I Want To Give These A Try. 😁

For TMNT 2012 Fanfic Writers, Can I Have Some Pointers on How to Portray The Characters as Close to Canon?

I’m storyboarding a long TMNT 2012 fic and I’m nervous that I won’t portray the characters accurately.

I need some pointers.

Here are the characters:

1. The Turtles

2. April & Casey

3. Splinter

4. Karai

5. Shinigami

6. Tiger Claw

7. Mighty Mutanimals

8. Mona Lisa

9. Renet

10. Alopex

11. Pulverizer/Timothy

12. Fugitoid

13. Bishop

Thank you so much to anyone who replies.

MK1 Tanya Rewrite

When it comes to MK1 character writing, I believe Tanya, alongside Nitara and Havik, got the short end. Tanya’s role is too similar to Jade and she doesn’t have too much going for her other than being the leader of the Umgadi and Mileena’s lover. Her backstory is also a bit too bland compared to most characters. I hope this changes in the next story. I had a small idea of how I would rewrite and add dimension to her character. 

Instead of being chosen as an infant like most Umgadi, Tanya began training later in her childhood. She was born on the poorer side of Outworld where her parents owed a massive debt to a corrupt merchant. When her parents died, the debt was transferred to Tanya and she had to steal to survive and pay the debt. Tanya trained herself to fight others who tried to hurt her for money or just for fun. After years of suffering under the merchant’s hand, Tanya got her chance for freedom when a Sun Do constable recruited her to be their mole for their investigation on the merchant who was suspected of trafficking illegal substances and Outworlders. Tanya succeeded and the merchant was arrested. The constable was so impressed by Tanya’s fortitude and fighting skills that she asked an old friend, Li Mei, who was the leader of the Umgadi at the time, to take her in. With that fortitude and natural ability to fight, Tanya rose in the ranks and became the new leader- the youngest to ever be appointed. It was bittersweet since Tanya’s goal was to acquire a higher standing in the Umgadi, but she felt betrayed by Li Mei’s “negligence.” 

Tanya didn’t have a strong opinion of the royal family until her leadership role. With more direct contact with the family, Tanya conversed with the family, especially Mileena. Their first interaction was during Tanya’s patrol when she found Mileena hiding to grieve for her father alone. Feeling sympathy for the princess, Tanya lent her ear and listened to Mileena as she vented about missing her father and the pressure she felt to be as great of an empress as her mother. Since losing Li Mei, Tanya didn’t have a personal connection with anyone until that talk with Mileena. Afterward, Mileena would frequently sneak out of her room and walk alongside Tanya during patrols. They would talk about anything that came to mind or enjoy each other’s company in silence. Their first kiss was the first time Tanya felt alive, but she also felt incredible dread since she betrayed the Umgadi- her family. Tanya avoided Mileena for weeks, yet couldn’t deny her love for her. That’s when their affair began. 

Thoughts on Zatanna’s Arc

Not going to lie, Zatanna’s arc is my least favorite so far. The pacing feels slow and the character focus is disjointed. 

I wish Traci and Mary were cut out. They don’t add anything and they take away screen time from more important characters like Zatanna, Doctor Fate, Klarion, and Child. Khalid is the most interesting but mostly because I did some research on who he is in the comics. 

I’m close to wanting Phantom Stranger and Jason Blood/Etrigan, though they could work as smaller note characters. 

Zatanna, Doctor Fate, Klarion, Child, and Vandal should be the core cast of this arc. 

I’m going to be optimistic and hope that this arc will have a great or even good ending, yet my hope is slowly dwindling with each episode coming out. 

General Shao (Childhood) Headcanon 

Warning: mentions of child abuse, bullying, terrible parent

Ever since General Shao’s backstory was revealed on the website I’ve believed he had a terrible (borderline hellish) childhood. 

