caveat: This article contains spoilers for TMNT: The Last Ronin II -Reevolution #5!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The final Ronin has always been a particularly dark and tragic take on the TMNT franchise. After all, this saga began in a future world where Michelangelo is the only surviving member of the Turtle family and the only hero to pursue his final quest for revenge. The original series ended with a hopeful note with the birth of a new generation of turtles, but even its birth was countered by the death of Michelangelo.
As the sequel, TMNT: The Last Ronin II -Reevolution approaches its end, it is clear that darkness and tragedy are still at the forefront of this universe. The new turtles are soon coming out after hiding to save their city, rather than being forced to tackle the death of their beloved mentor and grandmother figure. That’s right, the series ends with the death of one April O’Neill.
Reading the final Ronin II finale, it is clear that this story has not yet been played. To learn more about the tragic but heroic sacrifice in April, and what might be in the store at the final Ronin III, Igni spoke with authors Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz. Find out more about this popular TMNT spinoff’s tough new direction.
Push Ronin-verse forward
Before publishing #5 Big Death, it’s definitely worth a step back to see the whole last Ronin II. This sequel had a noticeable tone and stylistic change. The original series portrayed a futuristic version of New York as a classic cyberpunk dystopia that came directly from Blade Runner or Akira. However, with hiroku’s death and the dawn of a more hopeful era, the series moved on to a more grounded take on the Big Apple. The final Ronin II shows what it’s like to actually live in this unsettling future environment, and it was undoubtedly intentional.
“I thought it was a bit Star Wars-like with the idea that going from the age of new hope to Abrams and feeling there’s victory at the end of the Return of the Jedi. “And I think it’s like our story here. Yeah, they beat the legged clan and defeated Hiroto, but what was the plan after that?
And I always think that when there are no uninvited personnel, it creates a vacuum of force. Someone is going to fill that vacuum. And it was like the inclusive story we were trying to tell.
“When we designed the last Ronin I, it was the end,” says Eastmouth. “It was like the end of the final victory, the final battle, the blood feud. All of this was achieved through these incredibly insurmountable epic terms like, “Now, here’s the ending, the boom.” Tom and I both loved Ronin Baath, so when it came people said, “Well, what do you do with the continuation of the series?” And we had a lot of conversations. And we dig deep. And it was the driving force behind the final re-evolution of Ronin, and certainly found its purpose. ”
There is an obvious question that many fans ask themselves when reading Ronin the Last – in which universe does this story take place? Is the last Ronin meant to be a continuation of the original Mirage Comics TMNT universe, or is it the current IDW TMNT-verse? Is it a sequel to the manga series?
The final Ronin II further emphasizes that question as one issue provides a specific callback to the problem from the original Mirage Run. Should fans make it clear that the last Ronin is the story of Mirage Bath? That’s not necessarily the case. Waltz and Eastman have made it clear that Ronin-verse is still unique, and it is purposefully left to the reader to how continuity works.
“When we approached the final Ronin, we both said, “Look, we have a universe of all these turtles. Let’s make this our dark knight universe. “So we dismissed Bebop, Rocksteady, Mutants and things like that. This story is in itself, creating a happy space where you don’t have to stick to the storyline, logic, history, or the different things that Tem has set.
“Yeah, I call it Mirage-Adjacent. It’s the dimension right next to the project,” adds Waltz. “What Kevin and I noticed early on was specifically watching Mirage, and I knew Karai was off course when she became Shredder’s daughter as part of this story, but it worked out for the story.
The waltz continues. “And at that point we started saying the word Ronin Vess. I think we’re making our own universe here, but I call it a very Mirage Ajacent. The Dark Knight works very well for me. The specific elements of the turtle you have to hit, and everyone knows those things, where they came from, you know you can write these kinds of stories and fill in the blanks as people want.
The heroic sacrifice of April
The final Ronin II certainly added a new layer to April O’Neill as a character. She became an underground resistance figure, and the new turtle grandmother. At the same time, the series was cast in a slightly darker light in April, revealing how she played God by giving them her hidden intentions to create a new generation of turtles and their respective superhuman abilities.
However, in the end, April is given a heroic death in Issue 5 as he goes out into the flames of glory fighting the purple dragons gang. As Eastman and Waltz explain, April’s whirlwind journey in the sequel was to fulfill their greater goals in the final Ronin Saga. The series had to end with the last fortress that the original TMNT generation would pass the baton to the new generation.
“What we wanted to say in the last Ronin II: Reevolution almost covered this very important thing. I’m not only trying to say it’s chaotic, but I’m also working very hard for my family,” says Eastmouth. “Was the April decision to create these characters important? Was it specific? Was it something she missed about the original turtle? Was she trying to create something that is a potential future guardian of New York City?
Eastman continues. “So what happens in the last Ronin II is, of course, a misfortune but very important story concept of April’s passing. It really passes to a new generation who wants to be very specific. Each turtle has a particular, very important, very important endmise in that series.
