Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is back like you've never seen it before — here's a tease
They’re still mutants, they’re still ninjas, and they’re still turtles, but this time around, they’re not teenagers.
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| Image: Paramount/Nickelodeon Digital Studio |
Teeny Mutant Ninja Turtles is the latest animated outing of Leo, Raph, Donnie and Mikey and this time Nickelodeon Digital Studio will be focusing on their early years as ninjas-in-training, before they became heroes. The series debuts Friday, July 24 on the Nick Jr. YouTube channel with 30 four-minute episodes.
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| Image: Paramount/Nickelodeon Digital Studio |
In advance of World Turtle Day (that's Saturday, May 23rd, of course), Nickelodeon has unveiled a first look at the upcoming series, including the first stills from the show, which you can check out below, courtesy of Polygon, and a video introducing the most adorable take ever on the Heroes in a Half-Shell.
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| Image: Paramount/Nickelodeon Digital Studio |
The new logo, which makes a point to underline the “Teeny” part of the title and has a bright, chalky, kid-friendly look to it, has also been unveiled.
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| Image: Paramount/Nickelodeon Digital Studio |
The rest of the stills all seem to be from the same adventure where the Teeny Turtles face off against a giant, sentient pizza. This might be the villain Pizza Face, who looked similar to this in the 2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, which was Nickelodeon’s first outing with the characters after purchasing the rights in 2009. The 2012 series is also the version of the Turtles that seems to bear the most resemblance to these new designs, though there are nods to other iterations too, including the letters on their belt buckles, just like the original 1987 series.
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| Image: Paramount/Nickelodeon Digital Studio |
Finally, there’s the video clip which features the Turtles introducing themselves before they fall through a manhole cover. It offers a bit of how their voices will sound and what the animation looks like.
TEENY MUTANT NINJA TURTLES Official Teaser | New Original TMNT Series | Premieres July 24th | Nick Jr.
The Teeny Mutant Ninja Turtles are ready to gear up and go! Everyone’s favorite ninja turtles, Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo, are back! Set in their childhood years, this original series explores the early days of the iconic ninja turtles on their first adventures as ninjas-in-training. They’ll even be joined by their friend April O’Neil, and encounter foes like BeBop, Rocksteady, and Karai. Teeny Mutant Ninja Turtles premieres on July 24th, right here on the Nick Jr. YouTube channel!
Besides the difference in the Turtles’ ages and the intended pre-school audience, there are a few notable changes to the Turtles. Their weapons have a safer, more colorful, jelly-like appearance and Leo carries one sword instead of two. But before OG fans gripe about them wearing sandals, it should be noted that several versions of the Turtles have worn similar footwear (even in the gritty Last Ronin series).
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| Image: Paramount/Nickelodeon Digital Studio |
Yet despite the fact that this show is not intended for older fans, the video reveals even more nods to previous versions of the franchise. For example, Raph has a bit of a snaggletooth like he does in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the Turtles chanting “Go Ninja Turtles, Go!” at the end seems like a nod to the “Ninja Rap” refrain “Go Ninja, Go Ninja, Go!” The clip even has the Turtles recreate a bit of animation from the original cartoon’s theme song, where the Turtles fall through the air, concluding with Leo slicing the frame in half.
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| Image: Paramount/Nickelodeon Digital Studio |
Teeny Mutant Ninja Turtles comes just over 10 years from Nickelodeon launching Half Shell Heroes, a preschool-friendly brand extension of TMNT, which included a hour-long TV special, Blast to the Past, along with a app and toy line.
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Originally published: May 19, 2026 at 22:47 BST.
