This shows that Leo is not as shallow as he appears. While Donnie had his insecurity about his place on the team and eventually finds that he is invaluable even without mystic powers, Leo goes on a series and movie long journey to overcome a similar insecurity and maturing while still maintaining the core of who he is and learning to take responsibility for his actions and dealing with the consequences.
That’s why I like this show so much. The 2003 show (which I still like very much, heck it’s a part of my childhood) has all the turtles able to kick butt in the first episode. Which is cool, but I like how in ROTTMNT they start out as a much of goofballs messing around who don’t really know what they’re doing and survive their first fight out of pure luck. Then they learn to control their powers, work as a team, so that by the time they face shredder Mikey, who barely even knew how to use nunchucks in the first episode, grapples and launches a freaking cargo ship at shredder! That’s physical character development if there ever was one. Same thing with the characters emotionally. None of them are perfect and they have obvious flaws that obviously affect the team negatively. But they learn to overcome these flaws overtime and by the end of the series it isn’t Rise of the TMNT anymore, they’ve become the TMMT. There’s no more rising if you make it to the top. 2012 will always be my favorite version of the turtles, but I’m so glad I decided to give this show a chance.
thing i always loved about every tmnt. their always show their insecurity & flaws... & how the brothers always sopport one another on their personal problems such as loss or discomfert over an sanrio. cause bai the end of the day their not just brothers. The turtles are best friends.
Rise writers: Leo is officially Leader! you know what that means! fans: we get to see leo showcase his awesome strategizing and teamwork skills? Rise writers: TRAUMA fans: oh…
One thing I love about this show is it strips away the turtles main “thing” and shows us what’s underneath. Raph’s more then just “the angry one”, Mikey’s more then just “the chill one”, Donnie’s more then just “the smart one”, and my favorite, Leo’s personality is not just “the leader”.
My absolute favorite thing about this iteration aside from the animation. Also Splinter having actual flaws and growth instead of constantly being the "wise old master" trope
i would say in the original show, mikey was more "the funny one" i think there, they showed him being the one not taking things seriously or being immature. but ive loved rotmnts take on leo being the leader !!!!! when i first saw raph was in charge in this one, i couldnt believe it. cause to me, like you said, in the original show leo was always the leader. it was hard to see him as anything else or imagine the other characters taking that role in place of him... but i wonder if it just furthers this point of insecurity like he didnt have a role if he wasnt "the leader" ..... and that was how it was with all of them :( so seeing them all with more depth (and distinguishable character designs....) has been awesome plus, every team needs one player to round them out :)
To add to this, it really plays into those tropes as well. Raph becomes the emotional and most empathetic on the team. Feeling great rage because he cares the most. Mikey becomes the heart of the team being chill and funny to keep his family together and show his love for them. Donnie is probably my favorite case because from the start his intelligence is presented as a part of his personality that comes out because he marches to his own beat and now just his whole character. Him low-key being on the spectrum and being not just intelligent but also widely creative with an out of the box personality really speaks to me and gives me life. Leo not being the leader at all to start with was genius. He created an attention seeking trait in while that slowly revealed more insecure qualities and a great backdrop for growth and then him actually having to learn responsibility when he's given that role he's always craved. Absolutely loved it in a way most turtles iterations don't give (not that this stuff hasn't been delved into before; Leo's arc here reminded me of the ninja tribuna training in season 5 of 2003 where he was struggling and it led to a lot of great internal character growth)
Something that my boyfriend noticed: He covers Splinter's face every time he looks at that photo EXCEPT for the scene where he's stuck in the prison dimension. One could say that he couldn't look his father in the eyes because of the disappointment he felt in himself until he finally realized that he didn't have to be perfect and took responsibility for his actions in a way that was both heroic and humble all at once.
If Nick ever decided to bring back Rise for a 3rd season, I would love to see Leo’s duties and responsibilities he has to overcome as the newly appointed Leader of the team, cuz honestly seeing him rise up to be the leader of the team is honestly something that I was hoping for the series to explore.
As someone who just got into Rise and grew up with the more traditional TMNT, I think it would have been nice to see that development a little more early on so that way he could have had some actual time to shine as the leader. I liked the development he got, especially in the movie, I just wish we got to see more of him doing stuff as the leader.
Hopefully, we also get to see Raph probably struggle with his place on the team, with him always being the leader and "mom" of the group. With Leo stepping up to the plate and finally being a good leader, he would most definitely feel displaced in some way. He may not be super resentful, but he might feel lost and confused. That would be an interesting arc, to see his individuality blossom. And hopefully an arc with Mikey. Not sure what his main struggle would be, maybe his impulsiveness? Maybe there's a root issue to that that we don't know about yet. His impulsively causes the team problems sometimes. But idk, that's just a thought. I'm so happy that Leo and Donnie got their development. It was consistent, believable, and beautiful. And even more, it's relatable. The writers of ROTTMNT definitely care about each individual character and you can tell. That's part of what makes this show do great.
And I'd also like to see that maybe we can get a story of the human and yokai intermingling with each other since people know of the turtles existence now
11:29 Don’t forget.... Leo heard an escape pod go off behind him right before this. He probably thought both his dad and Raph left. He waited until he thought he was alone, until he thought none of his family would get hurt by his actions, before going after the key.
Leo is such a realistic teenager. His ego is so big it hides his insecurities which sometimes shows (especially in the movie) which is really realistic. I kin him really much because of this, even when he’s insecure he quickly hides it and goes back to his laid back attitude, he needs therapy💔
What's kinda sad though is that despite Leo understanding that he doesnt have to do things alone, he still seemingly puts emotional barriers and doesn't allow himself to be openly insecure (the only thing close we got was his talk with infected!Raph). His role as the face-man and leader really doesnt allow him to express his emotions and it's made worse by the fact that he doesn't like to show his emotions by proxy (the whole "i cope by making jokes" thing). The only time he ever cries and shows true weakness is when he is completely alone, truly believing that he will never see his family again. He doesn't even allow himself to be open when he gets rescued, immediatly going back to his persona. There is also a very sad implication with his sacrifice. Of course it was the heroic thing to do, however it's clear that it was driven by Leo's view of himself. It wasn't his normal insecurity which led him to wanting to prove himself at the cost of others. This time his insecurity (and mostly guilt in this instance) is targetting himself, devaluing his own life because he thinks its the only way he can truly make up for everything. This sacrifice led to him suffering the worst punishement he could ever think for himself. Being completely isolated from his brothers, being completely useless. You can even see in Leo's expression and maneurism when he is trapped in the prison dimention. He is completely lifeless, his eyes not even being visible. He doesnt even try to fight the Krang or try to get out...because he is useless without his brothers. It's clear that he didnt think he would make it out either. Like it was said earlier, Leo thinks he is nothing without his brothers but he never shares that same thought towards people around him. He thinks he is useless without his brothers but he doesnt think his brothers are useless on their own or without him. Perhaps the reason why Leo sacrificed himself so easily was because he truly believed that his brothers could do great without him. He may have realised that he needed his brother but it's truly unknown if he also realised that his family needs him too. This movie isn't the full end of Leo's character arc and it shows. I think the reason why it's this way however is mainly in case of a season 3. If Leo's character was completely fixed by the movie then the writers would have a very tough time making Leo's character interesting for a possible season 3. So that's why there are still a lot of holes in Leo's character still. He is still putting on emotional barriers, he is still deeply insecure and it's very possible that the movie gave him a lot of guilt (and trauma because I doubt that almost being trapped in a place where you would be forced to die alone wouldn't make someone traumatised ESPECIALLY at Leo's age). However the movie is a great stepping stone for Leo's character arc (nowlet'shopetheyactuallymakeaseason3)
Something else that plays a massive factor into all of this: Leo is super self centred. Doesn’t mean he’s selfish or a bad person, just that… he doesn’t bother to look at things from other peoples perspectives. His insecurities come from this idea that his brothers would be better off without him, that he doesn’t bring enough to the team and he constantly has to prove his value. But he never really considers that maybe they could possibly care about him enough to, oh I don’t know, appreciate his inherent value as a living and breathing person?? As their brother?? As a person with so many qualities only really limited by how he views himself??? And he starts to see that they don’t hate him by the end of it the movie, Leo realizes Raph was mad at him because he was worried, he realizes he should accept their help, that he doesn’t have to prove himself, and that’s all great but. Well I can only really guess, but I find it hard to believe that Leo realized what was really wrong and what the actual consequences of his sacrifice would have been. Because I mean, yeah he knew he was going to have a horrible, horrible and painful death. He knew he’d save the world. But did he know the agony his family would be in? The years of grief they’d suffer? Does he understand that his family could never be better off without him because even if he were a liability in a fight he means so much to them? And this is why him being so self centered is so crucial: He THINKS he knows what it means to not make everything about him, but to get there he has to understand he DOES mean something to the people he cares about, and the reason he doesn’t have to prove himself isn’t that trying to prove yourself is selfish and could get people hurt, (well, that too), but that HE ALREADY HAS WORTH. If he wants to be truly selfless and be at his best, he needs to finally get it through his thick skull that people CARE about him, and acting as if they DON’T fucking *hurts,* and might put them through more pain than any chewed up him stick alien ever could.
I totally agree with statements and was hoping someone would point that out! That’s why I think so many people can connect with this character is because of those reason. That’s why I really hope we get a season three so we can get more of this dynamic with Leo and also fleshing out the other characters some more.
