#2003 shredder got a little upset

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[figuringitoutasigoalong]

Could you tell us your favorite iteration of raph and why

Oh that's an easy one! That would have to be 2003 Raph!

I mean, look at this boy! Do you see him? Do you see this boy? Do you?

I mean, yes, all of the other versions of Raph are nice too, don't get me wrong. 87 Raph is a funny little dude, who can have a short temper here and there, but is mostly there for the sarcasm and I love it. 12 Raph does have some anger issues, but he also can be very caring and to me is just trying to find a way to balance all the parts of himself out. Rise Raph is a sweetheart and a teddy bear and took on so much. 90s Movie Raph loved life and just wanted his brothers safe and alright and wanted more for all of them. 07 Raph still wanted to do good, and was able to realize and learn from mistakes. Bayverse Raph would die for his family, and was upset when he was left for dead, because he felt like he'd failed them. Even Next Mutation Raph, as goofy as that show was, was still good, sticking up for Venus a couple of times, if I remember correctly. And Mutant Mayhem Raph is passionate and clearly cares about his brothers, he just covers how much with some tough-guy attitude.

But 2003 Raph? Oh, he's top tier to me! I mean, look at this guy!

He's protective.

Like, how many times have we seen him jump in the way to protect a brother, or be outraged on a brother's behalf? There are so many gifsets of him being protective to Don, and that's just one brother. There's so many other instances of him being protective towards Mikey and Leo too! Like when Mikey runs into that other prisoner when they're in the Triceriton prison, and Raph gets in front of Mikey--of all of them--and is ready to fight the dude.

He's got his brother's backs.

I mean, this ties in with being caring, but the dude is constantly backing up his family, and getting upset when things aren't fair or right for them. Look at how upset he got in season four, when Mikey had to face Kluh down again, and the magic was messed with. Yeah, he was ready for Mikey to get taken down a peg or two, because of Mikey's bragging, but the minute it was clear something was wrong, that Mikey was getting hurt, Raph's first words were "That's not right!" And in the City at War arc, even when he didn't agree with Leo's decision to involve them, he still ended up getting Splinter and going back to fight alongside his family.

He obviously loves his family.

Have you seen the affection this boy pours out? Worrying about Don when he's overworking in Return to the Underground. Clearly worried out of his mind when he thought Mikey was seriously injured in The Shredder Strikes. Helping Leo reforge his swords after the Shredder broke them. How upset he was that they couldn't find Splinter after they took out Foot HQ. And there's no way we can forget Tales of Leo. And that's not counting all the little physical things, like touches, helping brothers with things, and just so many small ways.

He's respectful.

Just go watch Touch and Go. Like seriously. Random old lady mistakes him for someone else, and he's all just like "yes ma'am" and "sorry ma'am" and helps her move boxes. Like, he is just the most respectful and I am so, so, so here for it. And it's not just with her. He's respectful with April, with Splinter, with anyone, unless he thinks they don't deserve it, and even then, he'll not go out of his way to be intentionally rude to him, although he's definitely not one to let opportunities slide.

He's caring.

Again, this ties in heavily with most of the above, but he genuinely cares about others. Helping Mrs. Morrison, trying to get Tyler to safety and then helping him get his mom back, being kind to the cat, Lucy, looking after April and Casey, trying to protect Cody, and, again, all of the moments with his brothers.

And yet he's still a goofy teenage boy.

I mean, looking all of this. Noogies, silly faces, pranking Casey with his brothers--he's just having fun! He's still a teenager, still just a kid, but he's got such a complex character and is just so, so, so good!

And we can't forget the SAINW hug. Like, that's a must.

Like this boy is just so well written--I think all of the characters in 2003 are, tbh--and I just absolutely love how complex and deep they make them. This Raph, to me, has layers that the other Raphs either don't have, or were executed not as well. Even with 2003 Raph's hot-headedness, we can clearly see how it effects him, and how he eventually learns to use it, even if it still does get him in trouble sometimes.

Like, 2003 Raph is my favorite Raph, and so far no other Raph has come close, and if I wasn't about to run off to church I'm sure I could articulate why better. But hopefully this'll be enough!

[grub-dot-website]

Instead of tmntposting in a huge long thread let’s do different posts lol

Hello nonexistant tumblr following it’s me your local disaster and while I’m still locked from posting on twitter let’s make more insufferably long TMNT posts! Yay! I wanna rank the movies so let’s do it

TMNT (1990): 10/10 no notes love you jim henson

TMNT 2 - Secret Of The Ooze: 3/10 literally what happened? This movie is the epitome of failed potential! It seems like they drafted a story that would have got into the turtles origins while introducing Krang/Utroms, Baxter Stockman, and Bebop/Rocksteady; then the studio looked at it and said WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE WHERES SHREDDER??? bitch he died!!!!! Casey Jones (who has vanished under mysterious circumstances?) crushed that loser in a garbage truck!! Augh it makes me upset and I’d like to rewrite it and make a proper sequel to the best TMNT movie of all time

TMNT 3: 0/10 do I even need to write about this one? Tempted to give it a half point for having Casey but like they could have at least made him... do something in the movie?? Anyway yuck bad vibes

TMNT (2007): 8/10 OOH this is a good one, I’m biased because it’s my childhood but GodDamn this is a good flick. I love that the turtles are played by proper voice actors instead of celebrities, relegating the big names to secondary characters. CHRIS EVANS IS CASEY JONES??? WHAT???? Anyway yeah some great turt dynamics in this one, the Leo/Raph fight scene is raw as hell and the whole movie is just a great package, I’d love to venture back into that TMNT universe someday

Turtles Forever (2009): 5/10, I felt compelled to include this because it exists? That’s the highest praise I can give it. I like that it kinda fixed the TMNT 2003 S7 artstyle but that’s kinda it???? The 80s turtles sound absolutely AWful and the comic turtles just,,,, aren’t right. Credit where credit’s due for keeping everyone on-model regardless of what dimension they’re in.

