Leonardo - Tmnt 2012 Space

With that clarified, the Fugitoid formally introduces himself as Professor Zaytan Honeycutt, sent by Bishop, an Utrom ally of the Turtles, to help them. His human brain rests safely within his android body. He then asks everyone to hold on as he transports them light-years from Earth to begin the search for the three parts of the Heart of Darkness. As soon as they exit the warp drive, the Turtles, April, and Casey contemplate the splendor of the unknown around them, until a powerful explosion makes them realize that the Ulixes has been damaged, is leaking hydrogen, and needs repairs. The Fugitoid takes them to the ship's armory, where they don new spacesuits and weapons designed by the Utrom, before setting off to enjoy the beauty of space. Unfortunately, the joy of floating through space is abruptly interrupted when they find themselves surrounded by asteroids, forcing them to return to the ship and find a spaceport to land, make repairs, and refuel.

In this story arc, after the destruction of Earth by the Triceratons, the turtles, April and Casey, are rescued by the robot Fugitoid and travel through time/space in the spaceship Ulixes to try to save the planet. Plot: Fugitoid uses the Ulixes spaceship to travel back in time six months before the destruction of Earth, with the goal of stopping the Triceratons. Antagonists: The Triceratons and Zeno are the main villains, although some fans find their development weak. New Elements: The season introduces space settings, new suits for the turtles, and the exploration of different planets. Style: Considered a phase of aesthetic and narrative change in the series. After Leonardo recaps the events of the "Annihilation: Earth!" arc, with the loss of his families, friends, allies, and Master Splinter, as well as Earth itself, the Fugitoid makes them cling to something while activating the Ulysses' time travel ability and takes the Turtles, April, and Casey back in time to six months before the Triceraton invasion and destruction of Earth. Although the Turtles are relieved to learn that Splinter and everyone else are alive again, the Fugitoid reminds them that this only lasts six months, and then Earth will be doomed again. Worse still, due to the effects of black holes on the fabric of space-time, they cannot repeatedly go back in time to prevent Earth's destruction. They only have this one chance to stop the Triceratons before they manage to gather the pieces of the Darkheart Black Hole Generator and complete it, or Earth will be lost forever.

Shredder - Leonardo's archenemy. Of all the Turtles, Leonardo seems to be the one he interacts with the most and who harbors the most hatred for him. He knows Shredder's movements best among all his brothers, but even so, he can't effectively confront him. Shredder is far more experienced in ninjutsu and possesses more skills that Leonardo almost always ignores, but Shredder only manages to kill Leonardo and his brothers because they always escape to the sewers of Manhattan, New York. It was Leonardo who ended Shredder's life, delivering a fatal blow to the villain (decapitating him). The Kraang are Leonardo's enemies. Their relationship is unknown. Baxter Stockman - One of Leonardo's enemies. Leonardo tends to forget Baxter's name (examples: "Dexter Backsman", "Daxter Boxman", "Blister Speckboy", etc.). Fish Face - One of Leonardo's enemies. Their relationship is unknown. Rahzar - One of Leonardo's enemies. He is believed to be worried about the possibility of Michelangelo fighting against him. When they discover that Michelangelo is in danger, he says they need to save him. He was the one who cut the ropes that bound Michelangelo and then patted him on the head.

Leatherhead - Despite being allies, Leonardo and Leatherhead are almost never seen interacting, except when fighting the Kraang. Leatherhead seems to interact more with Donatello and Michelangelo. Slash: Leonardo and Slash are allies, but not close friends. Leo has viewed Slash with suspicion and distrust since the events of "Slash and Destroy," while Slash is easily irritated by Leo and prefers not to work with him. Even so, Slash considers Leo a role model in his own efforts to be a good leader for the Mighty Mutanimals, and finally admits this to Leo at the end of "Battle for New York, Part 2." Leo apologizes to Slash for initially distrusting him, and the two make amends afterward. Timothy - Leonardo never interacted much with Timothy (the Sprayer), but he always gets annoyed when the Sprayer tries to take too many risks that could hurt or even kill him ("The Sprayer Returns!")

