strong interest in black and white comics from independent companies. The first printings of
5088-399: The Foot Clan break into Stockgen and attempt to steal an alien mutagen, Splinter and the Turtles escape but are exposed to the mutagen in the process. While the element of Splinter being Hamato Yoshi is still present, Oroku Saki is now the Foot Clan's medieval leader, with Splinter and the Turtles being the reincarnations of Yoshi and his sons. In the back-story, Hamato Yoshi was a member of
5184-582: The Foot Clan in feudal Japan. He is initially known for his unruly temper and lack of discipline. But with the help of his master, Masato, and his love, Tang Shen, he learned to control his temper and becomes a skilled warrior. His contemporary, Oroku Saki, seeks to make the Foot a clan to be feared. When Yoshi openly objects to the needless slaughter of a village connected to an assassination target, he and his family are declared traitors. Yoshi cannot save Tang Shen from being murdered but does save his sons. Yoshi raises and trains his sons for three years until Saki and
5280-411: The Foot find them. When his sons are executed before his eyes, Yoshi swears that he will destroy Oroku Saki before he, himself, falls under the blade. The live-action 2014 reboot uses the test subject origin story, but Splinter is neither a reincarnation of Hamato Yoshi nor is he associated with him in any way. In fact, Yoshi is written out of the script entirely and Splinter simply learns ninjutsu from
5376-463: The Prime Turtles and attempts to destroy them and the entire multiverse, but the 1987 Turtles break his balance and save the Prime Turtles. Bebop unknowingly reactivates the Technodrome's laser beam, which vaporizes Ch'rell. With their foe defeated and their worlds restored, the two turtle teams and their allies return to their respective worlds, while the Prime Turtles decide to go get some pizza. In
5472-410: The Rat King but soon tumbles down and realizes that his fight with the Rat King was all a hallucination because of his fever he had developed in the chasm. He finds the skeletal remains of the Rat King and Donatello and Michelangelo find him, alive and well. He later attempts to use his healing mantras to help April recover from the influence of the crystal fragment of the mystical Sol Star, and receives
5568-448: The Technodrome with the combined technology having been used to make Ch'rell's new Shredder body and create new Foot-Bots. Analyzing the mutagen that affected Hun, they reverse-engineered it to transform Cyber Foot into Mutant Foot Soldiers. Using the trans-dimensional portal, Ch'rell learns that there are many parallel universes filled with Ninja Turtles. Hun, Bebop and Rocksteady are dispatched alongside an army of Utrom Foot-Bots to capture
5664-565: The Technodrome, the Turtles and their master Splinter are attacked by Hun and the Purple Dragons, who want their mutagen. During the fight, Hun is accidentally exposed to it and turns into a mutant turtle. He wanders until coming upon the Technodrome, now under the control of Ch'rell, who takes Hun back into his service. Ch'rell and Karai begin rebuilding the Technodrome with help from the Cyber Foot. Ch'rell and Karai use Utrom science to revise
5760-607: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles rights from Viacom in 2011, including reprinting the older comics. The ongoing IDW continuity features two minor cross-references with the Mirage comics in Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything! #1, where its intro sequence connects to the story from the Tales of the TMNT issue Vol.1 #7: "The Return of Savanti Romero", and in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Usagi Yojimbo , where
5856-447: The Turtles and got some of the ooze on him, transforming him and the Turtles. After a bad encounter with humans, Splinter decided to learn ninjutsu from online videos and Jackie Chan movies and teach it to his sons. In the 1987 TMNT cartoon , Splinter and Yoshi are the same person. He is a martial art instructor for the Foot Clan in Japan, and also has a passion for Renaissance art. Yoshi
SECTION 60
#17330934512415952-482: The Turtles back to their roots with the simply-titled TMNT in December 2001. Published bi-monthly, the series took the opportunity to correct a persistent error: since the first issue of Volume 1, Michelangelo's name had been misspelled as "Michaelangelo". It is now spelled correctly, consistent with his Renaissance namesake Michelangelo Buonarroti . Picking up fifteen years after the conclusion of Volume 2 (and omitting
6048-484: The Turtles by breaking into their lair. The lair begins crumbling, forcing the Turtles to use their dimensional portal projector to escape into the 1987 universe while Splinter is captured by Hun. While the Turtles are preparing for their fight, they discover that Shredder has started attacking the 2003 universe with the upgraded Technodrome and the Mutant Foot Soldiers. Casey Jones and April O'Neil try to hold
