Oroku Saki

Oroku Saki is the Shredder, the ruthless leader of the Foot Clan and arch-enemy of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. His rivalry with Splinter stems from an ancient vendetta between their masters, making him the primary antagonist driving the Turtles' quest for justice.

Few villains can claim they were there at the very beginning — but Oroku Saki was present on page one, debuting in the legendary Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 in 1984, the scrappy black-and-white Mirage Comics debut that launched one of pop culture's most enduring franchises. Created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, this Bronze Age antagonist has been a dark cornerstone of the TMNT universe for four decades, sharing those iconic early pages with Raphael, Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Splinter. With two key-issue appearances to his name and a presence stretching all the way to 2024, Oroku Saki is a figure whose shadow falls across the entire history of the franchise — and any collector serious about TMNT knows that chasing his appearances means chasing the very soul of the series.