Bandanas

Bandanas (also spelled Bandannas) are a recurring and iconic item in the TMNT franchise, appearing in essentially every incarnation to some extent, and the sight of the standard TMNT bandana in other contexts is still ubiquitously identified with them.

The regular bandana seen in the franchise is actually a hachimaki (鉢巻), a traditional headband popular throughout Japan, with holes cut out for the eyes. Other characters than the Ninja Turtles also wear these bandanas, usually in imitation of the Turtles, or a standard hachimaki around the forehead. Still others (as well as sometimes the Turtles themselves) wear full headscarf-style bandanas (sometimes with eyeholes cut out).

The colors of the bandanas are as iconic as the bandanas themselves. While the original Mirage Turtles all wore red bandanas exclusively in color images of them, the blue, orange, red, and purple ones starting with the 1987 animated series have become immersed in pop-culture.

Bandanas colors worn

For sanity reasons, keep these to the "eyehole" versions for now (either hachimaki or headscarf varieties)

Red

• Ninja Turtles (Mirage)
• Ninja Turtles (IDW) (originally)
• Raphael (all incarnations)
• Donatello (Archie) (Wrestling gear)
• Michelangelo Splinterson (2003 TV series) (Turtle Titan)
• The Pulverizer
• Turtlebot
• Amaro
• Fitz
• Crooked Ninja Turtle Gang / Smash
• Tubular Pterodactyl
• Medusa
• Sewer Snake Buddy (art)
• Ninja Turtles (Rise of the TMNT) (Hamato Clan outfits)

Blue

• Leonardo (most incarnations)
• Turtle Saint
• Ryan
• Sewer Warcat
• Dingy Dino
• Dark Turtle New York Comic-Con
• SpongeBob SquarePants (Funko Pop)

Purple

• Donatello (most incarnations)
• Kirby (turtle)
• Avril
• Ninja Rabbid
• Graviturtle
• Ninja Rats
• Trippy Tyrannosaurus

Orange

• Michelangelo (most incarnations)
• Tortoise-Man
• Shellectro
• Hans
• Silly Stegosaurus

Cyan

• Venus de Milo

Yellow

• Michelangelo (1987 video games) (arcade cabinet art)
• Metalhead (paint)
• Leonardo (Next Mutation) (pre-production)
• April O'Neil (2012 video games) (Trick or Treat Tussle)
• Jennika

Black

• Slash (most incarnations)
• Leonardo (IDW) (Foot Chūnin)
• Ninja Turtles (Deviations)
• Ninja Turtles (2003 TV series) (Foot Clan)
• Ninja Turtles (2012 TV series) (Super Ninja)
• Mechaturtle (Nintendo Power art)
• Kirby (turtle)
• Garfello
• Robin / Nightwing
• Terrible Turtle
• Donatello (1987 TV series) (Dark Turtle)
• Michelangelo Splinterson (2003 TV series) (Turtle Titan Fast Forward)
• Penguin Pal
• Raphael (IDW) (post #100)

Green

• Zach
• Mechaturtle (Amiga)
• Picasso (IDW)
• Screwloose (Archie)
• Radical Raptor
• Pete (1987 TV series)
• Sewer Snake Buddy (toy)
• Alopex

Brown/Tan

• Mechaturtle (NES)
• Fake Brother

Gray

• Slash (1987 TV series) (metal)
• Ninja Turtles (Mirage) (Turtles Forever)
• Ninja Turtles (Mirage video games) (Portal Power)
• Pepperoni

White

• April O'Neil (Archie)
• Kirby (turtle)
• El Gran Terrapín

Pink

• Venus de Milo (action figure prototype)

See also

• Face paint