Loved this analysis!!!! It reminded me of a throw away joke in season one, where Leo tells Splinter “I’m your least favorite!” when Splinter is feverish and trying to give him affection. It’s an example of the inferiority he feels with his dad as well as his family, to the point he actually believes Splinter loves him the least. Splinter is loving, but a super flawed parent and I love that characterization. Hope for season 3. 😭
Leo's the entire fandom's comfort character for a REASON, he's well written and often painfully relatable. I love all the points made in this video, it sums up everything that's been lingering in the back of my head that I couldn't put into words.
The only problem I have is that the other turtles never really do anything about it, coming off as them not caring, but I can understand why they did because this a constant with every version of leo. Take Leo in 2013 for example, every time he makes one plan that isn't "hit thing over and over" raph complains like a baby and whenever they get in trouble with splinter it's obviously here but Leo is punish as well for following them to keep them safe Both version wait until Leo is seconds from a break down to do anything So it feels forced Everything else is perfect though and when they do see Leo in mental trouble they come to his side with my favorite example in 2013 where Leo is doubting himself and raph reference's Leo's favorite show to help him cope
@@taccarrowilson9342 I never saw 2013 TMNT, so I can't say too much about that. But in the case of Rise, quite honestly I don't think Leo's brothers NOTICE, at least not when they need to, which makes sense since Leo seems to have been keeping up this act, wearing this mask of his, for a long time. So of course he's gotten good at pretending. Heck, *I* didn't even notice until my second time watching. If you watch, the only times Leo's actually outwardly emotionally vulnerable with witnesses are in Portal Jacked and Battle Nexus: New York, the former being to Hueso, who it probably doesn't really matter to Leo if it changes his opinion on him, since Hueso's always kinda pissed at him anyway, and the latter being when his family was in extreme danger from the Shredder. He shows how he's actually feeling several times through his facial expression in the show and in the movie, but only ever when no one's paying attention. The only time he's not hiding behind his bravado when dealing with high-stress emotions in front of his family (not counting the aforementioned BN:NY ep ofc) is Raph's capture and his confrontation with Raph. But even then, those were times when he was expressing his worries for his family. When Leo was trapped in the Prison Dimension, he didn't bother with keeping up the act. He was very clearly defeated, and he knew it. He let himself show exactly how he was feeling in those moments, but as soon as his family could see him again? The mask was back on, making the "took you guys long enough" joke, and putting on a smile. Because, as long as his family's okay, he can put on a brave face for their sake. In summary, I don't think it's that his brothers don't care. I just don't think they see that that's what's going on with him. And frankly, I don't blame them, he comes off as cocky and egotistical, and that frustrates them when he acts that way at inappropriate times, not realizing that he's using it to deal with what's happening. The only reason it seems so obvious to us, is so that us as the viewer can see it and understand. Thank you for coming to my TED talk 😌
@@Kestrelbee Counter point Minitour maze Leo: say's he useless out loud while raph is clearly right behind him, raph clearly paying attention Raph: threat's to haunt him if he fails Then a few seconds later They yell "just make the portal already" after Leo said "pls call me a champion" without the charm in his voice so you know he's being serious
@@taccarrowilson9342 that’s a fair point. Minotaur Maze is probably the closest we get to seeing Leo actually show how insecure he feels about his abilities and in their faith in him. But, what you need to remember, is in that moment they were already pissed at him for getting them in that mess, not to mention they were pressed for time since they were about to get crushed by walls. So they weren’t really in the best situation to be able to have that conversation, or understand why Leo had been acting that way. And for the sake of the episode, there wasn’t a good way to be able to get the characters to talk about it after with the remaining time in the episode, so for that reason we have to assume that they all brushed it off after, Leo on his part just keeping up the act as usual and his brothers not knowing the difference, because that’s just how Leo is. Though I do agree, if we had had screentime in that ep, I would’ve hoped they’d talked about that more
I guarantee that if all we saw of Leo’s character was how he acted at the beginning of this movie then we would have hated him until he eventually got his character development but since we see all of his other competent and likable personalities in the show when he is not trying to prove himself considering Leo actually has a cult following within the fandom because of his iconic one liners, his storylines of insecurities that we can relate to on some level, and of course the fact that he is fruity as hell we are physically incapable of hating Leo. We know him and we get a since of why he is acting the way he is.
Leo has trouble with interdependence. I love Leo, but I kinda got annoyed by his ego. I truly understand why he acts that way though. Also, when Leo got mad in the movie, I analyzed his face so much because it's just pure rage. He was about to go all up on Casey. You never see Leo that mad.
Also, I wonder, what would it be like if Mikey got angry. It would probably be the worst out of all his brothers because of him being positive all the time. I'm sorry if this comment isn't about Leo.
@@speckledorf4446 I truly feel that if any Mikey were truly enraged, we would see a level of death and destruction worse than Last Ronin. Goodness help anyone dumb enough to underestimate him.
Usually, when people do long essays like this, it's just them constantly hitting the point over and over again without adding onto it. But this whole video essay does a really good job at continuously adding depth to the topic. Also it made me like Leo more, so that's a plus. Awesome job!! Cool video!!!
first off, I just want to say, wow. this video is the one of little character analysis that actually dives down deep into Leo correctly. many don't understand why he is the way he is, so they judge him without looking deeper than just the surface. he's not a completely egotistical person who doesn't care about others because he mainly values himself, he values others so much that he looks up to them, resulting in his inferiority complex worsening the more his brothers write him off as "careless" or "selfish". he does everything for the sake of everyone he looks up to especially his brothers, he just has internal struggles he tries to fix that happens to hurt others unintentionally. I think many of us can agree (in some ways or another), we all share similar personalities and qualities Leo has. seriously, I got super teary eyed at the end part. it helped me come to terms with my inferiority complex, and made me feel less alone. it made me realize its okay to ask for help and that I don't need to be the best to be worthy. its crazy yes, feeling less alone because of a mystic turtle movie, haha. but characters are a reflection of real people, and your analysis is just wonderful :)
You know, I have always thought all variations of Leo had some level of insecurity. E.g. In '03 Leo got trauma, insecurity, and some rage from Shredder and Karai almost killing him and his family. Leo got freaking stabbed and got a permanent injury on his shell (Until the show went REALLY kid friendly). He felt like he wasn't enough, which hurt more because he was a leader. 2012 Leo also has leader insecurity issues too. It's been awhile since I watched both shows.
YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HYPED I AM FOR THIS!! I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO DO THIS FOR SO LONG For context, blue-coded comedic relief characters (not as specific as a description as it may appear) have pretty much ALWAYS been my favorite in anything, cause they're usually the ones with the most potential (especially when it comes to angst, which, like, look at my user, I love that shit) but mannn 9 times out of 10 they get done dirty by the writers (I'm looking at you, Lance from Voltron) So when I tell you I felt more and more vindicated in my love for this extremely specific character archetype the more I saw Leo in Rise? As extreme as it may sound, I mean it with every cell in my body. I'm so fucking excited for this!!!!
I absolutely agree- With the amount of angst i read, i can safely tell you that most of what i read currently is either Leo from Rise, duh, Sonic from ANY continuity, aaaand (god ik theres another one-) MK from Monkie Kid. All three i kin, two of them being blue comedy relief characters that have been played by Ben Schwartz when their characters are their most emotionally vulnerable- What can i say? I love characters with complexes that downplay themselves and the importance of their own lives! (Also pain because i relate- XD) Anyways, the blue coded comic relief is a deceptively broad category and i *love it!* Edit: also, i read SO MUCH lance angst when i was into Voltron. If the show wont give me the content i crave, the fans will do it ^^
I started ROTTMNT and thought I’ll drop it bc it’s gonna be “too goofy” now here I am. Watching an amazing analysis of Leo Let’s hope for season 3 and more amazing content like this
This analysis felt spot on and honestly highlighted everything I love about Leo's complexity and character arc. A detail I noticed that I adore is that Leo's power seems to be connected to his arc (and consequently his true role as leader). His power doesn't inherently do damage - it only works when he uses that tactical mind of his to guide himself and those around him (as well as to manipulate their enemies into a vulnerable position). This was especially true in the final fight scene, where he hops on Raph's shoulder and says "Let's roll" before teleporting them directly to the Krang to finish him off (or attempt to at least). I feel like it just solidifies that it was never about Leo's ability to take on everything himself, but rather to guide his brothers into a position where they can all shine.
Also side note, but I wonder if a misconception regarding Raph's role in the team added to Leo's insecurity and subsequent overcompensation. Raph has always been the powerhouse of the team, he's the first to take and deliver heavy blows and seems to hold all of that responsibility without breaking a sweat. This is probably leaning more into headcannon territory, but I like the thought that Leo really looks up to Raph as a younger brother. And, like younger siblings do, he didn't see all of the details behind Raph's strength and leadership - all he knew is that Raph's his super capable and strong big brother who can take on anything. Maybe Leo thought he had to be strong like Raph was, rather than realizing that he had his own strengths that were unique to him alone. Maybe he also had to realize that Raph was shouldering a whole lot more than he knew.
I'll admit that I originally liked Rise's version of Leo the least out of his brothers as a result of his overconfidence (not dislike, just liked him the least) but as he grew across the course of the series and then in the movie I liked him more and more, because of how well written he is and how wonderfully his character arc is done. This video did an amazing job at breaking down his character and many of the reasons I personally came to enjoy this version of Leo more than all the others I've seen. If I wasn't already subscribed I'd absolutely be clicking the subscribe button right now.
I also read another interpretation of his overconfident behaviour at the beginning of the movie might have just been a way to annoy Raph back into collecting the role of leader. The way he behaves after Raph gets kidnapped is similar to Raph's way of doing things, no plan just smash.
