Karai is a member and leader of the Foot Clan Japanese branch, and, following the events of City at War, became the leader of the Foot Clan New York branch. She has proved to have been both an asset and a liability to the TMNT, making her an extremely shady character. Karai seems to have feelings for Leonardo in the 2003 series, this was proven when she was about to strike Leonardo with her Katana she refused to do and, when she was falling Leonardo saved her, these facts makes them share a relationship... Somehow. In the 2003 series, the 2007 film action figure, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Smash-Up she is the adopted daughter of The Shredder.
Name
Karai (辛い) is a Japanese word commonly used to describe the flavor "spicy/hot". However, karai can also mean "extremely severe", "harsh", "strict" or "storm". (The word also shares the same kanji (辛) as the word tsurai which means "difficult", "painful", or "cruel".)
Mirage Comics
Karai was introduced in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume 1, during the "City at War" storyline. She came from Japan to New York to unify the warring factions of the Foot Clan that had risen following the death of Oroku Saki. Shredder's Elite Guard forces had been randomly attacking anybody seemingly without reason. Karai offers the Turtles a deal; if they assist in stopping the Elite, she will give them a treaty with the Foot.
The Turtles reluctantly agree to the truce, and fight to the top of her skyscraper, taking out the Elite stationed there. When they reach the top, they witness a group of slain Foot Soldiers, along with the body of a young girl - Karai's aide and daughter. Karai makes Leonardo swear that they will kill all of the Elite Foot in retribution.
Karai then dons the armor of the fallen Shredder, leading a pack of Foot Doldiers. An Elite mistakes her for the real Shredder, and is shocked. Following this is a final confrontation against five Elite Foot. Karai, in the guise of Shredder, demands that they all commit seppuku. Only one weak-willed Elite complied, but the others demanded the identity of The Shredder revealed. After revealing she was not Oroku Saki, Karai threw the helmet at an Elite and a
Karai holds her daughter's body and grieves.
grand battle ensued. When the fight was over, the Turtles and Karai were the only ones left alive, and despite the Turtles' protests that she owed them nothing, she gave her word that the deal would be honored and that she herself would return to Japan to spread her daughter's ashes and begin a journey of amendment.
Karai was not seen again in the comics until Volume 4, in which a band of mysterious warriors from seemingly another dimension had begun giving the Foot trouble. She hires Leonardo as security, and they capture one of the warriors to interrogate. Karai later lies to Leonardo about the Foot possessing books on mystical arts, which Leo can see right through and notes that because Karai is normally an exceptional liar, something was either bothering or manipulating her.
A few weeks later, Karai visits a local high profile nightclub with an entourage of Foot bodyguards and mingles, eventually meeting Casey Jones. Still longing for his wife April (presently on a soul-searching pilgrimage), Jones begins dousing one too many drinks and is soon injured in a bar altercation. Karai brings him back to her private condo, where he awakens in nothing but his underwear...remembering nothing of the previous night. He later discovers a humble and noticeably light-hearted Karai knows something of the night before, but is hesitant to tell him.
The story is ongoing.
A series of storylines in Tales of the TMNT, focusing on the Turtles lives in the future, reveal Karai as an elderly woman, still residing in New York, and very much still in control of a ninja faction. Lonely and longing for "the old days", she uses her new baby granddaughter to manipulate one of the Turtles, Raphael, into facing a gauntlet of enemies, whom he slays in self-defense. Raphael is appalled that the once great Foot leader has been reduced to a sadistic and shallow individual and leaves her to her bitterness.
Image Comics
Karai did not appear as herself in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles "Volume 3" by Image comics; however, it was confirmed that she was the character behind the mantle of the enigmatic "Lady Shredder" that appeared in the series' final issue; this was a revelation that was to occur in a later issue, before the series was canceled.
2003 Cartoon
Debuting in the show's second season, Karai eventually became one of the series' main non-turtle characters. A woman torn between honor and family, she appears both as an ally and enemy to the turtles, a dichotomy that plays a part in most of her appearances. She also seems to have feelings for Leonardo, which also seems to conflict her. Her alignment varied throughout the series: first being anti-hero (or anti-villain) during seasons 2-3,then villain in seasons 4 and 5 and finally became hero after season 5 and in later episodes.
History
Karai in the 2003 series
As a child, Karai was found by Oroku Saki after her parents abandoned her. He took her in as raise her as his own, teaching her Bushido. She became his most trusted follower, even trusted to his true identity as Ch'rell and told her that the Utroms were savagely hunting him. When the Utroms fled for New York, Karai remained in charge of the Japanese Foot Clan.
When the Purple Dragons, the Mafia, and the Foot were fighting for control of New York after the Shredder's demise, Karai arrived in the city and quickly enlisted the aid of the Turtles to stop it, promising an end to the Foot’s vendetta against them in exchange for their assistance. Leonardo, believing that Karai was honorable despite her legacy, convinced Donatello and Michelangelo to aid Karai. Raphael refused, although he later recanted. Together, Karai and the Turtles eventually retook control of the New York Foot and consequently its underworld. However, the end of the story revealed that Karai had been manipulating the Turtles, and had been working with the not-dead Shredder all along. However, she showed sadness when Shredder (Chrell) vowed to get revenge on the Turtles after she had made a truce with them.
Karai and the Foot reappeared in Rogue in the House, Part 1, where a fully-healed Ch'rell retook control of the Foot. As his first order of business, he deployed a killer robot (disguised as Splinter) to eliminate the turtles. Realizing that their agreement with the Foot had been rescanted, the turtles decided to face the Foot again in their temporary HQ—a ship stationed at the docks. Leonardo, Raphael, and Splinter were taken hostage during their encounter, and Karai was forced to fight Leonardo. Despite Leonardo’s lack of resistance, she proved unwilling to kill him.
Karai’s internal conflict—her loyalty to the Turtles as fellow Bushido-practitioners vs. her loyalty to her father—was the main thrust of her Season 3 storyline, as she was pulled from both directions to take a side. She managed to stay in the graces of both sides until the Turtles faced the Shredder again in the season’s finale, where she stabbed Leonardo in the shoulder, damaging his carapace, although she later prevented the Utrom Shredder from killing the Turtles while they were unconscious. Despite her efforts, however, the Shredder was taken prisoner and exiled by the Utroms, and Karai and Foot Tech Division Head Dr. Chaplin were sent back to Earth.
With her father gone and dead in the eyes of the world, Karai took over the Foot and the mantle of the Shredder. Furious at what she saw as a betrayal by the Turtles, Karai plotted her revenge against them, first attacking them on the psychic plane via Foot Mystics, and later coordinating and leading an assault against them at their lair, which she believed successful. She later on faced Leo (who was not at the lair at the time of the assault), who defeated her but then departed with the warning to leave his family alone and giving her one last chance for redemption.
Karai as "The Shredder"
Karai next faced the Turtles during their attempt to retrieve a Foot artifact, an amulet called the Heart of Tengu. Despite her efforts, she was unsuccessful in stopping them. Unknown to the Turtles or Agent Bishop who initially charged them with retrieving the artifact, the Heart of Tengu was a mystical artifact that allowed the Foot to control its Elemental Mystics, who were in reality the heralds for a man-demon that had centuries ago terrorized Japan as The Shredder.
The Lost Episodes
The destruction of the artifact unleashed a chain of events that resulted in the demon Shredder’s resurrection. His first target was Karai, who had “usurped” the Shredder’s name. The Tengu Shredder and his heralds made their way to Foot HQ. Karai had the Foot prepared for this, having developed mystic-based technology to combat the supernatural, but despite her efforts and those of the Turtles, who believed her the key to stopping him, the Shredder bested Karai in battle, seriously injuring her.
Karai was rescued by the Turtles and taken back to April O'Neil's apartment, where she was tended to. Dr. Chaplin followed her trail, and was brought to her after being caught snooping around the building. Recognizing the threat the demon Shredder posed and her inability to stop it by herself, Karai agreed to a "temporary" alliance with her enemies.
It was soon learned that because she shared The Shredder's mantle, Karai had the latent psychic ability to lower Shredder's defenses through a shared link. This gave the Turtles an advantage in their final conflict with the demon. Karai helped pave the way for her namesake's destruction, and Dr. Chaplin helped the Turtles co-ordinate their battles against the demon. After the battle, Karai, touched by Chaplin's devotion to her, promised him that she was going to worry more about the immediate future, and they departed the battlefield hand in hand. It is possible that after it she forgot her grudge against turtles and resolved their difficulties off-camera considering what happened in later episodes and how she acted in Turtles Forever.
Fast Forward
Karai appeared in one episode of the Fast Forward television series, in the episode The Journal. The TMNT found a book said to be written by Casey and April, detailing what occurred following the Turtles' return to the present.
According to the journal, Leonardo was invited for further training with the Ninja Tribunal, and was surprised to find that Karai was doing the same. After some time, Leonardo declared - based on his knowledge from the journal - that someone would betray the Tribunal, and given their history, he suspected Karai. He later spied on Karai and, witnessing her talking to The Shredder's helmet, believed his suspicions confirmed. Leonardo attacked Karai, but it was revealed that she had brought the helmet for a ritual where she would cast off Oroku Saki's influence forever. The Tribunal noted that Leonardo has fulfilled his own prophecy - that he was the traitor - and was exiled from the training grounds. As the events in this book were written by Splinter and Cody to discourage the Turtles from knowing too much of their future, it is unlikely anything of the sort occurred (or will occur).
