Donatello

Donatello is a fictional character and one of the four main characters in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics, being the proclaimed third oldest in the turtle family. In all relevant media, he sports a purple mask outside the Mirage/Image Comics. His signature weapon is the Bo Staff. In all media he is depicted as the most knowledgeable of the four turtles, often speaking in so called "technobabble" with a natural aptitude for science and technology.

He was named by Splinter after the sculptor Donatello di Niccolò di Betto Bardi.

Origin
See Origin.

Donatello is the brains of the team.

It seems when Donatello was young he used to build his own (and his brothers') toys. No one knows the exact age he found out he was a natural technician, but when he did, he was the one who hooked up the electricity and fixed all of the junk from the sewer into their own furniture and supplies. When the other turtles would practice their ninja skills during free time, little Donny would be tinkering with some kind of mechanical device.

Personality
Donatello ("Donnie", "Don") is portrayed in some turtle media as the calmer, more logical Turtle. Being less outspoken and more reserved, he is often on good terms with his three brothers and shares a particularly close bond with Michelangelo. Donnie is described as the "brains" of the team, being studious and industrious - a "Mr. Fix-It", some might say. Donnie spends most of his time inventing various weapons and gadgets or enveloped in research, and would rather negotiate before using force. Though he falls behind his brothers in physical prowess, he is a capable fighter and can hold his own. While Leonardo, the oldest of the brothers and the leader, is typically the game-setter, Donnie often lays out the plans and strategies as well, as it is one of his specialties. His level-headed cleverness comes in handy to the team; when Leonardo's strategy fails, Donnie can reliably come up with a quick plan B.

Somewhat quirky and sarcastic, Donnie is an important part of the team, being thoroughly investigative, negotiable, and patient.

Abilities
Donatello has attained a mastery Ninjutsu and stealth due to his ninjutsu training. The mutagen coupled with his training has also given him near super human level skill, speed, agility and strength. He is also a stickjutsu and kobudo master. Donatello has also shown some impressive signs of physical strength; however, his greatest power is his genius-level intellect. He was stated to have an IQ of 637 in the 2k3 series, and has shown mastery in various fields of science. The classic 1987-1996 series however, is possibly the most intelligent incarnation of Donatello. He earned himself a degree once via mail, he is an expert in science and engineering, and he's able to set up plans as quickly as Leonardo, proving that he too is somewhat of a strategist. Donatello was also able to cure himself and his brothers of unstable mutations, though with some help. He has invented a trans-dimensional portal generator, a device capable of stopping the flow of time, a helmet that can turn thoughts into reality, a de-mutation ray, an early warning alarm system that goes off under any dimensional attacks or portal openings, a trans-dimensional communicator, and many other devices out of the materials that he likely found in the sewers, junk heaps, or during ventures into high-tech facilities.

Volume 1
In the comics Donatello is originally presented along with Leonardo as one of the two calmer turtles and while the originals have no official command structure, in the early stories he is depicted as the second in command. In the first issue he is the one that killed the The Shredder by knocking him and his grenade off the roof.

The second issue elaborated more on each turtles personalities and opened with Donatello soldering a circuit. Later in the issue Donatello states that he is "familiar with some computer systems" and helps April O'Neil deactivate the Mousers.

In the Donatello one shot, Donatello encounters an artist called Kirby (an homage to the comic artist Jack Kirby) whose mysterious crystal brings his drawings to life before disappearing. The two newfound friends journey to a dimension inhabited by Kirby's creations and help the heroes defeat the invading monsters.

During the turtles' exile to Northampton Donatello becomes obsessed with fixing up and repairing the many broken things within the farmhouse they were living in. Most notably he spent days and nights fixing the boiler to give his family hot running water and builds a windmill and a water wheel to provide electricity. He also finds an old type writer and writes his own personal credo.

In "Shades of Grey" Casey Jones encounters the turtle by a ravine as he was pondering "the fractal structure of natural patterns". Casey accuses the turtle of using big words and acting better than everyone else. Donatello suggests they should continue the conversation when Casey is sober. Grabbing a stick, an angry Jones continually pokes the turtle until he loses his temper and sends Casey careening into the water.

