Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (foreground) with a surprised looking MCU Thor in the background.

Summary

Master Splinter, the wise mentor of the Ninja Turtles, is the character most worthy of lifting Thor’s hammer, according to writer Jason Aaron.
Splinter embodies the qualities of compassion, restraint, nobility, wisdom, and humility needed to lift Mjolnir, which he has exhibited consistently for decades in the TMNT franchise.
Aaron’s response showcases his approach to writing the TMNT franchise, giving fans another reason to be excited about his upcoming relaunch of IDW’s Ninja Turtles ongoing series.

The new writer behind Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles named his pick for the character worthy enough to hold Thor’s hammer. Eisner Award-winning writer Jason Aaron is set to relaunch the TMNT franchise for IDW, shepherding the Turtles into a new era. Aaron is well known for his contributions to the lore of Thor, and his previous work reinventing the classic Avenger.

In an interview with Looper, Aaron hypothesized about which character from the franchise would be capable of lifting Thor’s iconic weapon Mjolnir. It should come as little surprise to longtime Ninja Turles fans that the author identified Master Splinter as the franchise’s character most worthy of wielding Mjolnir.

Splinter (foreground) with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and their allies behind him, leaping into action.

When readers think about Splinter’s best qualities and combine them with the qualities necessary to lift the hammer, it makes perfect sense as to why the ninja rat would be the obvious answer to the question.

TMNT’s Master Splinter Would Be Worthy to Lift Thor’s Hammer

According To Writer Jason Aaron

TMNT's Splinter in the pouring rain, with two ninjas flanking him (background.)

Aaron’s answer is as fascinating for its implication of ” a flying super rat god of thunder ” as it is for the sly diplomacy of his response. The author circumvented extolling one specific Turtle brother as more worthy than the other.

Jason Aaron significantly redefined the Thor franchise during his Marvel tenure, and now he is set to do the same for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. When Aaron was announced as TMNT’s next writer, fans immediately began fantasy booking a crossover between the Turtles and the God of Thunder. Looper acknowledged this during their interview with Aaron by asking which character would be capable of lifting Mjolnir. Aaron had this to say:

It’s a great question. Yeah, I think I could have a lot of fun with doing that crossover. I think that there would be lots of characters. I don’t think it would necessarily be just one. I think if Splinter was still around, I think he certainly would be able to lift the hammer, and I think a flying super rat god of thunder would be pretty awesome.

Though Aaron noted that “lots of characters” are worthy enough to hold the hammer, Splinter was his first, foremost choice.

Aaron’s answer is as fascinating for its implication of “a flying super rat god of thunder” as it is for the sly diplomacy of his response. The author circumvented extolling one specific Turtle brother as more worthy than the other. Instead, he highlighted the virtue of their mentor, Master Splinter, without whom the Ninja Turtles heroism would never have reached the heights that it did. In this way, Jason Aaron made his keen sense of how to approach the Ninja Turtles franchise evident.

In The Immortal Thor #5, Thor listed the five qualities needed to lift his hammer: compassion, restraint, nobility, wisdom, and humility. For forty years, Master Splinter has consistently showcased each of these qualities.

Splinter Has Everything It Takes To Lift Mjolnir

According To Thor

TMNT's Splinter leading the Foot Clan, commanding his ninjas to attack.

In The Immortal Thor #5, Thor listed the five qualities needed to lift his hammer: compassion, restraint, nobility, wisdom, and humility. For forty years, Master Splinter has consistently showcased each of these qualities, and tried to instill these traits in his sons every chance he got. He’s compassionate even to his enemies, restrains himself from ever going too far in fights, is noble enough to sacrifice himself, and, as a teacher, offers wisdom while remaining humble enough to learn from his students. Many Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters may lift Thor’s hammer, but Splinter remains at the top of the list.

Source: Looper

Thor

Associated with the mythical realm of Asgard, Thor is a Marvel Comics hero who channels the power of thunder to slay their foes. Though the name is chiefly tied to Thor Odinson, several other characters also take on the role of God of Thunder, including Odinson’s love interest, Jane Foster. Odin is portrayed as a physically imposing hero with incredible strength and typically wields the dwarven forged hammer, Mjolnir.