178-576: The following is a list of characters in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. This table shows the recurring characters and the actors who have appeared in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles throughout the franchise. In most versions, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are created when four baby turtles are exposed to radioactive ooze, transforming them into humanoids . Leonardo , nicknamed Leo,
356-553: A new Turtles comic series , with Eastman as co-writer and illustrator. A third animated series premiered in September 2012 on Nickelodeon , and ran for five seasons before ending in 2017. A fourth live-action Turtles film , produced by Platinum Dunes , Nickelodeon Movies and Paramount Pictures , directed by Jonathan Liebesman and produced by Michael Bay , was released in August 2014. It received negative reviews, but
534-584: A new animated Turtles series , which ran for seven seasons, concluding in 2009. Laird had a role in the production, creating a closer adaptation of the original comic. A computer-animated Turtles film, TMNT , was released in 2007 and earned $ 95 million at the box office. On October 21, 2009, it was announced that Laird had sold the franchise to Viacom . He said he had tired of working on Turtles , writing: "I am no longer that guy who carries his sketchbook around with him and draws in it every chance he gets." In August 2011, IDW Publishing launched
712-461: A "hero" like Michelangelo . Mikey tried to reassure Slash that he himself was not even a hero and that the two of them were both still just children, but Slash injected himself anyway. After a few minutes of agonizing pain, he suddenly began to think more clearly and speak more eloquently than before. With his new intelligence, he became the co-founder of Hob's new mutant army, the Mutanimals, and
890-628: A Time Machine" is included with Season 5, "Planet of the Turtleoids" is included with Season 6. Following Nickelodeon's acquisition of the distribution rights for the series, the series had been slowly re-released under Nickelodeon's branding, also in Standard Definition only which was completed in February 2024. Excluding Vudu , the new digital releases has some slight changes over the old ones, to where "The Turtles and The Hare"
1068-527: A battle and was found by Raphael during the fight with Dr. Malignus. When Dr. Malignus was defeated, the security guard at the convention turned out to be Green Mantle's true identity of Al Gordon who reclaims the special cape and rejoins the Justice Force. The Justice Force are among those who attended April and Casey's wedding and helped to fight the Cyber-Shredder. Stainless Steel Steve is
1246-409: A bed, they tried to free him. Although he is told that he's being saved, Mutagen Man has a different idea of the term by forcing Old Hob's gun to his dome and urging him to fire. Hob refuses and they all escape the facility together. Later, Mutagen Man was given the name "Seymour Guts" by Mondo Gecko. In the 2012 animated series , Mutagen Man (voiced by Roger Craig Smith ) was introduced as Timothy ,
1424-499: A bizarre encounter with mutagen that exposes his internal organs and resides in a special robotic suit. In the 1987 animated series , Mutagen Man (voiced by Rob Paulsen ) was introduced as Seymour Gutz , a nerdy mailman who became dismembered after falling into a special vat of mutagen. In the IDW comics, Mutagen Man is a failed attempt at combining several different animal breeds into one mutant. When The Mutanimals found him strapped to
1602-608: A blonde male to hide from the Rock Soldiers. Honeycutt took a job with Baxter Stockman at StockGen calling himself Chet Allen. Stockman worked with Krang, so Honeycutt was hidden within plain sight. Krang referred to the professor's new form as a "fugitive android". Rather than involve more innocents in the fight, Honeycutt allied himself with the Foot Clan. Although Honeycutt knew the Foot Clan were evil, they were enemies of Krang and his forces as well. The Fugitoid appeared in
1780-472: A comic book, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , which Eastman and Laird conceived as a parody of elements popular in superhero comics at the time. The first issue was published in 1984 by Eastman and Laird's company Mirage Studios and was a surprise success. In 1987, Eastman and Laird licensed the characters to Playmates Toys , which developed a line of Turtles action figures . About US$ 1.1 billion of Turtles toys were sold between 1988 and 1992, making them
1958-484: A continuation of the Mirage comics, saw Splinter become a bat, Donatello a cyborg, Leonardo lose a hand and Raphael become scarred and assume the identity of the new Shredder. The series was canceled in 1999 after 23 issues without a conclusion. In 2018, IDW began reprinting the series in full color as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Urban Legends , and commissioned Carlson and Fusco to create three additional issues to tie up
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#17327903919612136-533: A deadly poison rather than a transformative agent. After several years of training under Splinter, the Turtles set out to find whoever is responsible for their transformation, and upon learning that Shredder was behind it, they vow to put an end to his ongoing criminal career and restore Splinter back to his human form. Along the way, they rescue and befriend Channel 6 news reporter April O'Neil , who becomes one of their strongest allies. The Turtles, who had rarely left
2314-479: A different opening sequence), the show began its secondary run on CBS 's Saturday morning lineup, beginning as a 60-minute block from 1990 to 1993, initially airing a couple of Saturday exclusive episodes back to back. There would also be a brief "Turtle Tips" segment in between the two episodes which served as public service announcements about the environment or other issues. There were at least 20 "Turtle Tips" segments that were produced and aired. Beginning in 1994,
2492-480: A female turtle, Venus de Milo , skilled in the mystical arts of the shinobi . The Next Mutation Turtles made a guest appearance on Power Rangers in Space . The Next Mutation was canceled after one season of 26 episodes. In 2003, a new TMNT series produced by 4Kids Entertainment began airing on the " FoxBox " (later renamed " 4Kids TV ") programming block. It later moved to " The CW4Kids " block. The series
2670-441: A few weeks. Sales of further issues continued to climb. In 1987, Eastman and Laird licensed Turtles to Playmates Toys . Between 1988 and 1997, Playmates produced Turtles toys including around 400 figures and dozens of vehicles and playsets. About US$ 1.1 billion of Turtles toys were sold in four years, making them the third-bestselling toy figures ever at the time, behind GI Joe and Star Wars . Influenced by
2848-488: A final confrontation with Dregg, which ends with the Turtles banishing Dregg to Dimension X. Splinter congratulates the Turtles on their victory and, now that all of their enemies have been vanquished, states that he has nothing more to teach them, calling them his equals. In 2009, the Turtles, Shredder, Krang, and various other characters from the 1987 series returned for the 25th-anniversary crossover movie Turtles Forever , in which they meet up with their counterparts from
3026-526: A great adventure. He revealed that he was a normal scientist until his body was destroyed by the Triceratons for turning down their offer to make weapons for them. His brain survived and was placed in the body of his robotic assistant, and he set out to stop the Triceratons from causing any more harm. He also formed an alliance with the Utrom some time prior to becoming a cyborg, and later approached them with
3204-565: A hunch that something in this laboratory was not right. Some time later, the Turtles were traced by agents of the Foot Clan to the O'Neil Farm, while Elizabeth learned of the Turtles in a very dramatic way. After April and Splinter had declared her necessary, Elizabeth received from her daughter a vial of Ooze, which she used to heal her husband from the effects of his stroke. Then they returned to New York to be closer to their daughter, and opened their old antique shop again. They later invited Casey to live with and work for them there, which attracted
3382-466: A live-action television series, Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation , was created in 1997 with Saban Entertainment . It introduced a fifth, female turtle, Venus de Milo . The series was canceled after one season. Laird later said it was the only licensed Turtles project he "truly regrets". Eastman sold his share of the Turtles franchise to Laird in 2000. In 2003, 4Kids Entertainment launched
3560-557: A major character, the Fugitoid makes no video game appearances. Tang Shen appears in the Mirage comics as the lover of Splinter's owner Hamato Yoshi. Then Shen appears in the IDW comics as Hamato Yoshi's wife. In the 2003 animated series , Tang Shen debuted in flashbacks in the Season 4 episode "Tale of Master Yoshi", which was told by Leonardo to Splinter and the other Turtles. In this version, Tang Shen had been an orphan raised by
3738-402: A masked turtle standing on its hind legs armed with nunchucks to make Laird laugh. Laird added the words "teenage mutant". The concept parodied several elements popular in superhero comics of the time: the teenagers of New Teen Titans , the mutants of Uncanny X-Men and the ninja skills and training of Daredevil , combined with the comic tradition of funny animals such as Howard
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#17327903919613916-431: A mindless monster injuring people and damaging their property, such as attacking Michelangelo's pizza-delivering friend Woody and leaving scratch marks on April's van. After ripping off the shirt of a thug the Turtles just apprehended, he followed them to an abandoned church and attacked them in the church basement. Though proven more powerful than the Turtles, Slash was accidentally impaled by Leonardo and left to fall into
