Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Series overview

Seasons 1–4

Compared to the predominantly comedic approach of the 1987 TV series (barring the last three seasons of the former), the 2003 series more closely matches the serious tone of the original comics, with a greater emphasis on action and themes of familial bonds. The series adapts a large scope of story arcs from the comics, with the Turtles' adventures combining elements of both fantasy and science fiction.

The first season starts with the Turtles' Lair being destroyed by Mousers, robots made by Baxter Stockman. On the hunt for a new place to live, the Turtles go topside and run into the Purple Dragons, who they later discover is led by Hun. The Turtles eventually get to the source of the Mousers and rescue April O'Neil, who after this becomes the Turtles' most trusted friend. Halfway through the season, Leonardo is approached by the Foot Clan leader Oroku Saki, later learned to be The Shredder, who funded Baxter's Mouser project and is Hun's master. The Shredder attacks the Turtles and burns down April's home, forcing them, April, and Casey Jones to flee the city. When the Turtles return to New York they confront the Shredder once more and Master Splinter goes missing, leading to the introduction of the Utroms, an alien race secretly living on Earth.

Season Two starts with the brothers being sent into space in the middle of a war between two alien races, the Triceraton Republic and the Federation. Upon returning to Earth, the Turtles learn from the Utroms the origins of the Shredder. This season also introduces Karai, Shredder's daughter and pupil, when she comes to take control of New York during a gang war. The season ends in a four-parter with the Turtles and Splinter taking part in the Battle Nexus tournament.

In Season Three, the Triceratons and Federation bring their war to Earth with the Turtles having to help end the war to save their planet. Agent John Bishop, leader of the Earth Protection Force, is introduced as an independent antagonist fighting both the Turtles and the Foot. The Turtles meet Renet, an apprentice timestress, which leads to them being scattered into different worlds/timelines. The Turtles and their allies then confront Shredder for a final battle when he attempts to leave Earth to wage war upon the cosmos.

Season Four sees the Turtles recovering from their final battle with Shredder, particularly Leonardo who has post-traumatic stress disorder. Karai takes leadership of the Foot, Hun leaves to reform the Purple Dragons into a powerful crime syndicate, and Bishop stages a faux alien invasion to secure funding for the EPF. However, lingering consequences from Bishop's engineered invasion caused an outbreak of mutations in New York.

Ninja Tribunal

Season Five introduces the Ninja Tribunal, a council of ninjitsu demigods who conscript the Turtles as acolytes to protect the world from the original Shredder, a dark evil coming back into being who threatens to set the world into darkness. During this season, the Turtles go through many trials and tribulations on their journey to become the best fighters they can be, eventually tapping into ancient energy to defeat the original Shredder. This would be the last to use the original character designs and animation style with its plot concluding the series' main storyline.

Fast Forward

The sixth season, subtitled "Fast Forward", would retool the series with a new art style and comedic tone. The season's plot focuses on the Turtles being transported about 100 years into the future to the year 2105; where they meet and befriend Cody Jones, the great-grandson of April and Casey. They must also contend with futurist enemies like Sh'Okanabo and his minion Viral as well as dealing with the activities of Cody's greedy and ambitious uncle Darius Dunn.

Back to the Sewer

The series would conclude in the seventh and final season, titled "TMNT: Back to the Sewer", while sporting another redesign for the entire cast based on the designs from the 2007 TMNT film. After returning to the present day, the Turtles must battle a cybernetic version of the Shredder which was the result of Viral merging with the data of the exiled Utrom Shredder. There is also a running subplot centered on the engagement and wedding of April and Casey.

Turtles Forever

The 2009 television film serves as the actual four-part finale to the 2003 series and centers around the Turtles encountering their 1987 animated counterparts, who have accidentally been transported to the 2003 Ninja Turtles' reality. To make matters worse, the 80's Shredder and Krang as well as their minions Bebop and Rocksteady free Ch'rell from his imprisonment as the redesigned Hun and Karai realign themselves with the released Ch'rell.

