Baron Draxum assembles a league of mutants to defeat the Turtles.
Tropes:
- Badass Normal: Lou Jitsu was a regular human considered the greatest champion in the Battle Nexus. It was because of this that Draxum kidnapped him and wanted to mutate him and use his DNA to create an army!
- Book Ends: At the start of this episode, some villains (the Sando Brothers) are about to defeat the turtles, only to be teleported away by Baron Draxum who wants to invite them to join forces with him to get rid of the turtles (and Leo mentions that it wasn't his doing). At the end, Baron Draxum is about to defeat the turtles, only to be teleported away by some other villains (the Foot Clan) who want to invite him to join forces with them to get rid of the turtles (and Leo mentions once again that it wasn't his doing).
- Call-Back: When Draxum proposes that the turtles join him, Leo mentioned that Draxum dropped him off a roof in “Bug Busters”.
- Chekhov's Gag: Splinter's idea of teaching his sons is through the use two Lou Jitsu films that had Lou fight with fish and ladders but the turtles are questioning the odds of them ever fighting in a fish market/ladder factory. Guess what weapons the turtles use to fight off the Evil League of Mutants.
- Contrived Coincidence: What are the chances that the turtles end up in the very two places that are associated with the Lou Jitsu films Splinter wanted to teach them with?
- Dramatic Irony: Leo ends the episode hoping that Lou Jitsu is proud of having four sons...just as it zooms in on Splinter who is Lou Jitsu.
- Epic Fail: The turtles lose against the Sando Brothers due to their own incompetence.
- Even the Guys Want Him: Draxum's eyes are sparkling when he saw Lou Jitsu's muscular abs.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Draxum doesn’t realize that after everything he did to the turtles (fighting them, dropping Leo off a rooftop, and organizing a group of mutant villains to fight the turtles), the turtles have no reason to join forces with him.
- Exact Words: Splinter states how Lou Jitsu "cares about the turtles". Because Splinter himself is Lou Jitsu.
- Foreshadowing: The Lou Jitsu references prior to "Warring Warrior Scientist":
- Splinter mutters how "Lou Jitsu" cares about the turtles in ways they never know. Because Lou Jitsu is Splinter, their father.
- Splinter is okay with the turtles not wanting to watch a Lou Jitsu film for the hundredth time, but gets pissed when they tell him he's "just a rat". Later on, we learn that he's not just a rat.
- Giant Enemy Crab: The Sando Brothers, of course! They make their debut in this episode.
- Improbable Weapon User: Lou Jitsu was an expert of this, as shown by him using fish and ladders in two of his movies. And Draxum recognizes his fighting styles during the fight.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Before Draxum starts his solo for "Warring Warrior Scientist", he goes, "Fine, I guess I'll give them what they want" which is more about John Cena addressing the audience than Draxum talking to the villains.
- Legion of Doom: Of course, the Evil League of Mutants.
- Lured into a Trap: The magicians act that the turtles receive flyers for is an obvious trap the Evil League of Mutants set up to corner the turtles with. Donnie is the only one who notices the New Jersey welcomes them specifically, but he does nothing to dissuade his brothers from entering the empty warehouse building.
- The Knights Who Say "Squee!": Upon Draxum telling the Turtles about having Lou Jitsu's DNA their reactions are just like a schoogirl squealing at a boy band crush of theirs. To be fair, they hadn't realized that Lou Jitsu is Splinter and Draxum had no idea that Lou mutated into a rat.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: In the first scene, the Sando Brothers have managed to overpower the turtles, however before they could finish them off they are teleported away by Baron Draxum (ironically, because he wants to make an alliance with them in order to eliminate the turtles).
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Splinter gets pissed when his sons dismiss him for being just a rat. He's so despondent that he doesn't turn on to watch the television, instead sitting in his chair in a Heroic BSoD.
- Pet the Dog: Even though it’s clear that Todd isn’t an evil or powerful mutant who wants revenge against the turtles, the league winds up letting him stay for the fight. Presumably because his lemonade is that good.
- The Reveal: Lou Jitsu the movie star is 1) a Battle Nexus champion and 2) Splinter, the Turtles' father.
- Something Only They Would Say: When Raph cries "HOT SOUP!", Draxum recalls Lou Jitsu stating that very same phrase, realizing that Lou Jitsu — whom he thought died in the fire that destroyed his lab — is still out there and the turtles were mutated using his DNA.
- Tempting Fate: When Splinter wants to train his sons with two movies where Lou Jitsu fights with fish and ladders, the turtles question when they'll ever get to fight in a fish market or ladder factory. Guess where the final fight of the episode is?
- This Cannot Be!: Said by Baron Draxum when he realizes that the turtles are using Lou Jitsu's fighting style and catchphrase.Baron Draxum: Lou Jitsu... It can't be!
- Token Good Teammate: Todd is this to the league. He’s the only mutant who isn’t evil or have any grievances with the turtles.
- The Unreveal: While it's revealed that Lou Jitsu is Splinter, it never explains where the rat DNA would come from. That answer is revealed in Season 2.
- Villain Song: Warring Warrior Scientist as a parody of the Major General Song explains Draxum's backstory and how it relates to Lou Jitsu.
- Villain Team-Up: The Foot join forces with Draxum after they summon him.
- Wham Episode: Baron Draxum mutating the turtles was a given, but the fact that the human DNA came from the action-star Lou Jitsu who has mutated into Splinter was a surprise.
- Wham Shot: The image of Lou Jitsu as the winner of the Battle Nexus, seeing as he was only shown as a movie star earlier on. Then, the image of him gathering four baby turtles should clue you in on what happened...
- Where Were You Last Night?: After the turtles return home, Splinter is waiting for them in the dark and berates them for leaving the lair without his permission.
- You Are Grounded!: When the turtles dismiss Splinter’s efforts to train them via Lou Jitsu movies, he grounds them and makes them surrender their weapons. Not that it stops them from sneaking out later.
