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Kappa (kanji: 河童, "river-child") are a species of yōkai in Japanese folklore that resemble turtles. In Shintō, they are often regarded as an avatar of the Water Deity (kanji: 水神, "Suijin"). Kappa are also called kawatarō (kanji: 川太郎, "river-boy") or komahiki (kanji: 駒引, "horse-puller"). Some kappa are evil, some are simply mischievous, and others are even helpful and able to be befriended. Kappa are believed to inhabit areas with water, like rivers, cisterns, wells, and lakes, throughout Japan. They have a hollow cranial cavity which stores water and if drained or spilled from their head weakens them.
In TMNT[]
It is not uncommon for kappa to be mentioned in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. Due to the similarities in appearance, the Ninja Turtles are often confused for kappa, in a running gag that spans multiple universes.
2012 TV series[]
In the 2012 TV series, Tang Shen tells the legend of kappa to the Ninja Turtles because she mistook them for yōkai and she feeds them cucumbers as it is traditionally believed to be one of a kappa's favorite foods.
Rise of the TMNT[]
In Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, kappa are first depicted in "E-Turtle Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" when Hamato Yoshi plays with his kappa action figure as a young child, making it battle his superhero action figure.
Black, White & Green[]
In the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Black, White & Green comic Legends, Splinter tells his sons the story of the four Kappa.