Why __________ is my favorite Turtle.

[Jester]

Hey all, Jester here.
I wasn't sure if I should make this a game (as "Why _______ is my favorite ________." where you answer that about any thing you want) or here, so I decided here, as the "Why ________ is my favorite Turtle". I was thinking about it at work and here's why Raph is my favorite Turtle.

Raphael is my favorite Turtle because of Rob Paulsen. I got into TMNT because of the old toon, and Raphael was my favorite Turtle because was the the most funny. Thought Michaelangelo was the "party dude" Raphael was the one who had me in stitches. Then I watched the first movie and I saw a darker raph, but a Raph I could relate too as well. Raphael's scene with Splinter is one of my favorite scenes in all of TMNT, and Splinter said in the new movie he's "strong, passionate and loyal to a fault, and those are the merits of a great leader as well." Raphael is my favorite Turtle because he may seem like a sarcastic sardonic outsider, but he's really a softy underneath, a true "protector of others."

[Nightwatcher]

Raphael is my favorite Turtle because of the old cartoon. He was sarcastic which fit in to my style of humor. Also he said "damn" a lot in the first movie which was cool to me at the time because I was so young. I didn't really appreciate the darkness until later. He was probably the least popular turtle between me and my friends which was another reason I liked him (I could use him in all the video games; I could be him while playing with action figures). Also for some reason I thought Sai were the coolest weapons. Swords were too generic, and nunchucks and a boe staff were made of wood and therefor less cool in my eyes.

I can relate to him more now that I'm older (to be fair I can relate to most all of them in some way). I can understand not wanting to be told what to do by an older sibling and I have my loner moments. I tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve and I have the tendency to bear the emotional weight of people around me on my shoulders.

Plus he was the one who met up with Casey Jones and is arguably his best friend out of the turtles and Casey is an awesome character.

[Revan]

I actually made a turtle switch when the first live action movie came out. Leonardo was my favorite when I was a little guy. What child doesn't love swords? However when the movie came out, Leo was portrayed as somewhat soft and I just didn't like him. Raph caught my fancy because he felt that fighting is the best way (just like me. ha!)

Now I am a die hard Raph fan because when I went to the movie, Raph always wanted to fight. He wanted to get down to business. "Oh that's the plan from our great leader. Just sit here on our buts!" I distinctly remember how much I wanted to watch the turtles fight and I suppose watching Raph in his numerous fight scenes is what waranted the switch from leo to raph.

P.S. Good topic

[Raph]

My favorite turtle is Raphael. When I started my fandon at 9 years of age, it was normal on the school playgrounds to have 2 fav's so mine were Don and Raph. But I had several corny reasons why Raph was and still is my favorite.

- First of all, his name starts with an R, so does mine (Rutger)
- His bandana is red: My favorite colour is red.
- Raph's a loner, so was I.
- I though and still think that the Sai is the coolest looking ninja weapon.

Only in later years I grew more into his actual characteristics and style then just the references of name and color.

[Ballerninja]

Woo! First non-Raph fan.

While I do love Raph dearly, Leo will always be the best in my eyes.

Of course, it started because of his swords. He was my inspiration to get involved in the martial arts (been training over 17 years now) and to choose the katana as my main weapon for competition. He also has my attitude toward training. He's a no nonsense, get down to business kindof guy. While I do feel like Raph sometimes and think that there are more important things than ceremony, Leo will always be the one I relate to the best.

[Jester]

How could I forget the sai...I love the sai, always have liked it as a ninja weapon, thus my love for Raph.

[TheAnimatedSeries]

I cant remember if orange is my favorite color because of Michelangelo, or if I was bought Michelangelo because orange is my favorite color, but either way Mikey was my first figure when the toys first came out. I dont just like him for that though, he was also my favorite personality in the shows and I especially related to him with the added depth he had in the first and third movies. Also, whenever we would use fake weapons when we were playing, nunchucks were the most fun because you'd end up hitting people for real.

