Michelangelo is one of the main protagonists of the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV series. His personality is more akin to the Mirage comics. Still the comic relief, he often makes statements that spoof pop culture (such as Star Wars, Star Trek, and Terminator), although he uses less surfer language than his counterpart in the 1987 cartoon series. His trademark nunchaku are once again his primary weapons, but he has used other weapons such as grappling hooks and those of his brothers.
Physical appearance[]
Michelangelo is a mutant turtle with the same general appearance as Leonardo, Donatello, and Raphael, although he has an orange bandana and orange wrappings on his weapons.
Personality[]
Michelangelo is an energetic, laidback, lively, and athletic turtle. He is the most carefree and mischievous of his brothers. Mikey tends to mock and tease enemies and even his family by coming up with rude but funny remarks. He would mock Splinter‘s phrases and accent, and make remarks towards his brothers. He also tends to pull classic pranks on his brothers, like putting hot sauce on Raph’s cereal, smoke bombs in the toilet, or putting glue on Don’s bō staff. He is also the wise-guy of the group as he would make remarks that are pop culture references.
He also has the most raw talent when it comes to his skillsets which causes him to be incredibly cocky. Mikey believes he shouldn't have to practice his ninjutsu skills as often as his brothers do and prefers to spend his time reading comics or watching tv. He also can be very cocky and doesn't take his accomplishments with humility. In the Season 2 finale "The Big Brawl", he became the Battle Nexus Champion, the best fighter in the multiverse. However, when fighting in the Tournament, he only actually won one fight properly. Since that battle, Mikey rubs it in his brothers’ faces.
Whenever Michelangelo says or does something rude, obnoxious, stupid usually involving a catch-phrase from the 1987 show, one of his brothers (usually Raphael) will slap him on the head or when he does something stupid. If Donatello smacks Mikey which rarely happens, he would smack him with his bō. Other characters such as Master Splinter and the Ancient One have picked up Don’s version of slapping Mikey, but usually use it only if he disobeys.
Despite Mikey's laziness and joking habits, he is a decent fighter and can show empathy for others. One example is Mikey adopting a stray young kitten named Klunk. He also managed to win a rematch against the last finalist completely fairly, and earned a medal of honor for his behavior during the battle.
Additionally, Mikey loves superheroes. In some episodes, Mikey goes out as superhero which he calls himself "Turtle Titan." Although he has no superpowers and gadgets, he still proves himself quite effective in his own way and even befriends other superheroes, such as the Silver Sentry and the Justice Force. As Turtle Titan, Michelangelo uses grappling hooks as both a weapon and a mode of transportation, and a small shield used for protection and as a throwing weapon.
History[]
Childhood[]
When Mikey was a baby, he and his brothers were mutated by a mutagen that fell out of the back of a truck during an accident. He was raised alongside his brothers by Master Splinter who taught them in the art of ninjutsu.
When he was a little older, he and his brothers went with Master Splinter to Japan to bury Master Yoshi's ashes next to his beloved. While there, they helped Master Splinter and the Ancient One win a fight against a demon and that was when they gained their ninja masks ("Fathers & Sons").
At some point as a kid, he tried to break Leo's kata, but when he failed, he tried to hit him with his nunchaku, but Leo retaliated and knocked him down. ("Tales of Leo")
Seasons 1-4[]
Season 1[]
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Season 2[]
By the end of Season 2, he became the champion of Battle Nexus.
Season 3[]
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Season 4[]
After their battle against the Shredder in the season 3 finale, Mikey, like his brothers and father, had sustained serious injuries from the battle. Both of Mikey's legs were broken and he, along with his brothers and father, went to the Jones Family Farm to heal.
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Ninja Tribunal[]
Michelangelo became one of the Ninja Tribunal's Acolytes along with his brothers. It should be noted that although Michelangelo tends to goof off, his spiritual avatar is that of a dragon along with his brothers as seen in the episode New World Order, Part 2. It was seen that he was advanced when it came to the stealth training with Hisomi-shiso More Worlds Than One.
Fast Forward[]
In this series, Michelangelo, along with his brothers, traveled into the year 2105 and met the great-grandson of April and Casey, Cody Jones. Mikey continued his video gaming in the future, completely awestruck by the new video games, especially since most of the games were virtual reality pieces. When the Turtles and Master Splinter reached the future, they were provided with tech-upgraded weapons, courtesy of O'Neil Tech (which Cody owns). Michelangelo first chose a giant power armor suit, which kept Mikey happy for five seconds before he found out that it was too cumbersome for him to operate; so he returned to his (though upgraded) nunchaku standards.
