#tmnt don vs raph

[theyhavetakenovermylife]

Your First Date (Fluff)

DVR!Turtles x reader

A/N: I decided it was time to get the TMNT Summer Shorts up on my masterlist, so I’m just going to start out with this one. Hope you’ll enjoy💚

Warnings: None💚

Leonardo:

You and Leo’s first date was a small and calm affair. It was nice, cozy and intimate, and nothing like you had ever experienced before. This was the kind of stuff you only expected to happen in movies, and that you might have been a few years too late for it. But then Leo came in, and showed you how a good old date was still possible.

You and Leo’s date took place on the roof of your apartment building, one nice summer night. With a small blanket Leo had borrowed from the lair without anybody noticing, along with you favorite kind of pizza and drinks, Leo had set a small corner for the two of you, where you could eat and talk in peace, while watching the people and cars pass on the street below, or lean back to watch whatever stars you could see, despite the light pollution, making it pretty much impossible to see.

Though it was in the middle of the summer, midnight could get a bit chilly. That was when Leo wrapped his arms around you, and held you close, as the two of you talked about all of the small things you had thought about. No worries about responsibilities, or what unpredictable things the next day might bring. Only you and Leo, enjoying a nice and peaceful evening together, with nothing but the city as background noise.

Raphael:

Some people might do something small, and maybe very predictable for their first date. A picnic, a dinner, maybe watching a few movies together. You know, something easy for two nervous people, that are still getting to know their knew dynamic. But not Raphael. He was not in for all the predictable stuff, nor was he any bit nervous, and neither did he want you to be nervous. He wanted your first date to be something special. Something unforgettable, and much better and much more memorable than any other date you had ever had with anybody else.

So for your first date, Raph took you wall climbing. Fucking wall climbing. And it was also there that you learned that the lair had a wall for climbing, in the far back. And you could not lie, it was one of the best dates you’ve ever had, with you and Raph laughing and enjoying your time together.

Raph would stand below, pulling the robe that helped you along the wall, and slowly lower you to the floor, in case you lost your footing, before making a show out of acting like he caught you in the most dramatic manner. It had the two of you throwing back your heads in laughter, at one point falling over on the mat, just laughing hysterically.

Donatello:

You and Donnie’s first date was in the lair, a day where Donnie had managed to get his family out, so you and him could have the place to yourself. Donnie had set up what could only be described as a large home cinema, with a large projection of the movie you were watching, onto a blank wall, while the two of you were getting cozy and comfortable on the large and soft couch that had been standing in the lair for ages.

Now, you and Donnie did not watch any romantic movies, that would give him an excuse to wrap an arm around you and kiss you, nor did you watch any horror movies, so you could hide against Donnie, seeking him for protection. No, you decided to watch comedies instead. Specifically Monty Python. You started out with Monty Python’s the Holy Grail, before watching a few episodes of Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

It didn’t take long before you and Donnie was flat on the couch with laughter, giggling at all the bad and crude jokes, before continuing the joke between the two of you, to the point where neither of you could breath probably, due to how much you were laughing.

At the end of your date, you and Donnie were so tired from all the laughing, that you ended up spending the night to get some rest.

Michelangelo:

Mikey, who couldn’t sit down for more than ten minutes at the time, did not want to have - what he liked to call - a “sit down date”. Not only because he simply just couldn’t, but also because he didn’t think it was fair to you. How would you feel if you expected to sit down with Mikey for a long period of time, and he was just bouncing off the walls? Not good. Therefore Mikey decided it would be good to take you out, and make sure that you kept moving. His solution was to take you walking through a secluded area of Central Park at night, where you could do whatever the vibe told you to.

It was amazing weather, as you and Mikey made your way through the park, talking and laughing under the midnight sky. It didn’t take long before the two of you found a small playground, where you started to play around together. Sliding down the slides with your arms around each other, swinging each other on the swings, and climbing the monkey bars so you could sit together on the top.

And even as the few visible stars above you started to disappear behind dark clouds, you and Mikey still enjoyed the time together. And even as the sky opened up above you, sending down hard rain, you and Mikey just grabbed each other's hands, and started dancing around together.

[kalmiaclown]

Sooo... Don Vs Raph was written by Jhonen yeah?

green skin, three fingers, no ears... Close enough, welcome back Invader Zim

[phewgitoid]

hes so O 𐃷 o

[puma-or-cougar]

Do you remember "Don vs Raph"? xD Who do you think is more beautiful? Donnie or Raph?