[Buslady]

Why Raph is my number one turtle love:

Raph is my man cause of Josh Pais and the first movie. He was real, he sounded real, he was portrayed accurately. I liked him in the old toon but it was TMNT1 that did it. (watching the new movie was like fallin in love with Raph all over again!)

us Loners gotta stick together (how ya like that oxymoron!)
he has strong feelings of an outcasted reject, I know the feeling
he feels his emotions quite strongly, as I do, we both try to hide them
often feels the solution is to kick butt cause words don't mean a thing
actions speak louder than words
he *is* quite attractive for being a mutation of a turtle
despite his seemingly slower ability to learn, he is a good student of saijutsu and sai are just plain cool.....*snap*:P
Raph needs love.
He's just plain cool. Acts tough and fearless even when he's scared
I mean come on, lookit those beautiful brown eyes, how could you say no to those? :P

[Ramboraph4life aka Matt]

Raphael is also my favorite because...well this is going to sound strange. I think it may be because when I was a kid I loved (and still do) the character Rambo which I saw before the turtles..lol let me explain.

I first saw the character Rambo and just instantly became a hero to me(i guess like some did with Hercules, Tarzan etc.)Then I saw the TMNT cartoon, but it was the first movie in which I saw this turtle named Raphael. And especially where in my small child brain I just put those two characters together.

Both have red bandannas, tough attitudes, are loners, small hand-held yet deadly weapons (Raph's sais and Rambo's knives), a lot of physical strength, both had scars, and both names begin with R and A. I know weird but I guess when you're a kid, the weirdest things can draw you to something.

Then once I got to know more about the character through the other films (and fanfiction especially) I could put him into my own Rambo-type stories. I also agree with Buslady's reasons wholeheartedly :)

[Ra]

Raphael fans, UNITE! :evilgrin:

Raph is my favorite turtle because of the fact that he's been my favorite ever since I was a kid. I loved the color red, so it was only natural for me to love "the red one". He also had the coolest weapons I had ever seen. But when I grew older and met Raphael again...I loved again for different reasons. He was the lone wolf of the pack, the one who saw himself as a loose cannon and at times harmed the ones he cared about. For me, each time I look at Raph, I see a reflection of myself. I see quite a bit of myself in him, and I would give anything to be with someone who had an idea of how you view the world.

And I am totally with Buslady on the eyes. Look at them! Just look at them! How can you say you don't love them?!

[cyberfox007]

Don is my fave turtle.

The reason being is that i find me and him very much alike. both him and me are tech junkies, make al kinds of gadgets, very analitical of the situation at hand and so forth.

i must say i do have a little bit of Mikey in me too. i can get lazy some times and do like to party

[Daunt]

Growing up, Mikey was my favorite. He was so adorable. His cute idiocy and goofyness was totally endearing. My affection for him skyrocketed in the movie because his voice actor was cuteness x100. Mikey will always hold a special place in my heart. :D

Now that I'm older I find myself more interested in Leo & Raph. Dunno what it is but I suspect that Raphael has that same mystique that Wolverine did for me...his volitile nature and repressed anger makes him dynamic. Leo, for similar reasons actually, it seems like they both hate themselves for not being 'good enough' in their own estimation while being jealous and angry at each other. It's a great combination. :D

[Jo Dawn]

Hmm.. this may take a few posts and hours to completely finish...

Don has always been my favorite turtle, from the beginning. I always felt some kind of kinship with him. I understood him. I was always more into reading and science and all that than almost anything. I was quiet, shy. Pacifistic. I am that now.

It almost helped me to see who I was better, if that makes sense.

Though, in almost a similar vein, Leo was my least favorite when I was younger, but he is now in close second. I think we are all in some way alike to all the turtles, but for me, I am most like Don and Leo. It's just my personality. Ask my mom. She said I was 40 by the time I was 4. I completely see Leo being that, also.

I sympathise with each of them (in a non feeling-bad-for-them way). I just 'get' it. With all of them, but with those two most especially. I don't think one can fully explain something that they just 'get' naturally.

I hold intelligence in high regard, along with discipline and responsibility.


In a nutshell, that's what I can give you. Though I will never be able to explain it fully, I suppose a beginning is good.

...More later, as it comes.