City at War
In City at War the turtles return to New York to put an end to the Foot Clan's civil war. During a battle with Shredder's Elite Guards in the ruins of the Second Time Around Shop Donatello falls through the floor and breaks his leg. Seeing their ally Karai subdued and about to be killed, Donatello grabs one of the Foot's machine guns and repeatedly shoots the Foot Elite. Afterwards, Donatello is visibly shaken by the violence and throws the gun away.

At the end of the story the turtles, April and Casey move back to New York save for Donatello who chooses to stay in Northampton with Master Splinter to heal from his injury as well as to reflect on everything that has happened.

Volume 2
While meditating with Splinter, Donatello receives a vision of the future where he is in the village of Chihaya in Japan. When Donatello asks what he would be doing there, his master simply replies "To bury me".

After encountering the vigilante Nobody in civilian guise, Donatello returns with him to New York to help his brothers battle Baxter Stockman.

Volume 4
In the current comics Donatello finds an armored truck in the sewers which apparently had been part of a bank robbery in the sixties. Along with Raphael and Casey Jones, he undertakes the task of fixing up the vehicle.

After the death of Splinter, Donatello secretly goes to his body and asks forgiveness before clipping something off him. Shortly after, Donatello decides to accompany the Utroms on a mission to Tepui to search for two missing research teams. The group is attacked by strange wooden creatures who shrink them to miniature size. The creatures turn out to be a group of Utroms which had been stranded in the jungle during their first stay on Earth and had been living in secret thanks to their Quantum Inversion Redimensioning Device, which could alter their size. The process could not be reversed on Donatello, possibly due to his mutation, leaving him the size of an action figure.

While the Utroms work on returning him to normal, Donatello puts his new size to use infiltrating a terrorist organization's warehouse. He's also made a robotic body for himself made to resemble a turtle to help him move around.

Archie Comics
Donatello's appearance in the Archie publications were largely based on the 1987 Fred Wolf incarnation, but with Mirage Studios writers on board at Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures such as Steve Murphy and Ryan Brown, a lot of references to his Mirage counterpart were made. Donatello was showcased to be pure of heart and soul, being able to pass through the Netherworld unscathed. He was also chosen of the Turtles by a group of aliens known as the Sons of Silence to share their wisdom. He was one of the few who could telepathically communicate with them. Donatello was almost a pacifist, detesting every time he used violence.

Image Comics
In the Image Comics incarnation of the TMNT, he became a cyborg after his body was partially destroyed from being shot and dropped out of a helicopter (he maintained a positive attitude nonetheless, although he was constantly at risk of losing his mind to the cyborg half). The Image Comics were later treated as non-canon by the Mirage Publications.

1987 series
First off comics incarnation, the temperament of Donatello's not too stressed. The emphasis is rather on the fact that he can invent anything from waste or items that seem useless. Although these inventions seem to always have the same two purposes for the story: either explode in his face and be considered useless until he could save the world, or to be fully functional but fell into the hands the enemy. The voice of Donatello in English was performed by Barry Gordon, who also interpreted Bebop. It was Greg Berg, who took his place in the year 1989.

Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation
Donatello in Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation is voiced by Jason Gray-Stanford. In the Next Mutation Donatello uses a shorter metal version of a Bo staff. Also in the show, he is a lot more knowledgeable and is more concerned on what is controlling the lair, science or magic which leads him to constantly arguing with Venus De Milo.

2003 series
Probably the most elaborate animated version and more faithful to the comic book version. Donatello, voiced by Sam Riegel, is more peaceful, and more focused on his work and his training in the art of Ninjutsu. While he is not the best amoung the turtles in combat, he is well-versed in several other areas. Donnie is very introverted and can easily get lost in his thoughts.

2012 series
Donatello or Donnie is the brains of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He is in charge of the design and manufacture of all the tools and weapons in their arsenal. He fights with a bō, which converts to a naginata (a spear-like weapon).

Overall, there is a lot more of a heavy focus on Donatello's character in this series. Despite his intelligence, like most of the other turtles in the 2012 series, Donatello has become a lot clumsier; his inventions have a tendency to malfunction, blow up, or end up doing the exact opposite of what they're supposed to. He is described by Jeff Ventimilia (executive producer)as a bit fussy, nervous and compulsive.