Overall, Michelangelo continued being the obnoxiously annoying little brother. He kept his addiction for video games and it even increased and he became even more obsessed with them, which proved to be a hazard during Graduation Day: Class of 2105 which almost got him to not graduate as he missed a month's worth of training just for playing video games. He made up for it, however, when he passed the three tests to graduate and got back his nunchaku: Invisibility (where the first handle bar was guarded by Leonardo), Strength (where the second handle bar was guarded by Raphael), and Insight (where the chain was guarded by Donatello). He also passed the hidden test of humility after admitting that he did not deserve to graduate just because he passed three tests after missing so much training.
Back to the Sewer[]
In this series, Mikey continues to be obnoxious and pestering as he always has been in the 2003 series. Mikey was sad to leave behind all of his stuff in the future, including his video games and weapons. Michelangelo still loves his video gaming, and this becomes an important factor in the episode "SuperQuest", where the Turtles must enter one of Mikey's video games to collect more of Master Splinter's data bits that were lost in the beginning of the series.
In "City Under Siege", Mikey defeats the Cyber Shredder by destroying the platform they were on and burning Shredder to a crisp.
Mikey also goes to Casey and April's wedding at the end of the series where he battles Foot ninjas and helps beat the Cyber Shredder. Afterwards he sees Casey and April getting married.
Turtles Forever[]
In Turtles Forever, Mikey gets along well with the 1987 turtles and often remarks "I love these guys!" in complete contrast to Raphael, who calls them clowns, and greatly prefers the turtles from the Mirage Comics. Michelangelo is fond of the 1987 turtles belt buckles, immediately because it reminded him of superheroes. When Ch'rell showed them other worlds, Mikey along with the 1987 turtles was amazed by the multiverse showing even more turtles.
Eventually, when 1987 turtles go too far with playing around and giving him way too many noogies, even Mikey finds them annoying and can get frustrated with them, proof that even he can be serious.
He was in the final battle with the Shredder in Turtle Prime and was happy to see Ch’rell destroyed for good.
Biography[]
Yo yo yo! I'm the "Party Dude!"
Heh heh!
What a goofy thing to be! But it's fun! I dunno, the other guys seem so down sometimes, they need me around just to lighten things up! Life's a beach!
This is weird... writing about myself! I dunno what to say really! Fun is where it's at! Life is what you make it, so make it a blast! Happiness is not a destination, it's a way of life! Being a Turtle is awesome! What else CAN I say?
I like games. I like to skate... with a deck, in-line... whatever! Surfing is mondo cool, but I don't get enough chances to do it! That'll change! I like being a ninja. Knowing how to take care of yourself in times of trouble is neat, plus it's just plain fun to jump around and hide in shadows and stuff. It's like being in a movie, 'cept it's real life! Now THAT'S awesome!
Well... that about sums it up, I guess! I'm outta here! Maybe I'll grab my board and go hang ten!
Oh yeah - COWABUNGA! :)
Skills, powers, and abilities[]
Like his brothers, Michelangelo is well-trained in the ninja arts by Master Splinter, benefits from enhanced strength and agility, and possesses all natural abilities of turtles.
On several occasions, Michelangelo is shown to be a competent driver and a skilled skateboarder.
- Mutant physiology: As a mutant, the Mutagen ooze produced by TCRI heightened Michelangelo's physical attributes to considerable extraordinary levels. He possesses strength, speed, reflexes, agility, endurance, recovery speed, and stamina much greater than even the finest human specimen athlete. His mutant abilities has been listed as shown below:
- Enhanced strength: Michelangelo's strength is enhanced to levels that are superior to any Olympic-level weightlifter.
- Enhanced speed: Michelangelo is able to move at great speed, able to free run on rooftops without losing momentum. He can also spin his nunchaku at incredible speed to add momentum to his strikes. Mikey can run much faster than an Olympic-class runner.
- Enhanced reflexes:
- Enhanced agility: Michelangelo can coordinate his bodily to levels that are beyond then the finest human athlete.
- Enhanced balance: Mikey's skills as a skateboarder and a ninja give him a great ability with extraordinary balance.
- Enhanced healing: Like his brothers, Michelangelo can heal faster than normal humans.
- Enhanced stamina: Like his brothers, Michelangelo can heal faster than normal humans.
- Enhanced endurance: Michelangelo is resilient to great amount of injuries.
- Semi-aquatic adaptations: He is able to swim long distances, dive deeply and hold his breath underwater for a long time.
- Ninjutsu:
- Okinawan Kobudō (nunchaku): Michelangelo was trained by Splinter in the art of the nunchaku.
- Master of stealth:
- Intelligence and communication:
- Creativity: Michelangelo has to be quite creative both in and out of combat.
- Teasing:
- Dancing:
- Dragon transformation:
Weapons[]
Michelangelo fights with two nunchaku.