[Time Mistress]

Tie: Mike and Raph

Mike because:
Back during the old toon Mike was my favorite, I thought he had the coolest weapon of the four (having since had a few chuking classes though I'm better suited to swords and Splinter's handbo)
He's impatient, I can really relate
He's a consumate optimist and a force for harmony in the household, like me
He has a good sense of humor that I find funny (most of the time)
He's a creative writer and wants to be an author, like me
He has a cat, like me (Mirage Klunk who is gray with white feet even looked like my Socks)
He does character voices, like me (I've always wanted to be a VA too)
He loves comics and superheroes, so do I
He loves martial arts, but he isn't consumed by it and has other interests too

Raph because:
I never really "got" old toon Raph, but movie Raph blew me away and became my fave for a long while
Raph is the TMNT's answer to the X-Men's Wolverine, it's because I love Raph so much that I've also become a big Wolverine fan. So basically Raph's cool for all the same reasons Wolvie is, but even moreso, cause it's Raph:)
His passion - Raph, as Mike says, is the TMNT's secret weapon. All of them would fight to the death to protect each other, but Raph just has that "extra" protector role somehow, I love seeing him lay the smackdown on any that would hurt his bros
Raph's a loner, something I can relate to
He's also an introvert, something else I can relate too

The Mike/Raph relationship is easily my favorite. Mike is the one who can reach Raph when no one else can, and Raph is especially protective of Mike. I honestly can't pick a favorite between them anymore.

[Jester]

Donnie's become my close (almost tied) second to Raph, because Donnie is everything that Raphie isn't. Now I know in the TMNT mythos Raph and Leo are supposed to be foils, but to me Donnie seems to be more of Raph's exact opposite than Leo. Donnie uses his mind to defeat his foes, Raph his body. Donatello relies on intuition and investigation to make a move, Raphael relies on his emotions and instincts. Donnie has grown on me, mainly because of the 2k3 series, where he is the most sensitive and thoughtful of the TMNT, again the complete opposite of Raph.

So I guess that's why Donnie is my (very very very close second) favorite Turtle.

[Zog the Equalizer]

Don has always been my favorite. At first because of his purple bandana, but mostly because of his love of science. As a child I was sometimes mocked for my love of science so I looked up to don. Tales of the TMNT only reafirmed my favoritism because he states his love of all animals and i plan on becoming a zoologist. its also the reason I chose to learn the way of the bo-staff, but my sensai moved away.

[Warhorse]

Raphael is not only my favorite Turtle, but my favorite hero in all mediums.

Why?
First, in the old cartoon, it started with his color. But then I also grew fond of his witty, sarcastic humor, something that I have myself. It's a born talent, and can't be learned!:D

But like everyone on here, when I saw the big flick (with my mind racing to as why are the ninja turtles PG?) I found out that Raph was the particular reason for that PG rating. But he had everything going for him. His attitude was like in your face. His weapon is the most chilling out of all the Turtles (in that it's quite unique, not too many ninja films portray the use of a sai)

It would be a few years later after the last installment of the Turtles movies, due to college. But I then stumbled across the 2k3 series, which led me to the technodrome, and it was reading other fans thoughts on the red clad Turtle, I realized what a great thing he was. I do feel he is down played heavily in the 2k3 series, but he still has some of the best fight scenes, in my opinion, to all the Turtles. Like in one episode, Mikey was unconscience, and Raph heaved Mikey onto his shoulders, and did a backflip into the woods. How cool was that.

It's true that Leo and Raph fans will be at a distress with eachother, since these two Turtles seem to be the opposition of eachother. But in my opinion, I think Leo may be a great leader and all, but he would be no where in his skill and expertise if it wasn't for Raph's constant challenges. I believe Raph made what Leo is today.

Even in this new movie, Raph was not afraid of Splinter. He said "wassup!" to Splinter during the breakfast. That Turtle has no fear, and I think it's an admirable quality.

Also, he's the only Turtle that has a name that doesn't end in O. Another little thing that sets him apart from the others. I like him because he so differrent from the others.

[Jo Dawn]

but to me Donnie seems to be more of Raph's exact opposite than Leo.

I completely agree. I actually think that Leo and Raph are very much alike; they just handle things in different ways (I thought this was said somewhere, too... But I can't remember.)

[JetsAndHeels]

Leo is my favorite turtle because he is the glue that holds the team together. He is the leader, the one who makes decisions that affect the 4 of them.

It was in the original toon that Leo first became my character of choice, and it has been that way since. Of course the swords and all are cool (back in the old toon that was always a big plus), but his personality and character are what drew me into him. He values family and honor above everything else, and would do whatever he could for those he loves.

[triplexxx]

They are all the glue that holds the team together, and they'd all do everything they could to protect their family.

[JetsAndHeels]

They are all the glue that holds the team together, and they'd all do everything they could to protect their family.

Correct, but Leo being the leader he is held to a higher standard.

