When Shredder made his debut on the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles television series, he declared, “Tonight I dine on turtle soup,” and since that time, the world has not been able to be tranquil. This great adversary makes an effect that lasts for days every time he makes an appearance on television, in a movie theatre, or in a comic book panel.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ chief foe and their master, Shredder, has made a name for himself in the franchise by being the cruelest and power-hungry person to have ever lived. He is undoubtedly a guy of many talents; his physique serves as both a sword and a shield, and he is capable of attacking and defending with almost flawless precision.
The Shredder made sure his modest beginnings did not prevent him from becoming the boss of one of America’s major crime syndicates by donning metal armor and undergoing training that lasted decades.
Additionally, this accomplished ninja and criminal lord went on to seize power over additional realms that were unknown to man. Intriguingly, Shredder was fatally wounded in his very first, casual appearance in 1984, but the man, the legend, was not about to let that happen. S
ince his 1987 debut on television, Shredder has established himself as one of the all-time great comic book villains. In this video, we will delve into his comic book past and examine his origins in various shows and comics. Let us start the thrilling ride, shall we?
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Shredder Origins
The First Time on Television (TMNT 1987)
Written by David Wise and Patti Howeth, the first episode of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles titled “Turtle Marks” was released in 1987. This episode begins with the eponymous title track that introduces these really cool crime-fighting ninjas doing what they do best. New York is experiencing one of the most brutal crime waves.
A news reporter at Happy Hour News, April O’Neill, is determined to investigate the recent break-ins and robberies which have resulted in stolen equipment from labs. She discovers that those behind this theft are ninjas, who belong to a thousand-year-old clan of assassins. Part of April’s plan includes camping along with her crew outside the next destination that may very well be a target.
However, as soon as the gang of ninjas approaches, April gets abandoned by her crew and chased until four mysterious beings save her. April is shocked to find out that her saviours were in fact mutated turtles. It doesn’t take long before April is acquainted with them when they take her to their lair.
The reporter realizes that they are kind and on the right side of the law. Soon, she meets their master, a mutated rat named Splinter, who tells her about their story and introduces the teenage mutant ninja turtles as Donatello, Raphael, Leonardo, and Michelangelo, all named after legendary artists. They soon decide to investigate the thefts together, which is when they encounter The Foot Clan, and their leader, Shredder.
Splinter explains how they are all extremely powerful, but the Ninja Turtles don’t know the meaning of defeat, and the episode ends with them sharing a pizza with April. The first episode gives us a glimpse of Shredder without entirely diving into his objectives and origins. Nevertheless, the second episode, titled “enter the shredder,” allows the viewers to learn more about him.
The episode begins with the ninja turtles practicing their skills and then having breakfast, the classic cereal on pizza, as April simply watches. As the episode proceeds, we see Shredder, angry and frustrated by the ninja turtles, as he is determined to defeat them, no matter what it takes. We also learn that it was the Shredder who was responsible for Master Splinter’s mutation.
Oroku Saki, or the Shredder, as Splinter explains, is the strongest and most dangerous man he has ever come across in his life, and he already has a head start on them. This episode highlights just how evil Shredder is as he uses two of his henchmen, strapping them to a chair as he brings in two stolen animals, promising them powers. The Ninja Turtles finally make their way into the technodrome as they fight their way to finally see their master tied up to the ceiling and come to face Shredder.
He asks the Ninja Turtles to join the Foot Clam, admitting that he is the reason behind them being mutated and having the powers that they do. After they decline his offer, The Shredder introduces them to his two new mutants, his henchmen, who went through the experiment. A battle between the mutants ensues, and they manage to help Splinter escape and trap Shredder’s mutants. However, the shredder continues to remain on the loose, plotting his next move.
The 2003 Remake (TMNT 2003)
Oroku Saki, the Tengu Shredder, was the Shredder before the Utrom Shredder in the 2003 TV series. We travel back to the 4th century when an evil Tengu known as the Shredder began to wreak havoc across Japan, headstrong to dominate the world. The emperor summoned Japan’s greatest warriors, out of whom Oroku Saki was the most skilled, and they battled against the Tengu Shredder, which ended with Saki toppling the demon when it communicated with him on the astral plane.
The demon offered him power in exchange for his soul, and this is how Saki was bestowed with the Tengu Shredder’s soul. However, he went on to conquer Japan. Ultimately, he was defeated by his comrades but couldn’t be killed, so they sealed him in a coffin and hid his helmet and gauntlet.
I cannot help but smell a bit of Dracula here. Nevertheless, centuries later, precisely seven hundred years after this, an Utrom criminal, Ch’rell, decided to take up the mantle of the Shredder and played on the legend to gain respect. Ch’rell is extremely dangerous and sadistic, belonging to the Utrom, a peace-loving alien race.
