How old are the Turtles?

~~Jarrah White~~ · 11-06-2003, 04:42 PM

As the title suggests they are in their teens, but which teen number exactly? The original comic books says they are at least thirteen, but in the show they are seen driving motors like the Sewer Slider/Cellcycle/Turtle wagon, you have to be sixteen to drive. More to the point, are the turtles even the same age? Were they born one at a time or are they quadruplets?

*Cascadia* · 11-06-2003, 04:46 PM

they are about 15 years old. The driving license is not an issue with the TMNT. In terms of if they were born at a time or are they quadruplets....we are not really sure because the creators never covered that issue.

MW8979 · 11-06-2003, 04:46 PM

I think if memory serves me right, Leonardo is 16, Donatello is 15-16ish, and Raphael + Michaelangelo are 15. That's the official dogma anyway, although in some instances one could argue they're considerably more mature and older than the prescribed age.

*heretic888* · 11-06-2003, 04:46 PM

Quote:

As the title suggests they are in their teens, but which teen number exactly?

In the new cartoon, they are 15 --- most likely approaching their 16th birthday sometime soon in the show. In the Mirage comic, they are approximately 28.

Quote:

The original comic books says they are at least thirteen, but in the show they are seen driving motors like the Sewer Slider/Cellcycle/Turtle wagon, you have to be sixteen to drive.

The turtles are not legal citizens and thus don't care about the law.

Quote:

More to the point, are the turtles even the same age?

Yes.

Quote:

Were they born one at a time or are they quadruplets?

They were all born at approximately the same time (i.e., they were hatched from the same set of eggs from the same mother turtle). They are not, as far as we know, quadruplets.

Laterz.

*heretic888* · 11-06-2003, 04:48 PM

Quote:

I think if memory serves me right, Leonardo is 16, Donatello is 15-16ish, and Raphael + Michaelangelo are 15. That's the official dogma anyway, although in some instances one could argue they're considerably more mature and older than the prescribed age.

That is, in fact, not true at all.

Spacefille · 11-06-2003, 04:48 PM

Okay that answer I do know... as far as I can remember, the going age is 15 in the new cartoon, old cartoon and the movies.

I figured it out once... they'd be about 30 years old right now, relative to the original comic book series.

As for the age relative to each other question... if they were all babies when the tank broke I think it can be safe to assume that the turtles all came from the same litter as a mom turtle lays a whole lot of eggs. They wouldn't be quadruplets in the identical sense because the DNA mixing would be slightly different in each egg... but they probably can be considered fraternal quadruplets.

**Karpo_007** · 11-06-2003, 05:04 PM

Thre's no reason to asume they wouldn't be the same age. Even if they hatched at diffrent time[wich sounds unlikely to me] their real birth was the moment they were exposed to the ooze.

In Mirage, accurate age has always been hard to tell, in volume 1 somehwere between 13-16, 16 during volume 2, and "in their thirties" in the ongoing series.

As for the new cartoon, I think it's 15.

*Anarchistguy* · 11-06-2003, 05:24 PM

At the VERY beginning of Volume 1, they were 13 years old. At around volume 1 no.7 they were 15 1/2 years old. From Return To New York to the end of volume 2(?), they were 16. And now, in volume 4, they're 28 years old.

I'm not sure about the RTNY part, though.

*heretic888* · 11-06-2003, 05:33 PM

I'll give some "unofficial" but basically accepted ages:

Volume 1, #1: 13 years

Volume 1, #4: 15 years

Volume 1, #21: 16 years (Leo states 3 years had passed since their first battle with Shredder)

Volume 1, #50: 16 years (beginning of City at War)

Volume 1, #62: 17 years (end of City at War)

Volume 2, #1: 17 years

Volume 2, #13: 18 years (approximately)

Volume 4, #1: 28 years (Mike alludes that 15 years have passes since they fought the Purple Dragon)

**Karpo_007** · 11-06-2003, 05:46 PM

The time lines in Mirage are confusing. During City at War they said on the mail page that the turtles are 16.