To recap, Shao had the enthusiasm and brilliance to be a great warrior, but his body was too sickly to handle the physical training. Shao’s father did not like this and decided to design a strenuous program to build Shao’s strength. On the surface, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong but I believe Shao went through awful circumstances that made him the man he is. 

In Outworld, especially in professions that involve fighting, strength is considered the most important thing for a person. No doubt Shao’s father, a renowned Outworld general, would express these ideals and hate the reality of one of his children being considered weak. He would do anything to ensure his legacy was considered strong, which he did by ignoring Shao’s physicians and crafting a training program that could potentially worsen Shao’s condition. 

Because of his family’s reputation, Shao would be tormented by other children. Being pushed around and called worthless or a “sorry excuse to his family tree.” This would fester Shao’s anger and his drive to become stronger like his father, so he’s willing to go through the program. 

In other people’s eyes the program would be considered abusive, but Shao saw it as his father caring about him. He would excuse the days long training, survival training alone in the woods, his father’s harsh words, and not letting Shao eat or drink until he perfected his moves. 

Shao would also inherit his father’s demented beliefs in what being a warrior is and what Outworld needed. He would hear his father complain about the kingdom’s alliance with Liu Kang, hearing him call the fire god a “scoundrel” and “the bringer of Outworld’s downfall.” He’d be taught that domination is the true way to live rather than peace, compassion is considered weakness, death in battle is the greatest honor, and the only way to fight is on your terms. 

(Some of Shao’s intros inspired this headcanon, such as one of his intros with Liu Kang where he admits that he’s wanted to kill Liu Kang all his life, and an intro with Reiko where he tells him, “fight on your terms or don’t fight at all.” Also, Shao’s disgusted reaction to Raiden offering to help him to his feet after their fight inspired the part about Shao being taught that compassion is weakness.) 

Unfortunately Shao never learned that his father’s behavior was abuse since the bullying he faced stopped after being able to defend himself, instead he continues this cycle with Reiko. When it comes to his relationship with Reiko, I believe Shao cares about Reiko like a son but only learned how to express love through his father. He saw his old self in Reiko and wanted to share his feelings of strength with the young boy. He trained Reiko the same way as his father did to him and the results were the same- Reiko became a great warrior. I don’t think he’s manipulating Reiko to tame Onaga; Shao genuinely believes that his young ward is capable of doing the task, but thinks Reiko dying would be okay since his father taught him that dying in battle is an honor. Hopefully if Reiko dies taming Onaga (it’s highly possible with how powerful and rabid Onaga is), Shao lowers his guard and shows genuine care for Reiko. At least a sweet goodbye or a burial scene where we see him mourning his lost ward/son. 

I don’t think Shao would be redeemed if my headcanon turned out to be true, but I would hope that other characters would learn about his past and use it as a cautionary tale on how striving for strength is not worth losing your humanity. The possible tragedy Shao’s story could take would be interesting, especially when Liu Kang somewhat created the beginning of Shao’s life to give him the chance for redemption, yet it’s someone Liu never considered that turned Shao into the person he is. 

Why Do You Think Liu Kang Couldn’t Fully Remove Tarkatan’s Existence?

(If the answer is in Liu Kang's intros, I didn't know because I haven't seen all the character intros.)

I always wondered why Liu Kang had to convert Tarkatans from being a race to a colony of diseased people. It could be that a rule on making a timeline is you can't remove a significant aspect that's involved in every timeline.

I have a theory that Liu Kang tried to remove the Tarkatan race but couldn't because of the Hourglass' interference, so he believed that making it a disease that's hard to spread was the only solution.

I kind of wished that MK1(story or intros) hinted at the limits a Time Keeper has when making a timeline and being involved in it. Maybe I've missed that in the intros since I haven't finished watching them.

April Kunoichi Rant

I’ve seen people complain how April became a kunoichi so fast; I was one as well. But, I just watched City at War(the episode where she becomes a kunoichi), and I missed a detail the first few times I watched it.

