Master Splinter, or simply
Splinter is a
fictional characterA character is the representation of a person in a narrative or dramatic work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr through its Latin transcription character, the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its...
in the
Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesThe Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a fictional team of four mutant turtles, who were trained by a giant, talking rat sensei, Master Splinter, in the art of Ninjitsu...
universe. Splinter is a giant anthropomorphic
ratRats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
who is the master and adopted father of the Ninja Turtles.
Origin Story
Splinter has two origin stories, and which one is used depends on the medium. In the original version of the tale, he was
Hamato YoshiHamato Yoshi is a fictional character from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fictional universe. In all continuities, he was once a great and honourable ninja whose story is always closely intertwined with that of Splinter, but he is almost always no longer around during the course of the story.In...
's pet, and in the other, he
is Hamato Yoshi.
Mirage Comics, 2003 Cartoon, and Movies
In the original comics, (and the live-action movies) Splinter was the pet rat of a ninja named Hamato Yoshi in
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Intelligent for his species, Splinter was able to learn his master's art by mimicking his movements while he practiced. Yoshi became embroiled in a dispute with a fellow ninja by the name of Oroku Nagi, and was eventually murdered by Nagi's brother
Oroku SakiShredder is a fictional character from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. At one point or another in every incarnation of the TMNT stories, he has been the archenemy of Splinter and the Turtles. He is also known as the leader of the Foot Clan.Shredder's physical appearance remains fairly...
.
Without a home, Splinter was forced to run away and live in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
's sewers. Due to a traffic accident, four baby turtles and a canister of radioactive slime were sent down into the sewer, where they mutated both Splinter and the turtles. Splinter named the four turtles
LeonardoLeonardo is a fictional character that appears in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and all related media.In the Mirage comics all four turtles wear red bandanas but in mainstream versions he sports a blue bandana. His signature weapons are the ninjaken , which are universally referred to as...
,
DonatelloDonatello is a fictional character that appears in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and all related media.In the Mirage/Image comics all four turtles wear red bandanas but in mainstream versions he sports a purple bandana. His signature weapon is the bō staff...
,
RaphaelRaphael , a fictional character, is one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles . Unlike his brothers, his bandanna remains red and he carries two sai. He is usually depicted as being aggressive, sullen, and rebellious...
, and
MichelangeloMichelangelo is a fictional character, the youngest of the four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles . His mask is typically portrayed as orange outside of the comic series and his weapons are two nunchakus, though he has also been portrayed using other weapons, such as a grappling hook, tonfa and a...
(after a book on
RenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Florence in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe...
artists that he found in a storm drain) and trained them in the arts of
ninjutsusometimes used interchangeably with the term is the martial art, strategy, and tactics of unconventional warfare and guerrilla warfare as well as the art of espionage purportedly practiced by the shinobi ....
, while still raising them as his own sons. Splinter died of old age in
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (vol. 4) #10.
In the
2003 TMNT cartoonTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an American, Japanese and Korean animated series, mainly set in New York City. It first aired on February 8, 2003 and ended on February 28, 2009...
, he possesses a significant reputation as a ninja master; in a multi-part episode, he was revealed to be a champion of the Battle Nexus, a multi-dimensional-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 first 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 the opportunity to fight where he succeeded in the past.
In the 2003 cartoon during the Battle Nexus, Splinter is referred to as 'Hamato Splinter' indicating either that he regards himself as a member of the Hamato family, or that he took the name in honor of his dead owner.
In Fast Forward, Splinter was sent to the future with the Turtles. But when the Turtles finally found a way back to their time, Viral, a villain they met in the future blasted him with a decompiler ray that scattered his bits all over the internet. While Splinter wasn't seen much, the Back to the Sewers season dealt heavily with the Turtles going all over cyberspace to find all of his data bits. Splinter is restored at last in the final episode of the series, just in time to assist April and Casey's wedding, and help defeat the Cyber Shredder.
1987 Series and Archie TMNT Adventures comics
In the
1987 TMNT cartoonTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an joint-venture between American/Japanese animated television series produced by Murakami-Wolf-Swenson and Shogakukan Studios. It premiered December 28, 1987, first as a five-part mini-series animated by Toei...
, Splinter
is Yoshi. He was a martial art instructor for the Foot Clan, based in Japan, and also had a passion for
RenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Florence in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe...
art. One day he was framed by his rival, Oroku Saki (who would eventually turn into his future arch-enemy,
the ShredderShredder is a fictional character from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. At one point or another in every incarnation of the TMNT stories, he has been the archenemy of Splinter and the Turtles. He is also known as the leader of the Foot Clan.Shredder's physical appearance remains fairly...
