The Shredder is a supervillain and the main antagonist of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles media franchise created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. The character first appeared in the Mirage Studios comic book Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (1984), and has since endured as the archenemy of the turtles and their master Splinter.
The Shredder is usually depicted as the alter ego of Oroku Saki, the ruthless leader of a Japanese criminal ninja organization known as the Foot Clan.
In 2009, IGN ranked the Shredder as the 39th-greatest comic-book villain of all time. The character has been featured in almost every media adaptation of the TMNT franchise, having been portrayed in live-action films by James Saito, François Chau, Tohoru Masamune, and Brian Tee. James Avery, Scottie Ray, Kevin Michael Richardson and Hoon Lee are among the actors who have voiced the character in animated films and television shows.
Concept and creation Kevin Eastman got the idea for the Shredder's armor from large trapezoidal cheese graters which he envisioned on a villainous character's arms. He then said, "Could you imagine a character with weapons on his arms like this?" Peter Laird suggested the name The Shredder.The Making of 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles': Behind the Shells. 1991. Although Shredder is often depicted as the main antagonist in most TMNT adaptations, it was never the creators' intention to be the case in his original inception in the Mirage Comics:
Comic books Mirage and Image Oroku Saki
In the original comic books from Mirage Comics, Oroku Saki had an elder brother by the name of Oroku Nagi, who had been killed by fellow ninja Hamato Yoshi (the owner of Splinter, the Turtles' mentor) in a feud over a woman named Tang Shen, resulting in Yoshi fleeing with Shen to the United States.
Angered by the death of his elder brother, Saki joined the Foot Clan and trained to be a ninja. He quickly became one of their deadliest warriors and rose up the ranks and was chosen to lead the Foot's American branch. Operating in New York under the name of the Shredder, Saki used the opportunity to avenge his brother by killing Yoshi and Shen. Under Saki's leadership, the Foot participated in variety of criminal activities, including drug smuggling, arms running, and assassination.
Fifteen years later, the Shredder was challenged by the Ninja Turtles, who were the result of an accident exposing four ordinary turtles to radioactive waste. They were trained by Yoshi's pet rat Splinter, who had also been mutated by the same substance, to avenge his former master. After a lengthy rooftop battle where the Shredder seemed to be winning, Leonardo managed to plunge his sword through the Shredder's torso. Defeated, he was offered the opportunity to commit seppuku (ritual suicide), but refused and detonated a thermite grenade, in an attempt to take their lives alongside his own. But at the last second, Donatello used his bō to knock Shredder off the building to his death.
The Shredder returns on Christmas Eve seemingly resurrected with an army of Foot Ninjas, severely beating Leonardo and burning down the apartment of the turtles' ally April O'Neil, forcing them to go into hiding outside the city.
A year later, in the story "Return to New York", the Turtles returned to settle the score with the Shredder. Leonardo faced off against Oroku Saki alone, during which the Shredder revealed he was brought back to life by a technique using worms feeding on his remains and recreating his cells to reform his body. The same technique was also used to create the Shredder Clones. In the battle, Leonardo decapitates the villain, finally killing him, and the four turtles burn his body at the Hudson River.
Tales of the TMNT In the second volume of the anthology series Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles story "Worms of Madness", it is shown that a few weeks after the events of their final battle, the Shredder had yet another resurrection of sorts when a Foot Mystic reactivated the worms. However, the Foot Mystic did not resurrect Saki himself but the worm colony which had gained sentience and retained Saki's memories and believing itself to be Saki. The worms then went out to find a new body and chose that of a shark. After the Foot kidnapped Splinter, the turtles managed to engage the "Shredder-Shark" in battle, defeating it by severing its connection to the mystic. At this point, the creature realized that it was not the real Saki.
The "Shredder-Shark" returned once more kidnapping Casey Jones's adopted daughter Shadow to lure the Turtles into a trap. With the Turtles away, it was up to Casey and Splinter to defeat it and rescue Shadow, finally killing the creature.
Other versions of the Shredder Throughout a considerable part of the Image comic series, Raphael tries to impersonate the Shredder by wearing his armor. Following this, he is accepted as the leader of the Foot Clan. In later issues of the series, a mysterious Lady Shredder appears to challenge Raphael. Although the book was canceled before her identity could be revealed, writer Gary Carlson confirmed after the fact that she was meant to be Karai. The female ninja Pimiko also claims to be the Shredder's daughter.
In Volume Four series, Leonardo encounters Oroku Yoshi, a Battle Nexus contestant wearing armor almost identical to that of the second animated series' Shredder. His connection to Oroku Saki and the Foot is not known.
Archie Comics The Archie Comics series uses the same background as the 1987 animated series, as the first issues are identical. Later in the Archie comics version, the Shredder travels to the future and works with Armaggon and Verminator X to offset the skill and experience of the future versions of the Turtles.