[thewyrmspace]

Have way more Blast to the Past tomfoolery to post but I'm interrupting our regularly scheduled programming. To remind everyone of Him. My silliest goofiest boy and The Donnie Design Ever in my humble opinion

He just truly has that loserboy nerd charm I feel is always just slightly lacking in other iterations......the horrible vaguely anesthetic outfit that stands out like a sore thumb beside his brothers. The glasses that he rarely actually puts on and instead opts to leave up on his head where they don't do shit. THE rubber gloves while doing nothing that requires such. The metal covering on his shell that's honestly pretty epic with all the gadgets and such but that seems to kind of highlight his scrawny stature. THE TAPED ON SHIRT POCKET??? AND OF COURSE the classic Tooth Gap™

ANYWAY SORRY HE'S JUST SO TEEHEE SILLY

[shr3dhead]

the sticker face on his shell changes with his expression?? i luv u jhonen vasquez

[istherewifiinhell]

[ID: TMNT 2003 fanart. Baby Donnie and Mikey are intrigued by something gray and fluffy. They start to touch it curiously and enjoy it. Don contented, Mikey exuberant. They both flop forward to snuggle into it. Zooming out, it is of course, the fur on Splinter's back. He's laying down on various fabrics, smiling softly at them. Leo sleeps nestled into Splinter's arms. Raph has tottled away, a stick raised in hand as he looks down a bug. END]

Fur inspectors <3

[lotus-duckies]

i'm just so enamoured by the don vs raph short i just ough

[meanderfall]

The sheer difference in tone for the more Raph centric and Mikey centric plot lines vs Don's and Leo's in tmnt 2003 is honestly kind of hilarious to me, like

Raph: making friends with people :)

Mikey: learning and growing as a person!

Vs

Leo: getting beaten within an inch of his life (with occasional bonus the lives of his family are on the line)

Don: Severe Emotional Trauma

[dysfunctional-doodle]

Random enemy: *insults Raphael in the worst way possible*

2003 Raphael: I don't give a shit.

Random enemy: *points out minor thing about Donatello*

2003 Raphael: THERE WILL BE BLOOD

We love overprotective Raphie in this house

Raph is Don’s angry rabid attack squirrel

Mikey? He knows Mikey will be fine, he causes half the trouble himself and runs off giggling after blowing up a triceraton, dammit - but Donny (I’ve noticed) is much more kinder and naïve despite his intellect. He has a much gentler heart, something that Raph will 100% protect like a chihuahua on meth.

(Have I mentioned how much I love how kind 2003 Donatello is? Such a great characterisation to pair with his intelligence which I’ve never seen in any other iterations, except maybe Batman vs tmnt oddly.)

[neverheroes]

While I was drawing up a character reference sheet for Leo I figured, why not experiments with costuming? And honestly, we now love side blade mount in this house yay for looking up actual samurai (I think the Batman vs TMNT design is the only one he wears katana properly in). But as clothes go, man, this is not an exciting fella. This is a functional or bust bro. If he had hair there’s no way he wouldn’t treat and condition it but he’d also own seven of the same polo shirt just to never have to think about getting dressed, ya know? As is, he’s a nearly 5’5 turtle and only wears clothes at all for the sake of human comfort and school dress codes. At some point he decided he likes pants, and that’s about all you’ll catch him in most of the time.

I thought a Michelangelo armed with chalk paint would rack up more victims (as in people being drawn on) than he would with nunchaku if it were an option, but then he also wouldn’t be a draw on people without their consent guy. Don has nothing against being decorated but hates the sensation, Raph is way too Raph (heheh a little too Raph) to “go around lookin like a sidewalk”, and Leo is just really happy to watch Mike be creative and likes being involved in his life outside of training/mentor/this/that/the other.

Weird fun comments time. These guys have watched Adventure Time on rerun since they were tiny. Mike is a BMO guy and every now and then will scream “James Baxter” when he jumps on something he shouldn’t - like a person, Raph likes Jake (the whole not understanding who you are thing got him good), Don is an Ice King/Simon fan (in the has a little figurine and ~wrote a comment that was waaay too long on the cartoon network Instagram one time~ kind of way), and Leo is kind of weird about Finn, connected to this character in the “I like the sword one” way (Cool swords are just a winner with Leo he’s not terribly complicated in that regard) and found this content but deeply lonely character who effectively allowed the world to burden him with responsibility in the simple pursuit of justice and doing what’s right.

Hope you enjoyed some of my madness. As always, if you know me in real life, no you don’t.