Rafael and Leonardo have a brotherly, yet competitive relationship. They are the ones who argue the most among all the turtles, especially when Raphael challenges Leo's leadership out of jealousy, since Splinter chose him as leader instead of him. However, they both share a deep mutual respect. In "Confrontation, Part 1," it is shown that Raphael is very protective of Leonardo and cares deeply for his brother, just as Leonardo cares for him. It is evident that the two trust each other more than anyone else, as demonstrated by their frequent private conversations, such as Leonardo's problem with Karai. As the series progresses, the rivalry between Leo and Raphael diminishes, and at crucial moments, the two save each other. At the end of the 2nd season and the beginning of the 3rd, Raphael becomes more understanding of Leo. In the 5th season, Raphael comes to respect Leo more than ever, as Leo, as sensei, has the authority to prevent Raphael from disrespecting him. Donatello - Leo and Donnie are very close, but they sometimes argue. Occasionally, Leo questions Donnie's inventions, which infuriates him. When Donnie is working hard on technology and Leo (and Raph) tell him to work faster or try harder, Donnie gets angry or explodes at them. Like Raph, Donnie also challenges Leo's authority and leadership. At the end of the second season, Leo and Donnie had a heated argument about how to stop the Kraang invasion. While Donnie wanted to maintain his position, remaining in the city and fighting them with the Turtle Robot, despite his invention still being under construction, Leo recommended that they gather their belongings, abandon the sewers, and leave the city. During "Heart of Evil," Donnie's resentment towards Don Visiozo jeopardized the Turtles' mission, leading to an argument between the two brothers, who eventually reconciled at the end of the episode. Overall, the two work well together.

Karai - Leo didn't know at the time that she was Splinter's true firstborn and only daughter, kidnapped by Shredder after her mother's death. Shredder wanted revenge and used Karai to destroy his biological family. At their first meeting, Leonardo was confused and drawn to Karai (as shown in "New Girl in Town"). Leo longs to be able to trust Karai, even though she disrespects him, as well as his family and friends, because Shredder wanted them dead and Karai had to do his bidding. Even so, he feels a special connection to Karai, and knowing she is Master Splinter's lost daughter gives him even more reason to fight and save her from Shredder's control. Raphael disapproves of Leonardo's relationship with Karai, considering her a threat to their survival and Leonardo a risk for giving her the benefit of the doubt so often. Although Karai had told Leo that Shredder was her father in the past, Splinter later confessed to Leo that Karai was actually Hamato Miwa, his daughter, and Leo was the first to know. In one episode, Leo made it very clear that if Karai dared to hurt his family, he himself would stop her. Despite this, Leo never gave up on his older sister. He knew all along that Karai was in a difficult situation, especially being caught in the middle of the conflict between Splinter and Shredder. Leo decided to free Karai from Shredder's control.

Karai - He told her the truth about his life, especially the part where Shredder was being dishonest to get what he wanted. At first, Karai didn't accept any of it, but upon reflection, she finally decided to seek the truth for herself. After realizing that the truth wasn't a trap, she finally had a revelation. Leo finally managed to convince Karai. She grew very close to Leonardo. When Karai was captured again, Leonardo fought unsuccessfully to save her from falling into a mutagen tank, which transformed her into a snake mutant. In the third season, many dilemmas arose. In the fourth season, Leo and Karai grew much closer than ever. When Leo killed Shredder, Karai was grateful that he had finished him off, something she couldn't do when she tried. In the fifth season, Karai seems to have fully integrated into her Hamato family, spending more time in the lair with the Turtles.