Around the very beginning, April is reminiscing about how much she has grown since the first season, and is very happy that she is a kunoichi. Then, Raph mentions that April needs more training to be a full kunoichi; she is only in the beginner levels.

This makes sense.

In the first season, the turtles are considered ninjas but still had a lot to learn. That wouldn’t be different for April.

I forgot to say in my last reblog that I don’t think Liu Kang was at fault for everything that had gone wrong. Though he’s a god, Liu Kang is capable of making mistakes like a human. I do believe that there are events that can’t be changed such as the clans fighting, Tarkatans, etc. I actually wrote a theory post a while back on why I think Tarkatans couldn’t be erased. Basically, I believe Liu Kang tried getting rid of Tarkatans but couldn’t due to Time Keeper rules. So, he changed it into a disease that is pretty hard to contract. I think that Liu made a bad call giving Shang Tsung and Quan-Chi meaningless lives (as he put it in the story mode). I wish he specified his intentions with Shang and Quan-Chi’s life. It’s hard to tell if he gave them hard lives in hopes they’ll grow kinder or he gave them average lives and, unfortunately, he had no control with their lives getting worse (Quan-Chi being in the mines and Shang having a hard time making a living). Liu Kang definitely didn’t have a hand on Bi-Han’s betrayal because he didn’t expect the cyromancer to betray his brothers for his own interest. General Shao’s arrogance returned because of Shang’s manipulation. 

I’m the type of fan who sometimes overanalyzes things, especially when things aren’t explicitly explained. Because of this, I question which occurrences in the New Era are due to Liu’s interference or if it's meant to happen (a canon event). For example, Liu Kang interfered in Shang Tsung, Shao Kahn and Quan-Chi’s lives to make sure they didn't become their previous selves. He made sure Mileena was Kitana’s blood sister and not a clone. He also had the Lin-Kuei act as Earthrealm’s defense instead of continuing their assassination system that was for their own interest. That’s Liu interference. A mix of Liu’s ability to manipulate outcomes and his cryptidness definitely leads to questioning what else he’s done, at least for me. Time is a very complex matter so it leads to more questions than answers. I hope in the next story there will be an explanation on Liu Kang’s limits and what he specifically did to create the timeline. 

I don’t think I explained my reasoning on why I think having Kuai and Harumi together makes me feel like Kuai is kind of like “Hanzo with a different name” very well. 

My main reason for saying this is because they got together during a Tower Ending instead of the story. It feels rushed to add this relationship in 90 seconds so it feels like the writers did this to fulfill a checklist (have a Scorpion and Harumi together). I think I would like this relationship if the expansion story focused on them and I see why and what made Harumi and Kuai love each other. They could be in the beginning of their relationship and seeing their dynamic would be enough. But they are married so it wouldn’t happen exactly like that. I guess I’m the type of person who only really feels for a ship if I see their growth. From what I remember, all that has been mentioned about their relationship is that they are childhood friends and have mutual respect for each other, which is a good starting point though not enough for me to feel anything other than neutral. I’m very for the “Show don’t Tell” idea of storytelling.

I am looking forward to seeing Harumi in the story and what you listed about her makes me interested in her as a character. I hope she’s a badass who will be added to the main roster in future games. We need more female fighters.

I see your points on why you think Hanzo is an adult, but I still think Hanzo is underage. Not by a lot though, I think he’s at least 16-17. 

His arms are bigger than most teens but he’s been training and before that he had the minimum amount of skill to steal. Smoke stopped him because he’s trained longer but I am certain an average person would not defend themselves as well. In the image I added, you can see his muscles are smaller compared to the images you included. This shows that training and eating more (like you said Hanzo was starving before joining the Shirai-Ryu) were major reasons his muscles are larger, not age. What I’m trying to say is that it’s possible for a slightly underage guy to look like an adult due to physical fitness and eating right (I expect the Shirai-Ryu to have a healthy regiment). I think a time skip happened between my image and yours, but they are probably at least a few months to a year apart since Bi-Han doesn’t seem like the person who would wait very long. After all, he hunted Kuai and Tomas after Titan Shang Tsung was defeated.