Donatello has also developed a crush on April O' Neil (a result of his "teenage side" in this version) that he seems keen on hiding from her. Donatello often makes foolish remarks or does clumsy things around April, much to his embarrassment, such as accidentally calling her beautiful or "princess" whilst she's in earshot.

Like most of the other turtles, he has also taken on new design traits, such as a gap in his front teeth and being taller and lankier in stature compared to his brothers.

He is voiced by Rob Paulson, who previously voiced Raphael in the 1987 series.

Coming Out of Their Shells
Don played keyboards and background vocals in the stage show.

First Movie
Donatello seemed less intelligent in the first movie. He struck up a strong friendship with Casey Jones and the two playfully insulted each other frequently while fixing an old pickup truck. Also, in the first movie, there seemed to be more of a best friend relationship with not only Casey Jones, but also Michelangelo. If you watch the scene where Michelangelo and Donatello are watching the classic Tortoise and the Hare, you can tell they seem intellectually equal and the two "jokers" of the team. Oddly, though, Donatello has a comedic inability to match his brothers' surfer slang throughout the first three movies, instead using nonsensical terms such as "bossa nova", "a cappella", "Chevy Nova", and "eclectic". According to some sceptics, Donatello bears a strange resemblance to Mike Jones, rap artist famely know for his hit song "Who is Mike Jones."

Second Movie
In the second movie his knowledge and scientific originality were brought to the forefront and he was instrumental in developing the anti mutagen that reverted Tokka and Rahzar to their animal forms. As further evidence of his mechanical inclination, he is also shown hacking into a computer at T.G.R.I. There is also evidence in this film that Donatello shows great emotional support for his little brother, Michelangelo, in a more obvious way; unlike Leonardo and Raphael. He also related to Professor Jordan Perry on a personal and professional level, as they both rack their brains to create an anti-mutagen for Shredder's newly evolved mutant-monsters.

Third Movie
In the third, and final, live action film, Donatello's knowledge comes to the forefront in explaining the principals of the time machine that sends the turtles back to ancient Japan. As he tells the other turtles, for every person that is sent backward in time, another person must be sent forward in time. Therefore, the time machine, a sceptre, must be held by the same number of people in both the past and the future for the "cosmic trade" to be made. Donatello's insight's allows the turtles to return to modern day New York. .

Fourth Movie
Donatello fell in to a leader like role, keeping the group together in Leonardo's absence whilst working online as an IT Tech Support. Although he tried his best, the three were moving in separate directions with their lives.

With Leo's return the group once again came together, and Donatello helped his brothers in ridding the earth of Max Winters' evil generals. In this movie, Donatello was voiced by Mitchell Whitfield

Series relaunch
Jeremy Howard will play Donatello in the 2014 reboot.

Toys

 * List of Donatello Toys

Quotes
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
 * " Good thing these guys aren't lumberjacks."
 * "Bossanova!"
 * [April and Casey fight then go into different rooms, slamming the doors after them] "Gosh, it's kind of like Moonlighting. Isn't it?"
 * "Chevy Nova!"
 * "Hey Mikey, did ya ever think about what Splinter said tonight? I mean - about what it would be like...you know, not having 'em."
 * "I guess they're not game show fans."
 * "Ahh, guys, I'm not sure if this is -- structurally speaking -- such a good time for your buddies to drop in!" [talking to the Foot Ninja's]
 * [talking to Casey] "No way, atomic mouth! Gillgan was her main man; they'd be married and have six kids by now."
 * "Don't worry, I came prepared!" {telling his brothers about marshmallows]
 * "Question. Do you like penicillin on your pizza?" [asking Mikey]
 * "Hey look, I think he's blushing. I think he's actually turning red. Uhh -- maybe not." [mocking an angry Raph]
 * "It's a Kodak moment."

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze
 * "Yee haw! Ninja cowboy!"
 * "Hey, everyone's a critic."
 * "These nets are very effective and very well constructed."
 * "Ah! Thanks, Raph, I may never have the hiccups again!" (after Ralph yells out for Shredder)
 * "On this market, it's actually very difficult to find good subterranean housing."
 * "Accapella!"
 * "Perestroika!"
 * "Turtleriffic!"
 * "It's a Super Shredder!"
 * "Genius! Pure genius!"
 * "All right, you overgrown ugly excuse for a turtle!"
 * "Haha, you know? Maybe that ugly crack was a little bit out of line!"
 * "Well, I'm not sure; looks like a bunch of serial numbers. Let's see, uhh... disposed, disposed, disposed..."
 * "Get a long there, little doggie!"