I'm so excited for this! I enjoyed the movie a lot, but the writers were really limited in how much they could reference actual events from the show (since execs wanted new viewers to be able to watch the movie) and as a result it felt like they kind of had to dance around Leo's actual character arc in the show, which is a shame. He's such a complex character, and when I watched the movie, what I saw wasn't arrogance, but a kid who was defensive and nervous and desperate to prove himself. There are SO many little moments in the movie where you can see Leo's facade drop--the way his face drops when Raph is lecturing him in his room, his grim determination right before he goes after the key at Foot HQ to try to fix his mistake, when Casey is telling him how great Master Leonardo is and he replies with obvious doubt on his face "yeah, that sounds like me," etc. Leo has always been a character who covers insecurity with bravado, and I feel like taking him at face value is doing him disservice. It's really a bummer that the team was limited in what parts of the show they could bring up in the movie, because I feel like, as a result, we had to speedrun Leo's character arc. The movie is kind of its own (fantastic) entity in my mind, and not a complete wrap-up of the ROTTMNT story. If they ever bring the show back for a s3, I really hope that they add to Leo's storyline and explore those layers of his personality more. He's one of my favorite characters in this series (along with Raph), and it's a shame that some people walked away from the movie not seeing just how complex and great he is.
Leo always wanted to be a champion, but the world, his friends, his family, they didn't need a champion they needed a hero and when he realized that he became a true hero. Excellent video, you made great points and pulled perfect evidence! I see so many people get Leo wrong in his inferiority complex and how it affects his character arc and how he's coming outta the movie and his arc stronger rather than weaker. Leo's character really has been masterfully built up. It's pretty genius how he talks himself up to be great and invincible but it's only when he accepts that he isn't invincible that he truly comes into that greatness. But at this point I'm essentially repeating what you said. Again this was made very well I wish I could like and subscribe twice bc u deserve it
Leo is such a well-written character, I hope that we still end up getting more ROTTMNT so we can continue seeing these characters grow and interact with each other 🥺
If we get it, and that's a big IF, I'm hoping it focuses on Casey (both present and Casey jr.), current Casey is dealing with a sense of loss and lack of direction after leaving the foot. Casey jr. is dealing with the fact that he can never go home to the future (since he's on a different timeline now, and Mikey's powers are weaker so opening a time vortex would kill him... Again), knowing the deaths of the turtles are avoided, but never fully able to grieve as he sees their younger selves, the shadows of what they could've been everywhere. I'd also like episodes on the foot soldiers, and mayhem and April post baron draxum reform
@@justaperson4656 I’d like that, I also wouldn’t mind (if it’s a full season with 20-26 episodes) an episode or two on the time period in between the end of season 2 and the movie to kinda show how that strain Between Raph and Leo started forming and how Mikey and Donnie reacted to it (technically not needed just something I wouldn’t mind seeing y’know?)
Amazing as always!!! I love Leo as a character, but I could never "fall" for his character like Donnie specifically because he was _too much like me._ I use self deprecating humor and other forms of lowering my accomplishments and self worth out of a fear that not only am I worth less than people think I am, or that my current situation makes me out to be (or is typically attributed to have), but that everyone else can tell. Donnie, even with his own issues with self worth, is an idealized image of what I wish I could be and be seen as: intelligent, a valued member of the family, a trusted ally, a pillar of my community and friends, and accepted/valued regardless of his neurodivergencies. He has doubts about his place in the team, and to an extent about his worth due to his difficulty to understand mystic magic, but he doesn't doubt _if_ he can build something, just wether his family will like it or if it will turn on him. Blow up in his face, if you will (literally and figuratively). Leo? Leo doubts his worth, his place, and his abilities, craving an ounce of validation that he is in fact worth it and valued. He is social and capable of strategizing, of being the "face man" and leader, but those aren't traits I particularly see myself being good at, or am actively good at atm. He encapsulates all my worst traits whilst having few to none of the ones I value as "good" or possible within myself. Leo is an amazing character, and exceptionally interesting and fun... _But mad scientist has been _*_the_*_ gender for the past few decades, and for the next few to come._
I honestly relate with Leo soooo much. My friends say i am leader of my friend group but i question it sometimes because i am a jack of all trades. Not having a skill im amazing at makes me feels lackluster. Its a long road ive been working on, one of the best sayings ive heard is "out of the cooks im the best engineer and out of all the engineers im the best cook." A true leader honestly understands their teams strengths and weaknesses and know how to work with them.
what a beautiful job, i love what you had to say. leo is such a good character and imo has so much of rise's nonverbal characterization, when you broke it down to his expressions i felt so validated for also observing this movie so hard lmao. really awesome job, thank you for sharing! 🐢💙
When I watched the movie after watching the show I wondered to myself, “what happened? Why he suddenly so different in the movie?” Then I read a theory somewhere. What if Leo acted the way he did in the movie because he was trying to lose his place as leader? Splinter would see that he’s not worthy and place leader back on raph? This video gave me a better understanding and a whole new perspective on Leo. Thank you for the video and I look forward to more 😁
This analysis completely summarized everything this movie made me feel but didn't have the words to say. An amazing breakdown of a character who gets a lot of criticism. Edit: Man, that ending sequence of Leo alone in the prison dimension followed by his brothers uniting to bring him back never fails to bring me to tears.
Oh boy.....Leo is such an amazing character, more so than the other versions of TMNT. Leo, much like Donnie, tends to remind me of me in the sense that I use jokes and humor to cope with many things, especially stress, and especially when I was growing up, I was desperate to be validated as someone who can do amazing things. It's sometimes seen that I'm not taking certain things seriously, but I try my best to. I often believed little to nobody had faith in me in most of everything I did, even to this very day. Leo and Donnie literally come together and make it look like it's seeing me in a cartoon. If I could hug Leo and validate him, I'd do it in a heartbeat.
Lays down on the floor and cries. You've really, truly managed to capture why so many people find Leon so human, or such a deep character in general. The constant desperate need to prove himself over and over again, because it never is nor will be enough, because it couldn't possible be. It's tragic, and what's even worse is that he managed to fool everyone into thinking that all he is is vapid and egotistical, to the point where they don't question it, they don't try to pry off the layers too see for themselves if there's anything else at all. It's tragic because Leon, despite his numerous missteps and innate need for glory and validation, does prove his wit and capability, but despite his assurances no one believes in it. During the whole ordeal with Big Mama, Splinter was furious with him, everyone was doubtful and expecting of nothing but the worst. But even when he voiced this issue out loud, there was no response. He surpassed everyone's expectations and still, nothing had changed. I do wish a new character was introduced, or that someone from the established cast would finally make that step forward and choose to see him, and by extension help him. I wish something would finally change regarding his deep insecurities and how he's perceived. I wish he was allowed to be vulnerable in front of another and not be persecuted over it.
*Flips table* FINALLY SOMEONE MADE A VIDEO ABOUT ALL OF THE SHIT I NOTICED. This right here is why I fucking love and adore Leo so much in this series. What makes this entire thing even better is that at the end both Rise Leo and 2012 Leo had these same problems: their inferiority complex. For 2012 Leo he coped with it by putting up a wall, and by trying to over protect his team by trying to be strict and over fulfilling his role as leader. And admittedly, his own self angst from just being a teenager also played a role in that. 2012 Leos's struggle was projected outward, while Rise Leo's was all focused inward. It's just...SO well written holy fuck and the facial expressions is such a key component to figuring it out. Legit when I first was watching the movie I couldn't take my eyes off of Leo for even a second because I felt like I would miss a moment where I wasn't able to mentally connect what he's thinking to know his next move. Granted I'm personally a bit of a freak like that because of my emotional driven intelligence but hot damn is it amazing to analyze and chew on, Leo is like THE best character to pick apart and analyze as a emotional intelligence exercise in general. Also my favorite color just so happens to be blue so. Yeah go Leo hgfdfgdhgfh
omg thank you for saying this and putting together such a well-spoken and produced video on the topic, Leo's internal struggles with his inferiority complex throughout the show were moments where I really appreciated the depth of his character and the movie really was the culmination of all that. To add to where his insecurities originated, I think there is even more to say about how he was raised. I love Splinter and Rise's Splinter is my favorite, but his own character clearly struggled and continues to struggle with the massive change from being an action star to being well... a mutant rat. Struggling with the depression that came from his past, his failings as a parent are understandable, though they are failings nonetheless. By taking a step back and choosing to raise his sons with Lou Jitsu instead of Hamato Yoshi, (which itself shows how he valued his old persona more than his true self,) he raised them with a figure who was unrealistically perfect. Lou Jitsu was a movie star persona, of course he would never fail or need to rely on anyone else for strength. Consequently, Leo grows up with a warped sense of what true strength is. (All of the brothers do of course, but for now, I'm focusing on Leo.) Leo is taught to idolize and seek to become a figure like Lou Jitsu, which is impossible. Continuing even FURTHER to bring this point home, Leo also idolizes Jupiter Jim, who suffers from the same portrayal that Lou Jitsu does. He is a perfect, never-failing leader that does everything himself and always succeeds. We see especially in the episode with Red Fox, that even though it would have been way easier for Red Fox to defuse the bomb herself, she instead unties Jupiter Jim so that he can shine in the spotlight. When Leo fails as a leader in the movie, what media does he turn to in order to cope and see what a true leader is like? A Jupiter Jim comic. Leo throughout his life has not only compared himself to his brothers, but to the characters in the media he was raised on. It's understandable that in a moment where he is doubting himself after he loses the key, that he would latch on to Casey Jr.'s praise of his future self being the greatest ninja the world has ever seen. In that moment, Casey Jr. unknowingly reinforced the insanely unrealistic expectation of himself, and presented it as a real achievable goal, parroting what you stated in the video. Unsurprisingly from the length of this comment I adore Leo's character and have talked a lot about it lol, and I really appreciate the video providing such an in-depth analysis. It's frustrating when Leo is either mischaracterized as being self-absorbed, or when people criticize the movie for "taking his character arc backward." His arc was never completed in the show, especially considering how last-minute becoming leader was. He never learned to rely on his family to cover his weaknesses like Raph did, and it feels like the natural way he would respond to the responsibility and expectations of being the new leader. anyway I'm gonna end the ramble, thank you for the video and I've got to go subscribe now lol Edit because I'm normal about this piece of media: The unhealthy way that Leo consumes media is not even a mistake or misguidance on his own part, but again, something he was taught to do. By Splinter giving them lessons such as WWLJD, or "What Would Lou Jitsu Do," It frames Lou Jitsu's actions and behaviors as directly applicable to life situations, when in reality, they are lessons that require interpreting to real-life scenarios. (Unless you're in a place that specializes in both fish and ladders, to be fair.) And, most of what they learned that was useful from Lou Jitsu was their physical abilities, while their mental/emotional abilities were learned from Spinter, as their father, as seen by situations like the season 1 finale in which he reinforces their true selves
You just brought a very new and interesting approach of Lou Jistu's and Jupiter Jim''s influence in the turtles's lives that I never considered, yet it feels so evident and intentional from the creators. You pointed at a schema that makes sense for Leo's sense of self (he literally called JJ his father figure once) and that resonates A LOT with me and certainly, many younger people will relate to this. I mean, how many children (heck even adults sometimes) have fantasized themselves as being fictional characters and tried to roleplay ad them in order to feel more confident/perfect? You really made my night with that pondering of yours. Thank you very much!
