Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles / Characters

Characters from the long-running comic book series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as well as some exclusive to some of its non-comic incarnations.

Note: Several characters' allegiances shift between incarnations. They have been placed in the side they are most usually associated with.

Characters as they appear or are exclusive to the following series can be found here:

Comic Books

Cartoons

Films

Live-Action TV

Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation

Video Games

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Heroes

As a whole

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Our heroes (Debuted in the Mirage Comics)

Adaptational Name Change: Downplayed, but Donatello and Michelangelo's original nicknames "Don" and "Mike" are rarely used in the modern incarnations, and are almost completely replaced by "Donnie" and "Mikey". Although, the nicknames "Don" and "Mike" are occassionally used in some newer installments like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin, but outside of the comic books, these nicknames are almost never seen anymore.
Badass Family: The Turtles and Splinter, undeniably so, as they are trained ninja and all.
Badass Normal: In a sense. The Turtles and Splinter are as physically capable as Olympic-level human athletes, but have defeated foes bigger, stronger, and faster than themselves.
Big Brother Instinct: The turtles are very protective of each other in every incarnation.
Big Brother Mentor: During the Fast Forward story arc in the 2003 series, the Turtles took up this role toward Cody Jones.
Calling Parents by Their Name: While Splinter raised them and they consider him their father, the Turtles almost exclusively refer to him as "Master Splinter" or "Sensei," since it's usually from a master/student perspective. Later adaptations tend to downplay this by having them address him as "Father" or "Dad" on occasion. Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles completely averts this by having the Turtles exclusively call Splinter "Pops" or "Dad."
Color-Coded Characters: With very few exceptions, the Turtles can easily be identified by their bandana colors: Leo is blue, Raph is red, Mikey is orange, and Don is purple.
Divergent Character Evolution: The Turtles were originally more or less identical in the Mirage comics, the 1987 series gave them different colored bandanas, the toys based on that series gave them different skin tones, the movies gave them different body types that have continually been exaggerated in the 2007 movie, the Back to the Sewer redesigns in the 2003 series, and the 2012 series.
Foil: All four of them as a group and in pairs. Mikey is carefree and foolish, while Donnie is focused and intelligent. Leo is responsible and driven, while Raph is Hot-Blooded and grumpy.
Four-Philosophy Ensemble: Raph is Cynical (fatalist, prefers fighting to talking), Mikey is Optimist (assumes the best in people, wants to have fun above all), Leo is Realistic (as a leader, needs to create plans and mediate conflicts), and Donnie is Apathetic (frequently apart to research and develop his gadgets).
Four-Temperament Ensemble: The rational leader Leonardo is Phlegmatic, the analytical gadgeteer Donatello is Melancholic, the goofball Michelangelo is Sanguine, and the short-tempered Raphael is Choleric.
- Granted that in some iterations give Leo a more serious demeanor, thus making him Supine
Good Is Not Soft: While they started off morally grey than outright good, the Turtles don't have any moral code against killing, and will do so if they feel they have to or are in the heat of battle, barring a couple of Lighter and Softer adaptations such as the 1987 and the 2018 series.
Happily Adopted: Splinter isn't their true father (obviously), but the Turtles love and respect him like he is.
Hilariously Abusive Childhood: Let's just say Splinter's lessons aren't exactly gentle.
Interspecies Adoption: They are mutant turtles raised by a mutant rat.
Interspecies Relationship: A given, since they're the only members of their species, but whenever one of them gains a romantic interest, its always either a human, another mutant, or alien. The one exception is the Next Mutation series, which explicitly removed their familial relationship so that the new female character Venus DeMilo could be a love interest for one of the boys (although the show ended before that could ever happen).
Kid Hero: Zigzagged. They're not kids, but teenagers. Most versions of the turtles still exemplify their youthful behavior with them eating pizza, playing video games, etc. Although who is considered younger and older among the four varies with each adaptation.
Metamorphosis: They were mutated from normal turtles and a rat (or a human depending on the version) to anthropomorphic mutants.
Named After Somebody Famous: After iconic Renaissance artists.
Nice Mean And In Between: Leo and Mikey are both nice, Raph is mean, and Donnie is in-between.
Odd Name, Normal Nickname: In most continuities, Leonardo, Donatello, and Michelangelo are often called Leo, Don/Donnie, and Mike/Mikey, respectively (although some of the more recent incarnations refer to the latter two simply as Donnie and Mikey). Inverted with Raphael. Although not common, it is far more common than his nickname Raph and even more so than Raphie.
Oxymoronic Being: The whole basis for their creation, as a turtle is a slow and clumsy creature one would not associate with stealthy martial artists.
Power Creep, Power Seep: In official crossovers with other franchises, how powerful or competent the Turtles are can vary. If they're in a DC crossover with Batman, all four Turtles will be portrayed as being just a little below Batman in fighting skills. But if they meet the Power Rangers in another crossover, they can be shown being able to fight and get the upper hand over the explicitly superpowered Green Ranger who's both Strong and Skilled, with Raphael in particular having what it takes to fight Tommy pound for pound.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Raph and Mikey are Red while Leo and Donnie are Blue^note
Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Donatello and Leonardo are less carefree and calmer than Michelangelo and Raphael.
Signature Team Transport: The Turtle Van, which has been reimagined into the Battle Shell, the Shellraiser, and Cowabunga Carl's van. As of the Live Action Next Mutation series, Raph usually gets a motorcycle too.
Trademark Favorite Food: Pizza. All of the turtles get rather creative when it comes to toppings.
True Companions: A Badass Family plus friends.
Vitriolic Best Buds: It depends on the continuity, but the turtles as a whole can be prone to squabbling and infighting, especially Leo and Raph. Some adaptations, like the 2012 series, play this up; others, like Rise, downplay it.

Leonardo

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The Leader (Debuted in the Mirage Comics)

Leads. Always in control. Does anything it takes to get his ninjas through. Identifiable by his blue bandana and his twin katanas.

Appears in: All incarnations.

All-Loving Hero: Even after all the betrayals and all the terrible things he's seen, Leo still expects the best out of people.
Best Friend: Donatello. Because Raph is constantly challenging Leo and Mike constantly has his head in the clouds, the resident genius is the closest to the leader in blue due to his higher maturity level, loyalty, and friendly personality. However, this depends on the incarnation. In the 2003 series, he is closest to Raph despite their arguments.
Berserk Button: More often than not, Raphael is this. Especially when the latter disobeys him or mocks him for being a Teacher's Pet.
Big Brother Instinct: Even though he's never officially stated to be the oldest, Leo acts this way so consistently across all incarnations that it's frequently assumed that he's the oldest.
- Averted in the 2018 series in which Leo is the second oldest but played straight towards Mikey who’s a year younger than him.
Blue Is Calm: Is typically the calmest and most focused of the Turtles, and usually wears a blue bandana.
Blue Is Heroic: He usually wears a blue mask in most versions of the series and is usually the leader of the team.
Bookworm: He seems to be this in the 1987 series. In the "Leonardo is Missing" episode, he stays at the lair and reads while the other turtles go to an arcade.
The Chains of Commanding: Michelangelo actually notes this in an episode of the 2003 series: Leo takes the burden of being the leader so his brothers can do what they want: Donatello's free to pursue his technological inventions, Raphael's free to let loose and fight, and Mikey's free to just relax because their brother's in control. It's Deconstructed in the 2003 series when Leo becomes so obsessed with preparing for the Foot's next attack that he nearly wounds Splinter. Splinter has to send Leo to train with his own original master, who teaches Leo not to put so much pressure on himself and learn to enjoy life more.
Child Soldiers: Of the four, it's Leonardo who exemplifies this the most. He's cold, stoic, and the most serious about fighting for justice.
Combat Pragmatist: Leonardo's sense of honor dictates that he fight fairly, but when he's pushed into a corner or there is no other alternative, he will not hesitate to slice off your head.
Cultured Warrior: Depends on the writer, but if one of the Turtles is going to be in touch with Japanese traditions, it's gonna be Leo.
Depending on the Artist: Outside of the Mirage comics, the color of his mask is blue, but the shade of blue will depend on the incarnation. In the 1987 animated series, the first two live-action films and the 2003 animated series, it is a lighter shade of blue. In the third live action film, the live-action TV series, the 2007 and 2023 CGI movies, the 2012 and the 2018 shows and the Michael Bay produced movies, it is a darker shade of blue.
Depending on the Writer: A lot of tropes carry over between adaptations, but some are fairly unique. Leonardo is always the skilled, "most leader-like", and responsible turtle. But whether its accomplished by being an overly serious workaholic, a respectable older brother figure, bossy teacher's pet, meditative and spiritual, wanting to emulate fictional archetypical heroes, in love with April or any combination of the above depends on the series and sometimes the story arc. Overall he is one of the most consistent across all adaptations.
- One notorious example is the 2007 movie written by Kevin Munroe, who clearly had a favorite turtle. Not only are Leonardo's traits exaggerated and warped to provide an antagonist/foil for Raphael, but his personality and background are sacrificed for the movie's plot. That said, the movie ultimately makes it very clear that Raph is wrong and Leo indeed is better than Raph and him calling out Raph over his recklessness and Hair-Trigger Temper was actually not wrong as Raph himself realizes later and while Raph defeats Leo in their fight (which is likely a reference to the Return To New York storyline from the Mirage comics), his victory only highlights how far his anger pushes him and ultimately causes even more problems by leaving Leo vulnerable and weakened, allowing the villains to capture him.
Determinator: One of Leonardo's recurring traits is that he never gives up and will keep on fighting, even when pushed to his limit.
Dual Wielding: He always wields two swords, and if one is broken he still fights with the other one.
Emotions vs. Stoicism: A lot of what he puts up with has him wondering if he should fight or remain still.
The Face: Being that he is normally portrayed as the leader and most sensible of the Turtles, he tends to be portrayed as the one to step forward and act as the mediator between his brothers and other people.
Four-Temperament Ensemble: He's the Phlegmatic in most iterations; as he started to take more perfectionistic training in the 2003 series, he became more Melancholic.
Guilt Complex: He is very bad with this. Very bad. Most versions of the Turtles give him something to blame himself over, often with The Chains of Commanding or trying to follow in Splinter's footsteps. In the 2003 series, it gets so bad that Splinter sends him to learn from his own original master to learn not to put so much pressure on himself and enjoy life more.
Heir to the Dojo: Some adaptations set in the future after the Turtles have grown up depict Leonardo as this. While his brothers have all taken other paths in life, Leonardo has taken up Splinter's mantle of training a new generation of ninjas.
The Hero: Leader of the Turtles and the one who defeats Shredder in most conituites.
Heroes Prefer Swords: As the leader of the group, Leo gets the shiny swords.
Heroic Spirit: A big reason why he's a determinator.
Heterosexual Life-Partners: Whenever there's a crossover with Usagi Yojimbo, you can expect Leo will form a fast friendship with Miyamoto Usagi.
Honor Before Reason: He'll only stop showing any mercy if his own life is in danger. Otherwise, he'll try to spare villains who are unrepentant about their wicked ways.
Indy Ploy: Alarmingly, a lot of his plans qualify as this. Most of the time, however, they actually work.
Innocent Blue Eyes: He has very cute ones in the 2012 series. They help solidify his youth and inexperience.
Jack of All Stats: In the video games. Typically, Raph is the strongest but the slowest, Donnie has the most range but is the weakest, and Mikey is the fastest but has the least range. Meanwhile, Leo has decent power, speed and range, without being the best at anything.
- Which, if you think about it, it's pretty accurate with his namesake, being an expert in many fields.
Katanas Are Just Better: Leo's weapons are twin katana, although they are often much more closely modeled around the ninjato.
Knight Templar: Leonardo's story arc in the fourth season of the 2003 series have him nearly cross over into Knight Templar territory. His rage gets so bad he actually wounds Splinter and has to be sent away to Japan to learn from Splinter's master.
The Leader: He's usually the leader of the four turtles across the franchise as a whole.
Martial Pacifist: Mirage Leonardo is this in the future.
Master Swordsman: His weapons of choice are twin katana and he's very good with them.
The McCoy: Though he overlaps with The Kirk. Along with Mikey, he's usually presented as the most empathic of the Turtles, whether it's granting mercy to an overmatched foe, or saving the life of a mutant two seconds after she tries to kill him.
Named After Somebody Famous: Leonardo da Vinci.
Nerves of Steel: Captured by aliens, trapped thousands of miles from Earth with no way back, poisoned and weaponless? For Leonardo, that's a training run.
No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: He gets into quite a few of these. If he's not on the receiving end, he's usually administering it.
- In the Sophie Campbell run, Leo gets invited to a mutant fight club and gets challenged by their rising star, 'Carmen the Conqueror'. While Carmen gets a few hits in, Leo absolutely dominates.
Not So Above It All: Despite his serious, leaderlike personality, Leonardo still has moments of joking with his brothers. When his Knight Templar attitudes push his family to the breaking point in the 2003 cartoon, Splinter sends him to train with Hamato Yoshi's old master, the Ancient One. Leo expects the Ancient One to teach him new fighting techniques, but the Ancient One is a Trickster Mentor whose real lesson is for Leonardo to not push himself so hard and be able to enjoy life.
Odd Name Out: Amongst his brothers, he is the only one who doesn't and can't go by a nickname that has an -ie or -ey suffix. Don and Mike often go as "Donnie" and "Mikey", while Raph is occassionally referred to as "Raphie" (in the 2003 cartoon, Casey, Mike and Raph himself have referred to him as Raphie on some instances).
Old Master: Mirage Leonardo is this in the future.
A Protagonist Shall Lead Them: Leonardo usually gets the most lines of dialogue and most of the stories are told from his perspective. Even when he's not presented as the main character (such as the TMNT movie), he plays a major role.
Rank Scales with Asskicking: Consistently the most skilled Turtle, he falls into the leadership role by default.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: He is the blue to Raphael's red. It frequently causes him and Raph to butt heads when Leo's stoicism clashes against Raph's hot-blooded impulsiveness.
Rogues Gallery: Of the turtles' vast rogues gallery, Leo is typically most associated with Karai, Koya, Dark Leo and in the IDW run, the Rat King.
Samurai: Leonardo is technically a ninja, but a lot of the tenets he quotes are in line with samurai. It's no surprise he and Usagi got along swimmingly.
Scars Are Forever: To an extent. In the season three finale of the 2003 series, Karai—whether accidentally or not—stabs Leo. Her sword goes through his shoulder and out the side of his upper shell. All throughout season four the crack in his shell remains as he descends into Knight Templar territory, and it refuses to heal even after he recovers. Not until the Fast Forward reboot, anyway.
Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism: In the 2003 series, he starts out at the very end of the Idealism scale, even believing the best of the Shredder and then his daughter Karai. As the seasons progress, he shows signs of being capable of sliding down the other way—he does this in the fourth season—though he remains mostly rooted in idealism.
The Spartan Way: All of the Turtles train hard, but Leonardo—whether or not by his own design—is almost always subjected to the kind that involves complete isolation, distant countries, and/or imminent death.
- In the 2003 series, Leonardo as a child was suffering from a fear of heights. Splinter brings him to the top of a gigantic reservoir and pretends to be in danger of falling. Leonardo forces himself to crawl out and save him, and apparently conquers his fear in the process.
Standardized Leader: He is usually this in the most basic, stripped-down adaptations.
Talented, but Trained: He's often portrayed as the best fighter out of his brothers because he's the one that's most dedicated to practicing.
Team Dad: Whilst he shares this role with Splinter in media after the original comics and the 1987 cartoon, in most iterations, Leonardo's discipline and protective instincts towards his siblings make him the one they turn to in a crisis.
Thou Shalt Not Kill: Mirage Leonardo believes this in the future.
Took a Level in Badass: In all adaptations, the Turtles all go through this, but Leonardo is the one who most clearly demonstrates the trope. One example is in the first season of the 2003 series where he can barely handle fighting one of the Foot Elite, and is nearly killed trying to take on all four. By the end of the fourth season, he not only takes on all four without apparent difficulty, but also bests Karai, the incumbent Shredder, in the process.
Took a Level in Jerkass: He undergoes this during the first half of the 2003 series' fourth season, combined with Heroic BSoD. He had a really good reason.
"Well Done, Son" Guy: Most of what Leonardo does is to please Splinter. Whether or not this is portrayed as a good thing depends on the incarnation.
What the Hell, Hero?: Leo gets this in the 2003 series from his brothers and Splinter when he's on the verge of becoming a Knight Templar.
Wise Beyond Their Years: In childhood flashbacks, he's usually the Turtle acting like the adult. And for a teenager, he deals very well with duties and responsibilities most adults would be unable to fathom.
Worthy Opponent: Karai in most continuities. Batman in Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Injustice 2.

Donatello

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The Smart Guy (Debuted in the Mirage Comics)

Does machines. Is the brains of the bunch. Is the fellow marked with a purple headband, and fights with a bo staff.

Appears in: All incarnations.

Author Avatar: Both co-creators of the franchise have stated that Don's personality is based on Peter Laird's.
Badass Adorable: Despite how sweet and nerdy he can be, his fighting skills are nothing to be sneezed at, and in some iterations, he's shown as actually being the physically strongest of the four Turtles.
Badass Bookworm: He's an Omnidisciplinary Scientist par excellence as well as a skilled warrior.
Badass in Distress: The time he was captured by the Triceratons, and the end of the Outbreak arc after being mutated a second time. Less dramatic instances are scattered throughout the 2003 series, too, usually when it would be easy for him to solve a problem/end an episode before its time.
Badass Pacifist: Don generally is the least violent amongst his brothers, but he can kick butt when he has to. In the 2003 animated series, his solo short has him gushing about his love for tinkering with hi-tech gadgets, but then he concludes while talking about his bo staff:
"But when it comes to crunch time, I find the simplest gadget as still the most effective."
Best Friend: Leonardo. Because Raph is constantly challenging Leo and Mike constantly has his head in the clouds, the resident genius is the closest to the leader in blue due to his higher maturity level, loyalty, and friendly personality.
- In some incarnations, most notably the 1990s live-action movies, Don's best friend is Michelangelo; while Raph and Leo argue, Don and Mike take on a Those Two Guys dynamic, standing on the sidelines and swapping one-liners.
- While April is close to all the turtles, it's shown consistently through the franchise that Donatello is her best friend out of the turtles. This is due to the fact that she's shown to be quite bright herself; in several adaptations including the original comics, April's career begins as a science assistant.
Beware the Nice Ones: General portrayals of Donatello are that he would rather not fight...but he can and will kick ass if he has to.
Beware the Quiet Ones: A lot of the Turtles' enemies believe that Donnie's the least threatening of the Turtles because of his weapon of choice, his tendency towards intelligence, and his quiet nature. They frequently find out the hard way that Don is no pushover.
Bond Breaker: In the 2003 series, Donatello was warped into an alternate future where he had disappeared for 20 years. Without his resourceful, tech savvyness, the Turtles were disbanded and the Shredder had succeeded in world domination. The supporting cast made up the last rebel resistance.
Big Little Brother: Often shown to be the tallest of the four turtles; even in the original comics, where they're all identical in appearance. This is most notable in the 2012 series, the 2014 movie/its sequel, and even in the Batman crossover film.
Brainwashed and Crazy: Not quite brainwashed, but mutated and certainly crazy enough to live up to the spirit of the trope during the Good Genes arc— unwitting Face–Heel Turn included. He also gets possessed by a mutant car in the 2012 series, and boy does it make him crazy.
Character Catchphrase:
- "BOSSA NOVA!" While rarely used, Donatello can be heard uttering this from time to time, notably in the first film, Injustice 2, and the Batman crossover film.
- The Next Mutation gave him "Certified Turtlefied!"
Crazy-Prepared: "I don't know what bothers me more. That this thing actually works or that Don carries a pigeon puppet."
Deadpan Snarker: In the 2012 series, particularly when he's firing back at Raphael for his "meathead" declarations.
Depending on the Writer:
- A lot of tropes carry over between series, but some are fairly unique. Don is always The Smart Guy. But he's sometimes contemplative and detached, laidback, and sarcastic, nerdy and clumsy, a bit tense and highstrung, love struck with April, obsessed with data, addicted to anime or some combination of the above depending on the series and sometimes the story arc.
- His attitude towards his Bōstaff also varies from one iteration to another. In the 2003 series, he is quite proud of the bō staff, often boasting how it is better than his brothers' weapons. In the 2012 series, he thinks it is not very good when fighting advanced alien technology while in Mutant Mayhem, he is completely dismissive of his "big stick" during their first big battle against the thugs who stole April's scooter. In the 2018 series, Don compromises between both views and builds a tech bō which can turn into various weapons and gadgets. He is quite proud of it to the point he passed up the opportunity to switch to a mystic weapon in the first episode.
Doesn't Like Guns: Mirage comics.
Fighting from the Inside: A variant while he was prisoner on board the Triceraton mother ship, resisting against borderline Mind Rape. He held out for awhile, but needed help to fend the assault off.
First-Person Smartass: Whenever he's the one voicing the opening narration in the 2003 series.
Gadgeteer Genius: Considering that he's self-taught, living in a sewer, and working mostly with scavenged junk, Donnie's inventing abilities are downright super-reptilian.
Geek Physiques: Later versions of Donatello are shown to be notably thinner than his brothers, the 2012 version being the most exaggerated in this. In the 2016 short Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in Pizza Friday, when the Turtles use a device to turn into humans, his human form is that of a skinny bespectacled geek, which, in Don's own words, is exactly how he sees himself. However, in his actual Turtle form, he is as bulky and muscular as his brothers. Averted in the first two live action movies where, despite his cheeks being a little chubby, he is the second most muscular guy in the team, after Raphael.
Genius Bruiser: In addition to being the brains of the group, he's also the strongest. (Bo staffs tend to be fairly heavy). He is also often portrayed as being very athletic, in the 1990 movie, he is the only turtle who skateboards.
Gentleman Snarker: In the 2003 series, he's second only to Splinter where polite snarking is concerned.
Heroic BSoD: Like Leonardo, he suffers one in the 2003 series' last season up until the end of episode 5. Cody finally manages to fix his Time Window to send the Turtles and Splinter back to the present, but due to some interference from Viral, Splinter is vaporized and it's later revealed that he's trapped in cyberspace.
I Just Want to Be Special: In the second movie, he's the one who takes it the hardest when he discovered the creation of the ooze that caused their mutation, as well as the mutation itself, were the result of accidents.
Intelligence Equals Isolation: Not often, but on occasion he's sequestered off in his lab. Most noticeable in 'Return to the Underground'.
The Klutz: A trait that doesn't come up often— but if/when it does, it's always in the middle of a fight or stealth mission.
Layman's Terms: Often the one doing the translating, sometimes visibly annoyed.
Mad Scientist: Especially in Rise but his other incarnations have some elements too. In the 2003 series, he often refers to hi-tech machines in a way most people talk about their Love Interest.
April: Don, remember all that research equipment from Neo-Tech you were drooling over?
Don: (dreamily) The tech gear I see in my dreams?
Martial Pacifist: According to his official profile, he'd like to be one.
Metamorphosis: Twice— once in the backstory, once at the end of the 2003 series' fourth season.
Mighty Glacier: In most games. Slow as a... Well, turtle, but tends to have top-tier attack power and the longest reach.
Mr. Fixit: As the famous theme song states, Donatello does machines. He's frequently seen inventing things, and the 2012 incarnation makes him a full-on Teen Genius.
Named After Somebody Famous: Donato "Donatello" di Niccoló di Betto Bardi.
Nice Guy: While varying in incarnations, Donatello is generally the gentlest of the four turtles.
Number Two: Being the smartest and most level headed of his brothers, he is instantly Leo's right hand man and the second-in-command of the turtles, giving mission intel and creating weapons for the team. Despite being the second youngest, he ranks over his other older brother, Raphael in the command structure due to Raph's quick temper and attitude.
Odd Name Out: His namesake is a bit out of step with the others'- where the artists Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci are considered the three greatest artists of the High Renaissance, brilliant painters as well as adept in several other fields, Donatello was instead a sculptor (and only a sculptor), certainly talented but not nearly as influential, and lived & died several decades before the aforementioned trio.
Omnidisciplinary Scientist: He's a genius mechanic, but usually also has knowledge of biology.
O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Played backwards, actually. We get the 'serious business' part within the first few minutes of Same as it Never Was. Just before the episode's Bittersweet Ending, the OOC part comes in.
Out-of-Character Moment: Don absolutely slaughters Ch'rell at the end of SaiNW, a far cry from his usually pacifistic actions. Understandable, of course given the circumstances.
The Professor: He's generally portrayed as the science expert of the Turtles; if they need something analyzed, built, designed, engineered or otherwise sciencey, they turn to Donatello.
Purple Is Powerful: Played with. His bandana is most incarnations is purple, but he's the brains of the Ninja Turtles.
The Reliable One: He generally lacks the quirkiness of Raphael (hot-headed) and Michelangelo (lacksadasical), so he tends to be portrayed as Leonardo's most relied-upon sibling.
Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: For example: "The elasticity of its flesh is too resilient!" ^note Which is to say "It's really rubbery"
The Smart Guy: He's the smartest member of the Turtles.
Technical Pacifist: In some incarnations, he's shown as wishing to avoid violence, and having selected the bo staff because it's a less inherently lethal and more defense-focused weapon than, say, Leonardo's swords or Raphael's sais.
Teen Genius: He's always a genius, even in his younger versions.
Took a Level in Jerkass: Whilst generally a nice guy, in some series, he's much less so:
- In the 2012 series, he is depicted as more neurotic and prone to outbursts. It does work at times though. He also becomes selfish when it comes to April.
- Similarly in the 2018 series, Donnie is much more sarcastic with a heavy dose of ego and difficulty expressing his emotions. He's still a good guy who cares and means well but he's definitely not as sweet as previous incarnations of the character.
Wrong Genre Savvy: Demonstrated a couple of times throughout the 2003 series— like trying something he saw in a movie during a fight with the Foot. It doesn't work.

Raphael

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The Big Guy (Debuted in the Mirage Comics)

Is cool but rude. Throws the first punch. The muscle with the most attitude on the team. He wears red and fights with a pair of sais.

Appears in: All incarnations.

Acrofatic: Not necessarily fat, but 2012 Raphael is noticeably more thickset (it's mostly muscle though) than his brothers but is frequently shown as the first one to throw himself into backflips and cartwheels.
Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: His relationship with his brothers varies in different adaptations.
- In the Mirage comics, his best friend is Michelangelo.
- In the 2003 animated series, Mikey is an Annoying Younger Sibling who takes great pleasure in teasing Raph, who generally snarks and dope slaps him often, but when the chips are down, he sincerely admits that he loves his little brother, but has a far more relaxed friendship with Donatello instead. Don and Raph get along so well (unless the two of them are angry or grumpy) that they can pass for twins.
- In the 2012 series, Raph and Don have a more jock and nerd dynamic.
- In the 2018 series, Raph has a far more relaxed relationship with all his brothers, especially to Mikey whom he’s very overprotective of. This is due to Raph’s anger issues being toned down compared to previous incarnations and being the unofficial leader and eldest sibling.
Aloof Big Brother: Partially inverted. He's younger than Leonardo making him an aloof little brother, but older than Michelangelo, playing it straight for him. It is left ambiguous, whether he is older or younger than Don (Eastman said Don is older, but certain incarnations and fans believe he is older), zigzagging it for him.
Author Avatar: Both co-creators have stated that Raph's personality was somewhat based on Kevin Eastman's.
Ax-Crazy: To some degree in the Mirage comics where he's by far the most violent of the Turtles.
Best Friend: Casey Jones. Their hot-blooded personalities at first clash with each-other, but soon become best friends after a brawl with the Purple Dragons...and each other.
- In the Mirage comics, Mikey out of all his brothers. Their wild personalities complete each other, both being foils to Leo and Don respectively. Raph even states this in his Micro issue from the original comic series.
The Berserker: He fights angry, which causes him to butt heads with Leo's collectiveness.
Berserk Button: The specific button varies between continuities, but Raph often has a Hair-Trigger Temper and can be easily set off by even minor slights. In some continuities, it's Leo telling him what to do or basically doing anything to remind Raph that he is part of a team and has to take orders. This is played down to mere irritation in other versions.
Big Brother Bully: To Michelangelo in the animated adaptations. Also, to a lesser extent, to Donatello (especially in the 2012 series) and even Leonardo.
Big Brother Instinct: Most significantly to Michelangelo, especially in the comics. Somewhat in the 2003 and 2012 series. Also applies to Donatello sometimes, and though it's not explicitly stated, Raphael is generally taken to be the second oldest (although, Kevin Eastman has stated Don is older, possibly because Raph is his Author Avatar, while Don is Peter Laird's, who is older than Eastman). However, this is averted and played straight in the 2018 series. Raph is explicitly stated to be the oldest meaning he also shows this to Leo.
Big Little Brother: In most adaptations, he's typically depicted as being taller than his older brother Leonardo. Subverted in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, where Raphael towers over all the other Turtles, due to being an alligator snapping turtle, as these are the largest native turtles in America, but do to him and Leo being given age lifts Raph is explicitly stated to be the oldest brother. Also subverted in the 2012 series where both Leo and Don are taller than him. Averted in versions where Leo is the tallest among the four^note.
The Big Guy: Almost always, Raph is the first one to get into a fight or throw a punch, which causes a lot of clashes with Leonardo. In the 2012 series, where the four all have different builds, Raphael is the stockiest and most muscular. In Rise of the TMNT, his species means he's roughly twice the height and weight of any of the other Turtles.
Book Dumb: Having had the same training as his brothers, he is by no means stupid when it comes to planning missions or getting out of tricky situations, but he is decidedly lacking in academic prowess. This is more evident in the animated adaptations. Slightly averted in the 2003 series. While not on par with Donatello, Raph has enough knowledge in mechanical engineering to fix and customize his motorcycle.
Breaking the Fourth Wall: In the 1987 series, each of the Turtles would break the fourth wall at some point, but Raphael did it most frequently. This is lampshaded in Turtles Forever, much to the confusion of the 2003 series’ cast.
Brooklyn Rage: Not only because he's an angry New Yorker - the first movie even gives him a Brooklyn accent. In the 2003 series, he gets a gruff Brooklyn drawl, too. It's a little odd when you consider no one else in his family does – hell, Splinter doesn't even have an American accent.
Character Catchphrase: In the 2003 series. "I got your X right here." and also "You and me are having words."
Color-Coded Eyes: The only one to retain green eyes from the Back to the Sewers and Fast Forward arcs of the 2003 series^noteto the 2012 series, as the color is associated with Hot-Blooded people. The rest of his (comparably calmer) family have either blue or brown eyes.
Deadpan Snarker: He began being this in the 1987 series. Also in most other continuities, albeit dialed down (usually when Donnie's snark is dialed up).
Raph: (Examines one of Casey's bats) A Jose Canseco bat?? Tell me... you didn't pay money for this...
Depending on the Writer: A lot of tropes carry over between series, but some are fairly unique. Raphael is always the most cynical of the four. But he can range anywhere from being violent and sadistic, a sarcastic wisecracker and complainer, a meathead jock, brooding loner, or some combination of the above depends on the series and sometimes the story arc.
Emotional Bruiser: Present to some extent in all incarnations, usually in the form of his love for his brothers. Its especially prevalent in Mirage, however, which feature multiple stories where Raphael will go off to be alone and cry over something in his life, such as never having/knowing a mother or the fact that someday the turtles will have to live without Splinter. The IDW incarnation eventually reveals that he doesn't care for fighting, and only wishes he could live the peaceful life of a farmer.
Glass Cannon: Fastest move rate and attack speed in most games he is featured in, but he has to kiss enemies to hit them with his sai, and has the lowest health. The lack of strength is completely inverted in the comics.
Good Is Not Nice: Overlaps with Good Is Not Soft. Elements of both in every incarnation — more the latter in the kid-friendly versions. Whilst Raphael does have heroic instincts, he also has a temper and is usually portrayed as sarcastic, verbally abrasive, or even an outright Jerkass as well.
Hair-Trigger Temper: Turtles 101. Leo leads, Donnie's smart, Mikey's silly, and Raph is angry. Every turtle adaptation is bound to have an episode focusing on this aspect of him alone. The 2003 series had an episode in season one in which he nearly hit Michelangelo with a pipe because he was so angry at having been beaten in a sparring match.
Hot-Blooded: Goes hand in hand with his temper. He's the loudest, most brash, and has the least self-control. Even when he's not angry he "has the most attitude on the team" and you can count on him to "throw the first punch".
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Oh, he cares. He just doesn't want anyone else to know he cares. It comes through now and then, usually hand-in-hand with his Big Brother Instinct. It’s more prevalent in the animated adaptations, but at the end of the day he's one of the good guys.
Knight Templar Big Brother: In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Mirage), Raphael, while not being the most even-tempered character, is psychotically protective of his little brother Michelangelo — to the point where he states that the "thought of Mikey being hurt makes him experience violent rage" (see The Other Wiki). And considering how violent Raphael is usually...
The Lancer: As a result of his unparalleled passion and alternative methods of seeking justice, Raphael is consistently the foil to Leonardo's The Leader, and if any Turtle ever strikes out on his own, it's Raph.
Leeroy Jenkins: In the 1990 movie, Raph heads off by himself after things between him and Leo come to a head. He ends up getting his ass kicked when his cockiness leads him to pick a fight with what soon proves to be far too many Foot soldiers for him to handle by himself and spends the next few scenes in a coma.
Legacy Character: It's not well known but he's actually the second Nightwatcher. He took up the job after the previous one, David Merryweather, died - As shown in the prequel comic to the 2007 movie.
Lightning Bruiser: He is often noted as being the Turtle with the strongest physical strength, but in the very first issue of the very first comic, he was noted as being the best at stealth, sent alone to deliver a message to the Shredder.
Manly Tears: Shows this in the 2003 series episode "Tales of Leo". The first film had him weeping over how he couldn't control his temper, and that Splinter might be dead because of him.
Medium Awareness: He has this in the 1987 series.
Middle Child Syndrome: Played with. Raphael isn't the middle turtle, but he feels as if no one understands him. Given that it's generally assumed the Turtles' age-order is Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo, it's not impossible that he is (or was at least raised as) a middle child. Lampshaded at least once a season in any franchise. Really taken home in the 2007 movie when he takes on the alias of The Nightwatcher.
Mighty Glacier:
- Raph has slow but powerful attacks in Mutants in Manhattan.
- The introduction to the 2012 series has the other brothers doing faster and flashier moves while showing off their weapon skills, whereas Raph just kind of brutally stomps around.
Named After Somebody Famous: Raphael Sanzio da Urbino.
No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Gets this in the first movie.
Obfuscating Insanity: In the Mirage comic vol 1, issue 45 (Leatherhead Too), Raph is the narrator, who admits that he pretends to be insane so that he can behave the way he does.
Raph: (narrating) Leo is calm, machine-like. He is the most like our sensei. Don is smooth, calculating, professional. Mikey...? Mikey's a lotta fun. Me... I feign insanity. Makes it more fun for me, an' it gives Leo justification for my "behavior".
Odd Name Out: Unlike Leonardo, Donatello, and Michelangelo his name doesn’t end in an ‘o’. Lampshaded in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze when Mikey can’t help but dig in “all the good ones end in O!”. Averted in the Japanese and Italian localizations, where he’s named “Raffaello”.
Red Is Heroic: He's always a hero but typically in on-going series he plays the lancer to Leo while in one-off stories he is the main protagonist who has to overcome this anger.
Red Is Violent: He wears a red mask as a result of being the most violent and short-tempered of the Turtles.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: He is the red to Leonardo's blue. Their masks match too. He also tends to butt heads with Leo in battle, as Leo prefers using brains over Raph's brawn.
Stock Ninja Weaponry: Most incarnations depict him wielding a pair of sais.
Throwing Your Sword Always Works: Raph throws his sai a lot. For weapons designed to grapple against or even break swords, this works very well.
Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: In the 2012 series, he's terrified of cockroaches. Also possibly present in the 2003 series—he frequently states that he hates bugs, but whether its out of fear or not is not stated.
Wolverine Wannabe: In almost every adaptation, he fits this trope. Easily angered, butts heads with his brother Leonardo and even his choice of weapons are an analog to Wolverine's claws.

Michelangelo

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The Slacker (Debuted in the Mirage Comics)

The party dude. The wiseguy. The wild one and one-of-a-kind. The most laid-back of the Turtles, who lists among his interests pizza, comic books, and more pizza. Wears an orange-yellow bandana, and duels with nunchaku.

Appears in: All incarnations.

