#rise leo and 2012 leo fight over who’s version is better tho.

[forgetful-nerd]

It's their mission to Indoctrinate every Leo they come across.

[plum-pitt]

oooo, figured i’d reblog bc i think alot of these r really interesting! side note: won’t be commenting on versions i haven’t watched/read, or the ones i just.. don’t have much of anything to say about. I put these in numbered order matching with which take im responding to, if a number is skipped then it’s corresponding take is one i didn’t feel the need to comment on.

1: Yes and No on 2012 April. I think she’s definitely over hated by a fanbase that hyper-dramatizes how “awful” she is (i feel like how people tend to look at Donnie as a victim and make excuses for his weird behavior by making her look worse by comparison def feeds into this, at least from the discourse i’ve witnessed personally) I think she’s got some interesting ideas behind her, like having the kraang dna, but i just don’t think she has a super strong identity to me, like she feels more like a plot device and eye candy for Donnie and Casey to fist fight over than an actual character. Just an unfortunate byproduct of male writers who haven’t yet learned that objectifying women is wrong.

2: Eh, I kinda agree with this one too. I feel like he could’ve been INFINITELY better if we just got more time with the guy and got to see more of his personality shine through outside of the consistent crisis-mode the plot necessitated. His design totally fucks tho, the mask with Leo’s markings, the chainsaw hockey stick? Straight HEAT.

4: Valid, but also I think in some instances (importantly ones where they’re the same age) Casey and Raph can be a cute lil combo. But only on occasion, sometimes the vibes are there but sometimes they’re not.

5: I FEEL THIS SO HARD. She’s so intriguing but her arc is so infuriatingly paced that it makes me want to pull my hair out. I couldn’t even put to words why i hated it until i saw a video by godzilla mendoza that laid out the show’s overall pacing problem by using her arc as an example, showing EXACTLY how long everything took and how often they’d dangle development in front of the viewer just to rip it away with some contrived bs so they don’t have to commit to a status quo shift.

6: Eh it’s alright but yea definitely overdone at this point. I like that they give eachother shit all the time and have this cautious nerd vs. reckless jackass dynamic going on but i hate that so much of their onscreen interaction and most of their rivalry just comes from both of them wanting to get with April.

7: I agree, but i think the reason is that Mikey just didn’t get nearly enough focus in Rise to properly stand out. I really liked what little we got of him and think they definitely could’ve taken what we see in the show to some really cool places if given the proper time to flesh them out, but it just never came to be which is a damn shame.

8: BASED. I’m so fucking sick of April being shipped with the turtles you have NO IDEA BRO😭😭😭 It’s never once been done well imo, Mutant Mayhem was definitely the least egregious but i have this sinking feeling in my stomach that this might change with the series coming up soon. I feel like this franchise as a whole can do without shipping for the turtles, at least in the canon source material. Fanworks can go crazy, more power to em, but i feel like most of the romantic relationships we’ve seen attempted across the franchise proper have just never quite stuck the landing, and at least for me that can really bring down my enjoyment of a show.

9: Also based as fuck, 80’s shredder is so funny I love him and his dynamic with Kraang.

12: I agree! I think it’s a super fucking cool idea to have Casey start out as a cop. Then some inciting incident could happen that maybe exposes some corruption or something to make him realize that operating inside that system is not what he thought it would be, and that if he wants justice to truly be served he needs to take it into his own hands, thus becoming a vigilante. But hooooooly shit did they do this concept dirty. His casting is a big factor here too, no offense to that actor but he just did not fit this character well at all, and his writing was abysmal.

14: I actually do kinda feel this. It’s like you’ve got the other 3 turtles of mildly varying size and builds, and then Raph, who’s just this absolute fucking behemoth. It’s not necessarily his size that’s the problem to me rather than how he looks grouped together with his siblings. I feel like it could’ve worked if they pushed the varying body types a bit more (maybe make mikey just like this teeny lil goblin, Donnie could be taller than raph since spiney softshells irl also get pretty big, but much slimmer by comparison, while Leo keeps a build closer to what we see in canon) Either level the playing field a bit by making Raph a lil smaller or go ALL IN on making them completely different body types from one another. As it stands the lineup is just a lil bit awkward to me.