TMNT (2014) 2/10 Nope! Not gonna even touch it! Yikes! Sorry bayverse fans but uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh can’t do it

TMNT: Out of the Shadows (2016) HAVENT EVEN SEEN IT WEVE ESTABLISHED MY THOUGHTS ON THE BAYVERSE JESUS

Rise of the TMNT: The Movie (2022): 8/10 So good!!! sO SO good I love it so much! If you thought the show had great animation you’re in for a treat!!!! I felt like the plot was a little all over the place but the emotional beats were incredible!!!! LEO steps up! It’s great! Cassandra got totally shafted though which made me sad, she’s my fave

Anyway Uhhhhh I’ve probably forgotten something but who cares, go watch the 1990 movie it’s the best fucking thing I’ve ever seen

TUNE IN NEXT TIME FOR MORE BULLSHIT I GUESS

[criminalmutantsins]

My Version of the Hamato Family

Hi everyone! Thank you for reading and liking part one. It made my day!

So, this is where I shine in writing. I love creating characters and their backstory; it’s so fun. I think it is more important to focus on characters than the plot since a character can create the storyline- well at least for me.

I’m excited to share! Hope you enjoy!

Comment your thoughts! It would be cool to read them! 😁

……………………..

 Leonardo:

We’re starting with the usual leader-in-blue!

Although I adore Leo, his “perfect” personality can get a little boring. His versions usually have flaws, though they are the kind that makes you sympathize with him rather than feeling indifferent like with Raph’s anger issues.

Season 1 Leo would be a toned-down Rise Leo. He can be cocky when he succeeds over his brothers and would jokingly comment how he is Splinter’s favorite. However, it doesn’t come without hard work. Leo trains the most out of his brothers and spends most of his time studying fighting techniques. He is not naturally talented in ninjitsu like the past incarnations. Also, Leo’s motivations for training very hard and wanting to be leader is more for himself than anything.

Compared to his brothers, Leo was relatively average. Donnie was extremely smart, Mikey had his kind and joyful soul, and Raph was naturally a great fighter. Leo felt left out and decided that training to be a hero would be his way of standing out. He also believed that being special like his brothers was the only way to get Splinter’s attention; and it kind of worked. With all the progress Leo made, Splinter praised him, and they had a way to connect.

Around the beginning of S1(maybe ep. 5), Leo became the leader though how was different. Instead of Splinter deciding, the brothers did; the explanation was the turtles were a team and should make a consensus as one. This news made Leo ecstatic; he was finally living his dreams. Even so, he didn’t realize the baggage and responsibility a leader had to shoulder. Over the course of the story Leo grows as a great leader and fighter.

The Karai/Leo subplot will follow the 2003 version. He is convinced that Karai is a good person and tries to have her switch sides. There will be romantic feelings but its not the main motivation for both of their actions. I can’t say too much since this plot revolves around Karai more.

   Donatello:

Donnie is a blend of 2003/12 versions. He is intelligent with an extremely high IQ and was a gifted child. However, his intelligence came with a cost; making connections with his brothers and father was really tough for him because of their different interests. This left him withdrawing from everyone and focusing on his inventions. His social skills evolve once the turtles visit the city and meet April. The increasing danger of the Kraang further builds his relationships since communication is important in teamwork, and Donnie’s talent in inventing grew more in the spotlight.

Because of her fascination with Donnie’s smarts and inventions, April and Donnie become good friends as the story continues. Donnie also gets close with April’s best friend, Irma since they are science lovers. At first, Casey irritates him as they have clearly different personality; Casey’s impulsive and extroverted attitude conflicting with Donnie’s plan-based mindset.

Donnie’s love for his family is showcased after witnessing a terrifying, apocalyptic future where his family suffers. Paranoia sets in. His work to calculate the cause of this terrible, and its solution leads Donnie to rarely take care of his needs. He has to learn to trust in others instead of doing things alone.

 Raphael:

Unlike Leo, Raph is instantly gifted in fighting. He has more physical strength than his brothers and would constantly beat them in practice. Since childhood, Raph was Splinter’s “favorite” in the dojo and that definitely got into the red-banded turtle’s head. He would brag to his brothers and jokingly poke fun at their techniques. It wouldn’t affect anyone. Except for Leo.

Raphael’s ego started taking hits once Leo caught up to him and beating him in practice once in a while. It turned into anger after noticing Master Splinter praising Leo more. The tension soured their brotherhood. Unlike most versions, Raph’s anger is fueled by insecurity. He believes that fighting is the only thing he is good at and will get territorial if his spotlight is threatened.

Throughout the story, he learns to move on from his demons and realize his worth.

Family is important to Raph. He can be hard on his brothers yet will do anything to keep them safe, especially Mikey- his positivity must be protected. Casey and Raph become best friends for their similarities and love for fighting- they are impulsive bros.

