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Hamato Yoshi, once known professionally as Lou Jitsu and currently known as Splinter, is a member of the Hamato Clan, a former martial arts movie star, and the biological father and (sometimes) sensei of the Turtles who was mutated into a rat.
Appearance[]
Human[]
As a human, Hamato Yoshi was a Japanese man with straight black hair styled in a pompadour, black eyes, tan skin, and a lean figure. He typically wore a light blue flared leg spandex jumpsuit with rolled up sleeves. Attached to his neckline was an orange and white cape with an abstract yellow print on the back. He also wore a gold rectangular engraved medallion on his waist, orange gloves, white platform shoes, and a pair of yellow shield sunglasses.
Mutant[]
Splinter is a mutant rat with long straight white hair styled half up in a bun, a white beard, white bushy eyebrows, short grey fur, and a short, plump figure. His legs are light pink and from the elbows down, his arms are also light pink (with his hands having five fingers instead of the usual four). He has yellow sclerae, a dark pink nose and tail, black whiskers on his muzzle, and a nick in his right ear. He wears a brown yukata with yellow trim and the Hamato Clan emblem placed on its heart. He also wears a black hair tie.
Personality[]
Splinter, unlike his previous incarnations, is laid-back, abstracted, exhibits slovenly tendencies, and is rather invested in popular culture entertainment. He sometimes stirs up mischief and trouble with his sons when bored, including stealing the Turtle Tank in "The Fast and the Furriest". He comes off as an extremely flawed, albeit loved, father figure; he often treats his sons flippantly and is shown not spend much time in family outings ("Turtle Tots", "Turtle-dega Nights: The Ballad of Rat Man") as he is busy entertaining himself or napping. There are times when Splinter makes an effort to bond with the Turtles, such as auditioning to be their bandmate in "Al Be Back", telling anecdotes as they watch a Lou Jitsu film together in "Jupiter Jim Ahoy!", and helping them with the Lair Olympics each year. Splinter has a deep care for his sons and their safety, deciding to doom all humans to rescue them in "End Game" and is mentally "utterly destroyed"[2] by Leonardo's self-sacrifice in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie.
Splinter has a hedonistic quality retained since his days as Lou Jitsu, prioritizing whatever brings him joy and he enjoys the wilder things in life, like joy rides. He has an immaturity streak, acting younger than he is, like when he tries to avoid his sons when they discover the Turtle Tank’s location instead of facing his transgression, asking for a new motorcycle in "Down with the Sickness" after the Turtles contract Rat Flu, and at least somewhat following current trends as seen in his awareness of "kickies" in "Shadow of Evil". Yet he also has the wisdom of someone who has experienced much, such as when he advises April O'Neil and Foot Recruit on tackling discouragement and how to continue on when they fail in "Always Be Brownies".
Splinter is inclined to sarcasm and can be rude, such as when he overrides the Turtles' time playing Hot Soup: The Game to play it himself in "Hot Soup: The Game" yet is caring, believing in honorable battle instead of cheating. He gently caretakes Piebald before her mutation and extends sympathy to Foot Recruit and Big Mama despite the harm they personally inflict on him. Although he verbally praises and expresses love to others, such as April, with ease, he sometimes struggles to verbalize the same to the Turtles.
Splinter is courageous. He takes action when needed as shown in "Mrs. Cuddles" when he defends the Mad Dogs from Mrs. Cuddles and in "Shadow of Evil" when he immediately initiates an undercover solo mission to stop the Foot Clan upon learning the Shredder exists. Splinter slowly grows more serious as the first season progresses. Despite his previous indolence, he becomes devoted to training the Turtles to perfect their fighting skills as mentioned by Leo in "Man vs. Sewer" and "Snow Day" and other skills like survival in "Cloak and Swaggart" and "Todd Scouts". This apparent contradiction is later explained as Splinter's captivity in the Battle Nexus and his childhood being dominated by martial arts training causes him to discourage his sons from being fighters like he is if it is unnecessary which he believes it is until "Shadow of Evil".
Splinter states repeatedly how important TV is to him as if it rivals his love for his family ("Turtle Tots", "Mystic Mayhem", "The Longest Fight", "Mrs. Cuddles", "Many Unhappy Returns") but his frequent TV-watching stems not from unadulterated laziness or egotism as it initially seems but rather as his main way to distract himself from his mutation. The misery caused by Splinter's mutation makes him inclined to sleep and engage in things that let him feel closer to his celebrity identity. He is able to finally gain the perspective that was missing for 13 years to begin to reframe his life as a mutant in a less negative light in "Hidden City's Most Wanted".
Lou Jitsu was known to be bold, charismatic, and free-spirited, and while he exhibits those traits still, Splinter can also be insecure. He is hurt when Leo dismisses him as "just a rat", underestimates how much his sons, particularly Donatello, enjoy spending time with him, and anticipates Hamato Karai's criticism of him when it is apparent how non-traditional he and the Turtles are, apologizing multiple times to her as a result. Not fulfilling his family’s expectations causes Splinter shame, depicted in "The Ancient Art of Ninja Hide and Seek" when he debates whether or not he is worthy of his "Greatest Dad" coffee mug, lamenting in “Insane in the Mama Train” about being a disappointment by insufficiently training his sons, and in “Rise” when he is overcome with anguish at his perceived failure to his clan and the world at large. While Splinter learns to accept his background, he is also affirmed in his skepticism of Hamato customs in "End Game".
How strictly Splinter treats the Turtles can vary. At times he can be surly, scolding the Turtles ("Breaking Purple") and quite nonchalant at other times, such as constantly allowing the Turtles to travel to the surface for their own fun and letting the lair to fall to a filthy state in "Smart Lair" before ordering the Turtles to clean up.
