Oroku Saki (2012 TV series)

Oroku Saki (also known as The Shredder) is the deadly leader of the Foot Clan and the Turtles' and Splinter's hateful arch-enemy, voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson, as one of the primary antagonists from the Nickelodeon/Viacom Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2012 Series.

Appearance
In this version, The Shredder is coated in durable armor. His spikes are bigger and bulkier, though his body is much thinner. He still has the shoulder, arms, and leg gauntlets. The hand claws are now merged with the arm gauntlets. Unlike most incarnations, this version of the Shredder has a horrid injury on the right side of his face. In Splinter's flashbacks, Oroku Saki had black hair and a natural face, but after his last encounter with Hamato Yoshi his face was burnt, presumably when Yoshi's house caught fire. He now suffers from severe burns and has lost his hair and the sight of his right eye, which is now blood red with a white pupil..

Background
Long ago, Shredder was known as Oroku Saki and was good friends with Hamato Yoshi (also known as Splinter). However, both men fell in love with the same woman, Tang Shen, which sparked a bitter rivalry between them. One day, Saki insulted Yoshi, calling him many things. Yoshi snapped and he struck him down. This turned their rivalry into hatred. Eventually, Tang Shen married Yoshi and gave birth to his daughter, Miwa. One night, Saki, mad with jealousy and hatred, attacked Yoshi in his home, intending to kill him. The fight resulted in Splinter losing his wife, and Saki was left badly wounded and disfigured, while also stealing Miwa. Then rasied her as his own.

Personality
Cold, cunning, cruel and ruthless leader of the Foot Clan, The Shredder is willing to go to any length to destroy the Turtles and their Rat sensei, Splinter. With the Foot Clan and his shredding armor, there is little that the Shredder can't do. His vindictive spirit has drained him of compassion, warmth and connection to humanity. The Shredder fights with vicious ferocity, showing no mercy to anyone. Though he finds himself in a city swarming with mutant creatures and invading aliens, Shredder views it all as nothing but a distraction from his ultimate goal: his vendetta against Hamato Yoshi. When his lieutenants, Bradford and Xever, are mutated into Dogpound and Fishface, he doesn't question it and continues to use them in his plans to destroy the Turtles and their master, and he only takes an interest in the Kraang after he see's that their technology could be useful to him. His narrow-minded attitude and overwhelming obsession puts Shredder at odds with his daughter, Karai, who shows more concern about the strange happenings in the city than her father does. When she complains that "There's more to life than your vendetta", Shredder becomes angry and rants that there is nothing more to his life.

While cruel and ferocious, he seems to still care for his daughter, Karai. While others would be silent, she speaks without fear, and he is generally more tolerant of her defiance and failures, and even when she crosses the line, he is far less threatening her than his other men, though she is still intimidated by him.

He is also not wasteful. If something or someone is of use he keeps it, such as the many times he's spared Stockman so that the latter could create machines for Shredder's use. He is also shown to care for his minions. Rather than leaving Xever to suffer from his mutation, Shredder returned him to his lair for recovery. Though Shredder threatens to kill his minions the next time they fail, he obviously never does.

Abilities
The Shredder is notably strong for a man his age, likely because he had trained for years with Splinter before they became enemies. When he fought the turtles in Episode 9, "The Gauntlet", he bested them with his armor and skills, though he is shown not to be invincible because each turtle was able to score a hit on him. His armor provides him with great protection from ninja shurikens and various attacks, so he is essentially able to protect himself and face his opponent simultaneously during battle. His upper body is coated in indestructible armor, and he is also equipped with extendable-hand blades that he can use to render enemies helpless, or he can use them as a threat during interrogation.

History
The Shredder's first appearance was in Rise of the Turtles, Part 2, as Master Splinter explained to Leonardo about his first failure, trying to protect his family from his vengeful rival and old friend, Oroko Saki (AKA, The Shredder). Saki lashed at Hamato Yoshi (Splinter's original identity) in his home and caused it to burn to the ground. The debris collapsed and killed Yoshi's wife, Tang Shen, which infuriated Saki even more because of his love for her. He left Yoshi in his crumbling house, believing that Yoshi would eventually perish.

However, in Japan, Saki (who has recently made a following of ninjas called The Foot) saw a televised news bulletin from America, which tells how 'Ninjas' were in New York. As the bulletin continued, he caught a glimpse of a shuriken with Yoshi's insignia. Now realizing the status of his 'old nemesis', Saki dons his helmet and leads the Foot to America, where he intends to visit an 'old friend'...

