One of the Best ’80s Cartoons Was Fully Rebooted 14 Years Ago, And Its Signature Catchphrase Replaced

Reboots are funny things. Fans say they want something new, right up until the new thing actually starts changing things. Then the peanut gallery opens. The responses come pouring in. Someone on the internet is complaining about something. Someone else has already made a 900-word defense of the criticism. And somewhere in the middle of all this, the fans settle on a unanimous opinion.

Fourteen years ago, one beloved cartoon faced that same fate on September 28, 2012. The new version had fresh animation, a different feel, and a whole generation of fans ready to compare every last detail with what they remembered. Most of those differences could be debated. One of them, however, could be heard. For years, fans had grown up with the cast of colorful characters and one very specific battlecry. The word became so synonymous with the cartoon, kids could be heard yelling it across playgrounds and backyards all over America. With the reboot, that catchphrase was totally ignored and with it, something magical disappeared.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Replaced “Cowabunga” With “Booyakasha”

The reboot arrived with Nickelodeon’s 2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. It brought Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo, and Raphael back for a new generation while giving longtime fans plenty of reasons to look twice. The animation had changed. The characters had been reworked. Even the general feel of the show was different. But one of the first things fans noticed wasn’t something they could see at all. It was what came out of Mikey’s mouth. Something that even sent audiences at the TMNT movie theater raving and cheering.

The old “cowabunga” had been around for so long that it barely needed an introduction anymore. It was simply part of Michelangelo. Then along came “booyakasha.” The phrase had a completely different history, thanks in large part to Sacha Baron Cohen’s Ali G, which made its appearance here all the more awkward. Greg Cipes, the new voice of Mikey, brought it into the recording booth, and producer Ciro Nieli liked what he heard. The word stuck, and suddenly one of the most recognizable cartoon characters of the era had a new verbal trademark. For a reboot trying to establish its own identity, it was a small change. For fans who had spent years with the original, it was anything but. This new reboot also came out after all of the TMNT ripoffs and had to contend with the best of those.

The 2012 TMNT Reboot Eventually Brought “Cowabunga” Back

What makes the whole thing more amusing in retrospect is that “cowabunga” wasn’t actually gone for good. The 2012 series eventually brought the classic expression back, meaning fans didn’t have to stage a full-blown funeral for one of the franchise’s most recognizable words. Still, that early stretch with “booyakasha” became a memorable little marker of what the reboot was trying to do—and why it failed. It was familiar enough to feel like TMNT, but different enough to remind everyone that this was a new version finding its footing.

Because the new TMNT wasn’t supposed to be the 1980s cartoon wearing a new shell. It had its own look, its own jokes, and its own way of handling characters fans thought they already knew by heart. That meant some changes were always going to land better than others. A redesigned character might take a few episodes to get used to. A different tone might take an entire season. But a catchphrase? Fans could hear that change immediately. It was a time when the new cartoon struggled with the legacy of the ’80s cultural phenomenon, while trying to find new audiences in the 2010s.

And that’s probably why the whole “booyakasha” detour remains so memorable. It wasn’t some massive creative gamble that changed the direction of the franchise. It was a tiny decision that happened to touch something fans already considered part of Mikey’s identity. Nobody is going to miss 2012 show’s slang. But mention it to the right Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan, and there’s a good chance they’ll remember exactly when they first heard it and why it sounded strange. For a reboot full of much bigger changes, that’s a pretty impressive legacy for one little word. On the bright side, turtle fans can always enjoy the TMNT video games.

Fourteen years later, “booyakasha” feels less like a replacement and more like a strange little time capsule from the 2012 reboot. “Cowabunga” eventually returned, the Turtles kept fighting, and Mikey kept being Mikey. Somehow, that silly word survived the sewer. If you’re a TMNT fan, share in the comments what your thoughts are on the better catchphrase.