#oof that was... a long ass addition lol I'm so sorry

[personne-reblogs]

Legit still one of my favorite moments in all Rise, movie included - maybe even my #1 scene.

It's been said before that Raphael is a very complex and interesting character that doesn't get as much spotlight as we'd like in canon - he is very much protagonist material, but we rarely see things from his perspective, rarely hear him talk about his feelings, like we do for Leo and Donnie for example. Raph is always in action, and he always seems fine with it.

But here, in such a short, concise moment, we finally know what's going on in Raph's mind. We finally witness the toll everything has been taking on him. He's crushed, lost, distraught; he desperately needs help and guidance. He doesn't have any more answers than the rest of the family. He's as much of a teenager as his brothers.

And the wisdom he gets from Karai is exactly what he needs to soothe his anxiety and save his family. A few lines about trusting the ones we love may sound cliché, but it actually makes the pin drop for Raph, makes the pieces of the puzzle click together. These aren't heartfelt-but-empty words of comfort and reassurance. These are instructions, an actual lesson on how their ninpo work.

Raphael has first unlocked his powers not by focusing on it, or by training hard, or by making peace with his insecurities. He has unlocked them by giving everything else up and rushing into a multiple-stories free fall without thinking, without even knowing he'd be able to pull this off. He has let his reckless, overprotective side take over, he has lost control, and it has saved his brother.

So it only makes sense that this works the same way for the rest of his family, too. He is the eldest, alright, and he is shown multiple times as the one putting himself into harm's way to protect them. But we have seen each and every single one of the turtles do that, too, haven't we?

Mikey, Donnie and Leo might not be offering themselves as turtle shields as often or as blatantly as Raph does, and they're not as confident as him in their ability to keep everyone safe, but they definitely have that protective instinct, too.

That is exactly what Karai and April are talking about in this scene. That is something Raphael hasn't consciously noticed before that point, but it's been there all along nonetheless. His urge to defend his family goes sideways, and he can trust it with his life.

So he takes that literal leap of faith, and of course, of course, his brothers jump after him, exactly like he would, exactly like he did.

One could argue Mikey, Donnie and Leo are actually the ones taking that leap of faith, and that's what unlocks their ninpo. Trust.

(don't mid me enjoying the visual parallels between Raph's rescue of Leo on the one hand, and Mikey, Dee and Leo's rescue of Raph on the other <3)

Note that this whole scene about trust being the trigger and the source of their ninpo isn't just a cool plot twist used to wrap up the season 2 finale. In the movie, that trust is exactly what will allow them to gain their powers back, too.

More than Leo's speech about how he finally understands what being a hero is (again, cliché), what allows Raph to break out of the Krang's control is Leo's surrendering. What greatest proof of trust is there than letting your guard down, making yourself vulnerable and open, even in the face of impossible odds?

Here it is, the final push for the four of them, the shared confidence in the bond that connects them. I genuinely laughed in glee here because at long last they were FINALLY SAYING THEIR WHOLE CORRECT TITLE, but this scene is much more than just the perfect time to put an end to a two-seasons-long running gag. It's the climax of the process of growing up that's started with the first episode of the show, the completion to a whole arc of quest for identity.

They know exactly what and who they are. They can trust themselves and each other.

They finally rise.

“You just don’t get it, Leo. I’m the oldest here.”