In Rise of the TMNT: The Movie, Splinter remains casual and comedic, eating popcorn while the Turtles interrogate Casey Jones II. Despite the headway he made in "Hidden City's Most Wanted", he is shown still struggling with his mutation as he is saddened by April's remark about his "big rat head".
History[]
Childhood and rise to fame[]
Yoshi is a descendant of the Hamato ninja clan who defeated the Shredder 500 years ago and trained themselves to fight against the Foot Clan and prevent the Shredder's return. When Yoshi was a young child, he heard the story of how the Shredder was defeated from his grandfather Hamato Sho, but on that same spring day, Yoshi's mother Hamato Atsuko left her father and son so that she could perform her clan duty, which devastated Yoshi.
For many years afterwards, Yoshi trained under Sho in ninjutsu so that he may defeat Shredder should he be resurrected, mastering it. However, Yoshi's grief over his mother leaving him eventually turned into bitterness towards his own clan, leading him to disbelieve the existence of the Shredder. One day, as a teenager, Yoshi entered an argument with his grandfather, which led to him deciding to abandon his family duties so that he could pursue his dream of going to Hollywood to become a movie star.
Using the skills he was taught, Yoshi quickly rose to national fame and fortune in Japan as the action star known as "Lou Jitsu" before leaving for the United States of America and attaining prominence there as well.[3] Then one day while filming in the United States, he was visited by his grandfather, who demanded that he end his career so that he could return home to follow his true destiny. Yoshi sternly refused once more and dismissed Sho by closing his trailer door in his face. Although his desire to be left alone by Sho was finally fulfilled afterwards, Yoshi was remorseful about his part in how their relationship ended.
Kidnapping and mutation[]
While shooting for Crouching Shrimp Hidden Tiger Prawn, Yoshi met Big Mama, the driver of his filming trailer, and the two started a romantic relationship. However, Yoshi was unaware that she wasn't a human, despite some obvious signs displayed during their time together. After attempting to propose to Big Mama while on a nighttime date at Dinner on the Green, Yoshi was abducted by her and brought to the Hidden City. For 10 years[4][5][6], he was forced to be a Battle Nexus competitor, where he triumphed over his opponents and earned the title of the greatest Battle Nexus Champion of all time. Sometime later, Yoshi renounced fighting altogether and tried to adopt a pacifistic lifestyle. As a consequence, Big Mama imprisoned him in a Battle Nexus cell.
However, Yoshi's fame in the Battle Nexus attracted the attention of Baron Draxum, who wished to use his DNA to mutate an army that would serve him. Yoshi was approached during his imprisonment by Draxum's henchmen Huginn and Muninn. Seizing the opportunity to escape the Battle Nexus and apathetic to his own welfare, he permitted Huginn and Muninn to secretly take him to their employer's laboratory to be an experimental subject. However, once Yoshi realized Draxum was going to use him to mutate turtles from their natural state, he objected, but was too late. Draxum submerged the turtles in capsules of ooze and infused them with Yoshi's DNA. It was through this process that they were mutated from ordinary reptiles, making Yoshi the biological father of their human genes. Unwilling to allow animals to be turned into monsters for Draxum's army, Yoshi released himself and Draxum's experiments. In the midst of his escape, he tried freeing the rat from his Battle Nexus cell as well. In turn, it bit Yoshi as he was sprayed with ooze from above, resulting in his mutation. Huginn and Muninn destroyed the laboratory and it went up in flames, leading Draxum to assume that the Turtles had been killed in the fire. Yoshi successfully escaped the Hidden City with them and raised his four children in the New York City sewers. Because his film career made him well traveled, Yoshi developed esteem for Renaissance art and thus named the Turtles after Renaissance artists.[7][8]
Splinter remained unaware of his sons' contact with Draxum and the Foot until the events of "Shadow of Evil". Upon discovering evidence of the Foot, he disguised himself and managed to spy upon the clan, discovering that they were reassembling the Kuroi Yōroi. Realizing that this foreboded the possible return of the Shredder, Splinter then pretended to be a new member of the Foot in order to take a piece of the armor. His attempt was thwarted by Draxum and, unwittingly, his sons. Upon escaping without the armor piece, Splinter promised to tell his sons "everything" and stated that they were "way behind" on their destiny.
Biography[]
Once human, now a mutated rat, Splinter is an eccentric mentor to his turtle sons, training them in the art of ninjutsu. Well, when he's not watching game shows and Lou Jitsu movie marathons.
Abilities[]
- Tail extension: Due to his mutation, Splinter can make his tail grow longer to reach faraway objects as shown in "The Ancient Art of Ninja Hide and Seek".
- Prehensile tail: Due to his mutation, Splinter’s tail can grasp and hold objects.
- Self-combustion: Splinter can voluntarily set parts of his body on fire as shown in "End Game" and "Many Unhappy Returns".
- Sewing: Splinter is knowledgeable about sewing. This is shown in "Insane in the Mama Train" when he makes each of his sons Hamato Clan jumpsuits.
- Cooking: While it is heavily implied Splinter doesn’t cook often, it is shown that he can make good green bean casserole ("Repairin' the Baron") and has been described as "a pretty good cook".[9]
- Dancing: Splinter enjoys dancing and used to regularly attend nightclubs as Lou Jitsu. Nowadays he has a specific dance that helps him regain back movement and soothe his back pain shown in "Shadow of Evil".
- Singing: Splinter is quite a skilled singer, able to sing aria so beautifully that his performance makes others cry and attracts birds in "Al Be Back". However, Splinter’s sons dislike his singing regardless of if he sings well or poorly as seen in "Al Be Back" and "Down with the Sickness".
