TMNT Originally Had Different Ninja Weapons

Summary

• In early designs, each Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle was assigned a different weapon for easy identification.
• Raphael once played the tonfa instead of the sai, while Michelangelo used the manriki-gusari before settling on the nunchaku.
• Fans have speculated about the origin of the Turtles' weapons, with theories suggesting that Splinter assigned them based on personalities.

Everyone knows his different weapons Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesbut how many fans know original ninja weapons? An issue of the original black-and-white series, the Turtles depict an early mission before the full experience, and several had not decided on their trademark weapons.

Ask any kid on the street and they'll be able to tell you each Turtle's different weapon without missing a beat: Leonardo wields katana swords, Donatello a bo staff, Michelangelo has the nunchaku and Raphael has a pair of sai. Given the original designs of the Turtles, they all wore the same red masks. It was masterful to give each one its own weapon so readers could tell them apart. However, this was not always the case.

Ninja Turtles' First Mission came before Weapons

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #9 Kevin Eastman tells a story by Peter Laird and Michael Dooney before-Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, still in training and not fully formed ninja warriors. Master Splinter is asked by the elderly Gosei Hatsumi to save his son and grandson from an upcoming assassination attempt, and sends the Turtles to stop the assassins.

since they are still in training, not every Turtle has decided what their practice weapon will be. Leonardo and Donatello settled on the sword bobut their brothers did not bind their weapons of choice. Instead of a nunchaku, Michelangelo uses a manriki-gusari, a weighted chain often carried by ancient ninja. And instead of his trademark, Raphael uses a tonfa as a pair of batons.

TMNT originally had different weapons

Although different from the weapons fans have seen, Michelangelo and Raphael make good use of them throughout the issue. The two weapons used look great in action, with Michelangelo's manrique-gusari being versatile in that it can be used at both close and long range. Tonfa's offensive and defensive capabilities make it a dynamic weapon to watch in action, with Raphael able to block his enemies' movements and counter them with a series of crushing blows.

In an ironic turn of events, Michelangelo would actually refuse to use the tonfa as his primary weapon. Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation Serials due to the prohibition of nunchaku in different countries.

TMNT's Rafael Hits with Tonfa

Of course, Michelangelo and Raphael would eventually settle on familiar weapons known to casual observers and die-hard fans. In the author's notes The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ultimate Collection Vol. 2co-creator Kevin Eastman says:

“We had Don with the staff and Leo with the swords – but we still didn't have a clue on Mike and Raph's trademark choice… but they were close.”

They can now be well defined, however Canonically, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles had to try several options before settling on their trademark weapons..

Fan theories have explained the origin of TMNT weapons

Exactly where the Ninja Turtles got their weapons from has always been a point of interest for fans, with a popular fan theory suggesting that the Ninja Turtles' weapons were assigned by Splinter based on their personalities.

Another fan theory suggested one of the most compelling motives for the Turtles' choice of weapon, revealing Splinter's compassionate heart and masterful manipulation. As teenagers explained in 2018 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #80 Kevin Eastman, Bobby Curnow, Tom Waltz, Brahm Revel, Rhonda Pattinson and Shawn Lee, Splinter gave the Turtles defensive weapons to protect both their honor and their enemies.

Were TMNT's main weapons a complete accident?

Where the Turtles movie simply found guns in the sewers (or took them from Splinter's armory), the original Mirage Comics version of TMNT gave them different weapons to make it easier for fans to differentiate who was fighting what, with no reason given. But in Archie comics The TMNT version, especially Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles In #71 and #72, Splinter tells the story of how April got the Turtles' weapons.

While fighting some criminals to save Splinter's friend, The turtles all started using Bo, but as the battle progressed, their weapons were destroyed. Michelangelo's staff was split in half, and he started using it as two separate tonfas, connecting them together to make a nunchaku. Similarly, Raphael's scepter was chopped to resemble a sais. The two found that these weapons worked better for them and were able to dispatch the criminals.

When the Turtles gifted them a boomerang after rescuing Splinter's friend, Donatello got an almost entirely different weapon. Intending to use it in battle, but soon losing it without a trace, Donatello simply returned to his crew, and the rest is history.

Supporters, both official and unofficial, look for a reason behind the gun Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles they have brilliant explanations. What they believe is up to them.

Source: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ultimate Collection Vol. 2 and The Adventures of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #72