I've talked at length before about why 2003 Raph is best Raph. A lot of it comes down to how well balanced his writing is. We see his struggle with his temper and impulse but it's not at the expense of showing his soft side; we get to see that too, just as clearly.
He can razz his brothers, snark and snap at them, bop them upside the head on the regular and we see him soften his voice and apologize to them, openly show worry for them, cry for them, hug them. He can very vocally and viscerally disagree with their choices and still have their back. He'll throw himself into the heat of a battle he knows he can't win for them and he can sense when a recon or a retreat is what they need.
He can use tough love to give someone a push and offer a gentle helping hand and a smile to keep them going. He can threaten to make the enemy wish they were never born and he can have a nice cup of tea with a little old lady and both scenarios are equally believable, neither out of character or undermining the effectiveness of the other. He's not so angry that it comes across too callous and he's not so soft that he loses any of his edge. He wears his heart on his sleeve and it's made of steel and gold <3
And as with all the other '03 turtles, I love his voice acting. Not everyone is a fan of the thick accent but I love it for the street smart feel and how it helps his voice stand out among the others. He makes himself heard.
But not by swearing! I appreciate that too. Sure, it's just a censor for the sake of the kids but IRL swearing is uncomfortable/a bit triggering for me so the fact that the show went out of its way to offer an alternative with "shell" is nice. Lighter - and funnier - but just enough of a punch. (Honestly that describes the whole 2003 show in a nutshell!)
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