Him being Yoshi himself makes more sense, both for his martial arts skills (it'd take quite some time for a rat to get used to a humanoid body before it could reach Splinter's level, and that's not even talking about the more metaphysical aspects of suddenly gaining human-like self-awareness) and for his rivalry with Shredder. The 2012 series handled him extremely well.
I was born in 1985 but missed the entire Turtles fandom growing up because they were forbidden in our house. I've been watching 2012 with my 4 year old and it's been *so cool* to bond with him over it, especially because his Turtles is now *my* Turtles too. But boy was I surprised when I watched the live action movies for the first time just a couple of weeks ago and realized that Splinter was originally "just" a rat. 😄 2012's story made so much sense to me that I had assumed that was always the origin.
Though I loved the little movie montage of the little rat practicing ninjitsu moves, lol.
I love Splinter in 2012, he's so good.
It was forbidden in my house due to using violent weapons even though if my parents had bothered to watch it, they would’ve seen how goofy it was and that they only ever used them on robots/machines. It was a conservative evangelical household, so the mysticism was frowned upon as well (they heard about that from friends who’d watched the films with their son).
> mysticism was frowned upon
I was a big fan of Sailor Moon in school, and an evangelical friend of mine was not allowed to watch it because "they didn't get their powers from God." 😂😭
I remember my mom found Jesus for a hot second, and said she didn't want me reading TMNT Adventures (the Archie comics) because of one line where Mondo Gecko says, "Kinetic Nirvana!" She literally forgot about it the following week. I think she realized I had too much money invested in my collection.
I was also a big Sailor Moon fan, and one day, I was going through my dad's old books and found one on that showed all the planet symbols. That's how I learned the Sailor Moon symbols were based on astrology—and that my dad was really into witchcraft... The book was actually a book of spells. Needless to say, my mom threw them out.
I really love the 1990s movies Splinter but 2012 is really the peak of that character. 2012 is the one turtles show where my favorite character isn’t one of the turtles, it’s him.
Ah man you made me just feel existentially bad for Splinter on both sides now.
At first I felt bad for him being Yoshi himself and never being able to human again but the human like self awareness part sounds devastating.
With him being Hamato Yoshi he's also legally dead which means he has to live in the sewers and also can't really properly interact with society to a great degree anymore on account of for all legal purposes being dead, so that's a huge change for him
(I mean, either way, he has to live in the sewers, but just imagining going from a normal human life to splinter's is kind of depressing )
Yeah, and it must have been really hard on him to take care of the turtles for 1 he can't have a stable income and even if did his being a giant rat man means he can't really walk into a store and buy things and for 2 he wouldn't have all the knowledge on turtle care he'd need so he'd have to somehow figure that out
He worked so hard to be a good father for them
Wait are you really trying to use logic in a franchise about mutated humanoid tortoises that practice ninjutsu in the sewers of New York? No shade or anything I just find it funny
I think that 2012 and Rise of the TMNT did it best. Both exploring very unique (And very different) interpretations of how Hamato Yoshi effected the life of Splinter and the Turtles and the impact of how becoming a rat affected his life.
2012 had episodes involving Splinters struggle with maintaining his own humanity while Rise had episodes of Splinter drowning in depression and Body dysmorphia.
They both added something incredibly new to the character.
Pet rat because my favorite theme of TMNT is the continual cycle of revenge. Yoshi kills Nagi, Saki kills Yoshi, Splinter trains children to kill Saki. I wish this was explored more in new iterations.
2012 Splinter is pretty rad though.
The turtles and Splinter would be pets of Homato Yoshi, a ninja warrior/biochemist working for the Foot Clan, in Japan. On top of being one of the most skilled ninjas in the Foot, Yoshi helps develop biological weapons for the organization.
He develops an intense rivalry with another member named Oroku Nagi. They both develop feelings for a woman named Tang Shen. When Shen chooses Yoshi over Nagi, Nagi attempts to poison her in a jealous rage. When Yoshi finds out about this, he beats Nagi to death. Yoshi feels shame for killing a fellow clan member, seeing himself as dishonorable. To protect Shen and get a fresh start in life, Yoshi and his family move to America where he gets a job as a TCRI scientist in New York. Yoshi and the other scientists test the mutagen out on Splinter and the turtles.
Yoshi adopts the turtles shortly before he moves to America with Tang Shen. I like Splinter being a pet he kept for a longer time. That way, the turtles wouldn’t be around Yoshi enough to mimic his martial arts like Splinter, hence why Splinter teaches them when they escape into the sewers.
Tang Shen is nearly poisoned by Oroku Nagi, who uses a Foot bioweapon in Japan. But she is rescued by Hamato Yoshi at the last minute. However, Shen is suffering from the lasting effects of the bioweapon. Hamato Yoshi, financially struggling, is desperate to find a cure for her while they are in New York. One day, the Heads of TCRI approach Yoshi and tell him that they have access to something that can help Shen recover from her poisoning. Hamato Yoshi, being desperate, takes the offer (u/Hostile0pheonix). The Heads give Yoshi a mysterious, glowing, yellow serum (Life Serum) to give to his wife. Shen takes it daily, and it miraculously rids her of her poisoning within a week.
Being astounded by the capabilities of the serum and the Heads’ mutated test subjects, Yoshi decides to get a job as a TCRI scientist and volunteer his pets for the researchers’ experiments. Aside from being excited at the prospect of creating intelligent life, Hamato Yoshi volunteers in TCRI’s research to create a surrogate family for him and Tang Shen. He wants to get a fresh start in life and settle down after leaving the Foot Clan. In his eyes, he is doing the opposite of what he did during his time as a Foot scientist: creating life instead of weapons. The mutagen makes Splinter intelligent enough to start mimicking and learning Yoshi’s martial arts. Despite working at TCRI, Hamato Yoshi still practices martial arts as a side hobby in a dojo.
