TheTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesare known for being fun-loving brothers who love cracking jokes and eating pizza, but they weren’t always as lighthearted as they are now. In fact, the originalTMNTseries was far darker than the later installments in the franchise, despite its current kid-friendly reputation. From the ninja turtles themselves to the deadly villains they fought, this series' content used to be much more difficult for readers to stomach.
Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello debuted in Mirage Studios’Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles#1 by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. In their black-and-white era, they all wore matchingred bandanasand fought more viciously than they’re known to today. Back then, the ninja turtles were known for cracking skulls, not stuffing their faces withgnarly pizzas.
The'90s cartoon adaptation of the TMNTmade alterations to the turtles to appeal to a younger demographic, which included brightening the mood and injecting the characters with more wacky humor.Now, it’s time for ninja turtle fans to learn just how brutal the series was when it originally began.
The Original TMNT Are Much Grittier Than the Turtles That Fans Know and Love
Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey Commit Nonstop Acts of Violence
In Eastman and Laird’s foundational take on the TMNT, they aren’t the type of fighters to show mercy in a fight.Contrary to their modern counterparts' heroic ways, the ninja turtles of these classic ’80s comics were trained assassins with an affinity for violence.One of theirdarkest momentscan be found inTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles#6, when they don’t hesitate to slaughter Triceratons rather than making an effort to find common ground with them or otherwise resolve their conflict peacefully. With more violent weapons at their disposal - including, inTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles#61, a gun - these turtles aren’t messing around.
Forget the Turtles, Casey Jones Is Officially the Coolest TMNT Character
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are undeniably cool, perhaps the coolest characters in comic book history, but they’ve been usurped by Casey Jones.
The turtles themselves aren’t the only characters who commit atrocious acts of violence within these comics.Casey Jones, a longtime friend of the TMNT, carries out what may be the series' most controversial kill inTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles#48. He recklessly faces off against a group of criminals, only to discover that one of them is a child. Unfortunately, Casey’s revelation came too late, as he had already dealt the finishing blow and killed the kid off.The bodies left in the TMNT and their allies' wake don’t exactly align with the silly image they’ve cultivated as the stars of children’s TV shows.
Shredder’s Fate in the TMNT’s First Appearance Highlights How Dark They Could Get
The TMNT’s Greatest Villain Suffered A Gruesome Fate In Their Premier Issue
The ninja turtles eliminated plenty of enemies in gory fashion throughout their original series, but none of the murders they performed were quite as disturbing as the murder of Shredder, their infamous arch-nemesis. The turtles shocked readers in 1984 bykilling Shredder in the comic’s first issue, and the events leading up to his death were truly horrific to watch unfold. They first beat him relentlessly, then Leonardo handed the villain his sword and told him to end his own life. In retaliation,Shredder attempted to blow them all up with a grenade, only to get knocked off a building and explode alone with it in midair.
Much like the turtles and Splinter, Shredder first appeared inTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles#1!
If Leonardo trying to convince Shredder to commit seppuku - effectively ordering him to disembowel himself - isn’t harsh enough, the haunting situations involving Shredder in the originalTMNTcomics don’t stop there. InTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles#21, Shredder was resurrected by the Foot Clan, but not in a recognizable state. Instead, his body was scarred beyond recognition. He also spawned more Mutant Shredders, with each being more visually disturbing than the last, all of whom put the turtles to the test. Mirage Studios’TMNTtook pleasure in frightening readers with its selection of gruesome enemies like Shredder.
The TMNT’s Villains Used to Be Downright Horrific In the Early Comics
The TMNT face villains other than Shredder regularly, especially in their first comic run, since the villain in question was killed off early on and thus taken off the table as a viable threat. In his stead,iconicTMNTvillainssuch as the Utroms - a species that houses the Krang - emerged to combat the titular turtles.Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles#3 followed Splinter as he sought the truth about the Ultrom’s identity, and he was forced to watch as these disgusting creatures emerged from their human suits and crawled out onto a table in front of them.
TMNT, I Am Begging You: Please Quit Torturing One of My Favorite Heroes
Donatello has consistently faced more trauma than his brothers in IDW’s TMNT continuity, and it’s about time his cycle of suffering came to an end.
Another terrifying foe from Eastman and Laird’s unexpectedly dark saga was the Mouser, an unassuming robot designed with the purpose of eradicating rats and mice inNew York. The first Mouser appeared inTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles#2, and it conveyed its programmed mission in a revolting manner that would make any reader nauseous. Rather than merely killing off pests, the Mouser devoured them whole and chewed them up until they no longer exhibited signs of life.With appalling opponents like Ultroms and Mousers contending with them, it’s no wonder that these initial TMNT needed to rely on drastic measures.
TMNT’s Current Era Finally Returns to the Series' Gritty Roots
IDW Publishing’s Take on the Ninja Turtles Lets Them Get Bloody Again
As mentioned earlier, the TMNT have since deviated from the blueprint laid out by their first comic series by leaning further into a lighter tone. The various cartoons, from the widely beloved 1987 series to 2018’sRise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, have redefined the turtles for a more general audience. However, thegritty atmosphere of the original TMNT comicshas made a recent resurgence in IDW Publishing’s ongoing relaunch by Jason Aaron and Juan Ferreyra, with the turtles killing enemies again and navigating heavier stories - includingDonatello’s traumatic imprisonment in a mutant zoo.
Whether you prefer goofy shenanigans or bloody brawls, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have it all across their varied adaptations - though no other versions are quite as intense as the originals were.
TMNTfans tend to disagree over which approach to the Heroes in a Half Shell is superior. On one hand, kids have grown to adore the turtles over the years, and that’s due to the shows' lack of age-inappropriate violence. On the other hand, allowing for violence and core opens up opportunities for mature storytelling. Both approaches have pros and cons, but at the end of the day, they’re at their best when they coexist. Whether you prefer goofy shenanigans or bloody brawls, theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtleshave it all across their varied adaptations - though no other versions are quite as intense as the originals were.
