Leonardo

Leonardo (Leo) is a fictional character that appears in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and all related franchise.In most media he is shown to be the oldest out of the four,he wears a blue bandana. His signature weapons are two Katana.he is depicted as the leader of the four turtles and the most disciplined. He is named after Leonardo da Vinci

Origin
See Origin.

Personality
Leonardo personality is that he is the calmest of the four,He is often at odds with his more hot-headed brother, Raphael.Leonardo was fairly modest and sensitive, rarely issuing direct commands and seemingly much more relaxed around his brothers thinking of himself as more of an equal than a leader.

Mirage Studios
In Volume 1 of the original comic series by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, Leonardo plays an important role. At the beginning of the series, he is fifteen. In the early stories, he is not explicitly referred to as leader, though he usually speaks for the team. Further in the series, he openly states his position as leader to Raphael in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , 1992. He is the team's primary strategist (except in situations related to technology, Donatello's field).

In Leonardo, Leonardo goes out for a run on the rooftops of New York City and is ambushed by the Foot Clan. He puts up an admirable fight against the Foot soldiers, but is eventually overwhelmed by them and rendered seriously injured and nearly unconscious. He is thrown through April O'Neil's apartment window.The remaining Turtles and Splinter are forced to continue the fight, but even with the aid of Casey Jones, the odds are against them.

In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (vol. 1) #11, when the four Turtles, Splinter, April O'Neil and Casey Jones retreat to a farm house in Northampton, Leonardo recovers physically, but seems despondent and lacking confidence. He repeatedly attempts, unsuccessfully, to hunt for deer. While out hunting, he sees April fall through ice into a lake, and he rescues her. In all subsequent issues, it is implied that Leonardo has regained most of his confidence.

In the storyline, Return to New York (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (vol. 1) #19-21), Raphael demands that the Turtles return to New York to confront the Foot Clan and Shredder, accusing Leonardo of cowardice. The two argue and soon come to blows. Leonardo is beaten by Raphael, who throws Leonardo through the wall of the barn and leaves alone. Donatello and Michaelangelo return to New York shortly thereafter with Leonardo and reunite with their wayward brother in the old sewer lair. The three go along with Raphael's plan to storm the Foot Headquarters. The four Turtles infiltrate the Foot Clan headquarters, where once again Raphael goes off on his own to confront Shredder, only to be ambushed and beaten by Shredder's Elite Guard. After being rescued by Leonardo, Raphael cedes to Leonardo's leadership out of respect to his older brother and returns to aid Michelangelo and Donatello, leaving Leonardo to fight Shredder in a battle that spills out onto the rooftop of the building and kill him by decapitation just as the building implodes. The Turtles later burn Shredder's corpse in a funeral pyre in a nearby Manhattan harbor.

In the City at War storyline (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (vol. 1) #50-62), a feud between various factions of the Foot Clan over leadership is fought on the streets of New York with the Turtles and the civilian populace caught in the middle. In the story, Leonardo grows weary of constant battle with the Foot Clan and seems fraught with indecision. The Turtles are approached by Karai, the leader of the Foot Clan in Japan who has come to New York to unite the Foot. She presents the Turtles with an offer of a truce between the Foot and the Turtles if they help her kill Shredder's Elite Guards, which are a major obstacle to her reorganizing the Foot. Leonardo persuades his brothers to accept Karai's offer (much to Raphael's chargin) and all four Turtles work with Karai to eliminate the Elite Guard.

In Volume 2 of the Mirage Studios comic, the turtles begin living in separate places. Leonardo decides to live in a newfound sewer lair. Michelangelo and Raphael notice a change in Leonardo and note that he seems more easygoing, though Raphael points out that his and Leonardo's natural order is to be "buttin' heads."