[theyhavetakenovermylife]

Still one of my favorite TMNT shorts

We need to talk more about the summer shorts

[shantechni]

Leo the Leader vs Leo the Learner

I know almost every iteration of TMNT emphasizes that the boys cannot properly function as a team without everyone there, especially without their fearless leader.

In terms of cartoons and movies though (as much as I've had time to watch/rewatch), the '03 and '12 series are my personal favorites, with Rise and MM tying for a very close second, because they both acknowledge issues in the team that the characters work to fix. '03 Leo and '12 Leo both struggle to lead the team at significant points in their respective stories, but the manner in which they struggle and what they struggle with differentiate, in a good way mind you.

In the 2003 series, the very first episode opens with Leo already being in the leading position as he tries to keep his brothers from going off script or doing something irreparable while they work to find Splinter. And when they do eventually find themselves in trouble, he's the one to lead them through it and make it back to Splinter in one piece. We see this formula more or less repeat for almost three seasons with a few different variables to spice things up; the brothers look to Leo for guidance, think of a plan of action with their combined efforts, and go from there.

Until the S3 finale.

The boys had times where they wondered if they'd make it out alive, but this was the first where it genuinely seemed like the end for their little family, and Leo could do nothing but watch as they execute their plan to blow up with the starship.

Of course they survive, otherwise we wouldn't have another four seasons💀but that short amount of time was more than enough to scar Leo, physically and emotionally. When he begins closing himself off from everyone, April's the only one to get him to open up and he lays it all out: He feels like a failure of a leader. He wasn't strong enough to protect his family or stop the Shredder, their last resort was going out with a bang, and they had to be saved by the Utroms. It doesn't feel like they won and he doesn't feel like he accomplished anything.

His fears and frustrations manifest into an ever present anger, slowly going from cold to hot, that chooses its target at random. His brothers don't know what to do since they don't seem to know why Leo's behaving this way, nor have they ever seen him like this. And dear Mikey says something that so accurately sums up their team: "...it can’t be fun always being the responsible one, and we’re the ones who really benefit. Raph’s free to not think ‘cause Leo does all the thinking for him. Don’s free to dream, and I’m free to take it easy, all ‘cause Leonardo is busy being responsible enough for all of us."

Mikey knows Leo is cracking under the pressure of his role partly because they've become so comfortable in their own roles, and no one refutes him. They didn't intend for Leo to translate this dynamic into, "everything is on you," but that's how it inevitably turned out over time. One could even argue that them not knowing how to handle this new Leonardo is yet another downside to them getting too comfortable, and it doesn't help that Splinter is the only one (aside from Usagi on one instance) who attempts to help Leo, even when the young turtle is pushing him away.

Things finally boil over when Leo pushes a little too hard though and harms Splinter during training, a regrettable action that clears away the steely air he had around himself for so long.

It's not until Splinter sends him off to see the Ancient One that Leo finally pulls himself out of that bubble of negativity and he accepts that there was nothing more he could've done in their final fight against the Shredder.

He did all that he could, and he can continue doing all that he can for his family.

In a weird way, Karai's violent eviction notice was exactly what everyone needed.

Leo was told his family likely hadn't survived the attack, something he'd spent countless days trying to prevent through relentless training, but he believed they were okay and ultimately found them alive. He wasn't there to protect them, but he sees for himself that they made it out without his help, and this was also a learning experience for the others if you think about it. They've already been shown to be capable of handling situations on their own or in pairs, but this was the first time they had to deal with a huge confrontation as a team without the comfort of their leader behind their shells.

Raph is the one who takes the helm for a brief few seconds and dishes out instructions amid the chaos, telling everyone to split up, find their way out and meet back up on the surface, with one last demand for them to be careful. And when Leo finds him, his distress is palpable; he couldn't find the others and therefore had no idea if they were okay, let alone alive, while he kept himself hidden from Karai's forces. Before this, we see that Raph is willing to make his own plan of action in this series' version of City at War when he doesn't go with Leo's word. But this time, in Leo's absence, we see he's willing to fill in as leader when the situation calls for it, and he realizes he isn't quite cut out for leadership like Leo.

We don't see any significant shift in team dynamics after this, mainly because Leo's inner turmoil from their fight with the Shredder is what caused problems with the team in the first place, but that goes to show that outside influences are what gave birth to the team conflict. Despite me pointing out earlier how Leo shoulders quite a bit not just because of his role but because of his brothers' roles as well, we can see throughout the series that Leo doesn't buckle from the pressure until they're in a situation where he can't effectively perform his role to his satisfaction.

