Leonardo The Main Character?

[MikeandRaph87]

I ran across an article and something caught my attention. It was a write up explaining why audience perfers side characters and an example was Michelangelo more popular than Leonardo. Since when was Leonardo the main character by himself? I thought it was equal billing for all four turtles? Never thought one character was more important than the other. I do believe Mike to be the more popular one especially among generation one fans but I wanted your thoughts on the idea. Could it be the fact he is the field leader or do others share this guy's opinion?
http://www.baseballnation.com/2013/7/18/4534832/why-kermit-the-frog-isnt-your-favorite-muppet

[InsaneZane]

there have always been varied fans... in fact, i remember Don and mike being the least popular among toy buyers, i think mainly because kids will either choose red or blue as a favorite color at a very young age.. even though he was the"cowabunga" turtle, they still felt him under appreciated which is why episodes like "what's Michelangelo good for?" was written. every series have different poplars, now it seems mike and Don are the favorites

[Powder]

I guess some people interpret leader as main character. Main turtle, maybe... It's true that he & Raph usually get more screen time than the others, though. If you break down the Mirage books, 4kids series, and first film, Leo does kinda seem like the main character so to speak.

[Cowabunga Carl]

To me it all depends on what version you are looking at. If you go by the movie universe then Leo and Raph do come off as the main characters. Leo really comes off as the main character in 2k3. The OT seemed more like an ensemble with each character getting their time to shine. Same with the Nick show. IDW seems more focused on Raph and Casey to me.

[CyberCubed]

Uh this is idiotic. All 4 turtles get almost equal screentime in every series.

Leonardo definitely does not get more focus than the others. The movies do favor Raphael though.

[BubblyShell22]

Yeah, I felt he was the main character for most of 2K3 except during Fast Forward which was pretty much the Mikey and Donnie show. But in the Nick show, it's pretty balanced, and I really like that a lot.

[Redeemer]

I guess some people interpret leader as main character. Main turtle, maybe... It's true that he & Raph usually get more screen time than the others, though. If you break down the Mirage books, 4kids series, and first film, Leo does kinda seem like the main character so to speak.

Agreed I was just going to make the same point.

The First and Fourth Movie was mostly about Leo. Leo had his own arc in 4kids with the acient one. He has had bigger roles in many different incarnations compared to the other turtles.

[CyberCubed]

No he did not. You can just as easily say Mike had the Battle Nexus, Turtle Titan eps, etc.

Each Turtle gets an equal amount of focus outside the movies.

[Powder]

You're wrong, CC. y u mad tho

[CyberCubed]

You're wrong, CC. y u mad tho

Leonardo gets certain stories and character arcs which ALL the characters get as well. It just so happens that Leo's "stories" tend to deal with Shredder/Splinter or the Foot so they feel more important that way.

Raph, Mike and Don have tons of stories about them in every incarnation.

[Cowabunga Carl]

I really think it comes down to perspective and who your favorite Turtle is. Honestly Leo does feature more heavily it seems because he does a lot of interacting with other characters because he is the leader in a lot of versions. But I honestly don't feel that because he gets a lot of the screen time/panels makes him a main character. It is still a group story.

[Donatello19]

The favorites among kids today with the new show seem to be Leo and Mikey. There are always tons of Raph and Don figures on the shelves.

And to what some people said before, it's stupid to decide your favorite turtle based on their bandanna color. For example, my favorite color is blue, but that doesn't mean Leo is my favorite.

[Shark_Blade]

Except in the movies, because it's all about 'badboy' Raphael. :trolleye:

[ToTheNines]

I'd say most iterations are Leonardo's story, overall. Especially Mirage and 4kids.

First movie was Raph. I'd say Donatello was the main character of the OT. And I see Splinter as the main character of the IDW book.

Other than that... Leo.

[Refractive Reflections]

2K3 Leo had a significant proportion of the "serious" storylines while 2K3 Raph and Mikey had more lighter ones.

The OT series and Nick series seem to be more balanced between all four Turtles.

[CyberCubed]

The OT did focus on all the Turtles equally. I loved how many solo Turtle stories that's how did.

But Donatello did tend to save the day in most of them. I think David Wise's favorite turtle was Don.

[Zachatello00]

Anyone read game informer? A few years back, in their art section, someone had drawn a really cool picture of Raph. The caption was something like, "if Raph isn't your favorite Turtle, it must be because you're Michelangelo."

