Raphael Hamato

* Age 34
* Age 17
* Tot

**Raphael Hamato** (usually known simply as **Raph**) is the 34-year-old deuteragonist of *Mutant Ninja Turtles Gaiden*, along with his new ninjutsu student Renoir. He is one of the four adopted mutant turtle sons of Hamato Splinter, as well as brother to Leonardo, Michelangelo and Donatello, surrogate brother of April O'Neil, best friend of Casey Jones, and uncle of Shadow Jones.

## Appearance

In the Prologue, Raphael's appearance is essentially the same as it is in Mirage TMNT Volume 1, from which *MNT Gaiden* branches its continuity.

But the events of that incident has produced the most obvious change in Raph's appearance—a body covered with many deep and massive scars, inflicted on him by his brother Leonardo wielding the Tōtsuka Sword. One of these wounds permanently blinded Raph's left eye, which he now covers with a black eye patch just underneath his bandana—this is a nod to the Image comics Volume 3, whose version of Raphael was blinded in the same eye and also started wearing a patch. In actuality, most of Raph's scars are routinely reopened when Raph gets depressed and cuts himself out of self-hatred, which may actually be giving the scars a fresher appearance than they might otherwise have had he let them simply heal—this is evidenced by Raph at 17 years old actually receiving a larger number of unique wounds than still appear on his skin at 34 years old.

His adult scars are fairly consistently shown:

* One diagonal scar across his left eye, starting in the middle of his forehead and ending on his left cheek.
* One large diagonal scar across his plastron, starting on his right chest and ending on his lower left abdomen.
* One scar on each of his shoulders.
* One scar on his right upper arm.
* One horizontal scar on his left upper leg.
* Two horizontal scars, one above the other, on his right upper leg.

Raph is also very noticeably taller, bulkier and more muscular than he was as a teenager, and as a running gag is also said to be fat.

Raph's lower arms are now typically wrapped in white bandages, similarly to certain incarnations of Splinter.

Raph is also now a chain-smoker, and is frequently seen with a lit cigarette in his mouth or fingers.

## Personality

Whereas teen Raphael was moody, conflict-prone and tough, adult Raph has these same personality traits greatly amplified, due to the chronic despair and self-hatred he feels since Master Splinter's death, greatly amplified by the effects of the Curse of Yamata-no-Orochi. He is now bipolar, periodically experiencing strong violent depressive episodes which his brother Donatello calls "rage fits." These rage fits erupt when Raph's negative emotions reach a certain critical mass. If there are people around, Raph can end up attacking them uncontrollably. But when he's alone, he takes the rage out on himself, through binge drinking and cutting. His shorter temper in general (even outside of rage fits) often erupts at the people around him, with the effect that he is routinely abusive to both friends and family even while simultaneously regretting it. But beneath all the anger and despair, Raphael also possesses a great deal of love—love for family, friends and his student Renoir—but can be very dysfunctional in expressing that love, even as he feels no less hurt when his relationships with loved ones are strained.

Mentioned in the Prologue but nowhere else, when the dark side of Raph's soul fully surfaces while holding the Tōtsuka Sword, it is revealed that Raph's blood thirst is not just metaphorical but *literal* as well—this side of Raph craves drinking blood.

## Biography

In the Prologue, Raphael Hamato is still a 17-year-old turtle living in a lair in the sewer with his brothers Leonardo, Michelangelo and Donatello and their father Splinter. Eikichi Gotoh had anonymously dropped a package containing the Tōtsuka Sword and some Japanese scrolls into the sewers, and it was later found by Splinter, who took the package's contents into his room.

Mikey talks Raph into sneaking into Splinter's room while he has stepped out, to take a peek. Raph is the first of the family to come under the sword's Curse of Yamata-no-Orochi, and his dark side emerges and takes control. Having recently quarreled with Leo, Raph decides to frame Leo for taking the sword by leaving it in his bedroom to be discovered by Splinter later. When Mikey protests, Raph cuts his brother with the sword and tries to lick Mikey's blood. Leo senses the sword's evil energy and intervenes, telling Mikey to find Donnie to treat his wounds, and eventually successfully talking Raph into dropping the sword. Leo wants Raph to check on and apologize to Mikey, but Raph is afraid Splinter will banish him for what he has done, and demands the sword be taken care of first. Leo volunteers to carefully try to move the sword, but then is himself infected by the curse.

Raph tries to warn Mikey and Donnie, but they fear Raph's dark side is still in control, and treat him as the main threat. But as Leo attacks them too, Raph selflessly shields Mikey from Leo's attack, taking many deep sword slashes that would become permanent deep scars. Splinter returns from an errand and sees the grisly violence. But as Leo cannot bring himself to drop the sword, Splinter takes the curse into himself and commands Leo to kill him with the cursed sword and destroy the sword in the process. Raph and his brothers watch in horror as Leo kills Splinter, and feels immense guilt that he and Mikey had instigated the events that led to this tragedy.

Leo immediately leaves to go to Japan to learn more about the sword and its curse, but a still heavily-bleeding Raph chases after him in vain, begging him not to go. Raph's cries in the sewer are overheard above by the human scientist Maxwell Amherst, who discreetly climbs down and collects a sample of Raphael's mutagenic blood. The blood is later instrumental in creating the new mutant turtle Renoir, Raph's future ninjutsu student who may actually also be his own son.

According to flashbacks in Chapter 3: *Broken Brotherhood - Burden from "Back Then"*, when Mikey briefly returned to the lair to collect his belongings so he could move in with April O'Neil, Raph angrily confronted him and they fought over Raph holding Mikey jointly accountable for their family tragedy. When Mikey left, he and Raph permanent cut ties for the better part of 17 years.

