The Turtles AS Ninjas- heroes and the colored bandanas

[Panda_Kahn_fan]

Being a fan of the IDW rendition of the turtles, I've often wondered about some of the debates about the turtles and thier being ninjas- can they be heroes and still be ninjas? Should all thier headbands be the same color? And I think the awnsers aren't what some TMNT fans think.

For example, with Splinter's current 'no-kill policy, and the Turtles almost 'heroic' actions in fighting criminals in IDW. There are historical precidents for this. It is believed that the first Ninjas were actually farmers who lived near Bhuddist Temples in Japan, trained by the missionary monks from China in the martial arts, to defend them and thier temples from a Shinto Japan hostile to the new religion/Philosophy. (This is why many ninja weapons greatly resemble farm tools- that's what they actually evolved from) This would make the original ninja protectors, not assains- it was only later that the Koga and Iga would corrupt what the monks had taught them into an art of Spying, sabotoge, and assasination.

If one accepts this origin for Ninjitsu, then Splinter- who just had his Buddhist faith bolstered by the reincarnation of himself and his sons he had prayed for. (No matter how much against the tements of buddhism said reincarnation is), then Spilnter migh see himself and his sons returning Ninjitsu to it's true. 'pure' path- that of protectors and defenders. Such is a plausable way to take 'vengence' out of the equation (which is the path Tang Shen begged Yoshi not to take thier sons down), and make thier actions more altruistic.

Second, I bring up the matter of the masks. I've heard arguments that the Turtles should all wear the same color because they were from the same 'clan'. This, in my opinion, is utter hogwash. Shinobi wore whatever colors, outfits, or garments would help them get thier jobs done- which were more often spying and sabotoge, much more than assasination. Even the black outfit we so associate with the Shinobi actually came from the stagehands of Kabuki dramas-which ninjas would often disguise themselves as to spy on Daimyo's courts. There is no evidence that historic shinobi- such as Hattori Hanzo, ever wore any kind of clan colors. This is more an invention of Japanese fiction, and hollywood.

Now, I may get flamed because of this post, but if somebody's going to argue for the red masks and the turtles not being heroes, let it be for the right reasons, not 'because thier ninjas' that term- which is more modern and far less accurate than shinobi- has been very, very misused!