Why Magic changed Raphael’s weapon in its TMNT crossover

Why did Wizards of the Coast replace Raph's sai with a lesser weapon?

I keep telling myself and those around me to get into Magic: The Gathering as a hobby, but so far I’ve held off, knowing I will easily spend way too much money on it. I thought the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover would be the thing that finally made me take the leap. The art is incredible, and the cards make creative use of established canon — for the most part, anyway. Wizards of the Coast, the company behind Magic, did make some changes. As much as I'd love to say they're welcome, though, they seem to serve no purpose other than to look cool.

On Feb. 17, Wizards of the Coast uploaded a blog titled "Raphael's Jitte." If you're wondering what a jitte is, it's a lot like a sai — Raphael's canonical primary weapon. The difference is that a jitte is typically two-pronged, rather than the sai's three prongs for maximum stabbing.

In explaining the change — three of the turtles got different weapons in this MTG set — the company noted in its blog that TMNT owner Nickelodeon gave the company its blessing to develop a unique version of the Ninja Turtles, much like Fortnite's TMNT collaboration. And while the art sticks to most of the traditional hallmarks, evidently the weapons just didn't fit this new vision for the Turtles.

Per Wizards of the Coast, this version of the turtles is more in touch with Master Splinter's traditional Japanese background, leading them to adopt "more traditional ninja weapons." In addition to Raphael's jitte, Michelangelo is armed with a kusarigama (a razor-sharp sickle attached to a chain), while Leonardo wields the ninjatō blade. Donatello continues to use the bō staff, because there's no way to improve upon simply whacking people on the head real hard with a stick.

There are a few issues here, but the first and most glaring is the idea that the Turtles need different weapons to more closely identify with their father, Splinter. Each of them has always had a complex emotional relationship with their father, even if they're sometimes snotty teenagers about it. They've historically embraced his traditional Japanese background. I mean, they're literally the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

If that's not enough of an issue, these weapon changes are incidental, at best. Giving Raph a slightly different stabbing device doesn't telegraph a love for his father anymore than a sai would. The same goes for Leo's straight-edged ninjatō blade, as compared to the curved katana he normally uses. Michelangelo's kusarigama at least makes some sense, as the character has used it in the past. In the 2012 TMNT animated series, Mikey's nunchaku could transform into a kusarigama, giving him the ability to use both weapons. Interestingly, there are also Magic cards of Leo and Mikey with their traditional weapons, though not Raph — save for those drawn from co-creator Kevin Eastman or featuring previously released art. If anyone can give Raph a sai, it's his actual dads.

The weapon swap leaves this TMNT fan with the impression that Wizards of the Coast simply wanted to put its own visual stamp on the set, which is something the company almost confirms. "We're old-school fans and love that cool way Raph holds a sai, but for this set specifically we felt like the jitte was a better visual for exploring that complex emotional relationship Raph has with his father," the blog post reads.

Well, team, it wasn't. Instead, the jitte stands out like a sore thumb compared to how excellent everything else looks. From unique art to obscure TMNT references and a variety of characters from throughout the franchise's 40-year history, this set is almost a dream come true for Ninja Turtle fans. Almost. That said, I'm probably still going to buy these cards. The Ninja Turtles are in Magic: The Gathering, for crying out loud!

---

The Magic: The Gathering - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles prerelease events begin on Feb. 27, with a global launch on March 6. You can preorder the set now.

If you buy something from a Polygon link, Valnet Inc. may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.