Soon after, Raph's relationship with Donnie also frayed as Donnie came to care only about his science and technology work, finally prompting Raph to move out into his own lair, the two brothers remaining on chilly speaking terms. For the next 17 years, Raph and his two remaining brothers usually only met during the annual family Christmas party at the Jones Apartment.

In Chapter 1: *Enter the Renoir*, Raphael Hamato has aged beyond his teenage years, and is now a 34-year-old ninja hermit still living alone in his own lair.

When a new mutant turtle appears at their niece Shadow Jones' Private School and "kills" her friend Augustus Amherst, Michelangelo calls Donatello to ask him to stay out of the situation and to pass the same message along to Raph, who Mikey is still not on speaking terms with. Instead, Raph recruits Donnie to help him break the new mutant out of police custody so that Raph can take on a ninjutsu student.

The young turtle awakens in Raph's lair, with Raph's face being the first thing he sees. When the boy is surprised at seeing other mutant turtles, that he *himself* is a mutant turtle, and claims to actually be the "dead" boy Augustus Amherst, Raph assumes the mutant merely feels guilt for killing the human boy and resolves not to let the mutant try to live a human's life. Raph gives him a new name—Renoir, after the 19th century French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

In Chapter 2: *Reminiscence - Living Memories Beyond Death's Illusions*, Raph tries to start training his uncooperative new student Renoir, who believes Raph is trying to manipulate him with a false story about four ninja turtle brothers. Raph has Renoir call Donnie who corroborates the story, but Renoir also notices his friend Shadow's home phone number is on Raph's speed dial. Renoir dials Shadow, frantically trying to tell her that he is Augustus, but Raph struggles with Renoir for the phone, leading Shadow to believe that her Uncle Raph was prank-calling her.

Raph takes Renoir to Augustus' funeral in an attempt to bring closure to Renoir's delusion. After the service ends, Raph knocks the grave digger unconscious so that Renoir can look inside the coffin to confirm Augustus' mutilated human remains. Raph is confronted by Shadow with Augustus' little sister Carole Amherst in tow. When Renoir introduces himself and reunites with his sister Carole, Shadow is alarmed to see the "wild mutant" and her incognito Uncle Mikey attacks him. But Raph recognizes Mikey's voice and unmasks him, disgusted that Mikey is still trying to live a human lifestyle, while Mikey is dismayed that Raph would try to ruin his human reputation by exposing him as a mutant turtle, and also that Raph would take in the wild mutant and bring him to his own "victim's" funeral. Raph wants to introduce Renoir to his brother Mikey, but Renoir runs off after Shadow and Carole. Raph follows them, and overhears Renoir and Shadow have a heart-to-heart where she becomes convinced that Renoir really is Augustus.

In Chapter 3: *Broken Brotherhood - Burden from "Back Then"*, Raphael is trying to train Renoir, but Renoir accidentally breaks a hologram generator that Donatello had once made and given him. Since Renoir has also not eaten since he became a turtle, Raph sends him out to visit Shadow at the Jones Apartment to be fed, while Raph takes the device to Donnie at the Hamato Lair to have him fix it.

Donnie requests a sample of Renoir's blood, fascinated in the young turtle for reportedly having a mutant healing ability superior to that of the four Hamato brothers. Raph offers Donnie a bandage Renoir had thrown into the garbage, which only has a thin layer of dried blood. Donnie sardonically berates his brother's lack of intelligence, provoking Raph into angrily striking him. Raph almost attacks Donnie again, but is distracted when he notices an old table the family used when they used to live there. The table is covered in katana cuts their brother Leonardo had once left, and being reminded of Leo instantly has a calming effect on Raph's rage.

Later, Raph visits the Jones Apartment to collect Renoir and take him home, but he notices Michelangelo's family photo album on the living room table. Raph flips through some of it, feeling nostalgia at the old memories of Splinter and the four brothers together as a family. But he grows alarm when he sees the later pages of Mikey apparently living a happy family life with the Jones family. Raph is hit by a strong depression, and he starts binge drinking beer after beer from the Jones' kitchen. When he starts breaking bottles, the noise is overheard by Renoir and Mikey, who rush out to see a very inebriated Raph slurring words of anger, envy and disdain at Mikey, telling him that the two of them are father-killing parasites who don't deserve happiness. As Raph's anger worsens, Renoir interjects, asking about Donatello and the machine Renoir had broken earlier. Raph's anger turns into sobbing tears as he laments how much his brother Donnie has come to despise him. Raph soon gets sick and starts repeatedly vomiting, and Mikey caringly stays by Raph's side.

In Chapter 4: *Watch Out! Business with the Purple Dragons!*, Raph awakens on a couch in the Jones Apartment, recovering from a hangover. Raph tells Renoir to return to his lair later, then realizes that Mikey had tended to him and bandaged the glass cuts on his hands. Before Raph leaves, he insults Mikey, then thanks him for helping.

Later, Raph is on a rooftop when he witnesses Erica and some Purple Dragons trying to sexually assault Davianna Wallace, and descends down to stop them.

In Chapter 5: *Raph Strikes - How to End a Conflict and Start a New One*, they are soon joined by Renoir and Shadow—Shadow having been warned at Private School by Marcella about Erica's scheme. With Erica and the Purple Dragons finally beaten and Davianna rescued, Shadow tells Davianna that their friend Augustus has returned as a mutant turtle. But Davianna assumes her rescuer Raphael is that turtle, much to Renoir's dismay. Seeing Renoir in distress, Raph plays along and pretends to be Augustus. When Renoir tries to confront Davianna directly, Raph grabs Renoir and immediately returns home.

Back in his lair, Raph tells Renoir that he impersonated Augustus to blackmail his student against desertion, also reasoning that Davianna must have a fragile mind to so easily believe a preposterous story like Augustus coming back as a turtle. Raph takes a sick sense of satisfaction in Renoir's frustration.

