It's not easy picking a favourite turtle (although it's obviously Donat𒁃ello, come on guys), and nowhere is that more obvious than in , the first TMNT game to go for a roguelite expe𝐆rience instead of a 2D side-scrolling beat-em-up.

While most other TMNT games let you swap between the heroes in a half shell on the fly, Splintered Fate instead makes you pick one at the start of each run who you must stick with until you either beat Shredder or die trying. Not only that, but each Turtle has different stats and abilities that set them apart from one another, mea🐼ning your choice♐ is about more than just which colour bandana you prefer.

If you're desperate to see t✃he Turtles fight together instead of apart, it's worth noting that Splintered Fate lets you play with up to four players, both online and in couch co-op.

What The Turtles Have In Common

Before we get into what sets each Turtle apart, let's talk about what stays the same between them. All of your permanent upgrades that are purchased with Dragon and Dreamer coins go towards improving all four teens, which means you don't need to re-purchase stat improvements if you switch characters between runs.

Each Ninja Turtle can also equip whatever tool and buff they come across during a run, meaning there aren't any exclusive unlocks to be found, They'll work better depending on which Turtle you're playing as, but if you're a big fan of the Fireball then don't worry about it only being useable by Raph. The only thing that's exclusive for each Turtle is their special ability and inspirations, which we'll get to in a bit.

Now that we've discussed what's kept the same between the brothers, let's shout-out what makes them unique and which one is the best option. For fun, I've also ranked them from worst to best, so let's get this shellfest started😼.

It's worth noting that even if I think there's a clear winner and loser between the Turtles, the roguelite structure and equippable buffs and tools means tha꧋t it'll be up to you how they play. Every Turtle is viable, some just make it a little easier to complete runs.

Donatello

The Bo-Staff Master With High Health

It pains me to say this as the biggest Donatello fan in the world, but he's arguably the least effective Turtle on the roster, although you'll only realise that after a few hours of playtime. Donnie specialises in long-range attacks with his bo-staff, which can be handy when dealing with crowds of enemies, but he's also got one of the best specials in the game that does lots of AOE damage.

When you start a run with Donatello, his Tool is a shield called Hardened Shell that deals 20 physical damage to enemies and makes him immune to damage for 1.4 seconds. It's not th🌜e strongest in the game, but it is handy when dealing with bosses and crowds of enꦯemies.

Donnie's Inspirations allow him to restore eight health points when he enters a room and lets his Tools recharge 80 percent faster than the other Turtles. They're decent buffs during the early-game, but the health bonus becomes a little redundant as you gꦰet further in an🌌d realise that the shopkeeper is the best way to restore health overall.

The thing that really drags Donatello down is that he feels like the weakest member of the team damage-wise. Raph and Mikey both benefit from multi-hit and critical chance, while Leo gets a Master strike whenever he connects his final attack. Donnie doesn't have these bonuses, so he ends up feeling a little weaker as the game goes on. He's not a bad choic⛄e, but he's also not the best.

Leonardo

The Reliable Leader In Blue

Right in the middle of the pack is ironically Leonardo, the de-facto leader of the TMNT (no, it's not Ra🌺ph). Leonardo is basically the jack-of-all-trades member of the group, with decent range 🦩and attacks that feel faster than Donatello's. His basic combo does decent damage to enemies and he's

What makes Leo a better pick than Donnie is his Inspirations and starting Tool. Leonardo gets a Shuriken at the start of the run, which isn't particularly unique but is reliable and a good choice to stick with in the early hours. His Inspirations cause his Final Strike to trigger a Master Strike and he instantly gets one more Special Charge than the other Turtles.

Combine those together, and Leonardo is a reliable Turtle with good damage and the power to use more than one Special at once, which gives him a lot of attack options. What drags Leonardo down compared to the other Turtles is that 🥃his Special ability (which isn't replaceable) is the worst of th🧸e lot.

Leo's special causes him to dash forward and hit whichever enemy he's aiming at just once, which is bad for AEO damage and doesn't give him many multi-hit or critical hit chances like Raph, Mikey, and Donnie. It doesn't help that this sudden movement makes him a little harder to manoe♎uvre around enemies.

Michelangelo

The Multi-Hit Nunchuck Ninja

Mikey might not seem like he'd be so high up on the list as the youngest brother, but you shouldn't underestimate the Last Ronin. One of the biggest strengths of Michelangelo is that his nunchucks have the best area of effect damage in the game and let him tackle hordes of enemies with ease. This goes doubly so for his Special which, like Donnie, has him swinging his nunchucks in a wide area.

Aside from his wide range, Mikey's inspirations are also some top-tier stuff. He has a 20 percent buff to his attack area size and damage, which means that he's a great damage-dealer who can hit a lot of enemies at once. He also has a 10 percent multi-hit chance, which means that his attacks have🥀 a chance of hitting more than once and de🥂aling even more damage.

The only thing that lets Mikey down and stops him from being the top pick is his starting Tool, the Taunt. While in line with his character, it's just not that helpful overall to give enemies a damage buff and꧑ something that should be replaced as soon as you get the chance. It's not e🀅nough to stop him from being a great pick, though.

Raphael

The High-Damage Dealing Sai Savant

Raph is known for being the most violent and hot-headed Turtle of the bunch, so it probably doesn't come as a shock that he's the best pick for a roguelite all about action. Raph's sais might not have the best reach compared to Donatello and Leonardo, but they do deal a heck of a lot of damage.

The main reason that Raphael is such a great choice is because he deals the highest damage out of any of the Turtles. This is because of his Inspirations, which give him a natural six percent critical hit chance and a bonus six percent of damage to any critical hit. This means that he not only has a higher chance of getting crits, but the🐼y also deal more damage whenever ♒they happen.

Raph's starting Tool, the Turtle Line, is also the strongest out of the four Turtles, as it not only de🃏als 30 damage but also pulls multiple enemies towards him and drags him up to bosses. Like the other starting Tools, it's not the strongest in the game by any means, but it's a better choice than 💮what Leo, Donnie, and Mikey have to begin with.

The only minor issue with playing as Raph is that his Special ability doesn't have the sweeping effect that Donnie and Mikey have, as it instead only attacks in one direction. It's not as bad as Leo's though, as Raph attacks mulꦚtiple times, which makes it incredibly powerful with his critical hit chance. That🦂 all adds up to make him the best choice to play as.