Adaptational Badass: Downplayed in The Last Ronin. Mikey was always a badass, but none of his incarnations can compete with the Ronin, who is a master of multiple martial arts and his brothers’ weapons.
Adaptational Dumbass: In the 2012 series. For example, he nearly got himself killed after eating one of Donnie's experiments that was clearly and repeatedly labeled "Mikey, don't eat".
Adaptational Jerkass: In the Next Mutation series. To a lesser extent, in the 2003 series as well.
Annoying Younger Sibling: He is usually depicted as the most immature of the turtles, with his antics often annoying his brothers.
Ascended Fanboy: Sorta, he's a big comic book geek who happens to be a superhero himself.
- In the Mirage comics, he's a comic book geek who gets to write for comic books and even becomes a published novelist.
The Baby of the Bunch: In most iterations he is the youngest turtle and as such tends to be the most immature and childlike member. This tends to mean that the other three are a bit protective of him and not as likely to take him seriously, which frustrates him.
Badass Adorable: Silly, loves him some comic books, childish, always willing to crack a joke and and can kick tons of asses with his nunchucks. Yup. Taken to it's furthest extreme in the movies and later the 2012 series where Mikey is the shortest turtle. The 2007 movie and later the 2012 series gave him Innocent Blue Eyes along with freckles.
Best Friend: In Mirage, it's Raph who outright calls him his "best buddy," but in some incarnations, most notably the 1990s live-action movies, Mikey's best friend is Donatello. While Raph and Leo argue, Don and Mike take on a Those Two Guys dynamic, standing on the sidelines and swapping one-liners.
Beware the Nice Ones: A recurring element across the continuities is that, despite his easy-going nature and general friendliness, Mikey can become an ass-kicking machine just like his brothers when he feels the inclination.
Beware the Silly Ones: Just because he's a party dude doesn't mean he isn't capable of kicking your ass. In the third TMNT movie, he was a Badass in Distress most of the movie, and still ran into a burning building to save a kid, as well as personally kicked the crud out of several trained feudal Japanese soldiers.
Big Eater: In the 1987 series, he'd often annoy his brothers by eating all the pizza. He is obsessed with food in the original live action movies and the 2003 series as well.
Brilliant, but Lazy: He's usually portrayed as having great potential, but because of his more laidback personality, he'll focus on something more fun instead. This is enforced with his preferred weapon; the laziest of the Turtles is the one wielding the most complex and difficult weapon. That's not something one can do without a gift for it. Even then, Mikey can take training as seriously as his brothers, but he's not as obsessed about it as Leonardo is.
Splinter: Focus, Michelangelo. Focus on the task at hand. Ah, my son, physically, you have a natural affinity for the martial arts. But mentally, your mind is undisciplined and unruly.
Mike: I'm a teenager, Sensei. Undisciplined and unruly is what we do best.
Bruce Lee Clone: Strange as it may seem, he started out as this: Kevin Eastman thought, "If Bruce Lee were an anthropomorphic animal, what's the most ridiculous animal he could be?", concluded that it was a turtle, and drew a picture of a turtle in a Bruce Lee pose, wielding a nunchaku. He and Peter Laird then began drawing pictures of turtles wielding other martial arts weapons, and the rest is history.
Butt-Monkey: He is especially this in the animated adaptations. If any of the Turtles klutzes out or has something bad happen to them for comic effect, it's Michelangelo.
Character Catchphrase:
- The most famous "Cowabunga!" The 2012 series changes it to "Booyakasha!"
- In the Mirage comics and the 2003 series, there's "Nice try, chumley!", "Not today, chumley!", etc.
Characterization Marches On: Depending on the version, really - in the comic books, he isn't really a party dude, but more of a down-to-Earth type of guy as opposed to his brothers. He was able to author a book at one point.
- In the Mirage comics, he often traded back and forth with Donatello as The Smart Guy with Donnie being the expert in science and technology while Mikey's specialty was culture and literature.
- Ironically when compared to his later versions, Mikey is also one of the most violent of the group in the Mirage comics. Only Raph (who can border on Ax-Crazy) is worse.
- The first live-action film hints at him being the second-most skilled fighter out of the Turtles, right behind Leo.
Cloudcuckoolander: Generally the most whimsical of the Turtles but especially in the 2012 series, where he wanted a tattoo of his face on his own face.
Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: In the 2003 series. Although he can always kick ass, his skills will occasionally take a bump as the plot requires, allowing him to take on foes that would normally defeat him or his brothers.
- When Usagi Yojimbo leaps into the Turtles' Lair thanks to a dimensional portal Don accidentally opens with a viewer he was building, Usagi is able to defeat Donnie, Raph, and Leo (who are using their bo, sai and katana). Mikey slings a pizza at Usagi's face to stop Usagi. When Usagi is curious at how Mikey beat him, and asks the name of the art used, Splinter goes, "I believe it is called...slapstick."
- The 2012 series also has Splinter outright state that in raw skill and talent, Michelangelo is the best of the Turtles. If he applied himself as much as Leo does, he would undoubtedly be the best combatant.
Depending on the Artist: Are his nunchaku connected with chains, or rope?
Depending on the Writer: A lot of tropes carry over between adaptations, but some are fairly unique. Mike is always the 'fun guy' and comic relief. But he ranges from being down to earth and artistic, to a laidback surfer dude, to someone attracted to April and using his humor to attract her, to an egocentric prankster, to a hyperactive ditz. What counts as the hip and cool Kid-Appeal Character changes the most between series over the 25+ year history of the franchise. He's usually a reflection of the times.
Dope Slap: Gets it a lot in both the 2003 series and the 2012 series. Usually from Raphael.
Fun Personified: Not really in the Mirage comics (he had his more lighthearted moments but was mostly just the Generic Guy of the four Turtles – which is to say the least inclined towards Batman levels of brooding and noir-narration), but he is this in pretty much every other version.
Generic Guy: In the Mirage comics, he had a tendency to become this due to being the least-featured and least-developed of the Turtles. It was the 1987 series that made him the Fun Personified Plucky Comic Relief Kid-Appeal Character he became known as.
Hard Work Hardly Works: Although the trope is disproved by Leonardo, there is an element of this to Mikey's abilities, and he is consistently considered to be the most naturally gifted of the Turtles despite his lack of focus and dedication to training.
The Heart: Although he exasperates his three brothers on a constant level, when a serious rift between their bond takes place, he usually is the one to try and patch things up — usually via humor.
Hidden Depths: Whilst Mikey's laidback attitude and silliness tend to be his dominant character traits, he has been shown with more serious elements in different continuities, although what those elements are depends on the continuity. Perhaps the best example is in the original Mirage Comics, where he becomes a successful author.
Hooks and Crooks: Swaps out his nunchaku for a grappling hook on a rope in later seasons of the 1987 series, due to censorship in England.
- He also uses one briefly in the 2003 series as a Mythology Gag.
- The 2012 series has him using this almost as much as his nunchaku, as they can convert into a kusarigama.
Innocent Blue Eyes: He has these in the 2007 movie, the Back to the Sewers incarnation of the 2003 series, and the 2012 series. They go a long way toward making him look adorable. The 2007 movie in particular makes them big and baby blue, adding freckles as a finishing touch. The 2012 series followed suit and made the freckles even more noticeable.
Jive Turkey: When he's not a Surfer Dude.
Kid-Appeal Character: The general reason why Michelangelo is portrayed as "the fun one" is to make him as kid-like as possible, and thus the most attractive to younger audiences. It's also why he's redesigned the most radically between iterations, since the idea of what makes a Kid-Appeal Character effective changes between generations.
Kindhearted Cat Lover: He has a pet cat in four incarnations.
Large Ham: In almost every adaptations.
Lesser Star: In the first two volumes of the Mirage comic, he did little to advance the plot and was often not portrayed as an especially skilled fighter, while the other three had reasons to get more attention (Leo was The Leader, Donnie was Laird's favorite, and Raph was Eastman's). By contrast, the 1987 show downright made Mikey the Breakout Character.
Lightning Bruiser: In the various video games (Turtles in Time, The Arcade Game, The Manhattan Project), Michelangelo runs faster than Leo and Don and has more health than all of his brothers. However, his nunchucks are slow and have little range.
Named After Somebody Famous: Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni.
Nice Guy: It varies a little with the incarnations (in some, most notably the Next Mutation series and the 2003 series, he borders on Adaptational Jerkass), but he is generally portrayed as the friendliest, most outgoing and most soft-hearted of the Turtles.
Plucky Comic Relief: Starting with the 1987 series, he got this role and held onto it throughout all other incarnations.
Real Men Wear Pink: In Back to the Sewers he was positively delighted when April asked him to be her Maid of Honor, when people tried to call him the more gender-neutral "Turtle of Honor" he would correct them.
- In the Mirage comics, he was the Team Chef, even cooking an elaborate Christmas dinner in one issue.
The Red Mage: In the games, average movement speed and faster attack speed than Don, but defensively weaker than Leo.
Screams Like a Little Girl: He does this in both the 2003 series and the 2012 series.
Secret Identity: Turtle Titan (2003 series).
The Slacker: In general, Mikey is often established as being the laziest turtle, more interested in having fun and playing around than in training or battling evil. This trait is especially prominent in the 2003 series.
Spell My Name With An S: Many incarnations misspelled the name as Michaelangelo (which fit as in some languages it is a variation on Michael Angel).^note
Stock Ninja Weaponry: Many incarnations depict him wielding a pair of nunchucks.
Surfer Dude: Mostly in the 1987 series, although aspects of this remain in other incarnations.
Trademark Favorite Food: Though pizza is the favorite food of all four turtles, Michelangelo eats it more obsessively than the other three, especially in the 1987 series. He was the first to try it in the 2012 series.
What Happened to the Mouse?: Invoked with the Mirage stories set in the future. While we see what became of the others, Mikey's whereabouts are unaccounted for and his brothers openly wonder what became of him.

Splinter

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The Old Master (Debuted in the Mirage comics)

Taught them to be ninja teens. A mutated rat who serves as the Turtles' mentor and father, raising them from when they were young. Most incarnations choose one of two origins for him: he's either the pet rat of ninja master Hamato Yoshi mutated into a humanoid form or Hamato Yoshi himself mutated into a ratlike form.

Appears in: All incarnations.

Amplified Animal Aptitude: In the versions where he was Hamato Yoshi’s pet prior to mutating, he showed remarkable intelligence for an ordinary rat, mimicking Yoshi’s movements to the level that he became just as good a martial artist as him after mutating.
Animorphism: In continuities where he was formerly Hamato Yoshi, such as the 1987, 2012 series, Rise, and the Archie Comics.
Big Good: He’s this of the entire franchise and is both the father and mentor to the turtles.
Butt-Monkey: He sometimes finds himself on the receiving end of his sons' antics, especially in the 2003 series.
Cane Fu: His primary fighting style is Hapkido cane fighting.
Cool Old Guy: In every incarnation, he's the father figure to the Turtles, and as the theme song says, "taught them to be ninja teens." Every incarnation is also portrayed as an old man, dispensing sage advice and looking after his adopted sons.
Composite Character: While the first version of Splinter was Hamato Yoshi's pet rat, he and Hamato Yoshi are one and the same in several continuities.
Deadpan Snarker: He often makes pointed comments towards his sons' antics.
Death by Adaptation: In the Mirage source material, things get ambiguous because he seemingly dies from a heart attack but later Donatello discovers it's possible Splinter is Not Quite Dead. However, the situation is never resolved due to the series basically being discontinued so it's pretty much an Aborted Arc. In other adaptations, like the 2012 series or the IDW Comics, Splinter does outright die and it becomes a major plot point that the Turtles have to carry on in life without him.
Depending on the Writer: How stern and strict he is towards the Turtles varies in different incarnations. In some continuities he's more of a gentle father figure to them and only admonishes them when absolutely necessary, being incredibly tolerant of their teenage rambunctiousness (most notably the 2003 and IDW Splinters). Then in other continuities, he's more of an Adaptational Jerkass, overreacting more to them and handing out slaps and other physical punishments to them casually like candy (the 2012 Splinter being a notorious case).
Good Parent: He adopted and raised the turtles by himself when they were babies, and gave them the best life he could living in the sewers. The turtles openly love and respect him, and the feeling is mutual.
- Averted in the 1987 series and Mirage. In the former, Splinter’s relationship to the Turtles is solely teacher-student, and in the latter, he is an Abusive Parent for raising the Turtles for the sole purpose of avenging his Master Yoshi’s murder. Both cases are due to Early-Installment Weirdness, and it’s not until the 2003 series that Splinter is cemented as a loving albeit strict father. However, this is double subverted in the IDW comics. Splinter started as a good father, but as he loses his sanity, he becomes abusive not only to his sons but to orphan children, almost killing Mikey in a duel for defying him. However, Splinter snaps out of it and becomes remorseful for hurting his son. He allows Mikey to leave the Hamato Clan and vows to treat the orphans much better. This does not stop Splinter’s Sanity Slippage, and one by one he pushes away his remaining sons.
- Also averted in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in which Splinter is Parents as People. While he genuinely loves his sons, Splinter suffers from PTSD over his mutation which has made him emotionally neglectful and extremely self-centered in his quest to relive his Glory Days as a movie star. Thanks to Character Development, he becomes a Good Parent.
Handicapped Badass: In the 2003 series. During his final match as a gladiator, he suffered a broken leg, but rather than yield, he splinted his leg with two wooden boards and continued the fight... and beat his opponent.
Honorary Uncle: To Shadow (Mirage comics).
Killed Off for Real: Mirage Comics... maybe. See below. As well as the 2012 series and IDW comics.
The Mentor: He not only taught the turtles how to fight hand to hand, but taught each one to become a master of a different weapon.
Metamorphosis: Human to rat in 1987 series, Archie comics, 2012 series and Rise; Rat to humanoid everywhere else.
Minored In Ass Kicking: Usually Splinter serves as the mentor of the brothers and keeps out of direct conflict. However, he is the one who trained them and can wipe the floor with most enemies.
Not Quite Dead: Possibly in the Mirage comics. Issue #32 of the fourth volume had Donatello learn that the Splinter who died and was cremated wasn't the real one. Due to the volume's lengthy hiatus problems, this has yet to be fully explained, as well as whether or not Donatello is mistaken.
Not So Above It All: He frequently displays this across all incarnations. He loves his soap operas, beats out Casey and Raph in poker several times, snarks periodically about his sons' antics, has quite the sweet tooth, and even cracks a joke here and there.
Old Master: He's generally getting on in years across his various incarnations, but never ceases to kick lots of ass.
Papa Wolf:
- For all of his snark with his disciples, he genuinely loves them. Threatening them is a good way to get Splinter to show how much ass he can still kick.
  - In the 2003 series, Splinter single-handed defeated Shredder after threatening to kill the Turtles.
- At one point during the 1987 series, Splinter destroyed a device that could have restored him to his human form because it was a threat to the Turtles. Splinter showed no remorse for giving it up.
Parental Favoritism: Though to what extent varies, most incarnations depict him showing shades of this towards Leonardo since the latter is the most skilled and disciplined of his brothers. The 2007 film somewhat addresses this by having Splinter reassure Raphael (who feels like The Un-Favorite) that while he may not be his favorite student, that does not mean he is his least favorite son, implying he only favors Leonardo as a student, not as a son.
Retired Badass: A retired gladiator in the 2003 series.
Rodents of Unusual Size: Anywhere between 4 to six feet tall depending on the incarnation.
Sophisticated as Hell: He is this in the 2003 series.
Strong as They Need to Be: Often varies between different versions of Splinter. In terms of martial arts skill, Splinter is characterized differently in each different incarnation. In some continuities, he's evenly matched against the Shredder. In others, he's the only one capable of defeating the Shredder in battle. And alternately, in other incarnations, he tends to suffer the Worf Effect and is usually defeated by Shredder in one-on-one battles, highlighting the need for all four Turtles to work together to defeat him. His power scale can also vary from Weak, but Skilled to Story-Breaker Power Lightning Bruiser.
Team Dad: Being the turtles’ adoptive father.
Trademark Favorite Food: There's probably not a single Splinter that doesn't love his tea. In nearly every incarnation it's his drink of choice.
Virtuous Character Copy: He's based on Stick, the man who trained Daredevil, complete with a name that's a play on his. He has a different relationship with his students, however, as Splinter's depicted as rather kind and loving the Turtles as his own sons, whereas Stick is a jackass who put Matt through Training from Hell and usually doesn't give a damn about him.
The Worf Effect: If you're a writer for any given TMNT continuity and you really want the Turtles to bring their A-Game for a mission, one of the best ways to do this is to have a villain, usually but not always Shredder, be able to defeat and/or capture Splinter.

Allies

April O'Neil

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The Unfazed Everyman (Debuted in the Mirage Comics)

A girl next door who serves as one of the Turtles' first human friends. Normally associated with the color yellow.

Appears in: Most incarnations.

Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: In the original Mirage comics, the 2003 series and Rise, she has a very familial and sister-like relationship with the Turtles. In the 1990 live action movie, the 2014 live action movie, the 2012 animated series and the 2023 CGI movie, her relationship with the Turtle is slightly less familial and she acts as a Love Interest to one of the Turtles (Michelangelo in the Live action movies, Donatello in the 2012 series, Leonardo in the 2023 move and its spin-off TV show).
Adaptation Species Change: In the 2012 series, it's revealed that her mother was experimented on and she's half human with some Kraang features.
- The original Mirage comic, rather controversially, revealed that she is actually a drawing brought to life by a magic crystal.
Adapted Out: She's appeared in pretty much every incarnation, with the notable exception of Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation. What makes this odd is that The Next Mutation is implied to be set after the original movie trilogy, where she did appear, so wherever she is during the series is a mystery.
Age Lift: Prior to Viacom's acquisition of the franchise, she was consistently portrayed as an adult with a job (though a rejected animated pilot in the 2000's pitched her as a teenager). Since then, only the Platinum Dunes live action movies have actually portrayed her as an adult, every other adaptation portays her as a teenager, closer to the Turtles' age.
Ambiguously Brown: Due to disagreements between Eastman and Laird, with the former claiming the character was supposed to be mixed-race with no mention of what her ethnic background actually is and the latter claiming she is Caucasian. In the case of the former, April was initially conceived as Asian, but was named after an African-American woman that Eastman had known, so she might be Afro-Asian.
Animorphism: In separate episodes of the 1987 cartoon she's turned into a humanoid cat, fish, and wasp.
Best Friend: While April is close to all the turtles, it's shown consistently through the franchise that Donatello is her best friend out of the turtles. This is due to the fact that she's shown to be quite bright herself; in numerous adaptations including the original comics, April's career begins as a science assistant.
Bound and Gagged:
- In issue #14 of the Mirage series, upon stumbling across a secret meeting involving a group of bad guys, she is gagged and later tied up to a chair.
- This happens rather frequently to her in the 1987 series when she is captured by any of the villains. To the point that in "It Came from Beneath the Sewers", when Shredder contacts the Turtles to tell them that he is holding April hostage, Raphael comments that he recognizes her mumbles.
- The 2012 series does a nod to this when she's abducted by the Kraang in the first episode.
Color-Coded Characters: Wore a yellow maintenance jumpsuit in the 1987 series, and eventually gets a yellow article of clothing in subsequent adaptations, such as the yellow jacket in the movies or the yellow T-shirt in the 2012 series. The 2003 series resisted this for a long time (occasionally giving her a yellow T-shirt at home, for instance) but eventually gave her a yellow "superhero outfit" similar to her TMNT incarnation (as most of the characters were redesigned to resemble their counterparts from the 2007 CGI movie) and it resembled the iconic racing jumpsuit from Game of Death and Kill Bill. Ironically enough, her favorite color is actually red.
Cursed with Awesome: April is turned into a fish mutant in one episode of the 1987 series. She's understandably upset about it, but it saves her life when the villain's base is flooded and she's able to breathe underwater like the Turtles.
Damsel in Distress: In the 1987 series, April was frequently kidnapped by Shredder, quite often as bait in order to lure the Turtles out of hiding in order to unleash his latest attempt at destruction upon them.
- Turtles Forever exploited this plot device to comic effect when the 2003 Turtles arrived in the "1987" Turtles' dimension, with 1987 Donatello commenting that they saved April at least once a day to the extent that watches could be set by it.
Depending on the Artist: Her design is by far the least consistent amongst the main cast, with her hairstyle, hair color, her clothing and even her race changing frequently between incarnations. Even the original comics aren't the most consistent with her design.
Depending on the Writer: Her characterization, role and design tends to be wildly inconsistent, with her appearance, her job and even her age wildly varying between different incarnations of her. The only real consistent aspect between them is her close bond with the Turtles and Casey Jones (although, even her relationship with Casey ended up being Adapted Out from the 1987 show and Rise).
Fainting: Occurs after she first sees the Turtles in every incarnation prior to the 2012 series.
Michelangelo: She ain't no fun, she fainted.
Friend in the Press: In renditions that cast her as a reporter for a local television news station, April is this towards the Turtles due to their close bond. She usually gives them information on stories she's following while also getting exclusive scoops on the Turtles' exploits
Hollywood Beauty Standards: 1987 series, Archie comics, first two movies. Consistently lauded as being attractive In-Universe, and later lampshaded how un-journalist like her original jumpsuit was in later incarnations. The 2014 film had her played by Megan Fox.
Mission Control: In the 2003 series, she tends to stay away from the fighting and instead acts as a source of information and strategy.
Motherly Scientist: In the IDW comics, where she becomes quite attached to the pre-mutation turtles and even gives them their names.
Odd Friendship: In most adaptations, Splinter and April strike up a deep but rather strange friendship. April is sometimes perplexed by the various personality quirks of each Turtle while Splinter is exasperated having seen this all before.
- The relationship is more paternal though in the 2012 series.
- Ditto the original Mirage comic, where Splinter explicitly calls her 'daughter' in issue 62.
Promoted to Love Interest: Happens to her in some adaptations.
- In the 1990 movie Michelangelo has a crush on her. Same with the 2014 live action movie.
- The 2012 has Donatello crushing on her.
- The 2023 CGI movie has Leonardo developing feelings for her.
Race Lift: Whilst she's generally considered to be Caucasian, there are some iterations with different ethnicities.
- In the Mirage Comics, although her race was never established within the comics, or even agreed upon by the creators, Kevin Eastman used to draw her with distinctively non-Caucasian features (He was, coincidentally, dating a mixed-race woman at the time), which went away when he stopped drawing and she became clearly white.
- In Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the Mutant Mayhem continuity, she's a full-blooded African-American.
Second Love: The Mirage comics plays around with this a bit. Just as the nascent stage of a relationship between her and Casey begins to form, it is quashed when he is forced to leave town, and he ends up marrying a woman named Gabrielle. After Gabrielle dies, Casey eventually returns to New York and rekindles his relationship with April. So, in a sense, April manages to be BOTH a First Girl and a Second Love.
The Smurfette Principle: She is iconic as the only major female character in the series, and across the iterations, she tends to be the most prominent female ally, if not the only one.
Token Human: At the beginning of every incarnation, she is the Turtles' first human ally. Even though they usually do gain other human contacts and associates, April tends to be portrayed as the one who hangs out with them the most.
Took a Level in Badass: In most continuities, she eventually starts training with the Turtles and Splinter if only for self defense as she continues to be part of their support group. The 2012 series deserves special mention for doing this essentially right off the bat, seven episodes in.
Unfazed Everyman: After her initial scream and/or faint upon meeting the Turtles, she quickly becomes unbothered by all the mutants and other craziness around her.
Weirdness Magnet: Thanks to hanging around with the Turtles. In some versions, she tries to get away from the weird happenings, but it never works for long.
Younger and Hipper: The 2012 series had re-imagined April as a teenager within the the Turtles' age-group (rather than being older than them just like in the other continuities). Her Rise incarnation follows suit.

Casey Jones

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The Vigilante Man (Debuted in the Mirage Comics)

An eccentric vigilante who fights crime with various sporting tools (baseball bats, hockey sticks, etc.) Tends to have the most in common with Raphael.

Appears in: Most incarnations.

Adaptational Villainy: In Rise. The Foot Recruit, a young woman constantly fighting the Turtles to prove herself to the Foot Clan, is eventually revealed to be the show's version of Casey. She pulls a Heel–Face Turn at the end of the series.
Affectionate Parody: Of Ninties Anti-Heroes (particularly The Punisher) according to Word of God.
Badass Normal: The only member of the team who has never had any mutant powers or abnormal origins in any continuity. And yet despite being 100% human with no enhancements, Casey can still brawl with the best of them and easily takes on the likes of The Foot.
Batter Up!: Baseball bats are one of his signature weapons, usually wielded in pairs.
The Berserker: He debuted in the Mirage Comics as a wild, temper-driven, almost insanely violent figure. Other iterations may or may not have a similar "rage-fueled" approach to combat.
Best Friend: Raphael. Their hot-blooded personalities at first clash with each other, but soon become best friends after a brawl with the Purple Dragons...and each other.
Big Brother Mentor: He becomes this to Raph in the 2007 movie with both of them using the other as a sounding board for their respective issues.
Big Damn Heroes: In the original Mirage comics, when Leo was taken down by the Foot and a newly resurrected Shredder and only Don, Raph, Mike and Splinter are having to fight the Foot, he enters the battle to help the turtles survive. In the 1990 film, he shows up at the apartment fight just as the Foot reinforcements begin to overwhelm Donnie, Leo, and Mikey. His help buys them enough time to find an escape route and get to safety, similar to the comics. This happens again in the 2003 series.
Boisterous Bruiser: Across the iterations, Casey is depicted as absolutely reveling in the chance to fight.
Bond One-Liner: He gets two in the 1990 movie:
- During a fight at (what's left of) April's apartment that has left the place so badly demolished that her phone is hanging from the ceiling by a burning wire, it's still able to take a message:
  Editor: I don't know how else to say this: You're fired, April. I'm sorry... I know this comes as a blow. (The wire burns off and the machine falls, hitting Casey's opponent in the head)
  Casey: You can say that again, Chuck.
- After knocking out Tatsu with a golf club, he says "I'll never call golf a dull game again."
Brooklyn Rage: A rage-driven vigilante who is usually portrayed as hailing from Brooklyn.
Character Catchphrase:
- "GOONGALA!!!"
- In the 2003 series, it's revealed that the young turtles were teaching him all about martial arts and fighting (although they never found out) and each took turns to teach him what they knew. The cry comes from when Mikey was training him and told him to say "Gorogoro-sama!" (translation: Lord Thunder). But since Casey couldn't pronounce it correctly, he made his famous phrase.
Combat Pragmatist: Even the bad guys admit that Casey just plain fights dirty.
Dark and Troubled Past: For the 2003 series, although aspects of it were later adapted to the original comic book incarnation.
Demoted to Extra: Casey's one of the main characters in the original Mirage comics and the first live-action movie, often overshadowing even the Turtles. He tends to be less prominent in the later adaptations, though usually he's still a major character. Exceptions are the 1987 series, where he's only in a handful of episodes, and the third live-action movie where he's delegated to a comic relief side plot and doesn't join in on the adventure.
Embarrassing First Name: Arnold. Casey is his middle name, nickname, or derived from his middle initials (K.C.) depending on the incarnation.
The Faceless: He's never seen without his mask in the 1987 series.
Fire-Forged Friends: His friendship with Raphael consistently begins this way, and leads him to befriending the other turtles.
Gender Flip: As Foot Recruit in Rise, see Adaptational Villainy above.
He Who Must Not Be Seen: Aside from being mentioned in the last issue of the Year of the Turtle miniseries, Casey Jones never appeared in the Archie Comics series.
Hunk: In most versions, especially when he is portrayed as an adult, he is a handsome, athletic man, who very easily attracts April's attention through his looks alone. His personality, however, gets in the way and he has to work through that in order to be with her.
Improbable Weapon User: Hockey sticks, baseball bats, golf clubs, croquet mallets, cricket bats...
- The last being really amazing because you gotta know what a crumpet is to understand cricket!
- Casey, at one point, weaponizes a freakin' garbage truck! The movies drop subtle hints that while an average fighter with his own hands, with a weapon he's pretty much unbeatable.
I Know Madden Kombat: Casey uses sports equipment as his main weapon.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: All versions have him being a jerk to at least one of the heroes, but they all still have a heart. The nicest version of Casey is probably the IDW one, who is barely even a jerk.
Mask Power: When going into action, Casey usually wears an old-style hockey mask. In the Mirage comics, 1987 cartoon, 1990, 2007, 2016 and Rise movies, the 2003 series and the fourth and fifth seasons of the 2012 series, it has an almost skull-like shape. In the 1993 film and 2012 cartoon, it has a more oval shape, similar to that of Jason Voorhees fame.
Overshadowed by Awesome: He becomes less prominent over the course of the 2003 series as the Turtles' foes become more powerful.
Pre-Mortem One-Liner: In the first movie, he sheepishly says "Oops" before activating the trash compactor to crush Shredder. He does survive, but Casey didn't know that. This exact sequence happens again in the 2012 series.
Secret Public Identity: Despite wearing a mask, Casey never adopts an alias and usually isn't shy about announcing himself by his real name.
Token Human: Not as consistently as April, but in several incarnations, he becomes one to the Turtles along with her. The Mirage comic "Sky Highway" even had the Turtles name-drop the trope when Casey was temporarily turned into a Mutato-Head by the Sky Highway:
"Our Token Human's gone mutant!"
Took a Level in Badass: Casey usually starts out as Unskilled, but Strong; good against street punks but easily outmatched when having to face real warriors. He usually then trains alongside the Turtles or gets some advanced training elsewhere, until he can hold his own in battle against the big guys. Examples of this are the Back to the Sewer season in the 2003 series, where Casey has seriously upped his game after a Time Skip — and the IDW comic, where Casey was pretty consistently beat up and kicked around by the bad guys in the early parts of the comic, he seriously upped his game later on and became far more likely to win a fight than to lose it.
Vigilante Man: One element common to all iterations is that he's a guy who revolted against the seeming incompetence and inefficiency of the law and went out to punish muggers, pickpockets, drug dealers, rapists and other street-level crooks by bludgeoning them bloody with various sport implements.
Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: The 2012 series gives him a fear of rats.
Younger and Hipper: Just like with April, Renet, and Karai, the IDW comic book and 2012 series had re-imagined Casey as a teenager within the Turtles' age-group (rather than being older than them like in the other continuities).

Professor Honeycutt/The Fugitoid

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The Professor (Debuted in the Mirage Comics)

A scientist whose mind was accidentally transferred into a robot's body, and is forced on the run by groups who would use his inventions for their own purposes.

Appears in: Mirage comics, 2003 series, 2012 series, IDW comics.

Badass Bookworm: Well... his original human form wasn't particularly badass, and even in the original Mirage comics he was an ineffectual wimp even after becoming a robot, but he Took a Level in Badass when The Bus Came Back in Vol 4. In other adaptations, he's generally more badass, or at least Takes that Level a lot earlier.
Brain Uploading: The most commonly accepted explanation for his existence, although doubts are eventually raised as to whether this is the case.
Just a Machine: Although it's not true, the Federation consider him this — which means they have no qualms in trying to capture him and force all his secrets out of him. After all, robots have no rights.
Instant A.I.: Just Add Water!: The alternate explanation as to his origins used in Mirage comics.
The Professor: He invented a helmet that gives him psychic powers. Due to the helmet and some lightning, this is why he ended up in a robot body.
Took a Level in Badass: Once he gets his battle form in volume 4 of the comics.
Transforming Mecha: In volume 4 of the comics. Transformations include his battle form, and wings that allow him to fly.
Transplant: He was originally introduced in his own stories from Mirage Comics before the Turtles even made their debut. After their success, he was eventually included in the TMNT comics.

Renet

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The Time Master (Debuted in the Mirage Comics)

An apprentice "Timestress" whose job it is to oversee and protect the timestream.

Appears in: Mirage comics, 2003 series, 2012 series, IDW Comics

Adaptational Intelligence: Slightly. While Renet is still a bit of a Ditz in adaptations, she never starts out as Too Dumb to Live the way her Mirage incarnation did.
Character Development: (Mirage comics) Initially a ditzy, irresponsible and overly impulsive girl, she eventually evolves into a mature, responsible and self-reliant woman — after having spent some time as grim-faced, solemn and reluctant. What makes it confusing is that, thanks to her traveling back and forth through time, we don't necessarily see this development in chronological order.
- In fact, we're informed that her parents originally made her take the job as an apprentice timestress in the hope that she would undergo some much-needed Character Development.
Deus ex Machina: In the Mirage comic Juliet's Revenge, the fully-adult, post-Character Development Renet plays this role (having changed so much that the Turtles don't recognize her at first). For the most part, however, she averts this.
The Ditz: In her pre-Character Development appearances. In her very first appearance she's borderline Too Dumb to Live. being The Load who makes one brainless decision after another and drags everyone else into trouble with her. (At one point, when they're at a medieval tavern and Renet is rambling on after a couple of beers, Leonardo silently prays for her to pass out before she gets them into more trouble.) She gets somewhat better in later appearances, being a little more self-reliant and better at pulling her own weight, but she's still prone to Comically Missing the Point and not think ahead before she acts or speaks.
Dumb Blonde: Again, pre-Character Development she's the embodiment of this trope. She's got blonde hair and she's really not very bright. Casey at one point even refers to her as "the time bimbo."
Forgotten Phlebotinum: She's completely and inexplicably absent from the Fast Forward season in the 2003 series, where the Turtles are stuck in the future — because if she'd appeared she could instantly have fixed their predicament.
Ms. Fanservice: (Mirage comics) About the only thing that stays consistent about her appearance is her huge breasts and tendency to wear (2012 version) skintight (and sometimes rather revealing in the terms of the Mirage comics and 2003 series) clothes.
Most Common Superpower: It's especially prominent in the Mirage comic (especially if Jim Lawson is drawing her), but the 2003 series’ version is notably endowed as well. Slightly downplayed in the 2012 series, but she's still bigger than every other female in the show.
Shout-Out: The third movie prominently features a time travel scepter that looks very similar to Renet's.
Took a Level in Badass: (Mirage) It's a long way from the Damsel in Distress we're first introduced to, to the nearly god-like woman who shows up to save the Turtles from certain death.
True Blue Femininity: Her outfit is mostly blue and it matches her Innocent Blue Eyes.
Valley Girl: Her speech in the early Mirage comic and the 2003 series is this. In the "Juliet's Revenge" comic, the Turtles don't recognize the grown-up, goddess-like Renet, before she briefly slips back into Valley Girl speak and tells them "this scene would gag me with its groadiness."
Younger Than They Look: In her first appearance, and across several adaptations. She's a teenager, but could pass for a woman in her thirties. Thanks to being a time-traveler, though, she inverts this in many of her later appearances, especially in the post-vol 1 Mirage comics where she usually shows up at a time of her life where she is Really 700 Years Old and still looks like a woman in her thirties.

The Utroms

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(Debuted in the Mirage Comics)

An alien race that crash landed on Earth years ago. They are usually the creators of the Ooze that mutated the Turtles. Have nothing to do with Krang (usually).

Appears in: Mirage Comics, IDW Comics, 2003 series, 2012 series

Adaptational Villainy: In two continuities:
- In the IDW comics, they are an evil race that conquered most of the galaxy, but due to wars and depletion of resources, they have been dying out. Krang is one of the few remaining.
- In the 2012 series, they are combined with Krang as a hostile race called "the Kraang" that wants to terraform the planet and rule it. It's later revealed they were infact good until they were brainwashed by Krang. Now there's a resistance movement against him.
Alien Among Us: They had succesfully disguised themselves as humans for years, having crashed on Earth and blended into human society until they could contact their homeworld, either for decades (Mirage) or centuries (2003 series).
Ascended Extra: While they still played a part in the Turtles origin, their role was much smaller in the original Mirage comics, mostly disappearing from the story after the Fugitoid arc which ends with them returning to their homeworld. In the 2003 series, their role is greatly expanded, revealing them as the mysterious leaders of the Guardians, involved in a centuries-long war against the Foot Clan and The Shredder, who they had no interaction with at all in the comics.
Big Good: As the ones who (indirectly) created the Turtles and opposed the Foot Clan, they served as this in the 2003 series.
Good All Along: When the Turtles discovered that they had kidnapped Splinter, it was thought they did it for a malicious purpose. In reality, they had taken him so they can heal his injuries.
Mobile-Suit Human: They disguise themselves as humans using mechanical "suits" that they pilot from the torso.
Skelebot 9000: Their exoskeletons resemble human skeletons without their human disguises.

The Justice Force

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The Old Superhero

A group of long-retired superheroes, consisting of "Stainless Steel" Steve, Metalhead, Joey Lastic, Zippy, Battling Bernice. Captain Deadbolt and Dr. Dome.

Appears in: Mirage Comics, 2003 series

And I Must Scream: Captain Deadbolt, who had the ability to make himself completely immovable, got frozen in place during a disco contest in the 1970's, and hasn't moved an inch since. Zippy keeps him on display amongst his Justice Force memorabilia, but doesn't know if Deadbolt is actually dead or not.
All Love Is Unrequited: Some of the friction that broke up the original team was a Love Triangle between Steve, Bernice and Dr. Dome.
Artificial Human: Metalhead is actually some sort of synthetic humanoid, and as a result, is the only member of the team that hasn't aged a day.
Badass Normal: Battling Bernice and Stainless Steve, neither of whom show any signs of superpowers in battle, unless you count Steve's metal forehead.
Dented Iron: Aside from Metalhead, all the members of the Justice Force are worn out from age and heroics. Zippy, having burned out his legs with his Super-Speed, is stuck in a souped-up wheelchair, Joey Lastic can still stretch, but not retract nearly as well, and Battling Bernice is dead.
Depraved Dwarf: Dr. Dome is a diminutive Mad Scientist who's virtually helpless without his robots.
Face Framed in Shadow: When Steve activates his old Justice Force communicator to summon the other members, Battling Bernice is hidden in shadow as she dons her costume. This is to hide the fact that it's actually her daughter, the new Battling Bernice, as the original is dead.
Face–Heel Turn: The team first came out of retirement to fight their old teammate Dr. Dome alongside the Turtles. He'd gone rogue some time before the team broke up, partially due to his unrequited love for Battling Bernice.
Horned Humanoid: Metalhead has a second form where he grows a pair of horns almost as big as his head, which he uses in battle.
Humongous Mecha: When forced to fight in person, Dr. Dome uses a massive version of his normal Mook robots, which he controls from the inside.
Legacy Team: In the 2003 cartoon, the Justice Force is eventually resurrected by a new generation of heroes, including Silver Sentry, Nobody and Nano. While most of the original Justice Force remained retired, Metal Head rejoined the group as well.
Mad Scientist: Dr. Dome doesn't have any actual superpowers, he's a genius who builds machines that fight for him.
My Brain Is Big: Dr. Dome's brain is exposed by a glass dome covering his scalp.
Super-Speed: Zippy. His legs may be bust, but he can still use his arms.
Rubber Man: Joey, though he's a bit more limp than he used to be.
Old Superhero: All the original members are in their 60's at the very least by the time of their first appearance in 1988.
Use Your Head: Steve has a steel-plated skull, with a large section exposed on his forehead, that he uses for this effect.