6144-508: The altercation forever destroyed their relationship, culminating with Saki learning of his true heritage and starting a battle that burns down the Hamato Clan monastery, indirectly killing Shen and, seemingly, Shen and Yoshi's daughter, Miwa. After moving to New York City, Yoshi has just purchased four pet turtles when he stumbles upon an exchange in an alley between two Kraang droids. Seeking to silence Yoshi before he can share what he has seen,
6240-425: The art of ninjutsu in order to protect themselves. Like many real-life ninja masters, he has a strong sense of honor and follows very strict rules which all four of his students adopt. Master Splinter always has a wise quote or speech for the turtles and often steps in with his ninja skills when the turtles are caught in a, seemingly inescapable, predicament. Master Splinter does not have a father/son relationship with
6336-578: The enemy off before the Turtle teams arrive. After entering the Technodrome to find Splinter, they are captured by Ch'rell, who plans to wipe out every version of the Ninja Turtles across the multiverse by destroying them in their source dimension, " Turtle Prime ". By scanning the eight turtles' DNA, he finds the dimension, but the Turtles themselves are saved by Karai, who has started to question Ch'rell's goals. The turtles are joined by April and Casey, but realize that Ch'rell has started his plans and their dimension
6432-470: The events of Volume 3), the Turtles, now in their early thirties, are living together in their sewer lair beneath New York City. April and Casey have been married for some time and remain in contact with the Turtles from their nearby apartment. Splinter continues to live at the Northampton farmhouse, where he has become a "grandfather" of sorts to Casey's teenage daughter, Shadow . The Utroms return to Earth in
6528-468: The film aired on The CW as part of their Saturday morning The CW4Kids lineup on November 21, as part of a 25th anniversary celebration which featured a top-10 episode countdown preceding the film's television premiere. In the United States, an uncut version aired from October 31 to November 14 in a form where three weekly 26 minute episodes were shown in a half-hour slot per week. The uncut version of
6624-629: The film later appeared on the CW4Kids's website on November 16, 2009, which includes 8 minutes of footage cut from the original version that aired on TV. The edited version was released on non-anamorphic widescreen DVD on August 24, 2010 in North America from Nickelodeon / Paramount Home Entertainment . The uncut anamorphic widescreen version was later released in 2011 on DVD in the PAL DVD regions (2 and 4). There are currently no plans for an American release of
6720-434: The four micro series one-shots, with all books featuring new cover art from artist A.C. Farley. The cover price for Volume 1 was US $ 16.95 due to this book containing the most issues reprinted, with volumes 2–7 at US $ 6.95 each, containing an average of three issues reprinted. As part of the 25th-anniversary celebrations in 2009, with no new reprint collected books released in many years and long out of print, Mirage published
6816-469: The four they were most familiar with, with the help of Laird's copy of Janson's History of Art . The first issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was advertised in issues #1 and #2 of Eastman and Laird's 1984 comic, Gobbledygook , in addition to the Comics Buyer's Guide , issue 545. The full page advertisement in CBG helped gain the attention of retailers and jump-started their early sales. Because of
6912-458: The movie, the 2003 series Leonardo comments that it feels right to be with the 1987 Splinter regardless of the differences between the two worlds. Splinter's assurances that he feels the same, coupled with his comment that Leonardo and his brothers will always be welcome there, helps Leonardo see the common similarities between the teams, regardless of their different styles and methods. In the final episode, "Divide and Conquer", Splinter explains to
7008-690: The one-shot Leonardo #1 (the other three micro series one-shots were not included). In 1988, Mirage Studios released Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Collected Book Volume One , collecting issues #1–11, and the four micro series one-shots. It was available only by mail order directly from Mirage, either as a trade paperback at US $ 20 (with cover art by Peter Laird; 5,000 copies printed) or as a limited edition hardcover at US $ 100 (with cover art by Kevin Eastman, 1,000 copies, signed by Eastman and Laird). Between 1990 and 1991, Mirage Studios published seven volumes of The Collected Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trade paperbacks, reprinting mostly consecutive issues #1-#29 and
7104-535: The opportunity to fight where he succeeded in the past. In the episode "Tempus Fugit", Splinter and the Turtles, who time-traveled into the future, are sent back to the present time, but the villain, Viral, blasts Splinter with a decompiler ray that scatters his bits all over the internet. While Splinter was not seen much in the "Back to the Sewers" season, the focus of those episodes is the Turtles' efforts to find Splinter's data bits by traveling all over cyberspace. Splinter