In Volume 4, Leonardo still leads his brothers in fights against crime. The conflict between Leonardo and Raphael seems to be greatly lessened as both characters have "mellowed," being in their thirties. When the Utroms make a very public arrival on Earth and reveal alien life to humans, however, the Turtles become free to mingle in everyday society. The Turtles also help the Utroms acclimate to life on Earth and work alongside the Foot Clan as security. Leonardo has a new rival in the Foot Clan, member Cha Ocho, which stems from an encounter they two had years prior. After much of the Foot Clan throughout the world is wiped out by a mysterious warrior leaving only the New York branch intact, Leonardo works with them and Karai to subdue the warrior. His investigation takes him to the Battle Nexus, where he meets Oroku Yoshi (who wears armor similar to the Shredder's).

Image Comics
Leonardo was given a similar personality in the Image comic books to his Mirage counterpart (at the time, Image was picking up where Volume 2 left off). In the latter issues of the series, he lost a hand, although this did not seem to deter him significantly. He tried initially to use a prosthetic hand, which was given to him by Donatello, but he much preferred to wear a steel cap which came with a retractable blade. In the current Mirage series, this and other events in the Image Comics series are treated as non-canon, though the series is still referred to as "Volume 3".

Archie Comics
The Archie Comics series initially began as an adaptation of 1987 animated series, so Leonardo was naturally portrayed like his animated counterpart. In the Archie Comics series, Leonardo had a rather strong dislike for firearms. Also, a future version of Leonardo was depicted, having founded a ninja school. Four of his top students were depicted, Nobuko, possibly his love interest; Miles, a young black man; Carmen, a Latino woman; and Bob, an anthropomorphic baboon. These students seemed to have an "extended family" relationship with the Turtles, Bob in particular referring to them as uncles.

Coming Out of Their Shells
In the stage show, Leo plays bass guitar and is a backup vocalist.

1987 animated series
Main article: Leonardo (1987 TV Series)

In the 1987 TV series' theme song lyrics, Leonardo is said outright to be the leader of the TMNT, and there is little disputing this; his orders are usually followed, and he is a very serious do-gooder who hardly ever makes wise cracks. In one episode, he suffered a crisis of confidence and left the group to do some soul searching; his brothers all tried their hands at being the leader in his stead, only to find that none of them could match his leadership skills, and he came back to them. He was attracted to a young kunoichi named Lotus Blossom, a swordswoman prodigy from Japan who was hired by Krang to replace Shredder, whom she easily defeated (along with Rocksteady and Bebop). She and Leonardo dueled to a standstill before she resorted to a trick sword to knock him out. When they met the second time, she tried to convince him to join her as "ninja for hire", but he refused. She turned on Krang and escaped to continue her mercenary lifestyle, telling Leonardo that there was little good in goodness, though she hoped that they would one day be on the same side. This is the only version of the TMNT mythos where Leonardo does not have his sibling rivalry with Raphael.

When the cartoon series starts out, he is shown with having a very level head, akin to his leadership qualities in the comic. However, as the series carried on, he became more reactionary and at times would screech in the very high pitched voice, which was very different from the original, deeper pitch in the first season. This presumably may have been the result of the writers downplaying Leonardo as a hero in favor of Michaelangelo and Raphael, who were more popular with audiences.

Leonardo also seems to enjoy reading. For example, many times when the Turtles are at home, Leo is reading a book. In the episode Four Musketurtles, he is the only Turtle that read The Three Musketeers. Another good example is in Leonardo is Missing; while the other Turtles go to an arcade, Leonardo stays at the lair and reads.

In the season 3 episode Take Me to Your Leader, Leonardo gives up his leadership and walks away after a dream he believes convinces him he is no longer a good leader. The others have to find him, and stop Shredder, Krang, Bebop and Rocksteady from draining energy from the Sun with a Solar Siphon and store it in solar batteries. However, Leonardo returns when he spots a bridge collapsing due to snow. After a man says that everybody talks about the weather but nobody does anything, Leonardo realizes his responsibility and begins to search for his brothers. He later finds them, and together they save the Earth.

In the Season 6 episode Snakes Alive, it is revealed that Leonardo has ophidiophobia, but confronted it later.