 Michelangelo:

Mikey’s role is to be the positive and glue of the team. He loves to make people happy and would always do something goofy or kind to do that. His family have nothing bad to say about their youngest member and are very protective of him. The youngest brother doesn’t take ninjitsu as seriously as skateboarding, dancing, or just general fun. Though, he will be serious when the situation calls for it, such as the fate of his family and the world.

Although being an open ear to anyone, Mikey is not open to expressing his negative emotions due to his fear of damaging the family dynamic. It is noticeable when he is upset because he jokes more often and not focus. A lesson he must learn is to accept the good and the bad. Mikey can be reckless, mostly when his brothers rarely let him participate in missions. He wants to prove to his family that he is strong enough to protect himself and others. Reading people is his best skill and takes great pride in it, usually taking on the role of a therapist.

 Splinter/Hamato Yoshi:

I really wanted to take Splinter’s role in the Shredder’s descent to evil in the grayer area. He is usually the victim/innocent party of the story, which can get boring after a while.

Hamato Yoshi was born as the heir to Hamato Clan and childhood best friend of Oroku Saki. The Hamato and Foot clan were allies for centuries and would usually fight by each other’s side. Matters changed when the Foot’s beliefs grew more sinister. This left the Hamato Clan to eradicate their former ally. Splinter saved Saki before he could be killed, though, it came with consequences. Oroku Saki vowed to exact revenge for his fallen home. Growing up, Splinter became one of the strongest martial artists in Japan and married a woman named Tang Shen, later becoming a father to a girl. His world ended once he saw his clan destroyed and his family killed by the renewed Foot Clan.

Yoshi decided to move to New York and forget his old life. Years later, the martial artist noticed strange people caging defenseless animals. He would fight them long enough to protect four humanoid turtles, deciding to keep them after a moment of compassion. Splinter would continuously fight the strange men until a strange liquid turned him into a rat. This turning point banished Splinter and the turtles to the sewers for protection.

Splinter equally loves his sons. He would always make sure to give them equal amounts of love to avoid lasting issues. Though, he has made some mistakes. Emotions were rarely discussed because of Splinter’s unintentionally withdrawn attitude. The rat master wouldn’t instantly notice problems between his sons, and usually didn’t know how to resolve them. No matter what, Splinter is proud of his children and would do anything to keep them safe; sometimes not realizing that it could hurt them.

Hamato Yoshi’s guilt and trauma over the terrible moments in his life would be the main focus of his development.

[we-rate-tmnt]

I request: Leonardo. Please and thank you 🙏.

Idk if everyone loves Leo or if my header and avatar just remind everyone about this amazing blue boy. (This one’s super silly btw. I’m just sillier as time goes on. Character development I guess?) 

The iconic leador Leonardo (1987)

Bro idk why but I loved this Leo. I have a tiny memory, especially with this version but I clearly remember that I thought he was the funniest and the coolest. I mean, he had swords, what was I supposed to do as a 7-year-old. NOT like him??? Anyway, while Raph was the best at insult comedy, I think Leo had the best puns and punchlines. I really like how nonchalant this Leo is compared to his iterations, going along with really silly ideas and having fun along the way. But because of this, his leadership is a little forced at times, he seems like such a chill and fun dude that when he gets serious, I have to squint and ask ‘are you Leo? Or were you just putting on act a moment ago?’ Or my perception is entirely warped over time. Either way, good turtle boy, could have used some work tho. 5.7/10

Here comes grumpy lad wooo this is all read very monotone btw Fearless Leader (2003)

What. What the fuck happened. I was actually so confused when Leo turned really angry and serious and almost manic. I thought that episode when he popped into Casey’s window and was like ‘Hey bitch lets go beat the shit out of some lowlifes’ I was WOAH THERE BUDDY BACK UP BACK UP BACK TF UP. It was so sudden to me and when it was finally explained, it made some sense??? Like yeah, character development is great an’ all but this ain’t it chief. I can’t imagine what it was like having to wait for these episodes to release one at a time. Bc I watched every episode back to back on Youtube and I was genuinely bamboozled. But when you have an experience like that where guilt is weighing down on you from a situation you couldn’t control, it would’ve been HELLA HELPFUL to have at least a flashback, like a line saying ‘I was so useless!’ at BARE MINIMUM. Like right after Shredder is booted off to Planet Zula, Donnie would notice that Leo didn’t seem all that happy and would ask why and Leo would get upset and yell at Donnie saying that ‘You wouldn’t understand’, ‘You don’t know how I felt, how I feel because of that’, etc. Like you don’t even have to say he felt guilty or helpless, just give us something to grab onto. We’re merely six-year-olds who thought they could climb the YMCA rock wall in easy mode but instead the script riders harnessed us up on the hard one and wouldn’t let us come down until we rang the little bell at the top. I think that is the only problem I had with his Leo. The sudden change of calm and decisive to angry and irrational was so jarring that it felt unnatural without that crucial context. If you want a surprise reveal, at least hint at the reveal (like just about every Disney movie with their ‘twist’ villains) not wait until the very last moment. I think this might be my least favorite Leo and I think the season where he stood out the most and seemed the strongest was Fast Forward (Which was GOOD FIGHT ME), especially in scenes with Dark Leo, his clone. He sees so much of himself in Dark Leo but he also sees something he had once grasped (AKA the poorly written character arc, I CANNOT stress how bad I thought it was). Although, I honestly think he’s a really good character and he’s a pretty neat guy. However, this score is entirely held up by Fast Forward and his connection with Usagi, sword bros to the end of time. 3/10 (2 for FF and 1 for Usagi)