Relationships[]
Family[]
Leonardo and Michelangelo mark an exceptional example of ‘serious older brother vs silly younger brother’ relationship. Leonardo would often tell Mikey off or sometimes smack Mikey upside the head for being obnoxious or not focusing. Part of Leo's frustration is due to the fact deep down, he knows Mikey is more than capable of excelling his skill sets regardless if it's training or combat. In "Grudge Match" it is only Leonardo who is willing to help Mikey train for his re-match against Kluh and reminds Mikey that “if one of [them] goes down, [they] all go down.”
While Leonardo’s serious nature prevents him from fully understanding Michelangelo’s boisterous personality, the two still care deeply about each other. Although Mikey does taunt Leonardo, he does have an understanding of what his older brother is going through as seen in "Samurai Tourist". Leonardo often doesn’t entertain Mikey’s antics but is still able to spend quality time with his youngest brother as seen in “Nobody’s Fool” when the two split off to have fun.
Donatello has a great deal of patience when dealing with Mikey's antics, despite how hard his patience is often tested. When Mikey wants something or his way, he would push Don's buttons. Don does become firm or annoyed with Mikey especially when Mikey goes too far. As a result Don would keep Mikey busy by making him do tasks or making him help him out in the workshop or on rare occasions smack him or hit him with his Bō Staff. However, he can sometimes give into Mikey's whims such as when Mikey was able to convince him to upgrade an armored car they'd acquired, turning it into the Battle Shell. He is often the one to advocate for Mikey in the face of the others’ criticism.
Additionally Donatello provides a more nurturing role for Mikey and he does look out for him. Whenever Mikey gets nervous about repercussions, such as his stuff getting destroyed when they were hiding at April's during "The King", Don assures Mikey that his security system will protect them. Don also can be open to ideas Mikey has and supports his interests such as in "Membership Drive" when Don and Leo see an opening in the Justice Force on TV, Don believes Mikey would be very pumped to be apart of it, even having Mikey use the Sewer Sled to get to that place. Sometimes Don, tends to take Mikey's lead at times in situations, such following Mikey as they go on the Shell Sub in "Junklantis". Despite Don's trepidation and Mikey's energetic ways, they are very close.
Raphael and Michelangelo mostly have a love-hate relationship. The two very much depict a classic "annoying little brother" and "disgruntled older brother" dynamic. Michelangelo frequently antagonizes Raphael, making him the target of pranks or taunting and Raph constantly gets frustrated because of it. As Mikey instigates, Raph would get even by making remarks, smack Mikey upside the head or occasionally beat him up.
Despite their fights, Raphael is still extremely protective of him and worries whenever he's in danger. An example of this is seen in the episode "Grudge Match", where Raphael becomes enraged in response to Michelangelo’s rematch being rigged and putting him in danger. When they do settle their differences and work together, they can be effective. As shown in "Super Power Struggle" despite Raph's tendency to lash out, he would become the bigger person in their fights especially when are were in danger, when he told Mikey they should settle aside their differences and work together if they want to take Doctor Malignus down, and they decided to team up to defeat him. Additionally, Mikey is forgiving whenever Raph apologizes to him for getting so out of control as shown in "Meet Casey Jones".
Splinter can get annoyed whenever Mikey disobeys or gets distracted. Like his brothers, Mikey and Splinter have a very close relationship. During the second round of the Battle Nexus, Splinter chose to forfeit to let him have a chance to win, Mikey was very touched and thanked his father. In "Touch and Go" Mikey took Splinter's advice to use his mind to defeat their foes.
Quotes[]
Trivia[]
- Like his brothers, Mikey is a practitioner of Chi Gong, which allows him to control his breathing and his heart rate. Turtles in Space, Part 3: The Big House.
- Mikey defeats the Cyber Shredder one on one in "City Under Siege".
- Michelangelo's favorite music is Rap, Techno, Surf, and Jimmy Buffett.
- Michelangelo's favorite color is orange.
- Michelangelo's favorite food is pizza.
- Michelangelo's favorite book is Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are.
- As a recurring gag, this incarnation of Michelangelo frequently attempts to yell the series catchphrase "Cowabunga", only to be frequently interrupted or chastised for saying it.
- "The Unconvincing Turtle Titan" was the first episode to focus on Mikey.
- Unlike his past incarnations, this Michelangelo screams effeminately (relative to feminine stereotypes).
- On the occasions that he and his brothers travel the sewers without use of vehicles, Michelangelo will sometimes use a skateboard.
- Michelangelo is said to be the one with the most raw talent at ninjutsu.
- Michelangelo is the best (possibly only) cook in the group, April excluded.
- It was revealed in "Graduation Day: Class of 2105" that Mikey named his nunchaku in Fast Forward 'Chuck' and 'Chuck 2: The Sequel'.
- Michelangelo is the Battle Nexus champion of 2004.
Gallery[]
- Michelangelo Splinterson (2003 TV series)/Gallery
- Michelangelo Splinterson (2003 TV series)/Animations
- Michelangelo Splinterson (2003 TV series)/Appearances