In Chapter 6: *The Actor Who Has Never Performed Before*, Michelangelo dials Raphael, asking if he or Renoir have been causing trouble in public on the surface. Renoir turns on the television and the news is on, revealing that a mutant matching Donatello's description had grabbed Renoir's sister Carole and wielded her as a human shield. Raph tells Mikey that it was Donnie.

In Chapter 7: *The Untimely Clash - Raphael vs. Michelangelo*, Raphael is caught off-guard when he receives a phone call from Davianna Wallace, who wants to reconnect with her friend Augustus. Raph nervously maintains the charade, and Davianna asks to meet Augustus at "their usual place." Raph remembers how, the day of Augustus' funeral, Shadow and Renoir spoke together at a swingset in a park, and figures that is where Davianna will show up—but he forbids Renoir from coming and handcuffs him to a fully-weighted barbell.

Raph arrives at the park where Davianna is indeed waiting. After Raph sits on a swing and immediately breaks it with his great weight, a sudden sharp gust of wind blows up Davianna's skirt, giving him an unobstructed view of her panties. Davianna strikes Raph before he can think, but this "perversion" convinces Davianna that this turtle is indeed Augustus. Davianna hands him a book report she and Augustus had done together which got a 64 grade because Renoir lied and made up details about the book instead of reading it for himself. Davianna tells "Augustus" that the teacher is letting her redo the book report, and tells "him" to drop "his" redone segments into her mailbox when "he's" done.

After Davianna leaves, Raph dials Shadow on a pay phone. Raph refuses to consult Renoir, still not believing that he is the real Augustus. He tells Shadow the book's title—*Dishonor, Despair, Sorrow and Illusions* by Mikael Buonarotti, and is surprised when Shadow tells him the author is actually Uncle Mikey's pen name. Renoir arrives at the playground after having freed himself from being cuffed to the barbell, but Davianna has already gone.

Raph and Renoir arrive at the Jones Apartment to have Michelangelo rewrite the book report segment. But Shadow realizes that Raph has likely never read the book, and insists on doing the report segment herself. And Raph quickly learns why Shadow is so nervous—the book is a fictionalization of the events 17 years ago when the four brothers lost their father and their family bond.

Enraged, Raph breaks down Mikey's bedroom door to confront him. Raph notices that Mikey is writing and consulting his own diary. His suspicions confirm, Raph assaults Mikey, and starts savagely beating his brother as Shadow begs Uncle Raph to stop.

In Chapter 8: *The Cowards*, Raphael is still beating Michelangelo, who tries to defend but is at a disadvantage from not training during the previous 17 years. The two yell at each other as this unfolds, airing baggage and grievances that had been largely unsaid for years. Raph is disgusted that Mikey wants to leave behind his past, while still using the Hamato Clan's family memories to profit as a novelist. Raph again accuses Mikey of not sharing in the responsibility for killing Splinter, but Mikey has never felt responsible and refuses to accept Raph's guilt trip. Mikey accuses Raph of hating himself and instead trying to relive his old ninja life through Renoir. He also tells Raph that he meditated for a full year before deciding to write about the family, and condemns Raph for taking only thirty seconds to judge Mikey as a traitor for that. Raph breaks all the fingers in both of Mikey's hands to symbolically demand Mikey stop writing, knowing that a mutant's broken fingers will not take long to heal. Mikey tells Raph that all the suffering they have gone through is something that passes and does not last forever. But Raph insists Splinter's death is something that *does* last, and he breaks the desk chair over Mikey's head, fracturing his brother's skull. With Mikey gravely wounded, Raph prepares a finishing blow to kill him, but fails to do so as Shadow fiercely hits Raph with a hockey stick.

Raph diverts his attention and angrily lifts Shadow off the floor, but Shadow is already happy that her two brother uncles have stopped fighting. Her words bring Raph out of his rage, and Raph puts her down. He looks in horror at all the violence he has just inflicted, and feels strong concern for Mikey's welfare.

In Chapter 9: *Deeper in the Abyss*, Raphael is distraught that he almost killed his brother Michelangelo with his own hands. Mikey tries to tell Raph it's okay, but Raph guiltily begs Mikey to take vengeance and physically hurt him, to which Mikey only emphatically repeats himself. Raph tries to help Mikey up, but Mikey firmly objects and tells Raph to go home. Now feeling rejected by Mikey, Raph tells Renoir to come home with him, but Renoir has reached the end of his rope with Raph, responding to him with disdain and hatred. Raph tells Renoir that it no longer matters if he hates him, because he's lived the last 17 years expecting everyone to hate him anyway. Renoir stays behind as Raph returns to his lair for yet another round of binge drinking and extensive body cutting—a self-destructive habit he's inflicted on himself many times during the late 17 years of self-hatred.

Raph awakens, at first thinking he's died and gone to hell, but it is actually Renoir trying to wake him. In a daze, Raph thinks he sees his own face—a sight he hates—and attacks the figure, only to realize that he has just assaulted Renoir and pressed him against the wall of his lair. When Raph realizes it's his student, he drops him and becomes upset. In Raph's anguish, he regrets hurting all the people he loves—including Renoir—and laments that repeatedly harming himself has not made him a less hurtful person. Raph begs Renoir to kill him before he kills someone else.

