The demon was mythically described as "an eight-headed snake with eight tails and a constantly bloody and inflamed body that extended over eight valleys and eight hills." The Kusanagi Sword was formed from the remains of this ancient body. For millennia, the demon's soul is housed in the Totsuka Sword until its destruction by Splinter and Leonardo Hamato 17 years ago. In modern times, the demon's new vessel is the skeleton of a failed clone of Splinter, but with one large head and several smaller heads growing out of its neck.