Addressing and referring to Splinter
 

Is there a rule or at least pattern on how the Turtles address or refer to Splinter given the circumstance?

I would assume they would call him "sensei" when training or in battle, "father" when at home, and just plain "Master Splinter" in other circumstances.

But it almost seems random how they address him in all the various universes.

They only refer to him as solely "Splinter" when talking about him while he's not there. Which I understand due to the respect and formality.

Any specifics I may have missed?

I don't know of any 'rules' but they seem to call him 'Father' when they are in the role of sons rather than students, or when feeling vulnerable. On one occassion that I know of, in 2k3, Raphael refers to Splinter (in his absence) as 'Dad'.

I am asking because in the OT, Mikey once refers to Splinter as "man" and Splinter reprimanded him saying "what will you call me next, 'rat-faced dude'?".

I do agree with the vulnerability part. In the movie prequel comic, Donatello calls Splinter "father" when the monster is taking him away.

Other than the movie/prequel comics, I have only seen a Turtle refer to Splinter as his father. And that would be Raphael in the Casey Jones episode of the NT. He said something like "my father taught me/always said". So it was talking about him, not so much addressing him.

Yeah, they are more likely to talk about him as thier father, but address him directly more formally as a teacher.

I know in the new movie, he was referenced as "father" probably more than any other spinoff media.

In the movie both Leo and Raph called him father.
I refer to him as sensei, Splinter-sensei or just Splinter. :D

I too, refer to him as those three, and sometimes Master Splinter, and on occasion Hamato Splinter.

Yeah... Splinter's had so much impact on my life that I consider him a cromulent sensei of mine.

You know, I have to say that this name is a huuuuge pet peeve of mine, as this name has neverever been established in any official media.

2K3 isn't official media in your book? :o

Well, it ain't a spot-on match with the comics.

Was it used in 2K3? My bad if it was. Still annoys me, though...

Ah, been awhile since I watched that. I need to have a serious marathon.

Any reason why? Hamato was his father's surname, after all....

Honestly, I think it's just association with too many horribly written fanfics.

>.<' I feel weird without calling him Master Splinter. I keep wanting to "fix" my "Splinter's Dojo" shirt.
Ava has only very very recently started using "Sensei"...and she sounds silly wih her (my fake) british accent IMO :P
It always makes me wrinkle my nose when the turtles just call him "Splinter". Outsiders could do it sure, but even then MOST of them say "Master Splinter."

I think they only refer to him as just plain "Splinter" when talking about him without his being there. There are a few exceptions:

- the first word said by a Turtle was "Splinter"
- a Turtle in the first movie shouts "SPLINTER!" from a rooftop

I suspect it was Leo who spoke first and Raph who shouted it.

Usually it is just said in the third person. Such as in season 3 of the OT, the Turtles are in the van and realize that they forgot something. They are not sure what it is that they left behind- and then they all realize it and shout "SPLINTER!".

Actually this moment in film 1 is one of the many errors made in the film. The turtle we see on screen is Michelangelo, but the voice crying "Splinter" is Raphael.

Well, in any martial arts, you're suppose to refer to your teacher as "Master". That's how I refer to mine.

Hooray for me not reading a lot of 'fics. I honestly didn't know it was used in any fics other than the ones I've personally been associated with (which used it because of the usage in the 2K3 series).

I liked this small bit in the old toon where Splinter gets stern with Michaelangelo for being disrespectful by calling him a casual name. Its the exact same thing my parent would reprimand me on if I had done that. As a parent/teacher you don't adress them with the same causualness you would with a peer, its just a matter of respect. So Michaelangelo was out of line for saying "hey man!" to Splinter when he took his comic, and Splinter's reaction was of being disrespected was justified. Thats why he went into his spiel about being demeaned even more with stupid slang terms.

In the old toon the turtles only call Splinter "Master Splinter" or "sensei" in his presence, and even when he's not around eighther. Although I notice that some of the time they mearly call him Splinter when its a despret situation.