Michelangelo - Leo is generally patient with Mikey, but sometimes gets frustrated with him. Once, Mikey used his favorite comic book as toilet paper to get his attention, and Leo didn't like that at all and resorted to physical aggression. Aside from that, Leo is very helpful to Mikey. Whenever Leo devises a plan, he makes sure Mikey is really listening and paying attention. Leo is also very protective of Mikey, saving him from danger several times. They also work very well together to save their human siblings and friends from Bebop and Rocksteady and to get a worm to cure Karai. Overall, the relationship between the older and younger brother is very strong, especially from season 3 onwards ("Attack of the Mega Shredder!"). Splinter - Leonardo's adoptive father and sensei. As in all his incarnations, Leonardo is the most loyal and closest to his sensei, always taking his advice seriously. He spends a lot of time with his sensei, asking questions and having private conversations. Leonardo was devastated by Splinter's death at the hands of Shredder in "Annihilation: Earth! Part 2". During the 4th season of S.T.U., he communicated with holograms of his master and, when the Turtles returned to Earth, he was quick to warn Splinter about Shredder's betrayal, which saved him. Reunited with his master, Leonardo was eager to follow his adventures in space, as he was curious. However, when Splinter died permanently at the hands of Super Shredder, Leonardo remained at his grave longer than anyone else, once again saddened by his loss, but knowing that his father was still there in his heart.

His signature weapons are dual katana swords (刀), which he uses and fights in the Niten Ryu style (also known as Niten Ichi-ryu, "The strategy of two heavens as one") of kenjutsu, making him a skilled and excellent swordsman (although called katanas, Leonardo's swords are actually much more inspired by the "Ninjatō" (忍者刀 ninjatō), (also known as ninjaken (忍者剣) or shinobigatana (忍刀)), a fictional sword similar to the katana, represented as the ninja version of the weapon. It generally has a straight blade, a square guard, and is shorter than a katana. The handles have the same dark red and gold color as Raph's sais and Mikey's nunchakus). Unlike his brothers' weapons (bo staff, sai, and nunchaku), Leo's weapons are unique. They are the only ones specifically designed to deliver fatal blows, although Leo is too honorable to want to do so. The hilts of his katanas also serve as holsters for smaller knives, as seen in "The Manhattan Project, Part 2" and at the end of the second season, "The Invasion, Parts 1 and 2," when he was fighting Shredder's henchmen. The episode "The Invasion, Part 1" reveals that Leonardo keeps a blade hidden under the bandages on his wrists.

Tactical and Strategic: As the leader of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Leonardo is highly skilled in strategy. He possesses a strong defensive line and excels at strategic planning. In most episodes, he demonstrates a great ability to improvise with objects around him to his advantage. Like Donnie, he can strategically use multiple projectiles to hit his target, as in "The Frankenstein Experiment," when Leo fires several arrows with stakes that ricochet around the laboratory until they hit Dracula in the back, although they don't significantly injure him. Weapon Proficiency: Leonardo is proficient with various types of weapons. He demonstrates quick adaptation to the use of non-lethal weapons, such as a metal pipe, to defeat the Foot Clan in "The Return of the Pulverizer!". Bilingualism: Leonardo speaks English and demonstrated proficiency in Japanese in "The Rise of the Turtles, Part 1". Intuition Regarding Pressure Points: Leo also possesses knowledge in the use of pressure points, almost as much as Splinter. In "The Forgotten Swordsman," he uses the technique of poking Raph's nerves to force him, along with Mikey, to be wary of the Foot Clan, and also when he used this same technique to disable Tatsu's heightened hearing after disorienting him with Casey's explosive discs. Healing Hands Technique: In "The Deadly Poison," Splinter teaches Leo the art of healing while using it to recover from injuries sustained after being mind-controlled by Slash. He learns quickly and uses it in an attempt to heal Karai and himself when he is poisoned. Splinter considers this technique a feat that took years for various martial artists to perfect, while for Leo, it took only a few hours, demonstrating his natural gift for healing.