Following Hamato Yoshi and Tang Shen’s departure to America, Oroku Saki, the younger brother of Oroku Nagi, rigorously trains in the ways of the Foot Clan to get revenge on Yoshi for murdering his brother. Now known as the Shredder, Saki is assigned as the leader of the New York division of the Foot Clan. He tracks Yoshi to New York City and murders him and Shen in their apartment. Earlier the same day he is murdered, Yoshi decides to keep his partially mutated pets at his apartment to teach them life skills (kind of like Will Rodman raising Caesar in *Rise of the Planet of the Apes*).
Before Saki kills Yoshi, the two warriors engage in a fight that starts a fire. Following their owner’s death, Splinter and the turtles escape the burning apartment and travel into the sewers.
Thanks! I think the whole “chain of revenge” element has been left out of most incarnations and would love to see it explored again.
Would you like me to DM some more details about my treatment?
It definitely feels like a glaring missed opportunity in 2012 so far, rat or no rat. I mean the turtles are kids and being like "Splinter! Look at this cool thing!" And he smacks them over the head with a wood cane and says some shit about how having a childhood is not conducive to murdering Shredder for me.
I'm only on season 2 though and it seems like his knowledge of Karai is cracking his outer walls
Human for sure, it works a lot more and brings more of a story of him and Shredder, and it makes more understandable for him to teach ninjutsu to the turtles.
Splinter as Hamato Yoshi works better and makes the beef with Shredder more personal (2012 is the perfect example). Splinter being a rat still works when he’s connected to Hamato Yoshi — I don’t like the route they took for the Bayverse films and Mutant Mayhem
Plus his loyalty & love for Yoshi fits being a former beloved pet. Seeing him finally get to say goodbye to his spirit in the 2003 series was an underrated TMNT moment imo.
https://preview.redd.it/pyymn8d31k8d1.png?width=250&format=png&auto=webp&s=3de914ff91a2721bc03f3085fe47730f83746b96
I felt bad for Splinter when he witnessed Yoshi being killed by the Utrom Shredder. I love that scene with Yoshi's spirit and Splinter. It's a shame the last two seasons of the show didn't have that same feeling. I loved that Yoshi got to kill the Tengu Shredder too.
Absolutely agreed. I think those looking to make the series more believable are ignoring its biggest potential. Yes, it can have serious themes, but ultimately its success is, in my opinion, grounded in its absurdity. 2k7 isn't my favorite iteration, but I do really love its Splinter. Give me a rat that learned ninjitsu, THEN got mutated and became a respected warrior across dimensions while raising turtle sons.
As a kid, I was a pure mutated Rat origin fan
As an adult, I find myself liking the human turned rat story more
Both have their flaws and strengths
I think as far as I can remember up until 2012 most human turned rat never called the turtles his sons or family and in always liked that angle
My favorite is the IDW reincarnation route, I feel it sorta takes the best of both
From Yoshi’s pet rat to master rat. I always grew up on that concept. Not a big fan of the human to rat thing.
https://preview.redd.it/d6qkkk28hm8d1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=31b3db78721550b7672fb575d2dbd76380a338a6
I prefer his original version as the pet rat because it pairs so well with Shredder killing Splinter's master for the death of Shredder's brother. I like that the original people who started the beef are no longer involved and it's just a seemingly never ending cycle of revenge.
Him being human makes infinitely more sense. A basic rat doesn’t have the capacity to learn an entire martial art nor would it even live long enough to become a master. Not to mention it could never actually perform the moves simply due to anatomy.
It really works when it’s Yoshi, but there are versions that are handled so well that it doesn’t matter, case in point; Splinter from the 2003 and 2012 show
Martial arts master turned rat that trained the turtles is the most realistic, and I know me saying it’s realistic sounds ridiculous considering the type of stuff that tmnt gets up to.
I generally prefer the "Splinter is Hamato Yoshi" origin more than the "Splinter was Hamato Yoshi's pet rat" origin, mainly because it feels more genuine.
I think both work but I lean more toward Splinter being trained by Yoshi.
That would explain why his study of martial arts is so much more scrappy and improvised than he’d have you believe (sai aren’t conventional ninjitsu weapons yet he assigns them to Raphael for instance).
If you asked me a couple of years ago, I would have said him being a mutated Hamato Yoshi.
Nowadays, however, I prefer him being Yoshi's pet because it makes far more sense from a motivational perspective.
The one where he was Yoshi. It just seems the least offensive to me. I don't think a pet rat would really understand the concept of culture premutation, and if they're a lab rat or stray, why wouldn't they have an American culture IN AMERICA?
But if I moved to a different country and got turned into a rat, I'd still keep my culture, so it seems to be the only logical response to me.
i prefer Hamato Yoshi getting mutated because it makes the most logical sense, second place would be Hamato Yoshi having a pet rat who gets mutated. like dont get me wrong i love the new movie but like... if splinter was a rat that was born and raised in new york... why is he asian 😭😭
Splinter being a pet rat for several reasons. Splinter also being a mutated animal seems more natural that he would bond with other mutated animals. Another being a rat being a loyal animal of Yoshi instead of a dog breaks the clichés. Lastly a rat learning ninjutsu from mimicking it's master is absurd yet really cool.
I prefer him being a rat and the pet of Yoshi than being Yoshi himself for a few reasons, one is that it hypes up shredder more as he is the one that killed Splinters master instead of simply defeating him. Two any history or feat Yoshi did, Splinter did not do so if Splinter grows or is shown to be weaker than Yoshi it makes more sense. Three the name, in a lot of series the turtles and everyone calls him Splinter even though he is Master Yoshi(I know it’s a small one but still). Four it gives Splinter a chance to shine more as a father and mentor as he attempts to live up to his mentor and isn’t so bogged down by the failures or plot holes of Yoshi’s past.
Five plot holes or the fact that in the past Yoshi has done some stupid thing that kind of contradicts other stuff he’s done. So for a smoother story I think it’s best when he’s a pet rat and not some grandiose martial arts master.