4094-561: A more menacing, unified threat. Additionally, Krang was revealed to have seized power in Dimension X through numerous betrayals and widespread destruction, resulting in old enemies seeking vengeance. Many recurring characters and villains were written out of the show by this point, with more focus placed on the main cast. The eighth season was also noted for the destruction of the Channel 6 building, which led to April working freelance. At
4272-754: A mutant warthog and rhinoceros. Other villains often faced by the Turtles include the alien Triceratons, the Purple Dragons street gang, and the Rat King , who can command hordes of rats to do his bidding. Eastman and Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles premiered in May 1984, at a comic book convention held at a local Sheraton Hotel in Portsmouth, New Hampshire . It was published by their company Mirage Studios in an oversized magazine-style format using black and white artwork on cheap newsprint, limited to
4450-629: A new portal into Dimension X and reclaim the Technodrome, although the Turtles manage to track them down with the help of Gargon, a mutated resident of Dimension X who was being held prisoner by Shredder and Krang. At the end of Season 8, the TMNT finally banish Shredder, Krang, Bebop, and Rocksteady to Dimension X by destroying the Technodrome's engines and trans-dimensional portal, preventing them from returning to Earth. From Season 9 onwards, Lord Dregg, an evil alien warlord from Dimension X, appeared as
4628-412: A pair of New York City police officers. In 2011, IDW Publishing acquired the license to publish new collections of Mirage storylines and a new ongoing series. The first issue of the new series was released in August of that year. Eastman and Tom Waltz wrote the book, with Eastman and Dan Duncan providing art. In 2017 issue No. 73 of the comic was published, making it the longest running comic series in
4806-483: A pencil. Sometime later O'Neil tried again with an ink pen, the result did not disappear this time and grew into a young woman: April. Nearly thirty years later O'Neil died of a serious illness (probably cancer) and bequeathed his entire estate to his daughters, he gave April his old antique shop (but by then it was already destroyed by the Shredder and the Foot Clan when they had sought vengeance on April's new friends,
4984-427: A print run of 3000 copies. It was initially intended as a one-shot, but due to its popularity it became an ongoing series. After publication was temporarily assumed by Image Comics for the third volume (see below), Laird (by then the sole owner of the franchise) and Lawson relaunched the main series at Mirage with a fourth volume in 2001. Following the sale of the franchise to Nickelodeon in late 2009, Laird retained
5162-405: A relative of Kraang Subprime that was banished to Earth in the 1980s reality for being incompetent. The 1987 turtles also returned during season five of the 2012 series for a three-part special, "Wanted: Bebop and Rocksteady", along with the original Shredder, Foot soldiers, Krang, Technodrome, and both Bebop and Rocksteady. Both Gordon and Clarke reprised their roles as Bebop and Rocksteady, while
5340-509: A series of TMNT games for the handheld Game Boy console: Fall of the Foot Clan (1990), Back from the Sewers (1991) and Radical Rescue (1993). A PC game, Manhattan Missions was also released. Konami's last entries during the original run were Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters , a set of one-on-one fighting game released for the NES, SNES, and Genesis; each version
5518-539: A series of high-quality action figures based on character designs from the original Mirage comics. In 2012, a new toy line and a new classic toy line from Playmates were announced to be released. In 1989, the Japanese company Konami released the first TMNT game for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It was followed in the same year by a TMNT arcade game , which was ported to
List of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters - Misplaced Pages Continue
5696-502: A successful television producer. The performer of the song was James Mandell (aka Miles Doppler). The show was in Saturday morning syndication from October 1, 1988, to September 9, 1989, and became an instant hit. The show was expanded to five days a week and aired weekday afternoons in syndication in most markets from September 25, 1989, to March 29, 1991, with reruns airing until September 17, 1993. Starting on September 8, 1990 (with
5874-455: A team of supporting characters. A monthly comic inspired by the 2003 TV series was published by Dreamwave Productions from June to December 2003. Leonardo told her to do it. It was written by Peter David and illustrated by LeSean Thomas . In the first four issues, which were the only ones directly adapted from the TV series, the story was told from the perspectives of April, Baxter, Casey, and
6052-462: A vacation in Europe and end up fighting Shredder, Krang, and other villains across Europe. In the last three seasons, the show went through dramatic changes. The humor was toned down significantly, the animation became darker, the color of the sky in each episode was changed to a continuous, ominous dark-red sky (commonplace with newer action-oriented children's programming at the time), the theme song
6230-465: A young ineffective ice cream vendor who, after witnessing the Turtles' first battle with Baxter Stockman from his apartment window, dedicated himself into fighting crime as a wannabe superhero in a turtle costume called The Pulverizer . When he was exposed to mutagen, he dissolved into a 6-foot (1.8 m). mutant blob of mutagen with floating organs and a disintegrating touch. He kept in a special mutagen container by Donatello, who keeps him in his room in
6408-483: Is a play on Daredevil's sensei, Stick . In March 1984, Eastman and Laird founded a comic book company, Mirage Studios , in their own home. Using money from a tax refund and a loan from Eastman's uncle, they printed copies of the first issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and advertised it in Comics Buyer's Guide Magazine. This attracted the interest of comic distributors, and all 3,000 copies were sold in
6586-507: Is a wholly distinct game, sharing only the title and genre in common. In September 2002, Konami also acquired the license to adapt the 2003 TV series into a video game franchise, resulting in a new series of games with 3D gameplay inspired by the old TMNT beat 'em up games, consisting of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003 video game) , Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Battle Nexus , Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare , and TMNT: Mutant Melee . In 2006, Ubisoft acquired
6764-471: Is also around this time that he begins working with Krang , a disembodied alien brain from Dimension X who ruled his native realm with an iron fist until he was stripped of his body and banished to Earth. Saki takes on a new pseudonym, " The Shredder ", donning a suit covered with razor spikes, and complemented by a long purple cape, a metal samurai helmet, and a metal mask over his mouth. Since leaving Japan, his ambitions have grown from usurping leadership of
6942-563: Is also placed alongside "Once Upon a Time Machine" in Season 5, and "Planet of the Turtloids is also restored to that aforementioned season as well in its two-part format instead of a single episode. As of April 2024, iTunes released a complete series set with all 193 episodes. The first two seasons were made available for streaming September 19, 2023 on Paramount+ . with more being added slowly with Season 3 now available. The first season
7120-559: Is always intertwined with Splinter's. In most versions, Splinter is either his pet rat or a mutated form of Yoshi himself. Leatherhead is a mutant American alligator and hot-headed ally of the Ninja Turtles. Slash is a humanoid turtle who is either an enemy or ally of the Ninja Turtles depending on the version. In the Archie comics continuity , he is a turtle-like alien from a tropical planet in Dimension X. Slash's home world
7298-642: Is based on long time TMNT comic artist Mateus Santolouco. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Legends , a free-to-play Role-playing video game was released by Ludia in summer 2016 for iPhone , iPad , Android , and Kindle Fire . It is based on the 2012 TV series. The turtles are playable characters in the DC Comics fighting game Injustice 2 as a part of the "Fighter Pack 3" DLC , with Corey Krueger, Joe Brugie, Ben Rausch and Ryan Cooper voicing their roles. The 1987 versions of Leonardo, Michelangelo, April O'Neil and Shredder appear as playable characters in
List of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters - Misplaced Pages Continue
7476-570: Is known of O'Neil, only that he is an antique dealer who owned his own shop, "Second Time Around", and a proficient businessman. One day his daughter Robyn was born, but his wife could no longer bear any children. In his examination of a few things that he purchased, but had not yet sorted, he had found a strange crystal, O'Neil attached the crystal to a pencil and was miraculously able to bring his drawings to life. O'Neil decided to satisfy his wife's desire to have children, but all of his attempts to create babies broke into nothing, as he had drawn them with
7654-529: Is pursued romantically by Casey Jones , a hockey mask-wearing vigilante who usually becomes an ally of the Turtles. The Turtles' nemesis is the Shredder , a criminal mastermind clad in samurai-like armor, who leads the ninja clan known as the Foot . His real identity is usually the ninja Oroku Saki. In most versions, the Shredder's second in command is Karai , a skilled martial artist; in some iterations she
7832-434: Is the Shredder's daughter. The Shredder allies with Baxter Stockman , a mad scientist who is often transformed into a mutant fly in his appearances, and Krang , an alien warlord. Krang was introduced in the original animated series, and was inspired by the Utrom race from the comics, though he sometimes depicted as a Utrom himself. Also created for the series were the Shredder's buffoonish henchmen, Bebop and Rocksteady ,