[The Shelf]

Precisely (EDIT: That's a precisely to what triplexxx said. It seems I took too long to post my message). The personalities of the four turtles is so perfectly balanced that if you remove any one of them, the other three would soon split up. An excellent example is that one episode of the 2k3 series where Donny goes to a future where he's been missing for around 30 years. The same would very easily happen if any of the other turtles died, left, or disappeared.

Back to topic... How on earth can you possibly force us to choose just one turtle?! I love them all so much, and I have something in common with every single one of them. I'm the oldest child so I have the same responsibilities that Leo has. I've always been very book-smart like Donny. I can be a really grumpy punk like Raph. I can be really goofy like Mikey as my friends can attest, though I seldom let that monster out anymore (my Mikey side can be dangerous, I say!). So for me it's really hard to choose a favorite.

Overall, though, I think I have the most in common with Leo and Donny (hmm, is it coincidence that I relate to the turtles that are typically considered the eldest?). I love Raph as well. Mikey is probably my least favorite but only because he's rarely portrayed the way I think he should be. The cartoons and movies always portray Mikey as being the incredibly carefree, innocent, and childish turtle, but I've always seen him as being just as serious as the others and he just uses his humor to break the mood and keep the peace. I think Mikey is the only turtle that truly needs the other three. They all need each other, but I think Mikey would be the most devastated if anything happened to any of the others. In any case, Mikey's not really my least favorite turtle, but he hasn't been portrayed very well in most media which is why he's not my favorite.

Someone said it before, but I think it bares repeating -- Leo and Raph are very, very similar in personality. The difference is that Leo is a little more rational and responsible while Raph is more fierce and passionate. Leo controls his passion by holding strictly to a moral code while Raph does whatever's necessary to protect his family or himself at the expense of any grief it may cause him later on. This is why their personalities clash so much. They're not opposite to each other by any means, but they do balance each other out when they work together. Leo controls Raph, and Raph pushes Leo to go the extra mile. Right now, I'm going to let loose my Donny side. Imagine Leo and Raph as being two vectors (line segments with arrows on the end). Rather than being antiparallel (pointing in opposite directions) think of them as being perpendicular. They still go in different directions, but they both strive toward a particular goal. When you add the two together you get a single vector that points straight forward and is nearly twice as long as the two vectors were individually. In this way, Leo and Raph balance each other out and push each other further than they could normally go on their own rather than canceling each other out (as they would if they were antiparallel).

I hope that wasn't too terribly confusing... But now you can see why I favor Donny as well. I love to use my smarts to understand, solve, and explain things. And not just technical things either. The thing I love about Donny is that he's smart in all areas. His expertise may be in technology and invention, but he stays relatively balanced by learning and understanding other things as well. Also, many people see Raph as being the "loner" of the group, but in reality Leo, Raph, and Donny are all loners. They just choose to handle it and express themselves in different ways. Raph expresses it the most obvious way by getting angry at people and using that as an excuse to get away from them. Leo expresses it by going off and training and meditating on his own all the time and becoming engrossed in Bushido or whatever it's called. Donny expresses it by becoming engrossed in his work and studies. They each use these things to escape the concerns of life. Mikey is the only one who's not really a loner because he desperately needs other people in his life. The others could probably handle themselves fine if they all split up, but I don't think Mikey would take it very well. I honestly don't think Raph would be able to handle it either, so you might argue that he's less of a loner than Leo or Donny is. If a disaster happened (such as Splinter's death in the comics) Leo would go off on his own to meditate or what not, Donny would engross himself in work, and Raph would either get angry at the world or drown out his troubles with beer, but Mikey would surround himself with other people. All of this more or less happened in the comics.

Ugh, this is getting long. In short, Donny is probably my favorite turtle. Though I don't like how he's always able to miraculously invent almost anything that the turtles need, I do like his personality and how he handles things. Leo is also a close second. He has a great sense of loyalty just like Raph, but his sense of honor keeps that loyalty from allowing him to be consumed with righteous rage when something happens to a loved one. As for Raph and Mikey, well, you can't help but just love those two. ;)

How's that for a first post?!

I realize most of what I've said in this post has probably been said before, but I like to spell things out and squish them all together so they're easy to understand and digest.