Master of Martial Arts: Leonardo is the most skilled fighter on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles team. Combining his martial arts training with enhanced attributes, Leo's prowess allows him to single-handedly defeat an army of Foot Clan robots, as well as Shredder's best henchmen during the Invasion, far from Shredder himself. Leonardo's most impressive feat was defeating Super Shredder when the mutation was stable, cutting off his head on top of Shredder's house. In "Wanted: Bebop and Rocksteady," Leonardo taught the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles various combat techniques to enhance their fighting skills. Stealth: Having learned from Splinter, Leonardo, like his brothers, can blend into the darkness, hiding and moving in the shadows unnoticed. Like his brothers, he is stealthy, able to hide in the shadows, sneak undetected, and use hand-to-hand combat like a true ninja. Intuition: He demonstrated intuition and the ability to detect enemies on several occasions, such as dodging Splinter's throws during training, thwarting Mikey's water balloon prank from behind, sensing various traps set by the Foot Clan, and detecting several Foot Clan soldiers from behind in "New Girl in Town". Improvisation: In most episodes, he demonstrates a great ability to improvise, using the objects around him to his advantage. This skill is essential to his leadership, especially when he is under constant pressure.

Ninjutsu: Through years of extensive and rigorous training, Leonardo has become highly skilled in ninjutsu. Tantōjutsu: In addition to his mastery with the sword, Leonardo is also skilled with a tantō. Whenever he finds himself without one of his katanas, Leo can remove the tantō from the hilt of one of them and use it for self-defense. Kyūjutsu: Leonardo also possesses an aptitude for archery and uses a yumi and arrows to fight from a distance. Shurikenjutsu: Leonardo can throw shurikens with remarkable accuracy. On one occasion, he threw a shuriken at Snake's tire from a considerable distance, causing Snake's van to flip over.

Kenjutsu: Leonardo is a highly skilled martial artist and experienced swordsman. He was trained by Splinter in the art of Japanese swordsmanship. It can be said that Leonardo harbored an interest in swordsmanship since childhood. In "Lonely Rat and Puppies," Leonardo frequently approached Splinter's katana and imitated its movements with a screwdriver. As his signature weapons are his twin katanas, he is extremely skilled in the Niten Ichi-ryū (二天一, "two heavens as one") swordsmanship style. He uses his katanas masterfully in both attack and defense, managing to cut through the metal of the Kraang robots, as well as the Foot-Bots (stabbing and dismembering them), in addition to deflecting shurikens and lasers. His swordsmanship allows him to fight against skilled and powerful members of the Foot Clan, including Tiger Claw, Karai (until she discovered the truth about her origins), and even Shredder, being able to push him back, albeit minimally, during their battles.

Retractable limbs inside the shell: Although rarely (or never) depicted, it possesses retractable limbs and the normal ability of a turtle to retract its head and limbs into the safety of its shell. Semi-aquatic adaptations: It is capable of swimming long distances, diving deep, and holding its breath underwater for extended periods. Leadership: Leonardo's courage, determination, and willpower make him a great leader. Initially, his only flaws as a leader stemmed from his lack of experience (mainly due to being a teenager). His immaturity also led him to make impulsive decisions that could worsen the situation, in addition to his brothers sometimes disobeying his orders, and a desire to be a hero that resulted in tasteless provocations in battle. His greatest fear was disappointing the team and failing as a leader. However, as he and his brothers continued to fight against Shredder and his forces, Leonardo became more focused and disciplined as a leader, even being willing to sacrifice his own life for the sake of others. He was also capable of making difficult decisions whenever the situation demanded it. It's worth noting that Splinter truly believed Leo was destined to become the leader of his brothers from a young age.

Enhanced Endurance: Leo possesses exceptional endurance, far superior to that of Olympic-level athletes. During the Invasion, he managed to withstand and survive the lengthy challenge posed by the Foot Clan robots, defeating all of Shredder's henchmen. However, all this effort left him exhausted, giving Shredder the chance to finish him off. His level of endurance is also demonstrated when he and Raph attempted to decimate the Rat army, but this also left him exhausted after fighting and defeating a large number of them with relative ease. Enhanced Resistance: Leonardo is extremely resistant to a wide range of injuries. In "Metalhead," Leo was able to withstand the impact after falling several stories from a building without showing any signs of discomfort or injury. He withstood attacks from superhuman opponents such as Dogpound, Slash, Super Shredder, etc.

