What is the Attack on Titan reference in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem? Anime fans will have had a few very exciting moments watching the latest TMNT movie, as Mutant Mayhem drops in a very important reference to a classic anime series.
The new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie is unafraid to take on the interests of its young target audience, whether it’s talking about Forza Horizon and BTS or chucking in a MrBeast cameo. So that’s how one of the final scenes ends up throwing in a reference to Attack on Titan – one of the best anime series of all time.
We thought TMNT was one of the best movies of the year so far, as we explained in our Mutant Mayhem review. But for now, we’re here to explain the Attack on Titan reference in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for all of the anime lovers out there. There are spoilers ahead for the Mutant Mayhem ending, so beware.
What is the Attack on Titan reference in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem?
Donatello remembers the back of the neck weakness from Attack on Titan in order to help the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles stop Superfly from destroying the city.
In the final moments of the movie, Superfly (Ice Cube) has mutated to an enormous size and is destroying New York City like it’s a kaiju movie all of a sudden. At this point, Donatello (Micah Abbey) remembers his nerdy love for Attack on Titan and notes that some of the most terrifying titans have a weak spot on the nape of the neck.
This weakness applies to Pure Titans, where cutting the nape severs the spinal cord, and Titan Shifters, who keep their human bodies at the back of the neck.
The turtles apply this to Superfly and realize that’s where his blowhole, thanks to mutating with a whale, can be found. Working together, the heroes are able to get a vial of de-mutating liquid into the blowhole, causing Superfly to break apart. The city is saved, all thanks to an anime nerd. We can’t help but love that.
If that has you wanting more, find out how to watch Mutant Mayhem and look ahead to the Mutant Mayhem 2 release date. We’ve also got a Jeff Rowe interview in which he talks about directing the turtles and reveals that TMNT almost had a Superbad reference.
For more of the new movies coming this year, find out about The Marvels release date and the Dune 2 release date. Or learn about new anime on the way with our guides to the One-Punch Man season 3 release date and the Chainsaw Man season 2 release date.