Which character do writers misunderstand the most? - Page 2

*ToTheNines* · 04-28-2026, 02:43 PM

Could be any character, but I’ll do a quick rundown of the 4 mains and how I think they’re bungled at times.

Raphael - Raph is NOT supposed to be “the angry one”. His default personality is not anger. He can certainly GET angry, since he had a terrible temper. But Raph is passionate and sensitive, frequently misunderstood by everyone around him. The best versions are probably Mirage, the 90’s movies, Archie and for the most part, 2012. I don’t really like when he bullies/slaps Mikey. He shouldn’t be getting away with that behavior without any retaliation. Which is a nice segue to…

Michelangelo - yes he clowns around, yes he loves kids and animals, and yeah he might rather be engaging in creative writing instead of killing people. But at the end of the day, he’s a highly trained ninja assassin. He’s not cowardly, he’s not clumsy, and he’s definitely not stupid. Mirage, the movies, Archie and Rise get him right. 2012 commits a lot of penalties by leaning on him for comedic relief but I give them a pass because he is genuinely funny. If he’s going to be the jokey one, at least make me laugh (looking at you 4kids).

Donatello - Donnie is NOT a wuss and the bo staff is potentially just as deadly as any other ninja weapon. **** the glasses. The whole point of the character is that he’s an egg head but also a badass fighter. I like most versions of Donnie, but 2012 had some undesirable aspects and they’ve really made him insufferable in some of the crossover comics.

Leonardo - this is the toughest one for me to critique. Yes, he is supposed to be the Cylops square of the group. However, he doesn’t have to be such a tight ass 24/7. Other than 2012, my favorite writer for Leo is probably Gary Carlson. In the Image run, he’s still Leo during missions but he talks sh*t and drinks beer just like everyone else in their down time.

I would always shake my head reading his character bio on the old official site. They had his interests listed as New Age music and candles lmao. Other than the aforementioned versions, I think the movies did a good job with him and if you can make it through his portrayal on Rise, he has a really satisfying arc in that movie that makes it all worth it.

Any thoughts?

04-28-2026, 02:43 PM	#1
ToTheNines Col. Stinkmeaner Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 19,363	Which character do writers misunderstand the most? Could be any character, but I’ll do a quick rundown of the 4 mains and how I think they’re bungled at times. Raphael - Raph is NOT supposed to be “the angry one”. His default personality is not anger. He can certainly GET angry, since he had a terrible temper. But Raph is passionate and sensitive, frequently misunderstood by everyone around him. The best versions are probably Mirage, the 90’s movies, Archie and for the most part, 2012. I don’t really like when he bullies/slaps Mikey. He shouldn’t be getting away with that behavior without any retaliation. Which is a nice segue to… Michelangelo - yes he clowns around, yes he loves kids and animals, and yeah he might rather be engaging in creative writing instead of killing people. But at the end of the day, he’s a highly trained ninja assassin. He’s not cowardly, he’s not clumsy, and he’s definitely not stupid. Mirage, the movies, Archie and Rise get him right. 2012 commits a lot of penalties by leaning on him for comedic relief but I give them a pass because he is genuinely funny. If he’s going to be the jokey one, at least make me laugh (looking at you 4kids). Donatello - Donnie is NOT a wuss and the bo staff is potentially just as deadly as any other ninja weapon. **** the glasses. The whole point of the character is that he’s an egg head but also a badass fighter. I like most versions of Donnie, but 2012 had some undesirable aspects and they’ve really made him insufferable in some of the crossover comics. Leonardo - this is the toughest one for me to critique. Yes, he is supposed to be the Cylops square of the group. However, he doesn’t have to be such a tight ass 24/7. Other than 2012, my favorite writer for Leo is probably Gary Carlson. In the Image run, he’s still Leo during missions but he talks sh*t and drinks beer just like everyone else in their down time. I would always shake my head reading his character bio on the old official site. They had his interests listed as New Age music and candles lmao. Other than the aforementioned versions, I think the movies did a good job with him and if you can make it through his portrayal on Rise, he has a really satisfying arc in that movie that makes it all worth it. Any thoughts?