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
 * "OK, so my Japanese is a little rusty. Uh, Suzuki, Kawasaki..."
 * "You were expecting, maybe, the Addams Family?"
 * "Think of the bright side, April. We could've landed in a great, big, greasy pile of..."
 * "Mud wrestling is definitely a spectator sport."
 * "Do you think I could *possibly* live without a single microchip?"
 * "It's hammer time!"
 * "Relax, April; it's just your ordinary time travel equal mass displacement kinda thing!"
 * "Reservations for five, under 'T' maybe!"
 * "Help, I'm a turtle and I can't get up!"
 * "I get such a kick out of this job."

TMNT (2007 Film)


 * [Acting as a technical consultant over the phone] "Sir? Sir -- Sir! Did you turn the computer on? Is it plugged in? Yeah, that would probably help. No, I'm not playing hard to get! I'm telling you, sir, it's not that kind of phone line! I'm not your enemy; I'm just Donnie, your friendly IT tech support, here to help you 24-hours a day, sir -- I-I'm sorry, Ma'am!"


 * [to Mikey] "Yeah, that would make her your mom, too, doofus."
 * [examining a dart taken out of Raphael] "If you ask me, guys, this has Winter's name written all over it."

Turtles Forever
 * Mirage Donatello: "What's with the multicolored headbands?"

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003 TV series)
 * "These mousers are incredible! The servo mechanics, the circuitry, the articulation...!"
 * "Nighty-Night, Dragon boy!"
 * "Too bad he had such a rotten parent."
 * [after seeing Shredders elite guard]"Nice hats!"
 * "Say what you will about the Foot, but they do not skimp on the head gear."
 * "What!? I'm the first turtle out!? The guys will never let me live this down..."

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012 TV series)
 * "He had me by the face, Mikey!"
 * (About Mikey) "I think he's delusional..."
 * "What are they doing? That's incredibly stupid! Or brilliant! Or... or... or both!"
 * (About Metalhead) "Heh, heh. He doesn't like being tickled."
 * "Look at her. She's so beautiful, and with this monitor, she can't even tell that I'm staring!"
 * "Why am I always the one who has to touch the weird Kraang stuff!"
 * "I don't know who she is, but I HATE HER!" (about Karai)
 * "Do you have to say that all the time? We're ninjas; we know how to be quiet."
 * " And me, and my face, will take a big step backward." (to Leatherhead)
 * "She's not my girlfriend!"

Trivia

 * Given his knack for invention it is interesting that Donatello is  named after the painter also known for his inventions and advancements in technological thinking. Live Action Donatello is not so smart but it develops in the second and third. Live Action Donatello also has a good friendship with Casey Jones but in all three movies Donatello is a fun loving turtle like Mikey.


 * Donatello was the first known confirmed character of Nickelodeon's TMNT series, with the advent of Rob Paulsen confirming his role as Don on his Twitter account


 * He is co-creator Peter Laird's favorite Turtle.


 * According to Raphael in TMNT: Back To The Sewer, Donatello has an I.Q of 637


 * Out of the four turtles Donatello is the only one to carry one weapon while his brothers carry a set of their weapons (Leonardo, two katanas, Michelangelo, two nunchuks and Raphael, two sais). However, Michelangelo starts using one grappling hook instead of nunchucks in the 1987 animated series.


 * In the 2012 Nickelodeon TMNT, Donatello has the same voice actor as Raphael in the 1987 series, Rob Paulsen


 * In the 2012, Donatello is the tallest one of the group.


 * Donatello has a crush on April O'Neil in the 2012 series.


 * According to Jeff Ventimilia (executive producer) Donatello (2k12) is described as a bit fussy, nervous and compulsive.



Etymology

 * Gender: Male
 * Origin: Latin
 * Meaning: Given [by God]
 * Pronunciation: (do nah tel loh)

The most famous historical bearer of this name was the artist Donatello (Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi). Donatello was one of the most influential painters and sculptors of the Italian Renaissance, though is perhaps best known today for giving his name to one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Related

 * Donatello/Gallery