And now a Leo that makes me genuinely feel UWU Leo (2012)

I cannot stress how much I like this guy! Like his design is so appealing, his dedication, his obsession with Space Heroes, like I FUCKING LOVE IT. And everyone knows, that shit with Karai, at first when they didn’t realize they were related, I can let slide but kajsdflksadf what even like why did the writers feel the need to add in more ‘love interest’ implications like yuck yuck yuck. The only two interactions with Leo and Karai that I really like are when Leo defeats her using the healing hands technique and when Leo has a goth/emo/punk/idk I’m new here phase and they team up and EXPLOSIONS. He was introduced to us as being incredibly naive and his idea of leadership is from some old cartoon that’s basically star trek but ethically questionable. After his fights in season 1, to the finale with the technodrome, you can see his growth. He’s able to formulate plans and make life or death decisions. BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE. When Leo got hurt, I felt like the oof sound effect mixed with some tears I normally shed at some Shojo manga bs. While the episodes following were super weird, it was a nice way to help Leo recover, not only physically but spiritually (Although I don’t remember the spirit arc at all except the epic Raph vs Fishface fight, so we’re skipping that). When Master Splinter really died, you could tell there was a huge impact on Leo, but he had to remain stoic and lead the family now. A lot of heartbreaking moments in this series came from Leo and I’m glad they took at least some thought into developing him. Tiny head Leo will haunt my nightmares, but the giggly fanboy will warm my heart constantly. 6/10

I only have one word for this Leo (Heroes in a Half Shell: Blast to the Past)

This is a super crazy bad idea accent on the super crazy bad part have I mentioned it’s also a really terrible idea/10

Okay, spoiler alert, didn’t really think this Leo was that grand Leo (2014/2016)

Painfully average. He didn’t stand out that much, Raph was part of the focus and had that touching scene at the end, Donnie was ICONIC and Mikey (with his weird-ass eyes) was super lively and funny! Leo? Uh, I don’t remember a single line he said. Because he never really grabbed my attention, I don’t have too much to say on this version. The Raph and Leo fight felt forced and the whole ‘keep this stuff that could turn us human a secret’ was pretty pointless and was added just to cause drama, I don’t even remember what that Splinter and Leo conversation was about. Design-wise, really neat! You can see some more traditional Japanese clothing/style mixed with modern (I’d feel a lot better about this assumption if some could tell exactly what the heck he’s wearing, but I get traditional Japan warrior vibes from it) in his look which was super neat! Other than that, if you like him, please tell me why because I don’t get. He was just kinda eh. 5/10

AHHH MY BOY YASSS WHOOO!! Neon Leon (2018)

Okay, I loved Ben Schwarts already from Parks and Rec but like him being Sonic AND Leo, like DUDE. He’s super funny by himself but teamed up with this shows writing and animation, it makes it hilarious. I literally love this Leo so much, maybe because we’re alike but honestly, he’s amazing. I love his design with the red and yellow crescents accenting his skin and livening up his color pallet. He has a very healthy and natural dynamic with his brothers, he’s the first to know what’s wrong and tries his best to make up for his actions. This is really prominent in the most recent episodes, along with the episode portal jacked. In both, Leo is separated from his brothers. Portal Jacked is in a more literal sense, while Air Turtle handles in more of an emotional sense. While both are brief, Leo sees his error and tries his best to make it up to them. I love his dynamic so much and it’s so nice to see something like this compared to the unnecessary drama and tension between the brothers in the previous series. It’s refreshing and this is something a younger audience needs to see; instead of fighting, it’s better to work together and improve yourself along the way. Improvement is a big theme for Leo here. He’s a goofball, makes jokes at every opportunity and isn’t quite skilled at fighting or using his weapon. But he grows over time, he learns to manage his power and he’s working on mastering it. He’s trying to put aside his narcissism more and focuses on his family. I think the approach they took with him rising to leader rather than slapping it on his forehead was the goddamn best decision they could make. He’s making plans, finding loopholes, helping out and getting out of his comfort zone. I cannot stress how well this show has handled Leo, along with the other characters. I can’t wait to see more episodes about his growth and I am awarding him with one of the greatest honors I could give... 10/10

Storytime: I drew a super cute 2012 Leo, you should look at him. Shameless self-promo, but you should follow me on my main blog bc I’m nice and I draw pretty pictures. Also. I have a little 2012 Leo Happy Meal toy??? I think??? guarding my window and he’s been there for YEARS. I need to bring him in and refresh his paint job.

Wow! I didn’t expect this many requests for Leo, so the blog will be momentarily spammed with the requests, but it shouldn’t be too much! Up next should be the last turtle (Mikey) and then we can get to some REALLY great requests I’m eager to answer. As usual, please comment and reblog! I’d love to hear your opinion!

[blue-lamento]

This post was written for the user @j-penny, who insists that Leo is the most unexplored character compared to his brothers. We are going to prove this statement wrong.

We are using the 2003 cartoon as the example not only because it’s known among most fans, but also because we consider Leo-03 to be one of the best versions of the character.

