10 Best-Written TMNT Characters, Ranked

Over the past forty years, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have experienced some of the most harrowing storylines in pop culture. While the basics of the franchise's story have largely remained the same, the characters who call it home have undergone more than their fair share of development over the years.

That isn't to say that the most iconic characters are necessarily that far removed from where they started out, but rather that the core ideas that have always been an inherent part of them have been refined and reimagined - usually for the better. As such, a handful of characters could easily vie for the title of "best written" in the wider scope of the franchise, although not all of them are anywhere close to being household names.

10 Slash Defined - And Redefined - Evil Ninja Turtles Forever

The original evil Ninja Turtle quietly became one of the franchise's biggest heroes

When he was introduced in the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series, Slash was once an ordinary pet turtle belonging to Bebop. Rocksteady mutated him hoping it would tackle many of the menial tasks the two oversized villains were responsible for. When Slash leaped to the pages of Archie Comics in 1991's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #23 (by Stephen Murphy, Chris Allan, Brian Thomas, and Barry Grossman), he became an alien freedom fighter and exile who only made his way to Earth thanks to none other than Krang.

Although his association with other villains usually pitted Archie Comics' Slash against the Heroes in a Half Shell, he would eventually sacrifice himself in a moment of abject heroism in which he single-handedly staved off what would have otherwise been a catastrophic attack. History repeated itself this way with IDW Publishing's own take on Slash, who was reimagined as a creation of Baxter Stockman's StockGen. Once again, this Slash started out as an antagonist to the Turtles, only to find a home with the Mutanimals from which he could establish himself as a hero. And, once again, this Slash would give up his own life to save countless others, specifically by ensuring that he was the only victim of a nuclear device originally intended to wipe out all life on Burnow Island.

9 Bludgeon is IDW's Biggest Redemption Story - Literally

IDW's mutant hammerhead might be the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' strongest pacifist

Introduced in the pages of 2014's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #37 by Tom Waltz and Cory Smith, Bludgeon was quite possibly the Shredder's deadliest creation at the time of his debut. A towering mutant hammerhead shark, Bludgeon exuded a similar sense of disturbing strength displayed by Bebop and Rocksteady. At the same time, Bludgeon was always a less overtly imposing figure, preferring to observe rather than partake in any given proceedings.

That all changed during the events of the Gauntlet, the ritualistic fighting tournament between the Turtles and their enemies to decide the fate of the Foot Clan. After being blinded in battle against Donatello, Bludgeon turned to his longtime ally Koya, who helped him learn new ways to navigate the world. Better yet, Koya helped Bludgeon decide to embark upon a journey of inner peace, during which he teamed up with another mutant desperately searching for her place in the world - Venus di Milo.

8 Koya has Always Been More Than Merely Lethal

One of the Foot Clan's greatest fighters is also the Ninja Turtles' most complex romantic

Like Bludgeon, Koya was a mutant created by the Shredder, although she had already been a major part of his operation long before that. Before her transformation, Koya served the Shredder on various reconnaissance missions as an ordinary, or rather extraordinary, avian agent. After her mutation, Koya became an extra lethal threat capable of taking on almost any competitor, save for the one who clipped her wings.

Bludgeon wasn't the only one grievously injured during the Gauntlet, as Koya's own bout against Leonardo ended with her suffering a similarly life-altering injury. Left unable to fly following her encounter with her chosen nemesis, Koya struggled to find inner peace amidst the sheer rage that had enveloped her mind and spirit. Only after undertaking a transcontinental journey and uncovering a whole new kind of power did Koya make peace with her past, setting her up for what could be a bright future alongside her unexpected love interest - Leonardo.

7 Lita is Already Carrying the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Legacy into the Future

The smallest member of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is also the most important

First seen in the pages of 2020's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #101 by Sophie Campbell, Lita was a young girl living alone on the streets of New York City after being abandoned by her caretaker. When Old Hob's Mutagen Bomb fell on the city, Lita was caught in the ensuing wave of mutations, transforming her into an Albino Turtle who quickly found a home alongside the rest of the Splinter Clan. Surprisingly, the original members of the Splinter Clan wouldn't have to wait long to see what Lita would be like as an adult.

In a shocking turn, the Turtles' found themselves face-to-face with a version of Lita from a not-so-far-flung future in which everything the heroes had worked to build was razed to the ground. For several issues, readers saw Lita lead the Turtles on missions that would reshape their future. She proved herself to be just as capable as the best of her predecessors at nearly every single step along the way. Unfortunately, the Lita of the present is suffering some truly harrowing circumstances that not even her future self could have prepared her for. However, the experience is bound to only make her that much more resilient.

6 Karai's Journey is a Master Class in Comic Book Storytelling

Everything Karai has been through has only made her stronger - And smarter

The original Mirage Studios incarnation of Karai was introduced in 1992's Eastman and Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #52 during the infamous "City at War" storyline. With the Foot Clan falling to pieces and wanton bloodshed engulfing New York City, Karai journeyed from Japan to reunite the warring factions of her clan's Western counterparts. When Karai lost her daughter to the remnants of the Shredder's Elite Guard, she allied herself with the Turtles to bring about an end to the violence.

While the original Karai wasn't seen for quite some time after that, the character has been reimagined numerous times across various franchise comic book, television, and feature film iterations. Almost every version of Karai is a high-ranking member of the Foot Clan, if not a direct descendant of the Shredder himself. Similarly, almost every version of Karai is more than an abject villain or one-dimensional figure. If anything, most versions of the character are among the most complex characters the franchise offers, which is especially true of the Karai of IDW Publishing's ongoing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book series.