8010-618: Is the leader of the Ninja turtles, as well as the most disciplined and skilled. His main priority is to help his brothers to be the best ninjas they can. Because of his leadership, he's often challenged with the constant rebelliousness of Raphael. An expert swordsman, he wields two katanas and wears an ocean blue mask. Donatello , nicknamed Donnie, is the smartest and gentlest of the Turtles. An intellectual, he often attempts to reach his goals through science and technology rather than through violence and so frequently invents gadgets and vehicles. He
8188-506: Is typically the passive turtle and Leonardo's second-in-command, always one step ahead of his brothers and coming up with solutions to complex problems when they cannot. Studying the art of Bojutsu , he wears a purple mask and wields an oak bō . Michelangelo , nicknamed Mikey, is the least disciplined and most fun-loving turtle. He is usually portrayed as the most agile and naturally gifted, contrasting his free spirit and inability to take training seriously. The most stereotypical teenager of
8366-479: Is usually portrayed as the fastest and most agile. He wears an orange bandana and uses nunchucks . Splinter is a mutant rat who is the wise adoptive father of the Turtles and teaches them ninjitsu . In some iterations, he was once the pet rat of ninja master Hamato Yoshi ; in others, he is a mutated Yoshi. The Turtles are assisted by April O'Neil , who is variously depicted as a news reporter, lab assistant or genius computer programmer. In most versions, she
8544-408: Is what prompted Hamato Yoshi to challenge his former best friend and adopted brother to a duel. It was Tang Shen's everlasting kindness, beauty and love that made him name the pet rat "Splinter". Her grave is located on a hill of flowers, where Hamato Yoshi was eventually laid to rest as well. In the 2012 animated series , Tang Shen had been the loving wife of Hamato Yoshi (who eventually mutated into
8722-529: The 2014 film , April's father was referred to as Dr. O'Neil and was portrayed by Paul Fitzgerald. He was a scientist working at Sacks Groups Ltd as one of the creators of the TCRI mutagen. Splinter was the one who informed April that her father was killed by Eric Sacks and the Shredder destroying their lab. There have been different versions of Mrs. O'Neil in the TMNT franchise. In the Mirage Comics, she
8900-529: The IDW comics , Professor Honeycutt was a Neutrino scientist who used to work for Krang. Honeycutt's wife Marra worried about the influence of evil that was oppressing the Neutrino people, including their family. She convinced him that they should join the Neutrino resistance, and so they did. Three months later, Krang's armies had found where the resistance compound was and targeted it for attack. A fire broke out, and
9078-600: The Turtles franchise to Laird in 2000. In 2009, Laird sold it to Viacom , now Paramount Global . The franchise has continued with new comic book series, television series, films and video games. The comic book authors Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird met in Massachusetts and began working on illustrations together. In 1983, Laird invited Eastman to move in with him in Dover, New Hampshire . That November, Eastman drew
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#17327903919619256-416: The (now abandoned and completely destroyed) Technodrome, which is sitting on a hill standing upright (whereas at the end of Season 8, an alien plant had dragged it down into a deep pit), suggesting that Shredder and Krang initially tried to repair the Technodrome before declaring it a lost cause. Shredder, Krang, Bebop, and Rocksteady are nowhere to be seen. The Turtles eventually find Krang's suit and use it in
9434-408: The 1987 TV series and uses the same voices from TV Tokyo 's Japanese dub of the 1987 TV series. It featured the Turtles as superheroes , that gained costumes and superpowers with the use of Mutastones, while Shredder, Bebop and Rocksteady gained supervillain powers with the use of a Dark Mutastone. In 1997–1998, a live-action series, Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation, aired on Fox . It introduced
9612-772: The 1987 series were released in sixteen volumes. The discs are in Region 4, but unusually, they are in NTSC picture format, instead of PAL . The first six DVDs are more or less duplicated from the Region 1 discs released in America, however unlike the American release, Season 4 was broken down into several separate volumes (7 to 9). Lionsgate Home Entertainment has also released each of the seasons in digital format which are sold separately on several digital platforms such as Amazon and iTunes in Standard Definition only. While "Once Upon
9790-409: The 1987 television series is largely the most notable and popular incarnation and drove the franchise to the phenomenal status it would achieve in popular culture. Co-creator, Peter Laird, has publicly shared his distaste with the show on numerous occasions but has also acknowledged that it was extremely successful with and beloved by its audience and, while he would have preferred a different approach to
9968-497: The 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series voiced by Oliver Wyman . Here his mind was transferred into the robotic body of his helper robot SAL after the pair were struck by lightning while Honeycutt was wearing a psychic amplifier device. Both the Triceratons and the Federation pursued him seeking to obtain his Teleportal device to gain the upper hand in their ongoing conflict, but Honeycutt found surprising allies in
10146-419: The 2003 TV series . Due to financial restrictions, none of the original voice actors were able to reprise their roles, and replacement actors were used. In April 2013, Ciro Nieli , the executive producer of the 2012 Turtles series , confirmed in an interview that the 1987 Turtles would cameo in a one-hour special in season 2. Cam Clarke, Townsend Coleman, Barry Gordon, and Rob Paulsen (who voiced Donatello in
10324-456: The 2003 TV series, the Justice Force first appears in the episode "Return of the Justice Force". The Turtles and Casey head to Northampton where they enter Steve's comic book store to look for a lost issue that would've helped Michelangelo know the fate of Battlin' Bernice. They meet the Justice Force when Doctor Dome started using his Domeoids to abduct them. It was soon discovered that Doctor Dome's secret daughter with Battlin' Bernice named Ananda
10502-644: The 2012 animated series , he is named Kirby O'Neil , voiced by Keith Silverstein . In this show, Dr. Kirby is a psychologist, but was mutated into a mutant bat in the season 2 premiere "The Mutation Situation" and coined " Kirby Bat " until he was cured in season 3's "Battle for New York". In the IDW Comics, April's father is named John O'Neil . John experienced a stroke that left him wheelchair-bound and reliant on his wife Elizabeth. Their daughter April considered abandoning her studies to help look after him, but her parents argued against it. Up until his stroke, John
10680-411: The 2012 series) reprise their roles as Leonardo, Michaelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael, respectively, in the closing of the episode " Wormquake! ". The 1987 turtles also had a crossover with the 2012 turtles in the season 4 episode, " Trans-Dimensional Turtles ". In addition with the lead cast members reprising their roles from the episode, Pat Fraley also reprised his role as Krang who is depicted as
10858-478: The 2017 fighting game Brawlhalla . Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 TV series) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (also known as Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles in some regions) is an American animated television series produced by Fred Wolf Films , and based on the comic book characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird . Set in New York City, the series follows the adventures of
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#173279039196111036-411: The 2021 platform fighting game Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl ; the 2023 sequel, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 , features Raphael and Donatello, as well as the returning April. In the games, Cam Clarke , Townsend Coleman , Barry Gordon , Rob Paulsen , and Jim Cummings reprise their roles from the 1987 animated series while Abby Trott voices April. The turtles also appeared as playable characters in
11214-619: The Ancient One, in Tokyo, Japan, who eventually took in the orphaned Hamato Yoshi and his friend Yukio Mashimi as his own sons. As the years passed, she fell in love with Hamato Yoshi, and took in a hungry, innocent rat as a pet. As her bond with Yoshi strengthened, an even greater rift occurred in Yoshi's longtime friendship with Mashimi. Blinded by jealously and hatred, Yukio had ruthlessly murdered Tang Shen in cold blood. Her premature demise
11392-477: The Channel 6 building. Additionally, the Turtles began to suffer from secondary mutations that temporarily transformed them into monstrous hulks with diminished intelligence, a problem that would not be completely resolved until Season 10. The TMNT also gain a new ally in the form of Carter, a brash African American male who initially sought out Master Splinter for training in ninjitsu, but is eventually exposed to mutagen and contracts an incurable mutation disease. In
11570-597: The Duck . Eastman and Laird developed the concept into a comic book. They considered giving the turtles Japanese names, but instead named them after the Italian Renaissance artists Leonardo , Donatello , Raphael and Michelangelo , which Laird said "felt just quirky enough to fit the concept". They developed a backstory referencing further elements of Daredevil : like Daredevil , the Turtles are altered by radioactive material, and their sensei , Splinter ,
11748-534: The Federation military in their war against the Triceraton Republic, he was categorized as a "Fugitoid" (short for "fugitive android"). The character was introduced in a series of strips in the Gobbledygook comics that was later finished in a one-off self-titled comic book and then guest starred in the original TMNT issues 5 to 7, later became a recurring character in the main TMNT comic . In
