All 5 'Ninja Turtles' TV Shows Ranked

There are how many Ninja Turtles TV shows?!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) will soon be hitting theaters, marking the iconic franchise’s seventh theatrical outing, following Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993), TMNT (2007), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014), and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016).

But over the decades, the franchise has been even busier on the small screen, with five Ninja Turtles TV shows keeping several generations of children entertained from 1987 all the way up to 2018. In fact, despite what you might think you remember, they aren’t all cartoons, either — one is CG-animated, and another is live action!

And here they are, ranked from worst to best…

5. Rise of the TMNT

Nickelodeon’s Rise of the TMNT (2018) is perhaps the farthest removed of the five Ninja Turtles TV shows — at least in terms of style. In short, it’s a little on the wacky side — even by the Ninja Turtles‘ standards — and it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

Aimed largely towards kids of today, who certainly like their cartoon shows with a dose of zaniness, Rise of the TMNT has very little of what you love from that original 1987 cartoon, but there’s still a ton of fun to be had if you go in with an open mind.

This might not be your average Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but the franchise is highly comparable to Batman in that way — there are so many styles in which these characters can be portrayed, and most of them tend to work. With that said, Rise of the TMNT just about makes it.

4. Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation

Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Venus de Milo in Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation — Credit: Saban Entertainment / Mirage Studios

We’d be lying if we said Rise of the TMNT is the weirdest of the Ninja Turtles TV shows. While it’s certainly the least traditional, while drifting incredibly far from the framework of the source material, it’s the live-action show that’s the most ridiculous.

Many fans have probably forgotten that Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation (1997) even exists, and while it’s not that bad, it’s still bad. Props to the costume department, though, (no pun intended), as the Turtles look great — at least by a TV show’s standards.

Which is a nice segue onto our next point — the female Ninja Turtle Venus de Milo. We don’t have a problem with female Ninja Turtles (if you’ve read “The Last Ronin” comic book series, you’d better get used to them), but she was a huge turn-off for fans at the time.

3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003) — Credit: Nickelodeon

If you’re a fan of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987), then there’s no reason whatsoever to dislike the 2003 cartoon series of the same name. In fact, in many ways, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003) is a modernized reboot of the 1987 show.

There are enough differing stories to separate the two, though, while it even puts its own post-2000 spin on the iconic intro song. It’s mostly familiar stuff, but everything has been given a glossier makeover, while the tone also leans into that of a more adult nature.

The Ninja Turtles themselves also look a lot less family-friendly this time around, although this is somewhat retconned towards the show’s end, as their menacing white eyes are replaced with the far more approachable human-like versions from the ’87 show.

2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shredder's Revenge poster — Credit: IGN

The original 1987 cartoon is the series that started it all. While the franchise had already been around for three years by this point, having started life in Mirage Comics, it’s the first cartoon show that gave birth to one of the most iconic franchises of all time.

Enter “Turtle-Mania”, the era during which the Ninja Turtles could be found almost everywhere — toy shelves, cereal boxes, parades, movie theaters, and even Disney’s Hollywood Studios! There was no escaping them (which, of course, wasn’t a bad thing).

And this can all be attributed to the success of the beloved kids’ cartoon show. The infectious intro song, the Ninja Turtles’ distinct personalities, their awesome vehicles, their allies, all the countless villains, and so much more. This is what the ’80s was all about.

1. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

And so we arrive at the top of our list, with Nickelodeon’s CG-animated series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012). Okay, so the animation isn’t all that much to write home about, but you’ll find yourself becoming surprisingly accustomed in no time.

But that’s really our only negative (if you can even call it that, as the animation is in no way terrible) — the 2012 series is a beloved entry in the TMNT franchise, and it’s home to some of the strongest storylines you’ll find between its birth in 1984 and the present year.

The show also has a ton of fun playing around with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles multiverse (as does the 2003 cartoon series), and given its vast array of characters and storylines, it’s widely considered to be the “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” of this franchise.

Baxter Stockman in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV series 2012 — Credit: Nickelodeon Animation Studio

“TMNT: The Last Ronin — Lost Years” issues 1, 2, and 3 are on sale now. Issues 4, 5, and one-shot “The Lost Day” will be released this summer.

Mutant Mayhem is heading to theaters this August. Check out the trailer below:

As per Wikipedia, here’s the official synopsis for Mutant Mayhem:

After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtles set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. Their new friend April O’Neil helps them take on a notorious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.

April O'Neil in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem trailer — Credit: Paramount Animation / Nickelodeon Movies (via YouTube)

Mutant Mayhem stars Nicolas Cantu (Leonardo), Micah Abbey (Donatello), Shamon Brown Jr. (Michelangelo), Brady Noon (Raphael), Jackie Chan (Splinter), Ayo Edebiri (April O’Neil), Seth Rogen (Bebop), John Cena (Rocksteady), Hannibal Buress (Genghis Frog), Rose Byrne (Leatherhead), Ice Cube (Superfly), Post Malone (Ray Fillet), Paul Rudd (Mondo Gecko), Maya Rudolph (Cynthia Utrom), Natasia Demetriou (Wingnut), and Giancarlo Esposito (Baxter Stockman).

Mutant Mayhem (2023) will be released in theaters on August 2, 2023.

Donatello in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem trailer — Credit: Paramount Pictures / Nickelodeon Movies (via Nickelodeon’s 2023 Kids Choice Awards, YouTube)

Which is your favorite TMNT television series? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!