Renoir picks up Raph's blood-soaked sai, and opines that his master cannot expect to feel the pain of self-harm if he already hates himself so much. Renoir then uses the sai to symbolically slash himself a couple of times, claiming it as punishment for things *Raph* did. Sure enough, Raph is very distressed to see Renoir harm himself, but Renoir points out how real Raph's distress is compared to Raph's own futile self-harm. Renoir explains that, before he returned to the lair, he talked to Donatello, who theorizes that Raph has come to depend on Renoir and has actually progressed as a functional person since they started living together. Renoir holds the sai to his own throat, asking Raph what he will do if he's alone again. Raph angrily grabs away the sai and insists Donnie is wrong, but Raph then calmly tells Renoir that his master's struggles are only his own, and finally offers Renoir his freedom instead of being forced to stay with an "old hermit" like him. But Renoir unexpectedly laughs at Master Raphael finally calling himself "old."

Raph asks Renoir why he did everything he just did, and Renoir admits that he feels conscientiously responsible now as a functional part of Raph's life—but still hates Raph, enjoyed seeing him suffer and resents Raph stealing Augustus' identity. Still, Renoir promises he will stay permanently, and will no longer try to desert Master Raphael.

In Chapter 10: *Rational Voice? Enter Casey and April!!!*, Raphael and Renoir are training, for the first time in a spirit of mutual respect. Casey Jones barges into the lair, with his wife April O'Neil not far behind—the two having recently returned home from their second honeymoon. Casey is furious that Raph has taken on a new student without letting Casey *haze* him. Raph assures Casey that the hazing can begin immediately, and it isn't long before Renoir is tied down with a funnel in his mouth, and Casey is pouring beer after beer down the young mutant's throat. Renoir is let back up, but he soon vomits while Raph and Casey point and laugh. Fed up with the immature display, April separates Renoir from Raph and her husband, and sees to Renoir's welfare.

Renoir is happy to see more familiar faces, and enthusiastically tells April that he's Shadow's friend Augustus, and proves it by describing the very embarrassing way Augustus first met April when he was younger. Casey and April are quick to accept Renoir as Augustus, but Raph objects, still considering Renoir's story preposterous. April reminds Raph that humanoid mutant turtles (such as Raph and his brothers) would be just as hard to accept. As Renoir reconnects with Shadow's parents, a very unintellectual Raph is dismayed that the two humans are only feeding Renoir's delusion.

As April invites Renoir to their family's annual Christmas party, she reminds Raph that he's also invited, but Raph is still deeply ashamed of almost killing Michelangelo and doesn't want to see him there, and also still resents Mikey using the Hamato Clan's family memories to write his books. April hands Raph a copy of Mikey's newest book, *On the Trails of Purple Dragons*, and demands that Raph immediately read the book's Afterword, where Mikey admits to his readers that the story is a fictionalization inspired by his own past; he tried to escape his past by writing about it, but now admits that this is impossible, and that someday he must face and accept it. April points out that Mikey had tried to move on from his past, but he knows he never actually succeeded—he never stopped cherishing his brothers and their past together. Moved but newly ashamed, Raph agrees to attend the Christmas party.

Later, Raph tries to cut himself again, but is stopped by Renoir, who attends to Master Raphael in his time of need.

In Chapter 11: *A Prelude to...*, Raphael takes Renoir to visit his sister Carole in her hospital room, where she has spent weeks recovering from toxic gas inhalation from the time Donatello briefly kidnapped her. Carole asks about the other "actor" he's with—the *old, ugly, stinky, **fat*** one—these descriptions very noticeably irritate Raph. But Raph poses athletically, insisting that it's all muscle. Renoir talks back and is promptly hit by Raph, but Carole angrily lectures the older turtle about not hitting her brother, emphasizing that his name is Augustus, not Renoir, and that only their mother has the right to name him. Renoir intervenes and reminds his sister not to be rude to adults. Carole apologizes to Raph, and she and Renoir have a happy brother-sister hug. Raph listens quietly as Carole asks her brother to come home for Christmas, only for Renoir to tell her he can't come home yet, to which Carole only keeps begging—this talk of siblings and family togetherness appears to affect Raph.

The situation immediately becomes more complicated for Raph as Shadow and Davianna unexpectedly walk into the hospital room. Raph is still trying to maintain his charade with Davianna, but Carole believing Renoir is Augustus would contradict Davianna believing Raph is Augustus, so Raph immediately leaves out the window with Davianna in his arms.

Outside on a building rooftop, Raph and Davianna are admiring the view of the city. Davianna leans in for a kiss, and Raph starts to lean in too, but the kiss is averted when Davianna firmly declares that Raph is *not* Augustus—Augustus is an honorable boy who promised never to kiss Davianna until her 18th birthday, even if she were to ask for it. Raph has no choice but to tell her who he really is, his cover now thoroughly and irrevocably blown. He introduces himself as Shadow's uncle Raphael, and confesses that he judged Davianna's sanity as fragile, and that Shadow only followed his lead, probably not even knowing why he was doing it. Raph then starts to admit something he has not yet confessed to anyone—that he finally believes Augustus is not really dead. But before Raph can even mention Renoir, Davianna silences him, telling him that his lies have made Augustus die *twice* for her, and she no longer feels receptive to anything Raph has to say on the matter. Davianna tries to leave, but realizes she can't descend the rooftop alone, so Raph silently takes her back to Carole's hospital room.

When Raph and Davianna return, Carole has already been picked up by her parents, and only Shadow and Renoir are still in the hospital room. Davianna flatly asks Shadow where Augustus is. Shadow tries to support Uncle Raph's charade, but is startled when Raph tells his niece that he already blew his cover. Davianna runs out of the room upset at both Raph and Shadow, and Shadow chases after her.

Raph is now alone with his now very angry student—but before Renoir can say anything, Raph interrupts him, saying he had tried unsuccessfully to tell Davianna that Renoir is the real Augustus. Renoir realizes the implication that Master Raphael finally believes him, but Raph avoids talking about it further, telling Renoir to start jumping buildings on his own (instead of being carried by Raph) and meet him later at the Christmas party.