11926-506: The Foot Clan to world domination. To this end, Krang provides the Shredder with a vast array of powerful technology from Dimension X, including the Technodrome , and funds most of his schemes throughout the series. It becomes clear early on in the series that the mutagen which transformed the Turtles and Splinter into their new forms was dumped into the sewers by Shredder in an effort to murder Yoshi, as he had mistakenly believed it to be
12104-436: The Foot Clan, and developed a strong antipathy towards Hun, whom he knew as the "Dragon Man". At the mission's conclusion, he was given a new black mask by Leonardo, as well as a bladed gauntlet. Slash's life changed forever when Hob began producing new mutants, but discovered that Lindsey Baker's psychotropic compound was crucial to the process. He took a syringe of Splinter's compound-infused blood, declaring that he wanted to be
12282-472: The IDW Comics, April's mother was named Elizabeth O'Neil , who was a journalist (similar to April's status as a reporter from various TMNT media adaptations). Elizabeth was first introduced when April, the Turtles, Casey, and Splinter were forced to flee New York to their home in Northampton. While April and Casey worked on keeping the Turtles and Splinter a secret, Elizabeth showed having some knowledge of
12460-420: The Japanese company Konami . It sold approximately four million copies, making it one of the bestselling NES games. In response to concerns that the series was drifting from its origins, Eastman and Laird published an editorial in the comic in 1989, writing: "We've allowed the wacky side to happen, and enjoy it very much. All the while, though, we've kept the originals very much ours." Eastman later said there
12638-601: The NES as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game. In 1991, Konami released The Manhattan Project for the NES, and another arcade game, Turtles in Time , which was ported to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in 1992. Later in 1992, Konami released The Hyperstone Heist for the Sega Genesis , using many elements from Turtles in Time . Konami also released
12816-471: The Ninja Turtles and Splinter. However, his mind became unstable and gave him a savage nature, so Specimen 6 was contained in a special tank guarded by the Rock Soldiers. He was later freed due to April O'Neil's diversion to retrieve the Turtle Tracker for the Ninja Turtles. After punching one of the Rock Soldiers, he escaped from the lab into the night. From then, Slash began lurking around the city as
12994-552: The Second Time Around store, where they maintain a good relationship with their daughter and her other friends, where they also allowed Casey to stay with them due to issues he has with his father. The Justice Force is a superhero team that was around during the Golden Age. First appearing in the Mirage Comics issue "Dome Doom", the Turtles and Casey meet the older versions of the Justice Force in Northampton at
13172-763: The Shadows , based on the 2012 TV series and developed by Red Fly Studio for the Xbox Live Arcade , PlayStation Network and Steam . In 2016, Activision and PlatinumGames developed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan for the PlayStation 4 , PlayStation 3 , Xbox One , Xbox 360 , and PC. The game is described as a third-person, team-based brawler. The campaign is playable either single-player or co-op and has an original story written by Tom Waltz, IDW comic writer and editor. The art style
13350-481: The Shredder had torn off to further make his fabrications more real) kept by her teenage daughter Miwa, who had been abducted by Oroku Saki as an infant and renamed Karai . She is even seen in memories of Splinter's. She makes her first and only live appearance in "Tale of the Yokai" when the Turtles travel back sixteen years previously via Renet's time specter. She had expressed her dislike at her husband wanting to save
13528-502: The Shredder is voiced by the 2012 incarnation's voice actor Kevin Michael Richardson , due to James Avery's passing in 2013. By 1986, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic series by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird had experienced two years of success. At that time, New York-based licensing agent Mark Freedman – who had previously handled Hanna-Barbera 's library of characters and was establishing his own licensing company –
13706-496: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , which was designed to fill in the gaps of continuity in the TMNT universe. In 1996, Image Comics co-founder Erik Larsen , seeing they there were no TMNT comics in active publication, oversaw a relaunch of the comics through Highbrow Productions, his studio at Image, with writing by Gary Carlson and art by Frank Fosco. This third volume of the main series, intended as
13884-452: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and their allies as they battle the Shredder , Krang , and numerous other villains and criminals. The property was changed considerably from the darker-toned comics, to make it more suitable for children and families. The pilot was shown during the week of December 28, 1987 in syndication as a five-part miniseries , and the show began its full-time run on October 1, 1988, and ended on November 2, 1996. The show
14062-514: The Turtle's reputation and give them a bad name. The Turtles eventually stopped them and sent Slash into space aboard a trash rocket, which unknowingly contained a plastic palm tree that he was so content with. After having a run-in with a race of super-intelligent aliens who hooked him up to a machine to grant him their intelligence, Slash returned to Earth with fancy weaponry and equipment of his design and planned to turn everyone into turtles to become
14240-684: The Turtles and take over the world. Much of their quest for world domination hinges on repowering Krang's mobile fortress, the Technodrome , and bringing it to the Earth's surface, as it was either buried deep under New York City (Season 1), stuck in Dimension X (Seasons 2 and 4), embedded in the Earth's core (Season 3), stranded in the Arctic (Season 5), or at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean (Seasons 6 and 7). However, their plans always fail, often landing
14418-399: The Turtles in an effort to learn the whereabouts of the black hole generator fragments. The reason for Fugitoid's involvement was later revealed in "Earth's Last Stand": he had created the black hole generator and then sold it to the krang, only learning later the ghastly use to which it would be put. Despite the distrust this prompts in the Turtles, April, and Casey, Fugitoid manages to recover
14596-432: The Turtles of their life energies, Shredder and Krang betray Lord Dregg and force him onto one of the operating tables, intending to drain both him and the Turtles of their power. Dregg, however, manages to escape and uses his microbots to capture Shredder and Krang. Although he successfully drains the Turtles and Krang of their life energies, Shredder breaks free before Dregg is able to take anything from him. Shredder spends
14774-476: The Turtles). All his life he had the secret of her origin concealed from April, until she had to learn through a chain of dramatic circumstances that she was not a naturally-born creature, and only some time later with Renet's Help was she finally able to discover the truth. This realization gave April a severe emotional crisis, and she left her old life behind for a while to find a new meaning to her existence. In
14952-488: The Turtles. However, the pair immediately rebel against Dregg and leave, continuing on where they left off before they were banished at the end of Season 8. Back on Earth, Shredder and Krang kidnap April O'Neil and do battle with the Turtles once more, although they are all soon transported back to Dregg's lair. The Turtles initially have the upper hand in the fight, but Shredder and Krang are able to subdue them after reluctantly agreeing to work with Dregg. As he prepares to drain
15130-557: The Turtles. They wound up back on Earth courtesy of the Utroms' transmat, which later transported Honeycutt and the Utroms to their homeworld. However, upon learning that the Triceratons had pursued him to Earth, Honeycutt returned there after erasing the Teleportal blueprints from his mind. He was eventually captured by the Federation, but managed to infect their fleet with a computer virus that shut them down, with his body being fried in
15308-469: The United States for nearly 27 years). Fred Wolf Films , owners of the rights to the show, have licensed the series to Lionsgate Home Entertainment , who have been responsible for the original DVD and retail streaming releases. On July 20, 2023, at San Diego Comic-Con , it was announced that to coincide with the release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem , Nickelodeon had acquired
15486-406: The best Turtles film. A fifth animated series and follow-up to Mutant Mayhem , Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , premiered in 2024 on Paramount+ . In most versions, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are created when four baby turtles are exposed to radioactive ooze, transforming them into humanoids. They fight evil in New York City, where they reside in the sewers. Leonardo ,
15664-399: The better of him, but he openly loves his brothers, father, and allies. He wears a red mask and uses a pair of sai . Splinter is the mutant rat sensei and adoptive father of the Ninja Turtles. Generally depicted as wise and powerful, he raised the four turtles and trained them in the art of Ninjutsu . He is very cautious and protective of them, constantly warning them of the dangers on
15842-539: The brawler game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up for the Wii . The Fugitoid appears in the 2012 animated series , voiced by David Tennant . He first appears at the conclusion of season 3 aboard his vessel, the Ulixes , just in time to save the Turtles, April O'Neil, and Casey Jones from a black hole created by the Triceratons. After they escape, he introduces himself and promises them that they are about to embark upon