- Acting: Splinter was a professional film actor.
- Ninjutsu: Splinter has been taught ninjutsu from childhood and has since mastered it, creating and patenting his own techniques. Many years devoid of regular practice and an aging body have taken a toll on his skills, but he can definitely get it together when he wants to.
- Enhanced stealth: As a practitioner of ninjutsu, Splinter can slip in and out of areas undetected and blend in with his environment to the point where he can seamlessly pose as objects.
- Slow Motion Jutsu: By moving exceptionally slow, Splinter's body movements are unable to be perceived by opponents, allowing him to execute very close range contact with opponents unnoticed.
- Lights-Off Jutsu: By clapping his hands, Splinter can turn off any lights in an area to use the darkness to his advantage.
- Enhanced agility: Splinter's agility allows him to successfully dodge attacks and perform sharp twists and flips.
- Enhanced speed: Splinter possesses a great amount of speed, capable of moving in bursts faster than the eye can follow as demonstrated in "Turtle-dega Nights: The Ballad of Rat Man", "The Ancient Art of Ninja Hide and Seek", and "Insane in the Mama Train". He reaches the O'Neil apartment before all of the Turtles even with their use of vehicles and Donnie's Flight Shell in "Race". Lou Jitsu's speed was a key skill Draxum sought to bestow the Turtles when mutating them after watching Lou Jitsu compete in the Battle Nexus.
- Enhanced strength: Despite his small size, Splinter is remarkably strong, able to lift heavy objects with relative ease, shown in his ease of throwing Meat Sweats from the back of his truck into the driver's seat in "The Fast and the Furriest" and tossing Raph's large barricade in "Mrs. Cuddles" as well as his ability to punch Draxum with such force that his body rebounds against the floor and his throne in "End Game". However, his upper body strength has waned to the point where he finds it hard to climb ladders at times.
- Hamato Ninpō: As a member of the Hamato Clan, Splinter is capable of tapping into his clan's energy to unleash his own mystic might. It has been said about Splinter's Hamato Ninpō that "there's a good chance he can do anything the boys can do, if he really tries" as Splinter's decade-long exposure to mystic powers in the Hidden City has fortified his own mystic powers.[10][11]
- Enhanced stealth: As a practitioner of ninjutsu, Splinter can slip in and out of areas undetected and blend in with his environment to the point where he can seamlessly pose as objects.
- Macho Gazpacho Fury Kick: A foot technique where Splinter moves incredibly fast and kicks his opponent with his ignited foot. It is effective in handling a large group of opponents.
- Pompadour Punch: An arm technique where Splinter punches the underside of his opponent’s jaw in an upwards motion.
- Flaming Gorilla Arm Bar: A grappling technique where Splinter traps his opponent's bent arm between his own crossed arms.
- Seven Deadly Vipers: Labeled as a "secret secret" by Splinter, the Seven Deadly Vipers move immediately makes opponents yield upon merely hearing its name. April O'Neil is the only one Splinter has taught it to.
- Lazy Llama: A blocking technique where Splinter moves his arms loosely and wildly to defend a wide area of his body against attacks.
- Tiger Claw: A technique where Splinter tackles his opponent in a manner reminiscent of a pouncing tiger.
- Weapon proficiency: Splinter is versed in wielding a variety of melee and flexible weapons, such as tonfā, morning stars ("The Evil League of Mutants"), the kusari-fundō, nunchaku, dual axes ("End Game"), sai, even mystic weapons like Leo’s portal-generating ōdachi. Alongside his use of formal ninja weaponry and techniques, Splinter is a skilled improvisational fighter, known for weaponizing fish and ladders in 1 Fish, 2 Fish, Red Fish - Dead Fish and Little Jacob's Ladder and clam shells in Punch Chowder.
- Shurikenjutsu: Splinter is proficient in throwing shuriken with keen precision and wields them multiple times throughout the series.
- Bōjutsu: As Donnie’s teacher, Splinter is proficient in wielding a bō.
- Kenjutsu: As Leo’s teacher, Splinter is proficient in wielding a variety of Japanese swords, such as katana and the ōdachi.
- Wingsuit flying: Splinter has been shown to be quite skilled in piloting his wingsuit during his mission to steal the Kuroi Yōroi in "Insane in the Mama Train".
- Survival training: Splinter has wilderness survival training with knowledge of safe alternative food and water sources as shown in "Cloak and Swaggart".
- Promotion proficiency: Splinter's time as Lou Jitsu made him develop a sense of what potential consumers want and the charisma to endorse it as seen in "Always Be Brownies". A tactic of his is to advertise the fantasy or emotion a product can realize for a consumer rather than just advertising the product itself, such as eating chocolate chip cookies granting consumers access into a feeling of childhood innocence and being looked after by a parent, summarizing it as "buying love". Splinter's skill to quickly grab and keep potential consumers' attention with an energetic yet affable demeanor and to be viewed as "super cool" by potential consumers as both Lou Jitsu and his teenage Randall persona alike allows him to easily persuade new buyers and counteract competition.
Relationships[]
Family[]
- Hamato Yoshi's parent(s)
- Hamato Atsuko: Atsuko is Yoshi's mother. Yoshi loves his mother dearly. During his childhood, he was heartbroken when Atsuko left him and his sadness surrounding her eventually warped into resentment towards his own clan. In "Rise", when Splinter believed that he failed, his mother's ghost along with the other ghosts of their ancestors arrived to help defeat the Shredder.
