In the 2007 film TMNT, Raphael leaves the team after Leonardo goes away to train.
The film opens with Leonardo in Central America, where he has spent years training under a local mentor. His absence creates tension among the brothers. Raphael becomes frustrated by the lack of direction and secretly operates at night as the masked vigilante known as the Nightwatcher.
This storyline explores the brothers’ rivalry and their different responses to leadership. Raphael is loyal to the family but resents Leonardo’s absence and the resulting separation. Donatello and Michelangelo remain in New York, while Splinter attempts to keep the household together.
Raphael’s Nightwatcher identity is a major plot element unique to the 2007 film’s interpretation. It should not be confused with Casey Jones, another masked vigilante in the broader franchise, or with the Last Ronin storyline, which has a different continuity.