A couple last quick notes that I didn't get to, but wanted to:
- Donny seems to be even more of a loner to me because none of the other turtles really understand him. Leo seems to appreciate him the most, but it's more of a "high respect and regard" for Donny than an "understanding" kind of thing.
- I think Raph is closer to Mikey than any of the other turtles (though the movies made it seem like Mike and Donny were closer). He almost seems like a "big brother" to Mikey while Leo is almost a "big brother" or "twin" to Donny. I love those pairings, but I'm disappointed that we don't see more interaction between Raph & Donny and Leo & Mikey. (though I hear Raph & Donny have some good scenes in later issues of Volume 4)

[JetsAndHeels]

I guess I need to clear up what I meant...Leo is the one who holds them together in the leadership sense. Like in the movie where Splinter told him he was very dissappointed in him for the group fighting after they had been forbidden to.

They all are equally important to the team..when I said Leo is the glue I meant that from a point of leadership, thats all. :)

Oh and nice to have you here, The Shelf!!

[The Shelf]

Thanks, JetsAndHeels! Oh, and I absolutely agree with you about Leo. Obviously, since he's the leader, he guides and directs them. None of the other turtles could fill that role in Leo's absence for any extended period of time. Donny might be able to lead, but he doesn't have the sense of responsibility and direction that Leo has, so I don't think he could lead for very long. Raph could also lead, but his hotheadedness and rashness would get them into trouble eventually. Mikey is 100% a supporting turtle. I don't see any way that he could handle leadership responsibilities, but then, no one could fill Mikey's role very well either. Essentially, they would all fall apart if any one of them left because none of them could cover the other's role for any extended period of time. That's all I was trying to say, but I agree with you too.

[Time Mistress]

Great analysis Shelf and welcome to the boards!

[Jester]

Indeed Shelf. That's almost exactly the reason I started this thread, to read well thought out passionate posts like that, good job.

On the road of alternate leadership in place of Leo, if Donatello and Raphael were to work in tandem, where Donnie was able to keep Raphie's rashness in check, and Raph could provide Don direction, they might be able to pull it off. But, it'd be a long row to hoe. Leo's leadership is almost indispensable. Besides, I don't see Raphael being good at co-leadership, no matter how much he needs Donnie's cool head to reign him in. He's too much of a "loner."

[Time Mistress]

The way I see it, Raph makes a perfect second in command for Leo. Leo watches their fronts while Raph watches their backs (with Don and Mike guarding from each side) metaphorically speaking.

[Jo Dawn]

I think Raph could do it... if he had to (he showed that a bit in the new movie) But I don't think he'd like it very much, or do it for very long.

I go with Don as second in command. I mean, it's pretty much that way anyhow. There are tons of good ideas in this thread.

[Time Mistress]

This is fun to talk about. I can see how Don and Raph kinda share the role.

Don tends to take the second in command position before and after the battle, when plans are being formulated with Don being the tactition. But during the actual fight Raph steps up into the role of second in command as the protector watching everyone's backs, so that Don is free to do whatever delicate work he may need to involving his technical skills. That leaves Leo free to be point man, and Mike to run (non technical) diversion and destraction.

Btw, I love your fanfic Jo Dawn. Memories is probably my fave.

[Jo Dawn]

This is fun to talk about. I can see how Don and Raph kinda share the role.

Don tends to take the second in command position before and after the battle, when plans are being formulated with Don being the tactition. But during the actual fight Raph steps up into the role of second in command as the protector watching everyone's backs, so that Don is free to do whatever delicate work he may need to involving his technical skills. That leaves Leo free to be point man, and Mike to run (non technical) diversion and destraction.

Btw, I love your fanfic Jo Dawn. Memories is probably my fave.

It is fascinating to discuss.

...And thank you!! :D (I know, I've been awful about updating, but I AM working, trust me. And I JUST thought about Memories the other day, heh...)

Thanks again. That really makes me happy.

[triplexxx]

This is fun to talk about. I can see how Don and Raph kinda share the role.

Don tends to take the second in command position before and after the battle, when plans are being formulated with Don being the tactition. But during the actual fight Raph steps up into the role of second in command as the protector watching everyone's backs, so that Don is free to do whatever delicate work he may need to involving his technical skills. That leaves Leo free to be point man, and Mike to run (non technical) diversion and destraction.

Btw, I love your fanfic Jo Dawn. Memories is probably my fave.
Another excellent analysis of the turtles and their various positions in battle, and yes this is fun to discuss.

