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| “ | 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 to his sons |
Splinter is one of the two tritagonists (alongside Casey Jones) of the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series.
He is the sensei and adoptive father of Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo. It is later revealed that he was originally the adoptive rat of a ninja master Hamato Yoshi and had to wander in the sewer after his owner was murdered by the Shredder, before finding the Turtles and adopting them.
He was voiced by Darren Dunstan.
Appearance[]
Splinter is depicted as having gray fur instead of the brown fur of his other incarnations. He also has a somewhat dishevelled look in general compared to other versions of himself, most notably a small nick in each ear and a red-orange kimono that has various small rips, as if to imply he has been through more hardships, or simply to match the show's tone. Although, his later appearances starting from Lost Episodes seasons showed him in more well-kept; his trademark kimono in Fast Forward and Back to the Sewers is in better condition with additional features (technological equipment consisting of Enviropack, Graviton Regulator, and wrist translator in former while shoulder pad the latter). In Lost Episodes, he instead wears 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.
Additionally, instead of a traditional Japanese weapon, he carries a cane which he can utilize as a weapon (like a Jo staff) with fierce proficiency.
Personality[]
Splinter is a composed and loving father, raising the Turtles as his own sons, but he is also strict, 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. Despite this, likely due to being more old-fashioned and unaccustomed to mdoern technology, he tends to struggle whenever using mechanical equipment like the various inventions Donatello creates.
Over the course of the series, Splinter shows both a strong protective streak towards his adoptive sons, to the extent he's willing to risk his life it it means protecting them, but at the same time, a great deal of faith in them and their ninja abilities, to the extent of allowing them to even fight the Shredder directly, although he'd still be present for most of these encounters to help them out if he needed to step in.
Another one of Splinter's most distinguishing traits is his strong sense of honor, and conversely, his strong disdain for traits like dishonor and cowardice, which naturally puts him at especially strong odds with individuals like Shredder. Despite his age, Splinter is a very formidable opponent in combat, showcasing an efficient blend of raw strength, speed and resourcefulness, allowing to go head-to-head with Shredder himself and other enemies who have the capability of giving the turtles a hard time.
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.
Gallery[]
Images[]
Trivia[]
- Unlike the previous animated series, Splinter and the Turtles have more of a "father-son" kind of relationship rather than "mentor/teacher-student" relationship, as while the Turtles often call him "Splinter," "Master" or "Sensei," they consider Master Splinter their dad while Splinter considers the Turtles his sons.
- One of Splinter's hobbies is reading and his favorite book The Chrysanthemum and the Sword: Patterns of Japanese Culture written by the real-life author. He uses it to educate the Turtles about their Japanese heritage.
- He is the first incarnation of Splinter in an animated series to be originally Hamato Yoshi's pet rat just like in the Mirage comics, rather than Hamato Yoshi himself mutated into a rat.
- Unlike his aforementioned Mirage comics iteration who trained his adoptive sons specifically to avenge Hamato Yoshi, this version of Splinter taught Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo the art of Ninjutsu so they could defend themselves from any threat that would inevitably come as a result of them being mutant turtles and kept them in the dark about his vendetta against Shredder so they won't be consumed by the desire of vengeance like he did. That said, their involvement against Shredder proved inevitable both because of the Turtles' recurring encounter with the latter's Foot Ninjas and later, Shredder's ill-fated attempt to sway Leonardo to his cause under his public persona Oroku Saki.
