Leonardo -

[jenna]

As there is now a thread for Raph and Don, I thought I would throw one for Leo into the mix.... Drumroll..............

My thoughts:

Leonardo, the eldest, the team’s leader, is strong, disciplined, a keen pupil of ninjitsu and a follower of Bushido. He is very ego driven, and simultaneously is the most likely to suffer a crisis in confidence. As the leader he is more likely to provide a halfway point between his brothers and their Sensei, Splinter, rather than to take full responsibility for the team. He often struggles to maintain his leadership role, as despite his wisdom and sensibility he is still only a teenager. On occasion he has been shown to let his rebellious side out, which consequentially results in anarchy and panic amongst his brothers. He is very close with Splinter, and also with his brother Raphael, with whom he is very competitive and despite their closeness, there is much conflict between them.

This conflict is largely due to the fact that Raphael is prone to challenge Leonardo’s leadership and decisions, and Leonardo constantly struggles to argue his corner and assert his authority over his volatile brother. Much of his learning curve is in gaining the confidence and authority to do this. Michelangelo and Donatello are more accepting of Leonardo’s role and do not put up the same fight as Raphael.

Leonardo is confident and calm in threatening situations and carries the responsibility as the eldest brother with honour.

The 1987 cartoon has Leonardo as a very competent leader who often shares the role with his brothers, particularly Donatello who, he recognises, has strengths and abilities above his own. Leonardo is very sensible and a noble apprentice to Splinter, and is often criticised by his brothers as being boring and equally often told that he needs to “lighten up”. Whenever he is absent, the remaining team falls apart and becomes directionless. Notable moments during this incarnation include a crisis in confidence he suffered with regards to his leadership skills in Series 3, which led him to leave his brothers to embark on a brief voyage of self-discovery, during which he came to the realisation that rather than working to improve himself, he was simply wallowing in self-pity and was leaving his brothers without a leader whilst he was indulging his own self-absorption. This self-awareness is something that Leonardo often exhibits, and he is frequent to acknowledge his failings and to better himself as a result.

The 2003 cartoon exposes Leonardo’s weaknesses as well as proclaiming him the team’s hero. Whilst he is obviously more skilled in ninjitsu than any of his brothers, he is prone to arrogance and is a popular choice for narratives dedicated to his own emotional journey as he learns to be more humble and to recognise his limitations. He is shown to bear the burden of responsibility and provides the voice of reason when his three brothers rebel against Splinter, but is often ignored and finds himself pulled along. His ability to stand up to Raphael is limited, but he often demonstrates greater competence than his brother, eventually causing Raphael to accept his word. In Series 4, following a violent defeat of his family by The Shredder, Leonardo, seeing himself as a failure for allowing his brothers and master to be injured, undergoes a period of turmoil and rage, to the extent where he injures Splinter with his Katana, prompting Splinter to send him on a training journey to Japan where he faces his anger and accepts the events that transpired. He comes to terms with the defeat of his family and eventually returns to them a more competent leader.

The 1990 film depicts Leonardo as a young teenager struggling to adapt to his role as leader. Whilst he is conflicted between the roles of ‘Leonardo the teenager’ and ‘Leonardo the leader’, he carries the burden of leadership with a tendency towards guilt and shame in failure. He is shown to reach breaking point during an argument with Raphael. He becomes petulant and petty. That these actions cause Raphael to storm out on his own, leaving him open to an attack that nearly kills him, leads Leonardo to plummet into a spiral of guilt. He becomes inactive until his brother has recovered. His bond with Raphael is demonstrated here, as Leonardo’s regret reminds him how much he loves his brother despite their differences. Leonardo’s leadership skills are tested in this film as their master, Splinter, is abducted and Leonardo is left as the sole leader. Whereas at first he backs away from the new responsibility by opting to avoid confrontational methods, he eventually finds his way and leads the team in a battle to recover their master. This film is very much a learning curve for Leonardo, who makes many mistakes, but learns from them.

In the new film, Leonardo adapts to changing responsibilities having travelled the world on a training programme and is forced to manage himself under Splinter’s higher expectations. The eruption of the long-brewing conflict between him and Raphael comes to a violent climax which ultimately is cathartic for both of them.

Can't be bothered to write anymore....