Ninja Turtles’ 2003 Shredder reveal blew minds with a perfect sword twist

The Sword of Tengu is one of the greatest creations in all of TMNT

As you can imagine from a property all about teenage mutant ninja turtles fighting crime, the history of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is littered with swords. There’s the Ninja Sword of Nowhere from the original cartoon series, which could tear a hole in spacetime creating portals to other dimensions. That series also featured the shapeshifting Sword of Yurikawa, which had been wielded by the master of Hamato Yoshi/Splinter. There’s also the cursed sword Kira no Ken, used by Karai in the IDW comics continuity.

Though nothing compares to the Sword of Tengu from the underappreciated 2003 animated series.

In contrast to the episodic storytelling of the other Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoons, the 2003 series is loved by fans for its in-depth, multi-episode — and sometimes even multi-season — storylines. The Sword of Tengu is at the center of an arc that begins in season 1, episode 6, “Darkness on the Edge of Town.” In the episode, the Turtles catch members of the Foot Clan stealing a sword from a museum, but they’re outnumbered. A Foot Soldier wearing a metallic glove grabs the sword, blasts the Turtles with an energy beam from the weapon, and gets away.

While the power from the sword requires for it to be held with the metal glove, when the sword is presented to the Shredder after the robbery, he picks it up with his bare hands. He also notes that the sword can detect other objects that share its “unique origins,” as the sword glows when placed near his armor.

While unknown at the time, this scene early in season 1 hinted at a truth about Shredder that wouldn’t become clear until well into season 2. Namely, that this Shredder is an alien named Ch'rell, a member of a brain-like race known as Utroms which first appeared in the original comic books (and later inspired the character Krang).

The fact that Shredder can hold the weapon is a nod to this, as is the way the sword glows around the armor, as both are revealed to be made from Utromian metal. There’s even a small Utrom carving visible on the hilt of the sword which is easy to miss but clear once you take a closer look.

The Sword of Tengu would change hands between the Foot and the Turtles a few times during the show’s first season, though its biggest moment came toward the end of the season. In “Return to New York, Part 3,” the Turtles get into a seemingly final showdown with the Foot, including an epic swordfight between Leonardo and the Shredder. During the fight, Leonardo manages to get his hands on the Sword of Tengu (using the glove, despite not having enough fingers for it) and he beheads the Shredder, appearing to kill him.

The moment was one of the best of the entire series and seriously pushed the limits of what Saturday Morning cartoons got away with in those days. While we later found out that Shredder is really just an alien brain in the stomach of this body, the moment looks like a legit beheading, though after the Turtles have left, the episode ends with the Shredder’s headless body getting up, picking up his head and walking off.

Also in “Return to New York, Part 3,” the Turtles destroy the Sword of Tengu by overloading its energy. It would not be seen again in the series, aside from a time travelling episode where the Turtles travel to feudal Japan and witness the creation of the Sword of Tengu at the behest of the Shredder (as Utroms live for hundreds of years).

The Sword of Tengu was indeed a cool sword — both cool-looking and with a cool power — but for TMNT fans, particularly those that are fans of the 2003 series, it's more than just cool, it’s legendary. The Sword of Tengu was a central storytelling device that nicely encapsulates the complex story arcs of that series and is a symbol of the trust the show put into its fandom. It was also the singular prop of what still stands as one of the best — if not the best — take on the Shredder.