@@hanakosan4404 No omg, thank you for such a sweet reply!!! You made my night too, literally kicking my feet rn. I will take any opportunity I can to gush about Rise and it feels like there's always something like this that I see on every rewatch, the creators of the show/movie are so meticulous and intentional with every detail and the quality never fails to amaze me. And you're right!! I'm the exact same way and it's understandable how this would influence the turtles and the choices they make. Me 🤝 Leo Having fictional father figures
Oh, my this made me cry! It was such a wonderful analysis and yet it hit so close to home unknowingly, especially how Leo would act. I saw so many parallels. Honestly, while some may think this may be a dumb analysis of a kids show character, the words in here couldn't be more true to life. Especially with how we are raised to expect we should be able to do everything on our own when we grow up, when in reality it couldn't be more wrong. It has led to so many problems I have seen growing up, in me and in others. Thank you this was truly a treat to watch!
I really loved this movie’s portrayal with this, and it makes me even happier because this is something a lot of people can relate to and makes it more touching in a sense
I really appreciate that you go in-depth on Leo’s psychology and analysing and evaluating Leo’s character and linking it back to a nice message. I’ve really enjoyed your videos so far as they go a step further than just analysis and I don’t see that done very often. Just a really well written video, I look forward to seeing more of your work!
I recently saw someone on Tumblr point out that Leo acting out of character in the beginning of the movie could also be him deliberately trying to screw up and infuriate the others in a desperate attempt to make Splinter give the leadership role back to Raph, which is also an extension of him not stepping up to his responsibility. Then, once Raph is gone, Leo can no longer fall back on him, so he starts to emulate him instead, trying to brute force his way to a goal. Obviously, since he ISN'T Raph, this doesn't work and Leo is now forced to step into the role of leader as himself, and he realises how he CAN lead in a way that is unique to him. Then of course there's the whole can of worms which is post-movie Leo and how there is no way that boy isn't gonna be suffering from extreme depression (probably even borderlining suicidal) due to not only having almost singlehandedly doomed the fate of the entire world, but also now having to live with the fact that he has absolutely caused his brothers a great deal of unnecessary trauma as well, and there's going to be constant reminders, both physically and emotionally. His insecurities have now been redirected from his capability to his own life, as even though he has now acceptected the responsibility of being leader and proven he can do as such, the overwhelming guilt will no doubt push him to harbour a complete disregard for his own wellbeing, believing that there's no other way to make up for his seemingly irredeemable mistake. He will burden himself with these emotions alone, hiding them away and only letting them out in the dark corners of his room where his family can't see. His mask of confidence is no longer to hide his insecurity, but to make his family believe that he is Okay, he is Fine, because this Isn't About Him. This is all for them, because the last thing he wants to do is make them worry. Before, Leo at least wanted to be able to love himself in the way that he makes people perceive he does, but now, there's no one he hates more than himself. This movie takes Leo's self-worth issues and doesn't fix them - it actually makes them worse. And I love it so much for that, because it's not something you see often or done well.
I would also like to point out that in the movie Leo can be seen scooting away when Casey says that Leo’s brothers would die in the future and Leo isn’t like the one Casey knew. I feel like the scooting is kind of a way for Leo to try and escape his problems, not literally but more figuratively. He’s trying to avoid his problems by doing this.
the tangible guilt and desperation in leo's actions, especially after raph is captured, is ramped up so much, it's like watching angsty fanfiction, it's so good
Okay, when I say Leo is JUST LIKE ME! I MEAN IT! I don't do things that put my family in danger, but Leo puts up a facade to cover up his emotions like fear, insecurity, sadness etc THATS ME! Whoever needs to hear this: you don't need to prove yourself in order to be strong and making your family proud love yourself just as you are, It's OK to have flaws hell everyone does. Your family won't love you any less, relaying on your loved ones and admitting your flaws is what makes you strong. Thank you for this amazing video! Bye! 🤗💖
Also in the episode portal jacked, notice how his brothers didn’t really miss him only caring about going back to their vacation instead of worrying where he was. He did too and now thinks that his brothers wouldn’t miss him and don’t worry about him at all not helping his feeling of uselessness
This is beautifully made. You’ve done an excellent job. I feel like I’ve come to understand Leo’s character further as well as feel reassured against the same insecurities that plague my mind. Thank you for making and posting this video. On a light note, def helps with understanding Leo better to try and accurately portray his character in fanfiction.
I feel you on that fanfiction bit. Writing a consistent characterization can be tricky to handle, and these sorts of videos offers great help understanding the way some characters's psychology works.
This video literally made me tear up. I had recently gotten into the show, but sadly haven't seen S2 due to no access and the movie due to not seeing S2 yet. Regardless, ROTTMNT is an amazing show that deserves respect. I have experience/am experiencing something similar to Leo and him as a character has really helped me. Huge props to the writers
I love how each turtle represents different struggles people experience. Leo is very insecure and only acts like he is the best because he is afraid of failure. Everyone claims Donnie has autistic traits and I can see it but I think it’s great as it is part of who he is. Raf has anxiety and worry because he’s supposed to be the leader and the protector of his brothers. Finally, Mikey is like the therapist of the group (like me) who feels obligated to keep everyone happy and basically the glue that holds everything together which can be a lot of pressure also he’s ADHD boi. I freakin love this series ❤
Real quick I just wanted to say thank you so much for making this video, you can tell that there was a lot of time and effort put into this video and although it may seem crazy, this video really spoke to me. The topic was approached in such a knowledgeable and heart felt way that it really helped me to understand something I didn’t know I needed. The hardest part about feeling inferior is simply that it can happen to anyone because no one is perfect and we can fall into the trap of feeling personally responsible for that and the people in are lives. I love the message of this movie, ‘it’s not about you,’ at first seeming like such a stereotypical remark that is often seen as an attack on people being egotistical and as such, can easily be interpreted of as much, especially at the beginning of the movie. However we, along with Leo, come to realize that the real lesson isn’t trying to accuse and condemn him for his insecure mistakes, but instead is an invitation to look to the others around you, to know that you’re not alone in the issues in your life and that it’s not about having to prove that you can be better, stronger, or perfect. But that you can instead focus on your situation and choices in life, so that you can do what needs to be done. (…Okay I lied, it wasn’t very quick,) but seriously thank you for doing this, I’m at a time in my life when I really needed this and it means a lot to know I’m not alone. (In more ways than one.) So great job on this video and I hope that you and your collage studies go well! Your videos have all been wonderful to watch and I’m excited to see what you’ll do next; they all have so much heart. :)
2 more things I’d like to mention In “down with the sickness” he mentioned that he was splinters least favourite, which might play some sort of part in his behaviour?? In some way And in “pizza puffs” during the scene where he has to convince the chef to tell him where meat sweats is he seems to doubt himself (while this may be because he’s practically drunk, it also could be a small break in his facade because of his drunkenness) Just food for thought, if I find anything else I’ll mention it in the replies
Watched ALL three of your videos on Rise of the TMNT, and I have to say-if you can get into SOOO much character depth for three characters from a show called “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”, than I can’t even imagine what kind of character videos you could make out of a similar show like Ninjago! 😱 (Or Miraculous-since that show also has a bit of character depth…😅) Don’t know if you’ve actually seen these shows or not, (AND I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THEM IF YOU HAVE’T) but I’m just saying that you’re videos are so GOOD at explaining the true motivations and convictions of a character! I LOVE them! 👍🤩
This is beautifully worded!! The breakdown of scenes and expressions is done so well. I've tried explaining to some friends WHY Leo isn't just an egotistical dumbass because I knew this at heart but didn't know how to properly explain, now I can show them this!! Thank you!! 💙💙💙
I think one thing that feeds Leo’s insecurity in his abilities is how he can’t quantifiably contribute something to the team. Like, looking at his brothers, they all have some external trait or hobby they are good at, and can offer to the team effort. Raph’s massive gains (LOL) and physical strength, Donnie’s tech, Mikey’s art. This is what Leo percieves as skill. But for Leo himself, his role on the team hinges on traits intrinsic to his personality, and not things he can physically execute. He’s constantly seeks to prove himself, but there are no possible goalposts or achievements he can attain to tell himself he is good enough. I mean, how do you quantify wittiness? Perceptiveness? Strategizing? These are traits that are dependent on a problem or a challenge - reactionary. You can’t just exert them like… lifting weights, building tech or creating art. Leo knows what his brothers are good at. He trusts in the physical proof of their ability. There is no physical proof of his ability, that it couldn’t just not be enough/utilizable one day. That is a constant source of stress and uncertainty for him.
