Hamato Clan

In *Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,* the **Hamato Clan** is a ninja family of Japanese origin descended from Hamato Karai. In the present, the clan includes Hamato Yoshi (better known as Lou Jitsu or Splinter), his four sons the Turtles, and April O'Neil.

## Members

Deceased members are in *italics.*

* *Hamato Karai* (founder)
* *Hamato Amaya/Cynthis O'Neil* (co-founder/right-hand man)
* *Mystic Aura* (member)
* *Hamato Sho* (Yoshi's grandfather)
* *Hamato Atsuko* (Yoshi's mother)
* Hamato Yoshi / Lou Jitsu / Splinter (The turtles' human father)
* The Turtles (Splinter's half-human mutant sons)
	+ Raphael
	+ Donatello
	+ Leonardo
	+ Michelangelo
* April O'Neil (the turtles' surrogate sister; genetic relation if any is not clear)

## Prominent friends and allies

* Bullhop
* Todd Capybara
* Baron Draxum (the turtles' other father, though not a Hamato himself; formerly an enemy)
* Franken-Foot
* Cassandra Jones (formerly an enemy)
* Mayhem (April's pet)
* *Oroku Saki* (Karai's corrupted father, his spirit having reconciled with the family after death)
* *S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N.* (Donatello's creation and later *de facto* son)

## Prominent enemies

* *The Shredder* (in opposition of whom the clan was founded)

## History

in Japan, 500 years in the past, Hamato Karai was the daughter of Foot Clan leader Oroku Saki, who was once a peaceful jōnin, but his soul became corrupted into the Shredder after a squid-like alien named Krang gave him the Kuroi Yōroi armor. Karai opposed what her father had become, and founded the Hamato Clan with the purpose of opposing the Shredder and his dark armor.

Over the centuries, the Hamato Clan dwindled, until the present day when Hamato Yoshi was the last known survivor. For a time, he rejected his Hamato Ninpō training and sought a career in American film acting as the martial artist celebrity Lou Jitsu. But this came to an end when he found himself mutated after a confrontation with the Yōkai alchemist Baron Draxum in the Hidden City beneath New York City. Yoshi escaped with four baby turtles, who had begun to mutate with him as they amalgamated with his human DNA, and in the process became his part-biological sons and true members of the Hamato Clan in their own right.

Yoshi, who at this time preferred to go by the name Splinter, lived underground with his sons until they were teenagers, and grew old, short and fat from a sedentary life. Though they had some sporadic ninja training, he had not trained them in the Hamato Ninpō. It was during this time that they also befriended a human from the surface named April O'Neil, who became not only a close friend of the turtles but like a sister to them.

The Foot Clan would gradually revive the Shredder by reassembling the scattered pieces of his dark armor, and Splinter came to understand that the old teachings he had rejected were entirely true. During his family's ongoing conflict with the Foot Clan, they learned of a weapon to defeat the Shredder existing in the Twilight Realm, which Baron Draxum, now their ally had become acknowledged as the turtles' second father, helped them retrieve. This weapon was actually a person: Hamato Karai herself, sealed away for 500 years.

The turtles immediately accepted Karai as their grandmother and were eager to know her as family who had been absent throughout their lives. But this was short-lived, as freeing Karai had also reawakened the Shredder's consciousness, and he quickly descended on and attacked the family's underground home. Karai was mortally wounded, but in her final moments, she was found by April, who was implored by Karai to teach Hamato Ninpō to the rest of the family, revealing that April had always in fact been a member of the Hamato Clan herself.

Karai's spirit dwelt in April's mind, and together, the two Hamato women finally taught Hamato Ninpō to the four turtles. With this power, the combined Hamato Clan, including the spirits of their ancestors, joined forces to destroy the Kuroi Yōroi once and for all. This had the effect of freeing Oroku Saki's soul from its corrupting influence, allowing his spirit to move on peacefully with his daughter Karai. With this, the Hamato turtles had finally risen to their destiny of fulfilling the clan's purpose.

### ROTTMNT: Remaster

Before heading back to the Spirit Plain, Karai decides to do an announcement. She tells everyone that April O'Neil will be her successor in leading the Hamato Clan for future generations. Everyone, including April, is shocked about this statement. The Hamato Ancestors were about to tell Karai but are stopped by Amaya O'Neil. Karai explains that April has true potential of being a clan leader and that she believes that April is capable of leading the clan for future generations to come. April was hesitant about this but Karai assures her that she doesn't have to do this alone as she has everyone here to support her. With that being said, April accepts this role and Amaya gives her the Hamato Tiara. Transforming April's Hamato Ninpo outfit into her Princess Ninja outfit which is a sparkling green kimono with yellow accents all over it, a red obi wrapped around her waist, yellow wooden sandals with green straps, and a green orchid hair pin on the left side of her hair. Her hair also became longer to the size of Karai's hair. After that, Karai leaves to the Spirit Plain with her father and the other ancestors.

A month later, April had created an old Japanese-style mansion where this will act as the main headquarters for the new Hamato Clan. She begins dividing everyone into divisions: Mad Dogs City Squad (The Turtles), Crimson Foot Brigade (Cassandra and her team), and S.O.S Hamato Group (Splinter, Baron Draxum and all their friends/allies such as Bullhop and Todd Capybara). She also put them in staff groups. Mikey is the head of the Kitchen Staff. Leo is the head of the Medical Staff. Donnie is the head of the Tech, Repair and Science Staff. And Raph is the head of the Training Staff. Baron Draxum became her official advisor and Splinter became her second-in-command in case she has to go somewhere like school for instance. For the most part, things have been peaceful. Leo is now the new leader but he and Raph decides to become co-leaders since Leo isn't fully ready to take the full leadership role.