TMNT explains the secret meaning of the new turtle's name

IDW Senior Editor Charles Beacham discusses the meaning behind TMNT's Next Generation moniker, and the answer might surprise you.

Changing times mean changing generations, and in IDW Publishing's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin - The Lost Years, that means a new generation of humanoid turtles—Odin, Moga, Uno, and Yi—to accept Ninjutsu training. Introduced in the first installment, the four new turtles are a group of grumpy little kids currently being raised and trained by April O'Neil and her daughter Casey Marie Jones, who are too young to be like their previous incarnations in past. In a recent interview, series editor Charles Beecham answered the question of why the new turtles in particular have those names, though the answers will likely only raise more questions than answers.

In an interview with CBR, Beacham made a striking decision to answer why the new turtle's name was both direct and ambiguous: "Well, I think some fans might have gotten the point, but every Only Little Turtles' names mean "one" in another language. Why 'ONE' is a topic I have no right to discuss, but if you continue reading "The Last Ronin - The Lost Years", you will definitely find out of." While this does confirm the existence of Unifying the concept behind the turtle's name, his decision not to explain the actual motivation behind the concept only raises more questions.

What Do These Names Symbolize?

TMNT: The Last Ronin - The Lost Years is a continuation of the critically acclaimed The Last Ronin series, which saw original creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird reunite for Michelangelo's The story, Michelangelo, is set in a bleak late-apocalyptic New York City completely ruled by their perennial rivals, the Foot Clan. While the last installment of the series ended with Mikey's death, the final installment reveals that, far from being done, Casey Marie is somehow developing a new generation of turtles to carry on the legacy of the fallen foursome. However, the new series reveals that the new team has a lot of growing work to do.

This series was written by Eastman and Tom Waltz with Eastman, S.L. pencils. Gallant, Ben Bishop, and in the form of prequels, interludes and sequels, continue the brand of gripping action and sharp self-commentary that made the original The Last Ronin series so popular with fans. Although only briefly introduced in the first issue, four new turtles have appeared In some ways a legacy of the previous four, Uno is a more aloof Leo, Moja is a more brutal Raphael, Odyn is a more wimpy Donnie, and Yi is a more serious Mikey. However, it should be remembered that they are only five to eight years old and thus have not yet matured to the semblance of the adult fighters they might become.

Although this is only the second installment of the series, "The Lost Years" has become an emotional journey. Perhaps the answer to why the names of the new turtles Odyn, Moja, Uno, and Yi all revolve around the concept of unity will be provided in a future issue of TMNT: The Last Ronin - The Lost Years.

More: A Last Ronin Image Showing How Every Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Died TMNT: The Last Ronin — The Lost Years #1 is now available from IDW Press.