He was also the most dedicated Turtle towards protecting humanity by the time of the Red Sky episodes, when Raphael and Donatello expressed dissatisfaction towards the people whom they felt abandoned them, Leo would answer that the humans were simply misled by their enemies and that he won't stop doing good simply because it wasn't appreciated.

This is seemingly the only incarnation of the TMNT in which Leonardo's swords are curved, possibly due to problems with animation, thus the term katana could be used.

In the original English language version of the 1987 cartoon show, Leonardo's voice actor was Cam Clarke (who also voiced Rocksteady). Leonardo is generally considered to be Clarke's "breakout role" and is still one of his best known parts. In the Hebrew language version, Leonardo was dubbed by Ido Mosseri.

Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation
Main article: Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation

In 1997-1998, Leonardo along with the other Ninja Turtles were featured in a short-lived live-action series. He also carried one double bladed ninjaken instead of two. His sibling rivalry with Raphael drove many episodes. In one episode where they were sparring, Raphael took advantage of Leo's apparent physical weakening, insulting, mocking and taunting his brother to make him more reckless, until finally Leo lost his temper and angrily kicked Raph so hard that he sent Raph flying across the sewer den. They spent the rest of the episode arguing and challenging each other to tests of skill (some of them quite absurd) until finally using arm wrestling to decide who would live in the sewer and who would leave. Although Leo won, it was decided that Raph should stay.

2003 series
Main article: Leonardo (2003 TV Series)

In the 2003 animated TV series, Leonardo is voiced by Michael Sinterniklaas while in the Japanese version, he is voiced by Tetsuya Kakihara. In the Finnish version, he is voiced by Samuel Harjanne (during seasons 1 and 2) and Markus Blom.. He is the de facto leader of the group and the most "spiritual" of the four. He has a very close bond with Splinter, and has a strong sense of honor, ethics and Bushido. Leonardo's twin swords are slung across his back. Episodes that deal with the Shredder and honor usually also focus on Leonardo, and he is often the Turtle who "saves the day." Leonardo is a more sensitive, self-doubting character than in previous incarnations. Raphael often quarrels with him and resents his leadership, sarcastically calling Leonardo "Fearless Leader", although the two are shown to be very close at times. Though Leonardo's relationships with his other brothers Michelangelo and Donatello are not as volatile, both have made comments alluding to the high standards the former has set, and his tendency to make them look bad. Despite this, his brothers view him as a pillar of strength and are at a loss when he is injured or absent. One of Leonardo's most prominent qualities is his determination to believe the best in people, even potential enemies (i.e., Karai, Traximus and Quarry). He also seems to have feelings for Karai, who is the Utrom Shredder's adopted daughter.

At times, Leonardo is shown to be very hard on himself, as he feels that a lot is expected of him. As in the Mirage comics, Leonardo is ambushed and seriously injured by the Foot Clan and he feels he let his family and himself down. He has the same feelings after the final battle with the Shredder-his anger and self-doubt was caused by Karai, whom he believed was an honorable ally (and had a small crush on), but she was unable to go against her master's orders, eventually causing her to stab Leonardo (albeit unintentionally). Leonardo also feels extremely inadequate, as he believes that again, he let himself and his family down, this time by finding no other way to destroy the Shredder than to blow up the spaceship that both the Shredder and the Turtles were on; the Turtles and Splinter would have perished if they had not been rescued by Utroms. Eventually, Leonardo finds inner peace under the guidance of the Ancient One, who trained Splinter's sensei, Hamato Yoshi. From their final battle with the Utrom Shredder, Leonardo was the only turtle to sustain truly lasting damage; part of his shell on his upper left shoulder had its edge shorn. Nevertheless, he is arguably the most skilled of the Turtles, being the only one trained by two senseis and is capable of facing and defeating Karai, the new Shredder, in a one-on-one fight. In addition, he bested and very nearly caused serious injury to Splinter when he lost his temper after the final battle with the original Shredder.

