Karai (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Karai |
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Karai on a comic book cover from 2013.
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Mirage Studios IDW Publishing |
| First appearance | Cameo appearance: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #53 (November 1992) Full appearance: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #55 (January 1993) |
| Created by | Kevin Eastman Peter Laird Jim Lawson |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Oroku Karai Hamato Miwa Hamato Karai |
| Species | Human Human/Snake Mutant (2012 series) |
| Notable aliases | The New Shredder Lady Shredder Snake Lady Princess |
Karai is a character from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles stories. She is often a high-ranking member of the Foot Clan, a group of ninjas. Karai first appeared in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic books in 1992. Since then, she has been in many different comics, TV shows, movies, and video games.
In most stories, Karai is either Shredder's second-in-command or his adopted daughter. She often has a rivalry with Leonardo. In some versions, she is even seen as his friend or more. In the 2012 TV show, she is actually Hamato "Splinter" Yoshi's daughter, named Hamato Miwa.
Contents
Karai in Comics
Her First Comic Appearances
Karai was created by Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, and Jim Lawson. She first showed up in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics in 1992. She was named Karai in 1993.
In these comics, Karai is one of the leaders of the Foot Clan in Japan. She comes to New York City to bring order back to the Foot Clan there. After Leonardo defeated Shredder, the Foot Clan in New York became very chaotic. Karai captures Leonardo and offers the Turtles a deal: if they help her stop the fighting among the Foot, she will make a truce with them.
The Turtles agree to help. Karai's daughter is killed during this time, which makes Karai very sad. She and the Turtles fight against a group called Shredder's Elite. After a tough battle, Karai thanks the Turtles and promises that the Foot Clan will no longer bother them. She then returns to Japan.
Later, in a different comic series, Karai returns to New York. She uses high-tech armor. She also appears in other comic stories that are not part of the main timeline.
Karai in Newer Comics
In the newer Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics by IDW Publishing, Karai is much younger. She is a descendant of Oroku Saki (Shredder) from about 300 years in the past.
Her story tells how she found a secret book about the Foot Clan. She learned their ninja skills and had a vision where Oroku Saki told her to rebuild the Foot Clan. She became the second-in-command of the clan after helping to bring Shredder back to life.
Later, after Splinter defeats Shredder, Karai offers Splinter the role of leader of the Foot. He accepts and allows her to travel to Japan to study the clan's history. There, she gets involved in gang wars and takes over the Tokyo underworld. She even fights against Splinter and his Foot Clan.
In a dark future story called The Last Ronin, Karai has a son named Hiroto. She makes a truce with the Ninja Turtles, but it breaks. Karai is later kept alive by machines. Her son, Hiroto, eventually destroys her life support, saying he always hated her for focusing on the clan instead of him.
Karai in TV Shows and Movies
TV Series
The 2003 TV Show
Karai appears in the 2003 TV series. She was left alone in Tokyo as a child and adopted by the Shredder, who was actually an alien. She is a skilled ninja. Karai is one of the highest-ranking members of the Foot Clan. She eventually becomes the leader.
Karai often has mixed feelings about the Turtles. Sometimes she is their enemy, and sometimes she helps them. She has a special connection with Leonardo. She was the only Foot member who knew Shredder was an alien.
After Shredder is defeated, Karai takes over the Foot Clan and even uses the name "The Shredder." She wants revenge on the Turtles. She fights Leonardo, who defeats her but tells her to leave his family alone.
Later, a real demon Shredder from ancient times returns. Karai helps the Turtles fight him. She has a special connection to the demon Shredder because she used his name. After they defeat the demon, Karai leaves with Dr. Chaplin, a scientist who likes her.
Karai is seen again in the series finale. She attends April and Casey's wedding and helps the Turtles fight a new enemy called the Cyber Shredder.
The 2012 TV Show
In the 3D animated series from 2012, Karai is a 16-year-old ninja. She is a rebellious member of the Foot Clan and very close to Shredder. Leonardo is interested in her when they first meet.
Karai tries to trick Leonardo into doing dishonorable things. She also becomes curious about aliens called the Kraang. She brings a Kraang robot to Shredder, who wants to use their technology.
