Hamato Splinter is the adoptive father and ninjutsu sensei of Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo.
Physical appearance[]
Hamato Splinter is a mutant rat with white bushy eyebrows, black whiskers on his muzzle, a pink nose and tail, a nick in each ear, dark brown eyes, short fur, and a thin figure. He has four fingers on each hand and three toes on each foot and white claws. Unlike his other incarnations, this Splinter has gray fur instead of brown fur.
He also has a somewhat disheveled appearance, especially a small notch in each ear, this disheveled appearance can also be seen reflected in his clothing too, which consists of an a torn red-orange kimono with dark brown trim, as if to imply that he has gone through more hardship, or simply to match the tone of the series.
For the Lost Episodes his attire changes to a jinbaori with same color scheme as his kimono along with black sleeves and black pants, bandages around the wrists and shins, a kasa hat, and traditional Japanese wooden sandals.
In Fast Forward Splinter's attire changes to a more futuristic version of his kimono, using also an Enviropack (Waist) that helps him to breathe in the environment of 2105, Graviton Regulator (legs) to walk and move easily through the different zones with different gravities and wrist translator (bracelet) to talk with the inhabitants of the new York of the year 2105. And although it was only seen in the first episode, a medium gray fur was added on his torso.
For Back to the Sewer Splinter's design was revamped to look more like his design in TMNT, with a new version of his original kimono but also adding brown shoulder pads and his beard is longer and white with a Japanese goatee attached to it.
In addition, instead of a traditional Japanese weapon, he carries a staff that he can use as a weapon (like a Jo staff) with fierce dexterity. This staff had several designs in the Lost Episodes it was a staff with a gold ornament around it and in Fast Forward it was a futuristic metal staff that combined with a wood part in the middle.
Personality[]
Splinter is a composed and loving father, raising the Turtles as his own sons but not hesitating to scold them when necessary. Despite having spent his life initially as a normal rat, and then living underground as a mutant, he is very wise and insightful. Regularly, Splinter has prove himself able to anticipate how his sons will react and likewise able to read the flow of battle to properly counter his opponent. At the same time, experienced as he is, Splinter has great difficulty using mechanical equipment, being unsure of how to answer a Shell Cell or control the Battle Shell remotely.
Splinter does his best to look out for them and would gladly give his life to protect them. In an alternate future where the Shredder takes over the world, that is exactly what he did. This overprotective streak made him reluctant to allow them to enter the Battle Nexus (dimension) competition; in fact he never even told his sons about it and they only found out because they followed him. However, Splinter also shows great faith in his sons, believing them to be fully capable ninja and even showing enough confidence in their abilities to allow them to face the deadly Shredder on multiple occasions, although during the majority of their encounters, he is there to support and protect them in any way that he can.
Splinter has a vengeful streak as shown by his determination to avenge Hamato Yoshi's murder. He speaks very highly of Yoshi, even thinking of him as a father figure despite the species differences and the fact that Splinter wasn't fully sapient until after Yoshi's death. He is one of the very few characters who challenges the Ninja Tribunal, whom he partially blames for Yoshi's death. Indeed Splinter shows blatant contempt for the Tribunal, believing them to be heartless and no better than the demon Shredder. However, after the demon Shredder is destroyed, the Tribunal explained that if Yoshi never died, he would never have existed and neither would the Turtles.
Splinter is a very honorable person and is therefore disgusted by dishonor and cowardice. He is capable of fighting on par with the Shredder and also shows a great deal of cunning and resourcefulness in combat, such as when he tricked the Shredder into bringing a water tower down on himself. Despite his age, Splinter also shows amazing speed, strength and skill in combat. His simple walking stick is his signature weapon as he believes that in the hands of a true ninjutsu master, any weapon could be deadly.
History[]
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, Shen became tragically caught up between Yoshi and a jealous rival, this time Yukio Mashimi, Yoshi's adopted brother. 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 Shen, led him to murder Shen and betray the Utroms' location to the Shredder. Yoshi killed Mashimi in revenge and went to the United States of America with the Utroms, taking Shen's pet with him, and giving him the name "Splinter". Whilst in New York, Splinter lived peacefully with Yoshi and learn ninjutsu by mimicking Yoshi as he trained.
During his stay in the United States, Splinter learned martial arts by observing and imitating Yoshi's movements when he practiced.
Some time later, the leader of an criminal organization called the Foot clan: a samurai-like crime lord named The Shredder, tracked down Yoshi and, along with his second-in-command Hun, broke into his home apartment and interrogated him about the location of the Utroms. When Yoshi refused to reveal the Utroms' location to him, the Shredder ordered Hun to kill him, it was then that Splinter, in an attempt to save Yoshi jumped up and scratched Hun, but despite his heroic attempt Shredder shrugged his shoulders and killed Yoshi himself. In this continuity, it was Hun who Splinter scratched when Yoshi was attacked, not Shredder.