7200-484: The original TMNT comics had small print runs that made them instant collector items. Within months, the books were trading at prices over 50 times their cover price. The success also led to a black-and-white comics boom in the mid-1980s, wherein other small publishers put out animal-based parody books hoping to make a quick profit. Among them, the Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters ,
7296-613: The original cartoon, effectively becoming a separate continuity. In the comic, they maintained Splinter's human background even when they started publishing original storylines. In the 2012 series , Splinter is again introduced as Hamato Yoshi, voiced by Hoon Lee . His relationship with Oroku Saki is mostly intact, with the Hamato and Foot Clans later revealed to have had a long-term conflict with each other. Despite being raised as brothers, both Yoshi and Saki become rivals due to their affection for Tang Shen, and Saki wishes to discredit Yoshi in front of her. Yoshi loses his temper by mistake and
7392-411: The original music from the show was not used in this special. In the actors' case, the original voice cast are members of SAG-AFTRA , which 4Kids did not have a contract with. For the score, most of the music from the 1987 series was owned at the time by that series' producer, Fred Wolf Films , and would require a license fee to be used in the show. For a cost-effective solution, the special used many of
7488-474: The previous encounters between Miyamoto Usagi and the Mirage Turtles are mentioned in one scene. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon series that debuted in 2003 ended with Turtles Forever , a crossover movie with two other Turtles properties: the 1987 cartoon and the universe of the original Mirage comics. A similar idea was used for the 2012 cartoon 's episode "Transdimensional Turtles" with
7584-552: The productions' frequent talents and used their in-score team to make a soundtrack reminiscent of the original series. Fathom Events originally planned a special event to commemorate the franchise's 25th anniversary to theatrically release Turtles Forever across the United States of America on October 29, 2009, with plans for an introduction "hosted" by the Leonardo , Raphael , Donatello and Michelangelo themselves, followed by
7680-441: The real world, Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman put the finishing touches on the first issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , hopeful that the book will sell. They then go out for pizza. Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman make voiceover cameos as themselves. Additional Voices By Jason Griffith, Sean Schemmel, Bruce Falk, and Matthew Piazzi. None of the original voice cast from the 1987 cartoon series reprised their roles, but
7776-679: The rest of the adaptions that followed, the series follows the exploits of four genetically-mutated turtles who were trained under the orders of Master Splinter, a pet rat, to combat various foes, most notably involving the likes of the Foot clan and their leader Oroko Saki, who secretly takes on the identity of the Shredder. Over the years, the Turtles have appeared in numerous cross-overs with other independent comics characters such as Dave Sim 's Cerebus , Bob Burden 's Flaming Carrot , Stan Sakai 's Usagi Yojimbo , Image Universe series including Erik Larsen 's Savage Dragon and Todd McFarlane 's Spawn . In October 2009, Peter Laird sold
7872-454: The rights to publish 18 issues a year, though Mirage Studios was shut down on September 19, 2021. During the early days of the franchise, each of the four turtles received their own one-shot (or "micro-series"), plus a one-shot featuring the Fugitoid . There was also a one-shot anthology, Turtle Soup , released in 1987, which led to a four-part series of the same name in 1991–92. The Turtles had
7968-425: The rights to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise to Viacom , the parent company of Nickelodeon . Mirage Studios was shut down on September 19, 2021. In 2011, IDW Publishing secured the rights to publish a new series and reprint the older comics. The concept originated from a comical drawing sketched out by Kevin Eastman during a casual evening of brainstorming with his friend Peter Laird. The drawing of
8064-430: The sale, Peter Laird was allowed to continue Volume 4, but issues were released sporadically, as they had been in the months before the sale. Issue no. 31 was originally released as an online comic only, while issue no. 32 was released for the 2014 Free Comic Book Day , almost 4 years after issue no. 31 was released online. Issue no. 31 was released in print for the first time for Free Comic Book Day 2015. Mirage retained
8160-418: The series remained in publication limbo for nearly two decades, with no reprints or collected volumes. In 2018, IDW Publishing , which publishes their own TMNT comic series , began to reprint the existing 23 issues in full color under the title TMNT: Urban Legends , as well as commission Carlson and Fosco to write and draw an official three-issue conclusion to the story. Peter Laird and Jim Lawson brought
