Okay, okay, so..
Raph is an emotionally volatile teenager with anger problems, grappling with a sense of insufficiency and inferiority.
He copes by being overly abrasive to the point that his siblings often avoid him. They love him, but don't like walking on eggshells.
The only one who clings to him regularly and without hesitation is his annoying little brother. Mikey has is own problems with feeling insufficient and inferior, but copes instead by being mindlessly friendly and avoidant of all negativity to the point of unhealthy escapism.
So there's... like... there's this special bond between them. They are by no means each other's therapist, but they have a slight effect in balancing each other out.
Raph teases Mikey most, but is also most protective of him out of all his siblings.
And then at the end of season 2, when Raph thinks their father has been killed, he goes into a full fledged rage-filled emotional breakdown to the point that Michelangelo is afraid he'll hurt himself. When Mikey tries to snap him out of it Raph turns on him with his fist upraised, but Michelangelo doesn't even flinch???
He just wraps his arms around his brother's neck and tells him everything will be okay until he calms down and Raph does calm down! he buries his face into his little brother's shoulder and I just-
Okay, okay, so..
Raph is an emotionally volatile teenager with anger problems, grappling with a sense of insufficiency and inferiority.
He copes by being overly abrasive to the point that his siblings often avoid him. They love him, but don't like walking on eggshells.
The only one who clings to him regularly and without hesitation is his annoying little brother. Mikey has is own problems with feeling insufficient and inferior, but copes instead by being mindlessly friendly and avoidant of all negativity to the point of unhealthy escapism.
So there's... like... there's this special bond between them. They are by no means each other's therapist, but they have a slight effect in balancing each other out.
Raph teases Mikey most, but is also most protective of him out of all his siblings.
And then at the end of season 2, when Raph thinks their father has been killed, he goes into a full fledged rage-filled emotional breakdown to the point that Michelangelo is afraid he'll hurt himself. When Mikey tries to snap him out of it Raph turns on him with his fist upraised, but Michelangelo doesn't even flinch???
He just wraps his arms around his brother's neck and tells him everything will be okay until he calms down and Raph does calm down! he buries his face into his little brother's shoulder and I just-
I love how Leo likes people, unless they have proven themselves as a (real) danger to his family. Then the only reason immediate murder is not forthcoming is because it may scar his impressionable brothers.
And this protective streak heightens an insane amount once he becomes the father/Sensei. He takes his role SERIOUSLY.
Miyamoto Usagi leads his brothers off a cliff? A CLIFF?
Nu-uh, no way, instant red flag. NOT TODAY!
Who cares if he's their only hope of getting home? Not Leo!
Dude killed his bros?
Welp, time to fight him to the death. There's no other option here, it seems. Leo will fight him and he will win- but, heck, if the leader fails and dies, he joins his brothers so there's really no losing here.
Dracula is my absolute fav Sensei moment.
There were little implications that they were going to do anything more than simply trying to talk to the Vampire until Raph got separated and knocked down. Now he's realizing the potential of all of them getting hurt or worse. Suddenly, Leo craves violence.
He's never even made eye contact with the guy, but Leo will stake Dracula through the heart with zero hesitations if it means that the current dangers posed to his brothers will end sooner than later.
Donnie loves his brother and he understands where he's coming from, but he feels like a family intervention may be needed someday.