Comparisons within Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise has known several major incarnations. Although it has remained fairly consistent with from one incarnation to the next, there are some significant differences worth mentioning.

The incarnation of the TMNT franchise considered here are:
 * The original Mirage Studios comic book version
 * The 1987 cartoon version
 * The Archie comic book version
 * The first, second, and third live-action movies
 * The 2003 animated series revival
 * The 2007 CGI film

The TMNT videogames and the short-lived live-action series Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation (which includes characters from that series such as Venus de Milo) are ignored here.

Mutation

 * In the comics, movies, and 2003 cartoon, the "mutagen" acted more like a growth formula (including intellectual growth), while in the 1987 cartoon and the Archie Comics, it worked as a crossbreeding tool, used to mix animal characteristic with humans and vice-versa. The subject would have its gene spliced with the organism it last came into contact with.

The Turtles

 * In the 1987 cartoon, the Archie Comics, and the movies, The Turtles' favorite food (if not their primary source of food) is pizza. In the third episode of the 2003 cartoon, a flashback depicted the young Turtles eating pizza.

Yoshi-Saki-Shen relationship

 * In the 1987 cartoon and Archie Comics, the Shredder realizes Hamato Yoshi is still alive after noticing the Turtles' fighting style is similar to that of the Foot Clan. Midway through the first movie, the Shredder recognizes their fighting (the same as Hamato Yoshi), but doesn't realize that until Splinter himself tells him he knows he is Oroku Saki, who killed his master Yoshi, and Shredder also realize Splinter is the one who scarred his cheek. In the original comics and 2003 cartoon, the Shredder is not aware that Splinter was Yoshi's pet or even recognizes the Turtles' fighting style (in the 2003 episode "The Shredder Strikes", whether or not he heard Splinter speak his master's name is unknown); also Hun is not aware that Splinter was the rat who scarred him.

Shredder and the Foot Clan

 * The Shredder is depicted as evil but generally inept and whiny in the 1987 cartoon series, but as a scary, lethal ninja in all other versions of the TMNT franchise.

April O'Neil and Baxter Stockman

 * In the Mirage Studios comics and the 2003 cartoon series, April O'Neil is initially Baxter Stockman's lab assistant, but later became the owner of an antique shop. In the 1987 cartoon series, the Archie Comics, and the movies, she was a news reporter with no ties to Baxter Stockman whatsoever. In the 1987 cartoon and the Archie Comics, she initially worked for Channel 6 and later became a freelance reporter. In the movies, she worked for Channel 3 and also owns an antique shop.

Other characters

 * The Utroms are part of the Mirage Studios comics and the 2003 cartoon, but absent from the movies, the 1987 cartoon series, and the Archie Comics. However, in the 1987 cartoon and the Archie Comics, Shredder's ally Krang was heavily inspired by the Utroms.

Actor/Voice artists
{|class="wikitable" style="margin-left:1em" ! TMNT Cartoon Version ! Movies ! 2003 Cartoon Version ! Next Mutation|- | Leonardo | Cam Clarke | Brian Tochi | Michael Sinterniklaas | Michael Dobson | n/a |}

Other media

 * Despite the differences, the original Mirage Studios comics and the 2003 TMNT cartoon series are both considered canon. The TMNT 1987 cartoon series is almost never considered TMNT canon, partly because Mirage Studios does not own the rights to the series. The Image comics and Next Mutation series are decidedly not TMNT canon.