- Raphael: Apart from Mikey, Raph and Splinter have the most individual conversations that exhibit their bonds of family. In "Mrs. Cuddles", Splinter helped Raph defeat Mrs. Cuddles. After locking her away, Splinter announced they should free his brothers and April, who were all taken captive by Mrs. Cuddles. However, he then said "Eventually", being well aware the situation was their fault due to them teasing Raph over his fear of her. He finds Raph's "fear-flops" amusing and betted on him winning the Lair Olympics Handstand Hill-Bomb, but Splinter still had doubts which were ultimately validated. In the season 2 finale, Splinter demoted Raph from Mad Dogs leader and gave the position to Leo.
- Leonardo: Splinter has a rough relationship with Leo despite his deep love for him as his obnoxious antics tend to aggravate Splinter. Leo's insistently nonchalant and lighthearted attitude through even dire situations distresses Splinter instead of relaxing him as it is seemingly meant to. He finds Leo's immodesty and his need to attain victory in every situation annoying as shown in "Lair Games". However, Splinter is impressed by his combat skills and capacity for cleverness and chose to promote him to Mad Dogs leader in the season 2 finale.
- Donatello: Splinter has a somewhat difficult relationship with Donnie. While Splinter deeply loves his son, he doesn't express his love towards Donnie in the way he desires through regular praise and quality time, resulting in him vying for Splinter's approval and attention at times. Splinter trusts Donnie to approach situations in a more serious manner as expressed in "Many Unhappy Returns" and considers him to be the funniest of his sons.
- Michelangelo: Splinter's relationship with Mikey is the most positive and untroubled out his relationships with his sons. Splinter loves Mikey and took him on a tour through the Hidden City to spend time one-on-one with him in "Hidden City's Most Wanted" and while he tried to get Draxum arrested against Mikey's wishes, Splinter worked with Mikey to rescue Draxum when he was discovered by the Hidden City Police. Splinter allowed Draxum to be a part of his family's life after coming to understand where Mikey's desire to include him stemmed from despite his personal feelings towards Draxum.
- April O'Neil: Although April is essentially an older sister to the Turtles, Splinter's relationship with April is not quite like that of his relationship with his sons; Splinter and April are not responsible for or answerable to one another other in the ways a father or daughter would be. They are nevertheless still close friends, no matter how badly Splinter behaves or how strongly April criticizes him, and he cares very much about her well-being. Splinter readily expresses his appreciation for April's skills, even as he seldom expresses similar appreciation to his own sons who crave it from him, dubbing her a "ninja supreme" ("Insane in the Mama Train") and a "J.I.T.S.U. course graduate" ("Always Be Brownies"). Despite Splinter's faith in her, he still tries to shield April from perilous situations and his personal matters just as he does his sons, although she often involves herself anyway due to her care for Splinter. It is not uncommon for them to squabble in spite of their immense love and trust in one another, like when Splinter is annoyed when April scratches his head in "Shadow of Evil" and becomes frustrated with her contrarian insight in "End Game". They regularly entertain each other's ideas as seen in "Always Be Brownies" when April heeds Splinter's advice and when Splinter follows April's strategy against Krang Two in Rise of the TMNT: The Movie. He regards April as someone who can keep a secret reliably and doesn't arbitrarily tell others ("The Fast and the Furriest"). It was not difficult for Splinter and his sons to regard April as surrogate family, but later on April would formally be acknowledged by clan matriarch Karai as truly being a member of the Hamato Clan.
- Piebald: Piebald was Splinter's beloved pet fish a year prior to the start of the series. After she was mutated, Piebald expressed that she saw Splinter as her father. They have since gotten along well, conspiring along with Franken-Foot to play a prank on the Turtles for having originally flushed Piebald down the toilet and lying about it.
- S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N.: When Donnie first invented S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N., his first tech demonstration was to show how S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. could make Splinter's life more convenient. S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. was also made sentient in his own right, and when Draxum had captured the Turtles and held them hostage in "End Game", Splinter recruited S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. as part of The B-Team (along with April, Bullhop, Franken-Foot, and Todd) to go rescue them. Later, when Donnie upgraded S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N.'s software to version 13 and S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. started behaving like an obstinate teenager, Donnie would start frequently yelling at S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. and handing out harsh, arbitrary punishments. Mikey pointed out that the way Donnie was treating S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. was the same way Splinter treated Donnie, establishing a multi-generational pattern of parental dysfunction. This also acknowledged that S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. was effectively Splinter's grandson, though the two were never shown interacting much after S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N.'s first appearance. S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. would later sacrifice his own life trying to save his family from an onslaught by the Shredder during the destruction of their lair.
- Hamato Sho: Sho is Yoshi's maternal grandfather. Yoshi was raised by him in his mother's place, but he has had a strained relationship with his grandfather for the majority of his life. He found Sho's relentless attempts to urge him to uptake the clan's obligations extremely abrasive and was unhappy with his grandfather's lack of support for his film career. However, it is seen in "E-Turtle Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" that he has some love for Sho or at least mourns their lack of a harmonious relationship and regrets not listening to his stories about the Shredder.
- Mystic Aura: Splinter sought one of his ancestors' counsel in "Insane in the Mama Train" and "End Game" regarding how to stop the Foot from resurrecting the Shredder. However, Splinter dismissed his advice once he told him to allow his sons to die in service of the Hamato Clan's cause.
- Hamato Karai: Karai is Yoshi's ancestral grandmother. He, along with the Mad Dogs, removed Karai from the Twilight Realm unknowingly in "E-Turtle Sunshine of the Spotless Mind". Splinter holds deep love and respect for her, easily following Karai's lead and looking to her for guidance as his elder and the clan matriarch. He diligently ensured Karai's needs and comfort were met during his time with her.