Leo is my favorite character since I pretty much try hard to prove myself & I act like I have a 'big ego' or thats what I put on as a front. Mainly I fail a lot trying to find motivation, sometimes I'll clean so much my foot is all red from standing trying to clean & it's painful. But I cope threw joking, I act like I don't care but I actually do, I hate when people doubt me but I act like I don't care, when I start crying I questing myself why I'm crying & tell myself I'm not supposed to care. I've trained myself to act like I don't care & I can't sound sincere anymore, I can't make a worried face and when my friends get mad at me it's hard for me to express that I care.
I really love this analysis, it shows how Leo really is or why he is like that. Like you said, he seems like a teen with no sense of responsibility or seriousness and a big ego, while he’s struggling with his insecurities and tries to prove that he is worth something, that he can fix his mistakes on his own. It’s something that many people don’t see at first. And I really liked your message at the end because it’s important to know that you can rely on others and that it doesn’t make you weak to ask for help. Everyone has their struggles and insecurities, and it’s completely fine to talk about it or ask for help. Also I really love your voice, it’s so nice and relaxing to listen🫶🏼 it’s the first time I’ve seen a video on your channel and you gained yourself a subscriber
RISE LEO IS TO LEONARDO WHAT ANIMATED OPTIMUS IS TO OPTIMUS PRIME *THEY SHOW US AN UNCONVENTIONAL BUT CREATUVE WAY OF HOW THE CHARACTER WE LOVE BECAME WHAT HE IS*
Can I just say your analysis of the movie was amazing the way you looked deeper into every meaning and reason for Leo to act in such a way was spot on and beautifully done, the new criticism and psychoanalytic criticism you pointed out was thoughtful and I enjoyed everything you pointed out about Leo. He’s my favorite out of all of the turtles because of how much one can relate to him, from a surface level it’s not easy to see why he acts the way he does but this video explains everything about how dynamic his character really is. And ugh I can get over the way you presented the foil the antagonist was for Leo’s character and how this dynamic made the film have a deeper meaning and theme for both the story and Leo’s character. Literally amazing video please keep making more! ✨
Man this video made me cry and smile at the same time. The message of the movie makes me actually feel like I can overcome things, that I can truly do what I want/need to do. I absolutely love these babies and you were one of the main reasons I went to watch this series in the first place. It has truly changed my life, thank you so much for everything. I hope you stay safe and well, peace ❤
As someone who analyzes media as a form of therapy, I genuinely think your videos are amazing (I'm really struggling to find a stronger word, just take all the compliments, put them in a blender and drink that appreciation juice, YOU DESERVE IT). I'm a sucker for video essays in general but HOLY S, this is so Good. There's a palpable care and genuineness in the way you express all your points, the extracts you choose are lazer focus (even tho I would argue that quoting/paraphrasing said extract right before makes it redundant but shhhhhhhh, I'm writing a love letter to your work rn) and by god, the editing is just so good, so damn effective (but putting dramatic music while talking about the movie was a sin, I cried, screw you, how dare you make me feel things, again) WOAH, that comment's getting a little long and I haven't even said anything about your actual analysis so I'll keep it short: Yes, I AGREE, so true bestie Anyway, thank you and keep up the wonderful work ♡♡♡
You know something? Leo has also have a character arc like Sonic (from the movies) They were both reckless and didn't understand the true meaning of a hero. But after learning from their mistakes and overcoming their insecurities, they both became heroes, the right way.
This video put every jumbled emotion and thought I have about Leo into a coherent, thoughtful, and engaging character analysis. Thank you for this glorious look into my favorite character’s psyche :)
This version of TMNT is very interesting. This is very different from any other series. They each have very strong personalities..... Even slight persona changes. I love this show so freaking much. 💕
To be honest I honestly love Rise Leo like it’s a nice to see finally Leo is being a bit of a troublemaker. For me too many versions of him being serious like the second live action movie where there’s a moment that the version of him couldn’t balance between being their big brother and leader. So I like that the creators made Leo a bit of a troublemaker even though he is second oldest in rise
Thank you so much for voicing his actions and analyzing him... Literally throughout the whole series his growth as a character is amazing and it must've been hard to actually find the right words to describe Leo's behaviors. Mad respect. Truly. 🙏✨
In terms of where Leo’s inferiority stems from; his brothers don’t have as much as an inferiority complex because Leo is often the one that encourages them and cheers them on. Leo is the CHEERLEADER of the group. But since Leo is the cheerleader, he gets less of these words of affirmation from the people around him. You can see this multiple times. A good example is in the comic April announces the turtles one by one, practicing her public speaking skills. Leo is super on board and goes along with it, telling his brothers they’ve earned it, cheering for them, etc. But by the time it came to be Leo’s turn, everyone had lost interest and left, leaving Leo to have to announce himself, by himself, to get his turn of “praise”, only to be shot down by Splinter telling him to go to bed. He even ASKS for encouragement from his brothers in the hall of fame episode, and once again has to resort to being his own cheerleader, which isn’t nearly as gratifying. Anyway, that’s my take on his personality. Poor guy just needs to be told he’s doing a good job now and then.
God this was such a well put and touching video. I relate to Leo a lot and hearing you talk about him was oddly cathartic in a way. As always I love your videos, and keep up the good work
I just wanted to say that not only did I thoroughly enjoy this bc it's about tmnt but bc you bring up topics and phenomenas that I read about in uni bc of my interest in it. It surrounds my interest on multiple levels and I'm guessing its similar for you too. Incredible work and you honestly inspired me to start taking my own character analysis a bit more seriously. It does feel incredible to build up my vocabulary and tools with the help of uni, and even more incredible that i can not only apply them on my own surrounds but on my interests as well :D So thanks for showing that it's a possibility
YESSSSS LEO ANALYSIS!!!! I hate when people act like Leo is just a shallow character or a cocky asshole. Hes so multi-dimensional with his personality. We need a season 3 so we can peek into more of his character from now on. Thank you for the awesome video, you have earned my subscribe and like hahah Also I need a video about all the things that would make Rise! Leo a good leader from just the show, because I love the way they build up his intelligence and skill from the get-go.
I love your videos analysing characters so much, it's just so entertaining to listening to you putting the characters under a microscope and understaanding and explaining why do they act like they do Also, thank's for the subtitles (don't know if you make them or someone else), I can't hear without my subtitles
I swear I saw this exact video in my recommended videos last week. But apparently this video is only a half hour old.... This is pretty unsettling tbh.
I just watched the movie yesterday, what a coincidence! But also yeah that movie metaphorically stabbed me and twisted the knife ;-; It's so cool seeing someone talk and emotionally analyze the characters! (That's what I do when I watch movies, haha!)
Nick, please give us that season 3 we've all been waiting for. And make sure that Rise!Leo's mental issue goes from inferiority complex turn into imposter syndrome
This video was fantastic. Hec I thought I related to the other 3 turtles way more before this and got kind of salty when the character color code gave me light blue after taking the test for it. Which is Leo obviosly. But after this analízis. I feel I can relate to him more now. I am obviosly very different person but now I see some under the surface motivations and self doubts which are really similar. This video served for myself as a realization check. And how I need to figure out my positive qualities more instead of focusing on what I lack or expected to be. I have a lot of thinking to do. And process áll of this. Ultimately thank you for making this video. I needed to watch this.