However, Ch’rell was always power-hungry and psychopathic, unlike the rest of his people. He went from planet to planet, trying to cause war and destruction. After taking on the mantle of the Shredder, he continued to rule New York’s underworld, until he encountered his first battle with the Ninja Turtles when they began interfering in all of his operations. Initially, he wanted them to join his side, but that thought soon had to be thrown out of the window.
Eventually, Ch’rell began to develop an intense hatred toward the mighty turtles, and almost beat Leonardo to death. After another defeat, the turtles get convinced that the bad guy is dead, but they couldn’t be more wrong as he simply picks himself up, and plots his next move.
Despite all battles and consequent defeats, the Shredder was reborn, and his first order of business was to secure vengeance on the Turtles, but he would lose again, and again, and yet again. Strangely enough, he held a goodbye party, announcing that he was leaving New York but would eventually return, which hinted at him trying to conquer New York in the future.
As he got on the ship to leave, the Ninja Turtles and Splinter managed to sneak in but Ch’rell managed to make his way to Theta Galaxy, where he was placed on trial before the Utrom High Council for his actions and was sentenced to eternal exile on the ice asteroid Mor Gal Tal, where he would spend the next four years frozen in ice. Meanwhile, the Turtles are sent into the future, where they see several Shredders fighting each other.
These would be the Oroku Saki, the Tengu Shredder, Ch’rell, the Utrom Shredder, and a new and advanced Cyber Shredder, possibly for the control of the city. In the final season of the 2003 series, the turtles battle the Cyber Shredder. I would like to elaborate on everything about Cyber Shredder, but I believe the name is self-explanatory. Do let us know in the comment if you’d want a separate video on Cyber Shredder.
2012 Remake (TMNT 2012)
As per the 2012 series, Oroku Saki was born in rural Japan into the ninja Foot Clan, who were the long-time enemies of the Hamato Clan. The Foot Clan village was left in shambles, and that’s when Hamato Yuuta discovered baby Oroku, adopted him, and raised him with the Yoshi brothers. However, Oroku remained unaware of his original heritage. But old feud doesn’t just evaporate in a day, and the rivalry escalated when he met Tang Shen and fell in love with her.
The two of them eventually got into a fight, which led to Oroku fleeing away, and that is when he learned about his true heritage, rebuilt the Foot Clan, and donned the alias of Shredder. When he discovered Tang Shen and Hamato Yoshi’s marriage, he attacked their home, accidentally killing Tang Shen in the process. As he left Yoshi to die, he found their infant daughter and took her with him, eventually raising her as his own, naming her Karai.
He then proceeded to fully transform the Foot Clan into a worldwide crime syndicate and eventually led his clan to America. In one of the episodes, he informs one of his pupils, Chris Bradford, about how Hamato Yoshi might still be alive and assigns Bradford the task of killing Yoshi and all of Yoshi’s disciples. However, before Bradford could do that, he encounters the ninja turtles. When Bradford fails to kill the human-sized turtles, the Shredder takes it upon himself to finish the job. Eventually, The Shredder made his presence known, making it obvious that he was there to kill them.
The Turtles attacked him, but Shredder easily held them off without much effort. Having said that, the turtles realized that even though he was strong, Shredder was not invincible. As the series moves forward, Shredder also threatens Karai, who he raised as his own, when she fails to kill one of the ninja turtles.
Karai also warns him about The Kraang invasion, but he quickly dismisses her and ignores the warning but eventually manages to capture a Kraang and interrogate it. In the 2012 remake, we see Shredder get stronger as the seasons go by, and no matter how much the turtles try, he comes back more robust with more determination to seek vengeance on the Ninja Turtles.
The comic that explained it all (IDW)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Villain Micro-Series #8 deals with Shredder as a supervillain. Specifically, it focuses on his secrets and inner demons that he has kept hidden from everyone all this time. The comic book begins with Oroku Saki and his clan in a meeting together as they discuss the Ninja Turtles, Splinter, and their absence. They also talk about how their clan has only gotten stronger, with more brute force than before, as they tighten their grip on the city with each passing day.
Kitsune, however, stays back and tries to talk to Oroku, trying to have a conversation about his past, and how despite her efforts to understand it better, he pushes her away. Kitsune also points out that even though Shredder has gotten stronger, his past only weakens him. He finally talks about when he was resurrected, he was aware that he would be bonded with the same body.
But what Shredder doesn’t understand is where did his spirit go? We then proceed to see a flashback and Oroku falling through a void of some sort as a creature waits for him at the end. The creature tells Oroku that this is a place for the dead and that everyone there was a permanent resident, everyone but Oroku, who was simply passing between life and death. While the creature warned him, Oroku only saw it as an opportunity to conquer yet another realm.
He walks through this unknown realm, passing by restless souls and spirits who have been doomed for eternity, and vows to himself that he will never end up like them. He then reached a fortress, one that was heavily guarded, and he knew he needed to slip through all the guards to make his way inside, but the task was going to be a daunting one. And thus began the battle between him and the warriors, and although he felt his ribs crack at one point, he didn’t give up.
