Fans of the original ‘90s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon are well aware of the hilarious partnership between Shredder and Krang as they worked together to defeat the Turtles and take over the world. Well, anyone who enjoyed that relationship would be crushed by the way these two treat each other now as their latest rivalry totally corrupts their previously established villainous bromance.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series ran from 1987 to 1996 and was a huge hit practically around the globe. While the source material was a dark and gritty indie comic created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, the cartoon was a bright and fun weekly adventure–so, the villains had to be equally kid friendly. One character who successfully made the transition from comic to television was Shredder who went from a murderous ninja clan leader (who ironically was killed by the Turtles in their very first issue), to a scheming bad buy constantly up to no good–and he wasn’t alone. In the show, Krang was Shredder’s greatest ally, though unlike Shredder, Krang was an original character made up for the cartoon series. However, he wouldn’t stay that way, and Krang’s comic book legacy would prove that he is a truly heinous and irredeemable villain–too heinous, in fact, for even Shredder.
In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #43 by Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz, and Cory Smith, Shredder has teamed up with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to take down Krang before the interdimensional villain can bring his Technodrome to Earth and terraform the planet to fit the needs of his species. This comes after Shredder and Krang had a brief professional relationship that ended violently when Krang attempted to kill Shredder after Krang saw no more use for him. Now, the two are bitter enemies which is made abundantly clear when they face each other on the battlefield. As the villainously vile Krang leads his army to take over the Earth, Shredder commands his Foot Clan to defend it, and the two of them engage in gloriously brutal combat amid the carnage and bloodshed of their multiversal war.
Shredder and Krang’s TMNT Relationship is Worse Now than Ever Before
While the relationship between Shredder and Krang hit a low point when the two went to war against one another, it hasn’t gotten any better since. In the ongoing TMNT event, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Armageddon Game, Shredder is the new leader of the Ninja Turtles while Krang has aligned himself with the villainous cosmic god, the Rat King. So, even in the current continuity, Shredder and Krang are still bitter rivals just as much, if not more than they were when they battled in TMNT #43.
One would think that the two villains who were famous for working together against the Turtles would make things work no matter their iteration given how iconic their villainous relationship was for nearly ten years in the cartoon, though the ongoing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles continuity proves that couldn’t be further from the truth–a sobering fact that confirms Shredder and Krang’s rivalry has officially corrupted their former partnership in the TMNT's '90s cartoon.