Leonardo Hamato

Leonardo is a mutant red-eared slider turtle, the most rebellious and charismatic of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, he wields an ōdachi sword that possesses "portal power."

Leonardo is presented as a mutant/yokai with vibrant lime-green skin, similar to a red-eared slider turtle, and is the second tallest member of his team. (Despite being drawn as shorter in the show, Leo's canonical height is 1.82 meters, making him two inches taller than Donnie.) He, like his brothers, sports an altered humanoid physique consisting of a sculpted, medium-sized figure. He has three fingers on each hand and two toes on each foot. His distinctive features include light yellow, striped markings running down his thighs and arms, with two on the sides of his shoulder blades and two on the sides of his upper thighs. These are followed by two red, crescent-shaped markings just outside his eyes. He has a golden-yellow plastron and a dull bluish-gray carapace with a slightly darker outer edge. Attached to his back is a steel blue pattern of three numbers that closely resembles the bracket symbol: {}. His eyes are onyx and often quite slanted, probably attributing to his mocking and "mischievous" behavior.

Leo wears a blue Dodger mask with bandanas that reach down his back and are tied at the back. His forearms are covered in dark teal fingerless gloves with matching blue Dodger trim on both sides. The socks he wears on his legs have the same design and reach just below his knees. The socks do not cover his ankles or toes. Completing his outfit is a matching blue belt with two holsters, one on the back and one on the side, and a strap that hangs over his left shoulder. Finally, the turtle emblem is partially displayed on the right side of his plastron.

Leo is cheerful, playful, and carefree, using humor as a way to cope with difficulties. He is spontaneous, witty, and constantly seeks to have fun, although his need for entertainment can sometimes make him inappropriate or unserious.

He has great self-confidence that easily turns into arrogance. He likes to be the center of attention, receive recognition, and be the star of the show. He can be charming and charismatic, but also manipulative or hypocritical when he wants something.

He's a liar, cunning, and quite deceitful. He usually looks for the quickest and most convenient solution, even if it's not the right or safest. He might deceive, exaggerate, or resort to unconventional methods to get his way. Furthermore, he's somewhat selfish and isn't always interested in helping others unless he gets some benefit, amusement, or recognition in return.

Leo is also lazy and loves comfort. He prefers playing, relaxing, and doing entertaining things to unnecessary exertion. He doesn't stand out for his academic interests or for being particularly studious, although that doesn't mean he's completely unintelligent: he has some practical intelligence, creativity, and the ability to improvise under pressure.

Despite his carefree attitude, he can be rational and skeptical, questioning anything he doesn't consider logical. However, he also has a fascination with the mysterious and supernatural. Overall, he's charismatic, immature, opportunistic, and quite egocentric, but also witty, spontaneous, and capable of being serious when necessary.

Hamato Yoshi / Lou Jitsu / Splinter: Splinter is Leo's father. Unlike in other eras, he has a complicated relationship with Splinter, as he loves him deeply, calling him his hero, but he also often speaks ill of him and isn't keen to listen to him. Leo is quite informal with Splinter and has no qualms about teasing and being rude to him. Leo claims that he is his father's least favorite son. However, it's unclear how seriously he was speaking.

Raphael: Leo usually gets along well with Raph, and they can both indulge in fun and carefree ideas and activities together. Leo's easygoing nature allows him to accept that Raph doesn't perform well under pressure, and he appreciates Raph's considerate restraint in using his full strength against him and others. Although they sometimes argue, whether about wrestling or Raph's leadership, their squabbles sometimes arise simply because Leo wants to be mischievous with him for fun. However, it's not uncommon for them to team up. Leo relies on Raph to solve problems and take the lead in handling situations because he trusts him, but also because Leo can be too apathetic to help or do things himself.
Donatello: Leo's relationship with Donnie is marked by brotherly rivalry due to their contrasting personalities. Leo believes Donnie should relax, while Donnie, with his deadpan humor and dedication to logic, finds Leo's quick wit and boastfulness irritating. The two primarily compete to see who has the best plan, and both have egos to feed. Knowing Donnie will use logic and science to outsmart him, Leo devises increasingly eccentric strategies to counter this. Nevertheless, the two love each other deeply. Leo understands that his brother sees the world a little differently than others and is protective of him in this regard.

