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Donatello (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)

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Donatello in the TMNT Movie

Donatello (or "Don" or "Donny" or "Donnie"), a fictional character, is one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT). His bandanna is typically portrayed as purple, his favorite color (although originally all four Turtles had red bandannas), and his weapon is a bo (quarterstaff), which he sometimes uses as a tool or a walking stick. He is named after Donatello (Donato di Nicollo di Betto Bardi), the famous Renaissance sculptor.

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Donatello in the 2003 animated series

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Comic books

In the original comic series by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, Donatello is generally not the "spotlight" character (except perhaps the Mirage Volume 4 comics), but Laird has on occasions announced that Donatello is his favorite Turtle, and Donatello has a large fan following as he has a complex personality. He is universally portrayed as something of a geek, is good with technology, and invents many of the gadgets used by the other team members, thereby saving them on countless occasions. Something of a pacifist (although he fights alongside his brothers), he is the most introspective and nonviolent of the Turtles, preferring to use his mind and intellect to find a solution to a problem. Accordingly, his weapon appears less lethal than those of his brothers. He has even stated that he hates guns when he was forced to use one. In the Image Comics incarnation of the TMNT, he became a cyborg after his body was partially destroyed from being shot and dropped out of a helicopter (he maintained a positive attitude nonetheless). This was not considered part of the "official" storyline, however.

1987 cartoon

The original cartoon depicts Donatello as a genius capable of inventing revolutionary technology, usually to combat enemies, and he is apparently solely responsible for the design and construction of the Turtles' assorted vehicles as well. In the North American version of the show, Donatello's voice actor is Barry Gordon, who also voices Bebop.

2003 animated series

In the new Mirage Studios and 4Kids Entertainment 2003 animated TV series, Donatello tends to stay out of trouble, despite his closest brother being Michelangelo. On several occasions, Donatello has been captured by enemies, necessitating his rescue. He is voiced by Sam Regal.

Movies

In the three TMNT movies, Donatello is portrayed as Michelangelo's best friend, and they are frequently paired opposite Leonardo and Raphael, providing snide commentary on the conflicts between the other characters. Less emphasis is placed on his technological aptitude in the first movie, though he is occasionally shown tinkering with various devices. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, however, clearly established Donatello as the most scientifically-minded turtle. The first film played up the relationship between he and Casey Jones (TMNT); in all versions of the TMNT, Raphael is closest to Casey. Corey Feldman famously provided Donatello's voice in the first and third live-action films, while Adam Carl filled in for the second movie during Feldman's stint in rehab.

Video games

In the video games based on the 1987 cartoon show, Donatello has the longest range, although he cannot inflict as much damage as Leonardo. This has been carried over into the games inspired by the 2003 animated series.