Motives of Shredder and the Foot Clan

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

In all TMNT media, Shredder and the Foot Clan have appeared. But their motives and ambitions have been different. What motives do you think they should have?

[Cowabung-Gal]

Bringing back Communism.

[Andrew NDB]

Making their employer/leader -- Oroku Saki -- very rich. And themselves by consequence. But for other parts of the Foot like the mystics, something else. Mastery of the body and the conquering of death, I'd say.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

I added a poll now. Multiple choices are allowed.

[AquaParade]

The Foot has been corrupted into serving mostly financial needs, a far cry from their roots in Japan, and Saki is complicating things even further by pouring resources into his own personal agenda of revenge against Yoshi.

[Andrew NDB]

The Foot has been corrupted into serving mostly financial needs, a far cry from their roots in Japan,

Is it, though? Ninjas as assassins has always been on a transactional basis. A ninja clan, in essence, is a "business."

[IndigoErth]

Ohh, a veritable buffet of poll choices.

Money, power, and revenge, by whatever methods necessary.

[Panda_Kahn_fan]

The foot, as modern ninja, should be a mercenary criminal organization. They should be taking high-paying spying and espionage jobs, assassin jobs, security missions, valuable thefts from high-tech facilities, and espionage jobs. Their clientele should be the the mafia, the triads, the tongs, and the Russian mob. They should be the ones powerful criminals turn to when normal mercs, spies, or bounty hunters aren't skilled enough to get the job done. They should have paid spies in every government, corporation, and large organization of any kind on earth, in order to gather data and intel for their missions and assignments. The goal of all of this is profit.

Their feud with the turtles and Splinter should be a personal vendetta with the shredder, leading to skirmishes whenever the two factions encounter each other.

[Torterra]

I like the whole just conquering through money and fear. Like if I was going to write Shredder and the foot in a series I would have it that Shredder pretty much rules over all of Japan in the shadows. Thugs, yakuza and other criminal organizations all follow him, like he is Japan's boogeyman. Then eventually he sets he's sight on taking over North America with New York as the starting point.

[shredder orokusaki]

Our motivation is to conquer the world and kill the turtles and Splinter!

[AquaParade]

Is it, though? Ninjas as assassins has always been on a transactional basis. A ninja clan, in essence, is a "business."

That’s true. I’m just spitballing and thinking of what themes I’d want to play with in my TMNT sandbox, but yeah, I guess that works fine and is true.

[Prowler]

They always gave me a Yakuza-like vibe to me. Which means they engage in activities mafias usually get involved in. I'm sure loan sharking is one of them.

In the 2k3 series though, Oroku Saki was a well known and respected business man in NYC, wasn't he? He clearly wasn't someone hiding from the public eye. Not to mention his tower was rather conspicuous. Clearly his businessman image was a facade. But what kind of legal businesses was he involved with?

[Antoniocafe]

I don't feel like there has to be one definitive answer. Different goals have made sense to me through a variety of different versions of the Foot.

[Coola Yagami]

I remember that one episode where the Shredder was worried about Splinter having documents that prove he's the real leader of the Foot Clan. I'm like.... why? What really remains of the Foot Clan other than a legion of robots? It just seems Splinter and Shredder are the last survivors of a long dead ninja clan. It's stuff kids don't think about too much until they see other forms of TMNT media (hell, even the live action movies) where it feels like a real ninja clan.

Hell, I honestly don't think OT Shredder even respects Bebop and Rocksteady enough to consider them members of the Foot Clan and Krang could care less. Hell, Krang didn't give a damn in the above episode I mentioned.

[Antoniocafe]

It's interesting to wonder what became of the Foot in Japan after Saki followed Yoshi to America. I definitely do not consider Shredder's forces that we saw in the opening mini series to be the "Foot Clan". Though he clearly considered the robot Foot soldiers, and possibly the punks as well, to be at least the U.S. branch of the Foot. Based on his offer to the Turtles to join the Foot anyway.