Michelangelo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)

Did You Know?

• Michelangelo's name was originally spelled "Michaelangelo" by the creators, possibly spelling his namesake's name wrong by confusion with "Michael".
• His pet cat Klunk first appeared in the Michelangelo microseries and later died after being hit by a car.
• Klunk appears in the 2003 series starting with The Christmas Aliens, and in the Back to the Sewer season appears to be female, whereas the Mirage comics version was male.

Comic books

In the Mirage comic books, Michelangelo was initially depicted as fun-loving, carefree, and always ready to fight, though less aggressive than Raphael. He is more serious-natured in the comics than in film incarnations. A one-shot story fleshed out traits like his playfulness, empathy, and easygoing nature; in it, he adopts a stray cat named Klunk and stops thieves stealing toys for orphans. After the Turtles' defeat by the Foot Clan, they retreat to a farmhouse in Northampton, Massachusetts.

There, April O'Neil notes Michelangelo is not himself; he spends days taking out aggression on a punching bag, lashing out and punching a barn wall until it breaks. His sorrow is later resolved, restoring his relaxed personality. At the farm, he shows interest in comic books about superheroes like "The Justice Force" and writes fiction, including a story set in Feudal Japan. In the City at War arc, he bonds with Casey Jones' adopted daughter Shadow, who calls him "Rooish."

When the Turtles live apart, he moves in with April and Casey to be near Shadow. He often acts as peacemaker and is particularly close to Donatello.

Television

Michelangelo's persona was strongly established in the 1987 animated series, where he was often seen as a "Party Dude." He typically spent time joking and socializing, with little input in team plans. He began the series using nunchaku, but controversy in the United Kingdom led to their use being edited from local broadcasts; American showrunners dropped them in the fourth season, replacing them with a grappling hook called the "Turtle Line." He received a distinctive voice in the 1990 series, employing surfer slang and a hybrid Californian surfer and stereotypical "stoner" accent, though no drug references were made.

He appeared in the 1990 special Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue, aimed at informing children about substance abuse. All four Turtles were spokes-turtles for the "Just Say No" anti-drug campaign; in one PSA, Michelangelo suggests a kid tempted with marijuana should "get a pizza" with it, before Donatello shoots down the idea.

Film

In the live-action films, Michelangelo is easy-going and free-spirited, speaking with a distinctive California accent. In the first film, he and Donatello are regularly paired while Leonardo and Raphael argue. He was portrayed by Michelan Sisti in the first film and its first sequel, and by David Fraser in the third film; all three films voiced him by Robbie Rist. In the 2007 film TMNT, Mikey performs at children's birthday parties as "Cowabunga Carl" to support his family.

The physical and emotional absence of his brothers affects him; when he returns home unacknowledged, he sighs, "Whatever..this place used to be fun." He draws emotional support from Donatello. Upon Leonardo's return, he gives an enthusiastic hug, tripping over furniture. His lively demeanor returns with his brothers, and he retains his goofy, laid-back personality. He is voiced by Mikey Kelley and is a skilled skateboarder in this film.

Video games

In video games based on the 1987 series, Michelangelo is virtually identical to Leonardo except in attack range. In games based on the 2003 series, he became the most agile Turtle. He is voiced by Wayne Grayson in TMNT: Smash Up. He is a main playable character in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, voiced by Pierce Cravens, and appears in the 2014 film-based game, voiced by Peter Oldring.

He is featured as DLC in Injustice 2, voiced by Ryan Cooper, and as a Mercury skin in Smite, voiced by Nick Landis. He is also a skin in Brawlhalla. In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, he is the fastest turtle with low range and average power, and is voiced by his original voice actor Townsend Coleman. Coleman also voices him in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl.

The Mutant Mayhem version appears in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 as a playable skater and as DLC in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds.