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What is the best Ninja Turtles cartoon?

Best TMNT show?

  • 1987

    Votes: 250 51.5%

  • 2003

    Votes: 131 27.0%

  • 2012

    Votes: 104 21.4%
  • Total voters
    485
Chaotic-Strike

Chaotic-Strike

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,108
2003 and it's really not even close. The 1987 show was only good for about the first 4 episodes where the Bebop and Rocksteady and Krang were taken somewhat seriously. The 2nd season the show was immediately hit by worse animation, and you could feel the censors hitting hard and toning everything down.

Everything after that was just slapstick monster of the week and typical 80 cartoon fare that aged horribly. I have similar feelings to the 2012 show where the first two seasons were great and it just crashed and burned and it felt like the episodes after were just there to sell toys.
 
PhoenixAKG

PhoenixAKG

Member
Aug 14, 2019
8,026
2012 but 2003 is a close second. 2003 Shredder looks and sounds cool but him being an Utrom ruins it for me. And Fast Forward is a strike against the 2003 as well.
 
ArgyleReptile

ArgyleReptile

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,971
I'm going to be that guy and say the current one, Rise of the TMNT. It appeals to my sensibilities more. After that one probably the original or 2012.
 
Daingurse

Daingurse

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,803
1

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TURTLES

I loved the 2003 series when I was younger. I really need to try and rewatch it. It has been ages.

I enjoyed the 1987 series on VHS as a kid, and really like what I've seen of the 2012 series.
 
Keldroc

Keldroc

Member
Oct 27, 2017
12,124
I grew up with the '87 show but it was formulaic nonsense like almost everything else at the time. Both the 2003 and 2012 shows are better, with 2012 being by far the best. It's not even close. 2012 is on a completely different level.
 
FFNB

FFNB

Associate Game Designer
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
6,320
Los Angeles, CA
I grew up with the 80's turtles, but the 3D Nick one was wonderful. It felt like an updated homage to what I remember the 80's show being like. I still adore 80's turtles, but I think the 2012 one is an easier watch, with better characterization and storylines. I actually still need to finish the final season. I've been so busy it's hard to catch up on all of the things I'm behind on.
 
batfax

batfax

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,454
I really appreciate 2k12 for going out of its way to try to feature aspects/stories from all over Turtledom. It even managed to have a fairly respectful crossover with the 87 turtles, which was a nice change of pace from how often they get dunked on in any other crossover. Though, of course, they followed it up with another crossover with 87 that completely went back on it. Still, when that's the only blemish I can think of, I think of, that's pretty good.

2003 is of course also good. It got a little weird toward the end. 87 is probably the hardest to go back to, but it still introduced a ton of great aspects/characters to the series, and is perfectly enjoyable if you go in expecting 80's camp.
 
thetrin

thetrin

Member
Oct 26, 2017
7,844
Atlanta, GA
2003 is definitely my favorite. I grew up with the 1987 cartoon, but 2003 is just a better show. I haven't watched much of the 2012 one. It sounds like it's pretty good, so I'll have to check it out one of these days.
 
Alice

Alice

Banned
Nov 2, 2017
5,867
2003, with the 2012 one as a close second.

Loathed the 87 version even when it came out because it took what I loved (the comics) and turned it into something that wasn't related, or comparable at all.
 
Goldenroad

Goldenroad

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Nov 2, 2017
9,475
I've never seen anything past the 87 series, but it was the pinnacle of all entertainment to me at the time, only to be supplanted by the movie....so I voted 87.
 

Deleted member 2085

User requested account closure
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Oct 25, 2017
5,330
While I enjoyed the first few seasons of the 2003 TMNT show, I eventually stopped watching without feeling like I missed it. And if I did, that feeling was most likely very short lived.
2012 on the other hand, I want to finish it since I stopped somewhere around season 4.
 
TheGreatDirector

TheGreatDirector

Member
Oct 26, 2017
11,108
2012. Shit was a celebration of TMNT in a way only the IDW comics have surpassed. Beautifully choreographed at times and one of the best narratives involving the Turtles.
 
Z-Beat

Z-Beat

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
32,000
was the 2003 one the only one with actual 'people probably died' violence?
giphy.gif
 
Rapscallion

Rapscallion

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,804
If we're looking at the entire series, it's 2012.

the original series has a stellar first season, but then gradually devolves into something else.Likewise 2003 had some pretty mediocre later seasons where the turtles go into the future and junk.
 
Rlan

Rlan

Member
Oct 27, 2017
842
Wellington, New Zealand
The main issue really is that each show lasts a season or two longer than it should.

