#shredder and splinter keep calling one another their “ancient enemy”

[duz-machines-87]

i may not be very far into tmnt 87 yet. but every time the turtles are faced with even the smallest amount of resistance, Leo keeps going "at least we'll go down fighting!" and I think that's concerning of him.

[rad-squillz]

ROTTMNT Theory - The Original Hamato Family

Back when the Shredder first came to be, we all know of the woman who finally defeated him. 

But what if she didn't do it alone?

My theory is that all those 500 years ago when the Shredder was defeated, the lady we see defeat Shreddy was the head of the Hamato Clan. She had 4 children like Splinter, but not 4 sons (or daughters because that'd be too stereotypical). She had an two sons and twin daughters, living in a world alongside yokai in peace (I know the whole controversy with Leo and Don being twins is intense, but with this, it works). And if the episode synopsises stay true to form for E-Turtle Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Shreddy Or Not, we'll see these five in the past, training and maybe the original battle with the Shredder. Or, and this is one of my biggest hopes, connect and talk with the current Hamato-Jitsu family as spirits. It doesn't even have to be in battle, just in hanging out in the lair together and chatting. (However with the gif on Friday of the sewers being destroyed, that may not happen. 😢) But with the new gif of the boys with the glowing Hamato symbols on their plastrons (HUGE NINJA TRIBUNAL VIBES, THANK YOU), the "connecting with the spirits of their ancient family" part could still be plausible. 

Now onto the actual bios I have for the original Hamato family I have in my mind:

The head of the Hamato Clan, Miwa, is more of a serious sensei than Splinter when it comes to training, but she does have her moments of chill and playfulness as her teenage children and next generation Hamato ninjas. She never lets anything get in the way of her enjoying her tea, even the sometimes destructive antics of her children. Know how people compare Splinter to Uncle Iroh from Avatar the Last Airbender, minus the great love for tea? Well Miwa is like Uncle Iroh with the tea, and obviously a woman. 😂 

Next up is Shouta, the eldest child and son at 15. Strong and buff, but his heart is soft like a marshmallow, just like Raph. When he's not training or being total goofs with one of his sisters and his younger brother, he's often out in the nearby fields and woods. He's either being completely in-tune with nature or caring for any injured woodland creatures he may come across. There's rarely ever a day that goes by he doesn't try to bring home a bird or bunny to keep as a pet, only to either be denied no or fail to keep it a secret. While he's big and strong, he can be somewhat of a crybaby. He can't stand scary things or stories. But you lay one finger or hurt the feelings of anyone in his family or clan, be prepared to suffer his wrath in one good punch. His weapon of choice are steel tekkō, the medieval Japanese version of brass knuckles. 

Then there's the Leo of the group, one of the 14 year-old twin girls, Yuki. She's somewhat cocky, very talkative, and plays the occasional harmless prank. She finds the ability to make jokes while in battle with either cause her enemies to laugh themselves into letting their guard down, or underestimate her fighting abilities. It's usually the second theory because her jokes are more often than not only funny to her. Because while there are times she can't stop making snarky battle remarks, that doesn't mean she isn't a master-in-the-making with her twin katana. She never leaves home without her trusty navy blue scarf, even trains with it. It's the only way to tell her apart from her twin sister, other than how she wears her hair, in high twin ponytails. She's lightning quick with her blades and how her siblings wished it wasn't her mouth as well. 

Yuko, the genius and prodigy weapon smith, is the girl that Donnie would want to hang around with if they were alive at the same period of time. They're both incredibly book smart and create inventions, like armor or weapons. She wears her hair in a single high ponytail. While she loves and cares for her sister and would help out with a twin prank once or five times, she hates being compared to Yuki. They look alike, even sound alike. Yuko considers herself a cultured and poised individual, not like her usually-not-so serious twin, or even her brothers. But she would go to the ends of the universe before she let anything happen to her crazy siblings. She outfitted a chigiriki staff in metal instead of wood and made the chain longer with a lighter weighted end. She employs highly-thought out strategy in her fighting. Being a distance, she can calculate for variables that can be missed when fighting directly in the face with an enemy. Using the environment, figuring out any potential weaknesses, anything that can prove useful. She never lets anything go unchecked in anything in her life, in and outside of battle. 

Lastly is Minato. Nicknamed Mi-chan, this artistic ninja loves to paint scenery and sew. When he was younger, he would often be teased for things that usually girls did or learned, even wore his hair like how his sisters did sometimes. Not to mention be called Minako, a girl's name that sounded incredibly similar to his. But his family helped him ignore them and keep being who he liked to be. Don't let anyone put out your optimism like water to fire, keep burning bright how you want to. He may give off the vibe that he's too cheerful and carefree, but he's not unintelligent and his siblings will defend that honor against any bully who dares oppose it. He definitely doesn't skimp out on any of his training either. He's fast, flexible, and 13 just like Mikey and even has a similar weapon to his. He could easily sweep any enemy of their feet or disarm them of any weapons with his kusurigama. His favorite battle strategy is using the enemy's size and strength(s) against them. He loves to see the good in people first, but if you denounce that chance, say bye-bye. If he and Mikey ever met, he would happily exclaim, "Yay, we have another Mi-chan in the family!" 

