Image via Complex Original
Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird released their first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book in 1984. In the 30 years since, the Turtles have become a global franchise, with TV shows, movies, and toys that are beloved by fans of all ages. This August, producer Michael Bay will release the latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie—a live-action reboot, with high production values and state-of-the-art CGI.
In preparation for this momentous occasion, we’re looking back at the 20 Greatest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Moments from the past three decades. Drop your slice of pizza, grab your nunchucks, and get ready to raise some shell.
The Shogun Level
Genre: Video Games
Where's it from: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game for the NES (1990)
The arcade game was fun, but it took a mountain of quarters to conquer it. So, most of us bought the NES game instead. To our delight, it was a faithful adaptation (graphics aside). The NES version also added an extra level right before the Technodrome: The Foot's Ninja School. This was where blade-wielding goons, scorpions, and magical paintings of tigers conspired to make your life hell. The end boss was a Shogun warrior, whose head would detach and float about in a figure-eight pattern. Creepy, but oh so radical.
Ooze Syrup?
Genre: Food
Where's it from: Ninja Turtles Cereal (1989)
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles couldn't sell out if they tried—they were unashamedly commercial from the very beginning. Every product known to man was given a green color scheme, and rebranded as a "Ninja Turtle" product. There was Ninja Turtle shampoo, Ninja Turtle Band-Aids, and Ninja Turtle toothbrushes. And then there was Ninja Turtles cereal. It was a diabetic coma waiting to happen. The cereal came with little marshmallow turtles and green "Ooze" syrup, which you could pour on yourself. It helped us stay awake for our Saturday morning cartoons, and it kept us hopped up on sugar—right up through lunchtime, when we could eat our Ninja Turtle macaroni and cheese.
That Creepy Rat King…
Genre: Comics
Where's it from: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Mirage Studios, 1988)
An insane homeless man, the Rat King had the ability to control thousands of rats. He was mysterious and ill-defined, and this, of course, made him even more terrifying. Even after he died, he continued to haunt Splinter in spirit form. The Rat King has appeared in every iteration of the Turtles. Sometimes, he's a neutral party, and sometimes, he's a villain. Regardless, the Rat King is always psychologically manipulative, filthy, and creepy. The Turtles respect and fear him, and that's enough for us to do the same.
The Technodrome: Weapon of Mass Destruction
Genre: Television
Where's it from: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987)
The Technodrome was a huge, spherical war machine from Dimension X, with bulldozer treads, massive guns, and a creepy eye, like the cherry on top of a killer sundae. Whenever you saw the Technodrome rolling up, you knew things were going to get messy. It was one thing when the Turtles were beating up low level, human punks. It was an entirely different thing when they were pitted against laser cannons and Stone Warriors. The Turtles knew how threatening the Technodrome was; Donatello banished it to Dimension X in the first season, and many of the show's plots revolved around trying to bring it back to Earth. It was a looming dread—if Krang ever succeeded, the world would be in deep trouble.
Leatherhead's Origin Story
Genre: Comics
Where's it from: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures (1991)
Most of the characters in the Turtles universe had the same backstory: they were exposed to the Ooze, and they transformed into mutants. The TMNT Adventures Comics, however, took a chance by reinventing several mutant origins. Among them was Leatherhead. He was reimagined as a lowlife named Jess Harley, who lived in a Louisiana swamp. He stole from a voodoo witch named Mary Bones, and as punishment for his thievery, Bones used a magical orb, the Turnstone, to transform Harley into a half man, half croc.
Casey Beats Downs Tatsu
Genre: Movie
Where's it from: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
Tatsu was a scary son of a bitch. He punched and kicked kids to let off steam, and he communicated entirely through grunts. “Rrr!” “Mmph!” So, we were delighted when Casey Jones finally ruined his shit. The hockey-masked vigilante put a metal golf club through Tatsu's face, and as his lifeless body went flying through the air, everyone's theater broke out into spontaneous applause. Hole-in-one Casey. Fantastic form!
