Donatello (1987)

Donatello is, like his brothers Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo, an ordinary turtle who was bought from a pet store and accidentally exposed to an alien (Utrom) mutagenic liquid. The mutagen caused the turtles to grow and develop intelligence, so the mutant rat Splinter adopted them as his sons and trained them in ninjutsu to avenge his former master Hamato Yoshi. Each turtle is named after a Renaissance artist (Donatello after the sculptor Donatello), and Donnie becomes "the brains" of the team. As a member of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Donatello fights alongside his brothers against classic villains such as Shredder, the Foot Clan, and the Kraang. In all his incarnations, it is emphasized that he is the most intelligent turtle of the group and that his alliance with Splinter and his brothers is fundamental to his origin.

Donatello is, above all, intellectual, creative, and peaceful. He is the inventive "genius" of the group: highly intelligent and skilled in science and technology. He tends to be the calmest and most thoughtful member of the Turtles, using logic and ingenuity to solve problems. In many versions, he acts as a mediator between his siblings and rarely loses his composure. His scientific orientation sometimes leads him to devote himself more to intellectual work than physical combat; he prefers to devise an ingenious solution rather than engage in direct combat.

Donatello is a mutant turtle with olive-green skin and a brown shell (plastron) with the anthropomorphic appearance typical of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He always wears a purple bandana over his eyes and protectors on his knees, elbows, and wrists. Compared to his siblings, he tends to be taller and more slender. His signature weapon is a long bo staff, which in some versions can transform into a naginata (a type of ninja halberd) at the touch of a button. Donatello often incorporates technological elements into his equipment.

Invent and repair technology

Science, video games, comics, and geek culture

Pizza (like all his brothers)

Spending time in your lab

That they underestimate their intelligence

That their inventions fail

Unnecessary violence

Villains like Shredder or the Kraang