THE TRICERATONS:
-The Triceratons are a Mirage original, and have shown in up nearly every ongoing TMNT continuity, typically as a massive interstellar empire of Triceratops-Men. They seem to be an expanding empire there, but grow to respect the Turtles.

In the 2003 Toon, the Triceraton Republic was founded on pride and order, but had fallen into a dictatorship under a new leader. They attempt to hunt Fugitoid for his teleporter invention while the Turtles try to save him. Prime Leader Zanramon threw the Turtles in a fighting arena, but they escaped by taking him hostage, and finally a coup was led against him, and he was unseated from power. In the 2012 Nick Toon, they are even MORE important to the plot, as they are arch-enemies of The Kraang, and invade Earth to kill them, even DESTROYING IT with a Doomsday Device. This shocking turn of events leads the Turtles on a quest to turn back time and save their homeworld. Finally, Fugitoid turns their “Heart of Darkness” weapon on inside the Triceraton mothership, destroying their fleet.

In the IDW Comics, they are a slave race genetically engineered by the Utroms, and won a war for their own freedom. They arrived in New York to establish contact, but since Agent Bishop was the first human they found, and he attacked them, this led to an invasion the Turtles had to stop- finally, peace was brokered. In the Archie books, they were oddly left out in favor of the Malignoids, Stump, etc.- one is seen in the crowd of Stump Asteroid and that’s it.

A few video games use “A Triceraton” as a major character. A couple have one as a Stage Boss, while TMNT: Tournament Fighters features one as a selectable character.

Triceraton is a simple beast, who wants nothing more than to eat rats and destroy Turtles. Ever since our three-fingered green guys visited his homeworld in Dimension X, Triceraton hasn’t gotten his beauty sleep-and boy-oh-boy does it show. This ugly cold-blooded creature uses the full capacity of his walnut-sized brain to seek out and destroy all Turtles! And Triceraton would rather shoot first, since he can’t ask intelligent questions later. His Laser Phaser and Neutron Neutralizer come in handy while chasing the Turtles from the sewers to the streets. Often employed by the Foot Clan as an Advance Attack Alien, Triceraton comes equipped with Platinum-plated Chest Armor, three-count ’em-three razor-sharp horns and a spiny, slashing tail. And check out those rascally rodents on his detachable utility belt-just in case Triceraton needs a quick-energy rat snack.

TRICERATON

-Among my absolute super-favorite toys in my childhood was the TMNT Triceraton figure, a big, lumpy orange did with the trademark “TMNT Scowl” and a great costume. The backing board of the toy lists his NAME was “Triceraton”, but in actuality, these guys are an ALIEN RACE a recurring trend in the Turtles’ universe, having debuted in the Mirage Comics and appearing in all three Animated Series. And since I only had the toy, which lists him as if “Triceraton” is simply his name, I had ALWAYS thought that “Triceraton” was just one guy- not an entire species. However, in the ’87 cartoon, they only appear in a single episode, as an invading army out to conquer Earth. Donatello, then running around as a Batman-style vigilante thanks to some electrocution, isn’t there and so the other three are quickly beaten, but Donnie manages to convince the Triceratons through careful trickery that he is the RULER of Earth, and that some animatronic dinosaurs in the Natural History Museum are his minions. Sufficiently impressed & intimidated, the Triceratons leave Earth. Compare that to the Are They Still On Namek? adventures the Turtles get into fighting them in the other two shows.

-Triceraton is another big, powerful anthro creature, and packs a Stun Rifle and laser gun.