[Venom Symbiote]

I honestly don't even know anymore.

I mean, as a kid it was always Donatello. I thought the bo-staff was just incredibly cool at that age, not sure why. And I could really get into his personality, the calm, collected, controlled guy who overcame problems by considering them and working through to an answer. Logically and scientifically finding a way, either through inventions or common knowledge and sense. I hated his movie portrayals though, but he seems to be great in TMNT (I haven't see it yet, not released for another week here).

Then there's Raph, who I think probably would have been my favourite turtle if I found out about them at a later age (like if I was a teenager when the first movie came out or whatever). I don't mean to disrespect any Raphael fans here (I love the guy, too), it's just he's kind of the...generic "Lone Wolf" angsty anti-hero. Someone's brought up Wolverine in this thread, that's a good example. And Daredevil/Punisher/Spawn, whatever else, he's in that same vein. I know he's supposed to be, and he works fine as a character, but he's a little less unique in some respects. But then again, I guess the same comparison could be made with Leo to Bruce Wayne/Batman too. That whole "determined drive" thing.

Lately though, I think I may have an appreciation for both Leo and Mikey, who as a kid I never really got into that much. I mean, I always liked them casually, but never in a kind of "dedicated fan" way. As a little kid playing ninja turtles with my friends, I WAS Donny, y'know? My best buddy was a Leo fan, I was the Donny nut, and the others didn't much care. Leo and Mikey were never like that with me, or even Raph (although I remember thinking he was so cool back in 1990 with the movie).

My familiarity with the turtles is old-toon and old-movie limited though, so I was never exposed to Mikey's Mirage comic personality. To me, he seems really really intriguing, Eatman & Laird's take on him. Less "goofy surfer dude", more "exceptionally deadly yet incredibly innocent". That is just pure awesome. I think I would have really liked Mikey if I grew up with that interpretation.

Leo is one who I respect a whole lot, and growing older I can kind of appreciate him more I guess. The level-headed "older than his age" responsible guy looking out for himself and his own. Leo maybe isn't as...exciting I guess, which is why I never liked him much as a young'un.

All in all, each of them have their strengths in my opinion. As of right now, I couldn't tell you who my favourite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle is, because it's changed so much. Personality-wise I'm probably some mix of Don/Raph, with a little Leo in me, not much Mikey. But I'm starting to kind of appreciate the bigger picture these days, and Leo and Mikey are really interesting in their own ways too.

[Rooish]

My familiarity with the turtles is old-toon and old-movie limited though, so I was never exposed to Mikey's Mirage comic personality. To me, he seems really really intriguing, Eatman & Laird's take on him. Less "goofy surfer dude", more "exceptionally deadly yet incredibly innocent". That is just pure awesome. I think I would have really liked Mikey if I grew up with that interpretation.


Ha! That's awesome. (He's like River, for any Firefly fans.)

Mike was always my favourite, although they can make him pretty annoying at times. In the old show I liked him because he was fun and laid-back and cute, and because bad things always happened to him. Now that I'm older, I appreciate him even more. Plus I'm a lot like him in some ways ... playful, youngest-child comic relief. Not saying that those are definitely good traits, but I relate to him best. So: Mike is my favourite Turtle, because I understand him best.

Lately the other three Turtles have edged their ways up, though, so I can say that I usually love all 4 the same amount.

[Bad Guys Lover]

My favorite? Well, it`s Raphael!:tangel: ;) I don`t know why, but I`ve always thought he was so cool.:) He and his wits, his sarcasm...He was always playing a tough guy, but underneath he`s so vulnerable and gentle. And there are his sais too... I know some people don`t like his weapon very much, but as I once said, they suits him perfectly, sharp and swiftly as he is.:P **GO RAPH GO**

[Archon_Turtle]

My canned answer (as the tats get me this question asked several times a day) is: Donatello, because he is smart...and can kill you with a stick.

[Bad Guys Lover]

...and can kill you with a stick.
:lol: :lol: :lol:

[Spacefille]

Donatello was and in many ways still is my favorite turtle.

When I was 10 and into the cartoon Ninja Turtles I found him the funniest. I loved his dry wit. I loved how he didn't necessarily want to fight and was the most peaceful and kind hearted of the bunch. I loved how he could make things work, and was a genius. I could empathize with him, as I felt a bit like a social outcast and in some ways Donny was too. I also felt that if I knew him in real life I'd feel SAFE around him.

