Which Turtle can best, and least, tolerate loneliness?

[Refractive Reflections]

We've heard the phrase that "No person is an island", despite the Turtles interaction with humans there's this inherent sense of loneliness since they are the only ones of their kind. Probably one of the heaviest moments is when these four brothers are separated in Mirage in their old age.

From a general perspective of the franchise and their personalities, which out of the four could best handle loneliness? (Could it be Donatello since he isolates himself with his technology/projects, or do you think it would eventually take its toll? Or maybe it could be Leonardo or Raphael?)

And which one could handle it the least? (It could be easy to say Michelangelo for the least, but couldn't Raphael be a serious contender as well?)

So tell me what you guys think. :) Not only from a species standpoint, but also from a general social standpoint as well.

[BabyTurtles]

.....mmm....I say Donnie can handle it for a while...but I think Leo could beat him in the long run XD

and Mikey can't handle it.....he needs social interaction XD
Raph would probably last a little longer than Mike if he lets out some frustration....maybe punch a tree or two.

[Shark_Blade]

Raph.

He can barely handle Leo going away. Now if everyone goes, including Spike, then he'll go cuckoo.

[Technogeek29]

Mieky would be the worst off to me. Heck he latch on to the next person despite them being trustworthy or not. If it mean't some social interaction again.

[Shark_Blade]

If we look at 2k3 Same As It Never Was, Mikey can handle solitary life just fine. They all did (not sure about Don cause we didn't get to see his future self, but I'm sure he'd be fine too). But it's definitely an empty and sad life, they're much stronger together and compliments each other.

[Donatello19]

Donnie=Best
Mikey=Least

EDIT: After re thinking it, I think the "best" spot is a tie between Leo and Don.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Aside from the SAINW ep, all indications are that Mikey would handle it the worst. He NEEDS others around, being a very gregarious sort by nature. Raph is more of a loner, but would still need some kind of interaction, of the four, I'd say Leo would handle it best. He already has more of a "monk" mentality, and is perfectly happy with a life of quiet contemplation and as we've seen from the movies, he enjoys nature and the freedom of being "one" with it. He'd go jungle-boy for sure. (And I'm talking like that "Ghost of the Jungle" persona he adopted in the GC movie here.) Donnie could go either way, I think.

[Gwydion]

Yeah, I'd think Donnie could handle it best while Mikey would be the worst, but I can see the cases for Leo and Raph respectively. Raph may like to get out and be on his own every now and again, but he seems like the type to take his relationships very seriously - as in, he doesn't need a lot of social interaction, just a few really close individuals he can really trust. If those relationships were taken away, I don't think he'd handle it very well (like, as Shark Blade pointed out, when Leo left). But I still feel Mikey would ultimately handle it worse considering he's an attention seeker.

[MikeandRaph87]

Donatello is the most likely. He has his creativity to occupy him and he can make up for being the weakest by using his brain and environment if caught by a large group of baddies. Being a bit of a loner is apart of Donatello's overall personality.

Leonardo, second best. He needs people around him as he does not serve well as a loner. He needs to be apart of a team to lead in the field. He relies on Splinter's spiritual leadership and others to be around him. Without them he will lose his sense of purpose but could stand periods alone fine. Just not an extended time.

Raphael will be the last to admit he needs others. He fights for the fun of it but he fights for two things justice and for those around him. The way he fights is an extension of himself.Just hanging around the sewer alone will make him go stir crazy. He has been shown to be alone for an extended period of time in IDW#1-#3. He has shown he can handle it but we have also seen psychological side effects. I do not think Donatello would have any if he was. Leo yes because of his need to be guided by Splinter and to guide others. Michelangelo needs people not just to fight for or to guide like either Raphael or Leonardo but hei s a social animal. Raphael does not need social interaction but he needs to care for others. Its a trait carried over as a part of his personality that he liesto deny but its a part of him. He may need to be alone to blow off steam but only temporarily on the seldom occasion.

Michelangelo the least. He is a social being who needs others to surround himself with. He plays off others and sees the best in them.Without others to interact with Michelangelo loses the heartof his laidback funloving people person perosonality. He like Donatello is a pacifist but that is where the similarities begin and end.Michelangelo is no loner at all.

Fun enough its reverse order of my favorites. However, I do love all four of them!

[DonatelloNinja82]

I'm inclined to think that Mikey would handle it the least. As others have said, Mike NEEDS social interaction. It's at the core of his being. Of course...maybe if he was locked alone in a room full of unlimited video games/comics it may be another story...haha

Donnie probably the best by himself. Again as it has been stated, he is a bit of a loner anyways. He can shut himself away in his projects and be ok for a while. Leo has shown he can be by himself in the 2k7 movie.

Raph...he is a tough nut to crack. He needs his brothers. He is protective of Mikey. Although he would be the last to admit it.

[Electric]

Leo and Donnie= best

Leo is stable enough to handle it and he can meditate.
Donnie would probably easily handle it and find something to work on.

Mikey and Raph= least
Mikey needs interaction, or he'll get bored
Raph, despite how he acts, needs his brothers

[Mr._Mutant_Man]

I think Raph could handle himself the best. I'm going mainly by the first movie, but he spent more time by himself than the rest of them did.

Michelangelo would handle loneliness the worst. What good is being the goofball of the team when there is no one around to appreciate it?