Characters

Main

Donatello (voiced by Sam Riegel) is the most rational brother and the brains of the team who is in charge of creating their gadgets. He wields a bo staff as his weapon and wears a purple mask.

Leonardo (voiced by Michael Sinterniklaas) is the most studious brother and the leader of the team who wields two Katana and wears a blue mask.

Raphael (voiced by Greg Abbey) is the most hot-blooded brother and the muscle of the team. He wields two Sais as weapons and wears a red mask.

Michelangelo (voiced by Wayne Grayson) is the wise guy and the jokester of the team. He loves comic books and sometimes disguises himself as the superhero Turtle Titan. His weapon of choice is Nunchucks and wears an orange mask.

Splinter (voiced by Darren Dunstan) is the master and father of the Turtles who finds them prior to their mutation and trains them in Ninjutsu. Prior to his mutation, he was the pet of Hamato Yoshi and learned ninjutsu by mimicking his moves.

Allies

April O'Neil (voiced by Veronica Taylor) is a human who used to be Dr. Stockman's assistant, but after learning his ulterior motives is saved by the Turtles and becomes their friend. She eventually marries Casey Jones in the series finale, and briefly appears in the TV movie Turtles Forever.

Casey Jones (voiced by Marc Thompson) is a human whose father's shop was set on fire by the Purple Dragon before later killing him. Jones became a vigilante to fight them but has anger issues, but manages to tune it down after meeting and befriending the Turtles. Casey is a loyal friend to the Turtles, and is closest with Raphael out of the Turtles as they share a love of action and combat. He eventually marries April O'Neil in the series finale, and briefly appears in the TV movie Turtles Forever alongside April.

Angel (voiced by Tara Sands) is teenage girl from Casey's neighborhood, who, together with her older brother Ryan, lives with her grandmother. Although Casey promised her grandmother that he would look out for her, he could often not spare the time for it. She eventually became captivated by the Purple Dragons around the neighborhood and followed them in hopes of joining their ranks, but Casey and the Turtles convinced her to give it up. Angel then asks the Turtle to help find her brother in an abandoned museum after being capture by a legion of undead warriors. In later episodes she is a good friend and ally to the turtles.

Mortu (voiced by Dan Green) is a benevolent Utrom and an ally of the Turtles. He was the captain of the ship which was transporting the imprisoned Ch'rell on board and became stranded on Earth with his fellow Utroms when Ch'rell escaped and caused them to crash. He later met Hamato Yoshi and recruited him to become a guardian of the Utroms. He later saved the Turtles from their final battle with the Utrom Shredder and had him stand trial for his crimes.

Leatherhead (voiced by F.B. Owens in season 2-3, Gary Lewis in season four to the "Back to the Sewer" season) is a mutated alligator who was taken in by the Utroms when they discovered that their mutagen (the same that transformed the Turtles) made him sentient. Leatherhead lived with the Utroms peacefully until Shredder's attack forced him into hiding. Some time later Baxter Stockman fooled him into aiding him with a scheme to restore his body. Ultimately, Leatherhead learned that Stockman had ties to the Shredder and wound up fighting on the side of good. As the series progresses he becomes a semi-regular member of the Turtles' extended family, aiding them in fighting such foes as the Foot and Agent Bishop.

Villains

Oroku Saki/The Shredder (voiced by Scottie Ray) is the archenemy of the Turtles and Splinter and serves as the main villain of the series. Several individuals have assumed the mantle of Shredder and in a possible future, all of them are engaged in a war for control of New York City.

Ch'rell, also known as the Utrom Shredder, is an evil Utrom warlord who founded the Foot Clan after being stranded on Earth centuries ago, and indirectly had a hand in the Turtles and Splinter's creation. He based his human disguise and public persona as benevolent philanthropist Oroku Saki on the ancient Japanese legend of a Demon Tengu.