Friends and allies[]
- Mayhem: Splinter and Mayhem have not been shown interacting much, but Mayhem as April's pet is a frequent visitor in the life of Splinter. When Splinter had been injured in a fight with Draxum after the latter donned the fully-assembled Kuroi Yōroi in "End Game", Mayhem teleported Splinter to safety.
- Stanley / Bullhop: For a time, Bullhop lived in the lair with Splinter and the Turtles as they helped Bullhop adjust to his new mutation. Splinter and Bullhop were never shown interacting much, but when Draxum had captured the Turtles and held them hostage in "End Game", Splinter summoned Bullhop's help as part of the B-Team (along with April, Franken-Foot, S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N., and Todd) to go rescue them.
- Todd Capybara: Splinter entrusted Todd to teach the Turtles wilderness survival training in "Todd Scouts" and when Draxum had captured the Turtles and held them hostage, Splinter summoned Todd's help as part of the B-Team (along with April, Bullhop, Franken-Foot, and S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N.) to go rescue them. Splinter, like so many others, is fond of Todd's lemonade.
- Sunita: Splinter and Sunita have not been shown interacting, but Splinter once entrusted her and April to be the lair's house sitters when he and the Turtles intended to head out for some wilderness survival training in "Cloak and Swaggart".
- Franken-Foot: When Draxum captured the Turtles and held them hostage, Splinter recruited Franken-Foot as part of the B-Team (along with April, Bullhop, S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N., and Todd) to go rescue them. Franken-Foot also once conspired with Splinter and Piebald to play an elaborate horror prank on the Turtles to punish them for previously flushing Piebald and lying about it.
- Jake: Jake is a student at the Lou Jitsu School of Ninjutsu and Splinter worked with April in "Fists of Furry" to ensure the School would remain open for him.
- Sam: Sam is a student at the Lou Jitsu School of Ninjutsu and Splinter worked with April to ensure the School would remain open for him.
- Sara: Sara is a student at the Lou Jitsu School of Ninjutsu and Splinter worked with April to ensure the School would remain open for her.
- Baron Draxum: Lou Jitsu met Draxum after being approached by his new henchmen Huginn and Muninn while in Champions' Row. Simply not wanting to fight anymore, forcibly or otherwise, he agreed to be part of Draxum's experiments. However, Lou Jitsu quickly resisted being a part of them after learning that Draxum planned to mutate animals as soldiers of his personal army. Nevertheless, his DNA was used in the experiment, mutating the Turtles, and Lou Jitsu retaliated against him in a battle. He saved the Turtles and released the rest of Draxum's experimental subjects from his laboratory before escaping, becoming a mutant himself in the process. Splinter went on to harbor intense contempt for him because of his evil plans and personal mutation. He was quite displeased to encounter him in "Shadow of Evil" and even more so when he realized that Draxum and his sons were already familiar with one another. He faced Draxum at the Shredder's shrine in "End Game" seeking his captured sons from the Foot, and managed to best him in a fight. However, he was compelled to relinquish Skully to him after Draxum threatened to torture the Turtles for information. Draxum and Splinter met again later in "Repairin' the Baron" after Draxum had become a wanted fugitive unable to return to the Hidden City and Mikey showed Draxum the real love of a son. Splinter and the rest of his family was tricked into having dinner at Draxum's apartment by Mikey, but Draxum and Splinter loathed each other and the other family members didn't think much better of Draxum. Mikey's influence would later be instrumental in Draxum coming to a genuine change of heart, but Splinter remained openly hostile to him. Later, during a family tourism trip to the Hidden City in "Hidden City's Most Wanted" (where Draxum wore a cloaking brooch to disguise himself from the authorities), Mikey arranged for Draxum and Splinter to be his sole company during their outing, in the hopes that he could inspire them to finally get along. After some initial conniving between the two, Draxum's cover was blown, and all three had to hide from the Hidden City Police. It was then Draxum and Splinter were forced to face each other and talk, at first as a paint-peeling verbal fight about the reasons they despised each other. But Splinter realized he would never have had his sons in his life if Draxum had not made it happen, and Draxum recognized that he had wronged Splinter and appreciated that they were both fathers of a son who loved each of them, and it was enough for Draxum and Splinter to at least start trusting one another as the other of two parents of these children. For the most part afterwards, Draxum and Splinter began treating each other more respectfully, at least in front of their sons, and would join together to fight in the defense of their sons when they were in danger. Later in "Anatawa Hitorijanai", after the Shredder had destroyed the lair and taken Draxum and Splinter prisoner, initially it seemed that Splinter would be readily betrayed by Draxum for his own self-interest, but Draxum had only feigned his betrayal in an attempt to attack their captors and Splinter apologized for momentarily doubting Draxum's honor. Splinter and Draxum became true allies, with or without their sons, and would not turn on each other again.
- Cassandra Jones / Foot Recruit: Splinter met Foot Recruit in "Always Be Brownies" when he and April were kidnapped by the Brownie Clan on her order. He was asked by Foot Recruit what his plans were to stop her from world domination, to which he had none for he had no awareness of her Brownie Clan operations to begin with and had only a dim awareness of her as member of the Foot. Splinter comforted her when she became very disheartened after realizing just how much time she would have to dedicate to her world takeover scheme and used April as an example of someone he admires who fails, but still tries to be optimistic and continue on. He began to harbor a fondness and concern for Foot Recruit from then on. He worked with her in "Battle Nexus: New York" against Shadow Fiend and Big Mama until she allied herself with Shadow Fiend after discovering his true identity. Splinter and Foot Recruit later battled during the Foot's invasion of the lair in "Shreddy or Not" where he urged her to leave the Foot and direct her ambitions towards good. Despite Foot Recruit heavily contributing to the extraction of his Hamato essence in "Rise", Splinter still sympathized with her and protected her from the Shredder after he sought to attack her for purposefully disrupting the extraction ritual. Splinter has since befriended Foot Recruit.
