Donatello (The Next Mutation)

Description

Appearance

He looks much the same as the rest of his family, who aren't actually blood-related in this version, with paler green skin and a more shapely head. The turtles also all have hazel eyes where they were previously black. They are slightly leaner, however are all roughly the same height. Unlike most versions that depict the turtles as different sizes, in which Donatello is typically the tallest, he appears to be the third shortest in Next Mutation, the tallest instead being Mikey followed by Leo. And he is greater in height than both Raphael and Venus.

Asides from this incarnation incorporating different styles of masks, the turtles also wear varying positions of straps that hold a buckle initial like their 1987 versions. Donatello is no different, and, rather than his standard purple eye mask, it instead now covers all of his upper head and reaches under the sides of his chin. There is also a gap of cloth missing between his eyes.

Like the other male turtles, he wears white bandages around his calves and forearms alongside knee and elbow pads which match the colour of his mask. His strap buckled with a "D" runs diagonally across the right side of his chest and over his shoulder. Additionally he wears a belt holding various pouches around his waist.

Personality

This portrayal of Donatello mostly draws on his previous incarnation in the 1987 series; being more irritable than his Mirage version, having his technological prowess be more pronounced, and as a result of him being more vocal, his speech is often very analytical or riddled with technobabble. He is usually situated at his computer and is the one responsible for analysing and solving many of the turtles' problems. Despite the fact that The Next Mutation was intended as a loose continuation of the original 90's movies, this Donatello and his movie incarnations have very little in common in terms of both appearance and personality.

Although he would largely be portrayed as more confident in this incarnation, to the point of bordering on narcissistic, The Next Mutation Donatello also displays some loneliness throughout the series' short run. Perhaps due to the absence of April, and the addition of a fifth, magic wielding, completely unscientific turtle in Venus, this Donatello occasionally questions his usefulness and has no one to share his interests with. This drives him to occupy himself with online forums and science lectures in pursuit of an outlet.

In fact, this Donatello is so desperate to meet a like-minded individual that, at one point, he allies himself with a brilliant but mad scientist, for a time expressing denial at his malicious intent for the sake of maintaining his one true hobbyist "friend". In actuality, this scientist worked for the turtles's enemies, and upon recognising Donatello's longing for companionship, convinces him of their friendship and manipulates him into creating dangerous technology.

Relationships