As I mentioned in the beginning, Leo had been a leader in essence and in name for many years before their first home was raided by the Mousers. It makes perfect sense for him and his brothers to be accustomed to it by now.

2012 Leonardo is not used to being a leader. He may undeniably be a leader in essence, and had the drive and desire to be one, but he definitely wasn't a leader in name. The very first episode doesn't even open up with Leo being a leader, let alone with the turtles being a team. Their first time fighting together is a train wreck, and rather than Leo's strong sense of ethics and honor being the catalyst for his recruitment (not at first at least), it's the beginning of their long battle against the Kraang that convinces Splinter to officially deem him the leader of a newly formed team.

Being leader doesn't automatically mean the team will follow or respect you, which is something Leo learns right away thanks to his brothers, with Raph in particular challenging him when they butt heads over their opposing plans and ideals. It's touched upon in Rise of the Turtles Part 2, but Raph's desire to lead isn't a major plot device until New Girl in Town where he gets a taste of how Leo feels everytime he's responsible for his brothers and their wellbeing. However, Raph makes it known that even though he's resigned himself to not being the leader, he still doesn't like being told what or how to do something. Even Donnie challenges Leo when they can't agree on the best course of action in preparation for the Kraang, but Donnie realizes arguing was pointless as the invasion begins without warning and makes the idea of a second base the more favorable option.

His brothers aren't his only test of will though, as there are a handful of times where Leo questions his ability to lead and wonders if Splinter chose the right turtle for the job. Throughout all of that though, the boys ultimately rely on Leo and follow his lead when all is said and done.

Where this Leo truly differs from '03 Leo is that he not only struggles with leading a team that isn't so keen on being led, but he also struggles to grasp that he leads a team.

There are many times in the series where Leo runs off on his own or makes the decision to tackle something himself rather than with help, and that's not out of the norm, especially in comparison to his own brothers and '03 Leo. The problem is that '12 Leo's solo decision making more often than not leads to trouble (we all know the tale of him trying to turn Karai to the good side without informing the team about her). One of the first major examples of this though was in the S1 finale when he takes Splinter's words a little too close to heart and gives his brothers the scare of their life. Granted, him holding back Kraang Prime kept it on the sinking Technodrome, but you get what I'm saying.

His family actively calls him out on this behavior on two separate occasions during S4.

After they'd spent six months with the Fugatoid fighting the Triceratons and racing to collect every piece of the black hole generator before them, Fugatoid reveals that he was the one who made the world ending device, a reveal that lights a flame of betrayal in everyone, especially Raph and Leo. Believing that they're being used by Fugatoid, Leo rides off in a stealth ship on his own and nearly gets himself killed, a move that has his brothers scolding him, with Raph being the most vocal about Leo's idiotic decision: "Leaders are called leaders because they're supposed to lead a TEAM!"

The moment isn't lingered upon for long, but they all make it clear that they're tired of Leo's one man missions. They're a team, so they should plan and function like one.

Then, in Broken Foot, Leo starts doing missions with Karai and Shinigami in secret to aid them in taking revenge against the Shredder, but, in an attempt to find out what Leo was hiding from them, the other turtles get caught up in their plans and Donnie gets hurt. Leo immediately abandons Karai (who later apologizes for what happened) and Shinigami to check on them and come clean.

He explains to Splinter later on that he didn't fill anyone in on the situation at first because he knew no one would've agreed to help Karai get revenge, and he acknowledges that it was stupid of him to think he could control the situation. Splinter expresses his disappointment, and April reprimands him for once again not trusting his own team enough for them to help him.

Leo apologizes to Raph and Mikey afterwards, even going so far to say he probably doesn't deserve to lead the team after this, something Raph just harumphs at while Mikey remains silent. He pleads for their help in stopping and eventually aiding Karai and Shinigami, and they go along with him to fix things as a team.

We no longer get any one man missions from Leo in S5 (there surprisingly weren't any in S3 lol), likely for a whole list of reasons ranging from leading in Splinter's absence to learning from his mistakes over time. But he makes sure that whatever they have to do gets done together, and he does his best to keep his brothers in line.

I suppose one could say that '03 Leo remembered what it meant to be a leader, while '12 Leo discovered what it meant to lead.