Soon after, Splinter witnessed an almost fatal accident where an old blind man was nearly run over but a young man saved him. However in the process, he bumped into a boy carrying a tank holding four turtle hatchlings who fell into the sewer. Meanwhile, the truck that nearly hit the man swerved and a canister holding green ooze fell out. The canister smashed open and it’s contents covered the turtles.
Going down the sewers, Splinter found the turtles all covered in mutagen created by the Utroms. Feeling pity for them, he gathered them up in a coffee canwhile getting covered in the ooze himself. He took them to his nest. The next day, he woke to find the turtles had doubled in size and realize that the ooze affected them and it also changed him as well. The turtles followed Splinter everywhere except to the surface. Eventually, he decided to raise them as his own and then proceeded to train them in the way of ninjutsu. From a battered book on Renaissance art that he fished out of the storm drain, Splinter chose names for each of the Turtles: Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo.
During the Turtles infancy, he gathered Yoshi's remains and took the turtles to Japan to bury them near the home of the Ancient One. The Ancient One was shocked by his new state and inquired on Yoshi. Splinter informed him about Yoshi's fate, blaming the Tribunal for refusing to help. The Turtles claim to have seen a Bone Demon, but Splinter and the Ancient One were unable to see him. The next day, the babies try to convince Splinter that they see the demon and although he still couldn't him, he sensed his presence. They followed the Ancient One to the Tribunal Monastery and then followed the demon to the artifacts. The demon, enraged by their meddling, grabs the elders to kill them both. The Turtles overcame their fear and broke the amulet that rendered him invisible, allowing the masters to defeat him. The Tribunal thanks them and senses how special the turtles are, but erases their memories of their trip, though they allowed Splinter to remember. Afterwards, they opened a portal back to his burrow and gave them their new masks before they all went home.
Three years before the events of the series, Splinter had the opportunity to participate in a special competition called the Battle Nexus Tournament; a competition held every three years where the mightiest warriors from numerous galaxies unite and fight to become the champion of the multiverse, and where Yoshi participated once and became champion. Splinter fought his way to the final round and, despite injuring his leg during the fight, managed to win the tournament and earn the praise of his master: The Daimyo, but he also earned the animosity of the other dishonorable finalist, an evil dragon named Drako, who vowed to become supreme and destroy him as revenge for defeating him.
Splinter repeatedly warned the Turtles to never go to the surface for any reason. They disobeyed him in "The Lesson" and were secretly teaching a young boy to deal with bullies while trying to hide that fact. Splinter noticed how guilty they looked while trying to hide their secret, but ignores it. One night he caught them topside and scolds them for teaching when they were not ready to and punished them for disobeying him.
Seasons 1[]
Splinter's appearance in Seasons 1-5
Early in the series, after another regular training session, Splinter and his children are attacked by an army of robots and their home is destroyed in the process. During the ensuing fight, they are separated by a landslide, leading Splinter to join him in a new place to call home. While the Turtles are forced to move across the surface of New York City, stopping the robbery carried out by John and his group of Purple Dragons, and evading a squad of Foot Ninjas along the way; Splinter is ambushed by another group of the same robots who unknowingly lead him to an outpost that he deems a suitable new lair. While settling into their new home, the group soon learns that the attacking robots are creations of Baxter Stockman from News TV's broadcast of the press conference held at New York's new, cutting-edge technology company, Stocktronic Industries that owned a man called Baxter Stockman.
Splinter advises them not to recklessly investigate the matter in light of the shocking revelation. But the Turtles set out regardless, which turns out to be a good decision, as Stockman has a sinister plan with the robots in mind and, worse, tries to kill his former assistant, a woman named April O'Neil, when she learns too much. Although he initially distrusts April, Splinter ends up liking her and tells her his and the Turtles' history, as well as Splinter's past as a former pet of Hamato Yoshi, from whom he learned Ninjutsu and later passed the art on to his children. By stopping Stockman's attempted robbery with his mice, Splinter and the Turtles gained one of their first human allies. He is soon followed by a vigilante, who falls in love with April. Splinter continued to train the Turtles in every way possible in preparation for an evil the four did not fully understand until "The Shredder Strikes Part 1" in which the Turtles learned of the Shredder's evil and hatred and how he killed Splinter's master, Yoshi. He kept the Turtles in the dark about his feud against the Shredder and his Foot Clan to avoid imparting them with the hatred toward his nemesis, though his sons' involvement in their feud proved inevitable due to their recurring encounters with Shredder's minions culminating to Shredder himself, as Oroku Saki, attempting to sway Leonardo to his side.