Nobody

A mysterious, masked vigilante operating out of New York City.

Appears in: Mirage Comics, 2003 series

Badass Normal: Has no superpowers at all, and relies on stealth and fighting skills.
The Cowl: One of the darker superheroes that appear in the Mirage setting.
Expy: Heavily inspired by Batman.
Killed Off for Real: The Mirage version was killed off during during the events of TMNT Volume 2, though it's unclear how much of that actually happened.
Legacy Character: His identity was briefly taken up by April.
No Name Given: While we're shown who Nobody is out of costume (a police officer), he never actually reveals his name.

Other Mutants

Mondo Gecko

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A skateboarding gecko who is friends with Michelangelo

Appears in: 1987 series, Archie Comics, IDW Comics, 2012 series, Mutant Mayhem

Heel–Face Turn: In the 1987 series, he used to be a criminal.
Killed Off for Real: In the Archie comics, Mondo Gekko is killed off together with the rest of the Mighty Mutanimals, in the last issue of their spin-off comic.
Metamorphosis: Gecko to anthro gecko (1987 series and IDW comics), human to anthro gecko (Archie comics and 2012 series).

Leatherhead

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The Genius Bruiser (Debuted in the Mirage Comics)

A mutant alligator/crocodile (depending on the incarnation) who is either an ally or an enemy of the turtles, though most adaptations so far have him as an ally. Generally ends up fighting the turtles either way.

Appears in: Most incarnations.

Adaptational Villainy: The 1987 series’ version was made a villain and he starts out that way in the Archie comic until he becomes a Mutanimal. He is also villainous in the IDW comics, though he's more of an anti-villain there.
Berserk Button: In the 2012 series, the mere mention of the Kraang will put him in his berserker state.
Character Catchphrase: "I guh-rantee!" in the 1987 series.
Emotional Bruiser: The 2003 series was quick to show off just how tender-hearted he is in addition to how tough he is.
- The 2012 series also portrays him this way.
Genius Bruiser: In the Mirage comics and 2003 series, he's as intelligent as Donatello and is capable of easily defeating his enemies. At one point in the 2003 series, he easily defeats an entire blacks ops squad.
Heel–Face Turn: He starts out working with the Shredder in the Archie comics, but realizes he's been duped. After seemingly being Driven to Suicide, it soon turns out he survived and he goes on to become an ally and later a member of the Mutanimals.
Metamorphosis: From human to humanoid alligator in the Archie comics, from alligator to humanoid alligator everywhere else.
Ragin' Cajun: In the 1987 series, he speaks with a "Cajun" accent, despite living in Florida, which is "justified" because he was mutated from exposure to the DNA of a Louisiana alligator hunter who tried and failed to catch him.
Sewer Gator: In some continuities, he was a pet alligator that was flushed into the sewers before he was mutated.
You Can't Go Home Again: In the Mirage comics and 2003 series, Leatherhead initially yearns to rejoin the Utroms.

Tokka and Rahzar

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The Mighty Glacier (Debuted in the 1991 film)

A snapping turtle (Tokka) and wolf (Rahzar) mutated by the Shredder.

Appears in: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, 1987 series, 2003 series, 2012 series (Rahzar only; Tokka shows up as an unrelated character in season 4), IDW comic.

Adaptational Badass: Rahzar's 2012 incarnation is much faster and more intelligent than how he usually is portrayed.
Adaptational Intelligence: In the 1987 animated series, they are a lot more intelligent and eloquent than their live action movie counterparts.
Adaptational Species Change: In Turtles Forever, they are human Foot Ninja mutated into humanoid animals, like Bebop and Rocksteady, instead of animals mutated into humanoid forms.
Animorphism: Rahzar in the 2012 series is a former human transformed into a wolf creature.
Canon Immigrants: From the movie to the 1987 series, more intelligent and more eloquent. They were also featured in the 2003 series via Turtles Forever and featured as bosses in Turtles In Time.
Continuity Cameos: Their appearance in Turtles Forever
Dual Boss: They were fought as a pair in Turtles in Time.
Dumb Muscle: In Secret of the Ooze, they would have been cunning villains, had Professor Perry not tainted the ooze.
Elemental Powers: In Turtles in Time Tokka has ice powers and Rahzar has fire powers.
Expies: Of Bebop and Rocksteady. In fact, they were created specifically for the second live-action movie because [[Law Eastman and Laird did not want to pay for the rights to use Rocksteady and Bebop]].
- Expy Coexistence: In the video games based on the 1987 series and the 1987 series itself, they exist alongside Bebop and Rocksteady. Technically their counterparts from Turtles Forever also count as Bebop and Rocksteady from the 1987 universe were present in the 2003 universe when they mutated.
Psychopathic Manchild: Thanks to Prof. Perry modifying the ooze, they have childish mentalities. That said, they're still brutes with Super-Strength. When Shredder lets them onto a street to "play", they spend their time knocking over telephone poles and smashing cars.
Mighty Glacier: Both tower over the Turtles, are super strong and shrug off damage like nothing.

Slash

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The Evil Counterpart (Debuted in the 1987 show)

An Evil Counterpart (Though usually more Anti-Hero) humanoid turtle, often based on a snapping turtle. His origins have varied greatly across continuities, being either a mutant of varying origins, or an alien. Aside from appearing as a twisted knockoff of the Turtles, another common feature is a fondness for palm trees.

Appears in: 1987 series, Archie comics, Turtles Forever, IDW comics, 2012 series.

Anti-Hero: In most continuities, he tends to be this rather than an out-and-out villain, though he usually starts out as an antagonist to the Turtles.
The Berserker: He makes Raphael seem mild and gentle in comparison.
Brought to You by the Letter "S": He often wears a belt with a backwards "S" on the buckle. In the "Back to the Sewer" season of the 2003 series, Hun wears a similar belt with a similarly shaped Dragon and then in Turtles Forever, he mutates into Slash.
Comic-Book Movies Don't Use Codenames: In Turtles Forever, Hun mutates into a big Turtle with spikes protruding from his shoulders and elbows and wearing a belt with a backwards "S" on his buckle, making him that universe's version of Slash in all but name.
Depending on the Artist: Depending on the incarnation, he can either look like an uglier mutant turtle around the same size as the rest of the TMNT or he can look bigger and more monstrous than them.
Evil Counterpart: To the Turtles. Even when he's more misguided than actually evil, he's still a dark reflection, using brute strength where the Turtles use teamwork and their martial art skills.
Evil Knockoff:
- In the IDW comics, Slash was specifically created by StockGen to track down the Turtles.
- The original toyline stated that Shredder specifically created him in Dimension X as a direct counter to the Turtles.
Heel–Face Turn: In the Archie comics and 2012 series, where he eventually ends up with the Mutanimals. In the IDW comics, he ends up befriending Michelangelo.
Heroic Sacrifice:
- In the Archie comics, he fights Malignas' forces as her ship plummets into the sun, in order to give the Turtles a chance to escape.
- Happens again in IDW when he sacrifices himself to save his friends from a small nuclear device installed in his body.
The Nose Knows: In the 2012 series; he can track down mutagen by scent from miles away.
#1 Dime: Several continuities (Notably the 1987 TV series, the Archie comics and the IDW comics) give him a small plastic palm tree as a cherished item. In the continuities where he was a normal terrestrial turtle mutated, this palm tree was a decoration in his tank that he takes with him even as a mutant.
Oddball Doppelgänger: The original toyline (Which was also used in many of the video games) gave him a twisted, bizzaro-like appearance with a jagged bandana, warped and jagged versions of the Turtles' weapons, and a sinister spike-toothed grin, along with a stocky build and spiked shell. Most other depictions also make him look 'off' or twisted compared to the main Turtles.
Spikes of Villainy: Not that he's always a villain, but many depictions give him a spiked shell that emphasizes his more brutal nature compared to the Turtles and their smoother shells. Sometimes these spikes are fairly subdued, like the real spikes on a snapping turtle shell, while others give him obvious spikes sticking out like Bowser's shell.
Stout Strength: Modeled after a (If not outright a mutated) snapping turtle in many continuities, Slash often appears notably wider and bulkier than the Turtles, and is usually much more physically powerful than them.

The Foot Clan

The Shredder

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The Big Bad (Debuted in the Mirage Comics)

A Ninja Master with ties to the New York underworld, and the franchise's most visible villain. In most incarnations, his name is Oroku Saki and he and Hamato Yoshi fought over the same woman until his attempt to Murder the Hypotenuse ended in disaster, though variations of course exist and the 2003 series notably discards that origin entirely.

Appears in: All incarnations.

Adaptational Badass:
- The first live action film series, 2003 series, and 2012 series versions are far more capable and dangerous than the Mirage comics or 1987 series versions of the character.
- The IDW version was able to put up a fairly decent fight against Batman (who was wearing Powered Armor at the time) in the Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover.
- Both the 2003 series and the 2018 series depict the original Oroku Sakis as demonic entities.
Adaptational Heroism: Not so much the Shredder, but Oroku Saki in Rise. The Shredder was the result of Saki wearing armor forged by an Oni that swallowed his soul and corrupted him. Asking the Oni to make the armor at all was an ask of desperation to save the Foot Clan.
Adaptational Villainy: While Shredder was by no means a nice person in the original comic (he was an Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy who had no scruples about bringing his minions when challenged to a duel and tried to kill the Turtles along with him rather than face an honorable death), his known crimes were the murder of Hamato Yoshi (which he had more or less legitimate reasons for since Yoshi killed his brother) as well as using the Foot as a criminal protection racket. Most adaptations that followed made him more into a straight villain and gave him an additional more villainous goal, typically world domination. Even adaptations that follow the origin story provided by the Mirage comics simplify the feud by combing the Oroku brothers into one character and making Shredder's motivation more petty.
Arch-Enemy: For starters, the Turtles are usually trained by Splinter so he can exact vengeance on Shredder.
Ascended Extra : While not an extra by any means, the Shredder in the Mirage Comics is a relatively minor villain who was important for the first issue and a later story arc. After the '87 show, however, he became THE Big Bad of the entire franchise.
Avenging the Villain: Not any villain we're familiar with, mind you, but Hamato Yoshi's enemy, Oroku Nagi, Shredder’s brother. After Nagi tried to kill Tang Shen, a woman who had chosen Yoshi over him, Yoshi killed him. Shredder would spend the next ten years obsessively training and rising in the ranks of the Foot for the sole purpose of pursuing Yoshi to America to finally kill him.
Authority Equals Ass Kicking: As many entries here show, he's tough enough to prove why the Foot Clan has him as leader. This remains consistent throughout the multiverse, although the 1987 version shows it off the least, and is the most prone to having his prowess be dependent on the episode.
Back from the Dead: Mirage comics, second movie, 2003 series, IDW comics, and the 2012 series (albeit briefly)
Michelangelo: If you guys actually read comic books, you'd know the bad guy always comes back.
Badass Abnormal: In the 2014 movie, he's an incredibly skilled ninja master but his human-level stats are clearly no match for four mutant Turtles with superhuman strength and durability. Luckily for him, he wears a powerful robotic suit of armor which evens the odds and allows him to go toe-to-toe with Splinter and the Turtles.
Badass Normal: With the exception of some of the 2003 Shredders, all versions of the Shredder are perfectly normal humans, yet remarkable fighters.
Bad Boss: He tends to be verbally abusive towards his subordinates in every incarnation and in the darker series he may even mutilate or kill them to punish them for failure.
Battle Strip: Removes his armour prior to his duel with Leonardo in the Mirage comics' "Return to New York" arc. He does this to show how he was resurrected.
Big Bad: In most incarnations, he is the ultimate leader of the Foot Clan and the Turtles' most powerful and personal foe. Averted in the original comics, where he was only the leader of the New York branch and had superiors back in Japan to answer to, who took over after his death. Played straight in the Archie and IDW versions.
Big Bad Ensemble: He shared this with the Kraang Prime in the 2012 series, as both of them have served as the main recurring threats and played a part in the Turtles' origin.
Blade Below the Shoulder: His trademark weapon are multi-pronged bladed gauntlets, sometimes with extra bladed pads strapped to his forearms and/or knees/thighs/calves as well.
Breakout Villain: In the very first comic, he perishes. In all other incarnations, he's the main nasty (or was in their backstory).
The Bus Came Back: Both Shredders return in Turtles Forever.
Character Catchphrase:
- 2003 series: "None of you will leave here/this place alive!"
- As Leonardo later points out "Seems like he's always trying to make sure we never leave anywhere alive."
- Also, in both the Mirage comics and the 2003 series: "Now, come and face your doom!"
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: He is not even mentioned in the third movie.
Combat Pragmatist: In any given incarnation, the Shredder is portrayed as being skilled enough to really bring it to the Turtles and/or Splinter in a fair fight but is equally fine with wearing down the heroes with an endless onslaught of Foot ninjas or hitting them with cheap shots if the opportunity is there.
The Comically Serious: An old web profile treats him as a serious figure, but with an egomania that sometimes bleeds into absurd answers about having a "favorite" one thing or another.
Composite Character:
- The first version of the Tang Shen Love Triangle was between Hamato Yoshi and Oroku Nagi, Saki's older brother. The first movie and the 2012 series elected to cut out the middle-man and have Saki himself fight Yoshi over the love of Tang Shen.
- In the 2003 series, he's a small alien named Ch'rell posing as Saki using a humanoid robot body. This makes him resemble a hybrid of his usual self and Krang from the 1987 series, but Krang was created for the older show while Ch'rell is one of the Utroms, a race from the Mirage comics.
Corrupt Corporate Executive: 2003 series.
- Briefly in the 1987 series, as chairman of Octopus Inc.
Dead Person Impersonation: Ch'rell, in the 2003 series. Oroku Saki later turns out to be more alive than expected.
Decomposite Character: The 2003 series has two versions of Oroku Saki - the Utrom Shredder and the Tengu (Demon) Shredder, who had his shtick co-opted by the former.
Demoted to Extra: In Next Mutation, the third and fourth movies, most of the later issues of the Archie comics, and the ninth and tenth seasons of the 1987 series.
The Dragon: To Karai in the Mirage comics, not that it would have stopped her from using the title of Shredder herself had Image comics' non-canon volume been followed up on.
The Dreaded:
- (2003 series) Even after defeating him several times, just hearing that Ch'rell is involved in something is enough to make the Turtles nervous about their chances of survival.
- The 2012 series counts as this as well. Splinter had a nightmare of him slaughtering the Turtles.
Evil Is Hammy: Whilst it's mostly associated with the 1987 incarnation, Shredder is capable of being extremely melodramatic.
Evil Is Petty: There is almost nothing he wouldn't do to hurt the Turtles. Movie Shredder even takes sadistic glee in taunting them over Splinter's supposed death.
Evil Laugh: The 1987 version, at least, is prone to pealing out malevolent cackles when things seem to be going his way. Other versions, like the Next Mutation and the 2003 series incarnations also tend to do this.
Evil Me Scares Me: The 1987 version is terrified of the 2003 version when he meets him in Turtles Forever.
Evil Overlord: Tengu, 2003 series.
- The Utrom Shredder was one in an alternate Bad Future. Even before that there was an episode in the 1987 series with the same premise of Shredder being ruler of the world in a Bad Future, however, due to the decay he suffered in that version, he was more inept than evil on that occasion and even wanted to go to a world where he wasn't ruler.
- In the real world in the 1987 series, however, he seemed to be quite competent as the chairman of a large corporation (Octopus Inc) which he took over, and had some success.
Evil Sounds Deep: Frequently sounds like this in adaptations, with his voices in the movies and the 2003 series being the deepest. Initially, in the 2003 series, he only sounded this way when he was wearing the helmet, as it gave his voice a metallic tinge, but as the series progressed, his natural voice started sounding as deep as his artificial voice. The original Oroku Saki/the Tengu Shredder also has an epic deep, demonic voice, courtesy of Scottie Ray.
Evil Versus Evil: In the 2003 series. The Utrom Shredder went up against The Tengu Shredder also in the beginning of the final season when The Turtles are traveling through time they come across a battle between The Utrom Shredder, The Cyber Shredder, and The Tengu Shredder. And in Turtles Forever The 1987 Shredder and Krang team up with The Turtles and Karai to take down Ch'rell The Utrom Shredder.
Fatal Flaw: The 2003 Turtles state that no matter which universe Shredder is from, the one constant is his massive ego.
Flunky Boss: The 2003 version almost always has some goons the Turtles have to fight through first before engaging him. In fact, almost every fight with him on his terms has him either using Foot ninjas to wear down the enemy before he arrives, or to distract them so he can launch surprise attacks.
Gender-Blender Name: Saki is a name common for women in Japan, which is why it got changed in a certain anime adaptation.
Good Scars, Evil Scars: In many incarnations, he has a mark, usually caused by Splinter.
Healing Factor: In the 2003 series, he always comes back from even the worst damage. Justified because he's a brain-like alien in a human-shaped exosuit, so of course he can repair whatever damage is inflicted on the shell.
The Heavy: Tends to play this role most of the time in almost every incarnation.
Hoist by His Own Petard: In the Mirage comics, he's killed by his own thermite grenade in the first issue.
Invincible Villain:
- In most incarnations, the Shredder is initially too much for the Turtles to handle, leaving Splinter to save the day. The exceptions of the Mirage version, where Splinter never battles him personally, and he is killed by Leonardo in both his appearances, and the 2014 movie where Splinter does fight him but is defeated and later on, all four Turtles have to battle him together for the first time and, despite having trouble with him initially, eventually come up with a strategy that's able to save the day.
- The Tengu Shredder in the 2003 version took this to absurd levels. He can fire dark energy out of his hands, warp reality, materialize weapons out of thin air, heal himself, and transform into a dragon. Even before he turned to a life of evil, his martial arts skills were unmatched and during his first defeat, he could only be locked in a sarcophagus rather than being killed since his dark powers were too strong. On top of all that, the only person who could severely weaken him to give the Turtles a fighting chance was Yoshi, someone who was already dead.
- The Cyber-Shredder turned into this in his final few appearances, completely curbstomping everybody in his path, including all the Turtles, the Justice Force, and even taking out one of the Ninja Tribunal, someone he should logically have no chance of beating, considering the Ninja Tribunal's level of power, fighting experience, and mystical abilities.
- The Shredder from the 2012 series thrives on being this, being able to defeat the Turtles in battle. Even three seasons later, the Turtles struggle to land so much as a single blow on him. He can even fight the combined might of the Turtles and Mutanimals and still put a hurting on all of them. Plus, he can take a brutal mauling from Leatherhead and get back from it almost a split second later to put the mutant crocodile down. And he can take out multiple Triceraton soldiers despite how durable and powerful they've been shown to be. And it really doesn't help that thus far, practically every season has ended with some sort of villain victory for the Shredder where he gets the last laugh (season one), seriously injures one or more of the heroes (season two), or some combination thereof (season three).
Joker Immunity: Over time, Shredder's gained this status as the TMNT's most recurring and iconic villain, either surviving near-death scenarios multiple times like his 2003 incarnation or getting resurrected from death more than once like his IDW version. The only time this ever ends is usually when a TMNT series has reached its conclusion.
Killed Off for Real: Surprisingly commonplace. He is defeated and killed permanently in the Mirage comics, the second live-action movie, the 2003 series, the IDW comics, and the 2012 series.
Knight of Cerebus: In every version except the 1987 series (where he was just as silly as everyone else), the Shredder is the most deadly serious and intimidating character, and any scene where he makes his entrance is the point where any humor stops and the story gets much darker.
Large Ham: Just about every version of the character is. In the 1987 series, he is especially hammy in episodes where he is voiced by Dorian Harewood.
Laughably Evil: In the 1987 series, where he is played for comedy and depicted as a typical cartoony villain of the "would-be world dominator" variety.
Left for Dead: A lot (2003 series), bordering on Joker Immunity. The Turtles even lampshade that he never seemed to die.
Legacy Character: Several characters end up taking the identity.
Mind over Matter: He has telekinetic abilities in the 2003 series.
Multi Layer Facade: In the 2003 series, he's got a public identity which is Oroku Saki, the rich and well respected Japanese Businessman. Then he's the Shredder, a warlord who is using his public persona to gain power. And then his true identity originally only known by his adoptive daughter Karai is Ch'rell, an Utrom criminal who has been on Earth for over a millennium.
Omnicidal Maniac: Turtles Forever, where he's willing to destroy the entire multiverse, including himself, if it meant killing all incarnations of the Turtles. That includes his own daughter.
One-Winged Angel: Super Shredder in the movies and video games during the 1987 series era.Utrom Shredder simply has enlarged exo-suits, and the one he had in Turtles Forever could turn into a giant, Demon Shredder can turn into a dragon. In the two-episode anime loosely based on the 1987 series, the Shredder was also able to use the Dark Mutastone to transform into the dragon-like Devil Shredder and the much larger Dark Devil Shredder in the first episode, as well as one of the Mirror Mutastones in the second episode to become Metal Shredder.
Pet the Dog:
- 2012 series. Overlaps with Papa Wolf, surprisingly. He seems to hold genuine concern for his adoptive daughter Karai. Until she refused to let him kill the Turtles.
- In at least the 2003 series and 2012 series, despite his track record for severely punishing failure Shredder often turns a blind eye to Karai's outright defying his orders, at most making empty threats about how she better not do it again.
Pragmatic Villainy: 2012 series. Despite Baxter Stockman's Mousers losing them a chance at finding the Turtles' lair, Shredder thinks killing him would be wasting his talents he could use.
Red Eyes, Take Warning: The Shredder from the 2003 series has burning crimson eyes, an early indication of his true nature.
Really 700 Years Old: 2003 series (due to being an alien), IDW comics (due to alien ooze and magic).
Reincarnation: In the IDW comics, Oroku Saki is the reincarnation of the founder of the Foot Clan, Tatsuo Takeshi.
Secret Identity: In incarnations where he has a public identity as Oroku Saki and conceals his status as a crime boss.
Shoulders of Doom: Large, blade-bedecked shoulder-pads are an iconic part of his costume.
Sleeves Are for Wimps: The Mirage, 1987 and 2012 versions generally wear a sleeveless outfit, though the IDW colored reprints of the Mirage comics miscolors his arms to look like his outfit has sleeves.
A Sinister Clue: His signature weapon is always on his left hand if he doesn't have two sets.
Spikes of Villainy: His name comes from the fact his costume features prominent blades, which are actually weaponized.
Starter Villain: He is invariably the first major villain the Turtles face, and rarely the final opponent in most continuities.
Starter Villain Stays: A franchise-wide example. He was never intended to survive past the first issue, but would go on to become the most famous and recurring enemy for the Turtles across various media.
Take Over the World: This is a recurring goal for Shredders across the continuities.
Tin Tyrant: 2003 series. While a few other incarnations come close (such as in the first live action film series movies and the 2012 series), the armor and attitude of that one fit the trope better.
Villain with Good Publicity: In the 2003 series, he's borrowed a page from Lex Luthor in Batman: No Man's Land, cultivating a public image of wealthy philanthropist spearheading efforts to rebuild cities damaged by the Triceraton invasion at great expense to himself, while he attempts to salvage the tech the invaders left behind.
Wake-Up Call Boss: In the source material, he was a Starter Villain but for most other incarnations after Mirage, he's typically the first really strong villain who can make the Turtles struggle in a fight, be forced to retreat, or require Splinter to come in and save them.
Wolverine Claws: In all versions, his signature weapon is a claw gauntlet.
The Worm That Walks: In the Mirage comics, he was resurrected as a mystical worm colony clone. This version was killed, but he briefly came back as a Threatening Shark, when the mystical worms took control of a shark's body.

