How strong is Raph?
 

It seems like in the new cartoon he's portrayed as being quite strong. In the build a better mousetrap episode he punched a wall and it began to crack and crumble. In I monster he ran thru a cracking brick wall. This guy is an animal.

I'm not sure exactly how strong Raph is, but in the old toon and I heard in the comics, Raph has been known to pick up a man hole cover and fling it like a frisby. And they weigh, what, 100 or so pounds?

He is the strongest of the four, seems to workout obsessively with weights and such beefing himself up. He might be weak in the mind, he is strong in the muscles. I would imagine he could bench 200-250lbs at least....

Probably at or around the level of an Olympic-level bodybuilder.

He may be able to bench 300-500 pounds tops.

I don't think most of the versions of TMNT deny that he is physically the strongest of the brothers. All he's ever doing in the new show is punching bags and doing bench presses.

now I'm suprised to hear you say that buslady, Raph isn't weak in the mind. I'd hardly label him as one of those strong guys that are all muscle and no brain. And I think every incarnation has done very well at not portraying him as such. He may be more gifted in physical prowess but that sai weilding turtle doesn't lack for gray matter eighther. I think the new toon in particular does a very good job with tihs and portrays Raph with posssesing some brains as well as muscle power, Scion of the Shredder comes to mind when it comes to his thinking ability.

And when it came to Karai, he never turned his back on her, a wise move.

I think Buslady just means that Raph isn't into meditation and the whole spiritual/psychic aspect of the martial arts that requires great mental focus and power like Leo is. But I don't want to be putting words into anyone's mouth. Raph is definately street smart in a way Leo isn't. Raph is heavy into the physical aspect of the martial arts - sparing, kickboxing, weight lifting, and the like. For sheer strength of impact, I'd say getting hit by Raph would hurt the most of the four. Raph just need to learn how to focus the spiritual aspect of his chi better.

Well, he managed to do that pretty well in "More Worlds than One", when the Tribunal had them fighting those rock creatures, and also in "Bad Day" when he and the others disintegrated the Foot Mystics in the spiritual plane. I say there's more to Raphael than meets the eye; I say that about the others too-Their accomplishments in their training with the Ninja Tribunal proved that.

I agree triplexxx. I'm never said Raph wasn't able to do it, just that it's sometimes hard for him to focus though his anger. Actually, now that I think some more, maybe his chi thing is the opposite - he has a lot of raw chi power becuase he's so passionate, he just has to work really hard to focus it.
He's still has a hard time meditating, sitting still and being quiet is just not Raph. ;)

Oh that big beefly body

Yum-yum

Take it easy, this is a family forum!:lol:

I never read the comics, but just wanted to ask a question that people who have experienced all mediums and incarnations of the turtles might be able to answer.

Ok, Raph is the strongest of the Turtles. But if one of the others began to work out and weight train as obsesively as Raph, would they match him in the strength department, or does Raph have like a naturally ultra strong chord that would still keep him the king of strength amongst the Turtles?

Stereotypically, people think he's weak minded with all of his anger and crap...I know better yes, I'm generalizing.
Raph ain't no dimbrain, he's smart at what he does. He's instinctual and all that, his senses are heightened...oh I could go on & on...I really don't have much time....

Buslady, please do. I want to hear your opinion please, so the Raph haters can shut up. I've come across a few on other boards:evil:

*Whistles innocently*

Spawn Guy!! :o I am shocked, you're a Raphael hater!!! Why?!

How can anyone hate any of the Turtles is beyond my comprehension.

Well, when someone hates something, it's probably because they are jealous or something.

Raph is strong minded in things that are important to him.
Such as physical strength, fighting, survival, street smarts...his instincts are higher than the others, he relies less on training, more on instinct. He's not strong minded in all that weird mystical stuff like the meditation, and astral planes and stuff(which is what i originally meant where he's weak minded)...It actually bugged me when in the new toon he appeared on the astra planes oh so easily...feh...anyways.....that stuff isn't important to him.
His strength comes from elsewhere, he is strong physically. He is strong emotionally - it's often thought Raph is not in touch with his sensitive side, the opposite is truer. Mikey might've been the crybaby, Raph cries when it's something deep that hurts or bothers him. Who cried when Leo was hurt in Tales of Leo? His strengths are drawn from his passionate side.
The stereotypical thought is he is the angry mean turtle, the one who has the clouded mind, who's decisions arent the best and his ideas are lame(stupid leo says it in the movie..I'd like to kick his hiney).

His strength also comes in his love for his family and friends.