Enhanced Speed: Leonardo is capable of moving at high speeds, able to run freely across rooftops without losing momentum. Despite being a turtle, he is not slow. He can also move objects at enhanced speeds, such as spinning the blades of his katanas. In "Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," Leo was shown deflecting a laser blast from a Kraang weapon with both of his katanas. Enhanced Reflexes: Leonardo possesses incredible reaction speed, allowing him to dodge projectiles such as lasers, Kraang blasters, and enemy attacks, even when Mikey tries to shoot a water balloon at him. He can run fast enough to avoid laser fire from a Kraang weapon. He can also spin his twin katanas at incredible speed to deflect attacks. Enhanced Healing: In the events of "The Deadly Poison," Splinter taught Leonardo an ancient secret art and unique healing technique known as the Healing Hand. With this technique, Leonardo is able to heal himself and others, and even remove Karai's poison from his body, despite there being no known cure for it. According to Splinter, he demonstrates great gifts as a healer, and being on the brink of death has granted him "a power that few martial artists can access." His healing factor seems to function while he is in water, where he awoke after being ambushed by the Foot Clan during the Kraang Invasion three months later, although the fight left him wounded. Enhanced Agility: Leonardo is very agile and demonstrates greater agility than his brothers, with the exception of Michelangelo. His agility and dexterity allow him to perform great acrobatic leaps from building to building over long distances, as shown in "New Friend, Old Enemy". Leo was agile enough to climb an apartment building using every step of his foot in "I Think His Name Is Baxter Stockman".

Mutant Physiology: As a mutant, the Mutagenic Ooze enhanced Leonardo's physical attributes to extraordinary levels. He possesses strength, speed, reflexes, agility, stamina, recovery speed, and vigor far superior to that of the best human athlete. Enhanced Strength: His strength level was impressively demonstrated when Leo restrained Kraang Prime. Leonardo is the second strongest physically among the turtles, having been defeated by Raphael in their first confrontations and training sessions, although he has also beaten him on other occasions. However, he is stronger than Donnie and Mikey (as seen in "Attack of the Mousers!", where he and Raph consider themselves the two strongest fighters). Leo possesses enhanced strength that gives him an advantage in combat, such as subduing humans like the Foot Clan ninjas in "The Return of the Pulverizer!". He is not only capable of delivering powerful blows with his physical attacks, but he can also throw heavy objects (including people) over his head. He is also able to repel and defend against larger and/or physically stronger opponents, especially when enraged, as when he managed to land several blows on the Mega Shredder.

Among his brothers, Leonardo is the most serious, focused, disciplined, and responsible, capable of facing much larger opponents with greater speed and ease, as well as handling intense stress. Like his brothers, Leonardo was extensively trained by Splinter to become a highly skilled ninja warrior, but at a far superior level. During his training with Splinter and his brothers, Leonardo was the only one to land a blow on Splinter. Throughout the series, Leonardo's martial arts skills increased even further, to the point where he could face Karai and surpass her in skill, and eventually defeat his arch-enemy, Super-Shredder, in hand-to-hand combat. After becoming a sensei, Leonardo's martial arts skills are almost as good as those of his mentor, Splinter. Because of this, he possesses a great knowledge of pressure points, which he used on Raphael to impale him during an argument, in addition to other martial arts techniques, making Leonardo not only the best fighter on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles team, but also one of the most skilled fighters in the series.

After his last battle against the Kraang in the sewers, Splinter overheard the Kraang commenting on how impossible it had become for them to track Splinter and the Turtles there. Splinter then decided to remain in the area. In this way, Splinter found a safe environment where he could raise his adopted sons. Knowing that the world would be dangerous and that the time would come when they would want to explore the outside world, Splinter began training the boys in the art of Ninjutsu. Eventually, Splinter gave his katanas to Leonardo, "for the one who has courage and great skill."