The Foot Ninjas

The Foot Clan

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The Syndicate (Debuted in the Mirage Comics)

An ancient order of shinobi, assassins and spies dating back to medieval Japan. In present day, they have semi-independent chapters all over the world, overseen by the japanese head council.

Appears in: All incarnations.

Avenging the Villain: The Foot are honor-bound to avenge the death of The Shredder, but agree to void the blood debt if the Turtles assist in bringing order to the New York branch.
Conservation of Ninjutsu: Ridiculously prone to this.
Cyber Ninja: The Foot Tech Ninja in the 2003 series, which grants them invisibility. Also, the 1987 series ones, which were entirely robotic so the Turtles could destroy them without censorship.
Faceless Mooks: The rank and file ninja have virtually no defining characteristics.
Horrible Judge of Character: The Foot elders gave The Shredder the job of starting the New York Foot, which he proceeded to run like his personal fiefdom, after indulging in a personal grudge against Hamato Yoshi.
Nebulous Evil Organisation: In some incarnations.
Ninja: They're generally ninjas, trained by Shredder.
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: A time travel adventure in the Mirage Comics shows that the Foot would never have existed had not Raphael taught a pair of ronin warriors ninjitsu. After the Turtles leave, the ronin set out to form their own clan, stating that "just as every journey begins with one step, so we shall call ourselves the Foot".
The Remnant: During the last few issues of the Mirage comic book, before Nickelodeon bought the rights, it's revealed that the Foot has been devastated by a mysterious enemy, and the New York branch is all that remain.

Karai

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The Anti-Villain (Debuted in the Mirage Comics)

A high-ranking member of the Foot Clan (in Mirage comics she's the leader of the Foot).

Appears in: Mirage comics, Volume 3, 2003 series, 2007 movie, 2012 series, 2014 movie, Rise, IDW Comics, Shredder's Revenge^note.

Adaptational Heroism: In Rise, she is unambiguously heroic, rising up against Shredder when the armor he wore corrupted him and turned the Foot Clan into a gang of terrorists.
Adaptational Villainy: Karai in her original Mirage incarnation could best be described as being a neutral character who made a truce with the Turtles but still had her own agenda that she wouldn't reveal to them to maintain the peace. Most subsequent incarnations of Karai in the media, with the exception of Rise, tend to portray her as more of a straight up antagonist serving the Shredder with varying degrees of redeeming traits, and fights between her and the Turtles tend to be more commonplace.
Adaptation Relationship Overhaul:
- In the original Mirage comics, she was the head of the Japanese branch of the Foot clan and had no other connection to the Shredder. In fact, judging by the existence of an adult daughter, she may as well have been older than the Shredder and his superior in ranks. Since the 2003 series, she has been consistently portrayed as the Shredder's dragon, with the exception of Rise.
- In the original comics, she has no connections to any of the main characters outside of being part of the Foot clan. In the 2003 series, she is the Shredder's adoptive daughter. The 2012 series also follows suit and portrays her as the Shredder's adoptive daughter, with the added twist that she is Hamato Yoshi's biological daughter. In Rise, she is the daughter of Oroku Saki/The Shredder and the ancestor of Hamato Yoshi and the Turtles. In The Last Ronin, she is the biological daughter of the Shredder.
Ambiguously Evil: How ambiguously exactly varies with the versions, but she typically is this in all versions.
- Is more outwardly evil in the IDW comics, being the one who resurrects the Shredder and the modern Foot Clan, acting as his second in command.
Anime Hair: The 2012 series' version; she has black hair in the front and blonde hair in the back.
Anti-Villain: Rarely holds any enmity towards the Turtles, fighting them on Shredder's orders.
Avenging the Villain: Her motivation for fighting the Turtles in the 2003 series after they defeated Shredder.
- Averted in the Mirage Comics version, where she is instead tasked by the Japanese leaders of the clan with stopping the blood feud between the Turtles and the remnants of Shredder’s elite ninja, to bring order back to the New York faction of the Foot.
Co Dragon: After her introduction, she shares the role of The Dragon with Hun.
Corrupt Corporate Executive: 2003 series and IDW comics version once she takes over her father's enterprise.
Daddy's Little Villain: In the 2003 series and 2012 series, she is the Shredder's foster daughter.
Dark Action Girl: Can usually take any one of the Turtles head to head, though not all four like Shredder frequently can.
Dating Catwoman: She can have this going on with Leonardo depending on the continuity, more often than not when she's written as an antagonist.
Deadpan Snarker: While the comic and 2003 incarnations of the character are mostly serious and stoic, the 2012 version is much more inclined to taunt and snark, even in front of Shredder.
Shredder: I heard you had the occasion to slay Leonardo, but let him go.
Karai: That's not true. He escaped.
Shredder: I find that hard to believe.
Karai: (grinning) He escaped from you, didn't he?
The Dragon: Is this firmly in the IDW comics.
Dragon Ascendant: In the 2003 series, after Shredder's defeat she takes the mantle for her own.
Foil: A Shadow Archetype to Leonardo. IDW plays this up by having Shredder promote Leo into being Shredder's successor over her, despite Karai being Shredder's number two. This later turns out to be a test of loyalty for Karai, which she passed.
Heel–Face Turn:
- 2003 series, though it doesn't happens until season 5. It extends to Heel–Face Revolving Door when she switches sides twice in Turtles Forever.
- Both tropes come earlier in the 2012 series' version (season 2).
It Amused Me: The 2012 series' version of the character doesn't really seems to care whether what she does is right or wrong, and is mostly concerned about finding entertainment. That includes fighting with Leo but letting him leave and trying to steal a sword from a collector.
Leitmotif: 2003 series.
Luke, I Am Your Father: In the 2012 series, she finds her biological father is Hamato Yoshi AKA Splinter.
My Master, Right or Wrong: Despite her own discomforts over some of his goals, she usually sides with Shredder in the 2003 series.
Related Differently in the Adaptation: Her exact relationship to the Shredder always seems to differ by continuity. Depending on the incarnation, Karai can either be his adopted daughter, his actual daughter, his grand-daughter/descendant, or they just share no blood relations and she simply serves him as a second-in-command.
Self-Made Orphan: Subverted. Though the IDW version of Karai wrested control of the Foot from her father, she did not kill him herself. Rather, it was the stress from the incident that did him in.
Undying Loyalty: This is, in the 2003 series, what prevents her to make a Heel–Face Turn for most of the series; She genuinely respects the Turtles, almost has a friendship with Leonardo and knows to some extent that the Shredder's motives aren't exactly pure, but due to the role he played in her life, she feels like she owes him, and stays by his side no matter what. Even when he actually is defeated, she ends up blaming the Turtles for it and going on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge against them. Eventually, it takes the Shredder trying to destroy the Universe (him and her included) to make her leave him once and for all.
- Now once again in the IDW Comics, she is completely and utterly loyal to the Shredder, but this time, seems to lack the rapport she had with the Turtles in other versions.
Wild Card: While generally on the side of the Foot, she will team up with the turtles to either combat a greater threat or because Shredder's planning to do something horrible enough that even she can't back him.
The Woman Behind the Man: In the Mirage Comics version she's this to the Shredder due to being one of the Japanese leaders of the Foot that Shredder answers to.
Worthy Opponent: To the Turtles in general, but typically to Leo.
Younger and Hipper: Seems to get younger in each adaptation. In the Mirage comics, she was old enough to have a teenage daughter. In the 2003 series, she appears to be a young adult; and the 2012 series, she's a teenager that's around the same age as the Turtles.
- Completely averted in the movies. Karai in TMNT appears to be much older than most other versions, on account of her design and the delivery of her voice actress, Zhang Ziyi. In the 2014 movie, she is clearly played by an older looking actress (who was born in 1973), instead of a younger one.
You Killed My Father: In the Mirage version. After the Shredder Elite murders her daughter, she allies with the Turtles to bring an end to the Foot civil war and avenge her child.

Shredder Mutants

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The Body Horror (Debuted in the Mirage Comics)

Hideously mutated clones of The Shredder, dressed in modified Shredder armor and trained to work as elite Foot soldiers.

Appears in: The Mirage Comics, the 2003 series, the 2012 series

Big, Thin, Short Trio: Shiva-Shredder is huge and hulking, Claws is thin and lean and Shrimp is short.
Body Horror: BIG time, especially in the original comic version where they were the first few experiments at resurrecting the Shredder using clone worms. Its probably a good thing they are never seen without masks.
- Claws takes it an extra notch, he doesn't even have HANDS, his arms are horrific, lumped pincer claws.
Flat Character: Besides their individual design, the three have no personality whatsoever, they're not even capable of speech.
Flawed Prototype: The "real" Shredder (actually another, more successful clone) reveals that the three of them were initial, somewhat failed attempts to resurrect the Shredder in the form of worm colony clones in the original Mirage comics.
Fragile Speedster: Owing to his size, Shrimp is incredibly fast, but not as strong as the others.
Lean and Mean: Claws is notably slimmer than his "brothers".
Multi-Armed and Dangerous: Shiva-Shredder has four arms, each equipped with shredder claws.
The Worm That Walks: In the original Mirage comics, the three of them, and the resurrected Shredder are actually a colony of mystical worms that tried to (in the case of these mutants, unsuccessfully) take on the Shredder's form and personality.

Foot Elite

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The Elite Mook (Debuted in the Mirage Comics)

Elite ninjas of the Foot and the Shredder’s personal body guards and lieutenants.

Appears in: Mirage Comics, 2003 series, IDW Comics, 2012 series

All Asians Wear Conical Straw Hats: Consistently wear Japanese rice hats across all incarnations.
Avenging the Villain: After the Shredders death at the hands of the Turtles, the remaining Elites swear a vendetta against both them, and the factions of the Foot now fighting for control over New York.
The Dreaded: Becomes this to Leonardo in the 2003 series after the savage beatdown he receives at their hands. They are not present in the comic book version of the storyline.
Driven to Suicide: In the comics, one of the Elites falls for Karais disguise as the Shredder, and obeys her command of committing suicide for dishonoring himself.
Elite Mook: In all versions, they serve as the absolute best fighters of the Foot, second only to Shredder himself.
Enemy Civil War: They strike at all parties involved in the war over the New York underworld, including the Japanese Foot.
Flat Character: None of them really have any character traits beyond their blind loyalty to the Shredder. In the 2003 series, each Elite has a unique weapon, an axe, a spear, a poleaxe and a doublebladed sword, but thats about it.
The Remnant: They're the only remaining faction still loyal to the Shredder, and also the remnant of the elites themselves, as some were killed during the Return To New York storyarc in the comics.
Uncertain Doom: In the 2003 series, their final appearance consists of the Demon Shredder taking them down in such a manner that may or may not have been fatal when he turns their weapons against them to strike them down. On one hand, there are plenty of instances of Bloodless Carnage in the show where characters survive after being struck down by sharp weapons. On the other hand, the Foot Elite never make another appearance after this, making it possible that they died differently in the 2003 series.
Would Hurt a Child: Comics only, they murder Karai's teenage daughter.

Bebop and Rocksteady

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The Dumb Muscle (Debuted in the 1987 show)

Human gang members who were mutated into a warthog and rhino respectively, and serve as henchmen to the Shredder. Neither of them are particularly bright.

