10 Strongest Turtles in the TMNT Franchise, Ranked

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The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are incredibly famous superheroes who happen to be mutated turtles. They first appeared in comic books, and have since been featured in many TV shows and movies. While the four main turtles are the most well-known, they aren’t always the most talented fighters.

Even though some turtle characters aren’t very well-known, the TMNT universe actually features quite a few of them. While they don’t appear constantly, there are enough to make interesting comparisons. Each turtle is different, and they all have been developed with some thought and care.

10. Lita Is Originally Just a Regular Girl Who is Affected by a Mutagen Bomb

The Turtles Eventually Show Lita How to Harness Her New Powers

Image via Nickelodeon

Lita is a relatively new character in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe. Created specifically for the IDW comics, she hasn’t yet appeared in any of the TV shows or movies. Lita began as a young girl with albinism who was accidentally turned into a turtle by a Mutagen bomb. After her transformation, the original Ninja Turtles found her and took her in, training her alongside them in their dojo.

The latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles character, Lita, gains her most significant abilities through “Big Lita,” who is essentially a future version of herself. Big Lita appears just four issues after the original Lita is introduced and tries to prevent a major war between the Turtles and the Foot Clan. However, beyond her time-traveling skills, Big Lita isn’t particularly different from other characters, and the younger Lita hasn’t yet developed most of the abilities her future self possesses.

9. April O’ Neil Becomes a Turtle Briefly in the Archie Comics Adaptation of the Franchise

She Doesn’t Have Her Turtle Powers For Long

Image via Nickelodeon

April O’Neil is a reliable friend to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, appearing in almost every version of their story. While she’s often reimagined alongside the Turtles, her most compelling storyline arguably takes place in the Archie Comics. During a major fight, April is briefly transformed into a turtle by exposure to Mutagen. Surprisingly, she adapts well to her new form, despite never experiencing mutagen before, but ultimately wants to become human again.

When April transforms into a turtle, she wears a white bandanna and fights with one sword. She remains a turtle throughout the entire episode, and surprisingly manages to do pretty well. Though she isn’t a regular fighter, it’s obvious she’s learned a lot from the Turtles. She can’t defeat Shredder by herself, but even as a turtle, April is capable in a fight.

8. Jennika Becomes a Mutant Turtle After a Blood Transfusion From Leonardo

She Primarily Wears Yellow, In Line With the Other Mainline Turtles

Image via Nickelodeon

Jennika is a relatively new character from IDW Publishing, and she’s notable as one of the very few female turtles in comic books. For a long time, the series didn’t include any female turtles, but they finally approved the creation of Jennika. She’s a dedicated martial artist whose story begins as a human; after being seriously wounded, she receives a blood transfusion from Leonardo, which starts her transformation into a turtle.

Jennika is one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and she wears yellow. She’s a mix of Leonardo and Raphael in terms of personality and fighting style. While she fights with a katana and a bladed gauntlet called a Tekko-kagi, she’s still newer to being a turtle than the others, which can put her at a disadvantage in battles against more experienced mutants.

7. Venus De Milo Uses Magic to Enhance Her Martial Arts

Venus Rarely Appears Outside of Her Original Series

Image via Nickelodeon

Venus De Milo is the only female Ninja Turtle who’s appeared in a TV show. While she first appeared in the comics, many fans remember her from Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation. That series even included an episode that crossed over with Power Rangers In Space. Beyond being a skilled martial artist, Venus can also use powerful chi attacks, which are a form of magic.

Venus fights mainly with two special fans called Tessen, though she’s also used armored balls known as Kai Mi. She’s a flexible fighter, but doesn’t have as much battle experience as the other turtles, which can be a weakness. Venus is very talented, but her skills are most effective in specific situations. Interestingly, she’s the only female turtle who shares a color scheme with the original four, sporting a lighter shade of blue in the TV show.

