Splinter (TMNT)
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Splinter (a.k.a. Master Splinter) is a fictional character, the master and father figure of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In all versions of the story, he is a mutant rat, but his origins often vary depending on the version. In the original comic (as well as the movies, 2003 animated series, and Fast Forward animated series), Splinter was the pet rat of a ninja named Hamato Yoshi. Exceptionally intelligent for his species, Splinter was able to learn his master's art by mimicking his movements while he practiced.
Yoshi eventually was embroiled in a dispute with a fellow ninja by the name of Oroku Nagi over the love of a woman named Tang Shen. When the woman favored Yoshi, Nagi grew angry and beat her. Yoshi came across them, and slew Nagi in his rage.
The pair escaped to New York City, but they were tracked down and Yoshi was slain by Nagi's younger brother, Saki, who had become The Shredder.
Without a home, Splinter eventually came to live in the city's sewers. One day, he saw a canister of chemicals go flying from a truck. The canister struck a boy in the face after he saved a blind man from being hit by the truck (a reference to the superhero Daredevil), and then struck and shattered a bowl full of four baby turtles carried by a young boy. The now broken canister and turtles fell into the sewers, where Splinter rescued them, also exposing himself to the ooze that had covered the turtles.
In time, the ooze mutated both Splinter and the turtles, increasing their size and intelligence, and making them more humanoid. Eventually, Splinter named the four turtles Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo (after his favorite Renaissance artists) and raised them as his own sons, but also training them in the arts of ninjutsu, so that they may one day avenge the death of Hamato Yoshi and slay the Shredder, who had amassed a powerful organization in the New York underworld.
After his long life, Splinter's death was shown in issue 10 of Volume 4 of the Mirage comic. His funeral followed in issue 11. Splinter's death was not in battle or the result of murder; it came when he was alone. The cause of his death was never revealed, but he clutches his chest, suggesting a possible heart attack.
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[edit] 1987 series and Archie comics
In the 1987 TMNT cartoon, Splinter was changed to be Yoshi himself, and was framed by his rival, Oroku Saki (who would eventually turn into his future arch-enemy, the Shredder), for trying to murder their common dojo master. Being unable to prove his innocence, he ran away to New York, where he lived as a hermit in its sewers and befriended the rats.
One day, he came across four baby turtles which were accidentally dropped by a boy through a grate of the sewers. He kept them as pets and treated them like his children. But later, he found the turtles venturing near broken barrels that were oozing glowing green chemical liquid. As he tried to recover them from danger and attempted to clean them with his bare hands, they were all affected by the chemical which was a special mutagen. This mutagen transformed any living being into a mutant whose body became mixed with the DNA of any other living being it was last in contact with. The turtles, being touched by Yoshi Hamato, turned into young anthropomorphic humanoid turtles. Hamato himself, having lived in rat-infested sewers for so long, turned into an anthropomorphic humanoid rat.
Since then, Hamato brought the turtles up, and gave them the names of his favorite Renaissance artists: Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo, who were to be distinguished by their personality and headband color. He also taught them the art of ninjutsu in order to protect themselves and help to confront Shredder and his hordes from the Foot Clan.
Hamato was given the nickname of "Splinter" by his adoptive sons, due to the way he easily splinters his enemies. (In the cartoon, the nickname comes from his proficiency at breaking wooden boards)
In the 1987 animated series, he is portrayed as a light brown-grey rat in a red kimono, wearing white bands on his feet.
Splinter in the Archie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures comics is the same Splinter as in the 1987 TMNT cartoon, because the first issues of the Archie comics follow the cartoon.
He was voiced by Peter Renaday.
[edit] Movie
Splinter's origins in the movie mirrors the comic, although Nagi, whose death led to Saki turning evil, is mostly removed from the story, and Yoshi's conflict is with Saki himself. Instead of fleeing from the murder of a clan member, Tang Shen persuades Yoshi to flee to America to avoid fighting Saki for her hand in marriage, which would have presumably been a fight to the death. Saki vowed vengeance and spent years searching for them. When Saki kills Yoshi and his wife in their New York apartment Splinter tries to protect them, leaving scars on Saki's face. Saki severs Splinter's ear in retaliation.
In this version Splinter does not train the Turtles with the direct intent of vengeance against Saki, but rather as a way of honoring his former master.