Appear in: 1987 series, Archie comics, IDW Comics, 2012 series, 2016 film, Mutant Mayhem

Adaptational Badass: Series with less restrictions on violence tend to show Bebop and Rocksteady as being much more dangerous than the original 1987 cartoon did.
- In the IDW Comics, they're still dunces, but they're bloodthirsty dunces with Super-Strength and Super-Toughness. They can literally rip human opponents limb from limb, and shrug off being shot with high explosives.
- The 2012 Cartoon makes them smarter and more competant than their 1987 counterparts, as well as giving them more useful technology, such as Bebop gaining an invisibility suit.
Animorphism: They were transformed from humans to humanoid animals by the mutagen. In the Archie comics, this eventually starts influencing their mind.
Bald of Evil: Rocksteady had blonde hair in his human form, but he inexplicably went bald after he mutated into a rhino.
Becoming the Mask: In the Archie comics series, the animal part of their natures began taking over more and more. This actually increased their intelligence, while also making them more neutral and less evil.
Beware the Silly Ones: Initially, in the 1987 series; they're still Dumb Muscle, but they're also pretty tough and significantly stronger than the Turtles, to the point that they could seriously threaten the Turtles — they had to be out-thought rather than simply beaten up. The IDW comics version runs with this interpretation; they're idiots, yes, but bulletproof idiots who can crush a man's skull like an egg and who treat slaughtering fifty men as a fun little diversion.
Canon Foreigners: Created for the franchise as part of the 1987 series.
Character Development: The Archie comics series gradually increased their intelligence and made them less evil as their animal natures took over more and more.
Cool Shades: Bebop almost always wears a distinctive visor-like set of sunglasses.
Dual Boss: In a few of their video game appearances (namely the arcade games), they're fought as a pair.
Dumb Muscle: Justified; they were always dimwitted punks and toughs, and Shredder simply tried to upgrade their physical prowess.
Expressive Mask: Bebop's sunglasses were sometimes depicted in this manner, most notably in the Archie comics.
Flanderization: While they weren't exactly geniuses in the first season, they were still extreme physical threats to the Turtles, especially in their second appearance after being mutated (though even in that episode, they fail to land a single hit on the Turtles and get easily beaten up by them throughout the episode and their only achievement is that they keep coming back). From that point on, they became more or less ineffectual against them, and even some humans.
Friendly Enemy: In their final appearance in the Archie comics series, they hijack the spaceship used by Krang and his henchmen to reach Earth, using their guns to "convince" the Turtles not to stop them. However, Bebop and Rocksteady cheerfully accept Leonardo's request to take Krang and his goons back to the prison planet they escaped from, before returning to the Eden-like planet they've made their new home.
Goofy Print Underwear: In the 1987 series, Rocksteady is wearing heart-print boxers when Leonardo cuts through his belt.
Harmless Villain: In the 1987 series, at least from the second season on. They were always idiots, but after the first season, their stupidity grew to the point they were completely ineffectual. They also became a lot more laid back and put-upon as well.
Informed Ability: They are hyped up as incredibly tough opponents in Enter the Shredder, once they get mutated. Then they accidentally knock each other out. Then they try to attack the Turtles with big guns, but get easily beaten up again. The Turtles then lament how they will never stop them, yet their only achievement at this point is that they keep getting back up. It is not until Hot Rodding Teenagers from Dimension X and Shredder & Splintered that they actually show that they are capable of giving the Turtles a serious fight. Even then they get defeated very quickly since they are Dumb Muscles.
Laughably Evil: There's no question that they're villains and enjoy abusing their powers, but their bumbling antics and goofy personalities make them surprisingly fun to watch.
Lethally Stupid: Literally. In Turtles Forever, they kill the Utrom Shredder simply by plugging in a cord they shouldn't have and vaporizing him with a laser. Mind you, Ch'rell was mere seconds away from destroying the multiverse at this point.
Lightning Bruiser: They both possess incredible strength, power, toughness, as well as great speed.
Metamorphosis: They were originally humans, but were transformed into a rhino-man and a warthog-man by the Shredder. In the Bebop & Rocksteady Hit The Road IDW miniseries, they start slowly regressing back to their human forms, to their horror.
Mike Nelson, Destroyer of Worlds: In the Bebop & Rocksteady Destroy Everything miniseries as part of the IDW run, where after unwittingly stealing a time rod, they nearly destroy the entire space-time continuum almost entirely through a combination of accident and irresponsible use of time travel. The damage they do cause is responsible for the destruction of roughly a million and a half universes.
The Millstone: On many occasions Shredder may well have won if not for their bumbling. Of course then there would be no more show. They even end up costing Utrom Shredder an otherwise clear-cut victory in Turtles Forever.
Musical Theme Naming: Bebop and rocksteady are both styles of music.
Pig Man: Bebop is a warthog mutant. In the IDW miniseries Bebop & Rocksteady Hit The Road, he reveals he actually has pig-like trotters as well as his more obvious pig's head, which comes as a surprise to Rocksteady due to Bebop always having worn his boots.
Put on a Bus: Both the 1987 cartoon and the Archie comics ultimately write Bebop & Rocksteady out of the story. In the 87 cartoon, they are not brought along when Dregg retrieves Shredder and Krang from Dimension X during the "Red Sky Seasons". In the Archie comics, their human identities and love of crime are eroded by their animal instincts, so they steal a ship and fly away to live like animals on an uninhabitated "Eden-like" world.
The Quincy Punk: Having been created in the 80s, the original Bebop and Rocksteady are both given outfits straight out of this archetype to emphasize them as dumb, violent, petty punks.
Race Lift: In the first issue of the Archie Comics series, Bebop's human form was depicted as Caucasian, though this was corrected in Archie and IDW's reprints of the comic. Bebop's human form was also made Caucasian for his figure in the Mutations toyline.
Rhino Rampage: Rocksteady was infused with rhino DNA by the mutagen as part of a plan to make him strong enough to be a valid threat to the Ninja Turtles.
Simpleton Voice: Both speak like this in the 1987 series. Both speak in lower registers in a halting tone, and tend to substitute a "d" sound for "th" sounds. Rocksteady also growls like an an animal, whilst Bebop snorts like a pig.
Super-Strength: Bebop alone can singlehandedly pick up a car and throw it at the Turtles. Rocksteady is implied to be even stronger. This is why it's so important that the Turtles can out-think them, as they're actually pretty dangerous if they can get a grip on you.
Super-Toughness: Outside of the 1987 cartoon, the idea that their mutation brought them a super-durable hide is sometimes explored. IDW makes them borderline Nigh-Invulnerable; being shot in the back five times just leaves Bebop with small, blood-dripping holes and feeling very ticked off.
Team Rocket Wins: Their final appearance in the Archie comics series has them convincing the Turtles not to fight simply by pointing their guns at them.
Villainous Friendship: In practically all continuities, they get along swimmingly and always hang out together, to the extent that they could practically be considered The Dividual. The 2012 Cartoon does introduce some initial friction at the start, by virtue of them as humans being just business associates prior to being mutated, though post-mutation, they become close friends.

Purple Dragons

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The White Gangbangers

A New York street gang consisting of mostly teenage thugs, thieves and killers.

Appears in: Mirage comics, 2003 series, Dreamwave Comics, IDW comics, 2012 series

Ascended Extra: Like the Shredder, the Purple Dragons were one-shot characters that appeared in the very first issue of the Mirage comics, though unlike the Shredder, it would be decades before they became a permanent part of the Turtles’ rogue gallery.
Enemy Civil War: Thanks to their expanded role in the 2003 series, they take part in the gang wars erupting during the events of City At War.
Child Soldiers: Like real-life gangs, the Purple Dragons indoctrinate members as young as possible, preying on troubled and delinquent children who make easy targets.
Purple Is Powerful: They invoke this as their signature color; everything from their iconic dragon tattoos to their clothes to their hair is colored purple.
Starter Villain: The very first opponents the Turtles fought, way back in 1984. The fight lasted all of two pages.

Hun

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The Brute (Debuted in the 2003 series)

Real name: Hunter Mason. A hulking, tattooed gangster who serves as the leader of the Purple Dragons street gang.

Appears in: Mirage comics, 2003 series, Dreamwave comics, IDW comics, 2012 series.

Adaptational Name Change: He is introduced in the 2003 series, where his name is simply "Hun". When he was adapted into the Mirage comics, he was given the full name "Hunter Mason". In the IDW comics, his real name is Arnold Jones and he is the father of Casey Jones.
Animorphism: To a mutant turtle, in Turtles Forever.
Arch-Enemy: To Casey in most continuities. In the 2003 series, he killed Casey's father. In the IDW comics, he IS Casey's abusive father. His introduction in the 2012 series is A Day in the Limelight episode for Casey where the two manage to squarely land themselves on each other's bad side permanently.
Authority Equals Asskicking: One of the two constants about him is that he always is the leader of the Purple Dragons, and the strongest in the gang.
Badass Normal: A regular human with no mutation whatsoever, but still capable of giving a hard time to the Turtles of his own.
Bruce Lee Clone: In the 2012 series, he resembles an evil tattooed Bruce Lee.
The Brute: He is not stupid, but still, he is the Shredder's biggest and strongest enforcer.
Canon Immigrant: He was originally created for the 2003 series, but got popular enough to be adapted back into the comics, and later introduced in the IDW comics and (though considerably different) in the 2012 series.
- Hun himself is based on an unused character named Copperhead for Mirage comics.
Character Catchphrase: "Oh, crud" (2003 series).
Charles Atlas Superpower: In the 2003 series, he's supposed to be a Badass Normal but has accomplished wild feats of strength and durability that border on the superhuman.
Closet Geek: In the 2003 series, he is a hardcore gamer and even briefly befriends Mike in an online MMORPG. But when one of his underlings catches him playing, he threatens to rip his tongue out if he ever spills the beans in front of others.
Composite Character:
- Becomes Casey Jones's father in the IDW comics - ironically the very man he killed in the 2003 series.
- In the 2003 series, he ultimately mutates into what looks like that universe's version of Slash.
Decomposite Character: While Hun himself is turned into a Large Ham Bruce Lee Clone, the character Chris Bradford takes on some of the more recognizable traits of Hun, like being a huge, loyal Caucasian henchman to the Shredder, who befriends Michelangelo online later mutates into another mutant character from the franchise.
The Dragon: To Shredder in the 2003 series, though he eventually becoming Co Dragon alongside Karai.
Genius Bruiser: He is very smart, pragmatic and calculating, unlike what his build would suggest, he is brains and brawns combined and in the 2003 series, he manages to singlehandedly turn the Purple Dragons gang, which was just a street gang into a legit criminal organization.
Karmic Transformation: In Turtles Forever, he ends up mutated into a Slash-esque Turtle after being in contact with both 2003 Raph and the 1987 series' Mutagen. To say he doesn't take it well would be quite an understatement.
Large and in Charge: In the 2003 series, the Mirage comics and the IDW comics. Averted in the 2012 series, where he is of average size (though still a skilled fighter).
Lightning Bruiser: Don't let his size fool you, Hun is astonishingly fast—more than fast enough to be a match for the Turtles.
Race Lift: In the 2012 series, where the Purple Dragons are firmly an Asian gang.
Strong and Skilled: He's strong enough to display Charles Atlas Superpower that borders on the superhuman and skilled enough in the martial arts to fight all the Turtles at once.
Tattooed Crook: The second constant about him; In the 2003 series, he sports twin tattoos of the Foot and Purple Dragon symbols, removing the former after he leaves the organization for good. In the Mirage comics, he sports a dragon tattoo on his right arm and hand, an one of a human vertebra over his left arm and back. Finally, in the 2012 series, he sports dragon tattoos on his arms. He also has similar tattoos in the IDW comics.
Undying Loyalty: His loyalty to the Shredder in the 2003 series is one of his defining character traits until he discovers that the Shredder he served was an alien all along.
Would Hit a Girl: He was willing to hit April, hoping that losing her would cause the Turtles to lose their fighting spirit. In "City At War, Part 3", Hun smacks Karai around with a support beam.

Krang's forces

Krang

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The Insufferable Genius (Debuted in the 1987 show)

An alien general fighting a losing war, and who turns to Earth for assistance. A small, brain-like creature, he often uses a robotic exoskeleton to move around.

Appears in: 1987 series, Archie comics, IDW Comics, 2012 series (as "the Kraang"), 2016 film, Rise movie.

Big Bad: Plays this role in most versions sometimes with Shredder like in the Archie and 1987 series or on his own like the 2012 series and IDW.
Bizarre Alien Biology: His brain, having been scooped out of its original skull, can survive perfectly well on its own in the open air and has primitive arms (tentacles), eyes and a fang-filled mouth in its own right.
- In IDW, its revealed Utroms are a parasitic race when Leatherhead devours him whole, only to regrow alive and well on the poor croc's chest.
The Cameo: In one episode of the 2003 series, an Utrom complains about how he doesn't like to walk with his tentacles. Another responds: "Shut up, Krang!".
Canon Immigrant: Began as a creation of the 1987 series, where he merely looked like the Utroms, but has since been used in other series.
Dark Lord on Life Support: Krang's android body is a variation. He doesn't need it to survive, just to function as anything but a barely mobile brain-like creature.
Ditto Aliens: They're a race of similar looking aliens, not unlike the Utroms, in the 2012 series (spelled as "Kraang").
- This is actually a case of Lost in Imitation: the 1987 Krang actually did not look so Utrom-like naturally; his body was destroyed, leaving him a disembodied brain, before he was exiled to Earth. His true form was... well, see Reptiles Are Abhorrent below.
Evil Sounds Deep: In the Random House audiotape versions of the Archie Comics series, Krang had a rather deep voice that sounded very similar to that of Dr. Claw's, as opposed to the higher-pitched voice he had in the 1987 series.
The Exile: (1987 series, Archie comics) Part of his backstory is that he's an exiled warlord from Dimension X.
Fat Bastard: Rides a mech suit resembling one.
Genius Cripple: Sure, he's a genius. (His IQ is in the 900s) But as a brain, there's not much he can do on his own. Without his biosuit, he's pretty much helpless.
Insufferable Genius: Krang is brilliant, but not easy to work with. He insults and belittles Shredder all the time, and goes out of his way to make things difficult for his allies when he thinks he can get away with it. For example, in "The Return Of The Shredder" (1987 series) he allows Shredder to return to New York, but denies him any tech or help, forcing Shredder to work on his own. Then there's his reasons for preventing Bebop and Rocksteady from returning as well:
"Because I enjoy watching people and animals suffer! And you, my friends, are both!"
Laughably Evil: In the 1987 series and Archie comics.
Leitmotif: Has one in the 1987 series and a remixed version of it plays in the video games where he's fought as a boss.
Mark of Shame: (1987 series) He was reduced to his brain-like state by the people who exiled him, and he is quite embarrassed about it.
Reptiles Are Abhorrent: In the 1987 series, the episode "Invasion of the Krangazoids" shows us what Krang originally looked like — essentially a vaguely anthropomorphic Tyrannosaurus Rex with an overlarge cranium.
Spell My Name With An S: The namesake race in the 2012 series spell the name as "Kraang" rather than "Krang".

Rock Soldiers

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The Mooks (Debuted in the 1987 series)

A race of stone humanoids, who work for Krang.

Appears in: 1987 series, Archie comics, IDW Comics, 2012 series.

Mooks: Of Krangs's army.
Proud Warrior Race: More like a proud soldier race, as their entire culture is about the military and discipline, and they are in a strict hierarchy.
Rock Monster: They are all made from stone.

Tragg and Granitor

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The Mook Lieutenants (Debuted in the 1987 series); General Traag on the left; Granitor on the right

Two rock soldiers, who act as the army's leaders.

Appears in: 1987 series, IDW comics, Archie comics, 2012 show.

Adaptational Badass: In most incarnations, they are as tall as humans and use weapons to attack. In the 2012 series, they are gigantic and have a magma body.
- While not to such degree, they are also more capable and dangerous in the IDW comics.
The Dragon: Traag is Krang's dragon, while Granitor is Traag's.
Those Two Guys: Like Bebop and Rocksteady, they are both paired together.
Undying Loyalty: To Krang.

Independent Villains

Baxter Stockman

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The Mad Scientist (Debuted in the Mirage Comics)

Mad scientist and creator of the mouser robots. Never quite seems to remain whole (or even human, in some versions).

Appears in: Most incarnations.

Adaptational Heroism: Downplayed in both adaptations. While his comic book counterpart was a one-dimensional monster to the end, 1987 Baxter is a well-meaning, yet misguided scientist. He's still a pretty awful person in the 2003 series, but gradually grows more and more pitiful, to the point where he wants his miserable existence to end.
An Arm and a Leg: ...and an eye, and another arm and another leg and so forth...until he's reduced to a literal Brain in a Jar in the 2003 version.
Animorphism: His 1987 and 2012 versions eventually gets turned into a fly.
Anti-Villain: Eventually, in the 2003 series. He started out as one in the 1987 series but went crazy when he became a fly.
Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: In the 1987 series, in his later episodes he would sometimes suffer from this due to having the mind and attention span of a fly.
Black and Nerdy: Except in the 1987 series, most depictions of Stockman have him be a middle-aged black man.
Body Horror:
- In the 2003 series' "Insane in the Membrane," after four seasons of losing body parts, Baxter Stockman finally obtains a new body via cloning. Soon enough, however, he discovers that it's unstable, as his limbs start deteriorating and melting off. His mind had gone with it before being retrieved and placed back in his jar.
- His fly-man form from the 1987 series and 2012 series isn't exactly pretty, either.
Brain in a Jar: Mirage comics, 2003 series. Self-inflicted in the Mirage version, a result of his gruesome mutilation in the series.
Break the Haughty: 2003 version: Pretty much his entire career is this, but "Insane In The Membrane" is where it really sinks in.
Butt-Monkey: Gradually in both the 1987 and 2003 series. The 2012 series does this right off the bat.
The Bus Came Back: After his debut in the second issue of the Mirage comics, he never appeared again for nine solid years, but he finally returned for a major storyline in Volume 2.
Cut Lex Luthor a Check:
- Invoked in the Mirage comic; April points out that Stockman has had a perfectly profitable business selling his Mousers as pest exterminators. He exclaims that using them to terrorize people is just more fun.
- In the 1987 series, Baxter starts out trying to sell his Mousers to exterminators, but no one was willing to invest. Ironically, it wasn't because they thought the Mousers wouldn't work, but that they would work way too well and put the exterminators out of business.
Determinator: Particularly notable in the 2003 version. He never seems to lose his smug edge or ability to concoct new schemes, no matter how many limbs get cut off. The Black Knight would be impressed.
The Dragon: He was briefly this to the Shredder in the 1987 series, prior to his transformation.
Evil Is Hammy: Especially in the comics, where he's his own scheming villain, but he's often prone to giddy gloating even when nobody is listening given in the animated adaptations.
Evil Mentor: For April in the 2003 series.
Expy: He's the TMNT equivalent of Alistair Smythe, a Mad Scientist who creates robots designed to kill the hero(es), performing numerous upgrades on his creations (and on himself after becoming an Evil Cripple) to gain an edge. The continuities where Stockman works for the Shredder also bring to mind Smythe's early partnership with the Kingpin.
Shredder: I do NOT tolerate failure.
Stockman: Which is why you'd make a lousy scientist.
For the Evulz: Why did he started using his mousers to rob banks in the Mirage comics? Because "it's fun".
Horrible Judge of Character: In the 1987 series, he agrees to help Shredder even though he approaches him on the streets in his full villainous garb and it gets worse from there. Even when Baxter turns into a fly as a result of Shredder sending him to Dimension X, as all it takes for Baxter to change from wanting revenge on Shredder to wanting revenge on the Turtles is Shredder telling him that it was the Turtles' fault.
Hypocrite: In the 2003 series, he calls mutants like the Turtles "stupid freaks." This coming from a talking head in a robot body. The 2003 version is notoriously vain, so it fits him perfectly.
I Just Want to Be Normal: His motivation in both series. Ironically in the 2003 series, he actually does eventually get his body back while in the Lighter and Softer series, he ends up trapped forever in dimensional limbo.
Implacable Man: In the 2003 version at least; Lampshaded by Leonardo and Shredder:
Leonardo: What do we have to do, to stop this guy?
Shredder: I have asked myself that question many times.
Irony: Interestingly, in the original TV Show, he ended up getting a Fate Worse than Death, in a Lighter and Softer show, while in the darker show, not really mattering since Fast Forward still had Dark elements, Baxter gets a somewhat happier ending.
Killed Off for Real: Mirage comics.
Mad Scientist: The definite example of the franchise. He's (usually) specialized in robotics and always uses his talent to commit crimes.
Metamorphosis: From human to giant fly, in the 1987 series and 2012 series.
Not-So-Harmless Villain: In the 2012 series, he treads the line between this and Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain.
Omnidisciplinary Scientist: His primary field is usually robotics, evidenced by his famous Mousers, but he'll show expertise in everything from genetics to archaeology as suits the plot.
Race Lift: The 1987 series and the Archie Comics series loosely based on it both depict him as a Caucasian.
Sanity Slippage: In every version, he grows more and more unstable after his transformation. Best demonstrated in "Insane In The Membrane".
The Starscream:
- To the Shredder, in the 2003 series. If there's a chance that he can betray him, he would take it.
- He also had shades of this in the 1987 series, using the powers of the Eye of Sarnath for himself in "Curse of the Evil Eye" to get back at Shredder for bullying and abusing him, and later turning on him completely after turning into a fly mutant in "Enter the Fly".
Spared by the Adaptation: Downplayed horribly in the 2003 version. He doesn't die...but he really wishes he did.
Used to Be a Sweet Kid: In the 2003 series. He used to be a fairly benevolent and principled scientist too until his ego and arrogance got the better of him.
Was Once a Man: With the exception of the IDW comics, he never stays human.
Wetware CPU (Mirage comics, 2003 series): As he loses more and more of his body, Baxter starts becoming this.
Younger and Hipper: His incarnation in Rise as Baxter Stockboy, a Child Prodigy and Internet Streamer.