Introduction

Usually those who write analysis of a character use two terms – character development and characterization. However, people don’t usually use the same meaning for both of them. For instance, some people believe that characterization is the part of character development, because we, the audience, discover more details about our character and thus he develops in our eyes. And other people believe that character development and characterization exist apart from one another, because character development implies the change over the story, while characterization implies a particular set of traits in a particular time of the story.

We have decided to choose the second model because it’s more common and because the story of 2003 usually puts the plot on the first place rather than the characters, which is why they develop slowly and their personality becomes more flashed out with time.

Part 1. Leo’s first traits.

At the beginning of the first season we were given some of the most important traits of our character.

Dedication. This trait was unfolded in the first episode, when Leo has passed Splinter’s challenge. Leo loves to train and study; his outstanding physical (and spiritual) strength is noticeable through exercise and combat; it was also observed by the Shredder.

He trains for the sake of self-improvement and he takes ninjitsu seriously.

‘I'm not striving to be perfect, only perfectly proficient’*

‘Ninjitsu is not a game!’*

However that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t like to have fun. He loves to hang out with his brothers, play with Raph, ride a Sewer Slider or a scooter and poke fun at Mikey.

‘With that aside, I do realize the need for fun and relaxation. While I often disagree with Raphael, he is my brother, and I enjoy the times that we spend goofing off’*

The abidance of Bushido. Bushido (honor) plays a huge role in Leo’s life, because it shapes his personality. One’s actions are a reflection of who one really is and Leo’s actions reflect:

His devotion to his family.

His respect for others.

His kindness.

His mercifulness.

This makes him a pure-hearted person and sometimes his purity shows in other ways)))

Introversivness (or isolation). Leo demonstrates his isolation when it comes to his own problems. He doesn’t seem to be eager to discuss his distress (for example, when he was spending all his time out in the barn in the twentieth episode of the first season) and sometimes even refuses to get help (as it was shown in ‘Samurai Tourist’). The only way to get something out of him is to start talking first, because he is never going to be the one to do it. 

Leo also has a trait that needs to be cleared up.

Leadership. This part of his character has created a lot of trouble before rotTMNT came out, which is why everything should be addressed.

Firstly, he is not an official leader.

That means that he didn’t have any ceremonies and he certainly isn’t pressured by Splinter, (like he was in the 2007 movie and 2012 cartoon), although the latter does like to leave Leo in charge when he is away.

He has chosen the path of the leader himself simply because he understands that his family doesn’t have a peaceful life.

‘I try to be the leader of the team, since someone has to be and I'm the only one who seems to be interested in order’*

‘I train diligently and read up on strategy to better prepare my family for times of duress’*

‘I guess this may seem a little hard-nosed, but if you were in my shoes, I think you'd agree that someone has to play the ‘heavy’’*

‘I love my family more than life itself, so I feel responsible to ensure their protection’*

Secondly, while Leo can worry about his incompetence as a leader (the conflict of the fourth season), he can also torment himself over something more personal (the conflict of the first season; ‘City at War’), which proves further that his character doesn’t only revolve around his role in the team.

Thirdly, Leo is not a control freak. When his brothers know more about the situation, he has no problem in letting them take the lead, while he takes part in solving local problems.

We also shouldn’t forget that some of his orders exist because of Splinter and as someone who values security and peace, Leo also values his master’s wishes and wants his brothers to follow them, even though he sometimes goes against them as well.

Fourthly, unlike the 2012 cartoon, in 2003 Leo’s brothers respect him and listen to his orders, although they do tend to go against Splinter’s instructions, but that’s a big difference, mind you.

And lastly, Leo doesn’t have any fights with Raph because of his leadership nor is there any hatred between them. Their arguments are usually focused on different opinions, not on the ‘I don’t take orders from you’ line (ex. ‘City at War’).

In ‘Tales of Leo’ Raph showed that he understood that Leo was more suited for the role back when they were kids, a period, when he thought that being a leader was all about bravery and strength, but seeing Leo taking out the huge alligator by using his brains he was exposed to another side of the role.

Overall, Leo and Raph have a good relationship that goes beyond the ‘a leader and a hothead’ shtick.  An excellent opinion on this topic can also be read here: (1), (2).

Curiosity. This trait is actually ignored by fans, which in result makes them portray Leo as Splinter’s loyal puppy and it’s not correct.

Leo, as we said before, values Splinter’s opinion, but that doesn’t stop him from wanting to explore and participate in his brother’s intrigues. In the third episode of the first season Leo mumbled ‘Splinter is going to kill us!’ and immediately went off on an adventure and this didn’t happen just once.

At first Leo acts careful, however it is really easy to convince him to take part in anything, even if Splinter would be against it.

 Part 2. The outlived trait.

Some fans tend to think that Leo is arrogant. Do these fans have a point when it comes to Leo in 2003 cartoon? Well, yes and no, because he did in fact have the similar trait, although he outlived it pretty fast.

The trait was shown in the tenth episode of the first season, ‘Shredder Strikes Part 1’, where at the beginning Leo was talking about his swords being superior to any other weapon. But where did this thought come from? Well, it was written in some book, so it must be true, right? Splinter, however, said the complete opposite, which Leo genuinely didn’t understand and he was frustrated about it. So was Leo really just plain arrogant? Not exactly.

