The Ninja Turtles, is a team of four turtle brothers, raised by Splinter in the sewers, who protect New York City in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. The Ninja Turtles were originally planned to have Japanese names, but due to TMNT co-creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's inability to ideate authentic-sounding Japanese names, the Ninja Turtles were instead named after Renaissance artists who were familiar to the two of them.[1]