Also we have to consider some things. Compared to a front view, a side view of muscles will look larger because of perspective (the second image you added proves it since his arms are slightly slimmer compared to the first image). Hanzo is flexing as well which makes muscles look larger. I also searched up what muscular guys (16-17 years old) look like and they look very close to Hanzo’s physique. 

With his voice, I agree that it’s deep though guys in my high school sounded very similar when they were 16-17 because of puberty. A deep voice doesn’t always equal being an adult. Also, it hasn’t been confirmed if the voice actor that did those grunts will be Hanzo’s in future appearances. They could’ve been another va who’s voicing another character that did those grunts because NRS didn’t want to hire a new va just for grunts. I’m going to wait for the voice actor hired for Hanzo’s official appearance in the games to see if Hanzo is a late teen or adult. 

I agree with you about adults being born shorts. Everyone grows at different rates and it doesn’t physically show someone’s maturity. I still somewhat considered it (though not as much as other points I mentioned) because the media usually use height to show age, especially in animated projects. Short adults or tall teens/kids are rarely shown unless for comedic reasons. I’m not saying Mortal Kombat is like that but I still keep it in mind in case they do use height = age formula. 

Although I see your points on why you think Hanzo is an adult, I’m going to assume he’s underage until the game confirms his age or at least gives strong enough hints to make an educated guess. 

Thank you for replying back to me! I appreciate your pov because it evolves mine at the same time. I enjoy our conversations. I apologize for taking the expected, life got a little hectic. Sorry for going into crazy specifics near the end. It was the only way I could think of to better explain my points. Also, I noticed in your tags that you don’t like being a Liu Kang apologist or something along those lines. I’m curious as to why. 

My Thoughts on MK1 Hanzo

(Spoiler Warning: Smoke’s Tower Ending is discussed)

I saw Smoke’s tower ending and was surprised to see Hanzo in the new timeline, let alone as a child. Although I’m open to how the writers will handle his character, I’m kind of disappointed that they went this route. When I learned that Kuai Liang would be Scorpion in the new timeline, I expected Hanzo to either not even exist or live a nice life with Harumi and their son. Instead, Kuai Liang is married to Harumi and Hanzo is much younger than them, which is so weird. I really hoped Hanzo would have a happy life and only be involved in the games through mentions at least.  Also, this decision paints Liu Kang in a bad light. It’s no secret Liu Kang made sure his allies had a good life while making some of his enemies’ lives (Shang Tsung and Quan Chi) insignificant to prevent them from turning into their past counterparts. So, it makes me wonder why Liu Kang didn’t think to give Hanzo a good life or at least watch over him. It’s shown that Hanzo is a starving orphan forced to steal for essentials. I have no doubt Liu Kang knows about Hanzo’s past since he met the older and kinder Scorpion in MK11 and Raiden has disclosed Hanzo’s past in MK 9. Plus when Liu Kang fused with the Hourglass, he most likely became aware of what happened in MK9 and MKX. He gave Shao Kahn the chance to be a better man by being the Kingdom’s general- a risk that didn’t pay off, yet didn’t give Hanzo what he always desired- his wife, son, and the Shirai-Ryu. It feels so out of character for Liu Kang to not make sure Hanzo had a good chance at life. 

If I had the opportunity to write Hanzo’s character, it would’ve been very different. I would’ve made him a former Lin Kuei member(he would be 5 or more years older than Bi-Han) who held the Scorpion title until he retired to Japan- where met Harumi and had their son. Hanzo would’ve also been the one to train Kuai Liang in his fire powers in the latter’s childhood. In his honor, Kuai would take the Scorpion mantle after Hanzo retires. Hanzo could also help Kuai and Smoke form the Shirai-Ryu but Harumi helps in recruiting and training while he takes care of their young son. 

