Was the 2k3 Donatello not that good a fighter?

[CyberCubed]

You know speaking strictly of the cartoons, I always preferred original cartoon Donatello because not only did he save the day in almost every episode, (he was a far better leader than Leo was in the 80's show), but he was also an aggressive fighter.

2k3 Don wound up losing many fights or always wound up being the first one taken out, (like in the Battle Nexus), or so forth.

I never understood why they did that. Peter Laird has said many times that Donatello is his favorite turtle, so I'm surprised he didn't ask them what was up with having Donny take the fall so many times.

Its a small nitpick, but I'm sure some of you have noticed this.

[Spitfire]

It's hard to judge because in 90% of the fights they were in he was trying to do something tech related and not focused completely on fighting. I will say however when he's had to go it solo he has kicked some serious ass and I also think in the big foot fight on the roof in Shredder Strikes part 2 he was kicking the most butt. Of all his brothers they did seem to paint him as the weakest fighter but I think SAINW also painted him as the strongest fighter and leader if the need arose. He was in more danger then the other 3 turtles during that whole arc.

Don is a funny character because I always feel like he does the most of all the turtles. I feel like if he wasn't there in many situations the others would have died. There's not many situations where I could say that about the other turtles.

[Eiko]

Donatello is more a scientist then a fighter he uses brains instead of brawn. But if it wasn't for him the others probably would never have defeated Shredder and the rest of the the baddies that are out there. Don by far i think is best of them all.

[BubblyShell22]

I don't think Don's a weak fighter by any means. If the need arises, Don will fight just as furiously as his brothers would fight. People just assume Don is a weak fighter because he's the scientist and seems like a pacifist by nature. However, I feel it's the opposite. He may be a pacifist by nature, but he can fight just as well as his brothers if he needs to.

[Lynn]

Isn't he supposed to be more of a pacifist? Perhaps that's the reason they don't want him to be as battle-ready.

[Jo Dawn]

There are a couple of good points in here.

In my opinion, Don was often preoccupied with thinking. Strategizing. Doing something techie, which he did often in fights.

Also, I think that leads into the known fact that he is naturally pacifistic, and therefore will go more towards those other options (gadgets, electronics, taking down a machine/robot withOUT just beating it up and destroying it) before he completely lets loose in a fight.

That is not to say that he can't or won't fight just as furiously as any of his brothers, because he will and does. He just goes through a process to get there first.

[XERO]

Donatello is a lousy fighter when it's competition based.

But if it's a means of survival and a fight to the death, that's when he really shines. Just check him out when he was fighting the Elite in The Shredder Strikes Back, part 2 or when they fought the Shredder in the Return to New York saga.

He's like Wu-Tang: Ain't nuthin' to f*ck with.

[Sage Ninja]

why does everyone keep saying this? Donatello never never came across as a weak fighter in the 2k3 show. Check him out in Cousin Sid when he takes out that bad guy in the barn and punches his lights out after he already subdued him. I think he is a better fighter than Mikey becuase I've noticed during sparring he always takes him out, and in battle he ushaully is the one to save him. Thing is I rarely see him fail at anything combat wise, he seems like a very solid and effective fighter.

I also would like to point out that one of the reasons Donatello in the OT came across as such an aggressive fighter is that he had the most usable weapon writing wise in the OT. It wasn't a stabbing weapon like Leonardo's (and potenticially Raphael's) weapon, and it wasn't a the oh so evil nunchucks like Mike's, or a useless in physical contact combat as the grappling hook. Donatello's weapon could have full physical contact with out it appearing so violent in the OT. Which is why I believe the writers where able to show him fight as much as he did.

[shuriken]

You know I always wondered why he was taken out of the Battle Nexus so early while almost everyon else made it to like the last 16 competitors. But Benvenuto brings up a good point, it seemed to me like he really didn't feel like the Brawl was all that important, as opposed to Leo, Raph, or Mikey who wanted to prove they were superior fighters. Donnie whooped ass in the SHredder strikes and Strikes back. He is more cunning than the rest, using whatever is in his environment to disable( and sometimes incapacitate) opponents. If the TMNT were ever to fight in a tool shed or barn in a free for all it's be Donnie winning by a landslide.
Physicallyyes, he was the weakest, but in terms of skill and fighting, it's a bit hard to sayconsidereing they all trained in the art of ninjitsu for more than 15 years.

[XERO]

I never said he was weak.

I said he was 'lousy'.

[Redeemer]

I think this is a bad asumption. If you guys remember in "The same as it never was." Don pretty much took down an empire on his own. I think that enough said.

[shuriken]

I think this is a bad asumption. If you guys remember in "The same as it never was." Don pretty much took down an empire on his own. I think that enough said.

Yes but he did it using not only his ninja skill but the environment around him as well as his cunning, something his three brothers evidently lack.
As for Ben I know you didn't say it but it was a point that I wanted to add.