SLASH
Slash is an iconic anti-hero and fifth turtle character from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe, renowned for his spiked shell, dark teal skin, and ferocious combat style. Originally created in 1989 for Playmates Toys, he has evolved across comics, television, and games from a chaotic brute into a heroic leader, highly celebrated in modern action figure lines by NECA.
Cronologia
Biografia
Slash is one of the most famous anti-heroes and 'fifth turtle' characters in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.
Instantly recognizable by his dark teal-green skin, heavy shell spikes, and aggressive combat style, Slash brings a formidable and volatile presence to every incarnation.
He typically wields heavy spiky armor alongside unique weapons such as the Psycho Sai, Mutant Mace, and Nasty Nunchaku. Throughout his history in animated series, comic books, and video games, Slash often oscillates between an unpredictable adversary and a fiercely protective hero. Though frequently manipulated or driven by extreme emotion, he repeatedly proves his loyalty to innocent lives and eventually steps up as the leader of the Mighty Mutanimals.
Storia
Slash was originally created in 1989 by artist Ryan Brown for Playmates Toys before being adapted into comic books and animated series. His origin story varies across different TMNT continuities.
In the 1987 animated series, Slash began as Bebop's pet turtle who was mutated to perform household chores, developing a violent fixation on his plastic palm tree toy, 'Binky'.
In comic book continuities, Archie Comics portrayed Slash as an alien snapping turtle from a destroyed tropical paradise planet who initially allied with Krang. IDW Publishing introduced him as 'Specimen 6', a giant snapping turtle subjected to mutagen experiments at Stockgen Labs. In the 2012 animated series, he was originally 'Spike', a small pet box turtle owned by Raphael before undergoing a mutagen transformation.
I PEZZI DI SLASH
Apparizioni
### Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) Debuted in Season 4 of the 1987 animated series as Bebop's mutated pet turtle (voiced by Pat Fraley). ### TMNT III: The Manhattan Project (1991) Appears as a video game boss fight on the NES. ### TMNT Adventures (1991) Debuted in Issue #23 of the Archie Comics series as an alien snapping turtle. ### TMNT IV: Turtles in Time (1992) Featured as a notoriously challenging boss in the Prehistoric stage on Super NES. ### IDW TMNT Comic Series (2012) Introduced as mutated 'Specimen 6' before gaining high intelligence and leading the Mighty Mutanimals.
### Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2013) Mutated in Season 2 of the 2012 animated series from Raphael's pet turtle Spike (voiced by Corey Feldman). ### TMNT: Mutants in Manhattan (2016) 3D boss fight in the console/PC title, voiced by Fred Tatasciore. ### TMNT Legends (2016) Unlockable playable character in the mobile game based on his 2012 design. ### TMNT: Mutant Madness (2020) Playable character in the tactical mobile game lineup. ### TMNT: Shredder's Revenge (2022) Arcade-style throwback boss encounter. ### TMNT: Splintered Fate (2023) Story and boss encounters inspired by IDW comic lore. ### TMNT: The Hunger (2026) IDW horror/crime one-shot comic featuring Slash returning alongside Ninjara in Mutant Town.
Relazioni
### Raphael Former owner (as Spike in the 2012 series) and close friend who shares a deep personal connection with Slash. ### Bebop and Rocksteady Creators and former owners who mutated Slash to do their chores in the 1987 animated series.
### Krang Former alien ally during Slash's early appearances in Archie Comics. ### Mighty Mutanimals Heroic team of mutant allies led by Slash in both IDW comics and the 2012 animated series. ### Ninjara Comic book ally who partners with Slash in the 2026 IDW story 'TMNT: The Hunger'. ### Hun Resurrected comic antagonist faced by Slash in Mutant Town.
Evoluzione
Slash's character arc is defined by his transition from an uncontrollable brute or henchman into an intelligent hero and commander. In Archie Comics' *TMNT Adventures*, Slash redeemed his villainous past by sacrificing his life to drive Maligna's hive into the sun to save Earth, earning an official memorial as the 'Fifth Ninja Turtle'.
In IDW Publishing's series, Slash evolved from an erratic, wild test subject into a high-level strategist after receiving a second, elevated dose of mutagen. This intelligence boost enabled him to lead the Mighty Mutanimals as an indispensable ally to Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo. The 2012 cartoon followed a similar path, showing Spike transform from a hostile mutant into a dedicated leader protecting the planet.
Da Collezione
Slash's history as a physical collectible started with Playmates Toys' original 1990 action figure designed by Ryan Brown, which received a retro carded re-issue in 2024. NECA (National Entertainment Collectibles Association) has since made Slash a central fixture of their TMNT lines with multiple highly sought-after releases.
Notable NECA figures include the 2020 7-inch *Turtles in Time* figure featuring 16-bit video game pixelated shading, the 2020 Target Exclusive 1987 Cartoon Two-Pack with Leatherhead, the 2022 Archie Comics figure, and the late 2024 Ultimate Cartoon Series Slash packaged in a VHS-homage box complete with ray guns and his plastic palm tree 'Binky'. Looking ahead, NECA scheduled a 2012 Animated Series figure for Q1 2026 and a 'Bogus Beach Bro' summer variant for Q2 2026, while Mondo released an SDCC 2026 exclusive soft vinyl Mutagen Glow variant.
In the 2012 animated series, Slash was voiced by Corey Feldman, paying direct homage to Feldman voicing Donatello in the 1990 live-action TMNT movie.