- Casey Jones II: Splinter was hardly threatened by Casey when he met him in the present in Rise of the TMNT: The Movie and quickly grew to care about him. Splinter collaborated with Casey to fight Krang Two in his and April's final confrontation with her and was saved by him from being crushed by tumbling metal beams after April used a crane to collapse the building Krang Two was beneath.
Enemies[]
- Kristoff Van Bradford: Kristoff Van Bradford was a rival celebrity to Lou Jitsu. He describes Kristoff Van Bradford as "an atrocious actor who is dishonorable to his core". Splinter hates him for his cheating ways of fighting and for taking over his Lou Jitsu School of Ninjutsu.
- Big Mama: Big Mama is Lou Jitsu's ex-girlfriend. He developed a romantic interest in Big Mama after meeting her on the set of one of his films and sometime later she became his girlfriend. Lou Jitsu grew to deeply love Big Mama, describing their dynamic as "inseparable", notably taken by her eyes, smile, and some other third attribute. They often spent time together going to many different nightclubs to dance, but likely never moved in together.[12] He eventually proposed to her while they were on a date, but she revealed that she had always been a Yōkai and kidnapped him to the Hidden City, which severed him from human society. Lou Jitsu was then forced by Big Mama to compete in her Battle Nexus and at some point they consequently broke up. After years, Lou Jitsu refused to participate in her Battle Nexus and he was imprisoned in the Battle Nexus by her. Lou Jitsu severed all connection with Big Mama once he let Draxum free him from his servitude until he encountered her again in "Turtle-dega Nights: The Ballad of Rat Man". Despite her betrayal, Splinter thinks very fondly of the person Big Mama had been to him prior to his kidnapping and his mutual chemistry with her has proved undiminished despite them being enemies. Simultaneously, Splinter resents her and regrets ever getting involved with her. He is now guarded around Big Mama and wants an apology from her. He attempted to rescue Big Mama from Foot Recruit's wrath in "Battle Nexus: New York", hoping there were redeemable qualities in her, but was unsuccessful. Splinter regrets trusting in "Many Unhappy Returns" that Big Mama wouldn't weaponize the Shredder after gaining custody of him as expressed in "E-Turtle Sunshine of the Spotless Mind".
- Gus: Splinter knew Gus prior to "The Ancient Art of Ninja Hide and Seek" where they are first shown interacting due to his time at the Battle Nexus and the Grand Nexus Hotel and is quite afraid of him even currently.
- Huginn & Muninn: Huginn and Muninn brought Lou Jitsu to Draxum's laboratory from the Battle Nexus where he met the Turtles and was mutated.
- Rupert Swaggart / Meat Sweats: Splinter encountered Meat Sweats while driving the Turtle Tank around New York in "The Fast and the Furriest". He was bribed with food to enter Meat Sweats' truck where Splinter told him about his concept for a restaurant chain, unaware that Meat Sweats intended to eat him. He fled with Meat Sweats in his truck once the Turtles found him, but was eventually abandoned by Meat Sweats despite his protest. Splinter considers "Rupert" to be a worse name than "Meat Sweats".
- Mrs. Cuddles: Splinter finds Mrs. Cuddles to be ridiculous and her efforts as a cute rabbit to be intimidating endlessly amusing. He hates Mrs. Cuddles for terrorizing his family and her show taking over his favored TV schedule.
- The Foot Clan: The Foot Clan are the sworn enemy of the Hamato Clan. However, Splinter has spent most of his life unconcerned about the Foot. He briefly infiltrated their ranks in "Shadow of Evil" to prevent them from resurrecting the Shredder, but was revealed by the Turtles.
- Foot Lieutenant: Foot Lieutenant was Splinter's boss when he went undercover as a Foot recruit to obtain a piece of the Kuroi Yōroi.
- Foot Brute: Foot Brute was Splinter's boss when he went undercover as a Foot recruit to obtain a piece of the Kuroi Yōroi. Later in "End Game", Splinter broke into the Shredder's shrine and after defeating Foot Brute, stole his dual axes to fight Draxum with.
- Oroku Saki / The Shredder: Saki is technically Yoshi's ancestor as he is the ancestor of the Hamato bloodline through Karai. Yoshi spent most of his life discounting the Shredder's existence, instead believing he was a fictional figure. It wasn't until "Shadow of Evil" that he was forced to realize that the Shredder and the threat he posed had always been real. It was this revelation that led him to take training the Turtles more seriously. Splinter is quite afraid of the Shredder. He was held captive by him in "Anatawa Hitorijanai" and had his Hamato essence extracted from him and nearly absorbed by the Shredder in "Rise".
- Kraken Tom: Splinter competed against Kraken Tom as Rat Jitsu in the Battle Nexus alongside Leo in "Many Unhappy Returns" and was able to triumph over him.
- The Evil Six: Splinter competed against the Evil Six as Rat Jitsu in the Battle Nexus alongside Leo in "Many Unhappy Returns" and was able to triumph over them.
- The Brownie Clan: Splinter was confronted and abducted by the Brownie Clan in "Always Be Brownies" for upstaging their brownie sales.
- Julia: Splinter was kidnapped by Julia for stealing the Grandma CJ Scouts' brownie consumers for April with his product promotion skills.
- The Krang: Splinter knew of the Krang and of their initial invasion of Earth prior to Rise of the TMNT: The Movie and dreads their existence. He worked to impede their Earth takeover alongside Casey and the Mad Dogs.