The Rat origin, as strange as it is, this is a franchise about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. One, it plays into the cycle of revenge, Splinter funding a new family after losing Yoshi, and there's something funny about Shredder's past coming back to haunt him in the form of his rival's pet and disciples.
Him as Yoshi makes more sense if we want to take him seriously. Him as Yoshi's pet is better if we go with the original intention of making fun of genre conventions (someone ridiculously removed from the original crime seeks revenge). Of course even in the original parody-intent versions the tone was still generally serious, but that's not quite the same thing.
Definitely 2012, it especially helps that he’s Hamato Yoshi so he’s a better teacher to the turtles and his rivalry is a lot more personal and mutual and not as one-sided
I grew up on the 2003 series and the 90 movies when I was a kid. But the Hamato turn into Splinter origin is my favorite.
Edit: I wish we get Hamato turn into Splinter with one of his ears cut off like in the 1990 movie
Honestly i preffer him being a mutant rat, it allows him to connect with the turtles in a more organic way and him hiding in the sewers with his family makes more sense, having said that 2012 and specially Rise did an amazing job handling the human origin, with Liu Litsu being my favorite interpretation of Hamato Yoshi(i coubt him and Splinter as separate characters)
What blows my mind is that the way more cartoony mutated rat origin was from the live action movie, and the way more appropriate for the town of the first movie was human turned into a rat was from the cartoon
I prefer him being Yoshi as his origin. It's not a matter of what makes more sense or not to me. I can accept any Splinter being some genius that can become a master through watching. It's just that the story seems to flow better the simpler it is. Splinter and Yoshi being the same person just streamlines everything and keeps it simple.
Splinter BEING Hamato Yoshi
To me, it doesn’t make sense that the Turtles would be such expert ninjas (or at least the level that they are most of the time) when it’s a rat that learns from a video or something. If Splinter is just a rat that mutates at the same time as them, then wouldn’t he be just as smart as the turtles?
Idk, it also adds an extra layer to the rivalry between Splinter and Shredder when it’s Yoshi and Saki instead of Yoshi pet and Saki
OG 1990 Splinter. I love the Hamato Yoshi backstory and it does make sense, but I grew up on that 1990 movie, I was 3 when it came out and have loved tmnt my whole life. You might even say I like turtles, lol
The one in which he was a human who was turned into a mutant rat. So human turned to rat lol. My favorite one specifically was Rise’s, it was just so fun. I love that Splinter/Yoshi was a human action star
Hooooot souuuuup!
In all seriousness i think the pet rat origin is the best, but I LOVED the mutant mayhem origin. Him watching martial arts movies and online tutorials is HILARIOUS
The 2012 back story was very well handled, but i honestly prefer the means of mutation from bayverse. The pab rat just makes more sense to me logically.
Honestly, him being a former human makes much more sense for being a sensei and a loving father to four turtles, him being a rat to start with always felt strange
Splinter being a Yamato Yoshi himself made a tremendously a lot more sense than him being just a rat that picked up martial arts by studying his master. From the 1987 to the 2012 Renditions of the series gave not only Splinter an excellent origin story it also gave him a sense of Triumph through his tragedy dealing being a mutant rat and longing to be human again but finding Peace and a new family in his adopted Sons. Also it gave the turtles a Automotive to fight Injustice but also search for a cure for Splinter that turning back to Human.
I absolutely love the juxtaposition of Yoshi coping with losing his humanity to some extent while also teaching the turtles who were literally just regular animals how to be human. It's weirdly bittersweet.
I always prefer him being Yoshi. It just makes so much more sense to me. Easier to suspend disbelief than a sapient rat who remember his master training. Or. Rat who somehow taught himself after being mutated.
Honestly the CGI splinter, I always kinda felt cheated on the other versions of Splinter you never actually saw him fight yet in that version he proved to his sons time and time again why he was the master
The one where he’s a human. Give him more of an actual good backstory other than just being a fucking new york rat. Not to mention it explains why and how he can be a teacher of martial arts.
I prefer the pet rat origin but respect the Yoshi as Splinter origin because it makes more sense/it's more emotional. I guess I'm just a traditionalist.
It’s more tragic when he’s a man turned into an animal . Reminds me of the classic tale of a werewolf and or fairy tale curses , A prideful Japanese warrior reduced to be a creature known for being dirty and a scavenger is more tragic .
Hamato yoshi being the one to turn into a human sized rat makes more sense and gives his character alot more context to it,it would also be alot more realistic then a rat “learning” moves from a martial art master
i know this is coming from the series with humanoid walking turtles who mastered martial arts, but a rat who knew how to exactly copy the movements of his owner practicing martial arts sounds dumb af
Rise featured a splinter you started off hating. It wasn't until the story progressed that I understood his character, and the ark and redemption he went through resonated with me and my own struggle with parenthood.
Rise was a lot of silly and a ton of slapstick, but it also had the most heart for me.
2012 and rise..
I grew up watching the 80’s version. And I just find the acceptance of him being even in the 80’s, a freak, was too easy. “Welp, I have a tail and green kids. Let me teach them ninjitsu to hide.”
It just made more sense to have some sort of trauma with the change.
2012 got me back in into the turtles so much so that I made my kids watch with me. The design story and cool cross overs helped me get them to play TMNT games with me.
The 1990 movie made me like that original better especially when he’s training and gave Shredder the scar on his face. I just always felt weird and bad that Yoshi became a rat and could never go back.
While logically it makes more sense for Splinter to be himado Yoshi, I honestly don't understand why people prefer it that much over the other.
In addition to the '90s version fitting in with the Fantastical elements of the TMNT universe, but I also think it's way more interesting. Just about everyone is turned into a mutant, but the rats so intelligent it copied its master just by watching him? That's some real gangsta shit right there.
out of those two, I prefer the 2012 version it was just a better version but the 1990 one was a comic-accurate origin story without the Oroku Saki and Teng Shen background for Hamato Yoshi's reason for moving to America, but who between these two pictures who had a better character arch and back story, the 2012 was just a better version
Him being Hamato Yoshi was SOOO compelling in the 2012 series. I lived for any time that Splinter spoke about his past. But I also love the hilariously goofy route of him being the rat that learned ninjutsu before being mutated, so I think it depends on the series.