), for trying to murder their common
dojoA is a Japanese term which literally means "place of the way". Initially, dōjō were adjunct to temples. The term can refer to a formal training place for any of the Japanese do arts but typically it is considered the formal gathering place for students of any Japanese martial arts style to conduct...
master. Being unable to prove his innocence, he moved away to New York City, 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 pink 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
mutagenIn biology, a mutagen is a physical or chemical agent that changes the genetic material of an organism and thus increases the frequency of mutations above the natural background level. As many mutations cause cancer, mutagens are typically also carcinogens...
. This mutagen transformed any living being into a
mutantA mutant is an individual, organism, or new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is a base-pair sequence change within the DNA of a gene or chromosome of an organism resulting in the creation of a new character or trait not found in the wild type. The natural...
whose body became mixed with the DNA of any other living being it was last in contact with. The turtles, being touched by Yoshi, turned into young anthropomorphic humanoid turtles. Hamato himself, having more recently been in contact with sewer rats than his own pet turtles, became a humanoid rat.
Since then, Yoshi raised the turtles by himself, and gave them the names of his favorite Renaissance artists: Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo, who were to be distinguished by personality and headband color. He also taught them the art of
ninjutsusometimes used interchangeably with the term is the martial art, strategy, and tactics of unconventional warfare and guerrilla warfare as well as the art of espionage purportedly practiced by the shinobi ....
in order to protect themselves better, since people above ground would not accept them.
Hamato was given the nickname "Splinter" by his adoptive sons, due to his proficiency at breaking wooden boards. On one occasion Donatello was able to use the remnants of the ooze that transformed them to restore Yoshi's human self, but the process was only temporary and soon wore off; however, Splinter, having seen how humans could treat each other at times, concluded that he preferred his new state, particularly due to the relationship he had with his sons.
The
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles AdventuresTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures was a comic book series published from August 1988 to October 1995 by Archie Comics. It is mainly based on the stories of the mutant turtles Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and their rat sensei Splinter...
from
Archie ComicsArchie Comics is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the Village of Mamaroneck, Town of Mamaroneck, New York, known for its many series featuring the fictional teenage Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Forsythe "Jughead" Jones characters were created by...
uses the same background, since the first issues are identical.
Appearance
In the original live-action movies, he was portrayed as an elderly rat in tattered grey robes, commonly meditating and remaining behind while the Turtles fight, but nevertheless an efficient combatant. He also lacks at least part of his right ear, Saki having cut off the rest of the ear when Splinter was still a normal rat with the same blow that killed Yoshi due to Splinter attempting to attack Oroku Saki, leaving the latter with distinctive scars on his face. He is captured by the Foot near the beginning of the first movie after they follow Raphael to their home following his rescue of April, but shares his tale with a young Foot member during his imprisonment and convinces him to defy Shredder, subsequently defeating Shredder in combat by knocking him off a roof. His role in subsequent movies is generally limited to him remaining in the lair and offering advice, but his spiritual wisdom is nevertheless keenly respected by the Turtles, combined with a sense of humour (Such as when he dances around with a lampshade on his head to cheer up the currently-depressed Michaelangelo after their trip to the past in
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IIITeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III is a 1993 live-action film, the second and final sequel of the 1990 live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film. It was produced by Clearwater Holdings Ltd. and Golden Harvest. This was the last Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film released by New Line Cinema and...
).
In the 2003 animated series, he is portrayed as a dark grey rat in monk robes. Splinter also had an opponent named Drako, who would prove to be a dangerous adversary of the Turtles. In the series
TMNT: Back to the Sewers, his look is slightly changed to resemble the 2007 movie.
Personality
Splinter is portrayed as wise, intelligent and a skilled martial arts teacher. He is nearly always calm and, even when angry, refrains from raising his voice. He seems to be an example of the cliched calm, all-knowing wise master of all martial arts; he may have even helped to create that image.
He cares for his adopted sons with fierce devotion, rescuing them in very critical moments in 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 went berserk with fury when the Foot attempted to slay the Turtles with a robot Splinter and going all the way to Japan after the four had been kidnapped by the Tribunal. Anyone who tries to harm them severely is nothing more than a threat in Splinter's eyes, proved when he pounced and attacked Casey when he stumbled into their home - not knowing he was a friend.
