The Favorite Turtle of the "Casual" TMNT Fans
 

Now I'm a little leery of this, as it really does have a major ring of misplaced elitism, but I've been watching reviews of the various TMNT video games online, and it made me wonder, "Which Turtle would the less than die hard fans call their favorite?"

This may wind up a massive joke and a complete landslide, but who do you think is the favorite Turtle of those people who remember the franchise fondly, but aren't going to be joining out ranks anytime soon?

My wife's a Leo fan, not sure why. I think it's that he's the leader. Michelangelo was the face of the Turtles in a lot of ways, so to me he seems the logical choice. I'm sure many people were like me and like Raph's snark from the FW toon, and Donatello was always there when things got dicey.

I always thought Raphael was the most iconic turtle for casual fans

I voted Mikey because he's the most logical choice, but I think Raphael is a close second, and could even be first.

Mikey was the face of the OT for obvious reasons. Raph may have fell in the cracks a tiny bit with the OT, but once the live action movies practically showcased him as the "main" (arguably) Turtle I think that changed. People like the angry bad-boy just as much as they like the jokester.

I could also see an argument for Leo cause "he has swords" or "he's the leader". A case could probably be made for Donnie too, but it's a stretch...I think the typical OT-nostalgia loving-casual is going to go with either Mikey, Raph, or Leo.

If you want proof, ask yourself why in every college-aged YouTube parody (or even the beloved Workaholics skit) of TMNT Donatello is the ass of the jokes. Or why in Hot Topic Mikey's and Raph's beanies were marked a few dollars higher than Leo's and Don's.

Wait, seriously? That's screwed up!

I picked Mikey... and here's why:

:D

I gotta go with Mikey. He's proberly the most popular turtle of the four.

I remember as a kid everyone wanted to be "Leonardo" because he was the leader and had swords, and I never had any trouble picking to be Raphael. But later now as a grown up when I talk to people who liked the turtles they all seem to choose Raphael as their favorite turtles, so who knows.

I never thought Mikey was that popular but counting he is the jokester maybe I'm wrong. Donatello seems to be the easiest one that most people didn't like, I mean no one ever wanted to be the "smart"/geek character, and the purple bandanna definitely didn't help, not to mention the bo is also not the most appealing weapon. Also the fact that his toy is brown, which isn't the most appealing color but also is not a color you think of associated to turtles. Though I've mentioned this before and Donatello defenders always come and tell me how popular he was, but I don't believe it.

Now as an adult I think I like Donatello the best, he seems to be the best/most interesting turtle in all incarnations. While Raph I seem to only prefer for nostalgic reasons because I really don't like his over the top hot head attitude he has in all new media of the turtles.

Yea, seriously...can you believe that? I argued with the dude for like 5 minutes until I just bought the Mikey anyway, haha. What happened: there was a 50% sticker on the remaining Turtles beanies they had - just Leo & Mikey. When Mikey rung up it was only 25% off instead of 50%. The guy was like "uh nobody buys Leo" and wouldn't give me the 50 % off, even though it was marked like that. I wanted to sock him in the face just for being a pretentious tool, but that's neither here nor there. I went on the website later to check it out and yep, Mikey & Raph were marked higher than Leo & Don. Lame.

About that All-Stars video, pretty funny! Although I don't know if they used Mikey because he was most popular or because he was clearly the one that could be linked to pot smoking, so they wanted to use him to hush that stereotype.

Usually I hear it's Mike or Raph .

My gut says Mikey, but I think it's pretty 50/50 with him against Raph.

I think it's a personality projection thing, everybody wants to either be the guy everyone loves, or the stereotypical badass.

No vote from me.

^ No vote for me neither.... :trazz:

The most "casuals" I know/meet can Not name any of the turtles....they only remember them !....The Less "casuals" people use to name more often Mike/Don for me...(only for OT cartoons) and Raph for the movies....

I debated in parentheses putting (The ____ One), but I thought it would be a little too much.

I voted for Mikey, casual fans seem to remember him as the favorite from their childhood.

Most of my friends who had fond memories of the tv series & movies from the 90s all say Raph.

In polls I have seen through the years Michelangelo and Leonardo go back and forth as the poll winner for favorite turtle. I would think Michelangelo edges out Leonardo but this all just speculation anyway. As long as it does not make my turtle looked down upon by diehards for being the possible favorite.:trazz: Donatello usually gets the shaft in seems in polls and samples.

Finally someone got the colors matched properly when doing a poll.

There is still such as thing as casual comic fans, not just TV and movies.

I'd say the video game lovers would probably choose Donatello since he had the best weapon in most games. But overall, just like the Italian Renaissance painters, Michelangelo and Leonardo are the most popular, followed by Raphael, and lastly Donatello. That's also the order you can play your turtles in the Game Boy game Radical Rescue.

.

That works out good for me especially since they are '87 series design!:D

As for the swords its a katana blade!:P

Just from my memory Leo and Don stuck out more in the 2003 cartoon to me while Mike and Raph did from the 1987 cartoon.

