#mentor characters

Master splinter (TMNT 2003)

splinter in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles feels steady in a way that’s rare.

he’s calm, disciplined, and deeply grounded not distant, not cold, just quietly sure of himself. everything about him feels intentional, like he knows exactly who he is and what he stands for.

as a mentor, he teaches more than combat. he teaches patience, restraint, and responsibility. his guidance isn’t about control it’s about trust. he believes in his sons, and he lets them grow into themselves

there’s something really comforting about this version of splinter. he feels present. stable. like an anchor.

It's a common story trope, and while it's possible that mentors can live past their prescribed expiration date, it really depends on the story that the writer/creator wants to tell.

And here, Roberto was used as the reason Meryl acts the way she does in the manga and the old anime -- he's the final nail in the coffin (if you'll pardon the pun) that makes her Meryl.

He needed to be here, to facilitate her growth, and he needed to die.

And now we'll see the Meryl the old fans remember. All she needs now is a side-kick...which is one of the plot points that guarantees a second season.

(Dad, at the end of today's episode: "I don't see this or the old anime wrapping up in a single season. [We're on Ep 21 of the 98 anime]."

Injure them to the point of almost death and stick them in a gigantic ball of poison with a small chance of escape….. Then never mention them again in the entire series leaving fans confused over their faith

Extra points if one of them is literally a half cat at the time

MENTORS-Terrible Writing Advice

Another video on why writer’s need to do more with characters than just stuffed them into these archetype-boxes. Even if its part of a known trope and plot structure. 

Quotes: 

“My mentor is a boring dry academic so naturally his teachings sound like a humanities lecture drowning in anti-depressants and tenure induced apathy. ”