16020-543: The broadcast rights to the series from Fred Wolf Films . With the acquisition, the series would become available on Nickelodeon's branded channels and other digital platforms later that month, starting with Nicktoons on July 31, 2023. The series has seen numerous releases on VHS in Region 1 by Family Home Entertainment , beginning in 1988 and continuing through 1996. Several tapes were released as part of marketing promotions with corporations such as Burger King and TV Teddy. UK videotapes were initially released using
16198-541: The censored Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles title. Six LaserDisc collections of selected episodes were released in North America in 1989. Releases continued through at least 1996. Starting in April 2004, DVD releases began in region 1. The series has since seen numerous releases as part of DVD compilations. Lionsgate Home Entertainment (through FHE Kids Entertainment and Family Home Entertainment) has released
16376-598: The city, and to counteract Burne and Vernon's smear and bad-tempered campaigns against them with her own news coverage of the Turtles, portraying them as a force for good. Reluctant to expose themselves to the outside world, the Turtles initially wear disguises whenever they leave the sewers, although this is slowly relaxed as the series progresses and they gain the trust of the broader populace, whom they have saved from Shredder and other villains on many occasions. Shredder, Krang, Bebop & Rocksteady, Baxter Stockman , and their legions of Foot soldiers repeatedly try to destroy
16554-574: The early 1990s: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991), and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993). The Turtles were played by various actors in costumes featuring animatronic heads, initially produced by Jim Henson's Creature Shop . The fourth film, a computer-animated film titled TMNT , was released in 2007. A reboot, also titled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles produced by Platinum Dunes, Nickelodeon Movies , and Paramount Pictures
16732-583: The end of the seventh season, the Turtles sent the Technodrome through a portal into Dimension X, but without Shredder, Krang, Bebop, and Rocksteady. As a result, the villains were stranded on Earth without any weapons or power, and were forced to work out of an old science building until they could find a way back into Dimension X to retrieve the Technodrome. The Turtles, taking advantage of the situation, pursue their arch enemies relentlessly in an effort to put an end to their schemes once and for all. Eventually, Shredder and Krang, along with Bebop and Rocksteady, build
16910-461: The entire series to DVD in Region 1 . Initially it was released in volumes, with each volume containing 9–13 episodes in its original production order, with the exception of the first volume, which included bonus episodes from the last season. After six volumes, it was announced that the series would now be released in season sets, starting with season 4. However, the episodes "Once Upon a Time Machine"
17088-492: The fall off the roof top and fled into the night. However, the incident left Raphael with a lasting regret. Slash was captured a few times by the Krang during several run-ins with them. In the last of these run-ins, he was freed by Newtralizer and allied with him to start a violent but effective crusade against the krang. Despite having a dislike for the Turtles, he still shares the same beliefs they were taught regarding protection of
17266-570: The fight, Stainless Steel Steve offered Doctor Dome a chance at redemption. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , commonly abbreviated as TMNT , is a media franchise created by the comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird . It follows Leonardo , Donatello , Raphael and Michelangelo , four anthropomorphic turtle brothers trained in ninjutsu who fight evil in New York City. The franchise encompasses printed media, television series', feature films, video games, and merchandise. The franchise began as
17444-579: The figures, vehicles, and playsets and creator credit can be found in the legal text printed on the back of the toy packaging. In addition, Playmates produced a series of TMNT/ Star Trek crossover figures, due to Playmates holding the Star Trek action-figure license at the time. Playmates employed many design groups to develop looks and styles for the toy line, including Bloom Design, White Design, Pangea Corporation , Robinson-Clarke, and McHale Design. The marketing vice president of Playmates, Karl Aaronian,
17622-523: The final blow meant for Yoshi had struck her instead. Fifteen years after her tragic demise, Hamato Yoshi had moved to New York City (which had been her own desire), where he had purchased four baby turtles , encountered a krangdroid, and mutated into the rat-mutant Splinter via their mutagen. To keep her memory alive, several photographs of her remain with her husband in the Dojo, and a torn color picture (with her shoulder held by her husband Hamato Yoshi , who
17800-452: The final season of the series, Dregg's sycophantic henchman Mung encounters Shredder and Krang, who are still stranded in Dimension X. They told him that they had battled the Turtles for years, but even though Shredder claimed to have destroyed them, Mung knew that he was lying. Soon afterward, Mung returns to Dregg's ship and informs him of their encounter, and Dregg decides to bring both Shredder and Krang back from Dimension X to help him fight
17978-421: The fleeing families killing them all. Honeycutt could do nothing but watch them die on the security monitor. Not long after, Honeycutt had made it back to the lab, and Granitor and some Rock Soldiers found him. Honeycutt restrained himself from tearing apart the man who gave orders to kill his family and instead escaped through the portal he had been working on. Now in New York City on Earth, Honeycutt masqueraded as
18156-601: The franchises history. In addition to the main series and spin-offs set within its continuity, IDW also published comics based on the 2012 Turtles animated series and the 2018 animated series, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles . The series ended in April 2024 at issue 150, with a relaunch planned for July 2024. The Turtles have appeared in several manga series. A daily comic strip written and illustrated by Dan Berger began in 1990. It featured an adventure story Monday through Friday and activity puzzles on weekends (with fan art appearing later). The comic strip
18334-521: The generator and execute his plan: combining his power source and that of his ship to destroy the generator while wiping out the Triceraton fleet in the process. A past version of the Fugitoid then arrives and takes the now duplicate versions of April, Casey, and the Turtles on an adventure; meanwhile, in the wreckage of the Triceraton fleet, present-day Honeycutt's head is shown to be intact and apparently partially functional. Despite being something of
18512-429: The innocent. So, when the amoral Newtralizer to destroy all humans and krang, Slash realized the position he put Raphael in and sided with the Turtles and Casey Jones to stop him. He then made amends with them and declines the offer to rejoin their team before departing, saying that he was better operating solo. As soon as the Krang's invasion started, Raphael began hoping that Slash survived. He eventually did, however, and
18690-399: The ire of Hun. Fortunately, their neighbors on the same street came out to assist the O'Neils, and peace was restored. During the Triceraton invasion, John and Elizabeth remained in the Second Time Around store for some days, anxious about April's safety. Eventually April and Baxter Stockman brought them to the T.C.R.I. building, where John and Elizabeth were reunited with their daughter. In
18868-400: The lair and promises to help him find a way to turn back to normal. Ninjara's real name is Umeko , but for reasons that were never fully revealed she goes by the name "Ninjara". While Splinter first thought she was an " atomic child ", she was actually once part of an ancient race of humanoid foxes living on a hidden island off the coast of Japan. She ended up becoming a thief and assassin for
19046-466: The last of the Hamato clan, as she believed ninjas had no place in the modern world, not wanting her only child to follow in the path of her father. She was later approached by Oroku Saki, now clad in Foot Clan attire, and said that she had made her choice. She was asked to take little Miwa and leave as the two adopted brothers faced off in a death-duel. In the prequel episode "Lone Rat and Cub" Tang Shen
19224-414: The leader of the Justice Force who gets his name from the round metallic saucer on his head which can smash through anything. In Mirage Comics, Stainless Steel Steve and Doctor Dome competed for the love of Battlin' Bernice. In the present, Stainless Steel Steve runs a comic book store with Metal Head as the stock boy when Doctor Dome began to target his old teammates. When Ananda came into view and broke up
19402-413: The leader, is the most disciplined and skilled turtle; an expert swordsman, he wields two katana and wears a blue bandana. Raphael , the strongest and most hot-headed turtle, wears a red bandana and uses a pair of sai . Donatello uses his intellect to invent gadgets and vehicles; he wears a purple bandana and uses a bō staff . Michelangelo is the least disciplined and most fun-loving, and
19580-460: The living quarters were locked down due to safety protocols. Rather than let Marra, their son Ely, and the rest of the families burn to death, Honeycutt used SAL to breach the flames and override the safety protocols. By doing so, he sacrificed his own body where he became trapped within SAL in the process. Honeycutt saved the families, but his victory was short-lived. Sergeant Granitor ordered an attack on
19758-550: The material, it might not have been as popular as what was produced. Retroactively, the cross-over film Turtles Forever established a common multiverse continuity between all Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles variations. (Except the 2012 series, as this would not be released until 3 years later.) At the time, the series was criticized by various groups for its violent content and commercialism. The extensive line of toys and other licensed products also attracted criticism. The Australian Council for Children's Films and Television accused