The Rat King

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The Beastmaster (Debuted in the Mirage Comics)

A man dressed up in rags and bandages who shares a rapport with rats. Varies wildly within incarnations—descriptions for each can be seen in the other Wiki

Appears in: Mirage comics, 1987 series, Archie comics, 2003 series, 2012 series, IDW Comics

Adaptational Badass: Depending on the incarnation, the Rat King can be either a man or he can be something more than a man with more superhuman attributes. However, in the IDW series, the Rat King is basically a god-like being amongst a pantheon of deities.
Ascended Extra: He was a Monster of the Week who died in his first appearance. Didn't stop him from becoming one of the Turtles' most prominent adversaries.
Badass Longcoat: Wears one during his single appearance in the Red Sky seasons, "Wrath of the Rat King".
Bandaged Face: One of his most invariable features.
The Beastmaster: True to his name, he can command rats.
Dead All Along: During the "City at War" arc (Mirage comics).
Depending on the Artist: His appearence varies wildly across incarnations, with the most constistent thing being that he's a man covered in bandages.
Depending on the Writer: His personality, his motives, his powers, and his background all differ by continuity. In different incarnations, he can be a man in rags, a super soldier clone, a mutated scientist, or even a Physical God. His one consistent feature, however, is his ability to control rats.
Invisibility: When he started out as the Slayer from the 2003 series, he could turn invisible.
Karma Houdini: In the 1987 series, though subverted in "Leatherhead Meets the Rat King" when he ends up trapped in a cave-in, as well as in his last appearance where he is finally captured by the Turtles, and also episodes where he plays a neutral role, since he isn't really doing anything wrong then.
Killed Off for Real: During the "City at War" arc from the Mirage comics, he's revealed to have died after his battle with Leonardo.
Magic Music: In the 1987 series, where he used a flute to control rats.
Man of Kryptonite: While the Rat King isn't dangerous to the Turtles directly, his ability to control Splinter makes him particularly dangerous to the Turtles, as he forces them to fight their own master, pitting them against a foe who knows all their usual combat strategies because he taught them.
Mind Control: Over rats, in the 1987 series, Archie series. Over everyone in the IDW Comics.
- His 2012 version does this in a more creepy fashion even performing a Mind Rape on Splinter
Mix-and-Match Man: In the 2003 series, he's the product of combining human, turtle and rat DNA.
Super-Soldier: His Slayer persona was designed to be one (2003 series).
Villain: Exit, Stage Left: In the 1987 series, he would often escape after the Turtles defeated him, and it was not uncommon for him to bail out in episodes where he teamed up with other villains. Averted in "Leatherhead Meets the Rat King" and "Wrath of the Rat King".

Time and Cosmic Threats

The Triceratons

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The Empire (Debuted in the Mirage Comics)

A race of aliens that resemble anthropomorphic Triceratops.

Appears in: Mirage comics, 1987 series, Archie comics, Image comics, 2003 series, IDW comics, 2012 series

Alien Invasion: At least one of their appearances in each incarnation (except IDW comic, where they came in peace) will be them invading Earth, be it for its resources, a tactical advantage, terminating their enemy and so on.
Badass Army: Often, a single low-level Triceraton scout is one of the most dangerous fighters on Earth.
Bizarre Alien Biology: Downplayed. They are shown breathing nitrogen instead of oxygen. When they do breathe oxygen, they become delusional.
The Empire: The Triceraton Empire^notesometimes called a republic is usually in a conflict for dominion and control over the galaxy.
Evil vs. Evil: Most of the times, whenever they make an appearance, they are usually in a war against another evil alien race, be it the Federation, the Kraang and so on.
Gladiator Games: Their preferred form of entertainment is gladiator-styled battles.
Insignificant Little Blue Planet: Their usual treatment of the planet Earth. Sometimes they want to plunder it's resources, sometimes they want to destroy it to gain a tactical advantage over their enemies, and sometimes they barely even acknowledge it.
Monster of the Week: The 1987 cartoon only featured them as one of the series' many one-shot baddies, with the empire invading in a single episode and being unceremoniously driven off at its end.
Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot: They are humanoid alien Triceratops.
Rogues' Gallery Transplant: They were antagonists in the Fugitoid's solo series pre-TMNT before they were made part of the Ninja Turtles universe.
Underground Monkey: In the Mirage Comics, they are actually one of several subspecies of a singular race of aliens that resembles humanoid ceratopsians. There are at least two other species in the same family; the hornless Protoceratons (based on Protoceratops) and the many-horned Styracodons (based on Styracosaurus), who showed up in Mirage's volume 4 stories. There is no love lost between the races, however; the Triceratons have been at war with the Styracodon Imperium and its Protoceraton allies even longer than it has been warring with the Federation. Ironically, Mikey had a brief fling with a Protoceraton princess named Seri.

The Federation

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The Empire^note (Debuted in the Mirage Comics)

A race of human-like aliens, who want to capture the Fugitoid so they can conquer the galaxy.

Appears in: Mirage comics, 2003 series, IDW comics

Evil vs. Evil: In their appearances, they are in a war against the Triceratons.
The Federation: Despite their name, it's averted, as they are in no way heroic.
Human Aliens: They are basically indistinguishable from humans.
Weaponized Teleportation: They want the Fugitoid for his teleport technology, so they can teleport bombs into the hearts of planets and detonate them remotely.

Savanti Romero

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The Evil Sorcerer (Debuted in the Mirage Comics)

A monstrous time-traveling sorcerer intent on conquering the past, present and future.

Appears in: Mirage comics, 2003 series, IDW comics, 2012 series

A Pupil of Mine Until He Turned to Evil: He was originally Lord Simultaneous's apprentice before wanting his master's time scepter for himself.
Deadpan Snarker: It varies a little how deadpan he is, but he's a bit of a wiseguy and a constant source of one-liners.
Evil Is Hammy: He's probably the most consistently hammy villain across the TMNT multiverse. He loves to be big and dramatic, and put on a show for the heroes to show how awesome he is.
Evil Sorcerer: He can raise armies of dead soldiers to do his bidding.
Horned Humanoid: He looks distinctly devil-like.
Laughably Evil: He can talk a big game, and he does have his moments of badassery, but for the most part the original Mirage comic (and IDW, in which he's the same individual) he also has a bit of a bumbling streak. While he generally dominates early in the story, sooner or later he'll end up easily vanquiched... either through bad luck or by someone far stronger (usually Renet). Downplayed in the 2003 and 2012 series, where he's portrayed more seriously.
Overly Long Name: Savanti Alfonso Juanito Geriero Santiago Romero.
Unholy Matrimony: In the now non-canon guest era, he was shown to have a wife named Savanti Juliet. Though they never officially show up in the same story, from Juliet's descriptions they appear to have had a stable and loving relationahip.

Lord Dregg

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The Don (Debuted in the 1987 series)

An alien crime lord, who has an enmity towards the Turtles.

Appears in: 1987 series, 2012 series.

Adaptational Species Change: In the 1987 show, he was a humanoid alien, while in the 2012 show he's an insectoid one.
Big Bad: Becomes the main villain in the 1987 series during the "Red Sky" seasons.
Composite Character: In the 2012 show, he is combined with Maligna, a leader of an insectoid race from the Archie comics.
Knight of Cerebus: In the 1987 series, he's much more serious compared to the version's Shredder, rarely having any comedic moments and in general is much more serious.
Villain with Good Publicity: In the 1987 show, he successfully launched a propaganda campaign against the Turtles, who were already Heroes With Bad Publicity anyway, to make himself one. This lasts until the Season 9 finale thanks to his being unable to fight off the Monster of the Week Doomquest, and an Engineered Public Confession.

Others

Hamato Yoshi

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(Debuted in the Mirage Comics)

Splinter's owner, a martial artist whose fate at the hands of The Shredder gets the ball rolling. Sometimes he and Splinter are one and the same.

Appears in: All incarnations except the 2014 movie (has yet to appear in Mutant Mayhem continuity).

Adapted Out: He does not exist in the 2014 and 2023 movies.
Animorphism: His origin in the 1987 series, the Archie Comics, and the 2012 series.
Ascended Extra: The 2003 series and incarnations where he is also Splinter.
Composite Character: He and Splinter are one and the same in several incarnations, namely, the 1987 series, the Archie comics, the 2012 series, and the 2018 series.
Death by Origin Story: Incarnations where he is not Splinter, the IDW comics.
"Facing the Bullets" One-Liner: "He who lives without honor, will end without honor." (2003 series)
Metamorphosis: To a rat, in the 1987 series and Archie comics.
Opposites Attract Revenge: Yoshi's love triangle with Oroku Nagi over Tang Shen would help to set up a Cycle of Revenge.
Plot-Triggering Death: In continuities where he isn't Splinter, it's his death that serves as the main catalyst for the feud between the Turtles and the Foot.
Posthumous Character: In most continuities safe for the 1987 series, the Archie Comics, and the 2012 series (initially).
Reincarnation: In the IDW Comics, Splinter believes that he is the reincarnation of Yoshi.
Spared by the Adaptation: The 1987 series, the Archie Comics series, the 2012 series, and the 2018 series since in those versions, he became Splinter. Sadly for him in the 2012 series, it only went so far as him living to see the Turtles mutate and start the rivalry with the Shredder, as Saki still ends up killing Yoshi/Splinter and the Turtles still end up getting revenge for this act in that series.
Technical Pacifist: In the IDW Comics.

Tang Shen

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(Debuted in the Mirage Comics)

Yoshi's lover, who is murdered as part of his backstory.

Appears in: Mirage comics, films, 2003 series, IDW Comics, 2012 series.

Adapted Out: Does not appear in the 87 cartoon or Rise, though her name has a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo (where she's apparently the co-star of a Lou Jitsu movie).
Death by Origin Story: She's killed as part of Hamato Yoshi's backstory.
Disposable Woman: Her only purpose in the narrative is to be Yoshi and Nagi/Saki's love interest and to get killed.
Happily Married: Implied in the 2012 series to Yoshi, before her death.
Love Triangle: Is the object of affection for two suitors in nearly every adaptation. One of the suitors is Hamato Yoshi, and the other suitor is primarily Oroku Saki (though in the Mirage comics it was Saki's brother Nagi, and in the 2003 series it was an entirely different character named Yukio Mashimi, who grew up alongside Yoshi and Tang Shen). She always chooses Yoshi, and the other suitor gets jealous. While there are variations in the story for what happens after that point, the one consistency is that Tang Shen always ends up dead by the end.
Missing Mom: As far as is known, she is the only member of the Hamato family to not have been reincarnated in the IDW Comics.
Plot-Triggering Death: In continuities where Yoshi survives as Splinter, her death is often the catalyst for the Turtles' feud with the Foot.
Posthumous Character: She's usually dead by the time the various series start.
Yamato Nadeshiko: Most notable in the 2003 series, where she's allowed to have lines and a semblance of a personality, but she is presumably one in other continuities as well.

Klunk

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(Debuted in the Mirage Comics)

Michelangelo's pet cat, originally a stray that Mikey found and adopted on Christmas.

Appears in: Mirage comics, Image comics, 2003 series, IDW comics.

Adaptational Dye-Job: In his few color appearance in the Mirage comic, Klunk was depicted with gray fur. The 2003 series turned him orange, and the comics followed suit — at least one Mirage comic published after the 2003 series depicted Klunk with orange fur on a cover, and the color reprints of the Image comic also depicts him as orange. In the IDW comic, he's white.
Amplified Animal Aptitude: Notably averted in the Mirage and IDW comics (for the most part, at least), where he's clearly a completely normal cat in intelligence and behavior. but his 2003 incarnation seems so give him a few more IQ points... not to the lengths of pre-mutation Splinter, but he still seems to understand things that would be beyond a normal cat's ability to grasp.
Gender Flip: Possibly. Is male in the Mirage comic, and is referred to as male when first appearing in the 2003 series— though in redesigns for the Back To The Sewers looks more female, and was even referred to as a "she" on the 2003 series' website.
Killed Off for Real: In the Mirage continuity, Klunk is hit by a car and dies.
Significant Green-Eyed Redhead: He's an orange tabby cat with green eyes and is the only pet thus far of Michelangelo's.
Someone to Remember Him By: After his death, Mikey adopts one of the kittens Klunk fathered.
Spared by the Adaptation: He doesn't die in the 2003 series.
Team Pet: Curiously enough, subverted. He's a completely normal cat who never gets involved in the stories and whose appearances are generally spent lying around on the floor or in someone's lap.
What Happened to the Mouse?: When Shredder attacks April's apartment in issue 10, Klunk is nowhere to be seen, and isn't even mentioned when April, Casey and the Turtles escape. (This is doubly frustrating because he was explicitly shown to be in the apartment in the Leonardo special, which takes place immediately before.) He remains unmentioned for several issues before he shows up on Casey's farm with no explanation at all.

Cudley the Transdimensional Cowlick

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(Debuted in the Archie Comics)

A giant cow head that can transport people across space and time in his mouth. While he appears to work for Mr. Stump, he is not afraid to transport people for his own reasons or their help.

Appears in: Archie comics, Mirage comics, IDW comics.

Big Damn Heroes: Happens a few times, especially in the Archie comic. When the Turtles are stranded somewhere desolate with no hope of rescue and no way home... guess who shows up out of nowhere to take them back to New York?
Canon Immigrant: Cudley appears in the Mirage comics, not as that canon's version of Cudley, but as the same Cudley from the Archie comics! He's also debuted in IDW, but so far it hasn't been stated if its the same individual (although considering Mirage and IDW already share the same incarnations of Renet and Savanti Romero, the chances are good).
Living Ship: A giant floating cow head who can fly through time, space and dimentions, carrying people in his mouth... or in some odd dimention inside his mouth. It's not really explained how it works.
Nice Guy: Cudley's a friendly and laid-back sort who's always happy to help people in need.
Stomach of Holding: Er, while it doesn't look like Cudley has a stomach, he can and has carried people somewhere in his mouth. Best not to think about it.
What Could Have Been: The staff of the Archie comic tried several times to have a toy of Cudley made for the original 1987 toyline, a large vehicle complete with room in his mouth for several figures, but Playmates balked.

Wingnut and Screwloose

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A bat and mosquito duo who are either aliens or mutants. This is the only consistent thing about them.

Appears in: Archie comics, 1987 series, 2012 series, IDW comics, Mutant Mayhem (Wingnut only)

Author Appeal: The Archie versions have strong environmentalist themes, same as many of the works by writers Stephen Murphy and Ryan Brown.
Bat Out of Hell: Wingnut is an alien bat.
Depending on the Writer: More like depending on the continuity, but Wingnut's status as a hero or a villain depends on the incarnation, even more so than Leatherhead. He first appeared as a villain in a cereal tie-in mini comic, but was depicted as a hero in the Playmates toyline and the Archie comics before becoming a villain again in the Fred Wolf cartoon. He was a a villain in TMNT: Tournament Fighters but was a hero in the 2012 series but was a villain again in TMNT: Mutants in Manhattan and the IDW comics (though he's more of an insane anti-villain in the latter). Most villainous versions of Wingnut don't have Screwloose but that's not even consistent as the Fred Wolf and IDW versions do.
Mosquito Miscreants: Screwloose is a giant, alien mosquito.
Sole Survivor: In the Archie canon, they're the only survivors of two species that were exterminated by Krang.
The Symbiote: Screwloose functions as this for Wingnut; his species originally lived in symbiosis with Wingnuts, feeding off their blood while their sting functioned as a drug that allowed the bat race to sleep. The loss of one is a death sentence for the other.

Kirby

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(Debuted in the Mirage Comics)

An artist who rents a basement room in April's building.

Appears in: Mirage comics, 2003 cartoon

Art Initiates Life: Thanks to a mysterious crystal he stumbled across, anything he draws in his sketchbook comes alive for a few minutes, before disappearing.
Cerebus Retcon: Not him, but the crystal itself. Kirby never explained where he found it, but the controversial Volume 4 of the Mirage series reveals that it had belonged to April's father, and April herself had actually been a creation of the crystal rather than a natural child.
Cool Gate: The only thing he drew with the crystal that didn't disappear after a few minutes, which he didn't have the guts to try and go through until Donatello joined him. It turns out to lead to an alternate dimension which seems to be a mix of Masters of the Universe and the works of Jack Kirby.
Trapped in Another World: After the portal to the fantasy realm begins to shut down, Kirby shoves Donatello through, sending him back to Earth, but trapping himself on the other side. He's never seen again.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: He had no idea that all the monsters he'd been drawing had actually been transported to the other world, and had begun to attack the people living there. After realizing he can modify the original drawings in his sketchbook, he ends up adding shackles and other restraints to the monsters, disabling them.

Characters / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Edit Locked

Heroes

Leonardo

Donatello

Raphael

Michelangelo

Splinter

Allies

April O'Neil

Casey Jones

Professor Honeycutt/The Fugitoid

Renet

The Utroms

The Justice Force

Nobody

Other Mutants

Mondo Gecko

Leatherhead

Tokka and Rahzar

Slash

The Foot Clan

The Shredder

The Foot Clan

Karai

Shredder Mutants

Foot Elite

Bebop and Rocksteady

Purple Dragons

Hun

Krang's forces

Krang

Rock Soldiers

Independent Villains

Baxter Stockman

The Rat King

Time and Cosmic Threats

The Triceratons

Savanti Romero

Lord Dregg

Others

Hamato Yoshi

Tang Shen

Klunk

Cudley the Transdimensional Cowlick

Wingnut and Screwloose

Kirby

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