Next we are taken to a talk between Leo and Oroku Saki and the latter has almost convinced Leo to join to Foot clan. We see that Leo has done the same mistake when he believed the half-truth about swords written in the book – he believed Saki’s half-truths.

In both cases Leo acted gullible (almost naïve) and thus he acted imperious in the first situation and vulnerable in the second. He wasn’t arrogant for no reason and that helped him get rid of the characteristic. After that episode he has never shown the flaw again.

Part 3. The ‘failure’ theme.

Every turtle has a weakness, be it Raph’s inability to control his anger or Mikey’s immaturity.

After Shredder’s second strike we are told in ‘Tales of Leo’ that he has a hard time dealing with failures, which escalates to a real fear that opens up Leo’s insecurities and anxieties throughout the first four seasons. Every conflict that is connected to the character has a word ‘failed’ or ‘failure’ in it, which makes it his inner theme.

All in all, his constant battle against his fears flashes out his character and adds more to it, which will be discussed in next parts.

Part 4. Northampton.

This is an introduction to Leo’s ‘failure’ theme.

After Leo has woken up he was straightway upset. While talking to Raph, who visited him at the barn, he explained what was bothering him so much: he let everyone down, got ‘his shell kicked’, lost his swords (and moreover he developed a fear over the Elite Guard). In short, not only did he feel like a failure, but he was also humiliated.

The one who helped Leo recover was Raph, which again proves that both of them have a great and deep relationship and that Raph, even though he often acts all grumpy and snarky, has enough kindness in him to support his brothers when they need it.

Part 5. The cosmos.

When the boys were stuck in other galaxy, Leo was upset as well. We saw it two times; when the turtles were told about their location and when they thought they have lost the Fugitoid to Triceratons. During both instances the situation seemed to be dead-end, Leo clearly didn’t know what to do next and for him it automatically meant that they have failed. This affected his spirit similarly to how he was acting in Northampton, however Raph couldn’t help him the second time. Leo needed something else. He needed hope. And when he has it he is unstoppable.

Leo was really active during the cosmic arc; he was doing the job that every leader should when his team finds themselves in unknown circumstances. The arc has listed out the reasons why Leo is a good leader:

1. Because he uses strategy.

2. Because he can think fast under pressure.

3. Because he is ready to take risks.

4. Because he is resourceful.

Part 6. City at War.

Leo (and Karai of course) has always played an important role in ‘City at War’ arc.

Before we dive in Leo’s character we have to briefly talk about the conflict. Leo felt responsible for waking up the mafia and turning the city into chaos because of Shredder’s death and he wanted to do something about it.

However his family found the idea of staying at home and doing nothing about the war more appealing, which Leo didn’t like. And even if Mikey said that he understood where Leo was coming from, it wasn’t enough for him to go with Leo to fix their wrongdoings. No one supported Leo, but that wasn’t a problem for him, because he didn’t need an approval from his family; even Splinter, who Leo respected the most, couldn’t change his mind and couldn’t stop him from running away.

‘City at War’ was always known for its main theme of revenge, but this time the writers decided to create a new theme to keep the story different and this theme revolves around, as Splinter has said in the end, following your heart. During the whole arc Leo was acting according to his own views and he always stayed true to himself, which means that his beliefs are strong and he is ready to act independently from his family if needed.

Part 7. Leo’s fear.

In the third season there was an episode about turtle’s fear. At first glance the story doesn’t give us a complex explanation to work with, but with more research more details rise to the surface.

There is a good analysis of this episode on the site, so we are going to link it.

Overall, while Leo does hate the idea of failure, his deepest fears are connected to other issues and it’s great, because it indeed makes him more complex.

 Part 8. The fourth season.

It’s the culmination of everything we have learned about him.

The conflict is in one way the opposite of the conflict in Northampton. In the first season Leo was the only one who got heavily injured, but in the finale of the third season everyone in Leo’s family was injured. While talking to Usagi and April in ‘Sons of the Silent Age’ and ‘Samurai Tourist’ Leo described his feelings the following way: ‘the only thing that I could think of was to blow up the ship’, ‘I couldn’t save them’, ‘I was useless’, ‘I wasn’t good enough’. Most of his thoughts were connected to his family and because of his sense of responsibility for them Leo felt guilty for not finding another way to solve the problem. This brings us to the conclusion: while in the first season Leo’s distress was only about him, in the fourth season it was about his family, which is why he was traumatized so deeply.

Just like in the ‘City at War’ Leo have decided to fix his failure by doing everything to protect his family.

Firstly he had to fix himself. He started to train more, forgetting completely about having fun with his brothers (in other word isolated himself). He also became more ruthless with enemies.

And secondly he had to fix his family. He started to train them himself and by accusing them of being immature demanded his brothers to take threats and tasks seriously.

However that wasn’t enough. His self-hatred, him not wanting to talk about his trauma openly, the need to be stronger and his non-acceptance of defeat pressured Leo and as a result he lost his grip and took his anger out on Splinter.

With the Ancient One Leo has learned to accept his failure and to not feel guilty over something he couldn’t control.

After that Leo has fully developed, he didn’t have any more room to grow. He was finished and the writer understood that as well.

The conclusion.

Turns out that Leo was actually a well explored character with rich traits, but why then people like j-penny love to say the opposite?

