Who the Clix? The Shredder

Who the Clix? is a series of articles featuring information on comic book characters that have been made into figures for the popular tabletop game Heroclix. These articles are meant to help Heroclix players learn more about the characters behind their favorite pieces.

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Appearances in Heroclix: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Wizkids '16, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Heroes in a Half Shell, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Return, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Unplugged
First Appearance: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1
Team Affiliations: Foot Clan
Powers/Abilities: High-level intelligence; Mastery of martial arts, ninjutsu, and hand-to-hand combat; Utilizes nigh-invulnerable armor equipped with claws and blades
Created by: Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird

Note: The Turtles have been adapted more times than most characters. As such, their origin and stories are variations on a common theme. To that end, I am going to cover the basic original source tale of the Turtles. I encourage any of you more interested to look at some of the great collections of Turtles to see some of the strange and wondrous versions of their story.

Hamato Yoshi is the greatest shadow warrior of the Foot Clain in Japan. He owns a rat named Splinter who watches and learns Yoshi's movements while he trains. The love of his life is Tang Shen, a beautiful woman who is also coveted by Oroku Nagi. Nagi confronts Shen and is rejected by the woman which infuriates Nagi. Nagi beats her and soon Yoshi arrives to find his beloved harmed. Unable to control his rage, Yoshi kills Nagi and is punished by the Foot Clan for killing a fellow member: suicide or exile. Yoshi chooses exile and travels to New York City with Splinter and Shen.

Nagi's younger brother, Oroku Saki, trains relentlessly to rise through the ranks of the Foot Clan in order to find Yoshi. He finally succeeds in this task and kills both Shen and Yoshi in revenge for his brother's death.

After more than a decade of intensive training, Splinter sends his mutant turtle students on their first mission. They go to the surface and face the dreaded Foot Clan and their leader the Shredder. Or as Splinter remembers him, the rival and killer of Hamato Yoshi: Oroku Saki. Though the Shredder is a formidable opponent, together the four brothers are able to best him and avenge the fallen Hamato Yoshi.

On Christmas Eve, the Shredder returns with an army of Foot Ninja and severely beats Leonardo before burning down April O'Neil's apartment. One year later, the Turtles return and face Shredder and the Foot. Leonardo faces Shredder alone and Saki reveals that his resurrection is a result of worms feeding on his first dead body and then recreating his cells. After a hard fought battle, Leonardo decapitates the Shredder. Having defeated their foe again, the four brothers burn Shredder's body to ensure that he cannot rise again.