[angelmichelangelo]

going to ramble on about that new tv spot we got for tmnt mutant mayhem because i have worms in my brain. and this kinda links in to my post from the other day about turtles vs acceptance so yeah.

so this first screenshot is from the part where mikey asks april if she thinks they’ll be accepted into society (i tried but i couldn’t actually get a good shot where either mikey or donnie weren’t blinking lol)

so here we have mikey at the forefront. we know from other snippets of these scene before, they’re just standing in a line, so however this topic of conversation came to be, it’s mikey that has pushed his way to the front to ask her this, with big round, hopeful eyes like she’s just got to say yes.

and the reaction of the others is interesting too. we have donnie, who’s looking a little wide eyed that mikey would even ask this, like he’s shocked that he was brave enough to ask. i think i’ve mentioned it before but imo i think donnie + mike are the ones that crave that “normal human life” the most — and whilst i think mm is going to give each of them their own reason to want to be part of a normal society, i think don and mike being the youngest, they’re a little more naive to it all. they truly believe that they can just rock up, save the city from bad guys, be hailed hero’s and then sign up for high school the next day.

because look at leo and raph’s reactions. the seem a little more hesitant towards april’s response. raph looks like he knows her answer and is bracing himself for it. leo almost seems like he’s trying to warn her not to respond because he knows how much it’ll hurt his brothers.

and then we get this shot, after april tells them straight up: no.

mikey looks heartbroken. you see the way his body actually just. deflates. rejected. hurt. he physically recoils from this answer. he is definitely going to make me cry in this movie i just know it:(

donnie looks hurt by this too. like he was truly holding out onto some hope that they could be loved and accepted. he’s a little more reserved than mikey here but he’s just as affected by this. i love that he’s kind of almost hiding behind his staff? that’s a nice little touch. i imagine donnie is quite a shy little guy and this is a good example of this.

and then raph! again, if you watch the actual clip he takes one big breath as if to steel himself. perhaps he hadn’t realised what little hope he had built up in his head, but he feels it crashing down on him right here, and he’s mad about that. mad that he can’t have what he wants, and that his brothers can’t have what they want. this is a very Raph reaction but done very well.

and leo. oh leo. again, i think out of all them, leo might be the one that’s less inclined to want to be a part of the human world. he’s anxious and nervous enough about going to get pizza as it is but he looks hurt by this too. because like i said in my post about bayverse turtles wanting a human life with raph: if leo’s brothers wanted to live on the surface amongst everyone else, leo, even if he was content with his life in the sewer, would rather live up there with them, rather than underground without them. he looks away when april tells them that they wouldn’t be accepted. he carries so much of the world on his shoulders oh this boy. he’s gonna make me cry too yall.

anyway feel free to share your own thoughts and opinions on this scene! i’d love to hear ‘em :)

(also. mikey busting it down and the others hyping him up was really funny. they’re such Boys i can’t wait for this movie)

[whispering-about-the-tmnt]

I know Leo is your favorite. I am curious what’s your opinion on Raph?

I love him! I actually love all the guys pretty much equally, it's just that I love Leo a tiny bit more.

The thing about Raph, though, is in some of the iterations he is reduced down to a base "angry guy" personality; and I prefer it when the writers tell us why he is angry, and show more aspects of who he is.

For example, the "why" being, as Splinter put it in my story "Something Wicked", when Raph got angry and punches things after... well, that's a spoiler:

"I am sorry if someone has hurt you in their anger," he said, placing his touch on the teen's arm. "But I swear to you that Raphael would never do so. He is first and foremost a protector, and he believes at this moment that he has failed in that charge. Would you feel any different, if one person you loved was missing, and two others unwell?"

He wants to protect people; that is his primary personality trait, not "angry guy". That is doubtless why he became Nightwatcher in the 2007 movie. It wasn't because he wanted to go out there bashing heads in (that was just a bonus), it was because he wanted to protect people, and when Leo left they stopped doing that. Interestingly, the things that Leo found distasteful about the Nightwatcher were very much the same things that Leo himself was doing in the jungle in South America, but it seems that Raph was actually more conscious of not killing anyone in the process (you can't tell me that Leo let that guy in the Jeep actually live... not with that blood-curdling scream).

But, yeah, Raph and Leo are actually very much alike in that they are protectors of others, except that Leo goes about it very differently. The jungle example notwithstanding, in most versions Leo is the big brother that goes to his younger sibling's bullies and gives them a calm warning; Raph is the big brother that goes to his younger sibling's bullies and pushes them against the wall and tells them to back the hell off or deal with him... then he goes home and smacks the younger sibling across the head.

