The power goes out in the Turtles' new lair, so Master Splinter suggests they tell stories to pass the time. Leo then starts to tell a story the Ancient One told him: the story of Hamato Yoshi
This is the 100th episode of the series, though the following episode was advertised as such during its initial broadcast due to "Insane in the Membrane" not being aired on 4Kids.
This episode provides examples of
- Adapted Out: As in the other adaptations, Oroku Nagi is nowhere to be found. Justified because of Oroku Saki's Adaptational Backstory Change. Though, Mashimi takes his place.
- Always Someone Better: Even as children, Yoshi always outdid Mashimi.
- Big "NO!": Yoshi when he discovers Tang Shen's body.
- Bittersweet Ending: This episode depicts Yoshi murdering his friend and adoptive brother Yukio Mashimi out of revenge for murdering Tang Shen and for telling the Foot where the Utroms were hiding. In the end, Yoshi has to leave Japan and move to North America to continue serving the Utroms. What's more, the audience already knows that Yoshi dies soon after at the hands of The Shredder.
- Breather Episode: Between the time travel episodes and the episode with Donnie's second mutation. While it's still a story with the drama of Yoshi's loss of Tang Shen and Mashimi, it's at least a flashback episode meaning nobody is truly in danger.
- The Bus Came Back: The genuine Ch'rell appears for the first time since "Exodus", not counting the mystic apparition of him conjured by the Foot Mystics in "Bad Day".
- Cain and Abel: Hamato Yoshi and Yukio Mashimi.
- Childhood Friend Romance: The Hamato Yoshi / Tang Shen / Yukio Mashimi triangle features both types. Yoshi and Shen are Victorious Childhood Friends, leaving Mashimi as the unlucky one.
- Continuity Snarl: This episode reveals that Ch'rell attacked the Utrom headquarters in Japan a few decades prior to the present day. This causes a continuity error in that his confrontation with Mortu in "Secret Origins" made it clear this was the first time the pair had encountered each other in thousands of years, let alone Ch'rell having encountered the other Utroms.
- Crazy Jealous Guy: Mashimi's mental state rapidly deteriorates as he realizes Tang Shen has fallen for Yoshi over him. Seeing them kiss is what finally causes him to snap.
- Dramatically Missing the Point: Downplayed. When the Ancient One blames himself for Shen's murder, Yoshi assures him that he's not responsible - and then rants about how Mashimi is and will pay dearly for it. Even though he's correct that Mashimi is responsible for the murder of Shen, he's heading down a path of vengeance that he will ultimately regret.
- Foreshadowing:
- In the beginning of the flashback, we see the Ancient One drop a yen coin where Yoshi and Mashimi are standing. Mashimi wants to keep the coin for themselves, but Yoshi wants to give back the coin the old man who dropped it because it's the right thing to do. This ends up foreshadowing what they would become of themselves later in life.
- At the end of the episode, the Ancient One approaches four shadowy Shredder-like figures who have decided to judge the Turtles.
- Friend to All Living Things: As Leo says, Tang Shen sees the rat in her kitchen as just a hungry creature and adopts him as a pet.
- It's All My Fault: The Ancient One after Tang Shen is killed. He blames himself because he knew of Mashimi's dark impulses but underestimated what he was capable of. Yoshi says he shouldn't blame himself and that Mashimi alone is responsible for this.
- Love Triangle: Both Yoshi and Mashimi fell in love with Tang Shen, but as time went on, she fell for Yoshi.
- Meaningful Name: Yoshi names his pet rat "Splinter" after the Ancient One warns him:The Ancient One: Vengeance is like a splinter: it gets under your skin and can poison your life.Hamato Yoshi: [Later, to his pet rat] ...I will name you 'Splinter', to remind me of what I have done, and what I have failed to do. And together we will remind each other of Tang Shen.
- My Greatest Failure: As noted above, Yoshi is aware of how he has failed and gives Splinter his name so that he'll never forget what happened.
- Narrator: Leo, for the opening, and for the story.
- Omniscient Council of Vagueness: The four figures that the Ancient One meets with at the end of the episode.
- Opposites Attract Revenge: Yoshi's love triangle with Mashimi over Tang Shen would help to set up a Cycle of Revenge.
- Origins Episode: For Yoshi and Splinter specifically. After Leo finishes the story, Splinter and Donny muse how they never would've mutated if not for these events.
- Outliving One's Offspring: The Ancient One is the adopted father of Yoshi, Mashimi, and Shen, but he still is devastated as his children begin dying all the same.
- Posthumous Character: All three characters in the Hamato Yoshi/Yukio Mashimi/Tang Shen love triangle.
- Pragmatic Adaptation: The episodes blends material established on the show with elements of Yoshi's background from the Mirage comics.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Mashimi is the Red Oni, Yoshi is the Blue. Their outfits are even color-coded accordingly (except for Yoshi's yellow jumpsuit).
- The Resenter: Mashimi to Yoshi, as Yoshi keeps getting promotions in the Guardians and Tang Shen's affections.
- Revenge: A central theme. Mashimi wants revenge against Yoshi for upstaging him at every turn, while Yoshi seeks to avenge Tang Shen.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Yoshi to Mashimi.
- Shadow Archetype: Mashimi to Yoshi.
- Shout-Out:
- Mikey asks if Japan was recovering from a Godzilla attack until Leo clarifies they're recovering from their loss in World War II.
- Two of Yoshi's outfits are an homage to Bruce Lee, the yellow jumpsuit from Game of Death, and the black uniform from Enter the Dragon.
- Single-Stroke Battle: Occurs between Hamato Yoshi and Yukio Mashimi.
- Small Role, Big Impact: Mashimi. Had he not revealed the Utrom's base in Japan to the Shredder, the Utroms never would've relocated to New York—meaning Yoshi never would've been killed there, Splinter never would've found the Turtles, and the five of them never would've mutated.
- Sound-Only Death: Tang Shen.
- Sudden Downer Ending: Played With. The flashbacks end on a somber note, but the family recognizes the importance of the events to their own origins and accept it. Then the ending with the Ancient One happens, wherein it’s revealed that four sinister figures are preparing to take the Turtles as part of their plans whether they agree or not, ending the episode on an ominous, uncertain note.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Mashimi takes Oroku Nagi's role in the Love Triangle.
- Unknown Rival: Yoshi had no idea how much Mashimi had grown to resent him.
- Wham Shot: The figures that the Ancient One meets with all have silhouettes clearly based on the Shredder.
- Whole Episode Flashback: To tell Hamato Yoshi's story.
- You Are Too Late: The Ancient One asks the mysterious council to not include the Turtles as part of their unknown plans, but the council tells him this trope word for word and that they've already decided.
- You Have Failed Me: Given a twist after the Utroms and Guardians escape in their pods. The Shredder is most displeased with Mashimi for this, but he doesn't kill him on the spot for this. When Yoshi storms Foot Headquarters, Shredder decides that Mashimi will be only be spared if he defeats his old friend in one-on-one combat. Mashimi loses and is killed.