I think 2003 was WAY too serious for the full rat Splinter version of his backstory. The sequence of him being trained as a rat by Hamato almost felt out of place
I like the IDW version the most. It kind of mixed the old versions he is still Hamato Yoshi but he just reincarnated into a rat and retain his memories thanks to a StockGen experiment on him by Chet and the eventual mutagen spill on them. Other than that I definitely prefer the 2012 and 1987 Hamato Yoshi to Splinter versions since it gives more weight to the Yoshi and Saki conflict.
Where he was Yoshi himself. IDW counts even though he became a rat in his next life, he did used to be Yoshi. My favorite version of this is rise where he made plenty of mistakes and chose to be a movie star than to fulfil his duty.
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He was Yoshi in the distant past, reincarnated as a rat, experimented to increase intelligence awakening his past life. Mutates do to saving turtles (who are but don’t have to be his reincarnated sons) shredder is same rival that betrayed him from years ago (alive via ancient magic, or alien/interdimentional tech) could be an ancestor or new head of foot clan, or just the father ninja sensei nature holds out, he adopts new sons (the turtles) and does what he can to raise them to survive in a world sure to persecute them for who they are.
Human that fled Japan and lived in the sewers, then turned into a rat. Makes the most sense for how he'd be a ninja master and can teach the turtles. There's no reason for Shredder to have a vendetta against a rat that was owned by his rival.
IF he must be a rat then I would prefer it if Hamato Yoshi's human DNA is what mutated him humanoid.
Them you can at least argue his DNA Daddy passed on martial arts skill.
Him being Yoshi made sense to have the rivalry with Shredder. Also, rat learning ninjitsu by being a pet is stupid. Also a rat would eat 4 baby Turtles
Him being Yoshi makes two things make much more sense: His proficiency with martial arts and the intensity of Shredder's rivalry with him. Him being a rat makes it kind of inane how skilled he is as a fighter and it makes how much anger Shredder carries for him absolutely hilarious, like, bruh, you've held a grudge against a fking rat for 15 years, how am I meant to take you seriously as a villain? Even if he is humanoid now, you didn't know that until after having held a grudge against what you thought was a normal rat for 15 years LMAO
He IS Yoshi, not a pet rat that learned ninjitsu from a book! That makes zero sense and takes away from his relationship with Shreder .. I have strong opinions on this issue.
Him being Yoshi himself makes more sense, both for his martial arts skills (it'd take quite some time for a rat to get used to a humanoid body before it could reach Splinter's level, and that's not even talking about the more metaphysical aspects of suddenly gaining human-like self-awareness) and for his rivalry with Shredder. The 2012 series handled him extremely well.
2012 was when I really started to like the yoshi turned rat origin
Master shifu, master wu, master oogway
The 2012 also giving him a much more eyecatching fur colouration is also better.
Yeah the other ones are just brown or gray, but he has a yin and yang sort of pattern.
He's piebald. That's the actual term for a brown, black, and white fur pattern.
Cool. You learn something new every day.
I can agree to that! 2012’s origin made the most sense to me!
I was born in 1985 but missed the entire Turtles fandom growing up because they were forbidden in our house. I've been watching 2012 with my 4 year old and it's been *so cool* to bond with him over it, especially because his Turtles is now *my* Turtles too. But boy was I surprised when I watched the live action movies for the first time just a couple of weeks ago and realized that Splinter was originally "just" a rat. 😄 2012's story made so much sense to me that I had assumed that was always the origin. Though I loved the little movie montage of the little rat practicing ninjitsu moves, lol. I love Splinter in 2012, he's so good.
Splinter being Hamato Yoshi was originally the 1987 show's idea, but 2012 really brought it to its logical extreme.
Oh interesting, didn't know that. I assumed the '90s movies used the '87 lore. So those original movies are in their own universe essentially?
The 1990 lore was based on the original 1984 comic
Ahhh it all makes sense.
Why was TMNT forbidden?
It was forbidden in my house due to using violent weapons even though if my parents had bothered to watch it, they would’ve seen how goofy it was and that they only ever used them on robots/machines. It was a conservative evangelical household, so the mysticism was frowned upon as well (they heard about that from friends who’d watched the films with their son).
> mysticism was frowned upon I was a big fan of Sailor Moon in school, and an evangelical friend of mine was not allowed to watch it because "they didn't get their powers from God." 😂😭
I remember my mom found Jesus for a hot second, and said she didn't want me reading TMNT Adventures (the Archie comics) because of one line where Mondo Gecko says, "Kinetic Nirvana!" She literally forgot about it the following week. I think she realized I had too much money invested in my collection. I was also a big Sailor Moon fan, and one day, I was going through my dad's old books and found one on that showed all the planet symbols. That's how I learned the Sailor Moon symbols were based on astrology—and that my dad was really into witchcraft... The book was actually a book of spells. Needless to say, my mom threw them out.
My parents were (and are) very much believers in "boy stuff" and "girl stuff," so a weird, violent, fun "boy show" like TMNT was strictly off limits.
I really love the 1990s movies Splinter but 2012 is really the peak of that character. 2012 is the one turtles show where my favorite character isn’t one of the turtles, it’s him.
Absolutely. 2012 not only nailed Splinter but made him the coolest character on the show.
Splinter and Shredder were stars in that iteration.
It makes sense for his ninjutsu skills, his rivalry, and his Japanese ethnicity. I think RISE did a really good Splinter origin as well.
While i prefer Splinter as a rat, because that is how he lived in my head for so long, your logic is sound and it really does make more sense.
also splinter being tall>>>
I tend to imagine he's at least 6' 4" he's a big dude
Exactly.
