Master Splinter has a pretty big role in Ninja Turtles. After all the turtles evolved, he became the father figure they were looking for and taught the turtles martial arts in his own way.
Master Splinter, with his unique features, became a very popular character with the turtles. So, how much do we know about this wise master? In order to answer this question, we have compiled some interesting little-known facts about Master Splinter.
Interesting facts about Master Splinter in Ninja Turtles:
Whether Splinter is a human or a mouse depends on the environment:
Splinter’s origin may vary depending on its environment. But there is one thing that is clear. In the original movies and in the 2003 cartoon, he is killed by Shredder, the master of Splinter, the leader of the Foot Clan. Splinter, on the other hand, learns martial arts by following in the footsteps of his slain master. But at the time of these events, he is a mouse. In the 1987 cartoon, things were told a little differently. Splinter is known as Hamato Yoshi in this universe and has lost the leadership of the Foot Clan to Oroku Saki. Upon these events, Hamato Yoshi flees to America. While in America, he comes into contact with a chemical spill while rescuing a group of turtles. This leak causes the person who touched it to take on the properties of the last thing they touched. He humanizes the turtles because Hamato touched them, and turns Hamato into Hamato Splinter because he last touched the mouse.
In the IDW comics, Master becomes head of the Splinter Foot Clan:
Compared to other universes, Splinter’s bond with the Foot Clan in the IDW comics is quite deep. Splinter in this universe is the reincarnation of Hamato Yoshi hundreds of years ago. Existing in this universe, Saki kills Yoshi and his sons for questioning his leadership. Yoshi’s sons are later reincarnated as turtles. As we reach modern times, Shredder is as usual trying to take the lead of the Foot Clan and is fighting Splinter for it. But the winner of this war is Splinter and he takes over the Foot Clan. In the future, Splinter leaves the leadership of the family to Leonardo.
Tony Shalhoub voices Splinter in the 2010 movie:
Today, Ninja Turtles has two different movie series. The first trilogy film is much more nostalgic, original, and is more popular because it reveals bold designs that we’ve seen and known from the comics. In the first two films of this trilogy, Master Splinter is voiced by Kevin Clash, also known as Elvin. Tony Shalhoub, known for his various roles, voices Splinter in the more modern series with its own audience.
Splinter becomes human again in the 1987 cartoon:
An episode called “Splinter no More” was aired in an episode of Ninja Turtles’ cartoon in 1987. In this episode aired, Splinter was finally able to regain his human form. The smartest of the turtles, Donatello, reversed the effect of the chemical that had mutated them on Splinter, turning him back into Hamato Yoshi. Splinter was able to be human again with a simple spray made by Donatello. But the effect of the spray was temporary. Yoshi, who experiences the world as a human again in the short time he has, realizes that he does not want to be human and decides to give up this desire and live with his students.
Splinter defeated the Rat King by capturing his robotic mice:
Ninja Turtles’ 1987 cartoon villains have always been controversial. In the episode titled “Splinter Vanishes”, the Turtles, Splinter and Rat King set out on the same path. But at a point, Rat King starts to control Splinter because some of Splinter is a mouse, and things get out of hand for a while. Of course, with the help of the turtles in the following episodes, everything falls into place and the Rat King’s plans are disrupted. Splinter’s resistance to Rat King and his control of his rats plays a major role in these events.
Splinter in the 1987 cartoon was afraid of cats:
An episode called “The Cat Woman From Channel Six” was aired in the 1987 cartoon of Ninja Turtles. In this aired episode, April’s DNA is accidentally crossed with a cat by a teleporter, and April is partially transformed into a cat. This episode featured cats of all kinds, including tigers. One of these cats managed to reach the turtles’ base, although it was purely by chance. Although the incoming cat was just a simple house cat, it had managed to frighten Splinter.
The voice actor of Splinter in the cartoon released in 2012 was Shredder:
It has always been interesting to observe the world of sound artists. It is enjoyable to see artists in different roles all the time. When Ninja Turtles returned to Nickelodeon in 2012 with their new season, Splinter’s voice actor was Hoon Lee, whom we have known from many cartoons and movies for many years. However, the same actor voiced Oroku Saki in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 2019. The fact that the artist took on both roles enabled him to be in the category of both enemy and friend.
Splinter gets night vision in mouse form:
When Ninja Turtles first came out, he would also try to explain that people who turn into animals will take on some specific characteristics of the animal they turn into. For example, April would make cat noises or have a cat-like walking style in an episode where she turned into a cat. Similarly in Splinter, mice helped turtles with one of their special abilities, their good night vision. This is definitely a feature that will make someone who is a “ninja” powerful.
He teamed up with Alfred in the Batman/Ninja Turtles comic:
It’s not uncommon for Batman and the Ninja Turtles to come together. In the comics, there are three different scenarios where the two universes merge. Nearly each of these stories shows characters interacting in different worlds. In one of these universes, Batman becomes a student of Splinter, who is united with Alfred, and the power arising from the union of these two trains both Batman and the turtles tremendously.
He was the Splinter Battle Nexus champion in the 2003 cartoon:
In a 2003 episode of Ninja Turtles, the turtles learn that Splinter is the Battle Nexus champion in addition to being their master and father. When he won the tournament for the first time, he entered for honor and won. In the second entrance, he entered without knowing his children and his aim is to protect his children from the dangers of the tournament.
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