Karai (TMNT 2012)

Karai is one of the main villains of the 2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles show on Nickelodeon. Like other versions of the character she is the Shredder's disciple and a high-ranking member of the Foot Clan. She is voiced by Kelly Hu

History
Karai first appears in the episode "New Girl in Town" in which she crosses paths with Leonardo. Though she effortlessly overpowers him in their first fight she lets him live, much to her master Shredder's fury. She later runs into Leonardo again and duels him, seeming to be at least his equal but possibly a little better. During the duel Karai attempts to seduce Leonardo, who resists and in turn attempts to get Karai to admit to having a streak of heroism inside her, to which she brushes off. She later attempts to convince Leonardo to help her steal a sword on display, to which he refuses. Leo again attempts to reason with Karai, but again she rebuffs him. However, she does save Leonardo and Raphael from Snakeweed when the Mutant attacks them, giving Leonardo hope that there is good in her.

However, in Karai's next appearance "Alien Agenda", she betrays the Turtles during a battle with Kraang forces, leaving them to fend for themselves against both the Kraang and also a mutant monster that Karai accidentally created, also mocking Leonardo when he tells her that he trusted her. While the turtles fight, Karai gives Shredder a piece of Kraang technology, managing in the process to convince him of it's worth.

Karai's next appearance is "Enemy of my Enemy", where upon learning of the threat the Kraang pose seeks an alliance with the Turtles, who are reluctant to trust her again. Though Leonardo manages to convince his brothers to trust Karai, he later goes along with their plan to try and take down the Shredder when he shows up to claim some weapons with which Karai planned to take down the Kraang. Upon realizing that the Turtles took advantage of their partnership, a hurt Karai angrily condemns Leonardo and from then on goes from a friendly opponent to a hateful arch-enemy. Her subsequent appearances reflect this change in personality, her previous sociable and friendly personality having been replaced with sadism. Her last Season 1 appearance was in the second part of the finale, where Splinter learned while fighting Shredder that Karai was in fact his and Tang Shen's daughter Miwa, who Shredder had taken as his own the night he killed Tang Shen, raising her to hate her biological father under the lie that he was Tang Shen's killer and not him. She has yet to learn the truth.

She reappears in the second season now commanding robotic Foot Ninjas with the ability to adapt to their opponent's moves. Shredder leaves to Japan on business and instructs his daughter to do nothing while he was away (and threatens to hurt her if she does not obey him). Nevertheless, Karai, in an attempt to get revenge on Splinter (who she still believes killed her mother) has her robot Foot Ninjas attack the turtles to try and use them as bait. The plan fails, and Karai is left defeated by Leonardo, who warns her not to endanger his brothers or sensei again. Following this, Shredder warns Karai not to disobey him again, but she ignores him and sends more Foot-Bots after April O'Neil, as well as the Kraang's new elite Foot-Bot. However, once this new Foot-Bot (who Mike dubs "Chrome-Dome") tracks April down, it attempts to capture her for the Kraang rather than kill her as Karai had wanted. Enraged at this betrayal, Karai attacks the Foot-Bot, prompting it to attack her in retaliation. Once the Turtles arrive, Karai is beaten back and forced to retreat.

Karai later appears again in "The Manhattan Project" where she tries and fails to capture the Turtles. It is in this episode that Splinter reveals to the Turtles (and later April) that Karai is his daughter. When Shredder returns, he brings a new assassin with him named Tiger-Claw. Karai takes an instant dislike to him, especially after Shredder has him replace her as his new second-in-command. The two later capture Splinter after using the Turtles as bait, and Splinter and the Turtles try desperately to convince Karai that he is indeed her father. Though she refuses to listen, she does urge Shredder to give Splinter a fair fight rather than kill him while he's helpless. She later admits that she doesn't know why she did this, but seems to show some discomfort when Shredder tries again to kill Splinter. She is last seen overhearing Splinter, April, and the Turtles discuss how Karai is the former's daughter, suggesting that she has now finally come to accept the truth.

Trivia

 * Karai's alias "Harmony" translates to Miwa, her birth name.
 * 2012 Karai is very similar to the minor comic TMNT villain The Mistress. Both are biological relatives of Tang Shen who were manipulated by Oroku Saki (Shredder) into believing that he was good and that it was Hamato Yoshi who was the villain in the love triangle, thus turning them into a loyal minion.
 * Karai is also similar to Cheshire from Young Justice, also voiced by Kelly Hu. Both are female ninjas with a flirty and thrill-seeking personality who's friendship with one of the heroes represents a chance at becoming good. Both also have abusive father figures (Sportsmaster and Shredder).
 * For all her disdain for Shredder's obsession with getting revenge on Master Splinter, Karai is similarly obsessed with exacting vengeance on the man she believes killed her father, to the point that she repeatedly disobeys her father and attempts to kill those close to Splinter "just so he'll know what it feels like".

Quotes

 * "Well, you might actually be a challenge"-Karai first meets Leonardo
 * "Well...you didn't defeat them either"-Karai talking back to her "father" Shredder
 * "I know, that's what makes it fun!"-Karai's response when Leonardo tells her that she doesn't have to do something wrong
 * "I wonder what this button does..."-Karai before creating the monster Justin
 * "I know! That's messed up right?"-Karai callously mocks Leonardo's saying he trusted her after she betrays him
 * "I thought you were better than this! I thought you were my friend! How could you betray me!?"-Karai expresses anger at Leonardo for his betraying her trust in him
 * "Our deal's off! You want a feud? You got one!"-Karai becomes Leonardo's Arch-Enemy
 * "My name is Karai! Father told me what you did to mother! Now I'm going to return the favor!"-Karai unknowingly condemns her biological father