Eventually, Shredder and his army attack and brutally wound Leo while he is on patrol, and later attack April's house while he and the Turtles are living there at the time, forcing Splinter, the Turtles, April and Casey to retreat and head to Casey's grandmother's house in Northampton. After spending some time resting in Northampton and dealing with a monster-obsessed scientist and her assistant, Splinter and the gang return to New York to take down Shredder once and for all; Stockman made Shredder believe that Splinter and the others had perished when they blew up April's apartment. Fighting their way to the top of Shredder's skyscraper, Splinter and his sons make it to the top floor to confront Shredder, where they are shocked to learn that Stockman was using him to build himself a new body (because he practically tore him limb from limb for each of his failures), but the Turtles blow him away before going for round three with Shredder. After a long and gruesome battle with a little help from the others, Leo finally manages to finish Shredder off by cutting off his head with his own sword, but Splinter was injured during the fight. When Splinter is injured, the Utrom secretly take him away to heal him. But the Turtles mistake this for a form of kidnapping and track them to the T.C.R.I. labs, but when they find Splinter floating naked in a stasis chamber, the Turtles are trapped in a portal and teleported far, far away from their own galaxy, to a Uncertain location.
Seasons 2[]
During the Turtles' adventures on the other side of the galaxy Splinter was fully healed and worked with the Utroms to rebuild the transporter so he would be able to bring his children home. In Secret Origins, when the Turtles return to Earth the company of an ally: a humanoid alien whose mind was trapped in a robot named Professor Honeycutt. After an emotional family reunion, Splinter introduces his children to the leader of the Utroms, Mortu, where he explains how he and the rest of his species were stranded on Earth because of an Utrom criminal named Ch'rell whom the Utroms had captured centuries ago and that later it would be revealed that Shredder himself was actually this criminal, who sought revenge on the Utroms for having captured him centuries ago. During the battle against the Foot Clan at the TCRI facility and before they are about to return to their home world, Mortu gives Splinter a crystal ball that can be used to activate the collective memories of the Utroms on Earth, including those of the late Yoshi, which causes Splinter to shed a few tears. After the revelation of Shredder's indecision, Splinter and the Turtles manage to escape from the TCRI building before it explodes, and manage to leave Ch'rell in the explosion to perish.
Some time after their victory over Ch'rell, Splinter and the rest of the gang enjoy some time of peace and rest watching a western movie, but when they go out for ice cream, they are ambushed by a the dishonorable son of the Daimyo and prince of the Battle Nexus, The Ultimate Ninja; that thinks that victory can only be achieved through a Battle to the Death. He reveals that he has come to Earth to fight Shredder, but when he discovers that Leo has already defeated him, he rudely challenges the latter to a death match instead, something he warns him about. Despite all odds, Leo ends up defeating him, but like the sore loser he is, he uses magic to summon a dragon to finish him off, fortunately, he is saved by the Daimyo at the last moment, where he congratulates Leo for being the noble warrior he is and (in a disappointed way) drags his son back home, and when Leo asks him how he found out about this, Splinter tells him that he will tell him "some other time".
In "City at War, Part One (2003 TV series)|, Splinter and the others witness another effect of Shredder's defeat when they discover that, with him gone, the leaders of the other criminal organizations: the rest of the Foot Clan led by the last of The Foot Elite, the Mobsters led by the Mob Boss, and the second most dangerous criminal empire in New York, The Purple Dragons, led by Hun, wage a war across New York to gain control of Shredder's empire.
Without much choice, the Turtles (convinced by Leo) help the leader of the Japanese branch of the Foot and Chrell's adopted daughter, Karai, to reclaim control of the Empire in order to stop the war, and when Leo apologizes for his reckless actions, Splinter calms his son and tells him that he was only doing the right thing.
But later it is revealed that Ch'rell barely survived the explosion of the TCRI and that he was healing his wounds in his own healing chamber, where it is also revealed that Karai knows about his Utrom self. Rogue in the House, Splinter and the Turtles discover that not only has Shredder survived, but he is also working to build an army of walking robots thanks to the help of Stockman who has returned to join him (though now reduced only his brain that was still keeping him alive), but with the surprising help of Zog, one of the Triceraton soldiers who was ordered to capture Honeycutt and who after the battle at TCRI was stranded on earth when he escaped from the facility before his companions and some Federation soldiers were transported back from where they vibrated and because the Triceraton species needs a mixture of nitrogen and sulfur to breathe, Zog began to hallucinate and confused the Turtles and Splinter for their species, helping them to escape from the facility before their companions and some Federation soldiers were transported back from where they vibrated. Splinter for their species, helping them to take out the ship containing the pieces Shredder and sacrificing himself so that it falls into the ocean, although he ends up surviving.
During the three part of season finale, The Big Brawl, Splinter discovers that the time has come for the annual Battle Nexus Tournament and leaves the lair to compete once again, but is followed by his children, confused and curious about what he is doing, being caught in the middle of the Nexus qualifying rounds. Despite not being officially entered, the Turtles technically win a heat and, with the permission of the Daimyo and Splinter, officially enter the Tournament, where Leonardo also befriends an otherworldly samurai rabbit named Miyamoto Usagi, who also enters the tournament alongside his friend, a rhinoceros named Murakami Gennosuke.
