Should you watch this, Wiki this, or wait for the recap? Watch this! But Wiki it if you really don’t have time.
Ivan Steranko hires master thief Anton Zeck to steal the legendary Kuro Kabuto, which is none other than Shredder’s helmet! Meanwhile, the Turtles head towards the Foot Clan’s headquarters in an attempt to save Karai. But when Shredder mobilises the entire Foot Clan to retrieve the Kuro Kabuto, the Turtles find themselves caught in the middle of a deadly free-for-all. Will Shredder manage to recover his helmet?
“The Legend of the Kuro Kabuto” is the 20th episode of Season 2 of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It has nothing to do with pork cutlets or pork bellies (as the word “Kuro” might have conjured in your mind). In fact, it’s technically filler. But it’s a great ensemble episode that features the main antagonists of the series teaming up to do something besides tearing up the Turtles.
It also features the debut of Steranko and Zeck, who will become Rocksteady and Bebop, respectively. Whether they’ll end up as Shredder’s lackeys or be freelance villains remain to be seen, but I’m glad that they’re taking the time to ease us into Rocksteady and Bebop’s eventual appearance! I’m pretty sure we’ll see a Shredder-Kraang-Rocksteady-Bebop homage when that happens, and hopefully Super Rocksteady and Mighty Bebop robots later!
Highlights
Shredder’s vulnerability
It’s interesting to see Shredder be a little… helpless, in this episode. After his helmet gets stolen, Shredder becomes far more reckless, a testament to how much he values the Kuro Kabuto. He also doesn’t dare to step out of the Foot Clan’s headquarters, for some reason. It’s almost as if he feels naked and powerless without the helmet. And with the mystic origins of the Kuro Kabuto, could it be that Shredder draws some of his power from the helmet as well? Nevertheless, it was an interesting exploration of character vulnerabilities and a different aspect of the normally stalwart Shredder who’s completely in control.
Steranko & Zeck’s debut
Steranko debuted in episode 20 of the previous episode, so it’s an interesting callback to have Anton Zeck debut in this episode. Will Bebop and Rocksteady appear in episode 20 of Season 3? Although their interactions and character pairings seem to mirror that of Rahzar and Fishface, they seem to have a more colourful relationship. Hopefully we get to see a Rahzar-Rocksteady team up, and a Fishface-Bebop team up next season too!
The Foot Clan amasses
We rarely get to see the Foot Clan in its entirety and power, and this episode reminds us of how much more powerful the Foot Clan has truly become. Shredder now has 4 mutants under his command, and it’s obvious that they outmatch the Turtles. Along with Karai and the Kraang, plus the Footbots, the Foot Clan definitely has the advantage now. This serves to heighten the urgency of rescuing Karai – her assistance could be what tips the scales in the Turtles’ favour.
The double cross
Shredder reveals the depths of his cunning in the climax, where it’s revealed he planned to betray the Turtles all along. Everything’s back to status quo by the end, but it’s been a fun ride seeing how everyone has attempted to bend events in their favour!
Letdowns
Nothing actually happens
Plotwise, honestly, there’s no advancement. Nobody learns anything new, no revelations are provided, and the conflict is physical rather than character-driven. Still, it’s visually interesting conflict, and felt a little like a two-parter in terms of the scope of the action.
Zeck’s a little irritating and useless
Zeck’s whole punk rocker attitude wears thin very quickly, making his high-pitched street slang incredibly grating on the ears. You just want to see him taken down, and taken down hard. Sadly that doesn’t happen, but he does have a nifty suite of special powers. Let’s hope that carries over into his mutation as Bebop.
“The Legend of Kuro Kabuto” was one big fight fest, with everyone struggling to obtain the Kuro Kabuto. Still, it’s a wonderful ensemble episode that features all the major characters in the overall story arc, and serves as a great set up to the eventual battle royale in the season finale.
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