A List of Combat-Related Flaws Don Has Canonically Demonstrated (And None of Them Are Strength)
Literally the first thing we hear about him is that he has a tendency to make too much noise when he’s trying to be stealthy. It’s not a one-off thing, either, because Raph comments on Don and Mikey being especially loud at one point. (Things Change, The Shredder Strikes Part 2)
Speed-wise, he’s slower than his brothers. Either that, or he can’t maintain a fast pace for long stretches of time. (More Worlds Than One)
Relatively easily side-tracked. (Hun on the Run, City at War)
On a related, but slightly different note, he’s shown the tendency not to notice things that pose a major threat– but only if they pose a threat to himself. (Space Invaders Part 1, Notes from the Underground Part 2, among many saves from Raph)
Has a surprising habit of losing/breaking his weapon (Hunted, Secret Origins Part 3, New Blood (especially New Blood))
Is completely willing to avoid engaging an aggressor if he thinks it can be reasoned with. (The People’s Choice, Outbreak, Rogue in the House Part 1, arguably Modern Love)
Once panicked and froze up in the middle of being attacked. The way the scene was framed, you could also argue that it happened again when Raph had to push him out of the way of the mutant cockroach. (New Blood, Outbreak)
I don’t know what cheating at hide-and-seek counts as, but it seems relevant. (New Blood)
Just to contrast, two of his most prominent (combat-related) advantages are:
His physical strength. At one point, he hauls a support beam off of his chest from flat on his back/shell. He consistently aces Chikara’s tests of power, and is shown moving or throwing people around a fair amount. The only time he failed to move someone was when that person was literally twice as big as him. (Rogue in the House Part 3, More Worlds Than One, April’s Artifact, The Shredder Strikes Back Part 2, Sons of the Silent Age)
He’s really good at unarmed combat. Like, really, really good. I don’t have anything else to say about that one except: damn boi. (The Big Brawl Part 4)
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