The Best Bedtime Gear
Genre: Clothing
Where's it from: TMNT Blanket/Comforter (1988)
Ask any TMNT fan: this right here was their favorite blanket growing up. It was warm and soft, and even when it wasn't winter, they'd sleep in it anyway. No one cared that they'd wake up in the middle of the night sweating their ass off. To a young kid, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were more than a fandom, they were a philosophy and a way of life.
Wormquake!
Genre: Television
Where's it from: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
The Turtles are more than a passing trend. It's been 30 years, and our heroes in a half shell are still as resonant as ever. The newest Nickelodeon cartoon is a perfect blend of the Turtles iterations that preceded it. The show has a dramatic plot, wisecracks to spare, and an ongoing flirtation between April and Donatello that's both awkward and funny. This particular two-part episode is a great example of quality cartoon entertainment. We learn more about Karai's background (she's Splinter's daughter—we're still letting that sink in), and we get some great fight scenes to bookend the drama. Keep it going, Nickelodeon, you have a mighty legacy to live up to.
Meet Karai
Genre: Comics
Where's it from: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Mirage Studios, 1992)
In the Turtles comics, Shredder was missing/presumed dead. This left a power vacuum in the Foot Clan's leadership, and a young, beautiful woman named Karai came over from Japan to sort things out. We quickly learned that Karai was no damsel in distress—in fighting prowess, she was Leonardo's equal. Since her comic book debut, Karai has become an extremely popular character, serving as the sometimes villain, sometimes uneasy ally of our fearsome foursome.
When Mousers Attack…
Genre: Television
Where's it from: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987)
Baxter Stockman is a proactive kind of guy. If you have a rodent problem, forget the glue traps and the poison. Get a robot with sharp metal teeth, and let it chew through the wall. Shredder recruited Stockman to create hundreds of these "Mousers." In one of the most memorable scenes from the 1987 cartoon, the Mousers break into the Turtles' underground lair and try to kill Splinter. Thankfully, his sons arrive just in time, and they turn the would-be rat killers into a pile of spare parts.
The Party Wagon
Genre: Television
Where's it from: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987)
Originally, it was an ordinary van owned by Baxter Stockman. Then, resident genius Donatello got ahold of it. Suddenly, there were weapons, a human launcher, and a shell design motif. Not to mention, the Turtle Van, also known as the Party Wagon, was one kickass ride. Donnie would go on to invent other contraptions—the Turtle Coms, the Turtle Blimp, and the Turtle Glider—but the Party Wagon stands as his first, most memorable achievement.
Bebop's Action Figure
Genre: Toys
Where's it from: Playmates Toys (1988)
The first wave of Turtles action figures was heavy on detail, and no single action figure epitomized this more than Bebop. Unlike his fellow action figures, who had plastic, hard shells for heads, Bebop had a molded rubber head, and this allowed for better definition on his features—his punk shades, his bumpy skin, his mohawk haircut, and his nose piercing. His turtle shell shoulder pads and physicality were appropriately intimidating—all brawn, zero brains. Bebop's action figure set a high bar, and later Turtles action figures continued its loving attention to detail.
Shooting Pizzas at Your Sister
Genre: Toys
Where's it from: Pizza Thrower by Playmates (1989)
They don't make toys like this anymore; Americans are concerned with this silly thing called "safety." In 1989, Bandai had a questionable (ie. awesome) idea: sell a Turtles vehicle that shoots plastic discs at a high, painful velocity. We were supposed to fire the pizzas at our action figures, but it was more fun to fire them at our siblings. To promote the latest Turtles movie, Pizza Hut created a life-sized, fully operational Pizza Thrower, and they debuted it at San Diego's Comic-Con earlier this month.