4:50 > Sub prompt I rarely sub on command, but in a short 5 minutes you concisely caught me to speed with how this show does these characters different; fleshed out Leo's character flows with strong examples, foreshadowed Leo's character arc, and made me laugh. Edit: if it wasn't obvious I subbed on command
I totally agree with this video and i was hoping someone would point that out! That’s why I think so many people can connect with this character is because of those reason. Just like stated in the video Leo tends to only see himself in a negative light and therefore he assumes he’s useless or that people don’t need him, and so he convers this up by always making jokes and tries to act like none of this is affecting me and he this as a joke. And I feel like a lot of people can relate to that specially for a teenager and I know I certainly can relate to that. Normally when someone has hurt me an emotional way I tend to either say something mean on myself before they can or I joke about it to the people around me. In the end I end up gaslighting myself and soon start to feel like I’m less than other people. That’s a lot of time in friendship it’s so easy for me to get jealous cause I feel like my friends like me less than my other friends. And I feel as if a lot of other people can relate to that, so by stating these things out is a great thing so maybe some people will see that they may have these bad habits. I would also like to state how how cocky and arrogant Leo becomes across not because he is this things but he has so little confidence in himself that he starts to pretend he to full of himself, making it hard to ask for help cause if he does people might start seeing through this facade and he really doesn’t want people to see him in a different light. Again that’s why I think so many people can relate to this character cause of those factors, people that have low self esteem tend to hide it by either joking about it or doing an 180 on their emotions and do the exact opposite of what there feelings are and pretend to be these things when they aren’t. It’s the fact that leo doesn’t have over confidence it’s that he has so little confidence in himself that he is always trying to push himself to be something greater, but never recognizing those accomplishment. Which a lot of people do when they have low confidence. That’s why I really enjoyed the focus on Leo in this movie cause I don’t think people ever saw those traits in show until it was obviously pointed out in the movie. Leo isn’t trying to be arrogant on person just for his huge ego he’s being arrogant because he has no big ego. And I think a lot of people tend to throw that over their ends. Don’t get me wrong characters that are arrogant can be just that and that can make this character feel dislike in some way. Buttt when a character is being arrogant or stupid or any other flaw personality type it’s not them just being that type of characters. It’s them trying to cope with the fact that they feel inferior to people or useless or have big insecurities they want to hide. And that’s the difference between these two types of characters and I wish people see this more often. That for one instance it’s not a character that needs to let go of their arrogance but a characters that needs to accept themselves of who they are and it’s ok not to be flawless and gain a better confidence in oneself, and this is exactly what Leo is going through in this show and movie. Additionally the truly sad part about this is that I don’t really think Leo character got the complete closure he needs and that there is still development for his character. Leo finally understand that he doesn’t have to do things alone and that he needs his family for help for the flaws he makes up, making that perfect team and leaving behind no blind spots. But I feel like he forgets to realize that his family needs him as well. That’s why I think it was so easy for him to sacrifice himself, not just because he was doing a hero thing but I think he genuinely believed that his family would do better off without him. That’s why I’m the void he never tries to fight the kraang cause he believes that his family would be better off without him yet still thinking he needs his family and he’s nothing without. Having a very deep complex on how Leo views himself useless without his brothers but still believes they would be better off without him because of his useless. That’s why I soooo wish there is going to be a season 3 of this show because I believe that Leo character isn’t done of developing. That he has to realize that he’s not useless and that an an individual he can do so much when he’s independent but still knowing he’s more with his brothers but still knowing he’s enough alone. And also for him to realize that these coping mechanisms aren’t the best and that he should try to open up more to his team and realize by opening up that his family feels the same way. That they are nothing without Leo and Leo is nothing without them. Additionally, now with all the trauma they been through I really want to see how they deal with it and how by opening up about these traumas that they become closer together as a team and a family. That’s why I really like the end of season 2 cause we get to see a little bit of Ralf traumas and how by being open he feels more at peace and trust his brothers a lot more. That’s why I really hope for a season three cause their is so many aspects about each character that hasn’t been well enough develope yet to become a complete end of story. There still lots of stories to tell and things that need to be sad so we can only hope for a season three and do all we can as a fandom to support this show. For example I heard if the movie does really well they might make a season three so I suggest watching movie over and over again just on for background noise or something can really help. Also by liking the show and movie on Netflix can help and rewatching the show on Netflix or wherever you can find the show on a streaming service, and buying merchandise can help as well! Anyway sorry for that getting a little off topic I just know by doing those things is a great way to support the show and get the season 3 that we deserve. Ps let me just say I love these videos that you created and I have watched all three of them and hope that you continue to do more of these video and get other characters in such as Raph, and splinter, cause your analysis are exactly on point and for someone that having a hard time seeing these things in the characters or just not even trying out this show I feel like these videos are a great way to get people interested and realize the bigger understanding of each character and this show. Keep up the good work!!!!!
When a video essay starts playing PMD music that's how you know it'll slap!! Seriously though this is a great & comprehensive analysis and the way you used his sequences of facial expressions was brilliant!
Aaa this video was so good!!! I’ve wanted someone to talk about his inferiority complex for awhile, and you put it into an amazing structure that really made me think about how Leo acts in the film and the show. this video made me think about the parallels of the kraang and Leo and how they have the same mentality, but go about it a different way. At the end, when the kraang is literally beating the life out of Leo, I like to think that that is a literal representation of his insecurities and actions (his internal conflicts throughout the movie) that not only hurt him, but his family in the process. The only way for him to get out were his brothers, for them to rely on one another which is how they got their powers in the first place(anatowa hitorijanai) That probably doesn’t make much sense but anyways loved the video and all of the ones before that
I hate how a lot of people keep thinking that Leo is stupid when you can tell that he is smarter than they think. Like in "Bug Busters", he was the only turtle who didn't trust Big Mama throughout the whole episode, and he was right. Or in the beginning of "You Got Served", Mikey was the only one who wanted to compete, but Leo told him to stop because it make the mafias mad, and he was right! Hueso needs to hire him more often.
i don't think i've seen enough analysis videos on leo, tbh. this video was really good, i liked how in depth it was. also, spiritfarer music is always a win, lol
This version of _Leo_ nardo is a good representation of the ♌Leo🦁 zodiac: charismatic, confident (to the point of being arrogant) and _A Natural Born-Leader_ (even he himself didn't realize this)
This was superbly written! Leo has always been my fav and seeing the approach that Rise has taken, building him into that leader position, may be one of my fav character developments. Amazing job
This shows that Leo is not as shallow as he appears. While Donnie had his insecurity about his place on the team and eventually finds that he is invaluable even without mystic powers, Leo goes on a series and movie long journey to overcome a similar insecurity and maturing while still maintaining the core of who he is and learning to take responsibility for his actions and dealing with the consequences.
That’s why I like this show so much. The 2003 show (which I still like very much, heck it’s a part of my childhood) has all the turtles able to kick butt in the first episode. Which is cool, but I like how in ROTTMNT they start out as a much of goofballs messing around who don’t really know what they’re doing and survive their first fight out of pure luck. Then they learn to control their powers, work as a team, so that by the time they face shredder Mikey, who barely even knew how to use nunchucks in the first episode, grapples and launches a freaking cargo ship at shredder! That’s physical character development if there ever was one. Same thing with the characters emotionally. None of them are perfect and they have obvious flaws that obviously affect the team negatively. But they learn to overcome these flaws overtime and by the end of the series it isn’t Rise of the TMNT anymore, they’ve become the TMMT. There’s no more rising if you make it to the top. 2012 will always be my favorite version of the turtles, but I’m so glad I decided to give this show a chance.
@Cartoonist Louis Rise is easier to binge I'll say.
thing i always loved about every tmnt. their always show their insecurity & flaws... & how the brothers always sopport one another on their personal problems such as loss or discomfert over an sanrio. cause bai the end of the day their not just brothers.
The turtles are best friends.
@@ihavespoken9871 agreed I'm glad i gave thus version a chances a lot
Rise writers: Leo is officially Leader! you know what that means!
fans: we get to see leo showcase his awesome strategizing and teamwork skills?
Rise writers: TRAUMA
fans: oh…
@@P3achJ3llyf1sh we wouldnt have it any other way
I mean it seems like every version of Leo get's some sort of trauma in one way or another so it tracks.
One thing I love about this show is it strips away the turtles main “thing” and shows us what’s underneath. Raph’s more then just “the angry one”, Mikey’s more then just “the chill one”, Donnie’s more then just “the smart one”, and my favorite, Leo’s personality is not just “the leader”.
My absolute favorite thing about this iteration aside from the animation. Also Splinter having actual flaws and growth instead of constantly being the "wise old master" trope
Frr
i would say in the original show, mikey was more "the funny one" i think there, they showed him being the one not taking things seriously or being immature. but ive loved rotmnts take on leo being the leader !!!!! when i first saw raph was in charge in this one, i couldnt believe it. cause to me, like you said, in the original show leo was always the leader. it was hard to see him as anything else or imagine the other characters taking that role in place of him... but i wonder if it just furthers this point of insecurity like he didnt have a role if he wasnt "the leader" ..... and that was how it was with all of them :( so seeing them all with more depth (and distinguishable character designs....) has been awesome
plus, every team needs one player to round them out :)
@@hanakosan4404 which In 2012 seemingly destoryed the turtles because they couldn’t stand their ground against splinter except for a few exceptions
To add to this, it really plays into those tropes as well. Raph becomes the emotional and most empathetic on the team. Feeling great rage because he cares the most. Mikey becomes the heart of the team being chill and funny to keep his family together and show his love for them. Donnie is probably my favorite case because from the start his intelligence is presented as a part of his personality that comes out because he marches to his own beat and now just his whole character. Him low-key being on the spectrum and being not just intelligent but also widely creative with an out of the box personality really speaks to me and gives me life. Leo not being the leader at all to start with was genius. He created an attention seeking trait in while that slowly revealed more insecure qualities and a great backdrop for growth and then him actually having to learn responsibility when he's given that role he's always craved. Absolutely loved it in a way most turtles iterations don't give (not that this stuff hasn't been delved into before; Leo's arc here reminded me of the ninja tribuna training in season 5 of 2003 where he was struggling and it led to a lot of great internal character growth)
Something that my boyfriend noticed: He covers Splinter's face every time he looks at that photo EXCEPT for the scene where he's stuck in the prison dimension. One could say that he couldn't look his father in the eyes because of the disappointment he felt in himself until he finally realized that he didn't have to be perfect and took responsibility for his actions in a way that was both heroic and humble all at once.
If Nick ever decided to bring back Rise for a 3rd season, I would love to see Leo’s duties and responsibilities he has to overcome as the newly appointed Leader of the team, cuz honestly seeing him rise up to be the leader of the team is honestly something that I was hoping for the series to explore.
As someone who just got into Rise and grew up with the more traditional TMNT, I think it would have been nice to see that development a little more early on so that way he could have had some actual time to shine as the leader. I liked the development he got, especially in the movie, I just wish we got to see more of him doing stuff as the leader.