However, Splinter is framed for poisoning the Daimyo, the real author of the crime being Splinter's old rival and enemy: Drako, who was now the Ultimate Ninja's advisor and who poisoned Leonardo in the second round. All this in order to take revenge on him for defeating him and to also claim the Daimyo's prized possession: the War Staff, to assert his dominion over all of creation. Fortunately, with the help of an old Triceraton ally, a gladiator named Traximus, Splinter is recaptured by Raphael and, after healing Leo and the Daimyo, they go to parry the respective blows of the Ultimate Ninja and Drako. However, Drako's effect on the War Staff creates a rift between realities and, although the Daimyo manages to seal it in time, his son and Drako are absorbed by it, much to the latter's chagrin. When things calm down, Mikey, who was the only one of his family to have made it to the final round, unexpectedly knocks out his Battle Nexus rival Kluh, which automatically makes him champion (much to Raphael's chagrin), and when the Daimyo is still lamenting his son's supposed disappearance, Splinter reassures his friend with the possibility that he is still alive. After Splinter and his sons return home, Mikey continues to gloat about his victory as Battle Nexus Champion, and while Raphael remains content that it was a victory by dumb luck, Splinter says in a cheerful manner that it's good to be home, unaware of the galactic danger looming over the world.
Seasons 3[]
After their adventure in Battle Nexus, the Turtles and Splinter are resting up after their last adventure when they receive a surprise attack when the Triceraton Empire, led by their Prime Leader Zanramon, launches a full scale worldwide invasion to find Professor Honeycutt, this is because during his time helping his sons, Honeycutt told them that the reason he became a robot is because he built a teleportation device that the Triceratons see as a weapon they could use to conquer the universe, despite telling his children to stay in the lair, the Turtles head out to try to stop them, eventually, when they try to save the civilians who are traced with Honeycutt's signature, Donnie is captured and brought before Zanramon, who now holds a grudge against the Turtles for helping Honeycutt escape, Humiliating his personal athletes, Triceraton All-Star Team, taking him hostage and having his own men attack him AND for stealing his own flagship.
When Donny is getting a brain scan to find where Honeycutt is, Splinter manages to help his son overload the mind probe so he can escape with his brothers and finally convince Zanramon that Honeycutt is not on Earth. Just as the Triceratons are long gone, Professor Honeycutt arrives at the former TCRI site to turn himself in to them.
Despite assuring everyone that he has a foolproof plan to stop them (which involves sacrificing the Triceratons), the Turtles refuse to let that happen, and just as they escape from the Triceraton troops stationed to capture them, they are kidnapped by Earth's secret agent, John Bishop, who has a total dislike for the aliens because he was kidnapped and brutally experimented on by aliens in 1815; but ironically he was able to live so long because he uses alien technology to transfer his consciousness to another body every so often.
Bishop proceeds to turn the captured Honeycutt over to the Triceratons' archenemies, the Galactic Federation, and led by the ruthless General Blanque, they proceed to go to war against the Triceratons, while Bishop prepares to dissect the Turtles in order to use their DNA for his own plans. Fortunately, Splinter, along with April, Casey and a fellow mutant named Leatherhead, free their boys and proceed to save the professor.
Afterwards, Splinter and the rest proceed to help the professor with his plans to stop the war, which they do successfully by knocking out Blanque and Traximus with the help of his rebellion army overthrow Zanramon with the help of his former right-hand man Mozar
After saving the world from an alien invasion and possible war, Splinter and the Turtles soon face Bishop's attempts to take revenge on them. Another conflict Splinter and his sons begin to deal with after the invasion is that Ch'rell, using his Oroku Saki disguise and with the help of a new scientist named Chaplin, helps rebuild New York while secretly collecting the remains of the Triceraton armada on Earth to build something big.
Later, Splinter and his children are attacked by Ultimate Drako (the merged form of the Daimyo's son and Drako), with a scepter capable of controlling time, Ultimate Drako traps Splinter while scattering his children throughout the multiverse. Fortunately, Leo makes it to his friend Usagi's world and with her help, he arrives at the Battle Nexus to ask the Daimyo for help. However, when they arrive, Ultimate Drako reaches the Daimyo first and claims the war staff for himself, and with the scepter and staff in his control, he essentially becomes a god. Just as he was about to kill the Daimyo, Splinter jumps in and uses the war staff to summon Donny, Mikey and Raphael and together, they manage to separate Drako and the Daimyo's son, but accidentally turn them into dust. Feeling compassion for the Daimyo, the Master of Time, Lord Simultaneous turns the Ultimate Ninja into a child and returns the Turtles, Usagi and Splinter to their respective universes safe and sound.