Through much of the fourth season, Leonardo becomes increasingly stern. His brothers worry about him and Splinter feels he must move on. It comes to a head when Leonardo loses his temper and nearly causes Splinter serious injury during a training session. Splinter sends Leonardo to find Master Yoshi's own sensei, The Ancient One. Leonardo encounters a strange short man, as well as obstacles that echo his own anger. In the end, Leonardo admits that he was angry over failing his family while fighting the Shredder and that his only option was to self-destruct the ship to stop him. Leonardo comes to terms with his anger and begins training under the short man, who turns out to be the Ancient One. Leonardo only leaves when he learns that his family is in danger (a result of Karai's vengeance, which destroys the lair and presumably eliminates them). Leonardo returns to the city, reunites his family in a safe location, and battles Karai (giving her one last chance to leave the Turtles in peace).



Ninja Tribunal
In the fifth season, of the eight acolytes under the Ninja Tribunal's training, Leonardo is the only one who doesn't receive a weapon from the Spirit Forge. No real explanation is given for this, but one is that since the others were given weapons to aid them in battle, Leo simply didn't need the extra help. He is his own best weapon (or that he was far too conscious about the flames and was the last one to accept the fact they were safe, therefore not considered worthy of one). It couldn't have been because of his Battle Nexus blades because they were shown to be broken in previous episodes. The most accepted and concrete explanation is that Gunshin was his true blade and that he was only allowed to wield it once he got over his doubts of self-worth in the eyes of the Tribunal. His otherworldly form is that of a dragon, a rare form, unheard of in someone his age. It is shown destroying evil guarding the second artifact with its ki alone. This avatar is first shown in More Worlds Than One. His brothers later exhibit dragon avatars as well. In the fifth episode Beginning of the End, he is given the sword "Gunshin" (one of the Fangs of the Dragon that commands the "White Flame of the Dragon King") by the dying Faraji Ngala. He returns Gunshin in episode 12 Enter the Dragons, Part 1 when Faraji returns to help battle the Tengu Shredder.

Fast Forward
In the Fast Forward season, and the Back to the Sewer season, the damage that occurred to Leonardo's shell as stated above has somehow been repaired. Also, Leonardo is the only one who still completely focuses on his training in the future while his brothers absorb the world of the future.



Back to the Sewer
In the Back to the Sewer season, Leo and his brothers must find Master Splinter's data bits after Viral blasted him apart into Cyberspace. At the end of the series, Leo goes to Casey and April's wedding and helped get Splinter back. After that, Leo and his brothers battle Cyber Foot Ninjas and defeat the Cyber Shredder. Leo also sees Casey and April get married after all the Foot Ninja and the Cyber Shredder are defeated. Leo is still the most skilled in combat despite this, he did not kill the Cyber Shredder but he helped.

First Film
In the first TMNT movie, Leonardo was fairly modest and sensitive, rarely issuing direct commands; he also joked around with his brothers much more than in other versions of the TMNT. It was he who first communicated telepathically with a kidnapped Splinter in the first movie, but he was not ambushed by the Foot Clan (Raphael was), nor did he kill the Shredder. However, he is the only one of the four Turtles to successfully injure Shredder during their climactic battle. Due to the focus on Raphael in the film's plot, Leonardo's personality was rarely explored and his leader position in the team took a back seat. He was acted by David Forman and voiced by Brian Tochi.

Second Film
In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, Leonardo was much more prominent and his leader position was brought to focus. He is seen on many occasions bickering with Raphael as their sibling rivalry begins to become much more serious. He, like his brothers, was astonished at the return of the Foot but he found that their current homelessness due to their last battle was a more pressing issue and soon he convinced his brothers that they needed to move. Leonardo is once again sensitive, caring, and humorous in this adaption but he now appears much more bossy and controlling.

Third Film
In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, Leonardo leads helps his brothers back in feudal Japan to go back home after helping a village in trouble from the greedy-western-colony driven man, Walker.