19936-401: The mutagen due to her past career as a reporter. When the Foot Clan tracked them down and attacked Elizabeth along with her husband John found out about the existence of the Turtles and Splinter. After the group fled, Elizabeth used a part of the mutagen April left behind to help heal John from his stroke due to its healing properties. Afterwards, the two moved to New York and took up residence in
20114-410: The mutant-rat Splinter), and had borne a daughter whom they named Miwa. Her decision in choosing Hamato Yoshi over his adopted brother, Oroku Saki, had caused intense hatred to fester between them. Further taken over by vengeance, jealously and rage, Oroku Saki had staged an attack on Yoshi, attempting to finish him once and for all. However, Tang Shen intervened to defend her husband; a fatal decision, as
20292-405: The name of Kirby O'Neil. She was eventually captured and experimented on by the Krang while she was pregnant with April. As a result, her daughter was born a human/Krang hybrid mutant; possessing an array of exceptionally powerful psychic abilities , as a result of her Krang DNA. When April was six years old, the Krang came for her. While her husband was able to escape to New York City, Mrs. O'Neil
20470-405: The new lead villain. He begins a propaganda campaign against the Turtles, turning the general population against them and in favor of him and his forces. Although Dregg is outed as a villain at the end of Season 9, the Turtles are never able to regain the trust of the broader population, due to an earlier smear campaign by Burne and Vernon that wrongfully blamed the Turtles for the destruction of
20648-596: The new recruits. Their membership was later expanded with Nobody, Raptarr, and Nano in the episode "Membership Drive" while also gaining Michelangelo as the Turtle Titan. The Justice Force are among the allies of the Turtles who assist them in the fight against the Demon Shredder's forces. The episode "Super Power Struggle" revealed another former member called the Green Mantle who lost his powered cape in
20826-458: The next two episodes finding a way to heal Krang and dispose of Dregg so that they may take control of his armies and conquer the Earth, but in the ensuing confrontation they are permanently transported back to Dimension X. Carter also bids farewell to the Turtles as he travels to the future to look for a cure for his mutation. In the final episode of the series, Michaelangelo and Donatello travel to Dimension X to retrieve Krang's mechanical body from
21004-402: The number 1 supreme turtle. This was foiled when Donatello tricked him into thinking that he turned the Turtles into humans to lure Slash into a rooftop fight. Thus, Slash was reverted to his low-level intelligence and launched into space once again. In the IDW comics , Slash was introduced as Specimen 6 , a snapping turtle experiment at StockGen mutated with Old Hob's DNA assigned to hunt down
21182-471: The plastic palm tree he loved in his tank was accidentally dropped down an air duct by Bebop, Slash went berserk and stole Shredder's shaolin, chasing them around the Technodrome before going to Earth on Bebop's part. There, he ran into a corrupt businessman building condos in the sewers until the Ninja Turtles foiled it. As payback, the businessman sent Slash to smash the Freedom Bell, which would tarnish
21360-414: The process. Honeycutt's sacrifice touched both sides, and a peace soon resulted between the two. Honeycutt later returned, having uploaded a copy of his mind into Earth's satellite network prior to his demise. Leatherhead later built him a new body using Earth technology, and he would continue to provide aid to the Turtles, eventually officiating at April and Casey's wedding. He is also a playable character in
21538-403: The record for the highest-grossing independent film , earning more than US$ 200 million worldwide. A second film, The Secret of the Ooze , was released in 1991. With a rushed production and a lighter tone, it received weaker reviews and was less successful at the box office. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993) was aimed at the Japanese market, the largest foreign market for US films at
21716-425: The right to continue the Mirage series, but no issues have been released since the release of No. 32 in 2014, and Mirage Studios was wound down in 2021. All total, the main Mirage series lasted for 129 issues, spanning four separate volumes of 62, 13, 23, and 32 issues, respectively. Additional one-shot issues and miniseries were published over the years. Mirage also published a companion book entitled Tales of
21894-624: The rights for TMNT games, beginning with a game based on the 2007 animated feature film , along with a distinct game for the Game Boy Advance similar in style to the Konami arcade games. A beat 'em up game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Arcade Attack was released for the Nintendo DS in 2009, to coincide with the series' 25th anniversary. In 2013, Activision released the downloadable game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of
22072-453: The series as well as bonus features. It also contains special collectors edition packaging. On July 23, 2013, Lionsgate re-released all 47 episodes of season 3 together in a 4 disc box set. A compilation of selected episodes, Cowabunga Classics , was released on July 29, 2014. The first volume of the 25th Anniversary Edition, containing all episodes from the first two seasons in a PAL format as well as some bonus material from season 10,
22250-478: The series had a lighter tone than the comics, with no expletives, less violence and less threatening villains. In the United Kingdom and some other European regions, the franchise was renamed Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles for the violent connotations of the word "ninja". The first Turtles video game was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1989, the first of several developed by
22428-420: The series was being shown daily on more than 125 television stations. Characters from the show have been included in crossovers with later entries of the franchise, including the 2009 film Turtles Forever and recurring roles in the 2012 TV series for Nickelodeon . The origins story in the 1987 television series deviates significantly from the original Mirage Studios comics. In this version, Splinter
22606-435: The series, and was executive story editor for four later seasons as well. Wise left the series partway through the ninth season, and Jeffrey Scott took over as the story editor and chief writer for the rest of the show's run. The animation work for the first three seasons of the show were handled by Japanese anime studio Toei Animation . The budget for the first five episodes of the series was almost $ 2 million. Casting for
22784-426: The series, the episodes featured a recurring background music which reflected the mood of the situation, as well as leitmotifs for settings such as the Technodrome , the New York City sewers , Channel 6, etc. The soundtrack was composed by Dennis Challen Brown (credited as "D.C. Brown" and later as "Dennis C. Brown") and Chuck Lorre . Lorre recorded the theme song (and performed the spoken parts) and later became
22962-506: The sewers prior to meeting April, also began to take on the role of semi-vigilante crime fighters. Despite this, they frequently have to deal with citizens misunderstanding them, largely due to the efforts of Channel 6 newsmen Burne Thompson and Vernon Fenwick, who both distrust the Turtles and frequently and wrongfully blame them for the trouble that Shredder and Krang cause. As a result, they mainly have to rely on April (either via Turtle-com, or Channel 6 news reports) to inform them of crimes in
23140-431: The sewers. He eventually survived the wound and was washed ashore to be woken up by Old Hob, who told him that they should work together to hunt down anyone with a connection to StockGen. Slash was shown the error of his ways when Michelangelo gave him a candy bar that he instantly fell in love with. He agreed to help the Turtles escape from one of Shredder's traps. He was an integral part of a mission to reclaim Leonardo from
23318-594: The show began airing as a 30-minute block until the series ended. Although the last episode broadcast on CBS on November 2, 1996, reruns of Seasons 8, 9 and 10 continued to air until August 30, 1997. That would be the last time the show would be reran on any television network in the United States for almost 26 years. Episodes from Seasons 1–7 were rerun on the USA Network 's USA Cartoon Express from September 13, 1993, to September 15, 1996 (the last time any episode from prior to Seasons 8-10 would air on television in
23496-518: The show grittier and more serious, instead embracing silliness and jokes for both children and adults. "They [the Turtle voice actors] were kind of like the Marx Brothers , The Stooges , Laurel & Hardy , Burns and Allen and all of those wonderful, fabulous old radio personalities and early movie personalities all rolled up into one. Those guys put the heart and soul into those turtles and came up with those personalities". Through most of
23674-475: The show took place in Los Angeles . During recording of the voice acting, all the main cast recorded together. According to Renae Jacobs , voice-actress of the reporter April O'Neil , working together "was great for camaraderie and relationships. We played off each other...there was a lot of ad libbing ". Also according to Jacobs, the actors frequently undermined the efforts of the show's creators to make
23852-463: The success of G.I. Joe , He-Man and Transformers , which had promoted toy lines with animated series, Playmates worked with the animation studio Murakami-Wolf-Swenson to produce the first Turtles animated series , which premiered in 1987 and ran for almost a decade. It introduced Turtles elements such as their color-coded masks, catchphrases, love of pizza and distinct personalities. To make it acceptable to parents and television networks,
