Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003 TV series, season 5)
The Ninja Tribunal arc was the fifth season of the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series.
It was originally intended to be the final season of the series, as its arc concluded the main series storyline.. To try to renew interest in the series, "Fast Forward" became the fifth season to air on commercial TV, while Mirage and its partners decided to finish production on the "Ninja Tribunal" episodes and release them directly to DVD. 4Kids Entertainment later signed a deal with Comcast and this season began airing on Comcast-On-Demand in August 2006, though only five episodes would air.
The "Ninja Tribunal" episodes were scheduled to be released on DVD sometime in early 2007, but 4Kids Entertainment later removed them from their release schedule. The episodes would eventually be broadcast on 4Kids TV, starting on February 16, 2008, where it was promoted in commercials as "The Lost Episodes". The DVD set was released on May 20, 2008.
The "Nightmares Recycled" episode was never completed. The script was finished and some animation had begun when 4Kids pulled the plug because it was deemed too controversial and violent for a children's program. Since there was no chance of it airing, it was shelved in the early stages of production.
Story
Following on from the previous season's cliffhanger ending, the Turtles and the 4 acolytes – Joi, Feragi, Tora, and Adam – are brought to the Ninja Tribunal's monastery to begin training to combat an unknown evil. Splinter and the Ancient One arrive at the monastery, the former aggressively opposing the Turtles' affiliation with the Tribunal, because of their disinterest in aiding Hamato Yoshi against the Utrom Shredder that could have saved his life. The Tribunal proves to be aggressive and unrelenting in their training, brutally berating their acolytes for even aiding their wounded. The Tribunal finally reveals that the enemy they are preparing to face is in fact a Tengu demon that was the original incarnation of the Shredder, whose legend the Utrom Shredder manipulated to gain respect. The Tengu Shredder will be revived if his helmet and gauntlet are brought together with him, having been separated by the Tribunal millennia ago. Though the Turtles and acolytes retrieve all 3 relics, the Foot Mystics, revealed to be heralds of the Tengu Shredder, attack the temple, stealing the relics and seemingly killing the Tribunal and the Acolytes. The Turtles, Splinter and the Ancient One return to New York to prepare for the coming threat.The Foot Mystics soon successfully revive the Tengu Shredder, who rampages through New York to kill Karai, who he deems an insult to his name due to her taking on the mantle in the last season. The Turtles manage to achieve a victory, repelling the Tengu Shredder and saving Karai from his wrath. However, the Tengu Shredder soon succeeds in transforming the island of New York into a hellish, Tengu-infested dominion of his; a fate which he intends to inflict upon the rest of the world. To combat this threat to Earth, the Turtles unite with the 4 acolytes, Hun and the Purple Dragons, the Foot Clan, Agent Bishop and the Earth Protection Force, the Justice Force, and several other allies of theirs to assault the Tengu Shredder's stronghold. After falling in battle, the Turtles are revived by Hamato Yoshi's spirit, and they manage to separate the Tengu Shredder from his helmet and gauntlet, rendering him vulnerable for Yoshi's spirit to finally end the demon's existence. The Ninja Tribunal reveal their survival as well, and recruit the Ancient One to serve on their tribunal. Karai parts with the Turtles on friendly terms, seemingly entering a relationship with Dr. Chaplin, and Splinter finally makes peace with the loss of his sensei.
Cast
- Michael Sinterniklaas as Leo: the leader of the Turtles. He becomes very discouraged when his brothers unlock their powers but not him.
- Wayne Grayson as Mikey: the Turtles' youngest member and a source of comic relief. He is the first Turtle to pass the stealth test.
- Sam Riegel as Don: the Turtles' genius engineer who is identified as the member who holds the team together as well as the first Turtle to unlock his glowing medallion.
- Greg Abbey as Raph: Leo's second-in-command who often argues with him. He may have a small crush on Joi.
- Darren Dunstan as Splinter: the Turtles' sensei and adopted father, who suffers from visions of the future where the turtles are murdered by the Tengu Shredder.
- David Chen as The Ancient One: an old ninjutsu master who taught Hamato Yoshi and was taught by the Ninja Tribunal. He is initially reluctant about the Ninja Tribunal taking the turtles and their new apprentices but later accepts it. After the Tribunal's destruction, he helps the turtles defeat the Tengu Shredder.
Supporting
- Scottie Ray as The Real Oroku Saki: the Tengu Demon Shredder. Instead of Ch'rell the Utrom one, this season features a former member of the Ninja Tribunal who, after being corrupted by a demonic being uses his newfound powers to conquer Japan. The Ninja Tribunal defeats and kills him. However, the Tengu Shredder's Heralds are able to bring him back to life and he begins to take over the world, beginning with New York. He serves as the main antagonist of this season.
- Karen Neill as Karai: Ch'rell the Utrom Shredder's adopted daughter and second-in-command, whose allegiance and devoted service come into question, as Leonardo tries to convince her to change sides. After the Tengu Shredder tries to kill her for taking his mantle, she decides to help the turtles take him down.
- Veronica Taylor as April: an ally of the Turtles who enters a relationship with Casey.
- Marc Thompson as
- * Casey: an ally of the Turtles who enters a relationship with April.
- * Juto-Shisho: a member of the Ninja Tribunal, who is a master of weapons.
- Lenore Zann as Chikara-Shisho: a member of the Ninja Tribunal and the master of strength. She is the only female member of the Tribunal.
- David Zen Mansley as Kon-Shisho: a member of the Ninja Tribunal, who contains the power of the spirits.
- Hisomi-Shisho is a member of the Ninja Tribunal and master of stealth. He never speaks in the show.
Recurring
- Scott Williams as Stockman: a brilliant scientist and ally of Bishop who helps the turtles take down the Tengu Shredder.
- David Zen Mansley as
- * Bishop: a black ops agent in charge of the Earth Protection Force, an organization devoted to defending Earth from alien invasion, who helps the turtles take down the Tengu Shredder.
- * Hun: a hulking gangster and the leader of the Purple Dragons, who tries to increase their reputation after the Utrom Shredder's defeat. He reluctantly helps the turtles take down the Tengu Shredder.
- Sam Riegel as Dr. Chaplin: a young scientist who threatens not only Stockman's place in the Foot hierarchy, but his life as well. He serves as Karai's love interest.
Crew