[Leo656]

I think Mikey would by far have the hardest time being alone. He genuinely enjoys being around others and is at his best when he's either showing off or trying to make someone laugh. Without an audience, I think he'd be severely lonely and depressed.

Any of the other three could be a good case for handling it the best, but I'd argue strongly for Leo or Donnie and I can't quite decide which for sure.

I hate seeing them separated, though, even though I know it's often played up as an inevitability. Seeing them together interests me more than seeing them apart, and I think that's why Vol. 4 didn't hold my interest in the later rounds.

[BubblyShell22]

I'd say Mikey would handle it the least because he needs people around him and needs his brothers, too. He just can't handle being alone.

As for best, I agree it's a tie between Leo and Don. Both of them have ways to occupy themselves to the point where they can be alone. I'm not saying they'd like it, but they'd be able to deal.

Raph would deal with it for a while, but then he'd go stir crazy and get mad.

[Rooish]

Agreed with most people here, although I don't see why people think Don could handle it better than Leo. Don gets distracted by his work, but Leo cultivates nonattachment through meditation...

[BubblyShell22]

I feel that way because Don can get absorbed in his work when he sets his mind on something.

[Andrew NDB]

Raphael can best tolerate loneliness because he's a bit of a loner and probably Leonardo can tolerate it least because as the defacto leader of his brothers, if he's "alone" then he knows he's probably not doing his job and is failing.

[Lazy_BerZerker]

I guess Leonardo.

While Donatello can get absorbed in his work, he's unfamiliar with others not being there once he goes for such an objective.

I don't think it's easy to absorb yourself in daily routines if you suddenly change emotional state in that he'd maybe focus on his loneliness.

Michelangelo is a party dude, so like Don, he'd find something to do, and we've seen him being able to entertain himself. Like in the episodes with Bug Man. However while I am sure he can think up a lot of activities to do, I'd be surprised if what he doesn't enjoy most about these activities are doing them with the other turtles. As such I think he'd find himself more with a feeling of lack of satisfaction than actual loneliness.

I'm not very familiar with the frustrated Raphael, so I can't really put him in the analysis. I do recall he usually mainly shined in the presence of others, but I think that can be said about all the turtles.

Leonardo is in my opinion much like Splinter. Where the others turtles would isolate themselves and expect someone to be there when they return, Leonardo is used to isolating himself and expecting no one to be there when he returns. As such he could probably function on his own, maybe even more relaxed.

[pingclang]

We've seen them all deal with loneliness in some form or the other but I agree with most, Leo could handle it best. He's the leader and can make his own choices and doesn't need anyone else to guide him except maybe Splinter but students don't HAVE to speak to the teacher.

As for the worst my vote goes to Raph actually. Mikey loves to talk but he can talk to himself and honestly, I think he'd find a leaf or something to talk to if he had to have a conversation. As for Raph, he's a loner type and likes to go out on his own but he knows the others are there waiting. If he was all alone he would have no one to guide his anger at least towards a task, but unchecked it would just consume him and he'd just be a problem for himself. I don't think he'd do well. No one to talk to to help soothe the anger and no one to yell at to get a release. He'd sort of implode. Just my opinion though.

[Technogeek29]

We've seen them all deal with loneliness in some form or the other but I agree with most, Leo could handle it best. He's the leader and can make his own choices and doesn't need anyone else to guide him except maybe Splinter but students don't HAVE to speak to the teacher.

As for the worst my vote goes to Raph actually. Mikey loves to talk but he can talk to himself and honestly, I think he'd find a leaf or something to talk to if he had to have a conversation. As for Raph, he's a loner type and likes to go out on his own but he knows the others are there waiting. If he was all alone he would have no one to guide his anger at least towards a task, but unchecked it would just consume him and he'd just be a problem for himself. I don't think he'd do well. No one to talk to to help soothe the anger and no one to yell at to get a release. He'd sort of implode. Just my opinion though.


Actually, yeah, that sounds about right. In MNTG Raph is shown to be miserable without anyone around. And the only Turtles who can tolerate his anger were Leo & Mikey. With Leo gone and Mikey shutting him out like Don, he pretty much justs implodes, until Renoir helps him out.

[Rooish]

But MNTG is just a fancomic. Albeit a pretty good one.

It's hard to decide because the turtles are slightly different across all the mediums.

[Powder]

Are we seriously using tropey fan projects overloaded with melodramatics and original characters as a frame of reference?

[Rooish]

Somebody was... the issue is also that people mix up all the mediums. I think the Turtles' level of ability to tolerate loneliness would be different in each incarnation.

[Powder]

Yeah there's no doubt about that. In Mirage, Donny has shown to be the best at dealing with it, considering he isolates himself by choice most of the time. But in the OT he'd prolly be lonely in a days time.

[Sword Slicin' Leo]

^^^^^^ Thats the best avatar i have ever seen!!

[Freeballin523]

Raph, he's a loner

[Leo656]

It's an act. Deep down he's scared of losing those closest to him. He tries to keep them distant because if it ever happens he won't hurt as badly. It's pretty easy to see.

[BigMike322]

I would say Leo handles it the best, he can easily get absorbed in his training or current mission. Mikey handles it the worst, because he's the biggest people person of the group.