Oohh lets us hear your thoughts and opinions on each turtle in 03 I know you said you liked Leo in this one o did too I love him. He’s my second fav after Raph.
This is going to be a long one, but I'll state by sharing my "order" for the turtles. Aka, my favourite to my least, even though I love them all! Mikey, Donnie, Raph, Leo, Raph and Don sometimes switch depending on the portrayal, but Mikey is always my favorite boy!
In terms of my thoughts on each one, I'll do it in order of oldest to youngest!
Leo is the dependable leader of the group with a strong sense of reliability and discipline. This isn't any different than his portrayal in other series, but viewers get to see him as more of a teenager because he can be peer pressured by his brothers. Seeing him struggle between the teachings of Martial Arts by Master Splinter and the want to have fun with his brothers creates an interesting dynamic and opportunity for growth, which we see a lot of throughout the series.
He is also his brothers' biggest fan. By this I mean that he encourages them to be their best, even when it may not seem that way to some. For example, even though he was an angry, Raph-like Leo, during the rematch for the finals of the battle nexus tournament, he pulled Mikey aside and encouraged him. Told him he could win. He believes in his brothers and that is what makes him an effective leader. He knows their strengths and their weaknesses and knows how to use each skill set effectivity.
Despite believing in his brothers, he tends to try and shoulder everything by himself. If something goes wrong, he blames himself, when he feels like he failed at something, he gets locked in his head and shuts people out. In these moments you can see how the bond between Raph and Leo is vital despite always butting heads. The first time the group goes to the farmhouse, it's Raph he helps pull Leo out of his head.
That being said, he still has a strong bond with each of his brothers. When there is a problem he doesn't know how to solve, he turns to Donnie. When they need someone or something unpredictable, he knows Mikey's got his back. I find that in the 2003 version, the way the brothers, especially Leo, rely on each other is best explored because we get to see them grow as individuals and as a team.
Leo is the most disciplined, he is in every portrayal, but we get to see his dedication much more clearly because while his brothers are goofing off, we see him working on improving his skills, advancing and learning moves that his brothers haven't yet.
He is a dedicated and well disciplined student, reliable and protective brother, honourable friend, and the most mature of the four brothers which is what makes him a great leader. He is still a teenager, and seeing him learn from his mistakes to improve upon the traits I listed only adds to his character's depth.
Raphael is the hot head of the group, but he always is, what I love about his character in this series is his character development in terms of controlling his anger. He doesn't learn his lesson and suddenly has better anger management, it still strikes in stressful situations. We can see the progress he makes from season one to season seven, but Mikey always seems to hit that nerve no matter what. The first time we really see how bad his temper is in Season One Episode Four; Mikey beats him in a sparring match and he loses control, attacking him with the intent to hurt. Leo had to stop him, and he was horrified by his actions.
This is also the episode that introduces Casey Jones, and Raph seeing his anger in someone else is what helps him understand his own issues and help Casey grow.
I also find that Raph is more of a team player in this series. He relies on his brothers in situations, even if he still picks fights with Leo and resents him, at times, for being the leader. That being said "count on Raphael to throw the first punch" when his family is in danger, caution is thrown to wind and he'll punch first, ask questions later. His loyalty and devotion to his family is shown in how he won't hesitate anyone or anything that he perceives as a threat to his brothers or Master Splinter.
We can really see his character growth when Leo becomes as angry as Raph because it's Raph who calls him out and tries to get him to control his temper because he understands. It's also nice to see how his anger and temper make him reckless, and how he grows less reckless the more he learns to control his anger.
He likes to be a lone wolf, but he doesn't want to be on his own. He likes his space, but he likes being around his brothers more. He teases them to show his affection and that he cares, and he'll be the first to act if something happened to any of them, even at the risk of his own safety.