The first reason is that people simply don’t find these traits interesting. The other reason is that people don’t think that being kind, committed to an old code of honor and showing dedication towards one's family or studying are worthwhile qualities, which is why the only thing that some people notice about Leo is the fact that he is the leader and that he has some insecurities. That creates a limited image of the character, not to mention that some fans twist the image and make Leo a controlling, cold and boring leader, which he is not. Is this Leo’s fault? No way.

So… can you not like Leonardo? Of course, it’s just a matter of taste. But can you belittle Leo in order to put another character on the pedestal? No one is stopping you, but would that make you sound smart and your statement sound true just because you have learned some buzzwords that don’t hold any real evidence? Decide that for yourself.

We were actually thinking about analyzing other incarnations (especially Mirage's Leo, since he is also one of our favorite versions), but we didn't have any time or power to do so...

(*) -  These quotes were taken from the archive of an official Mirage studios site

[spectrumscribe]

how did you like the new episode!

Just watched it, and oh am I fucking salty.

I live reacted to the happenings in the episode as I watched it, so you can all see my opinion form as it did.

Read on below, spoilers for folks who haven’t seen Season 5 episode 1 yet.

Nice to see that Raph and Casey are still The Worst andbeing bros now where’s my jonatello friendship

Cults in the sewers. Nice.

They all look like ET tho.

Raph continues to be Casey’s self-restraint, which he sorelyneeds more of.

And cut to the opening sequence.

Okay so personally speaking, as a big fan of cowboy-bebop, I’mkind of digging the new opening? I mean they forgot Casey in it, but I like themusic. The animation could be better, but eh, I’ll take what I can get at thispoint.

Love how there’s nofucking continuity with the fact that they just lost their fucking dad. Fuckthis.

Why aren’t they mourning. Christ.

On the other hand, fanboy Leo is back. I like this Leo betterthan hero Leo by about 100%.

“-too disturbing forkids.” – right up my alley, then.

Okay so idk if anyone else feels this way, but captain Ryan’sbehavior and characterization reminds me of a certain other leader who needs to quite slapping around his team members. (emotionally and physically.)

That’s probably not what they’re trying to metaphor here,but you know, I can have my own opinion.

“-so Casey Jones andhis sidekick Raph gave chase.” – Casey you are a blessing to us all.

Love how pissed Raph is in this shot.^^^

Apparently Donnie has sensors in the sewers, and bothers tokeep track of the homeless population. Interesting. Would’ve been nice if they’dbrought this in earlier in theseries, when it would’ve been more useful.

EY IT’S CULT TIME NAUGHTY CHILDREN HOORAY

Why are there so many caverns under the city omg

FURBIES

FUCK FURBIES DONNIE WHY DO YOU HAVE THOSE

April’s powers are amazing and I love her?? So much.

WHY FURBIES THOUGH. DONNIE FUCKING WHY.

Does anyone else have irrational fear of those? Or that awestern side of the world thing.

oh god so many furbies everywhere

I’m enjoying the team ups. It’s a good change from theusually ‘b-team’ ‘a-team’ nonsense. Leo+Mikey and Donnie+Raph gives better roomfor their individual dynamics to shine. Plus you know, the team humans (if Aprilcan be really counted for that) deserve some time off from their crazy mutantfriends.

Chanting time. Lovely.

Guys no don’t interrupt chanting time, that’s rude.

Someone tell that alien-thing to wash its mouth out, who knows where Mikey’s hands have been.

You would all be dead 3000x over if not for Donnie’sinventions. Be grateful you little shits.

Oh they’re immortal-ish. Great.

Ah fuck there goes Mikey again. Why do they always do thisto him.

Jesus Christ his arm. Leo’s arm.

AH HA THE POLICE

Do these men even knowwhat shit goes on in this city.

Moving to the lair and-

THAT’S NOT HOW YOU FIX A DISLOCATED ARM I SWEAR TO GOD

I KNOW FIRST AID. THAT’S NOT HOW YOU DO IT.

Leo would be in so much pain, my god. I hate the blatant disregardof reality in this show sometimes. (fictional setting, yes, but still.)

Casey hates magic? Anyone remember him saying that before? Idk. (maybe something to do with him getting cursed last season? probably.)

Mikey no. This isn’t Ghost Busters. yet

Oh lovely, more domestic abuse. Fucking love that.

Had to stop the video, Jesus Christ. Wow I hate this showsometimes. Like right now. Fucking GOD.

“What did I tell youabout the imagination thing? Focus!” - what the shit Raph, what is yourdamage?? You hit Mikey out of the blue, fortaking a moment to imagine something? They’re not in battle, Mikey’s not inthe middle of an important conversation, the fuck is wrong with him thinkingabout something else for a moment?

^^^One of these days, this kid is going to fucking snap, and I amgoing to support him in his rage. (also, @redworld96 for the awesome video links. thanks for those.)

Once again, Donnie is the one who figures things out. Maybe they’llthank him this time around. spoilers: they didn’t

Oh no. The angst moment. I knew it was coming.

“Do not be sad, my son.”-SPLINTER YOU ARE DEAD, WHY THE FUCK WOULDN’T HE BE.

Had to pause again, because FUCK. Here we go with the bullshitty nonsense where Splinterappears to exactly one kid, and one kid only, even when he has three other sons and a daughter, PLUS theother two humans he basically adopted.

Yeah, just show the fuck up Splinter and tell your grievingkid not to be upset you’re dead and have left them with minimal training and noguardian. Fucking sure.