5 The Shredder's Personal Journey Spans Centuries

The Ninja Turtles' original nemesis keeps getting better

There is quite simply no Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles villains as iconic as the Shredder, even if his very first appearance back in the pages of 1984's Eastman and Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 didn't imply it. Oroku Saki, better known as the Shredder, debuted as the Turtles' purported nemesis. While his imposing appearance and menacing armor portrayed him as a force to be reckoned with, it was only a few panels into his first encounter with the Heroes in a Half Shell that the villain's life ended.

Over the years that followed, the original Shredder underwent a series of dramatic returns in the form of various grotesque clones. On the other hand, the Shredders that appeared in subsequent iterations of the franchise took on forms ranging from quite literally cartoonish villains to live-action horrors to reincarnated spirits with grand designs for the rest of the world. Considering how many times the Shredder has been reimagined for a film, television show, or comic book series, it isn't all that surprising that some versions of the character aren't all that well-rounded. Those that are, such as IDW's recently redeemed Oroku Saki, stand as some of the most intriguing figures that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise has ever produced.

4 Leonardo is the Leader of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for Good Reason

Leo is the only Ninja Turtle to truly embrace - and overcome - their worst self

Despite nearly falling apart at the seams on countless occasions, the Heroes in a Half Shell have always managed to reunite, usually thanks to the deft leadership of their very own Leonardo. From the very beginning, Leonardo has been a steadfast leader, not to mention a capable fighter. More importantly, he has consistently been able to shift and adapt as needed, even if it meant admitting that he wasn't far removed from his worst enemies.

This concept was most prominent in IDW Publishing's run when the Shredder and Kitsune sunk their literal and figurative hooks into Leonardo. After brainwashing Leonardo and unleashing a new, malevolent persona from within him, the villains turned the former hero on his brethren. Though this was only a temporary shift, it had long-term consequences for Leonardo, who only recently came to terms with his dark other half after being forced to directly confront it on the psychic battlefield.

3 Bob is the Most Underrated Character in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles History

An IDW deep-cut callback forever changed TMNT history

Originally a creation of Archie Comics' take on the franchise, the mutant mandrill known simply as Bob first appeared in 1994's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #62 by Dean Clarrain and Chris Allan, which kicked off the mind-bending, futuristic "Dreamland" storyline. At the outset, Bob was one of Leonardo's students in this strange new future. Bob's relationship with the Turtles was more familial than most, as he frequently referred to them as his uncles in the handful of appearances he made. Yet, this was all that fans really ever learned about him as a character.

When Bob was brought back in IDW Publishing's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #140 by Sophie Campbell and Gavin Smith, he was clearly on the same path as his predecessor. And, while Bob eventually trained under Leonardo, his trajectory quickly veered farther from that of the original than anyone could have anticipated. As it turned out, a version of Bob from the future appeared to not only terrorize his former friends but to attempt and ensure the end of them all at the behest of the time-displaced Armaggon. This culminated in the original Bob losing his life after multiple harrowing encounters with the worst possible version of himself, one who he would do almost anything to avoid turning into, not to mention one who was willing to kill his former self in cold blood for little more than misplaced revenge.

2 IDW's Venus de Milo Fixed a Decades-Old Problem

One of the most maligned characters of all time received TMNT's greatest redemption

A creation of the near-universally maligned Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation live-action series from 1997, Venus de Milo was introduced as the secret, long-lost sister to the rest of the Heroes in a Half Shell. Raised by Splinter's old ally Chung I as Mei Pieh Chi, it wasn't until she had mastered martial arts and ancient mystical disciplines that she would reunite with her brothers in New York City as Venus de Milo.

While Venus wasn't exactly breaking new ground at the time, she also wasn't doing an already convoluted and seemingly detached iteration of the franchise any favors. Thankfully, IDW Publishing reintroduced Venus de Milo as the creation of the villainous Doctor Jasper Barlow. Crafted from the remains of the deceased Punk Frog known as Bonnie, which was fused to Donatello's old, shattered carapace, Venus was brought to life using a shard of one of the Dragon's scales left over in the wake of the once immortal entity's demise. Venus almost immediately separated herself from her creator, choosing instead to embark upon a path of self-discovery and occasional heroics, all the way up until she gave her own life in the final fight against Armaggon.

1 The Last Ronin Transformed TMNT's Party Dude into a Force of Nature

Michelangelo has always been a fan favorite - But The Last Ronin redefined why

Even despite the franchise's overtly violent beginnings, Michelangelo has never been able to shake his reputation as the Splinter Clan's resident "party dude." At least, that was the case until the release of 2020's The Last Ronin by Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, Tom Waltz, Esau, and Isaac Escorza, which transformed the once fun-loving Mikey into a relentless killer driven solely by his lust for vengeance and an inescapable death wish.

This doesn't mean that other versions of Michelangelo haven't undergone some major character development of their own. Still, there is no denying the fact that The Last Ronin completely redefined his place in the wider Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles mythos. Between being seen desperately trying to end his own life and going on to sacrifice it to save New York City from the Shredder's last descendant, The Last Ronin is the definitive Michelangelo story of the modern era. At the same time, there are dozens of classic tales featuring Michelangelo at their heart from earlier on that are just as powerful in terms of their storytelling and character development, namely Jim Lawson's "The Path," which might be the most heartbreaking Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles story of all time.