Ever since their creation by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, and their first appearance in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 back in 1984, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been a huge cultural success and name stays in popular media. They received their first live-action movie just six years later, spawning five more films in the franchise over the next thirty years. That’s not to mention the plethora of animated series and films they’ve had, which add another six to their grand total. Everything combined (movies, comics, video games) have made the green, fun-loving, pizza-eating turtles (along with their beloved Master Splinter) one of the most-loved franchises in media.

With so much Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles content, many characters and villains have been introduced and have fought the group of ninjas; with some of the more popular villains being introduced in live action multiple times, such as the Shredder and the Foot Clan making multiple movie appearances. But, with only six total TMNT movies having been made, there are a lot of other villains that have not been in live-action films, that do deserve an appearance. Here are five Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles villains we need to see in live-action films.

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5 The Rat King

     IDW Comics

One of the first villains the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ever fought, The Rat King made his first appearance back in Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4. Like the Turtles and Splinter, Rat King also makes his home (and army) in the sewers of New York. With a pure hatred of the Ninja Turtles, Rat King can summon an army of rats to attempt to destroy his enemies. The reason for his live-action appearance, is the level of dedication IDW comics is putting in to make Rat King a more serious villain. Currently, in the TMNT comics, the writers are gearing up for an event called “The Armageddon Game”, in which the Rat King will be the main villain. Depending on the success of the event, and Rat King’s evil machinations, now would be the ideal time to bring this maniacal character to a live-action film.

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4 Alopex

     Nickolodean Studios

With the lead heroes being a group of anthropomorphic creatures, one would expect more animal-esque heroes to also appear in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. One of the more well-known creatures is Alopex, another mutant ninja, who is a Fox, rather than a turtle. First appearing in the 2011 Raphael miniseries, Alopex quickly shot up the ranks of the best TMNT villains, and immediately made an appearance in the 2012 TMNT Cartoon. A rival equal to the turtles in skills and ferocity, Alopex and her brother (Tiger Claw) make life difficult for the turtles. With Seth Rogen’s upcoming TMNT film, now is the ideal time to flesh out more of the TMNT lore.

3 Tiger Claw

Going off the above villain, Tiger Claw (brother of Alopex) would be another fantastic villain to use in live-action TMNT films. First appearing in the second season of the 2012 animated series, Tiger Claw has possibly the most heart-breaking backstory in the universe. Tiger Claw became an assassin (and TMNT villain) after Krang, another TMNT villain who made his first live-action appearance in 2016, conducted brutal experiments on him. Having a villain with layers of depth and understanding, is always good for a film, and Tiger Claw is a deep villain with a sad backstory, that could work in live-action. Teaming him up with his sister, Alopex, could make for an interesting and dynamic storyline.

2 Max Winters/ Yoatl

     Warner Bros.

Though already making animated appearances in the 2007 animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Max Winters is a fascinating villain, who could help make a very interesting and curious TMNT film. An immortal being who led an ancient, evil brotherhood from 10,000 years ago, Yoatl (his real name, Max Winters is a secret identity) used a prophetic star constellation in order to gain his immortality, but in doing so, he turned his thirteen other brotherhood members into stone; and released thirteen horrific monsters in the world. The guilt of his actions then leads him to wait out the next constellation, in order to save his friends and end the monsters. Though it looked good in animation, the story and its setting would be beautiful to see in live-action.

1 Lord Dregg

     Group W Productions

One of the reasons the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are so loved is because of the wackiness and absurdity of their concept. Mutant ninja turtles? A giant rat as their trainer? Fighting a man in a metal suit and his army of ninja? All the craziness is just so fun for audiences to watch. One of the more wacky characters, and one part of the darker storyline from the original 1987 cartoon, is none other than Lord Dregg. An alien invader from another universe, Lord Dregg attempted to conquer Earth multiple times with his bug-like, alien army. But, he was thwarted over and over by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. With the science-fiction genre being on the rise, featuring Lord Dregg in a TMNT movie just may work.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles properties available to watch across multiple streaming services.