My god I hate this. Telling them you’re always with them does not make it so. Holy fuck that’s nothelpful at all you’re just driving him crazier.

Oh and now he’s gone. SEE I TOLD YOU. AND LEO TELLS FUCKINGNO ONE ABOUT IT. HE’S GONNA HAVE LIKE TEN KINDS OF COMPLEXES WHEN HE GETS OLDERAND I WON’T BLAME HIM FOR IT.

Why won’t you kids just communicate how you’re all feelingfor once? FOR. ONCE.

Ninja time it seems. Nice to see them acting like a team, even though their ‘leader’ is keeping secrets. Ithink I’d personally be pissed if a sibling of mine kept the fact that our dead father was still sort of around and able to talk to us. What the shit.

I’m already tired of this. le-fucking-sigh.

Why are there so many weird caverns under NYC. Seriously. There’sa whole canyon, and now a cult cavern too. How have the people of NYC notnoticed this.

Love how Tigerclaw’s reaction to his master dying is tostart a cult. Bruh, fucking same.

But where did the weirdo ET’s come from.

Leo is visibly struggling with being a leader. I can feelanother arc all about him coming up. Yikes™.

Captured again. Beautiful. Now see? This is why Splinter’s whole “I have taught you all I know” was a fucking lie. They clearly do not know everything he had to teach them, andtelling them they did was really shit parenting and sensei-ing.

Honestly, Splinter at the end there was just shit allaround. Continued once again by him visiting only Leo, and not sparing even a peep to his other grieving kids. It’sofficial, 2014/16 Splinter is the best splinter, and 2003 Splinter was milesbetter than 2012 him. And- 2012Splinter is now on par for shittiness with 2007 Splinter, which I did not thinkwas possible. Ta-fucking-da.

“-so we can beat youagain?” – Leo exactly who is captured right now? You. It’s you. You are notbeating anyone here.

Wow. The ET’s are Mole people. Why am I not surprised.

When in doubt summon a demon. I can abide that. I’d do it ifI had nothing to lose.

Seriously how does New York not notice how batshit theircity is.

Shit. Shit.

Demons. Holy fuck.

I have a small crush on the dragon dude. I’m really digging his design. #it’snotbeingafurryifit’sscaley

I’m laughing bc Kravaxas definitelywants to murder TC for this. You can just hear it in his voice.

Hi yeah I’m down for the demon villain. I’m a sucker forthem, 100%.

Mikey can’t catch a break this episode. Poor sot.

Oh ho ho shit,Kravaxas really hates TC.

Why can’t Donnie do anything ever? Why won’t they give himthat?

At least everyone’s getting the same treatment.

Get fucked, Leo.

OH HEY. PEOPLE SHOWING CONCERN FOR DONNIE. A thank you to Raphand Casey for giving a shit, for once.

Slow-mo oh no. Thank god for red heads.

April is better than these people deserve. But fuck, not more people trying to use April fortheir own ends. Christ, can’t the narrative let her have control of herself/herlife for once?

The amount of murderous intent in Kravaxas’ voice is myfave.

Oh yup. There it is. Leo asking Donnie to solve theirproblems. Again. And no thank you insight, not for this favor or the work he did earlier.

“Can we get our handson, say, two or three dozen tanks?” – Casey. No.

At least I got some jonatello interaction, even if it wasextra stress on Donnie’s part.

April can read minds now? What??? That might be a problem,since she semi-lives with five teenage guys, lmao.

Why does TC love Shredder so much? Idk. Maybe they were athing, somehow. With the pairings this show comes up with, I’m not surprised byanything anymore.

Aaaaaaaaaand fade to black.

 ————————————————

Overall opinion? Salt.

I’m firmly in the part of the fandom, small as it seems tobe, that sees a good portion of the brother-brother dynamics as abusive, and I didn’tenjoy the moment between Raph and Mikey atall. It’s frustrating for me to watch, and it only fuels my vitriolicopinions on things. Hated that part, same as all the other parts in the seriesthat’ve been the same content.

Plus, Donnie being asked to solve everything for everyoneyet again. He looks so tired, give him a vacation and a restraining order onhis family.

The other parts were sort of… meh, for me? I mean, I’m happy for more canon content to fuel mywriting, but it didn’t give me anything in terms of emotion? Besides anger.

Like, there’s been zerocontinuation on the fact that their actualfreaking dad just died. You don’t just moveon like that. No one except Leo, because of course it was just Leo, showed any sort of mourning emotions overtheir dead dad. They’re seventeen maybe,and on their own in a world that wants them dead.How the hell are they supposed to just pick up and carry on fine like without any sort of grieving process?

0/10 for emotions, continuity, and satisfying content forme, excluding this-

-because Mikey deservesto get mad. If they ever address the amount of anger he’s got stored up in him,and do it properly, I’ll be over thefucking moon. But likely, even if they did, they’d devalue his legitamentfeelings, and tell him to get over it and grow up. Fuck canon for making meexpect exactly that sort of low quality writing.

Just. Augh.

So far, I liked onemoment in this episode, and it was only because it made me justifiably angry. That’s notexactly a resounding applause on my part of things.

Here’s to hoping they pull a hat-trick out their asses,because I’m not expecting anything good from this season so far. (I have hopesfor the vampire arc, but oh they are wishful ones.)