Master Splinter

Real Name: Master Splinter or Master (Hamato) Yoshi

A.K.A.: Splinter, Yoshi, Sensei, Master

Occupation: Shidoshi to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Date of Birth: c. June 1930

Height: 4 feet

Weight: 125 lbs.

Eye Color: Black

Hair: Brown and Grey

Chosen Representative Colors: The traditional Japanese Kimono in a deep maroon color

Personal Weapons: Ninja Bow and Arrows, Cane, Shuriken, et al.

Personal Skills: Splinter is Skilled in the Art of Ninja and Meditation. Because he has the physical attributes of a sewer rat, Splinter is also a skilled burrower and cunning hunter. He has also delivered newborn children, sewn open wounds, and fathered four adopted children.

Personal Talents: Despite his age, Splinter has proven to be as sharp as any of his students. Recently, he has learned to drive the Turtle's van, and sing in the Turtles' vocal debut. His hands, as well as his ears, have provided many a gentle and healing touch.

Character Profile: Splinter, the rat mutation of ninja master Hamato Yoshi is the Turtles' shidishi (teacher of the warrior ways of enlightenment). As a man -- and still as a rat -- Splinter has a special fondness of the arts. As a human, he earned the title of Master of the Japanese Foot Clan. Trained by his great-uncle Gyogi who was blinded in the Hiroshima bombing, Hamato Yoshi learned the most important lessons of ninjitsu: see with your heart and listen with your soul. He attended the University at Osaka and learned much about history and philosophy. He has also studied the profound teachings of the Charlie Llama in Tibet (the time in which he left the Foot clan under the leadership of the chu-nin Oruku Saki). After a series of unfortunate occurances, Yoshi was banished from the Foot Clan and sent to the United States where he lived in poverty. He made his home in the tunnels of the sewers where the mutation of the Turtles and himself took place.

Technical Information: The character of Splinter was created by Eastman and Laird, but to some extent was a parody of the Daredevil master named Stick. As the popularity of the TMNT grew, the character was expanded into what he is today.

Note: The views and opinions expressed here are all mine, and should not be taken as actual fact. These statistics are based largely on the TMNT Archie Adventure Series. I do consider all TMNT publications to be equally factual. This includes the Archie, Mirage, Image, Wolf Productions, and even the Pizza Hut sponsored singing Ninja Turtles.