Though he had no actual appearance in Turtle Temper, the Shredder's reason for hating Yoshi was explained to a grumpy Raphael by Splinter, who was explaining how careless decisions of anger could jeopardize the people around him. Since Tang Shen was in love with Yoshi, Saki was overcome with jealousy, so he approached the two one day, and pointed out many harsh and violent words at Yoshi, insulting him to the point of uncontrollable rage. Yoshi stopped Saki with a violent attack that left him limping away, and since that day, Yoshi and Saki's rivalry became a bond of hatred. Splinter never forgave himself for acting so careless. Losing his temper was the reason Oroko Saki destroyed his family, and his normal life.

In New Friend, Old Enemy, Shredder appears before his greatest pupil, Chris Bradford, and alerts him to Hamato Yoshi still being among the living. So he assigns Bradford with the job of eliminating Yoshi and his disciples. However, he was required to work alongside Shredder's second ally, a 'street rat' he broke out of prison named Xever.

In Never Say Xever, Bradford returns to his master and reports his loss, AND that Yoshi's disciples were actually 'man-sized' turtles. Disappointed by Bradford's failure, the Shredder decides to have him follow Xever instead, hoping that the outcome will be different. However, the results were the same, and the Shredder could not accept his minions' lack of victory. So he announces that he will deal with the turtles himself.

The Shredder's disappointment of his lackeys continues where it left off in episode 9, The Gauntlet. Shredder's pet dog, Hachiko, bites Bradford's hand, and the Shredder explains that the dog wasn't pleased with him, nor was his master. Shredder's words of disappointment towards Bradford and Xever were as painful as Hachiko's teeth, going so far as to telling his pupil that he shamed his master with his incompetence even after every lesson and secret he shared with him, and he then cursed Xever, wishing that he never released the hoodlum from prison. The Shredder's words burned inside Bradford's mind, making him want to finish the Turtles off even more. And when the Foot reported to him about the Turtles current location, he and Xever followed them, hoping to please their master by killing the Turtles once and for all. After Bradford and Xever were washed away by the Mutagen inside a bomb, the Turtles celebrated their victory over them, but were shocked to hear a booming voice..."Your skills are impressive...but they will NOT save you."

The Shredder made his presence known, making it all the more obvious that he is there to kill them. They all attacked him one by one, but he easily batted them back. He was proven not to be invincible though, as they managed to get in a few good hits each (Donatello most notably), and Michelangelo managed to hang him by his arm with the use of his nunchaku, though not for more than a few seconds. After Shredder defeated Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo, he grabbed Leonardo and demanded Splinter's whereabouts, promising that if he Leo complied, he would not die with suffering. Shockingly, Shredder released the Turtles' leader when he saw Xever and Bradford changed into mutant animals. Though Shredder was terrified (and it is implied that he was even concerned) by this new surprise, he still intended to interrogate the Turtles, but they were already gone. He roared at his loss and confusion...

In Panic in the Sewers, Splinter had a nightmare about the Shredder killing the turtles one by one, so the weary sensei took matters into his own hands by training the Turtles further and restricting their right to leave the lair and play their games. Meanwhile, Shredder ordered a mutated Bradford (whom Mikey dubs Dogpound because of his new dog-like form) to take command of the Purple Dragons and a pair of Foot Ninjas, and locate a tanker truck of chlorosulfonic acid. After a few hours, Bradford reports how the Turtles defeated them with 'Go-karts and a Water balloon'. Before Bradford could make an excuse, the Shredder sliced off a part of his seemingly unbreakable spikes, indicating that Shredder is now tempted to kill his pupil if he fails him again.

In Mousers Attack!, Bradford's mutated form proves useful to the Shredder as he reported the Purple Dragons agreement to increase the Foot Clan's cut to 80% with 'no complaints'. Xever (stuck in a tank of water because of his fish form) yelled out his frustrations of how useless he was in his current body. Bradford and Shredder agree with him, but the Shredder was quick to threaten Bradford for the price of another loss...his legs. However, Bradford was quick to change Shredder's mind. The feral hound brought over Baxter Stockman, whose creations, the Mousers, cost the Shredder his chance of finding the Turtles' base. Shredder, of course, blamed the scientist, but he also found a use for him and his talents at technology. So he spares Stockman in exchange for his services...

In New Girl in Town, the Shredder is not pleased with Karai's failure in killing Leonardo and tells her that the next time she must finish him off or else. In The Alien Agenda, the Shredder's patience is wearing thin when Stockman failed in his attempt to build mechanical legs for Xever. When Karai came with information about the Kraang, Shredder dismissed it and told her to focus on her mission to destroy the Turtles and their master. When Karai brought a Kraang droid, which proved useful, the Shredder was pleased and wanted Karai to find out everything she can about the Kraang. In Baxter's Gambit, Shredder for the first time does not act out so much in this episode, but he gives Stockman permission to set out the trap.