In the new toon, while in Splinter's presence I notice the turtles use "sensei" and "Master Splinter" interchangably with each. Genrally its Master Splinter even in casual setting (like if there just lounging in front of the TV). What confuses me a bit is some times the turtles call Splinter "sensei" in situations that are not just in a student teacher inviroment eighther, but in casual setting as well. In the episode Return of the Justice Force when Mikey starts flipping out that he can't find the last issue of a comic he is reading, which annoys Splinter, he tels Splinter hes sorry and refers to him as "sensei". When Splinter isn't around I think the turtles still add the title "master" before his name as well. I can't think of a situation that where they only call him Splinter.

I just realized something. I don't think Mikey or Donatello have ever called Splinter "father" in the 2k3 series at all. I can think of at least two or three occassions where Raphael and Leonardo have called Slpinter "father" but not the other two. :| weird :ohwell:

"It's like finding out your dad is Superman" by Michelangelo

That does count as a Turtle referring to Splinter as his father.

Also, though it's only commercial, in those new On Demand TMNT episodes, they have commericals where Michaelangelo says "Our dad's a master".

It does not surprise me all that much to be honest that in the first two seasons, only Raphael and Michelangelo referred to Splinter as their father. Why, if neither of them would be the one closest to Splinter? Because those two definitely need Splinter's parenting the most. While the other two can raise themselves, Mikey and Raph definitely need a strong father (not just figure- an actual father raising them) in order to put and keep them on the right path. And you bet they appreciate Splinter being their father very much.

are you refereing the old toon or the new toon? :|

The New Toon, of course :)

Though Splinter does call the Turtles his sons in the OT, I do not think they refer to him as their father. At least not in the episodes I have watched.

I think very early on Splinter may refer to them as his sons but it's rare in the OT. One of the things I notice now and dislike. I like the warm fuzzy feelings when they are a family.:)

Heh, well...even if neither of them are the ones closest to him, he's still the same thing to them as he is to Donatello and Leonardo, a father and a sensei. I get the idea they don't purposely arrange the script so that only certain turtles address Splinter as father, or whatever. They just pick and choose for no particular reason just to keep the show moving along.

That's not true. I'm not a hundred percent on the episode, but I think it was "Enter the Shredder" when Raphael caught Master Splinter as he fell, and said "C'mon Splinter. We're checkin' outta this dump."

Yeah, Raph's a rebel. :evilgrin:

And in the episode "Touch and Go", Raphael says "Yeah, my father will be waiting for me".

I am starting to believe it is NOT random that Raphael has said it the most.

It's definitely not random. Raphael is actually a very balanced character because his aggression and toughness is balanced by a very poignant fragility which makes him more prone to seeking a 'parent' in Splinter than his brothers.

A second instance (third if you count the ad) of Michelangelo referring to Splinter as his father occurs in "Reality Check".

Mikey and Raph definitely need Splinter's parenting the very most. And not just to put discipline on them. They need their father's love and guidance so much due to the vulnerability behind their troublemaking loud exteriors.

Finally. Leonardo has referred to Splinter as his father. It's in "The real world part 2". And it's still referring to him in the 3rd person. He tells the Daimyo "I have to rescue Master Splinter- my father". It is very interesting how it is mentioned in the episode where there is a definite contrast between how the Daimyo has lost his son the Ultimate Ninja, and how close Leonardo is to Splinter. I wonder if the Ultimate Ninja was jealous of this and this is part of the envy he had to Leonardo.

And I am not one bit surprised Donatello has not stated it yet. Donatello is the most independent Turtle. He probably hears his name called the least by Splinter- whether good or bad. While if Splinter had been bad he would have easily become a mad scientist, had Splinter been nonexistent he had the highest chances of being remotely productive.

Add two more:

- Leonardo is the first one to actually address Splinter as "father" in Exodus part 2. I think this is done to comfort and reassure him. Not to mention let him know that he has done a good job.

- Michelangelo says "my father taught me better than that" in Grudge Match. Curiously, there is another father and son team in this episode. And the Ultimate Ninja has now been returned to being a young teen.