In Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Hamato Atsuko was the mother of Hamato Yoshi and the daughter of Hamato Sho.
Physical appearance[]
Hamato Atsuko is a Japanese woman with long straight black hair styled in a bun with bangs, black eyes, light skin, and a thin figure. She wears an indigo kimono with lighter blue trim and an organic print. The Hamato Clan emblem is placed on the center of her obi.
Personality[]
Atsuko has a tender disposition, shown when she told her son Hamato Yoshi her own desire to stay with him when he was struggling to accept her departure. She is also responsible, choosing to follow through with her lifelong promise as a Hamato even at the expense of the opportunity to raise her son.
History[]
Decades ago[]
Like the rest of the Hamato Clan, Atsuko was trained from a young age to defend the world from the Shredder if he was ever to return. Eventually, she gave birth and reared her only child, Yoshi. One spring day, Atsuko visited a park with her father Hamato Sho and Yoshi who was a young child at the time to say her goodbye to him before she vanished to perform her clan responsibility to prevent the Shredder's return. She left her son in Sho's care and died of unknown causes, never to see Yoshi during her life again.
Modern day[]
Atsuko's spirit appeared alongside the spirits of her fellow past Hamato Clan in "Finale Part 3: Anatawa Hitorijanai" in response to Hamato Karai evoking them to teach Raphael how to tap into his own Hamato Ninpō.
During the Mad Dogs, Splinter, Baron Draxum, Karai, and Foot Recruit's last stand against the Shredder in "Finale Part 4: Rise", Atsuko's spirit materialized to comfort Splinter once he became overwhelmed by the fact that they were losing to him even with their mystic powers combined and the extent of their strength being exerted. She ushered the rest of the Hamato Clan's previous generations to arrive and aid in delivering the blow that destroyed the Kuroi Yōroi.
Abilities[]
- Kenjutsu: Atsuko has been shown wielding a katana with a black scabbard and red hilt accents before her disappearance in "E-Turtle Sunshine of the Spotless Mind". However, her level of proficiency with it is currently unknown.
- Ninjutsu: Atsuko has been trained in ninjutsu, giving her the power to combat the Shredder if need be.
- Hamato Ninpō: Atsuko can channel her Hamato Ninpō as a member of the Hamato Clan.
- Scattering: Atsuko is seemingly capable of deconstructing her body into flower petals at will to teleport to another location as shown in "E-Turtle Sunshine of the Spotless Mind". Whether this ability stems from Hamato Ninpō or is unrelated is currently unclear.
Relationships[]
Family[]
- Hamato Atsuko's parent(s)
- Hamato Sho: Sho is Atsuko's father. Much of their relationship is currently unknown, but Atsuko seems to love him and trusts him enough to place her cherished son in his care indefinitely.
- Hamato Yoshi / Lou Jitsu/ Splinter: Yoshi is Atsuko's son. She adores him, regarding Yoshi as being a "sweet boy", and it agonized her to leave him. However, Atsuko had been watching over him in death and supports his unconventional (in the context of being a Hamato) lifestyle as a movie star, shown by her use of his catchphrase as Lou Jitsu in "Rise".
Enemies[]
- The Foot Clan: The Foot Clan are the sworn enemy of the Hamato Clan.
- Oroku Saki / The Shredder: Saki is technically Atsuko's ancestor as he is the ancestor of the Hamato bloodline through Karai. Atsuko delivered the killing blow to the Shredder alongside Splinter in "Rise".
Trivia[]
- In Japanese, "Atsuko" is normally pronounced [atsɯko] (AHTS-koh) with two syllables and a broad 'A' sound, ignoring the 'U' as if it was romanized "Atsko", instead of with three syllables and a short 'A' sound (at-SOO-koh)/(a-TSOO-koh) or (AT-soo-koh)/(A-tsoo-koh).
- When asked what Atsuko's duties in "E-Turtle Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" were in August 2020, Rise of the TMNT staff writer Russ Carney answered in a Tweet, "I don't think we ever discussed that, but I'd imagine that among other things, making sure that her kid made sure that the teapot never wound up in the hands of the Foot. But, because Hamato went a different way, becoming a movie star, the importance was lost."[1]
- It was stated in April 2021 by Rise of the TMNT director and story artist JJ Conway in a Tweet that, "If I recall, each generation is tasked with ensuring the Shredder never returns. This includes Grandpa Sho when he was young, Yoshi's mother, & Yoshi when he grew up. But Yoshi's mother died on her watch, which makes him reject his duty to the clan . . . ."[2]
- It was stated in April 2021 by Rise of the TMNT assistant director and story artist Ashe Jacobson in a Tweet that, "Yeah I think it's safe to assume when it was her [Atsuko's] time to go fulfill her watch and guard the pieces of the armor, something bad happened. It's a shame we never got to find out what, but I think it was def a sacrifice in the line of duty to defeat the Foot."[3]
- The clan emblem on Atsuko's kimono is all red and lineless, unlike the emblems worn by other Hamato Clan members that have made an appearance.
- When Atsuko stands up her kimono fold changes right over left which is reserved for the deceased. This implies that Atsuko knew she was going to die on her mission.