TMNT Introduces Dark Leonardo, and He's Already Getting an Action Figure

If you're a TMNT fan who still holds a burning nostalgia for the original '80s animated series, then Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures is the book for you. The series continues that classic TMNT continuity, offering a more all-ages alternative to the comparatively darker fare of comics like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and TMNT: The Last Ronin II.

But that's not to say things can't get a little dark even in this animated universe. Case in point, the series is set to introduce twisted "Dark" versions of Leonardo, Raphael, and Donatello in an upcoming issue. These Dark Turtles have been created in conjunction with NECA, who are already hard at work transforming Dark Leonardo into a highly detailed, 7-inch action figure.

Check out the slideshow gallery below for an exclusive first look at NECA's Dark Leonardo figure, and then read on to learn more about the Dark Turtles and see commentary from the minds behind this new storyline.

The Dark Turtles will be introduced in TMNT: Saturday Morning Adventures #20 in a story dubbed "Genie in a Bauble, Baby!" In this story, a despondent Michelangelo wonders if his family would be better off without him. But when a genie shows Mikey a world where he never existed, he's shocked to find Leonardo, Raphael, and Donatello transformed into dark, sinister versions of themselves who serve as members of the Foot Clan.

NECA's Brand Manager Blaine Rodenbaugh tells IGN that the company created the Dark Leonardo concept after IDW Publishing reached out to pursue a collaboration.

"NECA recently expanded the TMNT cartoon universe with original concept characters (such as our samurai and spacesuit 2 pack)," Rodenbaugh says. "It’s a really fun way to honor the beloved characters with fresh new looks and stories, much like what IDW is doing with the TMNT: Saturday Morning Adventures. So when Nickelodeon approached us with a potential collaboration, we couldn’t be more thrilled."

Rodenbaugh continues, "Our TMNT Brand Manager, Trevor Zammit, worked with concept artist Jason Yang to create a pitch deck of potential 'what if' characters for IDW, who selected our Dark Leo design, which envisioned a world where Leonardo had joined the Foot Clan. Having only one concept per character, this is where the true collaboration began, as IDW artist Sarah Myer would go on to create dark looks for the rest of the team, and Erik Burnham would develop a storyline that fit within the Saturday Morning Adventures comic."

In terms of designing the Dark Leo costume, Rodenbaugh reveals that the character was heavily inspired by punk rock, albeit filtered through the lens of what punk rock might look like in this '80s animated universe.

"There were a few different concepts for this Dark Leo character, taking familiar TMNT elements and punk looks of the era. (Trevor recalls watching an old 80’s movie with a gang of punks that gave him the idea for some of the nuances.) We then worked with Jason to develop looks that fit within the '80s TMNT cartoon look," Rodenbaugh says. "One of Jason’s favorite aspects was adding Easter eggs to the accessories and detailing to give an authentic TMNT feel. So much so that during the first round of approvals, this concept was mistaken for actual character art from the original cartoon - quite the compliment!"

Once the Dark Leo designed was created and approved, it fell on TMNT: Saturday Morning Adventures artist Sarah Myer to expand on the concept and create like-minded redesigns for Donny and Raph. Myer tells IGN that it was a challenge they relished.

"TMNT: SMA #20 might be my favorite issue so far, not least of all because it focuses on Michelangelo who is always a fan-favorite," Myer says. "I think a lot of people can relate to Mikey's feelings of insecurity in this particular story, and Erik’s writing really offers a lot of food for thought when it comes to Mikey’s importance to his family."

My continues, "As an artist, it was a treat to draw the Dark Turtles (following the lead of Dark Leo designed by NECA’s Jason Yang) and to come up with designs for Dark Raph and Don with details reflecting some twisted takes on their personalities like Dark Raph's outfit using more spikes and holsters for his sai, and Dark Don's eerie glowing night-vision goggles-- I had fun imagining that alternate-reality Raph's sarcasm would be more sadistic and Don's intelligence would make him an imposing and ominous figure. It’s always fun to imagine and draw alternate versions of characters, and a Foot Clan bend to our cartoon turtles is no exception. I also really enjoyed designing and drawing the Genie character with his little wing-like hair wisps and the old-school, post-UPA cartoon influences on his facial expressions and posing."

As for developing the story behind the Dark Turtles, Burnham reveals that he and Myer were already kicking around the idea of doing a story involving evil versions of the TMNT crew. The NECA collaboration turned out to gel perfectly with their plans for the series.

"It's always a pleasure when things line up like this; finding out that something we wanted to do for issue #20--some darker Turtles--was also in the works from NECA and that we could synergize to bring an outside element to the comic (and, via Sarah Myer, add some texture to NECA's Dark Leo with imagery for Raph and Donnie)... well, that just put a big smile on my face," Burnham says. "It's one of the things that makes working in the TMNT sandbox a lot of fun. The toy design is great, the comic turned out well, and fans can soon enjoy both. I'm a happy camper."

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures #20 will be released on January 8, 2025, with the preorder deadline on November 25.

For more on the current state of the TMNT line, check out our exclusive first look at Juan Ferreyra's art on the main TMNT comic and see how TMNT x Naruto combines two iconic ninja universes.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.