That made me laugh. I always felt that Raph was the public's favorite.

Me? Of course I love all four, but I'm the Donatello fan happily buying all the Donatello merchandise that no one else seems to want. :)

[Ryan.]

Raph was always my favorite but it would be inaccurate to call him the main character. If there must be one then Leo seems to make the most sense to fill that role.

[Leofan26]

Funny thing on that article that you read is wrong, Leo is and always will be my favorite HAHA. In 2003 series he did seem like the main character, though like Cybs said that was about Shredder / foot and Leo always seems connected with those guys, add in Kari which was sort of treated like a main character well. Course, in the newer series he does seem to get a lot of episodes, he's the leader though so.

Don't know what you guys are talking about with the films, Leo didn't feel like a main character in any of them, had a bit more to do in the third one though, guess I'll have to re watch the first film again, cuz I just don't see that.

[raph27]

I thought the spotlights were:
OT:equally split
Movies: Raph
2k3: Leo
Nick: split but some eps (Mousers Attack!) it feels like its Leo and Raph.

[ssjup81]

I thought the spotlights were:
OT:equally split
Movies: Raph
2k3: Leo
Nick: split but some eps (Mousers Attack!) it feels like its Leo and Raph.Actually, I would say movie 1 was Raph, movie 2 was for Donny, movie 3...maybe Mikey...and TMNT, Leo.

[ryukenden]

Being the Leader doesn't always mean you're the main character. The way I see it, the four Turtles are equally the stars. Whenever I buy the toys, I want the whole set.

[redsai4lex]

I often joked about the 4Kids/2k3 show when it was on, calling it... "Teenage Mutant Ninja Leonardo and his fellow Turtles". :tlol:

Film Protagonists:
(A Protagonist is the character in a film who experiences the biggest change in his character arc from beginning to end, and not necessarily just the "good guy" of the film)...

1st Film: Raphael supported by Leonardo
2nd Film:Raphael supported by Keno or Donatello
3rd Film: Michelangelo supported by Raphael or Mitsu
4th Film: Raphael supported by Leonardo
5th Film: (theory) Raphael supported by April or Leonardo

[Redeemer]

I often joked about the 4Kids/2k3 show when it was on, calling it... "Teenage Mutant Ninja Leonardo and his fellow Turtles". :tlol:

Film Protagonists:
(A Protagonist is the character in a film who experiences the biggest change in his character arc from beginning to end, and not necessarily just the "good guy" of the film)...

1st Film: Raphael supported by Leonardo
2nd Film:Raphael supported by Keno or Donatello
3rd Film: Michelangelo supported by Raphael or Mitsu
4th Film: Raphael supported by Leonardo
5th Film: (theory) Raphael supported by April or Leonardo

Completely disagree with the first and fourth movies, I think Leo got the most screen time in both. The fourth movie was entirely about Leo coming back home and re-unitine his family.
The first movie Leo probably had the most screen time, (Rapheal was knocked out for half the movie :P)

[redsai4lex]

Completely disagree with the first and fourth movies, I think Leo got the most screen time in both. The fourth movie was entirely about Leo coming back home and re-unitine his family.
The first movie Leo probably had the most screen time, (Raphael was knocked out for half the movie :P)

A 'protagonist' a.k.a. 'main character' doesn't necessarily mean the character with the most screen time. A protagonist in a screenplay has the most significant change in his character arc between the start and finish of the film. In the first film, Raphael is battling his anger and vexation with his current situation, and upon undergoing many tests and trials... he is knocked unconscious only to awaken later in the film as a "more enlightened" self. Raph undergoes all of the classic stages in "The Hero's Journey", while Leonardo experiences close to none... Hence, Raphael is the protagonist of the 1st film.

http://www.elementsofcinema.com/screenwriting/character-arc.html

http://www.thewritersjourney.com/hero's_journey.htm

[ryukenden]

Funny thing is, I believe that Leo's character portrayal in whichever incarnation can make or break that particular show. If it is too goofy or weighing too much on the lighthearted side, if even Leo isn't taken seriously, then what hope is there?

[MikeandRaph87]

Funny thing is, I believe that Leo's character portrayal in whichever incarnation can make or break that particular show. If it is too goofy or weighing too much on the lighthearted side, if even Leo isn't taken seriously, then what hope is there?

Its funny you say that because I am having trouble taking the Nick Leo seriously and still hoping for a new voice. At the same time I like the way the plot itself is going.