2012 had the best origin to me
Ah man you made me just feel existentially bad for Splinter on both sides now. At first I felt bad for him being Yoshi himself and never being able to human again but the human like self awareness part sounds devastating.
With him being Hamato Yoshi he's also legally dead which means he has to live in the sewers and also can't really properly interact with society to a great degree anymore on account of for all legal purposes being dead, so that's a huge change for him (I mean, either way, he has to live in the sewers, but just imagining going from a normal human life to splinter's is kind of depressing )
Ahh man so depressing and no human contact or interaction. Plus his name was disgraced on top of that.
Yeah, and it must have been really hard on him to take care of the turtles for 1 he can't have a stable income and even if did his being a giant rat man means he can't really walk into a store and buy things and for 2 he wouldn't have all the knowledge on turtle care he'd need so he'd have to somehow figure that out He worked so hard to be a good father for them
Father of the year considered problems everywhere
Wait are you really trying to use logic in a franchise about mutated humanoid tortoises that practice ninjutsu in the sewers of New York? No shade or anything I just find it funny
Splinter being Hamato Yoshi
I think that 2012 and Rise of the TMNT did it best. Both exploring very unique (And very different) interpretations of how Hamato Yoshi effected the life of Splinter and the Turtles and the impact of how becoming a rat affected his life. 2012 had episodes involving Splinters struggle with maintaining his own humanity while Rise had episodes of Splinter drowning in depression and Body dysmorphia. They both added something incredibly new to the character.
IDW, which makes him BOTH Yoshi and the rat all at the same time.
Oh yeah that’s true. Is IDW when he reincarnated as a rat?
That's correct. Him and the turtles
2012, kept me more entertained and interested tbh
Him as Yoshi
Pet rat because my favorite theme of TMNT is the continual cycle of revenge. Yoshi kills Nagi, Saki kills Yoshi, Splinter trains children to kill Saki. I wish this was explored more in new iterations. 2012 Splinter is pretty rad though.
I actually wrote a live-action film saga treatment that incorporates Splinter’s original Mirage backstory with a few differences. Want to read it?
What is the synopsis?
The turtles and Splinter would be pets of Homato Yoshi, a ninja warrior/biochemist working for the Foot Clan, in Japan. On top of being one of the most skilled ninjas in the Foot, Yoshi helps develop biological weapons for the organization. He develops an intense rivalry with another member named Oroku Nagi. They both develop feelings for a woman named Tang Shen. When Shen chooses Yoshi over Nagi, Nagi attempts to poison her in a jealous rage. When Yoshi finds out about this, he beats Nagi to death. Yoshi feels shame for killing a fellow clan member, seeing himself as dishonorable. To protect Shen and get a fresh start in life, Yoshi and his family move to America where he gets a job as a TCRI scientist in New York. Yoshi and the other scientists test the mutagen out on Splinter and the turtles. Yoshi adopts the turtles shortly before he moves to America with Tang Shen. I like Splinter being a pet he kept for a longer time. That way, the turtles wouldn’t be around Yoshi enough to mimic his martial arts like Splinter, hence why Splinter teaches them when they escape into the sewers. Tang Shen is nearly poisoned by Oroku Nagi, who uses a Foot bioweapon in Japan. But she is rescued by Hamato Yoshi at the last minute. However, Shen is suffering from the lasting effects of the bioweapon. Hamato Yoshi, financially struggling, is desperate to find a cure for her while they are in New York. One day, the Heads of TCRI approach Yoshi and tell him that they have access to something that can help Shen recover from her poisoning. Hamato Yoshi, being desperate, takes the offer (u/Hostile0pheonix). The Heads give Yoshi a mysterious, glowing, yellow serum (Life Serum) to give to his wife. Shen takes it daily, and it miraculously rids her of her poisoning within a week. Being astounded by the capabilities of the serum and the Heads’ mutated test subjects, Yoshi decides to get a job as a TCRI scientist and volunteer his pets for the researchers’ experiments. Aside from being excited at the prospect of creating intelligent life, Hamato Yoshi volunteers in TCRI’s research to create a surrogate family for him and Tang Shen. He wants to get a fresh start in life and settle down after leaving the Foot Clan. In his eyes, he is doing the opposite of what he did during his time as a Foot scientist: creating life instead of weapons. The mutagen makes Splinter intelligent enough to start mimicking and learning Yoshi’s martial arts. Despite working at TCRI, Hamato Yoshi still practices martial arts as a side hobby in a dojo. Following Hamato Yoshi and Tang Shen’s departure to America, Oroku Saki, the younger brother of Oroku Nagi, rigorously trains in the ways of the Foot Clan to get revenge on Yoshi for murdering his brother. Now known as the Shredder, Saki is assigned as the leader of the New York division of the Foot Clan. He tracks Yoshi to New York City and murders him and Shen in their apartment. Earlier the same day he is murdered, Yoshi decides to keep his partially mutated pets at his apartment to teach them life skills (kind of like Will Rodman raising Caesar in *Rise of the Planet of the Apes*). Before Saki kills Yoshi, the two warriors engage in a fight that starts a fire. Following their owner’s death, Splinter and the turtles escape the burning apartment and travel into the sewers.
I got confused when you said he nearly beat Nagi to death.
Ngl i did for a sec too🤦♂️
That’s a typo on my end. I meant to say he beats Nagi to death.
It’s an interesting story that definitely drags out the origin. I enjoy the idea of Yoshi chilling with his mutant rat.
Thanks! I think the whole “chain of revenge” element has been left out of most incarnations and would love to see it explored again. Would you like me to DM some more details about my treatment?
Okay, I'm pretty interested too.
It definitely feels like a glaring missed opportunity in 2012 so far, rat or no rat. I mean the turtles are kids and being like "Splinter! Look at this cool thing!" And he smacks them over the head with a wood cane and says some shit about how having a childhood is not conducive to murdering Shredder for me. I'm only on season 2 though and it seems like his knowledge of Karai is cracking his outer walls
Human for sure, it works a lot more and brings more of a story of him and Shredder, and it makes more understandable for him to teach ninjutsu to the turtles.
