Curse of Yamata-no-Orochi

*This article is about the curse itself. For the chapter, see* The Curse of "Yamata-no-Orochi"*.*
The **Curse of Yamata-no-Orochi** is one of the plot devices driving the events in *Mutant Ninja Turtles Gaiden*.

## Origin

According to Chapter 21: *The Curse of "Yamata-no-Orochi"*, the curse originated when the ancient Shintō god Susano-o defeated the demon Yamata-no-Orochi and destroyed his body, who retaliated by cursing Susano-o's Tōtsuka Sword. The curse spread to everyone else who comes in contact with the sword, remaining with them for life. After Hamato Splinter and his son Leonardo destroyed the sword in the Prologue, the cursed remains of the sword remained in Splinter's ashes, and when Donatello attempted to clone Splinter, the clone body became the new primary vessel for the demon, having the same effect in its proximity that the sword previously had.

## Effect

The curse's effect is to amplify a victim's negative emotions while sealing their good emotions—effectively empowering a person's dark side while restraining their good side. More specifically, the curse feeds on a person's insecurities, internal conflicts and darkest desires. This effect is constant when someone is in contact with the Tōtsuka Sword, and also has the effect that the longer they possess the sword, the harder it is to let go of it. When someone becomes unable to surrender the cursed object, there is only one way left to neutralize its effects—another person must take the curse within themselves and be killed by the cursed object. This was demonstrated in the Prologue, when Hamato Splinter commanded his cursed son Leonardo to kill him in this fashion.

However, according to Chapter 21: *The Curse of "Yamata-no-Orochi"*, people affected by the curse can only temporarily neutralize its effects, but they remain for life. The curse remains in all its cursed objects and victims as long as the demon Yamata-no-Orochi still lives in some form. The only permanent cure for the curse is to permanently blot out the demon's life force by exterminating the Morinaga Bloodline. The original Morinaga was immune to the curse, but accidentally fused the Yamata-no-Orochi's soul to their own soul during a failed attempt to exorcise the Tōtsuka Sword. As a result, all descendants of Morinaga are not only also immune to the curse, but their collective souls are what maintains the demon's life force. Whenever one Morinaga dies, the curse is temporarily neutralized in all cursed individuals, and can be permanently eradicated if all Morinagas are dead.

Bearers of the curse have one other known ability—they can use the Yata-no-Kagami. If a cursed individual touches the mirror, it shows them the identity and location of living Morinagas.

All of the Morinaga Bloodline are themselves immune to the curse's effects.

The *intensity* of the curse varies according to the amount of contact a person has with the sword. Simply being *near* the sword is enough to screw someone up, but actually *handling* the sword (even through layers of packaging) inflicts the basic form of the curse. Being cut by the sword makes the effect worse, and actually *wielding* the sword makes it even worse still. Prolonged contact with the sword inflicts the severest form of the curse.

## Infected

* Eikichi Gotoh, Tōtsuka Sword handler. He delivered the sword to be discovered by Splinter.
* Donatello Hamato, Tōtsuka Sword handler.
* Leonardo Hamato, Tōtsuka Sword wielder.
* Michelangelo Hamato. He was cut by the Tōtsuka Sword but never handled or wielded it. Though he was originally lightly cursed, he was finally able to reclaim his own life by his own actions and through the stable moral support of the Jones family household. Mikey recovered *so* well that Leonardo himself was doubtful Mikey was ever cursed to begin with.
* Raphael Hamato, Tōtsuka Sword wielder.
* Hamato Splinter, Tōtsuka Sword wielder. Deceased.
* Oroku Saki, Tōtsuka Sword handler. Believed not affected by the curse because his own inner evil was greater than the curse's effects. Deceased.