He was also (don't laugh) was my first crush. I used to get embarrassed and look away when he kissed the mop in the second movie.

I still love Donatello to this day, though around grade 10 I hit a rebellious stage of my life and liked Raph a lot then because of his rebelliousness. He was my close second favorite in the original cartoon, mostly because of the voice work of Robert Paulson and his sarcasm. Interesting that Jester said he was the direct opposite of Donny because I agree with that. Raph is the bad boy and Donny's the good boy. (And Leo's depressive and Mikey's ADD. But anyway...)

Now as an adult my favorites have come full circle and I like them all for various reasons, probably Mikey the least as the new movie made me actually like Leo. However I will always have a soft spot in my heart for my first crush. *embarrassed look* (Don't worry I have a rl human boyfriend who I've been with for over two years so I turned out okay. ;) )

[Daunt]

He was also (don't laugh) was my first crush. I used to get embarrassed and look away when he kissed the mop in the second movie.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for making me feel less weird. Mikey was my first crush. :(((( I love that guy so much. His movie I voice actor was the cutest thing since fuzzy yellow chickies and totally did me in.

PS: I'm married now. I survived the Turtle crush! >_>;

[Spacefille]

Nono Daunt, it's nice to know that other people had crushes on the boys when they were youngsters. Very relieving. Because honestly, when you tell some people that your first crush was kinda on a Ninja Turtle, you get the oddest looks, let me tell you.

And yes, I recovered from it, same as you. *grins*

[Daunt]

*^5s* :D

Although 'recovered' may be a bit of a stretch since I have seen the movie three times so far. My husband is stunned, "WHY are you seeing it again?? I thought we had date night tonight! :( "

:( Sorry honey I have a movie date with a cg turtle....

[Sage Ninja]

I have always really liked Michaelangelo for some reason. I just really liked his laid back and amiable disposition. I also liked how he was the extravert in a family full of intraverts, it made him unique to me some how.

[Ava Collier]

Well, you never asked for GOOD reasons, so here I go. (I'm also, totally cheating >.>)
I'll answer both as myself, and Ava ^_^ (Because I would really love to roleplay right now...and probably would be if my partner were not sleeping. ~_~)

Donatello is my favorite turtle, because I think nerds are sexy. No really, I do. My husband is probably the biggest nerd I know. He may not look like it but...*cough* Let's move on. :evilgrin:

Michelangelo is my favorite turtle, becase he's so sweet. He's childlike, and innocent, and yet still mischeivous. He seems really self centered at times, but when it's most important he's completely selfless.

Raphael is my favorite turtle, because of my best friend >.<
She portrays him very much like he was in the first movie, which is when I liked him most. She also appealed to my bad-boy fetish. Damn her! DAAAAAAMN!

Leonardo is my favorite turtle, because of my best friend as well. I didn't really like him very much before I met her version. I kind of always associated him with X-Men's Cyclops...and let's just say I liked his role the best in X3!
(Which sucked about as much as TMNT 3 >.>) I know I'm going to sound slightly silly, but it feels like I know him on a more personal level now, and that helps. It also greatly amuses me to see the dignified leader type stumble over himself, because there's a girl around. Nothing is sacred anymore...:embarass:

Ava paused nervously, looking back at all the eyes on her. "What if I pick the wrong one, and we all blow up? Oh well, here goes...
I love all my boys of course. I greatly admire Leonardo's determination, and dedication. He's really quite dilligent, and several other such words beginning with D. Speaking of D, Donatello is a genius. I believe there's nothing he can't do. This ungrateful world's prejudice, and fear keeps them from realizing one of the greatest minds that's ever lived. Mikey is very dear, and very wise. What? Don't laugh, it's true! He's always given me good advice, and besides he gets bonus points for being the only one who will play dress-up games with me. I suppose if I absolutely have to choose a favorite, it would have to be My Sunshine. Now that I know him better, I'm a bit surprised Raphael opened up, trusting me the way he did. He may be a little rough on his brothers, but I know he loves them really. Besides, he's the cutest when he blushes..." Blue eyes widening, the young rat ninja dove behind the couch, to avoid the flying sai.

[Protoman]

Originally like any kid during that time, I was on the Mike bandwagon. He was my first toy (softhead 1987) and he was the youngest so a lot of viewers during that generation can related. Years later I ended up liking Raph due to the comics, and more so the movie(s).

