Have your taste for your favorite TMNT character changed over the years?

[Shark]

1988, I was 4 years old, and saw my first and only friend at that time playing with a toy frog with a red bandana. I feel in love with that frog real quick. The next day I learned that frog was actually a turtle. That same day, he told me that the show that the toy came from comes on today. So I watched a TMNT cartoon for the first time. I saw the frog with the red bandana, pointed at him, and said, 'There's your frog!'. He said, 'Uh...dude...Teenage Mutant Ninja TURTLES!!!', so I replied, 'Yeah? So? Your frog is right there!' Anyway, it was a bunch of frogs fighting these weird robots (they weren't Foot Soldiers. I think this was the second episode of TMNT. It was still fairly new, and still in the first season I think) inside this giant robot with a big giant eye. I fell in love with that Red Frog that day.

Since then, I been buying all the Raph toys they came out with. Raph was my top favorite character ever, just above Batman.

1990, the movie came out, Raph cursed, and I was like, 'What the heck?' Later, Raph died, and I cried After half the movie was over, Raph came back to life, and I stopped crying

Even in all the video games, I ALWAYS choose Raph. Occasionally choose Don, due to his weapon (being both cheap, and the only weapon I know how to use well IRL).

2003, the new series, Teenage Mutant Ninja Frogs...I mean Turtles came out. My love for Raph...died, and was replaced by Casey Jones, who quickly became my new favorite TMNT character. Half way through season one, Leonardo for some reason topped Casey pretty quick as my favorite TMNT character.

TMNT game came out, always choose Don, since they made him massivly cheap in that game. Also choose Casey Jones alot in it.

Season 2 comes out, it was love at first site apoun my new favorite character (check everything in my sig if you don't know who that is yet).

TMNT 2 came out, Leo was the new cheap character, and my new favorite. My team consisted of Leonardo, Casey Jones, Karai, and Donatello. My three favorite characters (if I could replace Don with Raph, I would of had a whole team of my favorites).

Season 3 and 4 have passed, and Leo is still my favorite.

Now here we are, soon for a new movie and game, and I'm looking forward to playing Leo in the game, and seeing Leo in the movie. Fortunatly, I'm looking forward to seeing Night Watcher in both, so maybe my taste for Raph is coming back. But to top that all off, they had to shove my current favorite character Karai in it >.< So now I'm looking more forward to her than I am Leo or Night Watcher >.<

As for the new toy's, I actually want to get the Leo figure more than the Raph figure. I miss having Raph as my favorite ;.;

Well, there's my long ass story about how my taste for Teenage Mutant Ninja Frogs...Turtles...keep changeing. You have any? Or do you have any interesting story as to why your favorite character is your favorite?

Good thing about the four I like, they are each rivals of each other O.o Leo/Karai, Raph/Casey. Go me -.-

[Garou]

Hmmmmm....... Right in the beginning, when I watched the show as a child, my fave was Leo, but it quickly changed to Raph. And he has been my favorite ever since, both through the cartoons and movies.

But I actually started liking Don more and more through the new cartoon series. I can't remember why, but I wasn't very fond of him in the old show...

[JetsAndHeels]

It's always been Leo for me. I remember when the 90's cartoon started up and things were still relatively new, I was drawn to Leo because I liked his swords and all...however now I realize I like him for other reasons. Things that are a little bit deeper like the fact that he is a leader and he is strong willed. He puts family above everything else, and he is always trying to find a way to improve himself.

I have always been partial to the characters who are in leadership positions, not just in TMNT but all things. I think I see alot of my own qualities in Leo so he reminds me of myself alot.

[AquaParade]

My family tells me that when I was really young and first getting into the tmnt, my favorite turtle was Raph, but for most of my young childhood I remember it being Leo. It really is hard to keep a favorite. There have also been times when I thought Mikey was my favorite, and lately I am actually kinda shifting towards Donatello. I guess its always changing because they are all so great. I do have to say though, that my favorite tmnt incarnation of all time may have been Mikey from the first movie.

[Ecto Jedi]

Always been Donatello for me, for reasons unknown to even myself.

[Aignatius]

Interesting story, Shark. It reminds me of the different perspective of those who have known the TMNT since early childhood, and have the turtles more ingrained in their memories than someone like me who was a parent of kids your age when the toon first came out. My view of them was highly critical and dismissing until I found out about the comics. The original story, in fact. That is what hooked me. Because the Turtles of the Mirage comics were very different from the popular culture of the old school toon turtles.
Anyhoo, my fave from the comics was Raph. I could so relate to him at the time.
Now that I'm older and more mellowed out, I find Don to be my favorite. In many of the stories, especially the Mirage comics, the stuff he does and talks about are similar to my own interests.

[Masked Ninja]

My favorite when I was a young 'un watching the old show (4, perhaps? it came out when I was 1 ) was probably Michelangelo, but for years after I liked Leo for very superficial reasons (aka blue + swords).

So when I discovered the new 'toon around season 2 (Turtles in Space was the first full arc I saw) I scoured the internet for information on the Turtles. Found some detailed character descriptions and was pleased to find that Leo fit me almost perfectly. So I was a diehard Leo fan for a while. But dang show... showcasing what's awesome about each of the Turtles... At the beginning I didn't have the heart to put any Turtle last in my ranking. Now I just can't. Even Raph, who I identify with the least, has some awesome qualities I can't ignore.

So nowadays my Turtle preference switches around. At this very moment it's leaning a bit more toward Don, and therefore I draw him a lot when I feel like randomly doodling Turtles. I also love it whenever Mikey buckles down and gets serious... the last half of "Grudge Match" is one of my favorite moments in the show. (not to mention the awesome training sequence that kicks off that episode )

I always will feel a kinship with Leo though, because he's a lot like me. *shrug*

[Buslady]

I hear Raph crying because you don't like him as much...it hurts.


