Warning! Spoilers for the conclusion to TMNT: The Last Ronin II: Re-Evolution ahead!
TheTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesfranchise’s darkLast Roninfuture just concluded its latest chapter with theheartbreaking, yet necessary death of April O’Neil, who died fighting alongside a new generation of Turtles, as well as her daughter, in what can only be described as a pivotal passing of the torch moment. “I protected…family,” April tells her daughter with her dying breath, “now [it’s] up to you.”
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II – Re-Evolution#5, written by Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz, with art by Ben Bishop, provides a gutwrenching climax to the sequel series, delivering a character death that feels incredibly earned, given April’s decades of prominencein Ninja Turtles lore.
According to Eastman and Waltz, April’s heroic demise was essentialto setting up the next stage of theLast Roninsaga, as now all links to the past have been severed by death, and now April’s daughter Casey and the next generation Turtles face an uncertain, but exciting future.
With Her Final Words, April O’Neil Officially Passes Her Role In TMNT Lore To Her Daughter
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II – Re-Evolution#5; Written By Kevin Eastman And Tom Waltz; Art By Ben Bishop; Available Now From IDW Publishing
April O’Neil’s last line inLast Ronin II, “I protected…family,” is a triumphant moment for the character, as much as it is a tragedy for the characters at her side, and for longtime fans. April has grown dramatically as a character over the years, and theLast Ronin-verse version of April quickly established herself as a fan-favorite incarnation. Some fans will argue that she could have continued on in a mentor role for the new Turtles, but instead, the series' creators felt that she was ready to join the rest ofthe OGNinja Turtlescharactersin the afterlife.
It is a fitting exit for April, but it is also a huge step for her daughter, who has so far embodied her dad by taking up his mask and fighting in his style. Now, Casey truly inhabits the role played by both of her parents.
The fact that April’s daughter, named after her father, Casey Jones, is by her side at the end makes the moment of her death that much more emotionally resonant, especially after April gives Casey a mandate: carry on her legacy, keep protecting their found family, the Ninja Turtles. It is a fitting exit for April, but it is also a huge step for her daughter, who has so far embodied her dad by taking up his mask and fighting in his style. Now, Casey truly inhabits the role played by both of her parents for decades inNinja Turtleshistory.
Added Adversity For The Next Generation OfNinja TurtlesHeroes
The Last Ronin IIends largely without resolution, functioning as the middle part of what could ultimately be a trilogy, or more. However, April’s death is a definitive turning point for this incarnation of theTurtlesfranchise, one that comes as an effective shock within the context of the miniseries' final issue, even if fans likely could have seen it coming.The Last Roninbegan with most of the original cast dead,save for Michelangeloand April, and by the end, Mikey had joined his brothers in death. So, it tracks that April would be the sequel’s big casualty.
That is ultimately what makes it the “right” creative choice forThe Last Ronin-verse moving forward. As a single storytelling moment, April’s death works; it fits the story, and it is an impactful moment in its own right. Beyond that, it is a narrative decision that will have consequences moving forward. In particular, it completelychanges the direction of Casey Jones' story, as well as moving her into an even more central role. Now, she must shoulder the trauma of another loss, as well as the imperative of her mother’s final words.
Casey Jones And The New Ninja Turtles Now Have To Live Up To Their Potential, And Their Predecessors
The Future OfThe Last RoninIs Fraught, But Promising
Ninja Turtlesco-creator, andLast Roninco-author Kevin Eastmanillustrated a variant cover forTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II – Re-Evolution#5 which is striking in retrospect, because it shows Casey in the background, watching over the new Turtles. In other words, it depicts the central dynamic of theLast Roninseries moving forward;as Casey Jones takes on new responsibility, the question will be how much she can bare, while the second generation ofTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesmust now truly prove they live up to the legacy of the originals.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II – Re-Evolution#5is available now from IDW Publishing.