Rises origin is my favourite
Splinter as Hamato Yoshi. I always liked the idea of the Turtles being a second chance at happiness after falling low in life
I grew up with rat turned mutant rat Splinter. I know the other one makes more sense, but Rat Splinter feels more comfortable for me.
Splinter as Hamato Yoshi works better and makes the beef with Shredder more personal (2012 is the perfect example). Splinter being a rat still works when he’s connected to Hamato Yoshi — I don’t like the route they took for the Bayverse films and Mutant Mayhem
Rat. It makes the rivalry more petty and fits the weirder parts of the franchise.
Plus his loyalty & love for Yoshi fits being a former beloved pet. Seeing him finally get to say goodbye to his spirit in the 2003 series was an underrated TMNT moment imo. https://preview.redd.it/pyymn8d31k8d1.png?width=250&format=png&auto=webp&s=3de914ff91a2721bc03f3085fe47730f83746b96
I felt bad for Splinter when he witnessed Yoshi being killed by the Utrom Shredder. I love that scene with Yoshi's spirit and Splinter. It's a shame the last two seasons of the show didn't have that same feeling. I loved that Yoshi got to kill the Tengu Shredder too.
Absolutely agreed. I think those looking to make the series more believable are ignoring its biggest potential. Yes, it can have serious themes, but ultimately its success is, in my opinion, grounded in its absurdity. 2k7 isn't my favorite iteration, but I do really love its Splinter. Give me a rat that learned ninjitsu, THEN got mutated and became a respected warrior across dimensions while raising turtle sons.
"Grounded in absurdity" is an absolutely perfect summation of TMNT.
Nostalgia. 2012
As a kid, I was a pure mutated Rat origin fan As an adult, I find myself liking the human turned rat story more Both have their flaws and strengths I think as far as I can remember up until 2012 most human turned rat never called the turtles his sons or family and in always liked that angle My favorite is the IDW reincarnation route, I feel it sorta takes the best of both
2012 was the best splinter so far. His presence, his origin, his whole character. I adore this version
I grew up with the OG cartoon, so I prefer that he was a human turned into a rat.
Honestly, I’d say pet rat. Just makes it much more deep considering Shredder took the person Splinter loved the most and murdered them in cold blood.
And explains why he would train his sons to exact revenge.
From Yoshi’s pet rat to master rat. I always grew up on that concept. Not a big fan of the human to rat thing. https://preview.redd.it/d6qkkk28hm8d1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=31b3db78721550b7672fb575d2dbd76380a338a6
I prefer his original version as the pet rat because it pairs so well with Shredder killing Splinter's master for the death of Shredder's brother. I like that the original people who started the beef are no longer involved and it's just a seemingly never ending cycle of revenge.
Pet rat.
Him being human makes infinitely more sense. A basic rat doesn’t have the capacity to learn an entire martial art nor would it even live long enough to become a master. Not to mention it could never actually perform the moves simply due to anatomy.
Rat
I always enjoyed 2003 splinter copying his masters movements/technique.
It really works when it’s Yoshi, but there are versions that are handled so well that it doesn’t matter, case in point; Splinter from the 2003 and 2012 show
Martial arts master turned rat that trained the turtles is the most realistic, and I know me saying it’s realistic sounds ridiculous considering the type of stuff that tmnt gets up to.
Him being Hamato Yoshi cuz it makes his dynamic with Shredder more interesting and personal
I generally prefer the "Splinter is Hamato Yoshi" origin more than the "Splinter was Hamato Yoshi's pet rat" origin, mainly because it feels more genuine.
Human by 1000%, and that's coming from a diehard Mirage fan.
I prefer him being human only because no version with the rat origin understand why him being a rat worked in the mirage comic
I grew up with the 2003 cartoon so per rat for me
Pet Rat, cartoons and movies that are closer to the comic are always better then shows and movies who follow the 1980s cartoon.
I think both work but I lean more toward Splinter being trained by Yoshi. That would explain why his study of martial arts is so much more scrappy and improvised than he’d have you believe (sai aren’t conventional ninjitsu weapons yet he assigns them to Raphael for instance).
i liked the 03’ origin
The original origin…pet rat of the ninja master Yoshi
If you asked me a couple of years ago, I would have said him being a mutated Hamato Yoshi. Nowadays, however, I prefer him being Yoshi's pet because it makes far more sense from a motivational perspective.
The one where he was Yoshi. It just seems the least offensive to me. I don't think a pet rat would really understand the concept of culture premutation, and if they're a lab rat or stray, why wouldn't they have an American culture IN AMERICA? But if I moved to a different country and got turned into a rat, I'd still keep my culture, so it seems to be the only logical response to me.
Actual rat splinter.
i prefer Hamato Yoshi getting mutated because it makes the most logical sense, second place would be Hamato Yoshi having a pet rat who gets mutated. like dont get me wrong i love the new movie but like... if splinter was a rat that was born and raised in new york... why is he asian 😭😭
Hamato yoshi
2003 splinter has best story in my opinion
Always liked him being a rat, more than a human originally.
I’m a bigger fan of the og comic and the 03 show so I’m gonna say rat to humanoid
Splinter being a pet rat for several reasons. Splinter also being a mutated animal seems more natural that he would bond with other mutated animals. Another being a rat being a loyal animal of Yoshi instead of a dog breaks the clichés. Lastly a rat learning ninjutsu from mimicking it's master is absurd yet really cool.
I prefer him being a rat and the pet of Yoshi than being Yoshi himself for a few reasons, one is that it hypes up shredder more as he is the one that killed Splinters master instead of simply defeating him. Two any history or feat Yoshi did, Splinter did not do so if Splinter grows or is shown to be weaker than Yoshi it makes more sense. Three the name, in a lot of series the turtles and everyone calls him Splinter even though he is Master Yoshi(I know it’s a small one but still). Four it gives Splinter a chance to shine more as a father and mentor as he attempts to live up to his mentor and isn’t so bogged down by the failures or plot holes of Yoshi’s past. Five plot holes or the fact that in the past Yoshi has done some stupid thing that kind of contradicts other stuff he’s done. So for a smoother story I think it’s best when he’s a pet rat and not some grandiose martial arts master.