Some time later, Splinter discovers the truth behind Ch'rell's rebuilding of New York: Ch'rell is gathering as much Triceraton technology as possible to build a spaceship to return and conquer the Utrom Homeworld. Determined to stop him once and for all, Splinter and the Turtles, along with Leatherhead and Honeycutt in a new body, but when he boards their ship, the Turtles and Splinter realize they cannot defeat Shredder, believing the only option to defeat him is to blow up their entire ship, even though they know they will perish in the process. Fortunately, Mortu and his crew arrive just in time and teleport everyone on board, Chaplin and Karai included, to safety where Ch'rell is brought to trial and exiled to an icy asteroid called Mor Gal Tal. With this form and feeling great satisfaction, Splinter finally gets to avenge Yoshi.
Seasons 4[]
Despite his final defeat by Shredder, Splinter soon discovers that Leo still carries strong emotional scars from the battle, because he blames himself for the fact that his family almost had to sacrifice themselves to stop Shredder, which causes Leonardo to become increasingly hostile and surly to the point that he accidentally injures him in an uncontrollable rage during a training session. Wanting to help him, but knowing full well that this is not something he himself cannot fix, Splinter decides to send Leo to train with Yoshi's master, the Ancient One, where he successfully calms Leo down and helps him let go of the anger inside him.
Before Leo's trip, Splinter and the rest face new problems. With Shredder defeated for good, his top henchmen have decided to go their separate ways: Karai takes Shredder's mantle and full control of the Foot Clan, Hun takes control of the Purple Dragons and proceeds to turn them from a street gang into a full-fledged criminal organization, and Stockman forms an alliance with Bishop. But when the president threatens to cut off their organization due to several failed attempts, the two fake an alien invasion to try to change his mind, but with Leo's return, the aliens Bishop used for his fake alien invasion begin spreading a goo in the sewers of New York, causing an outbreak of mutants.
During this time Donny himself becomes infected with the substance, prompting Splinter and the rest to reluctantly make a deal with Bishop to cure him. But he only agrees to do so if they steal for him an artifact called the Heart of Tengu that belongs to the Foot Clan. They succeed, but what they, Bishop or Karai did not know is that stealing it would set off a chain of reactions caused by a group called The Foot Mystics, beings representing each of the 5 elements (Fire, Air, Earth, Water and Metal), who herald what they call a “new age of darkness” to the world.
After Donny is healed and while he and his brothers do not return home for a long period of time, Splinter is visited by The Ancient One and learns to his surprise that his sons, along with four other warriors, named Faraji, Joi, Tora and Adam respectively, have been kidnapped and taken to Japan, which quickly causes him to follow them along with the Ancient One to bring them home.
The Lost Episodes[]
Following the kidnapping of his sons, Splinter arrives at the monastery of a Ninja group called the Ninja Tribunal, as they have chosen his sons to fight “a great evil”, but their training efforts prove to infuriate Splinter, where they even reprimand his acolytes for helping the wounded. One night, it is revealed that Yoshi once asked the Tribunal to help him defeat Utrom Shredder, but they refused due to the fact that he was not the “real Shredder” (though in truth they did not help him to ensure the creation of the Turtles and Splinter himself), so Splinter blames them for Yoshi's death. Shredder (Tengu) Oroku Saki
He also tells the Turtles that the evil the court speaks of (and its controlling personality) is because during 300 AD. in Japan, the Tribunal, along with the real Oroku Saki, were given mystical armor and tasked with killing a ruthless demon named The Shredder, but despite their victory, it was revealed that just before Saki killed the demon, the demon made a deal with him that he could not refuse: if Saki allowed the demon to possess him, he would gain its full power and could become a “god” among humans. Saki then founded and led an army to conquer Japan while also taking the title of Shredder. After much effort, the Tribunal was able to defeat him, but they could not find a way to destroy him forever, so they resorted to separating his power into his Helmet and Gauntlet, and imprisoned him in a special coffin for all eternity. It was also revealed that Utrom Shredder, whom the Turtles had defeated, was an imposter, who only used both names to gain respect and power.
Soon, the Mystics of the Foot find the Ninja Tribunal monastery and break in to steal the coffin containing Demon Shredder's body and with the Helmet and Gauntlet in their hand, successfully free him. Determined to stop Demon Shredder, Splinter and the Elder have the Turtles rescue Karai, who, while initially believing he could take on the real Shredder, ultimately decides to work with them to stop this menace.
With Demon Shredder working to turn the entire world in his image, Splinter, his sons and Karai, gather the Purple Dragons, the OBE, the other Acolytes and their superhero allies The Justice Force, storming Shredder's fortress to bring Karai close enough to him that she can drain most of his power into herself; this thanks to Splinter discovering that anyone taking the name and mantle of “The Shredder” for themselves would create a spiritual connection to their demonic predecessor, in an attempt to separate him from his Helmet and Gauntlet.
