10 Comic Book Movie Henchmen Who Deserve Way More Praise
2. Tatsu - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
Imagine for a second that you're a fifteen year old kid...
Sam Rockwell has led you into a warehouse where you can smoke cigarettes, play arcade games and ride your skateboard all day long. The only catch is you have to swipe a few TV's and stereos. Sweet deal right?
One day, the leader of this gang you've joined has summoned you for a meeting, and he's a metal samurai. And he's spouting off about going to war with turtles. And now in order to really be part of this gang you're in, you have to train to be a ninja to fight these turtles.
At what point do you slowly back away and get the hell out of there?
Well, the guy tasked with keeping all of this afloat is the leader of the Foot Clan, Tatsu. When he's not beating teenagers to a pulp in the name of a masked metal ninja, he's checking up on his youth cult.
The toll that comes with serving a metal samurai with a grudge against a rat in a dressing gown whilst managing kung-fu teenagers is too much for any grown adult, and Tatsu handles that responsibility with resilient calm and stoic patience.
We need more mentors like him in the world, but maybe a little less punchy.