Fifteen years before "Rise of the Turtles, Part 1," Leonardo and his brothers were ordinary turtles. When they were still hatchlings, the benevolent Hamato Yoshi bought them as pets. Passing by a strange man, their future father sensed something odd about him and followed him. Unfortunately, Yoshi revealed his true intentions by accidentally stepping on the tail of a brown rat. The Kraang found him and tried to kill him, but Yoshi fought bravely. During the fight, the aliens dropped a container of mutagen. Yoshi, having stepped on the rat, transformed into a humanoid brown rat named "Splinter." Leo and his brothers, after coming into contact with Yoshi and the pet shop attendant where they were bought, transformed into humanoid turtles. Yoshi raised the turtles as his own children and trained them in Ninjutsu.

Later, Splinter realized they would never be accepted by society, and with the Kraang on their trail, the five went to live in an abandoned water tower and a warehouse, avoiding detection. Throughout these trials, Splinter and the Turtles formed a strong bond, and after noticing the little turtles trying to copy his Ninjutsu training, Splinter saw an opportunity to turn this new life he had been thrown into to his advantage. Taking one of his favorite books on Renaissance art, Splinter gave them the names of the artists he most admired, including Leonardo.

In general, Leo is a helpful, adventurous, courageous, responsible, hardworking, protective, honorable, respectful, and enthusiastic ninjutsu prodigy with a positive attitude. He is the most serious, disciplined, calm, mature, spiritual, stoic, balanced, quiet, brave, and focused member of the team.

Turtles are indeed integrated into the story.

Leo is the most serious and dedicated of his ninja brothers, but that doesn't change the fact that he's still a teenager and, as such, knows how to have fun. When he's not on missions, preparing for them, or honing his ninja skills, he plays video games, reads comics, masters pinball, skateboards, eats pizza, spends time with his brothers and friends, and, most importantly, watches reruns of his beloved show, Space Heroes. Incidentally, Leo loves his favorite TV show, Space Heroes, and finds a great role model in its main character, Captain Ryan, whom he sees as a great leader and exactly the hero he aspires to be. A recurring joke throughout the show is how his love for the show puts him in comical conflict with Raph, who calls him stupid whenever possible. He talks along with Captain Ryan during the monologues while watching reruns of the show and sometimes even imitates him on missions. Amazing! When Leo had an anxiety attack because April was captured by Dogpound, an adversary the Turtles weren't prepared to fight at the time, Raph calmed him down by putting himself in his place and repeating a line from a character in the most recent episode. He tries to appear strong by adopting Captain Ryan's already heroic methodology, but this can be counterproductive, as he makes clichéd or ridiculous statements while trying to intimidate his enemies, such as introducing the team as the "Mighty Mutants" or "Justice Turtles," trying to sound heroic, or telling a scientist who was experimenting on a monkey that they'd had enough of him "playing monkey."

Since the episode "The Deadly Poison," he is the only Ninja Turtle capable of using the spiritual healing abilities of the "Healing Hands" technique to heal himself and others, enveloping his body in a white aura while chanting the mantra and performing the right-hand seals.

Being a leader and, later, a sensei, is a great responsibility, but sometimes it's even harder when his three younger brothers talk back to him, gang up on mocking him, or when Raph and Donnie, in particular, challenge his leadership. Leo can also make rash decisions, like embarking on crazy missions alone, storming off in a rage, or getting into trouble with his sister. While Donnie and, especially, Raphael are the ones who really explode when they're angry, Leo rarely does.

Leonardo, the leader of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, aspires to be a brave, decisive, and perfect hero. Unfortunately, he's an inexperienced teenager (at least for now) with three noisy brothers. It's the discrepancy between his aspirations and his current situation that represents the greatest source of frustration in Leo's life. He is the most determined of the four Turtles, training and studying tirelessly. He tends to be very demanding of himself, but his diligence doesn't go unnoticed; he is Master Splinter's favorite student, whose approval he so desperately seeks.