In Chapter 12: *...The Crimson Christmas*, Raphael arrives at the Jones Apartment, joining Casey, April and Donatello at a Christmas party that has already begun. Michelangelo is shut inside his bedroom, still wrapping Christmas gifts. April prevents Raph and Donnie from arguing by asking Raph to trim the Christmas tree with butterfly knives—again this year.

After a while, they all realize that Mikey's room has been really quiet, and he's not answering at his door. But before they can check on him, a window opens and a badly wounded Renoir crawls in with an even more severely wounded Shadow. Raph rushes to his student as April rushes to her daughter, and Shadow warns them that Uncle Mikey is heading into an ambush.

In Chapter 13: *Back into the Shadows*, the situation has been explained: Shadow and Davianna had been kidnapped, bound and gagged by an Elite's NYC Foot Ninja to lure out and kill Michelangelo. Renoir followed the kidnappers' car, but lost his left eye when one of the ninja discovered and attacked him. The ninja brutally beat Shadow and dumped her into the water at a derelict port, leaving her for dead, but Renoir arrived in time and saved her from drowning, and immediately carried her home.

Raphael breaks open Mikey's bedroom door (again) only to find the room is empty and Mikey has already set out on his own. Raph is furious that Mikey has involved Shadow and Renoir in this situation, and tries to leave alone to rescue Davianna and beat the NYC Foot Ninja *and* Mikey. Donatello points out that Raph is unarmed and has no idea where to look, but does so in a mocking sardonic tone that provokes Raph's rage. Raph lunges at Donnie, but Casey punches Raph to stop him. Raph asks why Casey isn't as angry as he is, and Shadow explains that they live without regrets, and that there is still hope as long as Mikey and Davianna are still alive. (This echoes the last lesson Splinter ever taught Raphael—that as long as there is life, there is hope—hope being something that Raph has long since lost in his life.) April explains that they follow their heart, which is why they have steadfastly supported Mikey's life decisions. She also points out that Raph lives a poisoned miserable life, having lost all hope.

They ask Shadow if she remembers where Renoir found her, but she draws a blank. When they ask Renoir, he panics and is afraid of dying. Raph sympathizes with his student and suggests leaving him out of the rescue efforts, but Donnie very coldly reminds Raph that Renoir is their only lead, and that he's not being fair to Mikey. Raph reluctantly overrides Renoir's protests and angrily orders him to come. But Raph calms down, and tells Renoir he can do with his life as he pleases, but that he saw the honor and integrity in Renoir when he gave his promise to be there for Raph. This convinces Renoir to agree to come.

Donnie coordinates their mission, requiring he and Raph return to their lairs to get their weapons and Raph's motorcycle, while Casey takes Renoir to locate the port from memory. Before they part ways, Raph gives Renoir his wrapped Christmas present—a pair of tonfas.

As Raph and Donnie are running together through the sewers, Raph expresses skepticism of Donnie's motives, and Donnie admits that everything he does is calculated in his own self-interest.

In Chapter 14: *Dogfight!! Up Close and Personal with Remnants of the Foot Clan!*, Raphael is driving his motorcycle, with Donatello sitting behind, monitoring a Shell Cell to guide them to Casey and Renoir's location. Though Raph tries to take shortcuts to avoid humans, he and Donnie are spotted by the same Purple Dragons from before, now seeking revenge for the beating Raph gave them earlier. Donnie and Raph cooperate to deflect their attacks before managing to knock down their motorcycles, ending their pursuit.

When they finally arrive at the scene, Davianna is already safe, having courageously freed herself from captivity and protected by Renoir. The two Hamato brothers join Casey in the battle. Michelangelo has fallen, but is still alive. Raph lifts his brother and tries to walk him out of the battlefield, but they are confronted by the Foot Elite himself wielding an ono. As he prepares to swing the ono, Raph swears he'll protect Mikey from harm, no matter what happens to him, but Mikey objects and jumps in front of Raph. Raph is shielded from attack, but Mikey has taken a deep wound to the shoulder.

In Chapter 15: *And So the Pages Turn...*, Michelangelo has taken a severe ono wound and has again fallen to the ground. As Mikey's wound gushes, he tells Raphael to run. But Raph instead becomes enraged, unleashing a unique fury on the Foot Elite that quickly leaves him defeated. The NYC Foot Ninja that aren't already dead or wounded quickly escape, leaving their leader behind. Raph is ready to kill him, but Mikey pleads for him to stop, reminding him that Splinter taught to kill only as a last resort.

Raph regathers his composure and rushes to Mikey, who is impressed that Raph managed to control his anger for the first time in so many years. Before anyone else can say anything, Raph is speeding off on his motorcycle with Mikey in tow, not realizing that someone has dialed 911 and that Mikey's ono wound is leaving a fresh blood trail for the police to track. Some distance away, Raph sees a cat that resembles Klunk, and this distraction is enough to crash and total the motorcycle, tossing Raph and Mikey into a random alley.

Raph gets up and is relieved to find Mikey still in one piece, but is alarmed to notice that the motorcycle was leaving a trail of fresh blood. Raph realizes that with this much blood, Mikey was actually bleeding to death, and Raph had done nothing to stop the bleeding. Raph immediately uses his own bandana to tie off Mikey's shoulder wound, and sulks in shame.

Mikey tells Raph that his past, present and future now feel reunited as one person, and now feels hopeful that he can reclaim it all and find happiness again. When Mikey tells Raph that everything is okay now, Raph erupts in anger—at himself, for messing up time and again, for not doing enough to help Mikey, and for almost letting him die tonight. But Mikey affirms that Raph is a caring brother, and has revived the brotherly bond Mikey had longed for. Mikey thanks Raph, and then stops speaking entirely. The still silence gradually alarms Raph, who fears and realizes the worst—Mikey has just died.