2003 was great... until it went to the "Fast Forward" and "Back to the sewer" seasons.

2012 was great.. but the further and further they get into space, the less I like it.

And 1987 just starts cheapening out at some point.

Honestly, not watched the new one just yet.
 
nachum00

nachum00

Member
Oct 26, 2017
8,578
I grew up with the 80s cartoon but man is it a piece of crap. The 2003 show is probably the best one I just never got around to watching it, but the first Nickelodeon one is actually decent. I hate everything I've seen of the current cartoon though.
 
Kapryov

Kapryov

"This guy are sick"
Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,201
Australia
They regularly play both the 1987 and 2012 versions on TV here, so I watch both frequently.

1987 is really cheesy, but if you accept it for what it is then it's fun. Really cheap at times and some stories are just straight up garbage (usually anything with aliens).
2012 I realise I harshly judged when I saw they were making my beloved turtles 3D. Watching it now, it's a love letter to all eras of TMNT, as well as a lot of horror movie love mixed in. Some characters and arcs are stupid though. And Casey Jones is the worst incarnation.

2012 is more watchable as an adult.
I barely saw 2003 when it was on, no opinion to offer.
 
FarronFox

FarronFox

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,437
Melbourne, Australia
Whilst the 1987 version has a special place being the first, I think my fave is the 2003 version as it seemed most representative of the original stories, and/or was more serious.
 
Chibs

Chibs

Member
Nov 5, 2017
4,531
Belgium
1987 is pure nostalgia, but I've tried rewatching it and it hasn't aged all that well imo.
2003 is really great, but 2012 is just the best.
 

Deleted member 31133

User requested account closure
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Nov 5, 2017
4,155
I should say 1987 as it's the one I grew up with, but I voted for 2012.

My son and I watched it and we both thought it was fantastic. Story lines were great, comedy was good and I loved the art style.
 
TheMadTitan

TheMadTitan

Member
Oct 27, 2017
27,611
Once I got past the initial shock of the animation, I found 2012 to be the best, followed by 2003.

The new one has some dope animation and choreography though.
 

Deleted member 203

user requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
4,899
idk I grew up with the 80s one but I never watched the other ones because I wasn't a kid anymore when they came out. At least, not so young that I'd watch kid's cartoons.
 
Platy

Platy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
28,131
Brazil
80's didn't aged that well besides videogames.

The first 2 seasons of the 2003 one are GOOD but the rest becomes shit super fast

2012 is my favorite for overall love letter, awesome episodes and glorious voice work. Best splinter too.

The new one has some god tier animation so it deserves some honorable mention
 
SamAlbro

SamAlbro

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,412
RedHoodedOwl said:
In the 2012 series, Leo actually killed the Shredder.
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Plus Shredder killed Splinter twice - once that was later overturned by time travel, and then once that stuck.

Splinter also killed Rat King. He later had an episode he spent being tormented by Rat King, only to, at the end of the episode, see Rat King's corpse from their previous fight and realize he was hallucinating.
 
RedHoodedOwl

RedHoodedOwl

Member
Nov 3, 2017
14,261
SamAlbro said:
Plus Shredder killed Splinter twice - once that was later overturned by time travel, and then once that stuck.

Splinter also killed Rat King. He later had an episode he spent being tormented by Rat King, only to, at the end of the episode, see Rat King's corpse from their previous fight and realize he was hallucinating.
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Rahzar also died and came back as a zombie.
 
RedHoodedOwl

RedHoodedOwl

Member
Nov 3, 2017
14,261
Kapryov said:
2012 I realise I harshly judged when I saw they were making my beloved turtles 3D. Watching it now, it's a love letter to all eras of TMNT, as well as a lot of horror movie love mixed in. Some characters and arcs are stupid though. And Casey Jones is the worst incarnation.
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Click to shrink...

Casey from the 2003 series is my least favorite incarnation.
 
crimsonECHIDNA

crimsonECHIDNA

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 25, 2017
17,902
Gatorland
Going to let my bias show here but I was never the biggest fan of the characterization of Donnie or Mickey in the 2012 series. I have to go with the 2003 series because I feel like the Turtles had the strongest dynamics there, though I did love how the 2012 series was something of an amalgamation of the best aspect of the franchise's mythos as a whole.
 
eXistor

eXistor

Member
Oct 27, 2017
12,494
I grew up with the 87 one (hardly remember it tbh), but the 2012 one is really good as well. I really appreciated the many horror-movie references. I did drop off after the first season so I don't know what they did afterwards, but the first season was a pleasant surprise.
 
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