At the same time, he is still a hot head and doesn't always think things through, such as triggering traps before his brothers have a chance to get through because he's cocky about it. He's still a little self centered at times, which is why he can't be the leader, but it doesn't mean that he isn't a supportive brother. He makes sure to let his brothers know he's proud of them, without seeming like a softy.
He's hot headed, head strong, and ill-tempered, but he is also steadfast, reliable, and always has the backs or shells, of the people or mutants he cares about.
"He's the brains of the bunch," and if he wasn't, he wouldn't be Donatello. He spends more time fiddling with tech and inventing gadgets than he spends training or mastering Martial Arts, he is also the brother with the least amount of natural talent, but that doesn't mean he isn't skilled. What he lacks in talent, he more than makes up for with his knowledge and ability to apply sciences and maths to a fight.
The bond between Don and his brothers is different in this series than in others, and by that I mean that Don and Mikey get along more than other iterations. Mikey is Mikey, and he tends to accidentally break or damage things which leads to Donnie keeping him out and away from his experiments and inventions. However, in the 2003 and three series we see the two of them interacting a bit more. From Mikey bugging Donnie to make the Battle Shell, to helping him with his experiments by gathering samples or testing things, the two youngest have a much stronger bond than any other series I've seen.
It can also be seen during fights since Donnie and Mikey usually end up together when the brothers get separated.
Don is always in his head, he tends to spend too much time thinking instead of just acting when certain situations call for it, however, the 2003 series does a great job of him showing how to make peace with doing both.
We also see each of the turtles use their skills in more specific roles, such as Don making night vision goggles for night patrols and to see the invisible foot ninja. He may not be at the forefront of a fight, but he can work on the background to give the ground an upper hand, and defend himself enough to make sure he isn't a sitting duck as he does. The 2003 series does the best job, in my opinion, of showing the intelligence behind the purple bandana, especially when he figures out how to use foreign and advanced technology.
My baby. I love him, in every series, no matter what.
Anyway, he is arguably the most naturally gifted of the four; the fact he uses a more complex weapon, Nunchucks, and is as skilled as he is with the least amount of effort is a good example of this. More evidence of this can be found in other TMNT media, but I don't want to spoil things for anyone who doesn't know.
Mikey also gets the group into trouble more than any of the others, and always by accident. The very first episode has him hiding from the purple dragons inside their truck. This of course creates the scenario where they are exposed to people (the dragons) instead of the in and out that Leo had planned. His trouble making does sometimes result in something that helps them in the future, again, the first episode. It ends up with them having a truck to overhaul.
He's also portrayed as naive and unobservant rather than stupid like he is in some newer iterations (*cough*2012*cough*). He matures and changes, but he never loses his fun loving, party dude, chill and relax attitude. He is the only one of the four to not go through a period of blinding anger. Even when he falls behind and doesn't get to graduate to a new rank with his brothers, because he is too laid back in Fast Forward, we see him mature when he states that he isn't ready, despite passing the trials. It's that trial that shows him mature, but he's still the same playful Mikey at the end of the day.
Some could say that he is the comic relief. The one who doesn't take things seriously and provides a different way to look at things, remaining positive, most of the time. He's the dramatic one, quoting the shows he watches, screaming in situations that are scary or dangerous while his brothers stay calm.
Mikey can seem so simple at times that his solutions work, we see this happen with the power crystal they find in their new home. He suggests that Don plugged it in wrong, and Don disagrees, of course, but in a desperate situation he turns it around and Mikey was right. Of course, he doesn't let Don live it down either.
He's the one who can add the element of surprise to a fight in a way no one else can because he is unpredictable in a fight. This unpredictability of course, often leads to trouble. The simple description of him in the theme song says it best, "The wise guy is Michaelangelo."
He's sarcastic, witty, playful, goofy, and a big dreamer with a big heart, it's why I believe he is the heart of the group, uplifting them when things get difficult and disheartening.
Brains, Brawn, and Beauty...
They are all beautiful in my opinion. ;)
Anyway, I hope this is what you were looking for Anon! :)
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