- Krang Two: Splinter was knocked unconscious by Krang Two during their first fight at the Foot's hideout after she flung him into Raph. He later fled from her and her Krang zombies accompanied by April on a Shell Hog after she invaded the lair in search of the Mystic Key the two of them possessed. Splinter grew bored of her insistence on fighting him and April by their last encounter and was able to defeat her with April and Casey's help.
Others[]
- Tang Shen: Shen was Lou Jitsu's Jitsu for Justice co-star.
- Krystal Yistal: Krystal Yistal was someone Lou Jitsu dated.
- Andrea: Andrea was a stunt performer who Lou Jitsu worked with.
- Ben: Ben was a stunt performer who Lou Jitsu worked with.
- Brandon: Brandon was a stunt performer who Lou Jitsu worked with.
- The Brian twins: The Brian twins were stunt performers who Lou Jitsu worked with.
- Chad: Chad was a stunt performer who Lou Jitsu worked with. Lou Jitsu enjoyed his pranks.
- Josh: Josh was a stunt performer who Lou Jitsu worked with.
- Kat: Kat was a stunt performer who Lou Jitsu worked with.
- Kris: Kris was a stunt performer who Lou Jitsu worked with.
- Omar: Omar was a stunt performer who Lou Jitsu worked with.
- Rob: Rob was a stunt performer who Lou Jitsu worked with.
- Ryker: Ryker was a stunt performer who Lou Jitsu worked with.
- Wilder: Wilder was a stunt performer who Lou Jitsu worked with.
Quotes[]
- "I mean, come on, who buys an SUV from a bunny?" ("Mrs. Cuddles")
- "Well, look at you fancy-pants boys." ("The Evil League of Mutants")
- "I just figured that the guy who turned me into a rat could just mutate the mashed potatoes into cream corn!" ("Repairin' the Baron")
- "Yes! Audiobook." ("Insane in the Mama Train")
- "You destroyed my detective microwave friend!" ("Smart Lair")
- "I'm a... super master planner." ("Hidden City's Most Wanted")
- "Maybe I will call April. She is no snitch." ("The Fast and the Furriest")
- "Yes, your methods need work. Much, much, much, much, much work. But I am honored to be your teacher and proud to be your father." ("The Ancient Art of Ninja Hide and Seek")
- "Anything? Hmm... that is more than something and just shy of everything. Go on." ("The Longest Fight")
- "Okay, fine. I'll just start another family and join their band. ("Al Be Back")
- "What? Donnie? You do not need to do this." ("Turtle-dega Nights: The Ballad of Rat Man")
Trivia[]
- This is the fourth version of TMNT to have Hamato Yoshi mutate from a human to a rat, the first version being the 1987 TV series, the second version being the Archie comic series loosely based on the 1987 TV series, and the third version being the 2012 TV series.
- Splinter is voiced by Eric Bauza, the same actor who voiced Tiger Claw in the 2012 TV series.
- When asked what references Bauza pulled for Splinter in September 2018 in a Collider interview, Bauza answered, "I would say he’s a mixture of Mr. Miyagi and Danny DeVito. And if that rat were to exist, he went to college with Yoda. He’s like that weird, aloof teacher who teaches you the clues, and then later on you discover what he was trying to get across. I believe that’s what we’re trying to get across with this Splinter."[13]
- When asked what Bauza liked about Splinter's writing and what he added to this Splinter incarnation, Bauza answered in the same interview, "He’s definitely back to a smaller rat. The last version we saw a very tall, stoic, kind of statuesque kind of Splinter, but now he’s back down to size. The Turtles are definitely bigger than their dad. In this version, he’s kind of more whimsical, more of a 'drunken master' type approach to this character, as opposed to stern and serious. Before he was very stoic and every now and then he’d drop a joke or 'make a funny'; this time around, he’s all laughs. When he’s more serious is when he catches you off guard."[13]
- Splinter's personality is inspired by Danny DeVito's specific role as Frank Reynolds in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia as stated by Bauza in the November 2022 Rise of the TMNT: The Movie TAAFI panel.[14]
- It was revealed in August 2020 by Rise of the TMNT staff writer Russ Carney in a Tweet that, "We also wanted Splinter to feel like a father, instead of as a cold, detached sensei, and for the boys to call him Dad, Pop, etc, not just Master."[15][16]
- Throughout most of season 1, it is hinted that Splinter was once Lou Jitsu (and Hamato Yoshi).
- Throughout Lou Jitsu's appearances until "Shadow of Evil", Bauza is credited as "Additional Voices" instead of "Lou Jitsu".
- Like with many celebrities, Splinter keeps copies of most of his merchandise. But "Late Fee" suggests he may not have copies of all his own films, as he had rented Bedtime for Bozos and the episode's plot involved his sons' attempts to return it on time.
- Splinter's catchphrase is "Hot Soup".
- The name "Lou Jitsu" is a pun of the term "jiu jitsu", an outdated romanization of the word "jūjutsu" (kanji: 柔術), which is the name of a Japanese martial art system.[17] The former variation is still used in derivative arts, such as Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
- According to an interview, the reason that Splinter seemed out of shape is without immediate the threat of the Shredder, Lou Jitsu's growing disgust for fighting, and (based on Draxum's comments) his fear of treating his sons as weapons, he had no exact reason for training the Turtles. However, after they learn about threats such as Draxum and the fact that the Foot Clan is planning to revive the Shredder, he begins training the Turtles more seriously.
- According to Leo in "Mystic Mayhem", Splinter always falls asleep after eating milk and cake.