The Tengu Shredder was originally a demon in ancient Japan that merged with the soul of its slayer, the warrior Oroku Saki, before being imprisoned by the Ninja Tribunal.

The Cyber Shredder is an artificial intelligence copy of Ch'rell that merged with Viral.

The Foot Clan is a criminal ninja organization founded by the Utrom Shredder in ancient Japan.

Karai (voiced by Karen Neill) is the Utrom Shredder's adopted daughter and his second in command from the end of season 2, replacing Hun. Due to her sense of honor, she is usually conflicted with orders she receives from the Shredder. After his defeat, she takes control of the Foot and becomes the next Shredder, seeking revenge on the Turtles for her father's exile. After being forced to team up with the Turtles against the Tengu Shredder, she disbands the Foot and declares a truce with them.

Yin and Yang – Karai's personal aides, who appear virtually identical to each other apart from their height. Both of them rarely speak, and wear identical purple and black foot gi. They did not appear often in the series, debuting during the "City at War" arc and later returning to join the battle against the Tengu Shredder.

Dr. Chaplin (voiced by Sam Riegel) is a young scientist who was later recruited by the Shredder and idolizes Baxter Stockman and is in love with Karai. Following the Utrom Shredder being exiled to Mor Gal Tai, Dr. Chaplin stays by Karai's side, and becomes the head of her technical division. The two later appear to start a relationship, departing hand-in-hand at the end of "The Lost Episodes" and later attending April and Casey's wedding together. Curiously, he was absent during the events of "Turtles Forever".

Others

Hamato Yoshi (voiced by Eric Stuart) is Splinter's owner and a guardian of the Utroms. he was once a homeless boy along with his friend Yukio Mashimi, but both were adopted and trained by the Ancient One and became guardians of the Utroms after learning their secrets. He and Mashimi were in love with Ancient One's daughter Tang Shen who was in love with Yoshi, causing Mashimi to become jealous, murder her, and join the Foot. Yoshi avenges Tang Shen and kills Mashimi for his betrayal. He later moves to New York along with the Utroms, where he's captured and tortured by the Foot Ninjas to reveal the Utrom's location and was murdered by the Shredder when he wouldn't talk. Afterwards, Splinter leaves and eventually finds the Turtles.

Starlee Hambrath (voiced by Amanda Brown) is a bright and highly intelligent O'Neil Tech intern from the planet Omatran and a friend of Cody and the Turtles in the Fast Forward season. She is shown to have a crush on Cody.

Constable Biggles (voiced by Sean Schemmel) is a gold robot who is the Chief Constable of the Peace-Keepers (the law enforcement of the Pan Galactic Alliance). He often clashed with the turtles due to their tendency to get involved in stopping criminals such as the Street Phantoms, but demonstrated a willingness to forgive their antics whenever they helped him capture a criminal. Constable Biggles is also shown to have connections with the Turtle Titan of his time.

Torbin Zixx (voiced by David Elliott) is an intergalactic smuggler and mercenary who usually outsmarts the Turtles and uses them for his own end either as an ally or an enemy.

Sarge (voiced by Ted Lewis and Brian Mallard) is an old police officer who usually appears in the aftermath of the Turtles' adventures. His appearance is similar to the franchise's co-creator Peter Laird.

Frank (voiced by Pete Capella) is a young cop who is Sarge's partner, his name is only revealed in the Dreamwave comic adaptation of the series. His appearance is similar to the franchise's co-creator Kevin Eastman.

Crew

Susan Blu – Voice Director (seasons 1–5)

Roy Burdine – Voice Director (seasons 6–7)

Darren Dunstan – ADR Voice Director

Production

In May 2002, 4Kids Entertainment announced to produce a new animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV series for the FoxBox programming block to air on Saturday mornings, marking it as their first animated project to be produced fully in-house. The series was renewed for a second season in the summer of 2003; the third in May 2004; the fourth in April 2005.