8256-617: The series, such as when Shredder attempted to execute the four on a building, or when Bishop tried to literally tear them apart for science. He is furious when the Foot attempts to slay the Turtles with a robot Splinter and goes all the way to Japan after the four are kidnapped by the Tribunal. Splinter does go to the Turtles for help whenever he was in a tough spot, especially shown in the 1987 series episode "The Old Switcheroo" when an accident caused himself and Shredder to switch bodies as he went to them for help in getting back to his real body but had
8352-478: The then recently released feature film, which also followed the Mirage origin. In the concert events, he is still the Turtles' mentor in the martial arts, as well as encouraging their musical pursuits, and sings the track Skipping Stones as a solo ballad. He encourages the Turtles as they deal with the Shredder's plot to steal all music in the world, though he does not physically join the battles against Shredder or his foot soldiers. Peter Reneday reprises his role as
8448-627: The turtles about his true relationship with Karai. He is eventually able to convince Karai of the truth about their past, but she subsequently mutates into a snake-like being when Shredder's plan for revenge backfires. Later, Earth is invaded by the Kraang and, in the ensuing battle, much of Splinter's lair is destroyed before Splinter is able to defeat Kraang Sub-Prime. Splinter then leaves the lair to find his missing sons. Splinter again engages Shredder in battle and, seemingly victorious, Splinter prepares to reunite with his sons, April, and Casey Jones, only to be attacked from behind by Shredder and thrown into
8544-438: The turtles after they defeated Dregg that they are no longer his students but his equals and they have finally become ninja masters. The 1990 live action concert tour entitled "Coming Out of Their Shells", saw Splinter described as the rat owned by Hamato Yoshi mutated to a humanoid form, rather than Yoshi himself mutated into a ratlike body, bringing him more in line with the original Mirage Comics incarnation as well as that of
8640-509: The turtles near some broken barrels that are oozing glowing pink, later retconned to green, chemical liquid, he tries to clean them with his bare hands. As a result, they are all affected by the leaking chemical, which is a mutagen . The mutagen combines the DNA of living beings who have been in contact. Thus, the turtles, being in a pet store with people touching them, turn into young humanoid turtles. Yoshi, having been in contact with sewer rats, becomes
8736-484: The turtles when they become disobedient or unruly. His punishments include making them do back-flips repeatedly in the second live-action movie, or being sent to the Hashi, a form of punishment in the 2014 film by using chopsticks for balance. At times, Splinter does get physical with the Turtles whenever he gets mad with them or breaks up their siblings arguments, which led him to ground them, especially in 2012 series. Splinter
8832-415: The turtles, and the fight, leading up to rocky crevices and chasms below, Splinter and Shredder fall into a gaping chasm. Shredder's fall stops short as he lands on a rock outcrop as Splinter falls way down. He is still alive but his leg is broken. He sees the Rat King come toward him, seemingly surviving his fall down as well. Meanwhile, the turtles try to find him but Shredder goes after them. Splinter fights
8928-496: The turtles, as suggested in other versions, but more of a teacher/student bond. Despite not having that father/son relationship with the turtles, Splinter, in the episode "The Old Switcheroo", shows a glimpse of fatherly concern for Leonardo when he is injured by one of Donatello's contraptions. In addition, in Turtles Forever the old 1987 series turtles are surprised when the 2003 series turtles call Splinter "father". However, in
9024-449: The uncut anamorphic version on home video. The edited version of the movie (which was used for some TV airings and the Region 1 DVD release) removed several additional scenes which remain intact in the "uncut" version of the movie. Some of those key scenes include: Turtles Forever received mixed to positive reviews from fans and critics. Alan Ng of Film Threat gave the film 5/10, calling
9120-489: The voice of Splinter with the exception of the song Skipping Stones , though both the show's Pay per view and VHS cast lists both leave him uncredited. Archie Comics published the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures which began as an adaptation of the 1987 TV series in comic form, though the series eventually deviated from this and began telling its own stories with little to no connection to
9216-633: Was produced in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the characters while also serving as the finale to the 2003 television series. Turtles Forever aired on The CW4Kids on November 21, 2009. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles watch a video broadcast of warriors who look like them fighting the Purple Dragons on TV. The Turtles break into the Purple Dragons' HQ and discover that their "imposters" are actually alternate versions of themselves . The teams escape together. The 1987 Turtles landed there after fighting their Shredder and Krang over mutagen in
#240759