The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (often shortened to the TMNT or Ninja Turtles) are a fictional superhero quartet of anthropomorphic turtle brothers, trained in the ancient art of ninjitsu ninjas that appear in a self-titled franchise consisting of comic books, shows, films, and other tie-in products.
Distinctly different from the grim, violent, and dark MIRAGE comics from which the Turtles originated, this version of the franchise has remained the longest running, and most memorable, version of all. Four turtles fall into the sewers and are befriended by Hamato Yoshi a Japanese man sent to New York who was forced to live in the sewers. One day he sees a strange green glow which transforms the four turtles into human-like creatures. Hamato (now Master Splinter) changes into a giant rat from the green glow and teaches the turtles the skills of the ninja as they team up with Channel 6 news reporter April O'Neil to battle against Yoshi's arch enemy Shredder and Krang, an alien warlord from Dimension X.
As a crime wave rises in New York City, reporter April O'Neil covers the mysterious ninja Foot Clan. The Shredder (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), the Foot leader, orders April silenced. She is attacked by the Foot in a subway and knocked unconscious. Raphael (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, emerges from the shadows, defeats the Foot, and carries her to the turtles' hideout, unaware that one of the Foot is following him. Splinter (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), their rat master, explains to April that he and the turtles were once ordinary animals, but were mutated into intelligent creatures by toxic waste. After the turtles escort April home, they find their hideout ransacked and Splinter kidnapped. They return to April's apartment and spend the night there.
One year after the events of the first film, a young pizza delivery boy named Keno inadvertently encounters Burglary on his route and tries to stop them. Seeing him as a witness, the burglars attack Keno, who proves to be an expert Martial artsist, but he is soon overwhelmed before the arrival of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. They vanish after rescuing Keno, tying the burglars up, and taking the pizza he was delivering, leaving behind the money to pay for it.
In 1603, in feudal Japan, a young man is being chased by four samurai on horseback. As they go into the woods, a mysterious woman emerges from the underbrush and watches closely. However, the samurai eventually capture and take the youth, revealed to be a prince named Kenshin, with them.
The Next Mutation was a live-action spin-off of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from Saban. The most famous (and most controversial) thing about this show was that it introduced a fifth mutant turtle called Venus de Milo, the TMNT's long lost sister. Set after the events of the three movies, it turns out there was five turtles originally, but after coming into contact with the mutagen they were separated; Donatello, Leonardo, Raphael and Michelangelo were found by Splinter, Venus was found by a Shinobi master called Chung I. Chung I took Venus to China where he taught her the way of the Shinobi. Finally reunited after seventeen years, the turtles must face a new threat: The Dragon Lord, the brutal dictator of the notorious army of dragons known as The Rank.
When the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles acquire Mutastones from Crys-Mu, the spirit of light, they acquire the ability to enhance themselves into Super Turtles for a duration of three minutes. Meanwhile, the evil Shredder and his minions Bebop and Rocksteady stumble upon the Dark Mutastone, which transforms them into Devil Shredder, Supermutant Bebop and Supermutant Rocksteady, respectively. But the Turtles have one more trick up their shells: all four of them can combine into their ultimate form - Turtle Saint.
This version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles draws more references and plotlines from the original comics than the original television series did. Four turtles are contaminated with "ooze", a radioactive substance that causes four turtles to change into humanoids. Their Master Splinter, a rat whom also came in contact with the ooze, teaches them the art of ninjitusu. Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo are Splinter's disciples who are now ready to take on forces that oppose them, including the Shredder. The Shredder is the Turtles' nemesis, as he killed Splinter's Master Yoshi. The Turtles become envolved in a complex trail of events to uncover just who or what the Shredder really is.
Three thousand years ago, warlord Yaotl enters a portal into a Parallel universe (fiction) and becomes immortal, but his four generals are turned to stone. The portal also releases 13 immortal monsters that destroy his army and his enemies.
Four ninja turtles, mutated by a mysterious alien substance, must rise up out of the sewers and defend their city against evil forces from both the past and present.
Four charismatic crime-fighting martial arts-trained mutant turtles defend the streets of New York when they emerge at night from the sewers.
The Turtles get into another battle with their enemy the Shredder, who has acquired new allies: the mutant thugs Bebop and Rocksteady and the alien being Krang.
Four turtle brothers with ninja powers encounter new allies and villains and discover a magical world they never knew existed beneath the streets of New York City.
When a mysterious stranger arrives from the future with a dire warning, Leo is forced to rise and lead his brothers, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey in a fight to save the world from a terrifying alien species.
After years of being sheltered from the human world in the sewers of New York City, four Turtle brothers, who spent their lives learning ninjitsu, set out to the surface to be accepted as normal teenagers when their new friend April O'Neil, helps them take on a notorious crime syndicate and an army of mutants.
The Turtles — Leo, Raph, Donnie and Mikey — each will go it alone for the first time. Faced with new threats and teaming up with old allies, the Turtles will discover who they really are when they don’t have their brothers at their sides.
A planned sequel to the 2023 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Plot TBA.