Unfortunately, Shredder teleports the Turtles to the outside of his fortress and, despite their and the acolytes' best attempts, Shredder knocks them unconscious and leaves Splinter in shock when he finds them; having nightmares about the exact same thing. But just before Demon Shredder can take him down, the Turtles' medallions form the spirit of Hamato Yoshi, who easily drives Shredder back, while restoring the Turtles' health, with their help, they are able to weaken the Demon long enough for Yoshi's spirit to completely destroy him forever, ending his reign of terror once and for all.
After Tengu Shredder is defeated, Splinter bids a tearful farewell to Yoshi's spirit before he disappears into the afterlife, then everyone bids farewell to their allies and with the 4 acolytes, Splinter and his children return home to the sewers to celebrate a victory together.
Fast Forward[]
Splinter's appearance in Fast Foward
After the events of the Lost Episodes, during a typical fight between Raphael and Michelangelo, Splinter is accidentally sent to the year 2105 with the Turtles by Casey and April's great-grandson, Cody Jones. Soon, he and the Turtles move in with him and his robot butler and caretaker Serling and proceed to help him find a way to send them back to their time while continually teaching his children and Cody the ancient ways of Ninjutsu, despite how outdated it has been shown in previous seasons, he also adapted to living in the year 2105 by fighting any evil that came his way alongside his sons and Cody, also managing to gain a host of allies in the future, including an intelligent alien girl named Starlee Hambrath and even a futuristic Agent Bishop, who developed a change of heart and created a peaceful alliance with other planets after being saved by one.
However, Splinter and his children also have to contend with a host of new villains, including Cody's greedy uncle, Darius Dunn, who uses his position as CEO of Cody's company, O'Neil Tech, to commit crimes from the shadows. Other villains faced by Splinter and the Turtles include a three-headed alien named Triple Threat, a Triceraton crime lord named Zukko, and the greatest of these enemies are a conscious computer virus named Viral and his boss, an alien warlord named Sh'Okanabo, who plans to assimilate the entire Planet Earth to extract all of its resources in an event he calls the “Day of Awakening.” In The Freaks Come Out at Night, Splinter is infected by Sh'Okanabo and becomes an alien rat hybrid, however he is restored to normal by Cody and Raphael with the help of Earth's atmosphere and sunlight.
Later, with the help of Darius, Sh'Okanabo and Viral, they create an active time portal in an attempt by Sh'Okanabo to control time, but it spirals out of control creating temporal chaos throughout New York in which Splinter and Donnie are trapped along with Leo and Cody, sending Splinter and Donnie back to the day they were mutated. Needing a way to fix this mess, they manage to send a letter timed to be delivered in 2105, which they do with ease, and after a battle with the evil duo and a time-displaced Utrom Shredder, Splinter and the team manage to fix the timeline, also destroying Sh'Okanabo's ship with him inside.
However, some time after this, it is revealed that Sh'Okanabo survived and flew to Earth's moon, hijacking Bishop's moon base and infecting everyone there, enacting the “Day of Awakening. ”Faced with his threat, Bishop calls Splinter and the Turtles to help him stop him. Despite Bishop's insistence that Cody and Serling not come, Splinter allows them to go with him and the Turtles in secret, however they are captured and are held in handcuffs that infect them little by little, just when everyone is infected, Cody and Serling appear, trapping Viral in a fire cage inside Serling and exposing Sh'Okanabo to the light of the warlord forever.
Back to the Sewer[]
Splinter's appearance in Back to the Sewer
After a while, Cody manages to rebuild the time window to send Splinter and his children back home, but Viral, still inside Serling, hijacks the window at the last moment and begins sending them (along with Serling by mistake) to various points in time to make them suffer. Fortunately, they trick her into sending them directly near their timeline, but not before she attempted to use a decompiler ray to destroy the turtles however the attack is intercepted by Splinter which scatters her bits all over the internet.
While Splinter was not seen much in Back to the Sewer, the Turtles (mainly Donny) focus their efforts on finding Splinter's data bits by making trips throughout cyberspace, while also dealing with Cyber Shredder, a digital copy that Ch'rell created as a backup accidentally awakened by Viral (being destroyed in the process), who is trying to escape cyberspace with the help of a high-ranking member of the Foot clan named Khan.
After a long search, The last episode of the series “Wedding Bells and Bytes” Splinter is restored to the physical world and is happily reunited with his children and Serling, and they head to the countryside at the Jones farm to and attend April and Casey's wedding ceremony, which was abruptly interrupted by the appearance of “Cyber Shredder”, with the help of most of his allies present, he helps defeat him once and for all, After the battle Casey and April are officially married.
Turtles Forever[]
Following April and Casey's wedding, Splinter helps his children when they discover their Alternate Universe Dimensional Counterparts, who accidentally appeared in their universe while trying to stop their Shredder, helping them search underground and throughout the subway until they find Shredder's ultimate weapon: the Technodrome, which Shredder activates and escapes from the Turtles and Splinter.