6. Tokka Is a Powerful Snapping Turtle WIth Barely Any Intelligence

Tokka Is One of Shredder’s Most Reliable Enforcers

Image via Nickelodeon

Tokka is an ordinary snapping turtle mutated to an enormous size. He’s incredibly powerful, with a devastating bite and immense strength. Often paired with the equally unintelligent Rahzar, they function as a more powerful, but less bright, duo similar to Bebop and Rocksteady.

Tokka’s allegiance shifts – sometimes he helps the turtles, but he usually fights alongside Shredder. He isn’t very bright and mostly relies on brute force. While incredibly strong, he could be a serious threat if someone were to guide him, but thankfully his limited intelligence keeps his power in check.

5. Donatello Makes Up For His Lack of Combat Skills With Clever Gadgets

Donatello Makes a Majority of the Technology Used by the TMNT Team

While Donatello isn’t necessarily the strongest fighter among the original Ninja Turtles, he’s definitely the smartest. He’s responsible for creating or improving almost all of the team’s equipment, and the Turtles would have struggled in many fights without his inventions. Unfortunately, Donatello often criticizes himself, which can sometimes hinder his performance.

Donatello, the purple-masked turtle, is a bit of a homebody who loves spending time thinking or working on his computer. However, he’s incredibly loyal and will always go out of his way to help his brothers, even if it means facing danger. While he’s not as eager to leave the sewers as they are, he’ll join their patrols, especially if it means finding new technology to experiment with.

4. Raphael Lets His Anger Cause Him to Act Irrationally

Raphael Could Lead the Team If He Weren’t Blinded By Emotion

Raphael is incredibly talented, but his strong emotions often get in the way. He’s usually portrayed as quick-tempered and easily angered, which frequently causes problems for him – both with his brothers and his opponents. In some versions of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, his outbursts have even led to physical fights with his family.

Raphael is the strongest of the original four turtles, physically. But he often gets sidetracked during battles, which holds him back from using his full power. When Raph can focus, very few villains can stand against him. Unfortunately, he usually doesn’t achieve that level of calm until late in the story.

3. Michelangelo Has the Most Raw Potential Out of His Brothers

Michelangelo Would Easily be the Strongest Turtle If He Consistently Practiced

Michelangelo is definitely the most playful and immature of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but he’s also incredibly talented. Many stories suggest he could be unstoppable if he just focused and trained, but that would change what makes Michelangelo Michelangelo. He’s all about having fun and being the life of the party.

One storyline reimagines Michelangelo as ‘The Last Ronin,’ after his brothers tragically die in combat. As The Last Ronin, Mikey becomes exceptionally powerful, but the cost of that power – the loss of his family – is too high. While this version of Mikey is a compelling character, it’s heartbreaking to see such a cheerful and playful personality forced to grow up quickly because of immense trauma.

2. Slash Is One Of The Strongest Turtles in the Franchise

Slash Is a Popular Anti-Hero in the TMNT Franchise

Slash is a frequent character in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles stories, often fighting alongside the Mutanimals. He’s consistently portrayed as one of the strongest characters in the whole franchise, even making Raphael seem less powerful. While the weapons he uses can change, his incredible strength is a defining part of who he is.

The Alligator snapping turtle character always has spikes in different versions of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. However, his first appearance in the 1987 series gave him a particularly unique design. Originally, he was a normal turtle with several robotic upgrades. In later versions, those robotic parts were replaced with simply making him much larger. Fortunately, Slash usually ends up helping the turtles, though it sometimes takes a little persuading.

1. Leonardo Is the Team’s Dedicated Leader for a Reason

He is the Wisest and Best Trained Combatant of the Original Turtles

As a huge fan of the Ninja Turtles, I’ve always seen Leonardo as the natural leader. He’s the calmest and, honestly, probably the best trained of the four. Beyond what Master Splinter teaches, Leo really puts in the work, practicing for hours every day. And his weapon of choice – those swords, usually katanas or ninjatos – he uses them with incredible skill and power. It’s really something to watch!

Leonardo is a popular choice as the best Ninja Turtle because he’s both a skilled fighter and a genuinely good person. He’s a strong leader who can also relax and have fun. Overall, he’s considered the most talented and powerful of the four brothers.

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2026-02-21 07:07