In the original Mirage Comics, Splinter was the pet rat of ninja master Hamato Yoshi. After rival ninja master Oroku Saki killed Yoshi in mortal combat, the rat fled to New York City and lived as a common sewer rat until one fateful after coming into contact with four baby pet turtles who were doused in an alien mutagen. Eventually, through common exposure to the mutagen, the rat and turtles grew into humanoid forms and the rat became their sensei, teaching them the way of ninjutsu under the name Splinter.
In other depictions, the identities of Splinter and Hamato Yoshi are one in the same, with Yoshi leaving the Foot Clan under varying circumstances and coming to live in the sewers of New York City and eventually being exposed to the mutagen and baby turtles while also becoming their father figure and mentor.
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