In the first season finale, it is revealed that Karai is actually Miwa, Splinter's daughter. Shredder kidnapped her as a baby and told her that Splinter was responsible for her mother's death. This makes Karai angry at Splinter.
Leonardo tells Karai the truth about her parents. At first, she doesn't believe him. But when she investigates, she finds out that Splinter is indeed her father. She tries to help the Turtles, but Shredder captures her.
Shredder plans to use Karai to turn the Turtles into snakes. He throws her into a special liquid called mutagen. This turns Karai into a mutant snake. She can change between human and snake form, keeping snake eyes and fangs.
Karai's mind becomes more like a snake's. Baxter Stockman, a scientist, brainwashes her to obey Shredder. She is forced to hunt the Turtles and Splinter. Splinter uses his healing powers to free her from the mind control. She then leaves New York.
Later, Karai returns and focuses on taking down Shredder. She works with her friend Shinigami, a witch. She recruits new Foot soldiers for her own army. Shredder captures her again to force Splinter into a fight. Karai watches as Splinter is hurt. She uses her snake powers to break free and helps the Turtles.
After Splinter's death, Karai is sad but tells Leonardo to finish the fight against Shredder. She helps the Turtles in their final battle against Super Shredder. She later works with the Mighty Mutanimals. She also helps fight other villains like Kavaxas and the Newtralizer.
The Rise of the TMNT Show
Karai appears in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. She is the ancestor of Splinter, making her his great-great-great-great grandmother. In this show, she is Shredder's biological daughter. She realized her father was controlled by dark magic armor. To stop him, Karai created the Hamato Clan and trapped herself and Shredder in a magical realm for 500 years.
Her spirit was stuck there to keep Shredder from becoming too powerful. The Turtles and Splinter find her. She is surprised to see talking turtles and a rat. In the end, Shredder is freed from the dark magic, and he hugs his daughter. Karai then goes to rest in peace with Shredder's spirit.
Movies
- Karai is in the 2007 animated movie TMNT. She is the new leader of the Foot Clan. She is hired by a rich man named Max Winters to help find ancient monsters. She fights Leonardo and April O'Neil. When she learns that Winters wants to send the monsters back to their world, she helps the Turtles. She leaves on good terms with the Turtles, hinting that Shredder might return.
- Karai also appears in Turtles Forever, voiced by Karen Neill. She helps the alien Shredder (Ch'rell) make his Technodrome stronger. When Ch'rell wants to destroy all dimensions with Ninja Turtles, Karai helps the classic Turtles, the 1987 Shredder, and Krang. She fights alongside them to stop the alien Shredder.
- In the 2014 live-action movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Karai is Shredder's assistant. She leads many Foot Clan missions. She is last seen crashing her jeep during a chase with the Turtles.
- Karai returns in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. She is still Shredder's helper and works with Baxter Stockman. She helps Shredder recruit Bebop and Rocksteady. She is last seen fighting April.
Video Games
- Karai is often a boss or a playable character in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video games.
- In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters, she is the final boss. She kidnaps Splinter and April to fight the Turtles.
- She appears as a boss and playable character in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Battle Nexus. Leonardo tries to convince her to choose honor over loyalty to Shredder.
- Karai is also in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare and the 2007 TMNT game.
- In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up, she appears as Shredder's daughter who tricks the Turtles to get rid of him so she can lead the Foot Clan.
- She is a boss in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Arcade Attack and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.
- Karai is a boss in the 2013 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Danger of the Ooze.
- She is also a boss in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan.
- Karai is a playable character in the Dimension Shellshock download for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge.
Toys and Collectibles
- Playmates Toys has made several action figures of Karai. These include figures from the 2003 cartoon and the 2007 movie.
- In 2014, Lego sets included two versions of Karai: one from the TV show and one from the new movie.
- Karai from the Mirage comics was part of a series of miniature Funko Mystery Minis figures.
- Playmates also released "Karai Snake" and "Human Karai" action figures based on the 2012 cartoon.
See also
In Spanish: Karai para niños
