TMNT: Last Ronin Theory: Michelangelo Will Face a New Shredder
Warning! Spoilers for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin comic series below.
In the dark future of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the story seems to be suggesting a new version of Shredder is coming to face the Last Ronin. As Michelangelo bands together with the remaining survivors, Oroku Hiroto seems to be planning to unleash something big against the resistance forces, as it's possible he's creating a new Shredder with his mother Karai.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin by Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, Tom Waltz, Ben Bishop, Esau, and Isaac Escorza, is the bloodiest Turtles story ever told. Michelangelo is the lone survivor in a grim future among his brothers and Master Splinter and has mastered martial arts in an effort to get vengeance for his fallen family. However, Michelangelo is suicidal and seeing the ghost of his brothers - and he's continuing to mutate, making him stronger than ever before. His ultimate quest is to kill Oroku Hiroto, the grandson of Shredder and son of Karai, who currently leads to the Foot Clan and is responsible for the deaths of his brothers.
The Last Ronin could be setting up introducing a new Shredder, as issue one showed that Karai was still alive - albeit in some sort of cryostasis. In issue two, it's revealed that she killed Raphael, but was gravely wounded in the fight as well. Turning Shredder's daughter into the dark future's version of the character would make a lot of sense. Originally in the third volume of the TMNT series, a character named Lady Shredder was introduced but her identity was never revealed in canon, with letter pages saying it was intended by on being Karai. Making Karai Shredder would be a great way to revive that storyline in a new and exciting way.
Plus, it seems strange that Karai survived her encounter with Raphael. Why have her in the main timeline if she's not going to be used? Plus, her son Hiroto doesn't carry the same weight as a villain as a new Shredder would. Michelangelo having to confront his past and put down Shredder would be a satisfying final battle and a great way for him to get his much-desired vengeance.
Turning Karai into Shredder might seem like a bold move, but if the Last Ronin's final battle came against his first true villain (albeit with Shredder's daughter now under the mask), it would really be a full circle moment for the series. It would honors its past, while forging something entirely new. How epic would a final showdown between Michelangelo and Karai as Shredder be? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin is in stores now.