This version of the character was more in line with the early episodes' depiction of the character as a cunning adversary and in many issues nearly proves to be a lethal enemy, coming close to defeating the turtles on a number of occasions, even aiding Armaggon and Verminator X in the defeat and capture of two of the turtles in the future. However, he shows some amount of honor in the comic. His final fate within the Archie comics series remains unknown, although a three-part mini-series put out by Archie comics after the end of its regular comic series seems to indicate he remains a consistent foe to the turtles for many years. The Shredder is left in a vegetative state in the aftermath of his final battle with the Turtles.
IDW Publishing
In feudal Japan, Oroku Saki was a high-ranking member of the Foot Clan along with Hamato Yoshi. While Yoshi focused on his family, Saki surpassed him and was promoted to Jonin (leader) of the Foot. After an argument on his style of leadership, Saki sent ninja to murder Yoshi's wife, Tang Shen, and later Yoshi and his four sons.
With the help of Kitsune, Saki steals regenerative ooze from an Utrom known as "The Iron Demon" (later revealed to be Krang) which is used to preserve his body until he is awakened by his descendant Oroku Karai in modern-day New York. During his time in stasis, his spirit conquered the realm of the Afterlife, where he learned he was destined to rule the earth world and eventually return to the Afterlife as a lost soul. Knowing the future, he vows to change it by conquering the realm of the Afterlife upon his return.
The Shredder first appears in Micro-series #1 and in full costume on the final page of issue #9. Dan Duncan first designed the Shredder with input from Mateus Santolouco and Kevin Eastman; originally wanting to depict a "beefy...monster" he decided to simplify the design and slimmed down the character based on the original Mirage design.
Seeking control in his forthcoming battle for power, the Shredder offers Splinter a place in his army but Splinter refuses, revealing himself to be a reincarnated Hamato Yoshi. Saki reveals his own identity and attacks Splinter, almost killing him when the Turtles arrive to rescue their father. Impressed by Leonardo, he orders his capture and conducts a plan involving kidnapping and stabbing Casey Jones. The Shredder then has Kitsune brainwash Leonardo to become his new Chunin (second-in-command) and uses him for a show of strength to the criminal underworld. After the Turtles rescue Leonardo, the Shredder calls a meeting with Krang and proposes an alliance in exchange for Utrom technologies, which Krang rejects. A short battle results in retreat on both sides and the revelation that the Shredder had stolen some Utrom resources from Krang's compound to begin creating a mutant army (in the form of Bebop, Rocksteady, Koya and Bludgeon).
In Issue #50, the Shredder faced Splinter and the turtles in a final battle which he lost and briefly admitted his faults and also making Karai the new head of the Foot Clan in the event of his death. Splinter then retaliated by slashing deep into the back of his head with his sword, killing Shredder instantly.
After his death, Shredder's body is kept in a crypt that is guarded by Jennika who was assigned by Hamato Yoshi in order to learn humility. His tomb is eventually desecrated by the witch Kitsune who plans to revive Oroku Saki in order to restore order to the Foot Clan but Splinter knew this and keeps the skull to foil her attempts.
The Shredder would reappear in the miniseries Shredder in Hell. In this series, he is in the afterlife and descends into the underworld trying to find the truth of his own soul meanwhile Kitsune uses his corpse to summon her father as his host. The Shredder also fought his past life Takeshi Tasuo in his inner conflict until Splinter/Hamato Yoshi later shows up to help him against the forces of Hell.
Weeks before Mutant Town was established, Old Hob detonated a mutagen bomb the day Baxter Stockman became the Mayor of New York City, Oroku Saki resurfaces and saves April from a group of mutant eels, who are the offspring of the Slithery.Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #118. IDW Publishing.
In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Urban Legends, the IDW-published colorized reprint and later completion of the previously unfinished Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Volume 3 by Image Comics, it was revealed that Amai, the daughter of Karai, is Lady Shredder.
In The Last Ronin five issue miniseries, Oroku Hiroto, Saki's grandson and Karai's son, becomes the new Shredder and is the main villain of the miniseries.
Television 1987 animated series
In the 1987 animated series, Oroku Saki and Hamato Yoshi were both members of the Foot Clan in Japan. After Saki framed him for the attempted murder of a visiting sensei, Yoshi was forced to exile himself to New York City, where he lived in the sewers with four pet turtles who were accidentally dropped down a storm drain.
In the following years, Saki took leadership of the Foot Clan and took on his Shredder persona. He also met a trans-dimensional alien called Krang and used the advanced technology at his disposal to replace the Foot Ninja with robots called the Foot Soldiers. He secretly moved to New York, where he found Yoshi still alive. In an attempt to kill his old foe, the Shredder dumped mutagen in the sewers. This mutates Yoshi into Splinter, and he starts training the also mutated Turtles in ninjutsu. After the Turtles discovered their operation in New York City, the Shredder became their enemy and would stop at nothing until they were defeated, often holding the Turtles' human ally April O'Neil captive as bait.