[ninjitsu_magic_47]

I first watched TMNT when I was five. I'm sixteen, so the only way I saw the 80's version was on tape. When ever I went to the video store with my mom, I would get a TMNT one. And I would always get the one's with Mikey on the cover. Whenever he was on screen, I would laugh like crazy.

But then the movie store didn't have them anymore :cry:

Or the live action ones.

Anyway, Mikey is, and always be, my favorite. His childish personality I could relate to, I have always found his jokes funny. I really like how is in the 2k3 series, immature (like me) but smart. I keep thinking that people should give him a little more credit for his skills. He won the Battle Nexus championship, twice really. And he is capable of coming up with complecating plans. Eg: Touch and Go, and Reality Check. And he has the coolist weapons.

He's a little self centered, yes, but whenever he is, I can't help but laugh.

And he was and still is my Turtle crush.

Raph I didn't like when I was a kid because to me he picked on Mikey, which I didn't like. And I didn't like her personality. But that was then. Now I can see that he is deeper, and not just the tough guy. I can now see the bond between Raph and Mikey. So now Raph is my second favorite.

I never thought much of Leo when I was a kid, he wasn't exciting in my eyes. His personality I can not realate too. Yes, he's the reasponable leader, I'm not. He's mature, I'm not. He's focused, I'm never. But he is someone to be admired. I liked his personality change at the beginning of the fourth season in 2k3 series. It showed a certain depth to his personality.

And Don... well, he wasn't interesting to me back then, and he's not now. I found his bo staff boring, compared to the nunchaks and the sias. Don is an important part of the team, but all the same. I can't think of any other reason why he's my least favorite. He just is.

[Sunshine]

I have two favorite turtles.

Why Michaelangelo is my favorite turtle. I didn't like Raph as much in the old cartoon but I loved Mikey. In all his different versions he's always been the happy fun loving turtle for the most part. The one who seemed to always make the most of life. He was always there for his brothers when they really needed him and he was always trying to cheer his brothers up when they seemed to need it most. And I really loved that about him. And that's why he's my favorite turtle.

Why Raphael is my favorite turtle. I loved him in the first movie. In the old cartoon I just didn't feel like I could connect with him. He had some good lines but it was like we only ever saw one side of him. When I saw the movie from the very start of it I felt like I knew Raph better then I had before and I loved him. His anger gets him into a lot of trouble but his love for Splinter and his brothers is just as strong as his anger. Sometimes even more so. I just couldn't help but feel for him. And he quickly became my favorite turtle.

They are both my favorite because they more than any of the other turtles seem to really connect to each other and they balance each other out. So I can't really say either is my favorite over the other. Neither one would be the same alone.

[bullet]

donnie is my fav turtle dude.
mostly cuz of the fact that he's the prolly least what i'm like...but he'd compliment my personality well. a lotta people pick their fav turtle as the one that they're most like...but if i should pick a turtle im most like, it'd either be mikey or raph...cuz i'm crazy sarcastic and very termperamental and prolly a bit prone to violence. but donnie on the other hand completely reminds me of my closest friend, who's somewhat geeky, very tech-savvy and calm and collected. however, don's not geeky like, cowardly...he's loyal and always joins in whenever his bros needed him. he can reason through most anything, in a way that's different from leo...in that he's extremely quick to devise team-saving ploys. what he wields is also my favorite...his bo is just such an awesome weapon that can somehow withstand intrusion of metal and various materials that should have much higher breaking points. since my youth i've always loved bo and bangs...from donnie's bo to son goku's nyoibo (sun wukong's ruyi bang).

mikey is a close second.
cuz he's prolly the turtle i can most relate to. he's mostly absentminded, like i tend to be...and speaks often without thinking first...but when he calms down and really thinks about something he could accomplish wutever he wanted, or do wutever his bros needed him to do in a pinch. he's also the most creative (not creative as in, inventive...but creative as in imaginative), which is something i can also relate to...cough. he's looking to make a game out of everything and his attitude is hilarious, especially in the newer cartoons. i keep remembering when he said "T.M.N.T...WHAT YOU GET IS WHAT YOU SEE" and raph sighed "you know, seriously, you're just embarassing yourself." that's gotta be my favorite quote ever. besides...who can NOT love nunchukus?

but they're all awesome, of course. :D