In Enemy of My Enemy, Shredder appears once again. He ignores Karai's warning about the Kraang Invasion. He faces the Turtles once more, is saved twice by Karai, and manages to capture a Kraang. In Karai's Vendetta, The Shredder interrogates the captive Kraang. He threatens to kill the Kraang with one of his blades unless he tells him what he needs to know. The Kraang tells him that the reason they are trying to destroy the turtles is because they are protecting Kraang's target; April. Shredder then orders Karai to capture her. In Pulverizer Returns!, He decides to create an army of mutants. When the Turtles foil his plan, he decides it's time to form an alliance with the Kraang. In Operation: Break Out, at TCRI, Shredder tells the Kraang that The Newtralizer nearly interfered in the plan. However, the Kraang remarks that it didn't prevent Kirby from being taken (which was part of their plan to find the turtles' lair and April). Shredder then says that vengeance will soon be theirs.

In Booyaka-Showdown, Part 1, Shredder abducts April O' Neil and forces Splinter to duel with him. Splinter later finds out that the April that Shredder "abducted" is just a hologram. When Shredder finds out that Splinter is now a rat, he laughs, saying that he is "a rat caught in his trap". In Booyaka-Showdown, Part 2, Splinter battles the Shredder at the Foot Clan's hideout. Shredder later reveals sometime into the battle that Karai is in fact Miwa: Splinter's supposedly dead daughter. During the battle, Splinter, in a new flurry of rage, knocks off Shredder's helmet, to reveal the latter's horribly burned face, and moved in for the finishing blow. This was prevented by Karai, however. Shredder informs Karai that the rat is Hamato Yoshi, the man that he had told her had killed his mother, which happens to be another lie fed to her by her false father.

In The Mutation Situation, Shredder can be seen in his lair, aproving The Kraang's plan of creating an ape-like creature to attack the turtles. However, after The Kraang's plan fails, Shredder informs Karai that since the aliens are of no use to him now, he will begin to develop an army on his own. In Follow The Leader, Shredder tests his new robotic foot soldiers built by the Kraang (which indicates that the Kraang are still in fact still useful to him, and their alliance still stands) by having them fight Karai. He then leaves for Japan to take care of an "urgent matter", while he tells Karai not to make any move on the turtles while he is gone.

Enemies

 * Hamato Yoshi / Splinter - Before the series began, he and Splinter were good friends. They lived in Japan where they learned the art of ninjitsu. However, they suffered a great strain when they both fell for the same woman, Tang Shen. They competed for her attention, but she chose Splinter in the end. Jealous, he began harassing Splinter, insulting him and trying to get him angry. This eventually resulted in the Shredder breaking into Splinter's house and challenging him to a fight. Both men engaged in battle, and the house soon caught fire, killing Tang Shen and horridly burning the Shredder's face. The latter found Miwa and took her in, raising her as his own daughter and telling her lies about what her Hamato Yoshi "did". Sixteen years later, the Shredder discovers that Splinter is in New York, and leaves there (along with his deployed foot ninja) to finish him off. They finally meet again in "Booyaka-Showdown, Part 2 "and begin fighting. The Shredder tells Splinter that his daughter is indeed alive, and he attempts to have her kill Splinter when she shows up.
 * The Turtles - Since they are affiliated with Splinter (as his disciples), Shredder views the turtles as enemies, and orders his henchmen to find and kill them throughout the entire series. However, out of the two times that Shredder has encountered them, he's let them live for the purpose of interrogating them.
 * April O'Neil - The Shredder tries to use April as bait in order to lure out his enemies so he can destroy them. After discovering how important she is to the Kraang, he sennds his adopted daughter, Karai, to find and capture her. Unfortunately for Karai, April uses her ninjutsu skills to narrowly beat her and escape. Shredder then forms an alliance with the Kraang...to use their technology in his search for Splinter. They then come up with a plan to find both Splinter and April by using the latter's father, Kirby O'Neil, who is brainwashed by the Kraang using a mind-control device. The plan works, and April is captured by the Foot Clan. Splinter is then informed of this by Kirby and two Mousers with a hologram of Shredder, who sends Splinter a message. He informs him that he has April and if he values her life, he will come up to the surface to retrieve her. After making his way to Shredder's lair, he fights dozens of Foot Clan soldiers and Shredder's two top henchmen (Fishface and Dogpound). He tries to free April, but discovers that she's nothing but another Mouser hologram. The Shredder himself appears, and Splinter asks what he's done with April. The Shredder then reveals that he only needed April as bait to lure him out and now, since he had no more use of her, he handed her over to the Kraang, who need her for their plans.