24030-591: The summer of 1988. The two media would correspond in marketing and popularity for many years to come. David Wise and Patti Howeth wrote the screenplay for the first 5-part miniseries. When the series continued in the second season, comic artist Jack Mendelsohn joined the show as the executive story editor, and collaborated on story concepts and additional characters with John Schulte and John Besmehn of PANGEA , who were writing presentation scripts, background stories, and character bios for their client, Playmates Toys. Wise went on to write over seventy episodes of
24208-409: The surface. In stark contrast to his coarse gnarly appearance, Splinter always speaks in a quiet gentle dignified voice. April O'Neil is a confident, courageous, benevolent, intelligent, and outgoing human companion of the Ninja Turtles. She met the Turtles when they saved her from a squadron of MOUSERS chasing her down the sewers. She embarked on many of the Turtles' adventures and aids them by doing
24386-420: The suspicions of the sharp and intuitive Michelangelo , who planned to expose her true motives by any means. She was later revealed to be a clone of the real Mrs. O'Neil as an infiltration experiment infused with the human DNA of the real Mrs. O'Neil and Krang DNA; thus having only her memories. April expressed her sadness at losing her family all over again, even if it truly was not her mother, and wondered if she
24564-527: The team, he often speaks with a Southern Californian dialect and expresses his love of pizza whenever brought up. He wears an orange mask and fights using nunchucks . Raphael , nicknamed Raph, is the most aggressive and temperamental of the turtles. Rebellious, cynical, and quick witted, he is often driven by his strong emotions. He possesses a strong desire for independence, and often displays animosity towards his brother Leonardo over his leadership and their conflicting methods. His quick temper tends to get
24742-478: The third-bestselling toy figures ever at the time. The action figures were promoted with an animated series , which premiered in 1987 and ran for almost a decade. It was succeeded by several other television series. The first Turtles video game was released in 1989, the first of several developed by the Japanese company Konami . The first Turtles film , released in 1990, became the highest-grossing independent film up to that point. Eastman sold his share of
24920-481: The time when their former member Doctor Dome attacked them with his Domeoids. The fight ended when Battlin' Bernice's daughter named Ananda showed up to chastise Doctor Dome for ruining her mother's life. Stainless Steel Steve broke up the argument and offered Doctor Dome a redemption which he took. When Lilith swore vengeance on Shadow Jones for the death of Sloan, April and Casey asked Stainless Steel Steve and Metal Head to help Splinter watch over their stepdaughter. In
25098-651: The time, Spike even developed a hatred for the Ninja Turtles, thanks to hearing Raphael's angry chants all his life. One night, he drank from a canister of mutagen that spilled in Raphael's room, mutating himself into a mutant box turtle with a spiked shell, long fingernails for makeshift weapons, heightened smell and superhuman agility. Obtaining a mace, Slash joined the other Turtles on patrol but revealed his true intentions by beating Donatello and Michelangelo, to Raphael's horror. The following murderous spree nearly took Leonardo's life. After engaging his former owner, he survived
25276-400: The time, but failed to see release there and saw weaker reviews and sales. In 1990, a stage musical featuring the Turtles as a rock band, Coming Out of Their Shells , played 40 shows across the United States. The musical was sponsored by Pizza Hut and promoted with an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show . A soundtrack album and VHS were released. After the animated series ended,
25454-480: The tone of this version is similar to the original series, but also features a handful of serious episodes as well. The series ran for five seasons and ended in 2017. Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was the second Nickelodeon-produced animated series in the franchise and premiered in September 2018. It returned to using 2D animation, while also using some anime iconography, and was characterized by its lighter humor. The series aired between 2018 and 2020, and
25632-603: The turtles covered with a strange glowing ooze. This substance caused the turtles, who were most recently exposed to Yoshi, to become humanoid, while Yoshi, who was most recently exposed to sewer rats, became a humanoid rat, and was given the name "Splinter" by the turtles. Yoshi raises the four turtles as his sons and trains them in the art of ninjitsu. He names them Donatello , Leonardo , Michelangelo , and Raphael , after his favorite Italian Renaissance artists. Oroku Saki eventually leaves Japan and tracks Yoshi to New York City, where he intends to destroy him once and for all. It
25810-412: The unfinished story. From 1988 to 1995, Archie Comics published Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures , a series aimed at a younger audience. Initially adapting episodes of the first animated series , it soon moved to original storylines. The main series ran for 72 issues; in addition, there were numerous annuals, specials and miniseries. An ongoing spinoff series, Mighty Mutanimals , features
25988-586: The villainous dog-man Chien Kahn, but then had a change of heart when she met the Turtles, and fell in love with Raphael. She helped out on many missions, from the Far and the Middle East to Dimension X . Her family life was explored more in detail when her younger brother managed to track her down and convince her to come back home. The Turtles discovered the island was hidden by fog banks, but despite this, it had been discovered by an opportunistic, greedy hunter. She
26166-416: The villains in humorous predicaments. Some episodes feature other minor villains, such as the Rat King , Leatherhead , Slash , General Traag and Granitor, and many others, or involve the TMNT getting themselves and the city out of a mess that they had inadvertently caused. Season 7 featured a "Vacation in Europe" side-season that took place during the fourth season where the Turtles, April, and Splinter win
26344-405: The work in public while the Turtles cannot. Casey Jones is a hockey-masked vigilante , armed with an assortment of sporting goods that he carries in a golf bag. He is a close ally of the Ninja Turtles, whom he met after having a martial-arts skirmish with the temperish Raphael regarding Casey's own inflamed behavior when battling the bad guys. Hamato Yoshi is a ninjutsu master whose history
26522-446: Was "some stuff that we wish we hadn't said yes to", and Laird wrote of his dislike for the softer tone of the animated series. The early 1990s saw the commercial peak of the franchise. The first Turtles film was released in 1990, featuring costumes designed by Jim Henson's Creature Shop . It was based more closely on the comic than the animated series, with a darker tone. It was the fourth-highest-grossing film of 1990 and broke
26700-574: Was a box-office success. A sequel, Out of the Shadows , directed by Dave Green , was released in June 2016. A fourth animated series, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , premiered in 2018 and ran for two seasons. A film sequel was released in 2022 on Netflix . Mutant Mayhem , an animated film directed by Jeff Rowe and produced by Seth Rogen , was released in August 2023. It received positive reviews, with praise for its performances, script and stylized animation; several critics named it
26878-471: Was a powerful member of the team from issue #29 until issue #70 from the TMNT Adventures from Archie comics. Professor Zayton Honeycutt , also known as Dr. Zayton Honeycut , is a semi-retired scientist from the planet D'Hoonib whose mind was transferred into his working robot as both were struck by lightning. As he refused to build a transmat device (a means of teleportation) for General Blanque of
27056-427: Was able to control his violent spree and informed that he would be allowed to stay in a grove of lush palm trees he so loved. Grateful, he went on to become a member of the Mutanimals, ultimately sacrificing himself later to save the Turtles. In the 1987 animated series , Slash (voiced by Pat Fraley ) was Bebop's pet turtle, mutated by Rocksteady to carry out an assignment that Shredder wanted them to do. However, when
27234-418: Was behind this where she wanted revenge on the Justice Force for letting her mother die. When Ananda was defeated, Doctor Dome reconciled with his daughter and also reconciled with Stainless Steve Steel. In later episodes, Ananda and Metal Head formed a second incarnation of the Justice Force that consisted of Silver Sentry, Chryalis, and Tsunami with Stainless Steel Steve in an advisor role and Zippy Lad training
27412-460: Was changed considerably from the darker-toned comics, to make it more suitable for children and families. Produced by Fred Wolf Films , the series ran for ten seasons and ended in 1996. In addition to the American series, a Japan-exclusive two-episode anime original video animation (OVA) series was made in 1996, titled Mutant Turtles: Choujin Densetsu-hen . The OVA is similar in tone to
27590-511: Was changed, the introduction sequence added in clips from the first live-action film , and the show took on a darker, more action-oriented atmosphere, reminiscent to the original comics. The Turtles' demeanor evolved into a more serious and determined one than in prior seasons, and they devoted most of their time to tracking down villains. The series' main antagonists—Shredder, Krang, Bebop, and Rocksteady—who had previously been depicted as dangerous but comically inept villains, were now portrayed as
27768-437: Was co-produced by Mirage Studios, and Mirage owned one-third of the rights to the series. Mirage's significant stake in creative control resulted in a cartoon that hews more closely to the original comics, creating a darker and more mature tone than the 1987 cartoon, though still considered appropriate for younger viewers. This series lasted until 2009, ending with a feature-length television movie titled Turtles Forever , which