I've seen some where Raph is in the lead, and even a few where Donnie was. On IDW's current "favorite Turtle" thread, Raph is up by quite a few votes.

I'm curious why Nines voted Donnie, lol. A sick joke or his true opinion?! Find out next time at...THE DROME!

Here's a better poll of how casuals choose the Turtles, with 65,483 votes.

http://www.gamefaqs.com/poll/index.html?poll=4340

Poll of the Day

Who is your favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle?

Donatello (purple, bo staff) 25.55% 16734

Leonardo (blue, katana) 32.35% 21186

Michelangelo (orange, nunchaku) 20.93% 13708

Raphael (red, sai) 21.16% 13855

TOTAL VOTES 65483

I have a feeling its who is your favorite turtle to play in a video game. :twink: Don is okay and all be my #4 turtle yet my #1 to play especially in the gneeraltion 1 video games.

Not at all, a vast number of the forum base aren't avid gamers. In fact, the Poll of the Day board is a very active social board, as is the other non-gaming boards.

The most active game boards are typically those that are current releases or have a cult following.

Yeah, I think that's a pretty interesting result, tons of votes and I'd wager most people that voted were casuals - Mikey coming in last, wow. Didn't think I'd see that!

I got mad love for OT Mike, I really do, he's such a chill character. But maybe Mikey scored last in that gamefaqs poll because most casuals only know the OT, and Mikey's surfer slang personified the late 80s/early 90s - to those casuals that grew up just with the OT, they coulda changed favorites as they grew up in an age where that slang is kinda dated, and a character like Donatello may appeal more in such a technologically involved age. Ya never know!

you're not going there are you?

and why do people keep calling Mike from the OT the jokster when he really wasn't in the medium? That was more OT Raph's department.

as to the poll question, Raph all the way!

Indeed. Party dude ≠ Jokester

as far as Mike goes, I prefere laid back party dude to jokster and deep thinking whimisical poet over all else.

Oh puuhhlease. Are you really gonna deny that Mikey displayed the most blatant connections to marijuana? I uploaded a clip of this scene to YouTube just incase you're in denial:



He definitely joked around in the cartoon, it's obvious why people say he was a jokester. Raphael was too, they both were.

But I agree with you here:

Wow. You really have changed my mind. If that doesn't say "pot head" I don't what does. I realize you are probably not being serious here but still. One more convert to the 2k3 Mikey side. Since based off your comments in the "is 2k3 Mikey the worst version of Mikey" that really what you're trying to do right? EAT FEET!

How'd you figure me out?! :P

i deal with lots of "casuals" and would say with confidence that Mikey is the most popular... he's the PARTY DUDE aka "the orange one" aka "Mickey"

Gah...now I have that stupid flying kick attack in my minds eye...I hate repetitive game voices...

I voted for Raph. But my personal favorite is Leo.
At first I thought it was another "Who's your favorite turtle?" poll. I kinda knew the poll would be between Mike and Raph.

I voted Mikey because most "casual" fans (From the "Turtlemania" generation) only really have exposure to the OT, and they looks at it through nostalgia goggles. I think Mikey was the predominate favorite of kids back then...So that is probably still the case now.

Michelangelo is the "every man" of the turtles. That's why he's the favorite of casuals. Also, he's the coolest.

Ι dont vote because i hate the turtles. I only like the vilians . Especialy Shredder

I don't understand why all you hardcores are voting. Is this a 'tell the casuals what they're thinking' sorta poll? O_o

It's Raph. He's remembered for his sarcastic personality in the old toon and his big role in the first two movies.

...don't make me get involved in this one...

I actully have bas memories of this cartoon special...

The proof is in the pudding, and that video isn't the only instance. Whether you're cool with smoking or not it doesn't matter, Mikey clearly resembled a typical, chilled out, cool stoner. I for one think it's funny as hell.

I don't get it. If your referring to Townsend's voice for Michelangelo I tohught it was just a surfer dilect. He is not really the one joking but the funny loving one who has fun while fighting and trying to find the light in a dark situation. Michelangelo had the humor all thrown on him in the 2003 cartoon which was unfortunate and made him seem like an idiot at times because Laird wanted to keep the sarcastic jokster part of Raphael's personality and Leo and Don are more prone to be serious. I hope that will not be the case anymore and we get a blaance of the scarastic jokester and hothead in Raphael as it should be.

Michelangelo
 

Michelangelo, as he could appeal to kids in the 1987 show with all "-Cowabunga Dudes", pizza, skateboarding, rock and roll. To me, he is a symbolism of both that show itself, but also popular culture between 1989-1994, the years when the TMNT interest was peaking.

the proof is in the pudding? What are we CSI now? I think the only proof is what you choose to see into it. You seem to have some natural bias here any way.

Why do you feel the need to come up with evidence in the first place? I think you are getting a little carried away with your crusade to get people to like your annoying butt monkey version of Mikey more. I mean between the two Mike's I would sooner think 2k3 Mikey were under the influence of something more so than than OT Mike. I mean my God 2k3 Mikey acts like he coming off ritalin or speed half the time as it is.