Warning! Spoilers for the conclusion to TMNT: The Last Ronin II: Re-Evolution ahead!

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise's dark Last Ronin future just concluded its latest chapter with the heartbreaking, yet necessary death of April O’Neil, who died fighting alongside a new generation of Turtles, as well as her daughter, in what can only be described as a pivotal ing of the torch moment. “I protected…family,” April tells her daughter with her dying breath, “now [it’s] up to you.”

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II – Re-Evolution #5, written by Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz, with art by Ben Bishop, provides a gutwrenching climax to the sequel series, delivering a character death that feels incredibly earned, given April’s decades of prominence in Ninja Turtles lore.

According to Eastman and Waltz, April’s heroic demise was essential to setting up the next stage of the Last Ronin saga, as now all links to the past have been severed by death, and now April’s daughter Casey and the next generation Turtles face an uncertain, but exciting future.

With Her Final Words, April O'Neil Officially es Her Role In TMNT Lore To Her Daughter

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II – Re-Evolution #5; Written By Kevin Eastman And Tom Waltz; Art By Ben Bishop; Available Now From IDW Publishing

April O'Neil's last line in Last Ronin II, "I protected...family," is a triumphant moment for the character, as much as it is a tragedy for the characters at her side, and for longtime fans. April has grown dramatically as a character over the years, and the Last Ronin-verse version of April quickly established herself as a fan-favorite incarnation. Some fans will argue that she could have continued on in a mentor role for the new Turtles, but instead, the series' creators felt that she was ready to the rest of the OG Ninja Turtles characters in the afterlife.

It is a fitting exit for April, but it is also a huge step for her daughter, who has so far embodied her dad by taking up his mask and fighting in his style. Now, Casey truly inhabits the role played by both of her parents.

The fact that April's daughter, named after her father, Casey Jones, is by her side at the end makes the moment of her death that much more emotionally resonant, especially after April gives Casey a mandate: carry on her legacy, keep protecting their found family, the Ninja Turtles. It is a fitting exit for April, but it is also a huge step for her daughter, who has so far embodied her dad by taking up his mask and fighting in his style. Now, Casey truly inhabits the role played by both of her parents for decades in Ninja Turtles history.

April's Death Had To Happen In Order For "The Last Ronin" Continuity To Keep Growing

Added Adversity For The Next Generation Of Ninja Turtles Heroes

The Last Ronin II ends largely without resolution, functioning as the middle part of what could ultimately be a trilogy, or more. However, April's death is a definitive turning point for this incarnation of the Turtles franchise, one that comes as an effective shock within the context of the miniseries' final issue, even if fans likely could have seen it coming. The Last Ronin began with most of the original cast dead, save for Michelangelo and April, and by the end, Mikey had ed his brothers in death. So, it tracks that April would be the sequel's big casualty.

That is ultimately what makes it the "right" creative choice for The Last Ronin-verse moving forward. As a single storytelling moment, April's death works; it fits the story, and it is an impactful moment in its own right. Beyond that, it is a narrative decision that will have consequences moving forward. In particular, it completely changes the direction of Casey Jones' story, as well as moving her into an even more central role. Now, she must shoulder the trauma of another loss, as well as the imperative of her mother's final words.

Casey Jones And The New Ninja Turtles Now Have To Live Up To Their Potential, And Their Predecessors

The Future Of The Last Ronin Is Fraught, But Promising

Ninja Turtles co-creator, and Last Ronin co-author Kevin Eastman illustrated a variant cover for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II – Re-Evolution #5 which is striking in retrospect, because it shows Casey in the background, watching over the new Turtles. In other words, it depicts the central dynamic of the Last Ronin series moving forward; as Casey Jones takes on new responsibility, the question will be how much she can bare, while the second generation of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles must now truly prove they live up to the legacy of the originals.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II – Re-Evolution #5 is available now from IDW Publishing.