I have been, and always shall be...Raph's friend.
Semper Fi to Raphael.

[gobo]

From the beginning of the classic 'toon, Don was my favorite. After 3 or 4 years, I got tired of his snotty attitude, and went to my default favorite of any story, the wise-guy. So, Raph was my favorite, but only in the cartoon. I was never impressed with the angry Raph stuff. So, I never did have a favorite in the movies. When 2K3 came around, Don was my favorite again. Always trying to be the nice guy, I rediscovered why he used to remind me of myself. Unfortunately, while I am an intellectual, I'm not than dexterous (in other words, 'handy').

[ThemanthatwouldbeRaphael]

Leo was my first favorite. I liked his swords, and he was the leader. The it shifted between Donatello and Michelangelo for a while, but I liked Don more. Now Raph is my perma-favorite. This time i like him becasue of his character. Also, since the new toon, Nobody, Leatherhead, Casey Jones, Traximus, and Prof. Honneycutt have shot up pretty high on my faves list.

[Death's Head]

I have gained a rudimentary respect for Splinter, for a while now.

[VGiselleH]

With the original cartoon my fav was Donatello, but I don't remember why anymore. It's not the bandana color, that I'm sure of, and it definitely wasn't because of his weapon (it was just a big stick to me :p), so that leaves his actions. I guess I liked the way he went about things, inventing stuff and such. I always end up with the "smart" one being my favourite anyway, even with real life people >.> I sort of liked Mikey, though I always picked him to play the victim when playing with the toys (I was actually pretty cruel to Mikey, but he was always saved in the end though! ), I was neutral on Leo, but didn't like Raph at all. That had a reason though, because I saw the English version, and my English wasn't that developed yet at the time (I was, what, 6 or 7?), so his remarks that were his trademark were lost on me. Raphael talked too much nonsense for me :p

I saw the movie back then...but have no recollection of what I thought about each individual character, with the exception of Splinter, who I thought looked, moved and sounded creepy and disgusting...he scared me :p Raphael got too much attention I thought as well, lol, funny to remember, I really had something against him I guess.

Nowadays...I found the 2k3 toon, and first watched it with the intention of seeing what Don was up in this series, still having that old childhood prejudice going in the back of my mind. Well, the first episode alone was enough to bring the other three back in my good graces, lol (The first 5 mins were enough actually). I love this series ^_^ In short time I liked them all, but Don remained on top, though in his defense he managed to get there all over again by himself, without my old preference aiding him. By the end of season 4 Mikey had conquered the second place, I love his personality and hidden potential. Raph is a close third as I respect his personality and love the posibilities it offers. He and Mikey actually took a while to settle on a spot though, switching back and forth during season 2, 3, and 4. Leo got the last spot (he had the second spot during season 1) because he's too much like me...that's boring, but I love them all, and the differences are only just big enough to be able to get them in a list like this.

Never read the comics, so I can't comment on them.

[VaughnMichael]

Yeah actully I used to originally really like the taste of Raphael because he tastes like strawberries
Then in the 90's enjoyed the tatse of Leonardo because of the great fad of the blue rasberrie.
Then recently Grape was all the rage so Donatello it was!
but I can't say I ever enjoyed the tatse of Michaelangelo I don't care for oranges hahah
And don't ask what tatse splinter is ick!

[Jester]

When I was younger I liked Raph first then Mikey, Donnie, and Leo last, basically because Raph was the funniest, then Mikey and movie Donnie had me in stitches, but I loved Gordon's Don from the OT was spot on.

As I matured, Movie Raph grew on me, I liked the NT Raph, but Mikey became my least favorite Turtle because he was just to goofy...something as a kid I liked in OT Mikey, but admittedly he wasn't even as cheesy as NT Mike can be. Donnie became a close second to Raph, probably because he's a pseudo-foil to Raph in his own way. Raph's loud and out spoken and Donnie's quiet and sensitive. Leo actually moved up in my estimation because the NT played him as more than the one note character he has been played as in other TMNT media. He was flawed, and felt the strain of leading the team, I liked that.

So, though I haven't changed horses when it comes to favorite Turtle (I just like Raph for different reasons now) the rest of my line up has shifted drastically.

[Rooish]

Mikey was by far my favourite in the old toon. Now they are all nearly equal for me. I still feel slight favouritism for the man in orange, though.

[Head Spinnin' Bebop]

Mikey and Don have always been my favs. But I think Don was the one I seemed to lean more towards when I was younger. Played Don in games more I know that, but that’s because I loved his weapon too lol. Had more Donny figs too. Though its always been pretty level between the two. Its still pretty much the same, both are my two favs. But older now, overall I'd say Michelangelo takes top spot. He always crack em up. Him along with Donny are still at the top though!

[Warhorse]

Can't remember her name, but the time mistress girl in the Time Trevail episode of the new toon. I really can't stand her voice!

[Jo Dawn]

Always been Don for me. Always has been, always will be.

[Sliced]

Just like MN said, I liked Leo because he was wearing blue, and had swords. Coolness incarnate

So in the show, yeah, always was and always will be Leo. Too cool. But as for the toys, man, Leo was the wrost...

Until I saw Slash, who became my fav for maybe a year, Leo always was on top.

[mikey2007]

my first figure i got when i was little for my bday was mikey, and ever since he has been my favorite, i dressed up as him when i was little, and then leo and raph the next two years after(my brother was don) so i don't know if i liked them more or say i changed, i loved all the turtles, but mike was the highest on my list in all incarnations, although i was skeptical when they first started the 2k3 series, and also when they first started the fast forward series, because they almost made him too goofy