*Bowser_Koopa* · 11-06-2003, 05:51 PM

[quote="heretic888"]

Quote:

In the new cartoon, they are 15 --- most likely approaching their 16th birthday sometime soon in the show. In the Mirage comic, they are approximately 28.

even in the first comic?!

*Stone Ill* · 11-06-2003, 06:17 PM

[quote="Bowser_Koopa"]

Quote:

Originally Posted by heretic888

Quote:

In the new cartoon, they are 15 --- most likely approaching their 16th birthday sometime soon in the show. In the Mirage comic, they are approximately 28.

even in the first comic?!

No..

Read the above posts..

*Bowser_Koopa* · 11-06-2003, 06:18 PM

how can they be 13?? i don't accept it! they have to 15+ or something :s

**HorseTechie** · 11-06-2003, 06:20 PM

I knew it.... they are as old as me! 28 years...

Actually, it was dietermined by a bunch of us on a mailing list that the original Turtles must have been born in 1969, if they were to be 15 at the start of Volume 1 in 1984. So that would make them to be 34 in 2003.

(Which I think would be cool, cause my husband was born in 1969)

But if they were 13, then it would be 1971. The key point in time was 1984.

*Stone Ill* · 11-06-2003, 06:32 PM

In the new cartoon, they would've been born in 1988, like me.

*heretic888* · 11-06-2003, 06:45 PM

Quote:

The time lines in Mirage are confusing. During City at War they said on the mail page that the turtles are 16.

Ahem: "Volume 1, #50: 16 years (beginning of City at War)"

Quote:

how can they be 13?? i don't accept it! they have to 15+ or something

Very simple:
1) Splinter states in Volume 1, #1 that he had trained them for 13 years.
2) Eastman and Laird stated in response to fanmail that the TMNT were 16 during the Return to New York story.
3) Leo stated that 3 years had passes since they first fought Shredder when he faced him at the end of the story.
4) 16 - 3 = 13

Laterz.

*Bowser_Koopa* · 11-06-2003, 06:48 PM

too bad i don't care, its just stupid they are just kids they look and feel older, even if its the "original age" its not the way it should be

**Karpo_007** · 11-06-2003, 06:50 PM

And you know how humanoid turtles with ninjutsu training should act at the age of 13?

*Bowser_Koopa* · 11-06-2003, 06:52 PM

well....not really, but turtles live for hundreds of years so they should have a long infance or something

Mouse · 11-06-2003, 06:55 PM

i tihnk we can all safely assume that the foursome are extremely up there in years

what i think is that if you do the math you might find them in their thirties maybe nowadays if the math was done correctly

11-06-2003, 05:24 PM	#8
Anarchistguy Mad Scientist Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Canada (This country is too peaceful, Something's up...) Posts: 2,136	At the VERY beginning of Volume 1, they were 13 years old. At around volume 1 no.7 they were 15 1/2 years old. From Return To New York to the end of volume 2(?), they were 16. And now, in volume 4, they're 28 years old. I'm not sure about the RTNY part, though. __________________ M.D.K. Maim! Destroy! Kill!!! "When my time comes, I wanna be buried face down, so those who don't like me can kiss my ass!"

11-06-2003, 05:33 PM	#9
heretic888 Foot Elite Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 3,344	ahem I'll give some "unofficial" but basically accepted ages: Volume 1, #1: 13 years Volume 1, #4: 15 years Volume 1, #21: 16 years (Leo states 3 years had passed since their first battle with Shredder) Volume 1, #50: 16 years (beginning of City at War) Volume 1, #62: 17 years (end of City at War) Volume 2, #1: 17 years Volume 2, #13: 18 years (approximately) Volume 4, #1: 28 years (Mike alludes that 15 years have passes since they fought the Purple Dragon) __________________ "Ninpo began as training to become a moral people and to learn to endure in whatever social condition one is in; to know and accept one's fate, and to live for human beings and all other creatures. The person who masters all of these is a Ninja." (Masaaki Hatsumi)

11-06-2003, 06:55 PM	#20
Mouse Foot Soldier Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Kansas Posts: 156	i tihnk we can all safely assume that the foursome are extremely up there in years what i think is that if you do the math you might find them in their thirties maybe nowadays if the math was done correctly __________________ So what we're blood brothers now?