The "Ninja Tribunal" was originally intended to be the fifth and final season of the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series, but the schedule was altered in an effort to boost interest in the series, resulting in "Fast Forward" becoming the fifth season in terms of airing order. The "Ninja Tribunal" season was initially slated to be released on DVD sometime in early 2007, but 4Kids Entertainment later removed it from their release schedule. In early 2008, between the broadcasts of "Fast Forward" and "Back to the Sewer", 4Kids eventually aired the "Ninja Tribunal" season and promoted it as "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Lost Episodes".

Series development was headed by producer Lloyd Goldfine, who had known the Ninja Turtles since the original Mirage Studios comics and declared he "loved the charm of the cartoon", but much preferred the idea of turtles raised to be ninja assassins, and was interested in using said plot while also being family-friendly. Once he heard 4Kids had an interest in the franchise, Goldfine suggested going straight to Mirage for guidance, and then he and other company representatives went to the company's headquarters in Northampton, Massachusetts. Turtles co-creator Peter Laird and Mirage CEO Gary Richardson approved their pitch, and Mirage remained very close during development, with Laird reading every outline and draft of the script, and approving most of the character designs.

Home video

The series was initially released on DVD by FUNimation Entertainment and 4Kids Home Video in various compilation releases, with pre-2005 releases also available on VHS.

On July 25, 2023, Nickelodeon and Paramount Home Entertainment released the entirety of the 2003 series in a single box set. In addition, the digital versions for all seven seasons are presently available as of May 29, 2023, either individually or in a complete series set.

Merchandise

Playmates Toys produced toys based on the series.

Broadcast history

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles originally aired in the US on Fox for its first six seasons from February 8, 2003, to October 27, 2007. It then aired on The CW for reruns of its first six seasons, its seventh and final season, and Turtles Forever from September 13, 2008, to February 28, 2009.

On November 24, 2003, 4Kids announced that they had licensed the first 40 episodes of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Cartoon Network. 4Kids' CEO, Al Kahn, said he was "pleased to be able to broadcast the series with Cartoon Network. Now that we're adding the Cartoon Network audience, we're certain that many more kids across the country will become part of the growing craze and get 'Turtle-ized.'" The show aired on Cartoon Network until March 24, 2007.

Jetix Europe handled pay-TV rights to the series.

Turtles Forever also aired on Nickelodeon on August 29, 2010. The show was eventually broadcast on Nicktoons from 2014 to 2015.

The show (excluding season 5 and Turtles Forever) aired in the Republic of Ireland on RTE Two from September 17, 2003, to 2009.

The series is currently available for streaming on Paramount+, and Pluto TV as part of their "Totally Turtles" channel, which the latter also includes the 2012 series.

Critical reception

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles received widespread acclaim and was commercially successful throughout its first five seasons, receiving wide critical praise for the faithfulness to the source material, the storytelling, character development, action, darker tone, humor, the theme song, background music, voice acting, animation and appeal to all ages. It also garnered high ratings for a 4Kids Saturday morning cartoon and shortly after the premiere became the highest-rated and most popular children's television show in the US. Unleash the Fanboy praised the series for its connection to the comic books in story and tone, and it helps that co-creator Peter Laird was closely involved with the series, making sure things stayed on the right path.

4Kids was known for its controversial history of censoring anime, but the series was acclaimed for trying to follow the dark and gritty tone of the original Mirage comics. However, due to 4Kids having to keep their ratings under PG, the last two seasons of series, Fast Forward and Back to the Sewer, was met with negative reception from fans and critics alike.

Several of the characters introduced in the series would later appear in subsequent publications of the TMNT franchise. Hun was introduced into the Mirage Comics with the issue Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume 2 No. 56 in March 2009, and also appears as a recurring figure in the IDW comic series and in the 2012 animated series, as does Agent Bishop. Angel, Ch'rell, Darius Dun, and the Street Phantoms would also be featured in the IDW comics, and the Triceraton Mozar as an antagonist during season 4 of the 2012 series.