Michelangelo: Leo and Mikey have a great older brother-younger brother dynamic. They both share cheerful and playful personalities, so they get along very well. Leo loves Mikey dearly, but he rarely treats him like a child, unlike his brothers. However, this also means that Leo isn't lenient with him in competitions. He encourages Mikey to be independent and lets him do what he wants, and he doesn't usually feel the need to scold him. Leo loves the original and creative way Mikey approaches situations and often praises his efforts. However, he gets irritated by Mikey's competitive side and will only participate if provoked enough.

April O'Neil: April O'Neil is a human teenager and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' best friend. She is outgoing, impulsive, energetic, and quite self-confident, with a strong character that allows her to face dangerous situations without backing down. Despite being human, she actively participates in the group's adventures and is quite capable of defending herself. April maintains a particularly close relationship with the four Turtles, whom she considers practically her brothers, and she is often the one who brings a human perspective to the group. She is loyal, resourceful, and protective of those she cares about, although she can also be impulsive and get into trouble by acting before she thinks.

Baron Draxum: a yokai alchemist who created the Turtles to use as warriors against humans. He initially attempts to conquer the surface world.
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Shredder: Former leader of the Foot Clan, freed by the Kuroi Yoroi. Once restored, he becomes a colossal threat seeking to destroy anyone who stands in his way.

Foot Clan: ninja organization dedicated to gathering the pieces of the Kuroi Yoroi to return Shredder to his complete form.

Big Mama: a powerful spider yokai and owner of the Hidden City Hotel. She is manipulative and ambitious, and uses humans and yokai to achieve her own goals.

Hypno-Potamus: A criminal yokai who uses hypnosis and magic to commit robberies and cause chaos. He is primarily a recurring and comical antagonist.

Kenjutsu: Leo is trained in the use of the katana and the ōdachi. He uses the Mystic Ōdachi for skillful attack and defense, allowing him to cut through tough materials.

Power Portal Jutsu: With the Mystic Ōdachi, Leo can create portals by swinging his blade in the air to teleport people or objects from one place to another.

Ōdachi Bomb: A technique in which Leo falls from a portal of his own creation at a great height to attack an opponent from above, using his momentum to knock him to the ground.

Ninjutsu: Leo is skilled in basic ninjutsu, but due to Splinter's reluctance to advance his training and the Turtles' lack of focus on learning this art, his and his brothers' skills are not perfected.

Stealth: As a ninjutsu practitioner, Leo can enter and exit places undetected. These skills improved significantly after receiving additional instruction in "The Ancient Art of Ninja Hiding," and now Leo is able to blend into his surroundings to the point of being able to pass himself off as objects without difficulty.

Speed: Leo possesses great speed, capable of moving in bursts faster than the eye can follow.

Agility: Leo's agility allows him to successfully dodge attacks and perform sharp turns and flips.
Strength: Leo possesses strength superior to that of the average human being.

Resistance: Due to his mutation, Leo's body can withstand a higher threshold of physical trauma than that of an average human without suffering lasting repercussions.
Shell retraction: Leo is able to retract completely into his shell.
Cooking: Leo's culinary skills are rudimentary, as he is seen creating quality dishes, but also being unable to make toast without burning it.

Skateboarding: Leo is an experienced skater and enjoys it as one of his hobbies.

Leo was born an ordinary turtle in Baron Draxum's laboratory. Draxum, wanting to create a mutant army with formidable fighting capabilities, used the DNA of Lou Jitsu (Splinter when he was human), combined with his viscous substance (Mutagen), to transform Leo and his brothers from ordinary turtles into mutants. Shortly after their mutation, Lou Jitsu kidnapped Leo and his brothers from Draxum's laboratory, and they were raised in the sewers of New York City by Splinter. Over time, Leo and his brothers met a human girl named April and forged a strong bond of friendship with her over the years.