27946-461: Was contacted by a connection in the toy industry and introduced to the property. Though initially in disbelief at the title, he found it growing onto him and decided to approach California toy manufacturer Playmates Toys to pitch a toy line based on the property. The uncertain company requested that a television deal be acquired first, and after the initial five-episode series debuted, they released their first series of Ninja Turtles action figures in
28124-416: Was employed as chief assistant at StockGen, the genetics laboratory of Baxter Stockman , which is responsible for the transformation of Splinter and the Turtles into mutants. He also knew of the Ooze, the base material for Stockman's experiments. It was through his initiative that April was able to secure her internship, through which she later became acquainted with the Turtles, but he and his wife already had
28302-544: Was eventually destroyed by alien invaders, leaving him the only homeless survivor of his kind. He was later found by Krang, who made a deal with him to find his way back to Earth, and in return, Slash came under the former's leadership and kept the Ninja Turtles busy while Krang sought to possess Shredder's body, but to no avail. Slash's rampage caught the attention of the Mighty Mutanimals, who captured him and brought him to their island. With Leatherhead's help, Slash
28480-632: Was followed by a feature film released on Netflix in 2022. In July 2023, it was reported that Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , a two-season 2D animated television series spin-off of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem film, had been greenlit for Paramount+ . Production company Point Grey , which produced the film, will produce the series. The series premiered August 9, 2024. The Turtles have starred in seven theatrical feature films. The first three are live-action features produced in
28658-436: Was forced to leave his native Japan and relocate to New York City , where he began living in the sewers with the rats as his only friends. Saki was given command of the Foot Clan, which he corrupted and transformed into a criminal organization. Sometime later, Yoshi adopted four turtles after they were accidentally dropped into the sewers by an unnamed boy. He returned from his explorations around New York City one day to find
28836-495: Was formerly human, an honorable ninja master named Hamato Yoshi who studied art history as a hobby. He was banished from the Foot Clan (a Japanese dynasty of ninjas founded by one of his distant ancestors ) after one of his students, the power-hungry and seditious Oroku Saki (who resented Yoshi's leadership within the clan and aspired to usurp him), set him up for an offense against a visiting master sensei . Disgraced, Yoshi
29014-600: Was highly popular in the UK, where in the run-up to Christmas, the Army & Navy Store in London's Lewisham devoted its entire basement to everything Turtle, including games, videos, costumes, and other items. Playmates continued to produce TMNT action figures based on the 2003 animated series. The 2007 film TMNT also gave Playmates a new source from which to make figures, while National Entertainment Collectibles Association produced
29192-425: Was indeed gone forever or was still alive somewhere. A family photograph of her, alongside her husband and infant daughter, was shown in "The Krang Conspiracy" which had been kept by Jack Kurtzman. She was first referenced by April in "Karai's Vendetta". April mentioning the tragic loss of her mother as a child, caused Karai to feel sympathy for April, as she, too had lost and never knew her own mother, Tang Shen. In
29370-522: Was involved in Hob and Splinter's attack on the Foot Clan. In the 2012 animated series , Slash (voiced by Corey Feldman ) was introduced as Spike , a young box turtle who was flushed into the sewers from his original owner's home and saved from drowning by Raphael, who took him in as his pet. He used to listen to his owner's angry ranting about his troubles with his family and learned ninjutsu by watching Raphael practice it in his room. Although no one knew at
29548-424: Was largely responsible for assembling the team of designers and writers, including John Schulte and John Besmehn , who provided the seminal writing and copy for the toy line, which in turn, filtered through to the various iterations of the television series. Never before in toy history did an action-figure line have such an impact for over two decades, generating billions of dollars in licensing revenue. The series
29726-512: Was later recruited as leader of the Mighty Mutanimals as they worked with the Turtles to take back the city from the Krang. Slash appears as a boss in the video games Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project , the Super NES version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge . Mutagen Man is a character in the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" franchise that suffers
29904-611: Was named Bridget O'Neil . In the 2012 animated series , Mrs. O'Neil (voiced by Renae Jacobs ) was the loving wife of the psychologist Kirby O'Neil, and the late mother of sixteen-year-old April O'Neil . Many decades ago, when she herself was a child, her grandfather had discovered the Krang residing deep underneath the O'Neil's family farmhouse. After unmistakably awakening the Krang, the brain-like extraterrestrial creatures paid him back by performing experiments on him and his entire bloodline; including Mrs. O'Neil. In her adult years she had fall in love with and married an Irish scientist by
30082-452: Was officially released free to watch on YouTube , on July 30, 2023. Some episodes from Season 2 were also released, as well as a live broadcast feed of the entire series. IGN named TMNT as the 55th best show in the Top 100 Best Animated TV Shows. While the story diverged heavily from the original conception of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with the universe of the original Mirage comics,
30260-488: Was omitted in the season 4 set and the 1991 prime-time special "Planet of the Turtleoids" was omitted from the Season 5 set, but are included in the Season 10 set as bonus episodes. The DVDs do not include the Turtle Tips PSAs. On November 13, 2012, Lionsgate Family Entertainment released Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – The Complete Classic Series on DVD in Region 1. The 23-disc set features all 193 episodes of
30438-498: Was produced in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the franchise. Nickelodeon acquired the global rights to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from the Mirage Group and 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. and announced a new CGI-animated TMNT television series. The 2012 version is characterized by anime-like iconography and emphasis on mutagen continuing to wreak havoc on the everyday lives of the Turtles and their enemies; in addition,
30616-547: Was published in syndication until its cancelation in December 1996. At its highest point in popularity, it was published in more than 250 newspapers. Debuting in 1987 as a five-part miniseries and becoming a regular Saturday-morning syndicated series on October 1, 1988, the first animated series follows the adventures of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and their allies as they battle the Shredder , Krang , and numerous other villains and criminals in New York City. The property
30794-547: Was recaptured and "put into stasis." One decade later (in Episode 55 " Buried Secrets "), she was discovered by the Turtles, Casey Jones, and her teenage daughter. She explained how her whole family's difficulties with the Krang raged on for many years, and seemed happy to be reunited with her daughter. She wondered of Kirby's whereabouts, to which the Turtles assured her that he was "on a safari in Puerto Rico ." She attracted
30972-574: Was released for Region 2 DVDs by Lionsgate Home Entertainment in the UK and the Republic of Ireland on May 25, 2009. 4 DVDs containing 3 episodes each based around Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo were released on May 19, 2014. DVDs of the series were also released by German distributor KSM GmbH between May 2007 and February 2012. The show was released in Australia by Lionsgate Home Entertainment between 2009 and 2016. All episodes from
31150-412: Was released in 2014. A sequel titled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows was released in 2016. A computer-animated reboot titled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem was released in 2023. The franchise generated merchandise sales of $ 175 million in 1988 and $ 350 million in 1989. By May 1990, it had generated $ 650 million in domestic retail revenues. By 1994, it
31328-423: Was seen in the black-and-white picture of her next to her husband, holding their baby daughter between them. She was last seen in a vision of Splinter's when he debated whether he had the discipline to be a proper father, for either Miwa (were she alive) or the baby mutant Turtles. There have been different versions of April's father in the TMNT franchise. In the Mirage Comics, he is named Robert O'Neil . Not much
31506-410: Was the first television appearance of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and helped launch the characters into mainstream popularity, becoming one of the most popular animated series in television history. Action figures , breakfast cereals , plush toys , and other merchandise featuring the characters appeared on the market during the late 1980s and early 1990s and became top sellers worldwide. By 1990,
31684-503: Was the most merchandisable franchise, having generated total revenue of $ 6 billion in merchandise sales up until then. The brand generated more than $ 1 billion in retail sales from 2003 to 2005. During the run of the 1987 TV series, Playmates Toys produced hundreds of TMNT action figures , along with vehicles, playsets , and accessories, becoming one of the top collectibles for children. Staff artists at Northampton, Massachusetts-based Mirage Studios provided conceptual designs for many of
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