11-06-2003, 04:42 PM	#1
~~Jarrah White~~ Banned Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 2,394	How old are the Turtles? As the title suggests they are in their teens, but which teen number exactly? The original comic books says they are at least thirteen, but in the show they are seen driving motors like the Sewer Slider/Cellcycle/Turtle wagon, you have to be sixteen to drive. More to the point, are the turtles even the same age? Were they born one at a time or are they quadruplets?

11-06-2003, 04:46 PM	#2
Cascadia Oregonian in heart & soul Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,731	they are about 15 years old. The driving license is not an issue with the TMNT. In terms of if they were born at a time or are they quadruplets....we are not really sure because the creators never covered that issue. __________________ Formally known as Scientific freak

11-06-2003, 04:46 PM	#3
MW8979 Hench Mutant Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 431	I think if memory serves me right, Leonardo is 16, Donatello is 15-16ish, and Raphael + Michaelangelo are 15. That's the official dogma anyway, although in some instances one could argue they're considerably more mature and older than the prescribed age.

11-06-2003, 04:48 PM	#6
Spacefille Foot Soldier Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Canada Posts: 121	Okay that answer I do know... as far as I can remember, the going age is 15 in the new cartoon, old cartoon and the movies. I figured it out once... they'd be about 30 years old right now, relative to the original comic book series. As for the age relative to each other question... if they were all babies when the tank broke I think it can be safe to assume that the turtles all came from the same litter as a mom turtle lays a whole lot of eggs. They wouldn't be quadruplets in the identical sense because the DNA mixing would be slightly different in each egg... but they probably can be considered fraternal quadruplets.

11-06-2003, 05:04 PM	#7
Karpo_007 Inactive Moderator Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Finland Posts: 8,798	Thre's no reason to asume they wouldn't be the same age. Even if they hatched at diffrent time[wich sounds unlikely to me] their real birth was the moment they were exposed to the ooze. In Mirage, accurate age has always been hard to tell, in volume 1 somehwere between 13-16, 16 during volume 2, and "in their thirties" in the ongoing series. As for the new cartoon, I think it's 15.

11-06-2003, 05:46 PM	#10
Karpo_007 Inactive Moderator Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Finland Posts: 8,798	The time lines in Mirage are confusing. During City at War they said on the mail page that the turtles are 16.

11-06-2003, 06:18 PM	#13
Bowser_Koopa Very yes Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Not so far, go back a little Posts: 1,849	how can they be 13?? i don't accept it! they have to 15+ or something :s

11-06-2003, 06:20 PM	#14
HorseTechie Inactive Moderator Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Midwest Posts: 5,677	I knew it.... they are as old as me! 28 years... Actually, it was dietermined by a bunch of us on a mailing list that the original Turtles must have been born in 1969, if they were to be 15 at the start of Volume 1 in 1984. So that would make them to be 34 in 2003. (Which I think would be cool, cause my husband was born in 1969) But if they were 13, then it would be 1971. The key point in time was 1984.

11-06-2003, 06:32 PM	#15
Stone Ill Mad Scientist Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Burlington, Ontario Posts: 2,397	In the new cartoon, they would've been born in 1988, like me.

11-06-2003, 06:48 PM	#17
Bowser_Koopa Very yes Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Not so far, go back a little Posts: 1,849	too bad i don't care, its just stupid they are just kids they look and feel older, even if its the "original age" its not the way it should be

11-06-2003, 06:50 PM	#18
Karpo_007 Inactive Moderator Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Finland Posts: 8,798	And you know how humanoid turtles with ninjutsu training should act at the age of 13?

11-06-2003, 06:52 PM	#19
Bowser_Koopa Very yes Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Not so far, go back a little Posts: 1,849	well....not really, but turtles live for hundreds of years so they should have a long infance or something