Hamato Yoshi

Hamato Yoshi is a Japanese ninjutsu master whose tragic fate sets the entire TMNT saga in motion. His rivalry with the villainous Oroku Saki (the Shredder) leads to his death, indirectly resulting in the creation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Hamato Yoshi is a foundational figure in one of comics' most beloved independent franchises, appearing in the very first issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles — the landmark 1984 Mirage debut that Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman self-published and turned into a cultural phenomenon. A Bronze Age original, his presence in that debut alone earns him collector significance, with two of his handful of appearances recognized as key issues. Across 25 years of Mirage publishing, he shares the page with the Turtles themselves — Raphael, Leonardo, Donatello, and Michelangelo — as well as Splinter, placing him at the very heart of the mythology that started it all.