Baron Draxum

**Baron Draxum** was the main antagonist in the first season of *Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles*. He has been described as an "alchemist warrior mutant from the Hidden City" and "the self-proclaimed protector of all mutant-kind", and his ambition is to mutate all humans with his insect-like creatures called oozesquitoes. He became the leader of the Foot Clan in the episode "How to Make Enemies and Bend People to Your Will", until his life force was drained by the Shredder's armor in "End Game".

In the second season, Draxum found himself deposed from the Foot Clan (who indeed had been just using him all along), and became a fugitive wanted by the Council of Heads after being convicted in absentia for crimes against Hidden City law. He was thereafter forced to live and work above ground. Michelangelo accepted him as a second father and helped him get back on his feet, corralling Splinter and the other Mad Dogs into lending a hand in a process. Draxum's life force and mystic powers would only return when he selflessly risked his own life to save the lives of human strangers. He still disliked humans, but came to tolerate them, and gradually befriended April O'Neil. In time he became not only an ally to the Hamato Clan, but someone who, in truth, had always been the Mad Dogs' second father who needed to discover his own better nature.

## Physical Appearance

Baron Draxum is a large muscular caprid humanoid with maroon fur, maroon hair and bright orange eyes. He also has dark teal faun-like legs with teal cloven hooves. His minions, Huginn and Muninn often sit on both of his shoulders.

Draxum previously wore a bright blue facial mask with gold horns protruding from either side, dark teal gloves with gold trim over his large and jagged forearms (becoming purple gauntlets when in battle). He also wore a very dark teal top covering his neck with a blue-green overlay, a blue belt with a unique design and gold trimming, a teal waist trail and a long blue-green loincloth.

Draxum's mask has since been destroyed, and his outfits in general have become simpler and more functional since settling into a more peaceful life in the human world, including a blue kimono and tying part of his hair up similar to Splinter.

## Personality

Draxum is a surly Yōkai who despises humans and incompetence. He is sensitive about his mutants and ooze, and he considers the most perfect mutations to be the Mad Dogs themselves. Despite his claims of being a protector of mutant-kind, he does not hesitate to destroy those who stand in the way of his plans to take over the surface world of New York City, including his own creations.

In the episode "The Evil League of Mutants", Baron's two minions Huginn and Muninn claim that Baron is only misunderstood, having a caring and passionate side to him as well, while he still hated the humans Michelangelo is the only one who sees good in him that was shown in "Repairin' the Baron".

## History

Baron Draxum is a mutated warrior and alchemist from a Hidden City beneath the streets of New York City, who desires to bring humanity under his control by mutation. Approximately thirteen years before the events of the series, he came across a Battle Nexus champion named Lou Jitsu (Master splinter, Current love interest.) and decided to mutate an army of animals using the human's DNA. This led to the creation of the Mad Dogs, but Lou Jitsu destroyed the laboratory and all of Draxum's work.

Thirteen years later, Draxum was able to produce more of the mutagenic ooze and now intended to mutate humans using his oozesquitoes. However, his plans were interrupted by the Mad Dogs and their friend April O'Neil, who fought Draxum and his minions and destroyed his laboratory.

Despite the destruction of his laboratory, Draxum survived and later clashed with Big Mama and the Mad Dogs over the oozesquitoes in "Bug Busters". Having been thwarted again and angered by his creations' continuing defiance, he created the Evil League of Mutants (consisting of Meat Sweats, Hypno-Potamus, Repo Mantis, Warren Stone, and the Sando Brothers). During a battle with the Mad Dogs, Draxum revealed his past association with Lou Jitsu, but was drawn through a portal and found himself with the Foot Clan.

Having a common enemy in the Mad Dogs, Draxum formed an alliance with the Foot Clan, agreeing to complete the Kuroi Yōroi. Draxum believed that he would be given the armor when it was complete. This brought him into conflict with the Mad Dogs once again, and also with Splinter, who revealed himself to be Lou Jitsu. He eventually became frustrated with his lack of progress in the Foot Clan, and after engineering a triumph for himself, he took control of it.

Draxum reappeared after capturing the Mad Dogs and April when they arrive at the first car of the train, stating that he will never have to look at them again. He then fought Splinter, demanding him to release his sons, which Draxum refuses unless Splinter gives him Skully, the final piece of the Dark Armour. This had forced Splinter to do so by using Leo’s sword and grab the piece from the portal he created. Just as the Mad Dogs arrived, Draxum added the last piece to the armour, donning with the it so that he can be unstoppable.

However, he was defeated when April hit a baseball into the Jupiter Jim action figure, which was stuck at the back of the helmet, causing the armor to finally function as intended, feed on almost all of Draxum's force and expel him from the armor.

Following losing the armor, Draxum was left on the streets alone, destitute, and almost completely powerless. Michelangelo found him and set him up with the apartment above April's, trying to get Draxum to become a good person. Raphael and April found out about his residence and objected to it, but after a dinner with them, Donatello, Leonardo, Splinter, and watching Draxum perform his first act of selflessness in saving some humans, they began to accept him. Still feeling he needed to channel his anger in a creative outlet, he was given a job at April's high school as a cafeteria cook. Repairin' the Baron

While the Mad Dogs and April watched a game with the New York Daves (who had been transformed into demons), Donnie called Draxum to inform the group about the Arch of Aquinnah and how to reverse its effects. Air Turtle

## Powers, Skills, and Abilities

* **Enhanced physical strength:**
* **Enhanced speed:**
* **Enhanced stamina:**
* **Enhanced agility:**
* **Enhanced durability:**
* **Enhanced endurance:**
* **Enhanced reflexes:**
* **Longevity:**
* **Vine manipulation:**
* **Portal creation:**
	+ **Teleportation:**
* **Genius-level intellect:**
	+ **Alchemical proficiency:**
	+ **Biological knowledge:**