Hopefully, we also get to see Raph probably struggle with his place on the team, with him always being the leader and "mom" of the group. With Leo stepping up to the plate and finally being a good leader, he would most definitely feel displaced in some way. He may not be super resentful, but he might feel lost and confused. That would be an interesting arc, to see his individuality blossom. And hopefully an arc with Mikey. Not sure what his main struggle would be, maybe his impulsiveness? Maybe there's a root issue to that that we don't know about yet. His impulsively causes the team problems sometimes. But idk, that's just a thought. I'm so happy that Leo and Donnie got their development. It was consistent, believable, and beautiful. And even more, it's relatable. The writers of ROTTMNT definitely care about each individual character and you can tell. That's part of what makes this show do great.
"Rise up", i see what you did there👀
And I'd also like to see that maybe we can get a story of the human and yokai intermingling with each other since people know of the turtles existence now
11:29
Don’t forget.... Leo heard an escape pod go off behind him right before this. He probably thought both his dad and Raph left. He waited until he thought he was alone, until he thought none of his family would get hurt by his actions, before going after the key.
TRUUUUUUUUEEE….😮
Leo is such a realistic teenager. His ego is so big it hides his insecurities which sometimes shows (especially in the movie) which is really realistic. I kin him really much because of this, even when he’s insecure he quickly hides it and goes back to his laid back attitude, he needs therapy💔
I'd like to urge you to reconsider your username
@@deletedTestimony idk if your being serious or not⁉️
@@tv.girl.loverrr I think they’re being serious
@@orizlka7 Alr brb
@@tv.girl.loverrr LMAOO that username😭
What's kinda sad though is that despite Leo understanding that he doesnt have to do things alone, he still seemingly puts emotional barriers and doesn't allow himself to be openly insecure (the only thing close we got was his talk with infected!Raph). His role as the face-man and leader really doesnt allow him to express his emotions and it's made worse by the fact that he doesn't like to show his emotions by proxy (the whole "i cope by making jokes" thing). The only time he ever cries and shows true weakness is when he is completely alone, truly believing that he will never see his family again. He doesn't even allow himself to be open when he gets rescued, immediatly going back to his persona.
There is also a very sad implication with his sacrifice. Of course it was the heroic thing to do, however it's clear that it was driven by Leo's view of himself. It wasn't his normal insecurity which led him to wanting to prove himself at the cost of others. This time his insecurity (and mostly guilt in this instance) is targetting himself, devaluing his own life because he thinks its the only way he can truly make up for everything.
This sacrifice led to him suffering the worst punishement he could ever think for himself. Being completely isolated from his brothers, being completely useless. You can even see in Leo's expression and maneurism when he is trapped in the prison dimention. He is completely lifeless, his eyes not even being visible. He doesnt even try to fight the Krang or try to get out...because he is useless without his brothers. It's clear that he didnt think he would make it out either.
Like it was said earlier, Leo thinks he is nothing without his brothers but he never shares that same thought towards people around him. He thinks he is useless without his brothers but he doesnt think his brothers are useless on their own or without him. Perhaps the reason why Leo sacrificed himself so easily was because he truly believed that his brothers could do great without him.
He may have realised that he needed his brother but it's truly unknown if he also realised that his family needs him too.
This movie isn't the full end of Leo's character arc and it shows. I think the reason why it's this way however is mainly in case of a season 3. If Leo's character was completely fixed by the movie then the writers would have a very tough time making Leo's character interesting for a possible season 3. So that's why there are still a lot of holes in Leo's character still. He is still putting on emotional barriers, he is still deeply insecure and it's very possible that the movie gave him a lot of guilt (and trauma because I doubt that almost being trapped in a place where you would be forced to die alone wouldn't make someone traumatised ESPECIALLY at Leo's age).
However the movie is a great stepping stone for Leo's character arc (nowlet'shopetheyactuallymakeaseason3)
*sobs and cries*
literally what he got from his conversation with casey was that he needed his family more than they needed him and that . stings ☹️
Wow. That was deep.
This is fantastically worded omg
you worded this so well. his character is so complex, i love him so much:((
Something else that plays a massive factor into all of this: Leo is super self centred. Doesn’t mean he’s selfish or a bad person, just that… he doesn’t bother to look at things from other peoples perspectives.
His insecurities come from this idea that his brothers would be better off without him, that he doesn’t bring enough to the team and he constantly has to prove his value. But he never really considers that maybe they could possibly care about him enough to, oh I don’t know, appreciate his inherent value as a living and breathing person?? As their brother?? As a person with so many qualities only really limited by how he views himself???
And he starts to see that they don’t hate him by the end of it the movie, Leo realizes Raph was mad at him because he was worried, he realizes he should accept their help, that he doesn’t have to prove himself, and that’s all great but. Well I can only really guess, but I find it hard to believe that Leo realized what was really wrong and what the actual consequences of his sacrifice would have been.
Because I mean, yeah he knew he was going to have a horrible, horrible and painful death. He knew he’d save the world. But did he know the agony his family would be in? The years of grief they’d suffer? Does he understand that his family could never be better off without him because even if he were a liability in a fight he means so much to them?
And this is why him being so self centered is so crucial: He THINKS he knows what it means to not make everything about him, but to get there he has to understand he DOES mean something to the people he cares about, and the reason he doesn’t have to prove himself isn’t that trying to prove yourself is selfish and could get people hurt, (well, that too), but that HE ALREADY HAS WORTH. If he wants to be truly selfless and be at his best, he needs to finally get it through his thick skull that people CARE about him, and acting as if they DON’T fucking *hurts,* and might put them through more pain than any chewed up him stick alien ever could.
I totally agree with statements and was hoping someone would point that out! That’s why I think so many people can connect with this character is because of those reason. That’s why I really hope we get a season three so we can get more of this dynamic with Leo and also fleshing out the other characters some more.
Loved this analysis!!!! It reminded me of a throw away joke in season one, where Leo tells Splinter “I’m your least favorite!” when Splinter is feverish and trying to give him affection. It’s an example of the inferiority he feels with his dad as well as his family, to the point he actually believes Splinter loves him the least. Splinter is loving, but a super flawed parent and I love that characterization.
Hope for season 3. 😭
I never caught on to that line-
Which episode was It?
I think it's "Down With The Sickness", where Splinter got a rat flu or something.
Leo's the entire fandom's comfort character for a REASON, he's well written and often painfully relatable. I love all the points made in this video, it sums up everything that's been lingering in the back of my head that I couldn't put into words.
The only problem I have is that the other turtles never really do anything about it, coming off as them not caring, but I can understand why they did because this a constant with every version of leo.
Take Leo in 2013 for example, every time he makes one plan that isn't "hit thing over and over" raph complains like a baby and whenever they get in trouble with splinter it's obviously here but Leo is punish as well for following them to keep them safe
Both version wait until Leo is seconds from a break down to do anything
So it feels forced
Everything else is perfect though and when they do see Leo in mental trouble they come to his side with my favorite example in 2013 where Leo is doubting himself and raph reference's Leo's favorite show to help him cope
@@taccarrowilson9342 I never saw 2013 TMNT, so I can't say too much about that.
But in the case of Rise, quite honestly I don't think Leo's brothers NOTICE, at least not when they need to, which makes sense since Leo seems to have been keeping up this act, wearing this mask of his, for a long time. So of course he's gotten good at pretending. Heck, *I* didn't even notice until my second time watching.
If you watch, the only times Leo's actually outwardly emotionally vulnerable with witnesses are in Portal Jacked and Battle Nexus: New York, the former being to Hueso, who it probably doesn't really matter to Leo if it changes his opinion on him, since Hueso's always kinda pissed at him anyway, and the latter being when his family was in extreme danger from the Shredder.
He shows how he's actually feeling several times through his facial expression in the show and in the movie, but only ever when no one's paying attention. The only time he's not hiding behind his bravado when dealing with high-stress emotions in front of his family (not counting the aforementioned BN:NY ep ofc) is Raph's capture and his confrontation with Raph. But even then, those were times when he was expressing his worries for his family.
When Leo was trapped in the Prison Dimension, he didn't bother with keeping up the act. He was very clearly defeated, and he knew it. He let himself show exactly how he was feeling in those moments, but as soon as his family could see him again? The mask was back on, making the "took you guys long enough" joke, and putting on a smile. Because, as long as his family's okay, he can put on a brave face for their sake.
In summary, I don't think it's that his brothers don't care. I just don't think they see that that's what's going on with him. And frankly, I don't blame them, he comes off as cocky and egotistical, and that frustrates them when he acts that way at inappropriate times, not realizing that he's using it to deal with what's happening.
The only reason it seems so obvious to us, is so that us as the viewer can see it and understand.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk
😌
@@Kestrelbee
Counter point
Minitour maze
Leo: say's he useless out loud while raph is clearly right behind him, raph clearly paying attention
Raph: threat's to haunt him if he fails
Then a few seconds later
They yell "just make the portal already" after Leo said "pls call me a champion" without the charm in his voice so you know he's being serious
@@taccarrowilson9342 that’s a fair point. Minotaur Maze is probably the closest we get to seeing Leo actually show how insecure he feels about his abilities and in their faith in him. But, what you need to remember, is in that moment they were already pissed at him for getting them in that mess, not to mention they were pressed for time since they were about to get crushed by walls. So they weren’t really in the best situation to be able to have that conversation, or understand why Leo had been acting that way.
And for the sake of the episode, there wasn’t a good way to be able to get the characters to talk about it after with the remaining time in the episode, so for that reason we have to assume that they all brushed it off after, Leo on his part just keeping up the act as usual and his brothers not knowing the difference, because that’s just how Leo is.