But when things didn’t go as he had planned, he decided to change his tactics a little. Instead of fighting them, he starts a conversation. It is here that we learn that Shredder was as good a talker as he was a fighter. He finally entered the fortress, and now only the king on the throne stood in his way. Another battle ensued, and Oroku wore the king out before defeating him. As everyone returns, along with the creature who first welcomed Shredder, the king’s mask is removed, only for him to learn that the king was, in fact, himself.
Oroku then hears about what his future holds for him. According to this prophecy, he would lead armies; he would conquer the world one day and then destroy it along with the rest of humanity. Then, he would build a new world, which is when he would finally die, just like all men do. However, the prophecy also informed him that he would go on to conquer the afterlife, and one day he will encounter someone whose thirst for power matches his own, someone who will condemn him for eternity. Shredder learned, at that moment, that the prophecy had come true.
We come back to the present when Oroku is done telling Kitsune the story, and he says that although the city is his, what’s it compared to eternity? The comic ends with Oroku promising himself that despite knowing what lies ahead, he will conquer, as he always does. This comic issue really takes us deep into the mind of this supervillain and just how strong his thirst for power has been and will always continue to be, no matter what.
Interesting Facts You Should Know About Shredder
Shredder is most popularly known as the supervillain who was responsible for Splinter and the Ninja Turtle’s mutation and then goes on to become their biggest adversary, always ready to seek vengeance, it is what he does best. The Mirage comic books got rid of Shredder in the first issue itself, killing him off in his first appearance, but that didn’t mean Shredder was truly gone.
The Foot Clan wanted revenge for their master’s death, so they would send a new Shredder after them, which was a clone, who would also meet his end eventually. To prove just how strong Shredder is, one of the examples could be the fact that former WWF wrestler, Kevin Nash played the role of Shredder in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II. They needed someone big and strong to play this supervillain perfectly, and the infamous wrestler was the near-perfect choice.
Although the IDW comics have a different origin from the films and cartoons, his story follows a fascinating plot of Yoshi having four sons with Tang Shen along with a happy marriage, but the merciless Shredder kills all of them, who would eventually reincarnate into Splinter and the Ninja Turtles to seek their revenge and ignite the century-long feud between them. It might be difficult to adapt this into live-action, but it surely would be worth a watch.
Even though it was temporary, Oroku Saki managed to bring Leo the Ninja Turtle over to his side, mostly by brainwashing him during two instances. This proved that apart from his physical strength and powers, Oroku was a master manipulator too, and great at mind games. Apart from Oroku Saki, Karai often takes this mantel of the Shredder too, and over the different series and interpretations, other people apart from Oroku have briefly been the Shredder too.
What Makes Him a Challenging Opponent?
The fact that The Shredder is one of the strongest supervillains proves that he went through years of perfecting his powers and abilities. As a human, he has decades of training when it comes to martial arts, and the only person who can be as good as him when it comes to this art is Splinter.
Although all Ninja Turtles have had a go at him at several points, they have never been able to cause any severe damage to this man, whereas the Shredder has left the turtles injured for weeks and months sometimes. He is also exceptionally fast, and his speed can match that of an Olympic runner for a considerably long duration. He also wears indestructible bladed armor, which only maximizes his fighting skills, making him stronger.
His body is a shield and a sword, as he can attack and defend at the same time. Apart from his physical abilities, he also has an extremely intelligent mind as he transformed the Foot Clan into a Global Crime Syndicate. Now, as a mutant, Super Shredder retains his ninja skills and intelligence; however, he has more enhanced powers, which make him stronger than he already was.
To begin with, he possesses superhuman strength, enhanced senses, and nigh-invulnerability, which makes his body invulnerable to all forms of physical damage and even extreme heat sources. Whether we see Shredder as a human, a mutant, or even a zombie, he is always the strongest, and almost indestructible.
Where Else Has He Appeared?
If you haven’t watched the animated series, the live-action films, or read the comics, you would recognize Shredder from the film Batman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In the film, he forms an alliance with Ra’s al Ghul and the League of Assassins, for the immortality granted by a Lazarus Pit. And in turn, he would spread a mutagen all over Gotham City, where the turtles follow him.
Shredder manages to fight evenly against Batman, and sometimes proves to be stronger than him, once again proving his might. Apart from TV shows, films, and comics, Shredder also appears in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, a video game released on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PCs by Tribute Games and DotEmu on June 16, 2022, proving just how important this supervillain is even now and will continue to be as long as his legacy shall live.
There is no doubt that out of all the villains that the Ninja Turtles have been up against, The Shredder has proven to be the strongest time and again. Although different versions of him have different origin stories and histories, the one thing that remains the same is the thirst for power, the thirst to conquer the entire world and beyond.
This supervillain will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants, and one of the things he always wants is to see the defeated Ninja Turtles. Although we have seen The Shredder die from time to time, he always comes back and is stronger too. He might be a merciless supervillain, but he is one that you love to hate, easily making him one of the popular characters in this franchise.