Allies

 * Chris Bradford/Dogpound/Rahzar- Known as Shredder's top lieutenant and was formerly known as the Foot's second best fighter before mutating into Dogpound, but maintained his rank and respect within the clan.
 * Xever/Fishface- Works for Shredder after being freed from a prison and being hired by him, which Shredder did mainly because he found Xever's skills useful, as well as the fact that Xever "likes having a job where he gets to crack skulls everyday".
 * Karai - Splinter's daughter, Miwa, who Shredder kidnapped after the events of his and Hamato Yoshi's final battle, named her Karai, and raised her as his own child.
 * The Kraang - An alliance made only to get closer to Hamato Yoshi.
 * Baxter Stockman - Shredder spared Stockman because the man is a talented inventor, and very useful to his clan, which led to several improvements, including making Fishface a pair of robotic legs, thus making the latter a more powerful combatant. The Shredder, however, for the most part, dislikes Stockman and he probably dislikes him even more after he trapped Dogpound and Fishface in the "Maze of Doom".

Love Interests

 * Tang Shen - A woman that both Oroku Saki and Hamato Yoshi fell in love with. She chose Yoshi over Saki, however, and in a fit of jealousy and rage, he attacked Yoshi one night and killed Tang Shen in the process.

Quotes

 * "So, my old enemy is in New York and training his own army. At last I can finish what I started so long ago. Prepare my jet! (puts on helmet) I'm going to visit an old friend."- Rise of the Turtles Part 2
 * "And you! (to Xever) I should have left you to rot in that prison where I found you." - The Gauntlet
 * "Your skills are impressive... but they will not save you!" - The Gauntlet
 * "There is undoubtedly a fascinating story in how my old nemesis came to teach ninjutsu to four mutant turtles. Perhaps I will let one of you live long enough to tell it." - The Gauntlet
 * (Dream) You think you are ready to face me? - Panic in the Sewers
 * "They defeated you with... Go-Karts... and a water-balloon!?" - Panic in the Sewers
 * "It seems your mutated form has it's advantages... but do not forget our primary goal. Locating Splinter and the Turtles." - Mousers Attack!
 * "I want you to find out more about this "Kraang". Their technology could prove useful in our war against the turtles." - The Alien Agenda
 * "Tell me where Splinter is, and I'll let you live long enough to watch him perish." - Enemy of my Enemy
 * "Well done, Karai. I found something for you." (Holds up a Kraang) "You've always wanted a pet." - Enemy of my Enemy
 * "Prepare to know why they call me The Shredder!" - Enemy of my Enemy
 * "Do they all speak like this?" (about the Kraang's Speech Patterns) - Karai's Vendetta
 * (To Dogpound) "I need more soldiers, I need better soldiers, and I need them NOW! -Pulverizer Returns!
 * (After the imprisoned Kraang explains about the Mutagen being unstable in this dimension in a complicated and redundant manner) "I believe what this fool is saying is that the Mutagen is dangerously unpredictable. See to it that fail safe measures are put in place."- Pulverizer Returns!
 * (To the captive Kraang) "It seems we have a common enemy..." -Pulverizer Returns!
 * "The turtles have undoubtedly brought O'Neil back to their lair. Soon vengance will be ours."- Operation: Break Out
 * Now That You are here. Ms. O'Neil is no longer of any use to me. I gave her to my new friends the Kraang -Booyaka-Showdown, Part 1
 * (When he sees Splinter is now a mutant rat) "What? A rat!? (Laughs) I see you are as hideous as those turtles that surround you. How fitting. You are a rat that has been caught in my trap." -Booyaka-Showdown, Part 1 .
 * (Laughs upon Splinter saying that he will have nothing if he is defeated) "That... is where you are wrong. You took something from me... so I took something from you. Your daughter." - Booyaka-Showdown, Part 2
 * "It's over, Hamato. Soon you will be no more, and your own daughter will go through her life cursing your name." - Booyaka-Showdown, Part 2
 * (Upon being helped up by Karai after nearly being killed by Splinter) "Karai... that rat is... Hamato Yoshi." - Booyaka-Showdown, Part 2
 * (About his new robot ninjas) The Kraang Swore Theese new Foot Soldiers Would Be Deadly, They Were True to their Word-Follow The Leader

Gallery
See: Shredder (2012 TV series) / Gallery

Trivia

 * In Splinter's flashbacks, Shredder is seen wielding a pair of "Tekkō-kagi", (lit. "back of the hand hooks". In the present, he is seen with custom-made Tekko-kagi claw weapons: They have extendable blades and are razor sharp . They have also been shown to be strong enough to cut through metal shipping containers.
 * The Shredder's real given name "Saki" is (usually) a female Japanese name that means "blossom" and "hope".
 * He owns an Akita Inu named Hachiko. Hachiko contributed to Dogpound's mutation by biting him before the mutagen spilled on him.