Raph rushes to his brother's side...only to see Mikey open his eyes—he is faking it. The two briefly laugh it off just before Raph's laughter turns to fury at his brother's macabre practical joke. Mikey apologizes, but Raph is done with apologies and welcomes Mikey back to the old life.

Donatello arrives, and informs Raph and Mikey that someone led the police away from their blood trail—and it wasn't him. Raph wonders if it could have been their other brother.

In Chapter 16: *The Leader*, Raphael has returned to the Christmas party with Renoir, Donatello, Michelangelo and Casey, with Davianna already home safe and April and Shadow safe at the hospital. Raph and Renoir finally connect for the first time as real friends.

Later on, most everyone is asleep, but Raph opens a window to vomit. Raph is startled to see his brother Leonardo on the fire escape. Leo tries to get away, but Raph follows him onto the rooftop and shouts his name. Leo relents and greets Raph for the first time in 17 years. But Raph is enraged—he punches Leo in the face, and demands to know why he was gone for so long. Leo says he had to deal with the family's curse, and left Raph to lead the rest in his absence. Raph had always been jealous of Leo's leadership, but now resents that Leo abruptly hoisted this responsibility onto Raph. Raph wants to fight, but Leo refuses. Raph lunges at Leo anyway, but Leo dodges Raph and restrains his arms, proving that even unarmed he is still the more skilled ninja. Leo tells Raph that the curse is still active, and that it works by reinforcing their dark sides while sealing the rest. Raph is appalled that Leo only had that to tell him after 17 years, so he frees himself and prepares to kill Leo.

But Raph finds that a part of himself is restraining his anger once again, and letting reason prevail. Raph looks to see that Leo has done nothing to move from his position. Leo tells Raph he has always trusted him, and continues to trust him to look after Donnie and Mikey. Leo has sworn not to return until the urse is gone, and prepares to leave again. But Raph remembers the promises he shouted to Leo in that sewer tunnel 17 years ago, and he asks Leo to stay. Leo fears that his presence will only aggravate Raph's rage, but Raph's experience with Mikey has taught him that the brothers are stronger together, and he confesses that it's actually Leo himself who keeps calming Raph's anger. Leo admits that he gambled his own life when he trusted Raph not to attack him, and believes the curse is still too dangerous for him to stay. Raph assures Leo of his trust, but then wonders if Leo actually manipulated this situation just to get Raph's undivided attention, and asks why Leo returned at all. Leo says he felt homesick, but that he still can't stay until the curse and family honor are restored. Raph points out that the family honor is about all four of them as brothers, and insists it's alright for Leo to stay. Leo finally agrees to remain, and Raph yields the leadership position back to him.

In Chapter 17: *Between Cops and Ninjas*, Raphael and Leonardo reenter the apartment where everyone else is still asleep. Raph awakens Michelangelo, who is instantly thrilled to see Leo again. Then Casey is up and the reunion is in full swing.

Raph awakens Donatello, but Leo's presence gives Donnie a panic attack and Raph explains how Donnie never got over what happened 17 years ago. Donnie immediately runs to Shadow's room to awaken Renoir, and tries to bribe the younger turtle into moving in with him. When Donnie insists that Renoir will come even if a body bag is required, Raph is alarmed and enraged, but Leo's influence instantly calms him. Raph asks Donnie to explain "body bag," and Donnie hollowly claims that *if* Renoir were brought to him in a body bag, Donnie would use science to revive him. Still panicking, Donnie immediately leaves to get away from Leo. April returns home from the hospital with Shadow, and the reunions continue.

But then Leo notices with incredulity that Raph is smoking a cigarette, and is dismayed that Raph would take up such a lethal habit. Leo grabs it away from Raph and holds it up, but the smoke gets too close to the smoke detector and sets it off. Casey and April inform everyone that all the turtles must now leave because the smoke detector automatically notifies the fire department. Raph angers April by impulsively stabbing the device with his sai.

Raph gathers Renoir and prepares to leave, and Mikey declares that he's retiring from writing and moving back into the sewers with Raph. With Leo coming too, Raph's lair is about to become more crowded.

As the three brothers and Renoir jump rooftops on the way home, Raph criticizes Mikey for being out of shape when he used to be the fastest turtle in the family, but Raph realizes he is himself already eclipsed by Leo's superior speed.

In Chapter 18: *A Little Deeper in Donatello's World*, Raphael instructs Renoir to guide Michelangelo to a nearby manhole, since Mikey plans to check up on Donatello first before coming to Raph's lair. Raph promises to get Leonardo some pizza, a food he hasn't eaten in years.

Raphael does not appear at all in Chapter 19: *Fragments of Truth Inside His Mind*—the first chapter where he is completely absent.

In Chapter 20: *Adjusting to the Present*, Raphael and Leonardo are in Raph's lair, talking—about Leo's unusually keen perception, about Donatello's mental illness, and about Raph's failure to lead while Leo was gone. But Leo praises the way Raph helped Michelangelo, and it finally dawns on Raph that it really was Leo who led the police away from Michelangelo's blood trail. Raph appreciates Leo's help as their leader, but Leo insists he's not the leader he was, and reminds Raph that he had intended to leave again at the time. Leo believes Raph has been the good leader. Raph disagrees, but Leo points out that Raph stayed and tried to defend their family's values and preserve their father's teachings, succeeding where Leo had failed by abandoning them all. Raph says Leo is the perfect leader, and encourages him to make peace with Donnie. Leo admits he's uncomfortable being leader again, but Raph assures Leo he can step down again after the situation with Donnie has been settled. Leo is still surprised that Raph no longer wants to be a leader, but Raph lights a cigarette and opines that he's not a leader. Leo then makes his first decision as their leader—taking the cigarette away from Raph.