15: I think the worst part about 2012 Mikey is that sometimes he’s shown to be incredibly competent and then the next he’s like “baby drinking the chemicals in the cabinet under the sink” levels of stupid. Like idk how i’m supposed to be attached to this guy when the writers can’t seem to decide what he even is. Him getting slapped around is definitely excessive, but also he’s an annoying jackass sometimes who needs to learn common sense, and i can’t say i wouldn’t be in the brother’s boat of just getting irritated with him if i was in their position a lot of the time.

16: ABSOLUTELY. The crossovers never do their individual characterization justice because they’d rather make the same “haha look at these dumb 80’s guys, they’re so incompetent and can’t take anything seriously” jokes every time. Just because their series of origin is lighthearted and they’re all capable of doing the funny doesn’t make them all the same character. You saw people making this exact same shitty ass argument when Rise first came out and people saw them all just having fun together and not taking a threat they did not know the magnitude of super seriously. It’s an argument so clearly born of ignorance i feel stupid even dignifying it with a response. The only reason anyone would make this argument is if they just haven’t watched the show.

17: I actually really like them together in 2003, i think their slow burn development is a super fun little side plot to follow that ends really cathartically. Otherwise, 2012 was ass for obvious reasons, I think Rise!April getting with Cassandra is a pretty cool idea, aaaaaaand well the others i just don’t have any strong opinions about. I think they’re pretty boring most of the time but when done right they can be super cute.

18: I feel like a lot of Mikey’s i can see totally vibin with just having a bunch of friends. Like I wouldn’t go as far as saying I think he’s aromantic necessarily, but i don’t see him as being the kind of guy who feels like he needs a romantic connection to be happy. So long as he’s got his buds in the blunt rotation, my guy is perfectly content in life.

19: Based, people using her actions under MIND CONTROL to justify not liking April is yet another example of people bending over backwards to make her look like a bad person when- she’s really not? Like i personally find her a bit irritating but even i can point out that a lot of the criticism made against her are hypocritical at best and downright bad faith at worst.

20: I honestly can’t say i have a favorite canon ship in for this franchise, it’s not really what i come to it for in the first place, but i can see the appeal of Raph and Mona, even if there’s a couple elements of it i’d personally tweak.

Some of My TMNT Hot Takes 🔥

Warning: Opinions

2012 April was a good character and a fun version/take on April. Y’all are just mean.

Casey Jr. in the Rise movie was a bland and uninteresting character. He did not feel like/deserve to be called a “Casey Jones”.

Jennika in IDW, while a cool concept/character, is overused/overrated.

I don’t like shipping Raph (any version) with human characters. I prefer him dating other mutants or aliens.

2012 Karai is the best/most interesting version of Karai, but she’s also one of the most irritating recurring characters in 2012. I love and hate her.

Jonatello in 2012 is overrated as hell.

Rise Mikey is very forgettable (to me).

April needs to stop being shipped with the Turtles and being their love interest.

87 Shredder is the BEST version of Shredder!

I liked the Irma being a robot twist in 2012. It was an injustice to the Irma character but it was still shocking, and I do like her kinda return as Rook, so there’s some credit to that.

2007 Splinter was a bad dad.

Casey being a cop in the bayverse movies was an interesting take that could’ve worked for his backstory of becoming a vigilante, but it was executed poorly.

IDW Donnie x Mona Lisa is stupid and a completely pointless ship to include in the comics. It feels very forced.

Rise Raph is too big. That, or the other characters are too small. Either way, while I like Rise Raph, his design feels off sometimes.

2012 Mikey is actually annoying and often deserves to be scolded by his brothers for doing dumb immature shit. He’s 15, not 5, he should know better.

The 87 Turtles DO have individual and unique personalities, that includes 87 Leo!

Capril is not a good ship, but I’d still much rather ship April with Casey than with any of the Turtles.

While I love 2012 Renetangelo and 87 Kalangelo, Mikey is the one Turtle that I don’t think needs a love interest. I’d much rather see him be single.

If you’re mad at/hate 2012 April for “killing Donnie” when being possessed in that one episode, but don’t feel the same towards Raph, Karai, Slash and Rockwell for torturing/hurting their friends/family when brainwashed, the you’re a massive hypocrite.

Raph x Mona Lisa in 2012 is the BEST TMNT ship that came out of the four TMNT franchises that Nickelodeon has made. Maybe even the best overall couple in all of TMNT.

[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!