What Weapons Are Used By the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been saving the world (and eating pizza) since the ‘80s, and besides their masks, their signature weapons are the easiest way to tell them apart. Each Turtle uses a different traditional ninja weapon, and we’ll break down each of their specialties! Keep reading to learn what Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey fight with and why they use their chosen weapons. We’ll even cover which weapons are used by other notable characters, too!

What are the main TMNT weapons?

An illustration of the 4 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with each of their signature weapons.

While the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are proficient in multiple weapons, Splinter trained each of them in their own specialty weapon: Leonardo wields katanas, Raphael has two sai daggers, Donatello uses a bō staff, and Michelangelo uses nunchaku.

Section 1 of 10:

Leonardo Ninja Turtle Weapons

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Leonardo’s signature weapons are twin katanas. Katanas are slightly curved swords that are around 2–2 ¹⁄₂ feet (0.61–0.76 m) long.^{[1]
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Research source} As the fearless leader of the Turtles, Leo received these samurai weapons because of his courage and calm nature. Even though his blades are some of the deadliest weapons, he shows a lot of restraint and uses them to protect his brothers and the rest of New York City.
- In some TMNT comics and series, such as the 2007 animated film, Leo uses swords with straight blades, so some people argue they’re actually ninjatō.
- Leonardo’s Lesser-Used Weapons:
  - Bokken (wooden sword)
  - Shuriken (throwing stars)
  - Tantō (short sword)
  - Kogatana (ninja dagger)

Section 2 of 10:

Raphael Ninja Turtle Weapons

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Raphael’s signature weapon is a twin sai. A sai is a trident-shaped dagger, but it has a blunt blade without any sharp edges. Unlike a traditional dagger, sais are used in pairs as blunt fighting weapons that can be held in a variety of grips and angles.^{[2]
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Research source} Splinter chose sais for Raph because he’s a fierce fighter who does what it takes to protect his family.
- Some theories claim Raph uses sais to teach him patience and discipline, as opposed to being too aggressive with his enemies.
- Raphael’s Lesser-Used Weapons:^{[3]
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  - Tonfa (T-shaped batons)
  - Kusari-fundo (weighted chain)
  - Banrai (sickles attached with a chain)
  - Shuriken (throwing stars)

Section 3 of 10:

Donatello Ninja Turtle Weapons

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Donatello’s signature weapon is a bō. A bō, sometimes called a bō staff, is a straight wooden staff and one of the simplest weapons.^{[4]
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Research source} Donnie is known for being extremely tech-savvy and nerdy, so Splinter gave him a bō as his signature weapon to challenge him to rely less on his inventions and get more creative when he has to do battle.
- In the 2012 animated TMNT show, Splinter gives Donatello a bō because he has a thoughtful soul and a peaceful heart.
- Donatello’s Lesser-Used Weapons:
  - Naginata (staff with a blade on the end)
  - Byakko (spear)
  - Shuriken (throwing stars)
  - Battle ax

Section 4 of 10:

Michelangelo Ninja Turtle Weapons

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Michelangelo’s signature weapons are nunchaku. Nunchaku, or more casually known as nunchucks, are wooden batons attached together with a chain.^{[5]
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Research source} Nunchaku take a lot of discipline to master, so Splinter chose them for Mikey to help him focus instead of getting easily distracted.
- Michelangelo’s Lesser-Used Weapons:^{[6]
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  - Kusarigama (sickle attached to a weighted chain)
  - Tonfa (T-shaped batons)
  - Manriki-gusari (weighted fighting chain)
  - Shuriken (throwing stars)

Section 5 of 10:

Splinter’s Weapons

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Splinter’s signature weapon is a wooden cane. Splinter taught the Turtles everything they know about karate and martial arts, but he doesn’t fight much in his older age. When he does need to defend himself, he usually resorts to hand-to-hand combat or using his wooden cane as a staff.
- In the 2012 TMNT animated series, Splinter hides a sword and a weighted chain (kusari-fundo) inside his cane in case he gets into a battle.^{[7]
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Section 6 of 10:

Shredder’s Weapons

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Shredder’s signature weapon is a tekkō-kagi. Shredder is the leader of the Foot Clan and the main enemy of the Ninja Turtles. His modified samurai armor features tekkō-kagi, or steel claws, attached to each of his arms with multiple extending blades. In many series and comics, Shredder’s claws are stronger than the Turtles' weapons, making him extra deadly and dangerous for anyone who gets in his way.^{[8]
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- Shredder is also a martial arts master, so he excels at hand-to-hand combat as well as other traditional weapons such as katanas and tantōs.

Section 7 of 10:

The Foot Clan’s Weapons

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The Foot Clan usually uses traditional Japanese weaponry. The underground clan known as ‘The Foot’ is a group of trained ninjas and frequent enemies of the Turtles. While they don’t use a signature weapon, they traditionally use a variety of ancient Japanese weapons, such as katanas, shurikens (throwing stars), nunchaku, spears, and tonfas (T-batons).
- In the 2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series, some members of The Foot Clan are actually robots called “Footbots” who can transform their arms into different weapons, like buzzsaws, curved blades, and maces.^{[9]
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Section 8 of 10:

April O’Neil’s Weapons

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April O’Neil’s signature weapon is a tessen. April O’Neil is a reporter and one of the Ninja Turtles’ best friends. Even though she mostly stays out of combat, some series show her training with Splinter and learning how to use weapons. One of her signature weapons is a tessen, or a fan that’s made with heavy iron plates.^{[10]
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- April has also been seen using a short-bladed tantō as she trains more with Splinter.

Section 9 of 10:

Casey Jones’s Weapons

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Casey Jones is one of the Turtles’ allies, usually seen wearing a hockey goalie mask. Casey doesn’t have any formal training like the Turtles, but he carries a bag of sports equipment to improvise some weapons. While he prefers to use a hockey stick, he also fights battles with baseball bats, golf clubs, and tennis rackets.

Section 10 of 10:

Other Ninja Turtles & Their Weapons

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Venus’s signature weapon is a tessen. Venus de Milo is the long-lost sister of the Ninja Turtles. While she’s mostly shown doing hand-to-hand combat or using magical powers, she’s sometimes depicted with an iron war fan.
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Jennika’s signature weapon is a tekkō-kagi. Jennika was originally a human, but she mutated into a Ninja Turtle after Leonardo saved her from an accident. Similar to Shredder, she wields retractable steel claws to fight up close and personal with her enemies.^{[11]
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Lita’s signature weapons are a time scepter and a tessen. Lita is an albino Ninja Turtle from the future who originally mutated from a little girl. Lita is one of the most powerful Turtles because her Time Scepter allows her to travel through time. She also carries a pair of tessen war fans she can use in close combat or as weapons she can throw.^{[12]
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