The Hidden City lies deep beneath New York State, within a vast underground cavern beneath the city's sewers. It is the primary center of Yōkai society and is home to a vast array of supernatural creatures. While some Yōkai live on the surface, hiding among humans, most consider the Hidden City their true home.

It is a completely mystical city. Portals are a common means of transportation, phenomena related to them are part of the everyday knowledge of its inhabitants, and numerous objects can levitate or function in ways that defy the normal laws of physics. For the Yōkai, these things are not extraordinary: they are part of their daily lives.

Its architecture also reflects this supernatural nature. Unlike New York's industrial aesthetic, the Hidden City has a much more organic and extravagant appearance. Enormous skeletons, skulls, and human and animal faces adorn buildings, walls, and ceilings, while many structures feature curved and asymmetrical forms. Its streets are filled with markets, restaurants, shops, homes, transportation hubs, entertainment venues, and creatures of all kinds.

The official government is in the hands of the Council of Chiefs, while the Hidden City Police maintain order. However, the city's true power doesn't rest solely with the government. Certain individuals wield enormous influence over the population, most notably Big Mama.

Big Mama is a jorōgumo yōkai and one of the most powerful, well-known, and influential figures in all of Hidden City. She is a major crime boss and controls a vast network of businesses. She owns the Grand Nexus Hotel, manages the Battle Nexus, a massive combat and entertainment arena, and is also involved in businesses such as auctions, transportation, and other establishments.

Her wealth, connections, and ability to manipulate others have granted her enormous influence among the Yōkai. In fact, her power has reached the point of rivaling the authority of the Council of Chiefs itself, causing many Yōkai to pay more attention to Big Mama than to official authorities.

Therefore, virtually every important Yōkai knows the name Big Mama. Not all of them necessarily respect her, but almost all know who she is. She's the kind of person it's wise to maintain good relations with, because she can obtain information, resources, transportation, mystical objects, or favors with an ease that very few possess. At the same time, making a deal with her can be dangerous: Big Mama is known for her ability to manipulate the terms of her agreements and ensure that situations ultimately benefit her.

Baron Draxum is also a well-known figure within Yōkai society, though for different reasons. He is a powerful Yōkai alchemist, scientist, and inventor who spent years researching methods to protect Yōkai from humans. His laboratory also served as his residence, and he was usually accompanied by his servants, Huginn and Muninn.

Draxum holds a considerable reputation among the Yōkai due to his knowledge of alchemy, mutation, and mystical technology. He doesn't possess the same economic or criminal power as Big Mama, but his scientific and magical abilities cannot be ignored. His research, especially that related to mutations and weapons capable of fighting humans, has made him a household name in the Hidden City.

His relationship with Big Mama, however, is far from friendly. Both are powerful figures, but their interests frequently clash. Big Mama has tried to exploit Draxum's research and resources for her own purposes, while Draxum feels she interferes too much with his plans.

There exists between them a mixture of rivalry, distrust, and occasional alliances when their interests coincide.

Other important residents include Huginn and Muninn, Draxum's assistants; Garm and Freki, members of the guard; Mr. Bone, a restaurant owner and well-known figure in the city; Captain Skin; and numerous Yōkai merchants, fighters, police officers, and businessmen. There are also famous locations such as the Battle Nexus, Big Mama's auction house, pirate markets, the Mystic Train Station, and various residential neighborhoods.

For the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the Hidden City is something completely different from New York. There, they don't need to hide, cover their shells, pretend to be human, or worry about causing panic among the population. They are Yōkai, and although they might attract attention because of their personalities or by getting into trouble, their appearance isn't unusual for the city's inhabitants.

In New York, four humanoid turtles walking down the street would cause chaos. In the Hidden City, someone would probably glance at them for two seconds and then go back to buying their magic vegetables.

There, the Turtles can walk freely, enter shops, talk to other Yōkai, eat in restaurants, visit markets, and participate in daily life. They don't need to pretend to be normal because, within the Hidden City, they already are.