He can be very soft when he wants to be, though, so those soft moments have much more of an impact. Like in Tales Of Leo in 2k3, when he was the only one to cry when he told his story; or in both Bayverse and MM when he confessed his love for his brothers when he thought they were all going to die; or how well he got along with little Yoshi in TMNT 3; or when, in the 2007 movie, he told Splinter about Leo getting taken; or in Batman Vs. TMNT when he lectured Batman about the importance of family. But one of the most heart-wrenching moments had to be in Same As It Never Was when he was dying and used his last ounces of strength to crawl to Leo's side.

And as I said, I love it when his other interests are put on display. Like when he is shown knitting and carving in Bayverse, or working on his bike in 2k3, or playing video games with the guys in whatever iteration. In the future world of the TMNT Archie run, he is shown to be married and runs a restaurant where he is the chef. And though it is not an interest, knowing that he is afraid of insects makes him seem more down-to-earth and less of just the tough turtle.

Some of his "traits", I must admit, are simply headcanons to me. Because of his protective nature, I like to think of him as a gifted medic (albeit one whose bedside manner could use some working on), whose medical knowledge is second only to Don's. Also, I picture him being able to speak Spanish, which he learned by hanging out with people in the Bronx (also where he picked up his distinct-in-the-family accent). Both of those things, again, I wrote into "Something Wicked", which even has a whole chapter about Raph called "The Protector".

So, yeah, I think Raph is awesome! I just wish we could see more of it onscreen, you know? I am really looking forward to how Tales Of The TMNT utilizes him!

Anyways, thank you for the ask! Sorry the answer was so long!

[mutant-chain-reaction]

In the case of character dynamics, Don's and Mikey's archetypes tend to be considered the opposite of Raph's and Leo's - brain vs brawn, comic relief vs leadership.

Yet something I find fascinating about the turtles in the 2003 series is how Donatello and Michelangelo naturally display what are considered Raphael's and Leonardo's best ninja-student traits respectively.

In the team, Raphael's best asset is considered his strength. Leonardo is a model ninja, his movements calculated and perfect. While presumably all four of the turtles routinely work out and obviously practice their ninjutsu, Raphael is shown as the most physically inclined and working out, exercising his strength, and Leonardo is teased for his perfect ninjutsu techniques while arguably being the closest to Splinter.

Yet, Donatello has demonstrated amazing physical strength in the series (detailed a bit in this thread here). He shines as the brains of the group, but he's right behind Raphael when it comes to strength and daredevil stunts. Despite Raphael saving/watching Donatello's back multiple times throughout the series, Donatello has his own reckless side as well, particularly when his curiosity gets the better of him.

Season 3's episode "H.A.T.E." has Don setting fire to a trail of oil to a car, making it explode to scare off the bad guys of the episode. When Raph and Don are racing after the dude with a nuclear bomb, Raph tells Don to jump from their vehicle to the van carrying the bomb:

Raph: "This is where you get off."

Don: "Since when am I supposed to do the crazy stuff? That’s your department, Raph."

Raph: "Just go!"

And Don does. He has no problem literally pushing buttons on unknown machines to help him figure things out, and has the physical strength to protect himself and others if need be. If he wasn't counted on so much for his mental prowess, he very well could be right on the front lines of the physical fights with Raphael.

When it comes to their ninjutsu techniques, Leonardo is considered the teacher's pet and works hard to perfect his forms. He takes his role as leader seriously and deserves the position.

If Michelangelo happened to apply his talent more, however, I have no doubt he would surpass Leonardo when it comes to ninjutsu.

There are so many examples of Mikey's natural talent -- the Big Brawl, causing mass confusion during the Triceratops invasions, outwitting Mr. Touch and Mr. Go -- that it is almost frustrating to see some of the episodes where his brothers dismiss his plans and ideas because he is the resident goofball. He has fantastic planning skills and the enthusiasm to execute them (Turtle Titan, anyone?).

Typically, if the turtles have to split up, it's Leo and Raph together and Don and Mikey together (indeed, there was a TMNT 2012 episode that highlighted the pairings as "Team A" and "Team B" respectively), but I would have loved to see more team-ups of Raph and Don together and Leo and Mikey together -- Team Reckless and Team Planners.

Of course, their personalities help each turtle cement their role in their group - Don wouldn't be Don if he was a brawler rather than genius, and Mikey wouldn't be as optimistic if he was more in a leadership position. This is just a nature vs nurture dynamic with the four turtles that I find interesting.