The 2012 series presented Leonardo as himself, maintaining many of his already established characteristics. His leadership qualities are always present (although, in his short career, they have already been the cause of many problems for the turtle on several occasions), he maintains a strong dedication to his training and is always fighting to protect the lives of his brothers. However, this time, his achievements and struggles make sense, because the "adolescent" phase of Leo and the other turtles is actually integrated into the story.

Leo may be the most mature of his brothers, but he's not lacking in a sense of humor. While he's certainly above the childish antics of his brother Mikey and prefers to leave the sarcastic jabs to his brother Raph, he has a sharp tongue and quick wit, which makes him prone to ironic comments, sarcastic replies, and occasionally cheesy catchphrases.

Leo is a perfectionist. He wants to make his friends and family proud. When he makes a mistake, he is very hard on himself. Although Leo tries to keep his brothers in line, he can also be very bossy and controlling at times, which irritates his brothers, especially Raphael.

Like his younger brother Mikey, Leo also demonstrates empathy and compassion on numerous occasions, knowing right from wrong and tending to show mercy. Specifically, Leo spares Fong when the Turtles defeat the Purple Dragons at Murakami's restaurant, much to Raph's dismay, who claims they have no mercy for criminals who harm innocents. Later, this statement proves wrong when Fong helps the Turtles by handing the katana to Leo when Xever, Bradford, and the Foot Clan overpower them. His intuition also leads him to believe that there is a good side and a change of heart in people, even when he shouldn't, such as when he believes Karai can be good and wants her by his side, especially after discovering that Karai is actually Splinter's long-lost daughter, but that she was frequently manipulated, deceived, and tricked until finally discovering the truth for herself. He was even eager to take Karai to the lair to see her real father, much to Raph's apparent astonishment.

Leo is arguably the most ninja-like of all the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He's a ninjutsu prodigy, an enthusiast who takes the lead on the Turtles' missions, taking them from the darkest alleys of New York to the far reaches of outer space. He's a Japanophile, taking his ninja training more seriously than any of his brothers, and showing great interest in Master Splinter's stories about his experiences as a former ninja master and the cultural tales of his homeland. Due to his unwavering dedication to ninjutsu, his balanced discipline, and partly because he was chosen by him, Splinter wisely selected him to lead the Turtles without hesitation. As Splinter explains, his leadership skills "don't come from the head, but from the heart."

During an interview, Jason Biggs described Leo as "the glue that holds his brothers together and tries to keep them in line, saying things like 'Come on, guys! Focus and concentrate!', as he is a natural leader and very protective of his family."

Leo is the oldest brother of the four turtles. Most of the time, he tries to be the mature and responsible older brother, but there are times when he can be a pretty typical older brother, like mocking Raph for reading the book "Food Groups of the Fantastic Four," hitting Mikey after he used his precious comic book as toilet paper (or so he thought), or arguing with Donnie about his robotic invention to defeat the Kraang invasion. However, he does reassure his brothers, especially Mikey, when chaos ensues. Overall, he is very helpful.

Leo is an anthropomorphic mutant ninja turtle with a fern-green color. His eyes have cobalt-blue irises with black pupils, but, like his brothers, when they are fighting or acting stealthily, these disappear, leaving his eyes white (similar to the 2003 version). He wears a blue bandana (although he wears a black bandana in "Broken Foot" and "Owari"), and the length of his tails is between that of Donnie and Mikey. Leo is the most skilled fighter, and his physical appearance has not undergone major changes compared to his previous versions. His height is between that of Raph and Donnie. His ninja equipment includes diagonal straps, brown knee and elbow pads, and beige bandages wrapped around his wrists, ankles, and fingers. However, unlike previous versions, Leo's hands have two fingers and a thumb, and his feet have three toes (like his brothers).