- Lou Jitsu's eyewear as a human strongly resembles Kamina and Simon's sunglasses from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.
- While in Big Mama's Battle Nexus, Lou Jitsu briefly had a rat companion. This is a reference to previous incarnations of Hamato Yoshi having a pet rat that would later become Splinter.
- The running gag of Splinter being unable to tell his sons apart (which is sometimes implied to be intentional teasing) is ironic given each Turtle is a different species in this continuity.
- Out of the Turtles, Splinter refers to Donnie and Leo by their mask color the most.
- It was stated by Rise of the TMNT co-executive producers Andy Suriano and Ant Ward in the November 2022 Rise of the TMNT: The Movie TAAFI panel that Splinter refers to the Turtles by their mask colors "out of affection".[14]
- It was stated in September 2018 by Bauza in a Collider interview that Splinter's go-to pizza order is, "California roll and chocolate Rocky Road ice cream, on the same slice. He’s very time conscientious, so if you could jam in the meal—the entrée and the dessert all in one—that’s the kind of Master Splinter we’re dealing with here.”[13]
- Congruent with this, Lou Jitsu requests a donut on top of a pizza in "E-Turtle Sunshine of the Spotless Mind".
- Lou Jitsu's difficulty coming up with good names for the Turtles as shown in a flashback ("Goyles, Goyles, Goyles") may be this continuity's explanation of why they wear different colored masks as opposed to the uniform red of the Hamato Clan.
- It is likely Splinter hasn't attempted to teach his sons Japanese, a result of his estrangement from his clan and its culture.[22][23]
- Although some of Splinter's model sheets portray him wearing a patterned yukata, this design is never depicted in the show or film. It is, however, depicted in the Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics.
- It was revealed in April 2021 by Rise of the TMNT staff writer Corcillo in a Tweet that the explanation behind the difference in Lou Jitsu's natural voice versus his voice in film is the presence of bad English dubbing over the films from his Japanese era of work, such as Teriyaki Shakedown. However, this difference turns into code-switching when Lou Jitsu is seen on a film set in a flashback and can be heard speaking with an Americanized accent ("E-Turtle Sunshine of the Spotless Mind").[24][3][25][23]
- Code-switching (colloquially) is the act of marginalized communities, notably BIPOC, performing the mainstream culture in order to prevent ostracization and violence from others.
- Even currently, Splinter sometimes changes his voice to an Americanized accent (though not as strongly as in his films) when playing his recurring character, average teenager Randall, as part of his "being perceived as average" gimmick.
- These moments allude that, in-universe, Lou Jitsu's image could only be ethnic to a certain extent to be palatable for an American audience as determined by his talent manager, thus encouraging him to speak without his Japanese accent and use a stage name.
- It was revealed in December 2022 by Rise of the TMNT staff writer Corcillo in a Tweet that Splinter's voice texture becoming rougher than it is as a human is due to both aging and his mutation.[25]
- It was revealed in December 2022 by Rise of the TMNT staff writer Corcillo in a Tweet that Lou Jitsu was in his early thirties in the mid-1990s the night he was captured by Big Mama. His decade-long imprisonment in the Battle Nexus until approximately 2005 makes Lou Jitsu in his early forties during "Goyles, Goyles, Goyles".[6]
- It was revealed in February 2024 by Rise of the TMNT staff writer Corcillo in a Tweet that, "Splinter had never celebrated [the Turtles'] birthdays in the past, because he was so depressed about his own mutation. But I think they're going forward, now that he's come to grips with who he really is, he would start to celebrate that day." [26]
Gallery[]
- Hamato Yoshi (Rise of the TMNT)/Gallery
- Hamato Yoshi (Rise of the TMNT)/Animations
- Hamato Yoshi (Rise of the TMNT)/Appearances
References[]
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CQkDo3ggfaO/
- ↑ https://twitter.com/wolfboy74/status/1559185420931383300
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://twitter.com/RonCorcillo/status/1386220225155112963
- ↑ https://twitter.com/RCoA/status/1215640788614299649
- ↑ https://twitter.com/RonCorcillo/status/1546248802683592704
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 https://twitter.com/RonCorcillo/status/1601541438952464384
- ↑ https://twitter.com/RonCorcillo/status/1685411643910717440
- ↑ https://twitter.com/RonCorcillo/status/1685426993834405888
- ↑ https://twitter.com/RonCorcillo/status/1554293805611831297
- ↑ https://twitter.com/RonCorcillo/status/1685422975431139328
- ↑ https://twitter.com/RonCorcillo/status/1756453738745843798
- ↑ https://twitter.com/RonCorcillo/status/1685440203933261825
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 https://collider.com/rise-of-the-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-eric-bauza-interview/
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Ant Ward, Andy Suriano, Eric Bauza. "We Made Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie." (presentation, TAAFI Conference 2022, Toronto, ON, November 12, 2022)
- ↑ https://twitter.com/RCoA/status/1293930177563525120
- ↑ https://twitter.com/RCoA/status/1292693296704233472
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 https://twitter.com/RCoA/status/1194817049081462785
- ↑ https://twitter.com/RCoA/status/1298130461223354369
- ↑ https://twitter.com/RCoA/status/1306782752625356801
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMyonPFcY3Y
- ↑ https://twitter.com/RonCorcillo/status/1542035037675069440
- ↑ https://twitter.com/RCoA/status/1215640308660109317
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 https://twitter.com/RonCorcillo/status/1685418661094539264
- ↑ https://twitter.com/RonCorcillo/status/1386197803022524416
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 https://twitter.com/RonCorcillo/status/1601540739501957125
- ↑ https://twitter.com/RonCorcillo/status/1756470936650547410