Back To The Sewer
Karai's formal outfit for April and Casey's wedding
Karai made her first appearance in the Back to the Sewer storyline in the episode Something Wicked. Here, she is seen in a brief flashback with Ch'rell, the Utrom Shredder.
Karai next appeared in the season finale, Wedding Bells and Bytes, having been invited to attend the wedding of April O'Neil and Casey Jones. It appeared as if she and the Turtles had resolved their difficulties off-camera, and she arrived at the ceremony with Doctor Chaplin by her side. She and Chaplin later assisted the Turtles in fending off the onslaught of Cyber-Shredder and The Foot Clan. Though she had no lines, it was apparent that she had moved on with her life and was no longer involved with the Foot.
Turtles Forever
Karai as she appears in BTTS
In Turtles Forever, Karai freed Ch'rell from the clutches of the 1988 Shredder, Krang, Bebop, and Rocksteady, and aided the Shredder in modifying the Technodrome with Utrom technology. The Shredder, consumed with rage for revenge on the Turtles, wanted to destroy every dimension where Ninja Turtles exists, even though such an action would most likely destroy himself. Karai began to have doubts about the whole affair and secretly intervened as the Shredder was prepared to destroy both the 1988 and 2003 Turtles. In the end, at the Turtles Prime dimension, (Mirage Turtles) Karai fought alongside the Mirage, 1988, and 2003 Turtles as well as the 1988 Shredder and Krang and 2003 Splinter, to stop the Shredder from destroying Turtles Prime. In the end, after Ch'rell was defeated, she commented that the Shredder would always return.
A major plot arc that started with her character during Season 2 of the show was that she was loyal to her father, despite his dishonorable ways. After Ch'rell's exile at the end of Season 3, Karai spent all of Season 4 and Season 5 hating the Turtles and possibly after season 5 making truce with Turtles. When she appeared in 'Wedding Bells and Bytes' as a guest of April & Casey's wedding, it was assumed that her vendetta with the Turtles was over, but Turtles Forever (if it is meant to fully correspond with the 2003 series' plotline) indicates that with Ch'rell's return, her loyalty to him exceeds her truce with the Turtles once more. But after Turtles Forever she finally betrayed The Shredder and became friend of Turtles once again.
Karai-Leonardo Relationship
One of most notable aspects of 2003 series is that Karai and Leonardo share close love/hate relationship and friendship. It is implied that both are (were) in love with each other and many fans set them both as a romantic couple. Their relationship varied throughout the series,first being friends,later enemies and finally friends again.
Movies
2007 Film
Karai in the 2007 TMNT film.
In the film, Karai leads the Foot Clan after the Shredder's defeat, acting as mercenaries.
She was hired by Winters to be "the eyes and ears" of the city, though she showed anger later when she found the truth of his unexpected order to hunt down monsters. She briefly fought with Leonardo, rejecting his offer to help them, implying that she is aware of his role in the past. This is supported by her line to the Turtles, 'you are every bit as warriors I was informed you were' after the defeat of the Stone Generals. Karai also seemed to have had prior knowledge about Leonardo; before their brief confrontation Karai proclaimed 'You!' as she faced him. Karai also engages in battle with April O'Neil while the Foot battles the Turtles and their allies.
When the Stone Generals offered the Foot a chance to join them in world conquest, Karai refused, saying that they will honor their contract to Winters. She led her ninja in retrieving the last of the monsters (aided by April and Casey). Karai parted ways with the Turtles peacefully, after giving a cryptic last word that "savor your victory tonight, for soon we will have further business together; the kind that involves familiar faces from your past", perhaps hinting the Shredder's return.
She was described in her toy bio as being 'the Shredder's daughter', recalling her character of the 2003 series. However, no indication of this was given in the actual film.
Video Games
TMNT: Tournament Fighters
Karai is the final boss in the Genesis and Super Nintendo versions of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (also a playable secret character in the latter version).
TMNT 2: Battle Nexus
Karai is an in game boss and an unlockable character in the console/PC version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Battle Nexus.
TMNT 3: Mutant Nightmare
Karai is a boss in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare.
TMNT (2007 game)
Karais voice can be heard and she has an image cameo in the game.
TMNT (GBA)
Karai serves as the second boss.
TMNT Smash-Up
Karai is an unlockable playable character in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Smash-Up. Her appearance is that of the 2007 movie.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Arcade Attack
Karai is a boss in this game; her appearance reflects her Back to the Sewer/Turtles Forever design.
Toys
An action figure of the cartoon Karai in her Shredder armor was released by Playmates Toys in 2005.[1] A film version was released by Playmates in 2007.