Warning! Spoilers for The Last Ronin and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #121 ahead!
In a dark vision of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ future, where only one of the four brothers survives, a look at their actions in the present day reveals why Raphael couldn’t have been the Last Ronin. In IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin series by Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, Tom Waltz, Esau, and Isaac Escorza, it is shown how each turtle’s flaws led to their downfall. This story seamlessly fits into TMNT lore, as the revelation of which turtle survives is supported by plenty of the brothers’ past and current actions.
Upon the initial announcement of the series, there was rampant speculation over which turtle would be the one attempting to avenge the deaths of his three brothers at the hands of Shredder’s grandson. The mystery was fueled by the lack of the signature color-coded masks used to distinguish them and the fact that the remaining ninja carried all of the turtles’ signature weapons. There were many theories about why each turtle was destined to be the lone remaining Hero in a Halfshell before it was revealed that Michelangelo carried this burden.
Even with the identity of the Last Ronin revealed, speculation over why certain turtles could never have been in this role continues. Raphael’s rash decision-making, demonstrated several times over in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #121, perfectly illustrates why he was ill-equipped to be the last turtle standing. In this issue, by Sophie Campbell and Jodi Nishijima, Raphael pursues Old Hob to stab him, whereas Michelangelo shows the type of level-headedness that is key to survival. This contrast in styles highlights Raph’s impulsiveness, susceptibility to anger, and desire to handle everything himself, rather than tackling problems as a team. With these flaws, the turtles’ creators knew Raphael was destined to set things in motion for the Last Ronin story, one way or another.
TMNT: The Last Ronin #2 shows that this type of decision-making did indeed lead to his demise. When Splinter is mortally wounded, Raphael sneaks off to do battle with a small army of Foot Clan soldier and Karai (Shredder’s adopted daughter) by himself. He is enraged and overmatched. Though he manages to cut down a large number of the Foot Clan Soldiers, his quest for vengeance ends when he and Karai kill each other. Given the damage he was able to do on his own, it is a safe conclusion that had he fought alongside his brothers rather than trying to enact his revenge alone, the results would have been very different. Though Raphael is the strongest turtle, the skills of his brothers cannot be overlooked and always prove invaluable.
Still, the team approach is not a guarantee of success either, as Raphael’s hot-headedness is a liability in any setting. For instance, in situations where Raphael does agree to take on a grave threat as part of the team, seeing his brothers succumb would only make him less disciplined and rational, meaning he would die right along with them.
In the current Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle books, hints abound as to why the other turtles, particularly Raphael, do not have the demeanor to make it through the bleak future described in The Last Ronin and why Michelangelo was the right choice thematically. For Raphael, his struggle for self-control and desire to handle everything apart from his brothers means that he is entirely too self-destructive to be the Last Ronin.