Evolution of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

April O'Neil is the turtles' human friend. In this animated series, she is a Black (African American) woman. In battle, she wields a green magical baseball bat.

Smash/Agent 64 is April's pet.

Hamato Yoshi/Lou Jitsu/Splinter is a mutated rat and the turtles' sensei. Initially, he doesn't train the turtles seriously, but he begins training them when mutants appear in the city. In the episode "Shadow of Evil," it was revealed that Splinter was actually Lou Jitsu all along, who mutated for unknown reasons and passed his DNA to the turtles. In the episode "Mommy's Trainwreck," it was revealed that his real name is Hamato Yoshi, and Lou Jitsu is a Hollywood front to prevent Shredder's second return, but it has attracted some fans, including Draxum and Mommy. The four-part storyline "Endgame" revealed that as a child, he dreamed of being popular and, after the loss of his mother, found himself caught between his destiny and his dreams. As a teenager, he stopped listening to his grandfather (he simply didn't want to become boring like his ancestors, he said), and later, when he became Lou Jitsu and was preparing to film a movie, he rejected his grandfather's advice, and his grandfather left forever, burying his relationship with Grandpa Hamato Sho. In the finale, he made Leonardo the leader of the turtles.

Michelangelo is a box turtle. He is the youngest of the turtles. He is sweet, kind, cheerful, and mischievous, and loves pizza. He wears an orange headband. He uses twin kusari-fundo in battle. He usually hides in his shell. He is believed to have a fast metabolism and suffers from hunger.

Leonardo is a red-eared freshwater slider turtle. He is the third eldest of the brothers. He is narcissistic, playful, often makes unfunny jokes, and loves to win. He wears a blue headband. In battle, he uses an ōdachi sword, which creates portals. He enjoys skateboarding and keeps plants in his room.

Donatello is a soft-bodied turtle, but wears a technological shell over his real one. He is the second-oldest of the brothers. He is often emotionless and irritable, and loves to be praised. He wears a purple headband. In battle, he uses a high-tech bo staff. Donnie hides his computer password, which is known to be his love of dancing.

Raphael is a turtle and the oldest of the brothers. He is kind, lisping, understanding, and sometimes a bit of a nerd. He loves animals. He is the leader of the group. He wears a red headband and wields two tonfas in battle. Raph is allergic to peanuts and has a weakness for teddy bears. He has a habit of speaking in the third person during battle. He has numerous catchphrases that he only uses a few times.