Why do you think the series had such a hard time moving on from Shredder?
 

I remember way back in 2003 when the new show was first starting, Peter Laird promised fans Shredder wouldn't be defeated in every single episode like he was in the old toon, (which was true), but also that Shredder would eventually be finished off and they'd move on to new villains.

But...that never really happened. Ch'rell was the main villain for Seasons 1-3. Then we had Karai as Lady Shredder in Season 4. Then Demon Shredder in Season 5. Then Shredder in 1 ep of FF. Then Cyber Shredder in Season 7. Then Shredder in "Turtles Forever."

Shredder was the main villain of the 2k3 series, same with the original 80's cartoon. Do you think the 4kids writers felt like the show would lose interest in little kids if there wasn't a Shredder in the series?

Well, we had a break with Fast Forward... but that hardly counts as "moving on to new villains" in the big picture. I suppose he's "The greatest evil" & without him everyone else comes off as less threatening and/or insignificant. Also you could say that Shredder was a cash cow villain in the original series (and we all know cartoons mostly serve to be 22 min. toy ads).

Archie TMNT Adventures comics
 

Read the later Archie TMNT Adventures comics if you want more stories where the TMNT kick the butt of other guys and girls than Shredder. Or watch the season 4-6 (1990-1992) solo adventures of the 1987 TMNT cartoon.

But I agree the 2003 cartoon could have more other stories too.

"Timing Is Everything" was NOT ep 1.

EDIT: Oh, I read that all dyslexic. :sweatdro:

Probably because Shredder is the main villain in the TMNT universe. However, they did have other villains in 2K3 which made it better. If it had just been the Shredder as the villain it would've gotten boring.

Are you serious? Batman/Joker... Superman/Luthor... Fantastic Four/Dr. Doom...


Try again.

I think it would be more interesting if they had the Foot trying to avenge Shredder's death.

Not in the core, original universe he's not.

I guess they felt they needed an ultimate evil, and even when Shredder was dealt with in the series, he was such a menace, it was always an big 'OH NO!!' when news hit that he might come back. Even Turtles Forever had the Turtles (and Hun) start to worry when it seemed that Shredder was coming back.

Plus, tying him into their origin, no matter how inadvertedly was a plus.

TMNT without Shredder, is like Sonic without Robotnik, or Harry Potter without Voldemort.

Both are the Ying and Yang, one cannot exist without the other. It doesn't feel complete or just right.

Peripherally. I mean, yes, Shredder does need to be there in some capacity, and most certainly at the beginning.

Beyond that? Not so much. But his presence can be felt beyond him actually hovering around, alive.

I see what u mean I just wish they would have stuck with one shredder and not multiple incarnations. Ecspecially cyber shredder, "I thought shredder wars would be awesome but it never even made it there."
I would have like to see more of Bishop and "Rat King".

Tmnt
 

TMNT has a more expanded number of bad guys, and many later stories work without him. I agree Shredder needs to be in the first stories, but not in every story.

It's a series, for kids, they need one main villain. In the comic book Shredder and the Foot Clan were really the only major villains. Karai was only ever an ally that couldn't fully be trusted. In the end the only long running villain was The Foot and they're uninteresting with no leader. You really had no other main villains. Shredder impacted their lives the most in the comics hence why I see he was chosen to be the core villain of the series.

You mention he returns a lot in the series but he returned a lot in the comic as well. He came back twice, once as a worm clone and once as a shark mutant. I can see why they chose to keep bringing him back. You had the Utrom Shredder who was basically Krang and Shredder mixed into one villain. Then you had his jaded daughter, who eventually becomes a good guy. You had the Demon Shredder who was the true Shredder that the Utrom Shredder merely copied and also held the Demon Shredder' mystics hostage. Lastly you had Cyber Shredder who was a combination of Viral and the Utrom Shredder's backed up memory.

The Cyber Shredder is really the only Shredder I think is completely pointless. He only existed because the series was going "back to the sewer" and that meant bringing back the main villain because someone at 4Kids thought FF didn't do well because Shredder wasn't in it.

Yes but why does that leader have to be Shredder?

Because he is the sole founder? Nothing beats the original creator.

*shrugs* Personatly it never bothered me to have the shredder come back over and over again from seasons 1-3, and Karai becoming the shredder was a different character from the actual shredder still. And it was interesting concept to have the Tengu Shredder in the series. But after the Cyber shredder, they were pushing it.

but TMNT Had lots of other Villians in the 2k3 series. (Savanti Rameo, The Ultimate Ninja, Hun, Stockman, Bishop, Draco, Federation, Triceratons (when the Prime Leader was there) and so many others. I think they balanced the shredder out of the series, in my opinion.

But it's a kid show, I don't really try to let it get under my skin too much.

I don't think he was the original creator. It never says in the 2k3 series that I remember. But in the othe universes he is either given power or take leadership of the foot clan.