While returning to their lair, both teams of Turtles are encountered by Hun and the Purple Dragons, who have confiscated vials of mutagen that their 1987 counterparts possessed, sparking Hun's obsession with obtaining more of the mutagen, but the vials he already has are accidentally broken during the 1987 Turtles' escape with the help of their counterparts. Back at their lair, the Turtles build a new device to bring their counterparts home, but just as they finish assembling it, they are attacked by Hun, who has been mutated into a monstrous mutant turtle due to contact with Donatello before being exposed to the mutagen, and discover, to their horror, that not only has the 1987 Shredder and Krang brought the Utrom Shredder back from the Mor Gal Tal asteroid to join them, but he immediately betrays them and takes full control of the Technodrome with Karai's help. During the escape of both groups of Turtles Dimensional Counterparts dimension, however, Splinter is captured and brought before Utrom Shredder who intends to use him as bait to lure both groups of Turtles out.
When both teams arrive to save him, Shredder captures them and reveals to them that they are one of the many versions of Ninja Turtles throughout the multiverse, in a delirium of power and to prevent them from getting in the way of his multiversal domination, Shredder scans both groups of Turtles to find what he calls the "Prime" universe where the Primary Turtle group from which the others are derived is located and when he finds it he leaves both groups to be destroyed taking Splinter with him to finish him off later.
Arriving in the Prime Universe, Splinter, along with the 1987 Shredder and Krang as prisoners, can only watch in horror as Utrom Shredder mercilessly destroys the Prime Universe searching for the Prime Turtles, and when he locates the Prime Turtles, Karai, who has defected after observing Shredder's insane desire for dominance, frees the last 3, while also imprisoning 1987 Bebop and Rocksteady, to aid the 1987 Turtles and the Prime Ninja Turtles (Mirage); who also survived thanks to Karai.
Despite their best efforts, the Utrom Shredder proves to be too powerful for them to control and the moment he attempts to crush the Prime Turtles, everything including himself begins to be erased, and despite Karai's many warnings of the consequences, he decides to destroy everything regardless, however, thanks to 1987 Donatello and the accidental switching on of the Technodrome's main laser due to Bebop and Rocksteady freeing the Prime Turtles as it hits him at very close range completely disintegrating him, destroying him and finally ending his threat once and for all.
With Shredder finally defeated, Splinter and his children bid their counterparts farewell as they return to their home dimension via the Technodrome. Before leaving, Donatello mused aloud if the 2003 Turtle's Shredder was really gone for good this time. Splinter remarked that he was very seldom gone for long, and Karai accepted that one day, he shall rise again.
Splinter Forever[]
Unfortunately, this statements turned out to be true, and sometime after the restoration of the his universe, Shredder returned and kidnapped him along with a mutated Hun, holding him hostage in a warehouse with a needle filled with a strange green serum (probably an antimutagen to revert him to an ordinary rat). However, the Turtles broke through the warehouse windows and fought Shredder, Hun, and some of Foot Soldiers. While his sons fought, Splinter managed to free himself and joined the battle, attacking Shredder and stabbing his staff into the exosuit's abdomen, which ended up expelling him through the back and out the warehouse window. With the battle won, the Turtles embrace Splinter, while he thinks about how he never imagined this life for himself, and that even if he had eternity, he wouldn't change it for anything. As they return home, he tells them that he could have freed himself at any time, to which Mikey says, “Yeah, right,” earning him a punch from Splinter.
Biography[]
My origins have been clouded in mystery... some say that I was once a man, known as Hamato Yoshi. Another tale states that I was once merely a humble pet rat of a man named Hamato Yoshi. For the record allow me to state that both are true... and yet, neither is true. Such is the way of Ninjutsu.
I am Ninja, and have been called Master. I have yet to master my skill, however, and I must continue my practice. Ninjutsu is a lethal combination of physical and metaphysical prowess, and it is not mastered easily. Those who claim to master Ninjutsu are many, those who actually do are few... very few, indeed. Ninjutsu is the way of the shadow warrior, and it brings much darkness into the lives of those who practice its art. Some must walk the path of shadows to shelter those who transverse the light. It is balance we seek. My days as a warrior are reaching their sunset. I spend much time in meditation now, seeking a new path. Life cycles always anew, and we must strive to harness its whirlwind. In this we find peace and contentment. In contentment, we are rich.
I know not what the future holds for my sons and I, but I savor each new day and eagerly await the next. Time passes all too quickly for these old bones, but I welcome its passing as the thirsty oak beckons the oncoming storm.
I bid you peace and contentment upon your journey through this veil. I believe in your ability to harness the whirlwind. Practice with diligence, and you shall.
Abilities[]
Even before his mutation, Splinter showed a remarkable level of intelligence for a rat, being able to mimic Yoshi's movements and instinctually understand the various skills and principles of ninjutsu. From this, following his mutation, Splinter became able to apply this knowledge and skills on a similar level to Yoshi himself. Even in old age, Splinter has distinguished himself as one of the greatest warriors in the multiverse, having once won the Battle Nexus Tournament. Likewise, Splinter is an equally accomplished teacher, having trained his adopted sons extensively to be formidable themselves. Likewise, his methods appear to provide fast results, as within months, he trained April to become very capable herself.