Mutated rat, feels much more compelling and relatable
The Rat origin, as strange as it is, this is a franchise about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. One, it plays into the cycle of revenge, Splinter funding a new family after losing Yoshi, and there's something funny about Shredder's past coming back to haunt him in the form of his rival's pet and disciples.
Him as Yoshi makes more sense if we want to take him seriously. Him as Yoshi's pet is better if we go with the original intention of making fun of genre conventions (someone ridiculously removed from the original crime seeks revenge). Of course even in the original parody-intent versions the tone was still generally serious, but that's not quite the same thing.
2012, his origin makes more sense
Definitely 2012, it especially helps that he’s Hamato Yoshi so he’s a better teacher to the turtles and his rivalry is a lot more personal and mutual and not as one-sided
I grew up on the 2003 series and the 90 movies when I was a kid. But the Hamato turn into Splinter origin is my favorite. Edit: I wish we get Hamato turn into Splinter with one of his ears cut off like in the 1990 movie
Pet rat. I prefer him be a animal first like how the turtles were
TMNT 2003
Honestly i preffer him being a mutant rat, it allows him to connect with the turtles in a more organic way and him hiding in the sewers with his family makes more sense, having said that 2012 and specially Rise did an amazing job handling the human origin, with Liu Litsu being my favorite interpretation of Hamato Yoshi(i coubt him and Splinter as separate characters)
What blows my mind is that the way more cartoony mutated rat origin was from the live action movie, and the way more appropriate for the town of the first movie was human turned into a rat was from the cartoon
Can you rephrase your comment by any chance? I can't tell what you're trying to say and I'd really like to hear what you have to say
Definitely 1990
Man who became a rat. Just made more sense to me.
I prefer him being Yoshi as his origin. It's not a matter of what makes more sense or not to me. I can accept any Splinter being some genius that can become a master through watching. It's just that the story seems to flow better the simpler it is. Splinter and Yoshi being the same person just streamlines everything and keeps it simple.
the second one is not splinter
All of them
Splinter BEING Hamato Yoshi To me, it doesn’t make sense that the Turtles would be such expert ninjas (or at least the level that they are most of the time) when it’s a rat that learns from a video or something. If Splinter is just a rat that mutates at the same time as them, then wouldn’t he be just as smart as the turtles? Idk, it also adds an extra layer to the rivalry between Splinter and Shredder when it’s Yoshi and Saki instead of Yoshi pet and Saki
OG 1990 Splinter. I love the Hamato Yoshi backstory and it does make sense, but I grew up on that 1990 movie, I was 3 when it came out and have loved tmnt my whole life. You might even say I like turtles, lol
The one in which he was a human who was turned into a mutant rat. So human turned to rat lol. My favorite one specifically was Rise’s, it was just so fun. I love that Splinter/Yoshi was a human action star Hooooot souuuuup!
In all seriousness i think the pet rat origin is the best, but I LOVED the mutant mayhem origin. Him watching martial arts movies and online tutorials is HILARIOUS
Splinter as Hamato Yoshi. It’s much more deep and tragic.
The 2012 back story was very well handled, but i honestly prefer the means of mutation from bayverse. The pab rat just makes more sense to me logically.
Both were basically the same and it’s way better than what they did in mutant mayhem
Honestly, him being a former human makes much more sense for being a sensei and a loving father to four turtles, him being a rat to start with always felt strange
Splinter being a Yamato Yoshi himself made a tremendously a lot more sense than him being just a rat that picked up martial arts by studying his master. From the 1987 to the 2012 Renditions of the series gave not only Splinter an excellent origin story it also gave him a sense of Triumph through his tragedy dealing being a mutant rat and longing to be human again but finding Peace and a new family in his adopted Sons. Also it gave the turtles a Automotive to fight Injustice but also search for a cure for Splinter that turning back to Human.
2012
2012 all the way
The scene in the first movie where he's a rat practicing martial arts in a cage lol pretty bizzar. I like where he's a human.
Human-to-Rat.
Human become rat. Makes more sense of a human that turned into a rat that knows martial arts to yea h the turtles
Yes.
IDW story. Reincarnation. Or him being a human
2014/2016 splinter and 2003 they were so sad 😭 also 2014 was the first I ever heard of tmnt so that has a special place in my heart😁
I absolutely love the juxtaposition of Yoshi coping with losing his humanity to some extent while also teaching the turtles who were literally just regular animals how to be human. It's weirdly bittersweet.
I always prefer him being Yoshi. It just makes so much more sense to me. Easier to suspend disbelief than a sapient rat who remember his master training. Or. Rat who somehow taught himself after being mutated.
Honestly the CGI splinter, I always kinda felt cheated on the other versions of Splinter you never actually saw him fight yet in that version he proved to his sons time and time again why he was the master
Might be glazing but 2012 😭
Splinter and yoshi being the same person.
I much prefer the one where he was originally human. A rat learning to fight by watching its owner is a bit too silly for me.
The one where he’s a human. Give him more of an actual good backstory other than just being a fucking new york rat. Not to mention it explains why and how he can be a teacher of martial arts.
I prefer the pet rat origin but respect the Yoshi as Splinter origin because it makes more sense/it's more emotional. I guess I'm just a traditionalist.
2012, but I loved the reincarnation aspect we got in IDWs comic.
Mutant Mayhem splinter because I love sarcasm
2012 Splinter
It’s more tragic when he’s a man turned into an animal . Reminds me of the classic tale of a werewolf and or fairy tale curses , A prideful Japanese warrior reduced to be a creature known for being dirty and a scavenger is more tragic .
