, ▁S pl inter ▁is ▁found ▁by ▁the ▁Rat ▁King , ▁who ▁appears ▁before ▁him ▁multiple ▁times ▁throughout ▁the ▁story - arc , ▁often ▁deb ating ▁philosoph ically ▁with ▁him ▁and ▁giving ▁him ▁crypt ic ▁advice ▁in ▁dream s . ▁S pl inter ▁soon ▁has ▁a ▁dream ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁Rat ▁King ▁appears ▁before ▁him ▁as ▁a ▁demon ic ▁rat - like ▁entity , ▁and ▁tells ▁him ▁to ▁dev our ▁a ▁rat ▁to ▁reg ain ▁his ▁strength . ▁Rat ▁King ▁also ▁tells ▁S pl inter ▁that ▁e ating ▁r ats ▁has ▁allowed ▁him ▁to ▁" find ▁what ▁he ▁was ▁looking ▁for ", ▁and ▁also ▁states ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁waiting ▁for ▁S pl inter ▁to ▁come ▁to ▁him ▁for ▁some ▁time . ▁Two ▁months ▁later , ▁after ▁the ▁Rat ▁King ▁stops ▁appearing ▁to ▁him ▁he ▁gets ▁enough ▁strength ▁and ▁leaves ▁the ▁sil o . ▁ ▁S pl inter ▁finds , ▁much ▁to ▁his ▁surprise , ▁the ▁heavily ▁decay ed ▁cor pse ▁of ▁the ▁Rat ▁King ▁buried ▁under ▁rub ble , ▁its ▁lim bs ▁tw isted ▁and ▁several ▁sh ur ik ens ▁im bed ded ▁in ▁it . ▁ ▁After ▁several ▁years ▁of ▁absence , ▁the ▁Rat ▁King ▁( in ▁g host ▁form ) ▁re app ears ▁in ▁a ▁brief ▁came o ▁appearance ▁in ▁Te en age ▁Mut ant ▁Nin jas ▁T urt les ▁Vol . ▁ 4 , ▁watching ▁as ▁S pl inter ▁succ umb s ▁to ▁a ▁heart ▁attack ▁and ▁dies ▁while ▁retr ieving ▁milk ▁from ▁a ▁re fr iger ator .