In the first film, he is kidnapped by the Foot Clan, and when the turtles return to the sewer after visiting April's apartment for the first time they discover Splinter gone, making them turn to April. Danny Pennington, her boss's son (who only appears in this film), sees one of the turtles and tells the Shredder where the they are. Shredder uses this info and sends waves of Foot to attack Raphael, which they do until he's near death. With the help of Casey Jones, the turtles manage to escape and hide out at April's old farm after her apartment burns down. Danny visits Splinter, who tells him of the Shredder's evil ways and their past, leading Danny to question his involvement with the Foot. While imprisoned, Splinter is contacted by the turtles through meditation; Splinter gives his last words to them. The turtles, April, and Casey head back to New York to find Danny in the turtles' home. Danny heads back to the Foot Headquarters to talk to Splinter again and learns he's part of a group whose leader is the man who killed Yoshi. Danny finally turns over to Splinter's side and with the help of Casey (who followed him to the headquarters), they free Splinter. Splinter manages to get most of the Foot clan they encounter to let them go by saying the Shredder is careless and uses them to "obtain which he desires," shattering the illusion that the Foot is like a family with the Shredder as a caring father. Later, they find the turtles at the top of a building fighting the Shredder, and Splinter decides to climb up to the top of the building to avenge his master. He reminds Shredder that he once met him while trying to kill Yoshi. Enraged, the Shredder tries to impale him but with Michaelangelo's nunchucks he has Shredder thrown off the building and clinging on for his life. Splinter tries to tell him about something much worse that will come to him, but the Shredder tries to kill Splinter by throwing a knife at him. Splinter catches it and accidentally lets go part of the nunchuck that was holding the Shredder; the Shredder falls into a well-placed garbage truck, which Casey uses to crush him.
In the second film, there's not much known about Splinter, and he doesn't do anything in this film except save the turtles once by shooting an arrow at the net they're trapped in by the Shredder (who survived after the last film and now swears vengeance against the turtles and Splinter for his deformity). He speaks a lot more than he did in the first film and makes the turtles do ten flips whenever they do something immature.
In the third film, again, there's not much known about him. He does little in the movie except talk to the people from feudal Japan and Casey about what he senses or what the people from the 1600s are saying to Casey. Unlike the last two films, the humorous ending for this film doesn't end with "I made a funny!" or "I made another funny!" and a laugh. Instead, he puts a lamp over his head and acts like "Elvis from New Hawaii" to entertain Michaelangelo, who was depressed about leaving feudal Japan because he was treated well over there and had feelings for Mitsu (who Kenshin (another person from feudal Japan sent from time) was in love with) and believing he can never laugh again. Splinter's last line for the movie is, "Just like Elvis in Blue Hawaii. I saw it on cable."
In the first and second films, Splinter was voiced by Kevin Clash. In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, Splinter was voiced by James Murray.
In the TMNT 2007 film, Splinter will be voiced by the late Mako Iwamatsu. Splinter is portrayed as having grown more worried that his sons have split apart after the death of Shredder and calls them together again when a new enemy arises. Splinter is portrayed as a source of wisdom for his sons, but does indulge himself with a soap opera. He aids Max Winters at the end of the film in holding several monsters at bay, going so far as to say, "We should do this more often: I've still got it!" A note was placed at the end of the film's credits honoring Mako. However, Splinter's right ear is not cut off as it was in the first three films, in which director Kevin Munroe added a joke saying Splinter got an Otoplasty.
[edit] 2003 and Fast Forward series
Again, the newest series draws heavily on the comic, but also added a wealth of original features.
Splinter started his life as an ordinary rat in Japan who found his way into a home owned by the Ancient One. When he was discovered, his life was spared by Tang Shen, the Ancient One's adopted daughter, who took him as a pet. As in previous versions, Tang Shen became tragically caught up between Hamato Yoshi and a jealous rival, this time Yukio Mashimi, a childhood friend of Yoshi's. The two of them eventually joined the Utroms and became Guardians. But Mashimi's jealousy of Yoshi, both for his advancement as a Guardian, and the love of Tang Shen, led him to murder Shen and betray the Utroms to the Shredder. Yoshi killed Mashimi in revenge and went to America with the Utroms, taking Tang Shen's pet with him, and giving him the name Splinter. Later, Yoshi would be tracked down and killed by Shredder, who tried to force him to reveal the Utrom's location. In this continuity, it was Hun that Splinter scratched as his master Yoshi was attacked, and not the Shredder.
In the 2003 animated series, he is portrayed as a dark gray rat in monks robes. Splinter also had an opponent in the Battle Nexus story arc named Drako, who would prove to be a dangerous adversary of the Turtles.
This version of Splinter also appears in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Fast Forward.
In the 2003 and Fast Forward versions, Splinter is voiced by Darren Dunstan.
[edit] Trivia
- Master Splinter enjoys Zen Buddhism and Heavy Metal (As stated in his bio in the intro of the 1989 TMNT arcade game).
- According to an interview with Peter Laird, Splinter's character and name were based off the Marvel Comics' sensei Stick who trained Daredevil and Elektra.
- Splinter appears to be a fan of the television show, Gilmore Girls (as seen in TMNT)
[edit] See also
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles |
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| The TMNT Franchise |
| Comics: Eastman and Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Tales of the TMNT | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures | Daily comic strip TV series: 1987 cartoon (episode list) | The Next Mutation | 2003 cartoon (episode list) Films: TMNT (1990) | TMNT II | TMNT III | TMNT (2007) Games: Role-playing games | Video games Other related articles: Food tie-ins | Action figures |
| The TMNT Universe |
| Characters: Leonardo | Michelangelo | Donatello | Raphael | Splinter | April O'Neil | The Shredder | List of characters Races and organisations: Foot Clan | Utrom | List of races and organisations Objects and places: Battle Nexus | Dimension X | Magical objects | Planets | Robots | Technodrome |