Though, I still hold some faith that NRS will write the new Hanzo well. I guess I’m just disappointed because I wanted Hanzo to finally live a happy life where his family stays alive. He was one of my favorites in the MK9-MK11 era so I can’t help but feel a connection towards him.

Anybody Else Disappointed With How Hawk’s Been Written Lately?

(Exclaimer: I still really like MHA & Hawks)

WARNING RECENT MANGA SPOILERS Personally, ever since he killed Twice, Hawk’s character has slowly gone downhill.

It started when there weren’t any moments where Hawk’s feelings on killing Twice weren’t shown. I know he didn’t want to, but seeing Hawks feel the guilt would coincide well with the hero society’s corruption.

Another thing that would’ve been interesting is Hawk’s having mixed feelings on Endeavor after learning about how the latter treated his children. For a long time, Hawks saw Endeavor as a role model like Midoriya and Bakugo with All Might, so I think learning that his hero isn’t so different from his own father would be good character development. Hawks would feel confused on how he should feel about Endeavor for a bit, but will learn to see Endeavor as human after seeing him wanting to atone for what he did. It would be good for the plot too since it’s a parallel to how civilians heavily admire and rely on the heroes while forgetting that they aren’t perfect people.

I don’t like Hawk’s ending. Instead of becoming the new HC president, I would’ve preferred Hawks taking a break from the hero life and learn to live as Keigo Takami. Hawks lived most of life training to be a hero and a tool for the Hero Commission. He deserves to step back. Also, with the Chapter 429 leaks, I didn’t like Hawks new idea with the hero rankings. It doesn’t change the core issues with hero society. I’m going to be hopeful that the last chapter will show positive changes.

Something else I didn’t like was Hawks saying he abandoned his family and should’ve helped. That couldn’t be further from the truth. His parents abused him and his mom abandoned him to the hero commission. Hawks was just a kid. It was also in bad taste when Hawks commended Shoto for forgiving Endeavor when Hawks couldn’t with his parents. This makes it seem like not forgiving your abuser is a bad thing, which it’s not. The main point of moving on with your trauma is to heal from it, not forgive your abuser. If Hawks couldn’t forgive his parents, that’s okay.

I still really like Hawks, but I feel like he wasn’t written to his full potential.

Rise Donnie Headcanon

When Donnie first met April, he had a big crush on her, but it went away as they grew closer as friends.

I've had this feeling that Donnie had a small crush on April when they first met. At first, I kind of shipped them but I really love the idea of April being a lesbian and dating Casey (once April turns 18). Plus, I'm not a fan of the age difference between Donnie and her. I know it's only a two year difference, but a 16 year old and 14 year old have different mind sets.

I adore their friendship though.

Crowley/Nanny Ashtoreth Headcanon

After rewatching the show and focusing more on the character(mostly Aziraphale and Crowley) instead of the plot. I realized that Aziraphale and Crowley switched jobs that they would presumably do much better. Angels are usually perceived as kind, loving, and nurturing so it would be assumed that Aziraphale would do well taking care of a child. While Crowley, whose hobby is taking care of plants, would work well as the gardener. That made me wonder why their roles were switched. Maybe Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett thought it would be a funny thing to write or if there was something deeper.

Personally, I think Crowley made the decision to be the nanny because he had a natural connection with kids. Compared to most demons, Crowley is more mischievous with his work, similar to children that play pranks. I also headcanon that Crowley has unresolved trauma from his Fall because he saw God as a parent. This further convinces me of my opinion. Maybe Crowley sees himself in children- innocent and curious who are susceptible to “bad crowds” and suffering. With Aziraphale, I think he likes kids but would feel uncomfortable taking care of them because he seems to prefer being on his own reading books or enjoying a meal with Crowley. Plus, taking care of plants would be easier since he can miracle them to be healthy if he messes up.