“When you think of Casey, April, Michelangelo and the other turtles and sprinters, it’s not just the end of the family side of things, but also the end of the old enemies, as it’s really the end of the purple dragon,” Waltz says. “So I felt like April, in a way, had solved an unfinished business by knowing that she would poss for her family with a jigsawpa and a purple dragon, in a way, by removing the threat that dates back to the lost years in her final act.”
Waltz continues, “This moment was even bigger than I thought before we could have reached it, because all the pieces were there and it came together, so it was just a matter of getting their mouths and actions in hand. And I had a hard time writing it. Turtles, can these kids continue it well now?
After the last Ronin III
As Waltz implies above, this is clearly not the end of the comprehensive final Ronin story, given that the series ends effectively with the cliffhanger. The Turtles and Casey Mary know that resistance was betrayed by one of its own, sooner than we know April’s death. Their allies are secretly allied with the FootClan, an organization that survived the deaths of both Shredder and his grandson, and is now trying to regain the hold in New York.
Passthecontroller can see another final Ronin sequel is developing early, revealing more. But Eastman and Waltz have obvious ideas as to where their story is heading from here.
“What you see is the revelation of their power in reevolution is a stepping stone to what we want to do in part 3. I told (Tom) from the beginning, this is the middle stage where they go.
Eastman continues, “So we’re probably leaning very strongly towards the Imperial strikeback. In that there’s a darkness in the ending, and there’s a specific ending in the ending, which is very, specifically, that’s more to be told here. It was a great purpose. It’s a complete story, it has a finale, and we wanted it to continue with part 3.”
“Kevin said, ‘Let’s make Lucas and Tolkien our guide, as far as structure is concerned.’ It was definitely an Imperial strike and two towers,” Waltz says. “It was interesting because when we were finished, I said, “Some fans who are excited to continue saying that other fans will bring pitchforks and torches after us. But I hope that people are looking forward to it.”
The waltz continues. “But it felt right. This is a story we need to tell at this center, and the bookend is a massive one. We got the central thing that sets the table for a lot of stories that really have to say.
The more things change in this universe, the more they will remain the same, as the final Ronin III shapes and offers a new take on the seemingly never-ending feud between the clan Hamato and the Foot Clan. As Eastman explains, these feuds have as much a way to last as the original final Ronin series was to end the blood feud between the turtle and the shredder.
“At the end of the final Ronin I, we wanted to end the blood feud. Michelangelo cited the last quote in Shredder’s lineage, and at the same time ended his life,” says Eastman. “So we wanted that end, but it’s like thinking it’s the end. But if you’ve read anything about Japanese history, there certainly were different things about feudal Japan that always create different warlords, generals, and different circumstances.”
Eastman continues. “We came up with global photography, and what we explore more in Part 3 is Japan and Europe, mostly in the UK, our characters and Europe in New York City, mostly in the UK. The power to influence the change that everyone was thinking.”
Ultimately, the goal of the final Ronin II was to introduce a clear set of resistance characters that could oppose the Foot Clan, the Crusades Knights, and other global forces of the final Ronin III. The new turtle and their teachers are being tested, but the real challenge is still ahead of them.
“This will be very personal for our heroes, but it’s business for the powers right now. And I also think that the character I’m really looking forward to exploring more might have been more authentic than it seems to be because he had an affair with Casey,” Waltz says. “And that’s what I look forward to exploring, but when it comes to the family side, I think it’s time for Casey Marie to step up and become the leader of that family, and we’ve thrown the Hamato elements into the mix.
Finally, we were unable to speak to Eastman and Waltz without nurturing the various adaptations of the last Ronin announced in recent years. We know that both the live-action final Ronin film and the final Ronin video game are currently in development, but there have been few updates on recent projects. But Eastman wants to reassure his fans that this is not necessarily because work is stagnant on the project.
“Video games were developed early on. Tom and I have looked at some concepts at first, looking at some of the development issues and what could be happening there,” says Eastman. “I think there was a period of rest, or a period of restructuring. I understand that with the major developers, I’ve gotten back on track to the last thing I’ve heard from Nickelodeon. So I hope to share future news. We have nothing definitive.
As for the film, Eastman points out that he hopes to get the story right rather than rushing out something to grab the hype of the comics.
“I had a conversation and shared some details with Tom about the discussion of the last Ronin film,” says Eastman. “Hollywood is a very magical, confused and challenging place as things develop. But some of the conversations I had early on are wonderfully positive and I love what Tom and I did. And, quoting what I talked about a few times, he said, “I want to be that person.”
Eastman continues. “They are very sincere. They pay attention to what has been done before, but we have nothing in particular to share. I hope we can do it. And as things go, I think we will hear more in the future, but not just video games, not just live action films, but I was told in the RALET space.”
TMNT: The Last Ronin II -Reevolution #5 is currently in the store. You can do it too Pre-orders for the last Ronin II hardcover collected on Amazon.
For more information about the TMNT franchise, please see What TMNT writer Jason Aaron had to say about the future of his seriesand learn more Newly announced TMNT: Shredder Spin-Off.
Jesse is a mild managed staff writer for Passthecontroller. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual bush Follow @jschedeen on Bluesky.