## Relationships

### Family

* **Donatello:** By the episode "Air Turtle", Donnie trusts Draxum enough to seek his counsel after Leo's foolhardy dabbling into mystic power transforms the members of a failing basketball team into demons.
* **Leonardo:** Draxum scolds Leo in "Air Turtle" for using dangerous mystic magic, having unceremoniously summoned demons into the world. Draxum, with his vast knowledge on all things mystic, then instructs Leo and the other Mad Dogs on how to fix the problem.
* **Michelangelo:** Mikey considers Draxum his second father, and has been helping Draxum get back on his feet since his exile from the Hidden City.
* **Raphael:** Raph also fully accepts Draxum as part of the TMNT family, saying as much as he and the rest of the Mad Dogs, Splinter, and April O'Neil combine their power to save Draxum from the Shredder in "Battle Nexus: New York".

### Allies

* **Hamato Yoshi / Lou Jitsu / Splinter:** Draxum intended to use Lou Jitsu's DNA to create an army of mutants, but Lou Jitsu escaped and destroyed his lab. He seemingly respects (if not admires) Lou Jitsu's fighting abilities and physical prowess. However, they both possessed a mutual hatred for one another. Since Michelangelo started aiding Draxum, Draxum and Splinter came under an uneasy détente. But later, Draxum even since apologized for what he did to Splinter, and showed a desire to a regular part of the Mad Dogs' lives. By the series finale, Draxum and Splinter had come to treat each other as boyfriends and accept each other as the Mad Dogs' two fathers.
* **Huginn and Muninn:** Draxum's former minions. As seen in "Goyles, Goyles, Goyles", although they are now "seeking new employment," so to speak, they both still remember their time serving their ex-boss very fondly.
* **Cassandra "Casey" Jones / The Foot Recruit:** They were temporarily allies in "How to Make Enemies and Bend People to Your Will" as both Draxum and Casey sought to rise within the Foot Clan's ranks, but Draxum stopped helping Casey once he had abruptly risen to Foot Clan leader. They briefly cooperated again in "Battle Nexus: New York" in their struggle against Big Mama and her Shadow Fiend, but this changed when Casey discovered that the Shadow Fiend was, in fact, the Shredder under Big Mama's mind control, and her goals no longer aligned with those of Draxum, Splinter or the Mad Dogs; at this point, though, they did not become enemies. That wouldn't happen until "Shreddy or Not", when the cursed Oroku Saki's mind was restored within the Shredder for the first time in 500 years, and he directed his Foot Clan to attack his mortal enemies the Hamato Clan at their lair; Casey was part of the assault team, and Splinter and Draxum fought to give their sons a chance to escape. Draxum and Casey finally became decisive allies again in the finale, "Rise", when Casey turned against the Shredder to protect Splinter, and Draxum and Casey cooperated with the combined Hamato Clan to destroy the Shredder for good.
* **April O'Neil:** Baron Draxum and April were enemies throughout season 1 before becoming allies in early season 2. As of the episode "Repairin' the Baron", Draxum became her upstairs neighbor and got a job at her school as their cafeteria cook. April was quite dubious about this development at first, but she has since warmed up to him. Over time, April and Draxum became unlikely friends.

### Enemies

* **Big Mama:** Big Mama sought to use Draxum's oozesquitoes to create fighters for her arena, much to his annoyance. Not much is known about their relationship, other than that it seems to be largely adversarial in nature. In "Battle Nexus: New York" Draxum aids the Mad Dogs in their fight against Big Mama and her forces, attempting to free the people of New York City from the same mystic artifact that he had ironically given to her during their past brief alliance.
* **The Foot Clan:** Draxum allied with the Foot Clan to rebuild the Kuroi Yōroi and defeat the Mad Dogs. It is later revealed they were just using him all along, and betrayed him to empower the Shredder.
	+ **Foot Lieutenant:**
	+ **Foot Brute:**
	+ **The Shredder:** Draxum turned against him when he realized the Yōkai were threatened by him instead of the human race.
* **Mayhem:** Mayhem was sent by the Council of Heads to keep an eye on Baron Draxum. At some point, he steals a vial from Draxum.

## Quotes

Mystic Mayhem

Mystic Mayhem

Bug Busters

How to Make Enemies and Bend People to Your Will

End Game

End Game

Mystery Meat

Mystery Meat

**DRAXUM** "All *my* fault?! If it wasn't for you, my day wouldn't have involved being tortured by a demon child!"

**SPLINTER** "Maybe I ruined your day, but *you ruined my life!*"

**DRAXUM** "{laughs} *What* life? When I found you, you were a husk of a man. You had lost your taste for *fighting.* You had no *purpose.*"

**SPLINTER** "I'm *not* lost anymore! I have my sons, and *you* ruined our special day!"

**DRAXUM** "Without me you wouldn't even *have* a son whose day I could ruin!"

**SPLINTER** "... You know what? You're right. I wouldn't change my life and what I have with my boys for *anything.* I never thought I would say this, but thank you...for turning me into...me."

**DRAXUM** "... Ugh... And you were right. I'm sorry for, you know, trying to turn you into a weapon, and a bunch of other stuff."

Hidden City's Most Wanted

Hidden City's Most Wanted

**DRAXUM** "{laughs nervously} Yes. ...And no. Mostly no."

E-Turtle Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Anatawa Hitorijanai

Rise

## Trivia

* Draxum is the second villain to be the main antagonist of a TMNT television series instead of the Shredder.
	+ The first villain to do so was the Dragon Lord from *Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation.*
	+ However during the second season he later became an ally and family to the Mad Dogs.