Raph faces Renoir and, like a drill instructor, barks commands at his student not to rest during a workout. Leo takes this opportunity to formally introduce himself to Renoir, who Raph has already told him a little about. Leo unnerves Raph by asking Renoir to evaluate Raph. As Raph listens, Renoir tells Leo that Raph is tough and unpleasantly honest even when he means well—Raph has rigid yet logical morals. Renoir then lists several Raph's *negative* qualities, immediately agitating Raph whom Leo has to calm down. Leo mentions hearing that Renoir was a "wild mutant," and Renoir admits that it's probably the truth, albeit probably not the whole truth. Raph interjects that this is an improvement over earlier, when Renoir kept insisting he was human. But Leo realizes Renoir's situation is far from simple, and admonishes Raph not to force Renoir to shape his world view from an incomplete set of facts, because it can mess him up—just like how it happened to their brother Donnie. Leo encourages Renoir to be open about his worries, and that the rest of his new "family" can help him gradually piece together the whole truth. Renoir is uncomfortable with the idea of Master Raphael with all his flaws being "family." (The irony being that since, unbeknownst to them, Raphael's blood was used to create Renoir, it is entirely possible they are father and son.) But Raph points out that Renoir is a rare mutant turtle like the rest of them, and Raph was reminded of himself when Renoir lost his left eye, though laments that unlike his own, it grew back within hours. Leo is amazed to learn Renoir has such superior healing ability.

They are interrupted by Mikey, who has returned from Donnie's place to give Leo a Shell Cell of his own. Mikey is feeling hyperactive and wants to vent his positive energy, and Raph points Mikey to their old video games, prompting Mikey to drag Renoir away to play them with him. Leo observes incorrectly that Mikey does not seem to have matured over the last 17 years, and Raph informs Leo that Mikey has actually matured a great deal, but until recently had spent those 17 years being calm and serious.

Raphael only makes a cameo appearance in Chapter 21: *The Curse of "Yamata-no-Orochi"* as Leonardo is telling him, Renoir and Michelangelo a half-true story about his last 17 years in Japan.

Raphael is mentioned in Chapter 22: *The Witch-Hunt of a Bloodline*, but does not personally appear. It is the only chapter so far where he does *not* appear.

## Weapons

Raphael's standard weapons are a pair of sais, but he is also skilled in unarmed combat.

## Relationships

### Augustus Amherst / Renoir

Renoir is not only Raphael's novice student in ninjutsu and surrogate son, but is also a product of Raph's own mutagenic blood and may actually be his son—something neither Raph nor Renoir are aware of. Raph's face is the first face Renoir sees after becoming a mutant turtle. Raph impulsively takes Renoir on as a ninjutsu student without Renoir's consent, and their relationship is immediately characterized by abusiveness, antagonism and suspicion, mostly from Raph, but sometimes from Renoir as well. Raph initially does not believe Renoir was ever the human Augustus Amherst, and Renoir indeed comes to hate his master when Raph opportunistically uses his Renoir's attachment to Davianna Wallace to blackmail him against desertion. Though Raph continues to be horrendously abusive to Renoir, he also comes to genuinely love him like family. After Raph has his first "rage fit" since taking on Renoir, he guiltily offers Renoir permanent freedom. But Renoir learns that Raph has actually become a more functional and less antisocial person *because* of his student's presence, and Renoir conscientiously promises to stay. A mutual respect finally develops between master and student, and soon even Raph's blackmail collapses and he comes to accept that Renoir somehow is Augustus.

### Carole Amherst

From the moment they meet, Carole is not impressed with Raphael, judging him to be old, fat, bossy, stinky and ugly. Carole is Renoir's little sister, and Raph's abusiveness towards his student provokes Carole's anger. All this annoys Raph, and the two decidedly do not get along well. But Raph also seems to envy Carole's close sibling relationship with Renoir.

### Maxwell Amherst

Raphael and Maxwell have never met face to face. But 17 years ago on the day Hamato Splinter dies, Maxwell is nearby above the sewers, and hears Raphael shouting at Leonardo. Maxwell soon climbs down to investigate, and collects a sample of Raphael's mutagenic blood off the sewer tunnel floor. Maxwell uses the blood in a series of unauthorized experiments on laboratory turtles. In a series of only vaguely explained events, Maxwell's infant son Augustus Amherst is involved, and Renoir is created.

### Donatello Hamato

Raphael's relationship with his brother Donatello is originally fairly cordial, but quickly sours after Splinter dies. Even after their brothers Leonardo and Michelangelo leave, Raph wants to stick with Donnie in the Hamato Lair to preserve what is left of their family's unity, but Donnie's worsening mental illness becomes too much for Raph to deal with, and Raph moves out into his own lair.

Raph and Donnie remain in intermittent telephone contact and would see each other at the Hamato-Jones Family's annual Christmas party, but they never voluntarily do anything together unless it serves Donnie's ulterior motives. But after Raph takes on Renoir as a student, Donnie becomes even more abusive to Raph and their mutual civility breaks down. Through it all, Raph continues to love Donnie, though Donnie's abusiveness flays Raph emotionally. Later, after Leo returns and Mikey moves in, Donnie becomes even more disturbed, and Raph still cares about Donnie, but no longer has to deal with him alone.

### Leonardo Hamato

While Raphael's relationship with his brother Leonardo has always had an element of antagonism and mutual resentment, Raph loves Leo, and appreciates his brother's leadership and moderating influence over him. As preteens, the two brothers made a pact that, when Raph needed help, he would not ask for help, but Leo would always give help anyway, and Raph would always be thankful.

