My Take on the Ninja Turtles

Raphael

Weapons: Sais, knives, any sharp, pointy thing

Color: Red, white mask (if you believe that Image crap)

Role in the family: Proud member of the Bitch and Moan about Everything Club

Hobbies: Throwing a Fit, Arguing, Drinking, Fighting...hey, he's Irish!

Other Information: Actually became the new Shredder, couldn't keep a girlfriend if his life depended on it

A lot of people seem to like Raphael for the same reasons: he likes to fight, he has a temper, and he likes to break the rules, something a lot of people wish they could do, too. He is a rebel, the "Jimmy Dean" of the group. He somehow has the most sexual appeal, I suppose, even though he is a somewhat different species, and therein lies one of his greatest problems. It is the root of all of his anger and frustration, and all the tension which he takes out on his brother, Leonardo, and the reason he has a hard time staying in a romantic relationship. He is different from the rest of humanity.

There is a deep resentment that he cannot partake in what the rest of us take for granted, moving around on the streets, making friends, enjoying life. Instead he's feared because he looks different. He can never be normal. He will always be hunted, hated, and shunned, and that is a hard pill to swallow. He's mentioned that he despises living underground, and that he prefers the open air and freedom allowed on the surface. He hates that he has to watch his back and constantly look over his shoulder.

All of this anger and resentment inevitably builds Raphael into someone who becomes impatient fast, and would rather act on instinct and spontaneity than slow down and think things through. He has that ability, but he chooses to completely disregard it. When he does try to plan, his lack of practice blinds him to certain variables and considerations, and added with his impatience, he usually just goes back to "jump first and think later." In fact, it could be stated that he has the unique ability to look before he leaps, and then leaps anyway.

This "on the edge" mentality makes him into something a lot of people would to be, or want to make themselves out to be. He's cool, isn't afraid to take chances, he rolls with the punches and keeps on going. He also has a hard time learning from his mistakes, since he keeps making the same one over and over and over again. Let's punch heads now and ask questions when everyone's unconscious.

Of course, this leads to the eventual clash between him and Leo, who represents what Raphael isn't. Leo is accepting, calm, cool under fire, a clever tactician...and his tendency to want to plan before acting can make Raphael so impatient that he'll take off, and there's no guarantee he'll be back in time, except that fighting seems to relieve his tension. I have a feeling that Raph might pop up in the spot ahead of time to bust a few heads before his brothers come in. He doesn't hate his brother, but they both certainly get on each other's nerves, Leo for being so patient, and Raphael for being so impatient.

Actually, Leo could also see Raphael's actions as a threat to the family and to Raph himself, which could trigger that "keep everyone safe" instinct of his, which in turn makes Raph even more irate, which makes him more reckless, which leads to more arguments...and it's a never-ending cycle. I also think these arguments are caused somewhat because of their sibling rivalry, which stems from Splinter's attentions. Raphael wants the attention Leonardo gets, but he doesn't know how to, so like any respectable middle-child he throws a fit for it. He's too short-sighted to see he causes his own problems, even though he's usually pretty good at seeing other things, like who's aiming at what, and who the real threat is. This sibling rivalry can cloud that ability too, though. Whereas Leo doesn't trust anyone new, Raphael, although he is usually a good judge of character, will rarely trust or even like anyone Leonardo finds. This would lead to Leo's lack of friends (why would you get to know anyone if you knew they were going to be attacked?) , and add to the heated animosity between the two.

Oddly enough, Raphael can get even more focused on things and enemies than his brother. I think that if Leo had been less inclined to obey Splinter, or perhaps as sulky as his brother, then Raphael would probably have been the pick for leader. He is nearly just as good a fighter, could probably have learned to plan things out and discipline himself, and Splinter would have instilled in him the same selflessness that he did in Leonardo. Raphael is already willing to fight and kill, and the urge to keep his siblings safe, even if he doesn't have that same regard for his own safety.

This attitude makes him look like a ready-made killer, eager to search and destroy anything and everything that could be a threat. His natural cynicism and gung-ho attitude would make him the most dangerous turtle if he was always close by and in range. Otherwise, that title goes to Leonardo, who is so fanatical about keeping his family safe that he wouldn't hesitate to kill a nun if he was sure she was a deadly threat. Raphael would actually hesitate, since he has a habit of taking things at face value. He wouldn't realize the nun was actually a hired assassin with an AK-47 under there until she whipped it out.

Still, I think he is jealous of his brother, who gets the master's constant attention, and feels that he would have been as good a leader if he'd been given a chance. Instead, he is the second prince of the kingdom--just as loyal, just as deadly, just as intelligent, but always the second choice. His enjoyment of beating up punks and kicking back alcohol could come from the realization that he'll never get the attention he craves as long as Leonardo is around, which runs against the fact that he still loves his brother, but also hates him at the same time.

Future Projections: Running parallel with my prediction for Leonardo, Splinter is dead, and Leo has taken off to practice his talents in less than honorable ways. Raphael has a choice of two paths, which could actually merge together under the right conditions. He would feel betrayal both to the family and to Splinter, watching his brother (in his view) abandon the family to do what he wants. Raphael would either forget about him and pretend either Leo never existed or that he's dead, and carry on with his two other brothers, creating a new life, possibly with a wife and children, and keeping in close contact with Mike and Donatello, or else he would hate what Leonardo has become, trying to take him down or stop him, one way or another. The rift would be widened between the two, with a small chance for reconciliation. Only if he managed to sit still and listen to Leonardo's explanations would he understand why everything happened the way it did, but that could only happen if he gained patience with age.