The Death of The Shredder
Genre: Comics
Where's it from: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Mirage Studios, 1989)
It's hard to believe, but Eastman and Laird never conceived of Shredder as the sole arch-enemy of the Turtles. He was supposed to be one villain amongst many. In fact. most people don't know that in the original comic book storyline, Shredder has been dead for quite some time. During his first showdown against the Turtles, Donatello knocked him off of a rooftop, and the Turtles assumed that he was dead. He survived though, and the second time, the Turtles took no chances. They gave Shredder the undead zombie treatment: Leonardo decapitated him, and the Turtles later burned his remains. That ought to do the trick. They may want throw salt on the ground while they're at it.
Ninja Rap!
Genre: Music
Where's it from: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991)
Have you ever seen a turtle get down? Yeah. We let this happen. For a hot minute, Vanilla Ice was the biggest name in music. In a film cameo that puts all other film cameos to shame, he launched into a freestyle “Ninja Rap,” complete with a choreographed dance routine. This insane, bizarre (awesome?) moment burned Vanilla Ice into our collective consciousness, whether we wanted him there or not. Go Ninja! Go Ninja! Go!
The Foot Soldier Headquarters
Genre: Movie
Where's it from: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
When we see the Foot Clan's headquarters for the first time, it's a late-'80s Pleasure Island. There's pool, arcade machines, and a massive skating ramp. There's boys smoking cigars and girls chewing bubble gum. There's roulette and poker. There's debauchery in every corner of the place, and it's… well, it's awesome. Given the choice, would you rather live in a sewer or play arcade games all day long? Talk about teaching the wrong lesson!
That Addictive Theme Song
Genre: Television
Where's it from: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987)
The opening to the 1987 cartoon is its own little masterpiece. In under a minute, we learned everything that we needed to know about the characters and their motivations. Leonardo leads. Donatello does machines. Raphael is cool, but rude. Michelangelo is the party dude. Got it. On top of that, it's scored to the catchiest opening theme song since Sanford and Son. And that's a fact, Jack!
Leonardo Versus Raphael
Genre: Movie
Where's it from: TMNT: The Animated Movie (2007)
As kids, we used to argue about which turtle would win in a fight. Would it be Leo, with his superior skills and even temper? Or would it be Raph, with his unrefined, raw Beserker rage? This angsty fight scene didn't answer those questions, but it ensured that the nerdy debate would continue for years to come. As a whole, the movie was something of a disappointment; we all hoped for a classic revival of the brand. Instead, we got a weird storyline about Aztec immortality. The casual viewers must have been so confused. Where's Shredder? Where's Bebop and Rocksteady? The lone highlight of the movie was this grudge match. But, to be completely fair, it was worth the price of admission.
Epic Reunion
Genre: Television
Where's it from: Turtles Forever (2009)
This was fan service at its finest. Officially, the TV movie Turtles Forever was the series finale for the 2003 cartoon, but it was so much more than that. Released on the 25th anniversary of the comic's debut, Turtles Forever was a celebratory retrospective. To stop Utrom Shredder, the 2003 cartoon Turtles went cross-dimensional. They teamed up with the 1987 cartoon Turtles and the original 1984 comic book Turtles to stop evil. The best moments in the movie were the clashes between the different generations—the 1987 Turtles cared more about cracking jokes than the intricacies of saving the world.
The Shredder Rooftop Fight
Genre: Movie
Where's it from: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
The whole movie built to this moment, and it was everything we hoped it would be. On one side? The Turtles, flush with confidence after destroying scores of Foot Soldiers. On the other side? The scariest rendition of Shredder we had ever seen. This was not the bumbling oaf from the cartoon show; this was an evil, twisted man with lethal intention. Shredder would've killed all four turtles had Splinter not intervened. With one nunchuck flourish, the old Sensei avenged his Master Yoshi, flinging Shredder off the roof and into a waiting trash compactor. Gritty, visceral, and extremely entertaining, it makes the Rooftop Fight our no. 1 moment. Cowabunga!