On the day their father Splinter dies, Leo becomes cursed trying to help Raph dispose of the Tōtsuka Sword that had just cursed him. Leo attacks his brothers—including Raph whom he gives many deep katana slash scars—and is only freed from the sword's grip at the cost of Splinter's life. Raph blames himself not only for this, but for Leo leaving for Japan immediately afterward.

Over the years, Raph tries his best to keep the rest of the family together in the absence of Leo's leadership, but struggles with his own worsening bipolar disorder. Raph is the first to discover Leo's return, and though angry Leo abandoned them 17 years before, is quick to accept Leo as leader again. To Raph's surprise, Leo considers Raph to have been the better leader over the years, as Raph stayed and did his best to keep the family together, practice ninjutsu and preserve their father's teachings; whereas Leo was the first to flee during their life-altering family tragedy. Leo is also displeased that Raph has become a chain-smoker, and tries unsuccessfully to make him quit. Raph comes to place all his trust in Leo, unaware that Leo is actually lying to him about how to cure the curse.

### Michelangelo Hamato

Raphael's relationship with his brother Michelangelo has been extremely bumpy. It is one of the story's most complicated interpersonal relationships.

When they were teenagers, their relationship was antagonistic, with Mikey playfully prank or irritating Raph, and Raph typically reacting with rage. But they were still brothers, and they still loved each other very much.

When a cursed Leonardo tries to kill his brothers with the Tōtsuka Sword, Raph uses his body to shield Mikey from harm, taking many deep katana wounds that would become permanent scars. After Splinter dies helping Leo destroy the sword, Raph jointly blames both himself and Mikey for Splinter's death, and they become estranged when Mikey gives up his old life and moves in with their surrogate sister April O'Neil to start a new life as a novelist living a more human lifestyle. For years they would never speak on good terms, seeing each other only during the annual Hamato-Jones Christmas party.

Renoir comes into both their lives—both as Raph's new student, and as the close friend of Mikey's niece Shadow Jones—and it has an effect on the two brothers, putting them on a path to gradual reconciliation. For starters, Renoir's involvement causes Raph and Mikey to encounter each other in a series of unplanned meetings, where they end up talking more. Though not talking on good terms, it exposes Raph's jealousy of the apparently happy life Mikey has spent living with the Jones family, and this in turn exposes just how much Mikey still selflessly loves Raph.

But they are both adults struggling with very serious emotional problems; this is never clearer than the day when Raph discovers the source of inspiration for Mikey's novels, and reacts by savagely beating Mikey to within an inch of his life, almost killing him. Raph still resents what Mikey has done, but is horrified by his own actions, and even contemplates assisted suicide. As for Mikey, his biggest worry after almost dying, is whether *Raph* will be all right. Mikey never really stopped wanting to help Raph, but is in a place in his life where he no longer feels he can, and tries to recruit Renoir to do it in his place. With April's help, Raph is able to set aside his resentment of Mikey's writing. But Mikey is never the same again as a writer, and starts to care more about how their fictionalized fame affects Raph.

On the night of the Christmas party, a crisis erupts that galvanizes Mikey into facing his fears and reentering his old life as a ninja. Raph comes to Mikey's aid, but this time it is Mikey who uses his own body as a shield to protect Raph from Eikichi Gotoh's ono attack. With notification that the police are coming, Raph impulsively takes his injured brother and speeds off on his motorcycle, but he crashes and totals his bike, stranding both of them in a random alley. Though Mikey's injuries are grave and Raph feels guilty about his poor judgment, Mikey is happy to have faced his fears and reclaimed his old life, and especially to have finally mended his bond with Raph. Michelangelo expresses last words of gratitude to Raph, before tragically dying there in the alley.

This punctuates the main turning point in Raph's relationship with Mikey—who is *faking* his death as a macabre joke to get a rise out of Raph—because Mikey's former irreverent happy-go-lucky teenage personality has finally reasserted itself, and the two brothers are as close as they've ever been. To Raph's approval, Mikey retires as a writer, moves into Raph's lair with him, Renoir and Leo, and resumes ninja training.

### Hamato Splinter

Raphael's father wanted him to never lose hope in his life. Ironically, that's exactly what Raph lost when Splinter died in the Prologue. Raph deeply hates himself, and blames both himself and his brother Michelangelo for mischievously starting the sequence of events that led to Splinter's death. Raph continues to honor Splinter by doing what he can to keep the family in touch, and by continuing to train in ninjutsu.

### Casey Jones

Raphael's best friend since he was a teenager. At one time, Raph and Casey had very similar personalities, but 17 years has changed both of them. Casey has been married twice (divorced zero times), has a daughter, and generally became a happy, capable and relatively well-adjusted provider. But Raph lost his father, became estranged from all his brothers, developed bipolar disorder, and generally lives in self-hatred and despair. Raph and Casey are still good friends, but Casey is happy in all the ways Raph is not.

### Shadow Jones

Raphael's niece. Shadow is much closer to Michelangelo, but she also gets along well with Raph, whose personality as a teenager was much like Shadow's personality today.

### April O'Neil

Raphael's surrogate sister. They remain on excellent terms.

### Davianna Wallace

From the moment Raphael and Davianna meet, their relationship is based on lies. In a very ill-conceived decision, Raph decides to impersonate the dead Augustus Amherst to blackmail a rebellious Renoir against desertion while only very clumsily trying to ease Davianna's fragile grieving mind. But though Raph's personality is nothing like Augustus', his cover with Davianna is only blown when he tries to kiss her—something Augustus had promised Davianna he would never do until her 18th birthday. Davianna becomes alienated from Raph, but after she is kidnapped by Eikichi Gotoh, Raph helps rescue her, and she soon is reunited with the *real* Augustus—Renoir. From this point on, Davianna's association with Raphael is cordial.