Where would the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles be without their Master Splinter? Even dating back to the earliest comics, Splinter not only was responsible for raising them after they were doused with the ooze that transformed them all, but he trained them in the ways of ninjutsu.
Splinter's training is vital for the Turtles, but where did he get his skills? The answer to that depends on the different medium the Turtles are in, but he's always one of the best martial artists no matter the universe, helping his sons understand that there is always more to learn, and how they can always get better.
10 Whether He Is A Human Or Rat Changes Based On Which Medium He's In
Splinter’s origin varies depending on the medium, but there are two main ones that tend to be used. In the original live-action films and the 2003 cartoon, he starts out as a rat who learns martial arts by watching his master, who’s eventually slain by the Foot Clan’s leader, The Shredder.
In the 1987 cartoon though, Splinter is originally Hamato Yoshi, who lost the Foot Clan to Oroku Saki, and fled to the U.S. While in the U.S., he came into contact with some strange ooze while saving a group of turtles. The ooze causes whoever touches it to take on properties of the last thing it touched, which makes the Turtles more like humans, while Yoshi goes on to touch some rats and turn into Hamato Splinter.
9 In The IDW Comics, He Becomes The Head Of The Foot Clan
In the IDW comics, Splinter has a deeper tie to the Foot Clan than usual. There, he’s actually the reincarnation of Hamato Yoshi from hundreds of years ago. In that universe, Saki has Yoshi and his sons (who would eventually reincarnate as the Turtles) killed due to Yoshi's questioning of his leadership.
Eventually, the ageless Shredder would battle Splinter for control of the Foot Clan in the modern-day... and be defeated. In the aftermath, Splinter would take control of the Foot Clan, becoming its new leader and leaving Leonardo to lead the rest of their family.
8 The 2010 Live-Action Splinter Is Voiced By Tony Shalhoub
Thus far, there have been two different Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live-action film franchises. The original trilogy is the most beloved, partially due to nostalgia and due to the incredible design work and the ability to perfectly split things between the comedic bent of the cartoon and the gritty tone people knew from the comics.
In the first two films of that trilogy, Splinter is voiced by Kevin Clash, also known as Elmo. In the newer duology, which has its own fans, Splinter is voiced by Tony Shalhoub, known for a variety of roles but primarily for his part in the USA Network show, Monk.
7 In The 1987 Cartoon, Splinter Becomes Human Again
In the 1987 cartoon, Splinter was finally allowed to become a human again in the episode “Splinter No More.” In that episode, Donatello had enough of the ooze to reverse-engineer its effects and allow Splinter to have another chance at being Hamato Yoshi again.
With a simple spray, Splinter was able to transform into a human again, but the spray wore off after only a few hours. After experiencing the human world for a time though, he realizes he has no desire to ever become a human again and decides to remain with his students rather than try to become human again.
6 Splinter Once Defeated The Rat King By Taking Over His Robotic Rats
There's no shortage of Turtles' villains in the 1987 cartoon, though some of them are less than good. In the season four episode of the series, “Splinter Vanishes,” the Turtles and Splinter get into it with the Rat King. At several points in the early parts of the series, the Rat King was able to control Splinter because of him being part-rat. By "Splinter Vanishes," not only is he able to resist this, but he’s able to take control of the Rat King’s rats as well.
With Splinter’s help, the Turtles are able to foil the Rat King’s plans and command them to destroy the robots he and Leatherhead are using to take over the city.
5 The Splinter From The 1987 Cartoon Is Terrified Of Cats
In the season two episode of the 1987 series, “The Cat Woman From Channel Six,” April is turned into a cat after having her DNA partially crossed with a feline because of a teleporter.
The episode featured a ton of cats in general, including Donatello trying to hold off a tiger with his staff, but eventually one of the cats made their way to the Turtles’ home base. Despite being a simple house cat, Splinter narrowly manages to chase it off before admitting that’s the only thing that actually makes him scared.
4 Splinter’s Voice Actor For The 2012 Cartoon Was Shredder
The world of voice acting is always fascinating to observe, as people will often play characters that are either similar to who they were in another role or someone that’s completely the opposite.
When the Ninja Turtles made a comeback in 2012 on Nickelodeon, the role of Splinter was voiced by Hoon Lee, who’d played a variety of roles in cartoons and live-action over the years. In 2019 however, the actor was called on to play Oroku Saki in the latest Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, making him both the Turtles’ greatest ally and their greatest opponent.
3 When In His Rat Form, Splinter Has Night Vision
The original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would try to imply that human characters that were turned into animals would also take on some of the characteristics of whatever animals they were merged with.
April, when she became a cat, couldn’t help walking like a cat and even made cat noises. As for Splinter, in "Splinter No More," he points out that he’s been able to help out the Turtles with the use of his night vision, which would definitely make someone a superior ninja.
2 He Fused With Alfred In The Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Comics
In the comics, there are three different Batman/TMNT crossover storylines. Each one shows the characters interacting in each other’s world, with the exception of the last one. That one shows the Turtles and the Batman worlds being fused together, weakening both worlds in response.
Batman becomes a student of the Splinter, who himself is fused with Alfred, and is responsible for taking Batman in and training him alongside the other Turtles.
1 In The 2003 Cartoon, Splinter Became Battle Nexus Champion
In the 2003 TMNT series, the main characters learn that Splinter isn’t just their father, but also a warrior that’s known throughout the universe as the Battle Nexus Champion.
He wins the first time in honor of his master Hamato Yoshi and then attempts to compete a second time without his children knowing, trying to keep them safe from the dangers of the tournament. In the end, Splinter surrenders by allowing one of his children to pass on to try to win instead.