In addition to his exceptional skill in physical combat, Splinter is by no means lacking in other aspects of ninjutsu. He was able to penetrate the illusion created by the Foot Mystics and he and his sons defeated them by using meditation. Splinter's keen sense of observation is assisted by his strong sense of smell. Even when his opponents are invisible, he can still pick up their scent and get at least a vague idea of where they are.
Relationships[]
Quotes[]
- Splinter: "We have never revealed ourselves to the other world. You have placed us all in great danger."
- Splinter: "As you grow older, you will learn there are many ways to do the right thing. But there is no going back. I'm afraid we find ourselves at your mercy."
- Splinter: "Where there is life. There is hope."
- Splinter: "Do not lead with your shoulders, Donatello."
- Splinter: "Hmm, we will call this place... "Home."
- Splinter: "Yes, but remember, one must also make time to explore the landscape within."
- Splinter "Ah, my son. So angry. Rage is a monster that will destroy you from within. Raphael, a true warrior finds balance in all things."
- Splinter: "It is dangerous for you to go about openly in the world above. You cannot simply walk amongst the humans. They will not accept who and what you are. It is as the great sage and warrior Kenji Hashimura once said, "Why walk when you can ride?"
- Splinter: "My sons, If you are to become true ninja you must work harder. Your path in life will not be an easy one. The outside world will not be a friendly place for you. You four are different in ways the surface dwellers would never understand. To survive, you must master these skills I teach you. Ninjutsu powers of stealth and secrecy. You must become kage; shadow warriors. And you must never be discovered by the outside world."
- Splinter: "Pain is a blinding force Leonardo physical and emotional.
- Splinter: "Rage is a monster that will destroy you from within Raphael."
- Splinter: "Look with your heart Michelangelo and not your eyes."
- Splinter: "Remember, to be a true ninja you must become one with the shadows. Darkness gives the ninja power, while light reveals the ninja's presence."
- Splinter: "He serves no great purpose. He fights no great evil. He is great evil."
- Splinter: "There is nothing more restful for a ninja then regular training."
- Splinter: "Our bodies need rest to heal... And that includes your mouths."
- Splinter: "Remember my sons even the mighty oak bends before the raging storm winds.
- Splinter: "Life moves as the wheel of destiny turn night to day."
- Splinter: "A creative mind must be balanced by a disciplined body.
- Splinter: "Only be focusing on our inner strength can we overcome our enemy."
- Splinter: "Sometimes is best to sit still and answers will come."
- Splinter: "In the hands of true ninjutsu master anything can be a weapon."
- Splinter: "A weapon is only as good as the arm that wields it."
- Splinter: "How many times did a told you not to sneak out to the surface?"
- Splinter: "It is not the student place to say when a lesson is learned. The student's place is to listen and learn."
- Splinter: "Old wounds are slow to heal."
- Splinter: "We must learn stillness and alertness for they are the only defense against the unexpected."
- Splinter: "A ninja's greatest strength is patience."
- Splinter: "The more one learns the less one knows."
- Splinter: "You strike a wounded warrior. You have no honor."
- Splinter: "These who become obsessed are often their worst enemy."
- Splinter: "Let your mind become pool of stillness. Break the surface explore the deeps for that is where the true wonders lies.
- Splinter: "A wise ninja does not seek out an enemy who he does not fully understand."
- Splinter: "The two greatest weapons at the ninja disposal are placement and surprise."
- Splinter: "Sometimes the past is a mirror in which we can see the reflection of what danger the future holds."
- Splinter: "Donatello, your Battle Shell is a marvel of engineering. A true testament to your incredible mechanical skills. And I never want to see it in our home again."
- Splinter: "I hate to put either one of you at risk, but only a fool ignores fate and the strange gifts it offers"
- Splinter: "Miss O'Neil, teaching them the ancient art of ninjutsu was hard enough. I'm afraid even I cannot work miracles."
- Splinter: "For being so foolish, You should never have tried to face the Shredder alone. He is too powerful."
- Splinter: "Master Yoshi kept his honor to the end. A true warrior, and a true Guardian."
- Splinter: "The boy must find his own path, as you must find yours. Now come, we are going home."
- Splinter: "I never joke. Well, rarely."
Trivia[]
- Splinter's favorite colors are purple and yellow.
- Splinter's favorite kinds of music are traditional Japanese music and Reggae.
- One of Splinter's hobbies is reading and his favorite book is Ruth Benedict's The Chrysanthemum and the Sword: Patterns of Japanese Culture. He uses it to educate the Turtles about their Japanese heritage.
- Splinter's favorite foods are fresh vegetables, soups, tea, and cheese.