However, regardless of his love, he can be fairly militant to his sons, especially when they were very young and inexperienced, but nowadays he isn't like that. Splinter's main fear is that he and his family will one day be exposed to the outside world for what they are, and is understanably protective.
Splinter isn't without his soft side. He has a normally tender and self sacrificing heart, insisting the turtles not give up their weapons when Hun took him as a prisoner in Rouge in the House, Part Two-(this was ignored by his sons, choosing to drop their weapons anyway) and was most hesitant about letting his sons die alongside him in Exodus, Part Two.
Also, he could be heard telling everyone in
Reflections that he thought the turtles, as infants, "were all so cute."
In the Ninja Tribunal series, he was haunted again and again with nightmares of his sons being slaughtered. When it appeared to actually happen, Splinter was lost in despair, but quickly turned to relief when it was apparent they had just been knocked out.
In the Back to the Sewers, he admitted that, even when he was in pieces in Cyberworld, he had an intense yearning to see his family again.
Splinter is not completely cut off from the pleasures of modern culture: he enjoys soap operas.
This is more fully displayed in Fast Forward, when his hobby is mentioned several times.
Voice actors
In the 1987 series, he was voiced by
Peter RenadayPeter Renaday is an American voice actor.-Film:*The Aristocats as the truck driver*Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost as McKnight-TV series:*Angel as The Beast's Master...
in the American version and by
Hideyuki UmezuHideyuki Umezu is a veteran seiyū who was born in Aichi. He is a member of 81 Produce.-Anime:* Bakugan Battle Brawlers * Blood+ * Bonobono...
(TV), Yuzuru Fujimoto (NHK-BS2) and
Kiyoshi Kobayashiis a Japanese actor, seiyū and narrator from Tokyo. He is currently attached to the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society. He stands at 170 centimeters tall and is a Capricornus...
(VHS) in the Japanese versions.
In
Ninja Turtles: The Next MutationNinja Turtles: The Next Mutation or Saban's Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation is a American/Japanese live-action television series produced by Saban Entertainment and Toei, which ran on the Fox Kids network from 1997-1998...
Splinter is voiced by
Stephen MendelStephen Mendel is an actorHe started his acting career there appearing at the two English language professional theatres upon graduating from Bishop's University. He moved to Los Angeles and was then cast in the CTV series Night Heat which ran from 1985 to 1990, playing the role of Detective Fred...
.
In the 2003, Fast Forward, and Back to the Sewer versions, Splinter is voiced by
Darren DunstanDarren Dunstan is a Canadian voice actor and an occasional stage actor who works on the properties of 4Kids Entertainment.- Anime roles :*Chaotic - Kazdan "Kaz" Kalinkas*Dinosaur King - Zander*F-Zero: GP Legend - Truman*G.I...
. In the Japanese version, he is voiced by Shoto Kashii.
In the first two movies, he is voiced by
Kevin ClashKevin Clash is an African American voice actor and puppeteer whose characters include Elmo, Baby Sinclair, Clifford, Splinter and Hoots the Owl...
, and in the third, he was voiced by
James Murray-Politicians:* James Murray, 2nd Duke of Atholl , Whig MP and lord of the Isle of Man from 1736–1764* Hon. James Murray , Scottish Member of Parliament, later Jacobite Secretary of State...
. In the 2007 animated film,
Mako, born was a Japanese-American actor. Many of his acting roles credited him simply as "Mako", omitting his surname.-Personal life:...
voiced him. Splinter was Mako's final role before his death.
Video Games
Splinter appears in most video games based on the
Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesThe Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a fictional team of four mutant turtles, who were trained by a giant, talking rat sensei, Master Splinter, in the art of Ninjitsu...
series. He has been confirmed to be playable in
TMNT: Smash UpTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up is a 2009 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fighting game for the Wii and PlayStation 2 video game consoles. The game was developed by Game Arts, who had previously worked on Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and several former members of Team Ninja, who previously worked...
.
See also
- Hamato Yoshi
Hamato Yoshi is a fictional character from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fictional universe. In all continuities, he was once a great and honourable ninja whose story is always closely intertwined with that of Splinter, but he is almost always no longer around during the course of the story.In...
- Elderly martial arts master
The elderly martial arts master is a stock character in martial arts films. Typically East Asian, he is a near-invincible master of the martial arts, despite his age and presumed decrease in physical strength. Most often he teaches either generic Kung Fu, or an exotic style specific to the movie...
- Kyle Gazay