Now this is where it gets angsty. This part won't happen for sure in the show if something even remotely like this theoretical family happens, too bloody and dark. Each of the teens got an injury from the Shredder when facing off against him. Shouta got slashed on his right eye and side of his face. Yuko got slashed on her back, to the point of near paralyzation. Mi-chan lost his left arm from the elbow down. And Yuki...had her throat slashed; she lived but she couldn't speak again. That is when her scarf became more relevant than ever. Each of them survived this battle, including Miwa, who received the most fatal injury...but it wasn't physical. That will be revealed later! When they all eventually died, their injuries were healed but became eternal scars on their spirits. Yuki, however, wasn't as lucky as Shouta regaining eyesight in his right eye, Mi-chan getting his left arm back, and Yuko walking properly again. She can't speak normally, only telepathically. You can tell when she's speaking her voice into someone's mind because her eyes glow when does, and stop glowing when she stops talking. 

Oh if only this could happen, or something similar to it with not all of these details, I would be the happiest fan. Maybe I'll draw them, if I have the motivation...and the talent. Hope you all enjoyed my theories and OCs!

[theamazingsallyhogan]

A lot of people have been talking about how the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics added a  “fifth” turtle. A girl.  Lots of people have been pretty psyched.

But of course this is changing something beloved, so there’s been a lot of... misconceptions.  Let me clarify!

Jennika was driven to life on the streets.  Seeing her father’s abusive nature too many times, she chose to escape that life - dodging a bottle as she left.

Her clashes with the police brought her to the attention of a young man with more experience being homeless. He helped her to survive and enjoy life between the cracks.  

But the relationship soured. Money was tight, and before long, against her protests, he was committing armed robberies... eventually demanding her help. Her first and only outing ended as the trigger-happy gunman shot a man. Jennika stayed behind, still trying to help as police arrived.

She was an easy target in prison, and that might have been the end of her story, but an imprisoned ninja came to her defense. 

The ninja became more than just a protector, however. She became a true friend and mentor, teaching Jennika martial arts and the ways of the ancient and secretive Foot Clan. Jennika found a strength and sense of belonging unlike anything she’d ever known. Together, the two hatched a plan to escape.

But what should have been a moment of triumph turned into tragedy.  As Jennika celebrated her first steps outside the prison walls, her mentor was struck down from behind, killed by a prisoner that had followed them - payback for protecting Jennika earlier.

Alone once more, Jennika tracked down the Foot Clan and presented herself. She was accepted into their ranks and further trained, ultimately using her new skills to avenge her mentor.

Jennika embraced her new life, rising in rank to become a respected assassin. She found strength, purpose, and a home.  And then her world was turned upside down once again.  Shredder, the leader of the Foot Clan, died in a duel with a strange mutant rat named Splinter.  Shredder’s granddaughter, Karai, agreed to let Splinter (father of four mutant turtles) become the new clan leader.

Splinter ordered the Foot to avoid lethal force against their enemies, following a more peaceful path. Fearing that he was weakening the warrior clan that had adopted her, Jennika rebelled, trying to kill him in a coup. She failed.

Standing over his defeated foe, Splinter allowed Jennika to explain her actions. She revealed her fears for the clan’s safety, and her own sense of loss: the Foot was the only home she had left, but what role was there for an assassin in the peaceful clan Splinter and his sons were trying to create?

Splinter listened, and eased her fears. As the Foot Clan’s leader and protector, he would not use violence and murder recklessly for personal gain, as Shredder had done. But he knew that one day the clan would face foes that could not be dealt with without bloodshed. She still had a home.

Forgiving his would-be killer, Splinter strove to show her that she’d been wrong to fear change. Jennika was demoted, but given a chance to restore her honor and prove herself. She did, saving him from another attempted assassination.

Splinter instructed her in the history of ninja, and how the Foot had once been honorable, aiding the poor against the powerful. He shared his hopes to return the clan to those ways, and had her follow his sons, watching them in their role as secret protectors of the city. She befriended them, especially Leonardo.

At Splinter’s command, she killed a powerful crimelord who could not be reasoned with or safely imprisoned. Disturbed by methods that Splinter used to protect the clan and his family, the Turtles broke away. Jennika became Splinter’s new chunin (second-in-command), but remained the Turtles’ friend.

After several disasters, the Foot Clan found itself providing a home to many of New York’s orphans. Splinter promised the children would be trained, but not forced to join the clan. As they came of age they would be given the option to leave safely. Jennika was often thrust into the role of looking after the orphans, eagerly accepting help from the Turtles’ friend, Casey Jones - a man who had stood at her side in battle, earning her respect and admiration.

As the two came to know one another better, a relationship began to develop.

With Jennika by his side, Splinter realized he was slipping away from his sons and his honor. By trying to keep everyone safe, he’d been quick to violence. He eagerly offered to turn the clan over to Shredder’s heir, Karai, when she resurfaced.  A peaceful transition seemed to be in place, but Karai would not keep his promise about the orphaned children.  Feeling that no outsiders could be trusted to know the clan’s secrets, she insisted that the children had no choice but to join.  As the situation escalated, Jennika agreed to meet with Karai, hoping to prevent all-out war.

Critically wounded by Karai, Jennika’s life hung by a thread. The turtles had access to an alien "ooze” which had incredible healing properties, but they'd barely started treating her when their supply was lost in an attack. They had one option - the ooze was an ingredient in the mutagen that had created them, so perhaps a transfusion from Leonardo would finish the healing. 

It worked... but not without side effects.

Mutated into a turtle like the four warriors that had called her family, Jennika found herself thrust into a war for the soul of the Foot Clan. She took up the tekkō-kagi - clawlike weapons favored by the Foot - and a bandanna the color of the hair she’d once had. 

There’s a lot of interesting places this could go!

And we’ve gotten the answer to an important question!