In both Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, his actor was Mark Caso and he was voiced again by Brian Tochi.

Fourth Film
In the Fourth film, Leo was sent away by Master Splinter to hone his skills in becoming a more efficient leader after Shredder's defeat. April finds him in Central America, and while he was hesitant to return to New York City, he does at the right time to take on the dangerous new force of evil. His relationship with Raphael is strained due to Raphael feeling abandoned by Leo as well as feeling less appreciated by Splinter. Leonardo's vision of the world is perhaps wider than Raphael's; in the first movie prequel comic, Leo becomes angry with Raphael for trying to leave them in order to save a man from being mugged, because there are four heavily armed Triceratons in the sewers who could cause devastation to the city. He becomes further angered when Raphael deserts them mid-battle to help the old man. This conflict suggests that the two brothers operate on different levels of morality, though neither is necessarily wrong. Raphael states in the comic that he was tired of waiting for disaster to fall on his family, and tired of fighting aliens while people in their own neighborhood are being mugged and murdered. Leonardo, on the other hand, believes that the world of men is the responsibility of the police, while Utroms and Triceratons are their domain, and that they should fight only when there is no one else to solve the problem. This also engages Leo in a contradiction when he stays in Central America, using violence to fight local lawlessness and effectively deserting his brothers because he believes, as Raphael believes, that others need him more. Such parallels suggest that the two brothers are experiencing the same dedication to justice but in different mentality, albeit in very different locales and using different tactics.

In the TMNT CGI movie, Raphael challenges Leonardo after arguing of their own individual sense of justice and the reasons for their actions, Leo also discovers that Raphael is the Nightwatcher, and they engage in a fight. He is defeated when Raphael breaks his swords and pins him to the floor. Raphael almost kills Leo, then retreats due to his brother's deep and confused stare. Leonardo is captured by the Stone Generals and Foot Clan, but is rescued by his family later before the final battle where Leonardo and Raphael finally resolve their differences, Raphael accepting Leo as their leader while Leonardo confesses to needing Raphael. Leonardo is voiced by James Arnold Taylor in this film.

Quotes
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles First Movie


 * [of Shredder, who just showed up] Can anyone tell me who or what *this* is?
 * I never said I was a great leader.
 * One of these guys must know where they're holding Splinter, so don't knock them all out.
 * Listen, Raph, about what I said before... you know, about not needing you and all..

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze
 * Turtle-rific
 * First, we must observe the ancient ritual of the, uh, uh... traditional pre-fight donut.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
 * Boy, do I hate spinach.
 * Raph! Give your mouth a rest!
 * Hey, Tinkerbell. Why don't *you* shoot us? (to walker)

TMNT (2007 Film)
 * YOU AREN'T READY. You're impatient, and hot-tempered, and more importantly... I'm better than you. (to Raphael)
 * Funny thing about anger, let it consume you and soon enough, you lose all sight.
 * I told Splinter I'd get this team in shape again.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003 tv series)
 * My name is Leonardo. And right now, my brothers and I are in a mess of trouble. Our backs are up against the wall in some trash thrown alley. Cornered by the toughest street gang on the east side.
 * Remember the ninja code.
 * [to Lord Hebbe, a giant snake] I hate to mention this, but you don't have any arms. This isn't going to be much of a fight.

Toys

 * List Leonardo Toys

Video games
In the video games, Leonardo is the first turtle of choice. He is popular especially for beginner players of the TMNT games. Leonardo is portrayed as well-balanced, having, in all areas, strong but not extreme abilities and no glaring weaknesses. His range is rather long, but not as long as Donatello's; however, Leonardo can usually inflict more damage. In the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters games, his moves are the closest to as Ryu/Ken archetype from the Street Fighter franchise. He appears in TMNT: Smash Up as a playable character.

Trivia

 * Leonardo is playable in the bootleg/homebrew Famicom (NES) game World Heroes 2. His stage in this game is a modified version of Armaggon's from the SNES version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters.