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There are many great characters in theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesfranchise. The titular brothers themselves are so diverse and fun that they appeal to just about every personality type. The Turtles have come up against animpressive rogues' gallery, including Krang and The Shredder. There’s also Master Splinter, the Turtles' ninjustu and martial arts teacher and often, one of the most rock solid dads in animated history. Andwho could forget April O’Neil, the Turtles' strong-willed, and often yellow-clad, ally? However, there’s one mysterious character who keeps popping up again and again in TMNT media, despite not even being native to the franchise.
Miyamoto Usagi, the protagonist ofUsagi Yojimbo(“Rabbit Bodyguard”), was created by Stan Sakai and made his first appearance in 1984 before starring in his own series in 1987. The series follows Usagi, a ronin or masterless samurai, as he wanders Edo Japan. Like Usagi, the rest of the characters inUsagi Yojimboare also anthropomorphized. Due to its primarily episodic nature, it’s a long-running American comic that is easy to pick up and read, although there are some multi-issue arcs as well. Sakai has been the lone author and one of the few artists that has worked on the series during its run. Because of his ownership of the material, he’s been able to take Usagi to various publishers over the years, includinghis own imprint, Dogu Publishing, in partnership with Dark Horse Comics. As a comic,Usagi Yojimbois a rare breed. It has buddy comedy, tiny dinosaur-like lizards called tokage, and can be very funny at times, but it can just as easily be very serious and isn’t afraid to highlight injustice. Its storylines are consistently of high quality despite its long runner status, andit inspired Ghost of Tsushima.
Who is Miyamoto Usagi?
As for the rabbit himself, he is modeled after thelegendary swordsman Musashi Miyamoto, even down to his name. Usagi originally served under Lord Mifune, named afterAkira Kurosawa regular Toshirō Mifune. When Mifune was slain in battle, Usagi was able to keep one last duty to his lord by burying his head, making sure it never got desecrated in enemy hands. Usagi is an incredibly skilled swordsman with a steadfast sense of justice and goes from town to town righting wrongs, but he has a sense of humor that shines through from time to time as well. Usagi has encountered various yokai and even Japanese gods. His foes range from Jei, a wolf with his own twisted sense of what qualifies as justice, and Lord Hikiji, the main antagonist of the series, curiously the only human character, who murdered Lord Mifune and gave Usagi the scar over his eye (not to be confused with theinfamous DreamWorks eyebrow.)
What is His Connection to the TMNT?
As it turns out, Sakai is friends withTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlescreators Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman.Usagi Yojimboand the originalTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlescomics came out around the same time. (Thefirst TMNT Mirage Studios comicswere published in 1984.) Both of their comics were prominent black-and-white stories with anthropomorphic animals with a Japanese influence. These creators wrote fan letters back and forth, and as Laird and Eastman saw the popularity of theTMNTrise when they licensed the characters for toys and the animated series, they offered Sakai the chance to do crossovers and make merchandise with them. Sakai accepted. Ever since, the Turtles have managed to meet Usagi and vice versa across different time periods and realities. This includes both theTMNTandUsagi Yojimbocomics,multiple television series, as well as video games, even as part of theDLC inTMNT: Shredder’s Revenge. Leonardo, sharing a similar code of ethics to Usagi, was the Turtle that bonded the most with the rabbit swordsman. Usagi’s story is strong in its own right, but being paired with the Turtles throughout the years allows for exposure to Usagi from Turtles' fans who might not have known about the character.
Miyamoto’s Descendant Has His Own Netflix Show
In 1994, a futuristic pilot starring Usagi was created. However, due to the failure of another rabbit-fronted space series,Bucky O’Hare and the Toad Wars!, which had flopped, it could not secure financing from toy companies. However, an idea of the world ofUsagi, but set in the future, took hold again in the 2022 Netflix series,Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles. However, instead of Miyamoto Usagi, the series instead focused on one of his descendant in the future, Yuichi, living in Neo Edo. Although it was executive produced by Sakai, fan reception to the series was mixed. While some fans felt like the show worked well for its intended audience, a younger demographic than most longtime readers of the comics, others felt like the creative decision not to focus on Usagi Miyamoto or employ a mature tone was disappointing.
There’s no denying that theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesaren’t going anywhere. With decades of critically acclaimed entries under its belt, including last year’sTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,which currently has a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences cannot seem to get enough of Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo. Plenty of Turtles media has included Usagi and for good reason. His story and character are compelling. Since rising tides lift all boats, perhaps this recent boost of Turtles love will allow for Usagi himself to get some more recognition and, perhaps, another, well-deserved shot at an animated series.