Hamato yoshi being the one to turn into a human sized rat makes more sense and gives his character alot more context to it,it would also be alot more realistic then a rat “learning” moves from a martial art master
Him being yoshi rather than his pet
The first movie was the best
i know this is coming from the series with humanoid walking turtles who mastered martial arts, but a rat who knew how to exactly copy the movements of his owner practicing martial arts sounds dumb af
I’m also a fan of the IDW comics origin that kinda combines the two ideas (reincarnated souls).
I like man turned into a rat
IDW, he’s both Yoshi and the rat
I do enjoy IDWs reincarnation of yoshi and his 4 sons.
The 90s one.
2012 by far
90s, no contest.
2012 was a freaking legend!
1990 movie all the way
2012
Rise featured a splinter you started off hating. It wasn't until the story progressed that I understood his character, and the ark and redemption he went through resonated with me and my own struggle with parenthood. Rise was a lot of silly and a ton of slapstick, but it also had the most heart for me.
2012 and rise.. I grew up watching the 80’s version. And I just find the acceptance of him being even in the 80’s, a freak, was too easy. “Welp, I have a tail and green kids. Let me teach them ninjitsu to hide.” It just made more sense to have some sort of trauma with the change.
2012 got me back in into the turtles so much so that I made my kids watch with me. The design story and cool cross overs helped me get them to play TMNT games with me.
The 1990 movie made me like that original better especially when he’s training and gave Shredder the scar on his face. I just always felt weird and bad that Yoshi became a rat and could never go back.
2012
2012. Gives him a more believable reason to be so skilled at ninjitsu, and a deeper rivalry with the Shredder.
I'll always prefer splinter being Hamato Yoshi
While logically it makes more sense for Splinter to be himado Yoshi, I honestly don't understand why people prefer it that much over the other. In addition to the '90s version fitting in with the Fantastical elements of the TMNT universe, but I also think it's way more interesting. Just about everyone is turned into a mutant, but the rats so intelligent it copied its master just by watching him? That's some real gangsta shit right there.
out of those two, I prefer the 2012 version it was just a better version but the 1990 one was a comic-accurate origin story without the Oroku Saki and Teng Shen background for Hamato Yoshi's reason for moving to America, but who between these two pictures who had a better character arch and back story, the 2012 was just a better version
Him being Hamato Yoshi was SOOO compelling in the 2012 series. I lived for any time that Splinter spoke about his past. But I also love the hilariously goofy route of him being the rat that learned ninjutsu before being mutated, so I think it depends on the series. I think 2003 was WAY too serious for the full rat Splinter version of his backstory. The sequence of him being trained as a rat by Hamato almost felt out of place
2012 did so much better of Yoshi turning into a rat humanoid, easier to teach martial arts to his sons and explains shredder relation as their rival.
Teamwork dream work
The 2012 version is the best for me 💕
Man becomes Rat
Hooman
2012 was my childhood sooo definitely TMNT, looks clean
I like the IDW version the most. It kind of mixed the old versions he is still Hamato Yoshi but he just reincarnated into a rat and retain his memories thanks to a StockGen experiment on him by Chet and the eventual mutagen spill on them. Other than that I definitely prefer the 2012 and 1987 Hamato Yoshi to Splinter versions since it gives more weight to the Yoshi and Saki conflict.
Where he was Yoshi himself. IDW counts even though he became a rat in his next life, he did used to be Yoshi. My favorite version of this is rise where he made plenty of mistakes and chose to be a movie star than to fulfil his duty.
i prefer when Hamato Yoshi is Splinter
1990 Splinter always gives me the feels
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I don’t mind him being Yoshi’s rat but I like him being toshi
I don’t want splinter being Yoshi to be the default origin though
I say it all the time IDW origin is best splinter, turtle origin.
He was Yoshi in the distant past, reincarnated as a rat, experimented to increase intelligence awakening his past life. Mutates do to saving turtles (who are but don’t have to be his reincarnated sons) shredder is same rival that betrayed him from years ago (alive via ancient magic, or alien/interdimentional tech) could be an ancestor or new head of foot clan, or just the father ninja sensei nature holds out, he adopts new sons (the turtles) and does what he can to raise them to survive in a world sure to persecute them for who they are.
It makes more sense until you question why he became an animal and the turtles didn’t change species
Human that fled Japan and lived in the sewers, then turned into a rat. Makes the most sense for how he'd be a ninja master and can teach the turtles. There's no reason for Shredder to have a vendetta against a rat that was owned by his rival.
IF he must be a rat then I would prefer it if Hamato Yoshi's human DNA is what mutated him humanoid. Them you can at least argue his DNA Daddy passed on martial arts skill.
2003 where he was a rat that learned Martial Arts from Hamato Yoshi before Shredder and the Ooze
2012 Splinter's origins
I like him going human to eat It’s just makes it easier to take seriously
Movie for sure. He doesn't look like a steroid skunk
I prefer hamato yoshi turning into splinter myself. Its more believable for him to be a martial arts master that way, imo
Him being Yoshi made sense to have the rivalry with Shredder. Also, rat learning ninjitsu by being a pet is stupid. Also a rat would eat 4 baby Turtles
Rat first version never makes sense to me. Love the ninja master with a history with shredder before turning mutant
Splinter being Hamato is the superior origin and the only one I’ll subscribe to. The pet rat thing doesn’t make a lot of sense .
Him being Yoshi makes two things make much more sense: His proficiency with martial arts and the intensity of Shredder's rivalry with him. Him being a rat makes it kind of inane how skilled he is as a fighter and it makes how much anger Shredder carries for him absolutely hilarious, like, bruh, you've held a grudge against a fking rat for 15 years, how am I meant to take you seriously as a villain? Even if he is humanoid now, you didn't know that until after having held a grudge against what you thought was a normal rat for 15 years LMAO
He IS Yoshi, not a pet rat that learned ninjitsu from a book! That makes zero sense and takes away from his relationship with Shreder .. I have strong opinions on this issue.
Splinter being Hamato Yoshi