Though I do agree, if we had had screentime in that ep, I would’ve hoped they’d talked about that more
Frrr
I guarantee that if all we saw of Leo’s character was how he acted at the beginning of this movie then we would have hated him until he eventually got his character development but since we see all of his other competent and likable personalities in the show when he is not trying to prove himself considering Leo actually has a cult following within the fandom because of his iconic one liners, his storylines of insecurities that we can relate to on some level, and of course the fact that he is fruity as hell we are physically incapable of hating Leo. We know him and we get a since of why he is acting the way he is.
i love how you included how fruity he is in this i almost bursted out laughing in one of my classes
Let's not forget the time Splinter gets sick and gets all gooey and fatherly with Leo, and Leo's panicked response is 'I'm your least favorite.'
Leo has trouble with interdependence. I love Leo, but I kinda got annoyed by his ego. I truly understand why he acts that way though. Also, when Leo got mad in the movie, I analyzed his face so much because it's just pure rage. He was about to go all up on Casey. You never see Leo that mad.
Also, I wonder, what would it be like if Mikey got angry. It would probably be the worst out of all his brothers because of him being positive all the time. I'm sorry if this comment isn't about Leo.
@@speckledorf4446 he was at that brink of it before in the 2012 version forgot the episode to it
@@speckledorf4446 I truly feel that if any Mikey were truly enraged, we would see a level of death and destruction worse than Last Ronin. Goodness help anyone dumb enough to underestimate him.
“A strong man stands up for himself, a stronger man stands up for others”
- Ben
I really like Leo's character, and your video on Donnie was really well made, so excited to see this one!
Usually, when people do long essays like this, it's just them constantly hitting the point over and over again without adding onto it. But this whole video essay does a really good job at continuously adding depth to the topic. Also it made me like Leo more, so that's a plus. Awesome job!! Cool video!!!
first off, I just want to say, wow. this video is the one of little character analysis that actually dives down deep into Leo correctly. many don't understand why he is the way he is, so they judge him without looking deeper than just the surface. he's not a completely egotistical person who doesn't care about others because he mainly values himself, he values others so much that he looks up to them, resulting in his inferiority complex worsening the more his brothers write him off as "careless" or "selfish". he does everything for the sake of everyone he looks up to especially his brothers, he just has internal struggles he tries to fix that happens to hurt others unintentionally. I think many of us can agree (in some ways or another), we all share similar personalities and qualities Leo has. seriously, I got super teary eyed at the end part. it helped me come to terms with my inferiority complex, and made me feel less alone. it made me realize its okay to ask for help and that I don't need to be the best to be worthy. its crazy yes, feeling less alone because of a mystic turtle movie, haha. but characters are a reflection of real people, and your analysis is just wonderful :)
You know, I have always thought all variations of Leo had some level of insecurity.
E.g. In '03 Leo got trauma, insecurity, and some rage from Shredder and Karai almost killing him and his family. Leo got freaking stabbed and got a permanent injury on his shell (Until the show went REALLY kid friendly).
He felt like he wasn't enough, which hurt more because he was a leader.
2012 Leo also has leader insecurity issues too.
It's been awhile since I watched both shows.
All the Cartoon Leos ( Apart from 1987 Leo) went through so much I can't hate them.
YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HYPED I AM FOR THIS!! I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO DO THIS FOR SO LONG
For context, blue-coded comedic relief characters (not as specific as a description as it may appear) have pretty much ALWAYS been my favorite in anything, cause they're usually the ones with the most potential (especially when it comes to angst, which, like, look at my user, I love that shit) but mannn 9 times out of 10 they get done dirty by the writers (I'm looking at you, Lance from Voltron)
So when I tell you I felt more and more vindicated in my love for this extremely specific character archetype the more I saw Leo in Rise? As extreme as it may sound, I mean it with every cell in my body.
I'm so fucking excited for this!!!!
Ah yes the blue coded, middle sibling, Ben Schwartz characters with insecurities issues
@@jessefanshaw8948 Why is there like three characters that fit that incredibly specific description?
I absolutely agree-
With the amount of angst i read, i can safely tell you that most of what i read currently is either Leo from Rise, duh, Sonic from ANY continuity, aaaand (god ik theres another one-) MK from Monkie Kid.
All three i kin, two of them being blue comedy relief characters that have been played by Ben Schwartz when their characters are their most emotionally vulnerable-
What can i say? I love characters with complexes that downplay themselves and the importance of their own lives! (Also pain because i relate- XD)
Anyways, the blue coded comic relief is a deceptively broad category and i *love it!*
Edit: also, i read SO MUCH lance angst when i was into Voltron. If the show wont give me the content i crave, the fans will do it ^^
Lance got done so dirty they really couldn't have just gave him his happy ending
YES this. So much yes
I started ROTTMNT and thought I’ll drop it bc it’s gonna be “too goofy” now here I am. Watching an amazing analysis of Leo
Let’s hope for season 3 and more amazing content like this
Same
same
This analysis felt spot on and honestly highlighted everything I love about Leo's complexity and character arc. A detail I noticed that I adore is that Leo's power seems to be connected to his arc (and consequently his true role as leader). His power doesn't inherently do damage - it only works when he uses that tactical mind of his to guide himself and those around him (as well as to manipulate their enemies into a vulnerable position). This was especially true in the final fight scene, where he hops on Raph's shoulder and says "Let's roll" before teleporting them directly to the Krang to finish him off (or attempt to at least). I feel like it just solidifies that it was never about Leo's ability to take on everything himself, but rather to guide his brothers into a position where they can all shine.
Also side note, but I wonder if a misconception regarding Raph's role in the team added to Leo's insecurity and subsequent overcompensation. Raph has always been the powerhouse of the team, he's the first to take and deliver heavy blows and seems to hold all of that responsibility without breaking a sweat. This is probably leaning more into headcannon territory, but I like the thought that Leo really looks up to Raph as a younger brother. And, like younger siblings do, he didn't see all of the details behind Raph's strength and leadership - all he knew is that Raph's his super capable and strong big brother who can take on anything. Maybe Leo thought he had to be strong like Raph was, rather than realizing that he had his own strengths that were unique to him alone. Maybe he also had to realize that Raph was shouldering a whole lot more than he knew.
I'll admit that I originally liked Rise's version of Leo the least out of his brothers as a result of his overconfidence (not dislike, just liked him the least) but as he grew across the course of the series and then in the movie I liked him more and more, because of how well written he is and how wonderfully his character arc is done. This video did an amazing job at breaking down his character and many of the reasons I personally came to enjoy this version of Leo more than all the others I've seen. If I wasn't already subscribed I'd absolutely be clicking the subscribe button right now.
I also read another interpretation of his overconfident behaviour at the beginning of the movie might have just been a way to annoy Raph back into collecting the role of leader.
The way he behaves after Raph gets kidnapped is similar to Raph's way of doing things, no plan just smash.
I'm so excited for this!
I enjoyed the movie a lot, but the writers were really limited in how much they could reference actual events from the show (since execs wanted new viewers to be able to watch the movie) and as a result it felt like they kind of had to dance around Leo's actual character arc in the show, which is a shame. He's such a complex character, and when I watched the movie, what I saw wasn't arrogance, but a kid who was defensive and nervous and desperate to prove himself. There are SO many little moments in the movie where you can see Leo's facade drop--the way his face drops when Raph is lecturing him in his room, his grim determination right before he goes after the key at Foot HQ to try to fix his mistake, when Casey is telling him how great Master Leonardo is and he replies with obvious doubt on his face "yeah, that sounds like me," etc. Leo has always been a character who covers insecurity with bravado, and I feel like taking him at face value is doing him disservice.
It's really a bummer that the team was limited in what parts of the show they could bring up in the movie, because I feel like, as a result, we had to speedrun Leo's character arc. The movie is kind of its own (fantastic) entity in my mind, and not a complete wrap-up of the ROTTMNT story. If they ever bring the show back for a s3, I really hope that they add to Leo's storyline and explore those layers of his personality more. He's one of my favorite characters in this series (along with Raph), and it's a shame that some people walked away from the movie not seeing just how complex and great he is.
Leo always wanted to be a champion, but the world, his friends, his family, they didn't need a champion they needed a hero and when he realized that he became a true hero.
Excellent video, you made great points and pulled perfect evidence! I see so many people get Leo wrong in his inferiority complex and how it affects his character arc and how he's coming outta the movie and his arc stronger rather than weaker. Leo's character really has been masterfully built up. It's pretty genius how he talks himself up to be great and invincible but it's only when he accepts that he isn't invincible that he truly comes into that greatness. But at this point I'm essentially repeating what you said. Again this was made very well I wish I could like and subscribe twice bc u deserve it
Leo is such a well-written character, I hope that we still end up getting more ROTTMNT so we can continue seeing these characters grow and interact with each other 🥺
I really really really want a season Three, I don't know what to expect for if they do do it but all I know is it would be damn good
If we get it, and that's a big IF, I'm hoping it focuses on Casey (both present and Casey jr.), current Casey is dealing with a sense of loss and lack of direction after leaving the foot. Casey jr. is dealing with the fact that he can never go home to the future (since he's on a different timeline now, and Mikey's powers are weaker so opening a time vortex would kill him... Again), knowing the deaths of the turtles are avoided, but never fully able to grieve as he sees their younger selves, the shadows of what they could've been everywhere.
I'd also like episodes on the foot soldiers, and mayhem and April post baron draxum reform
@@justaperson4656 I’d like that, I also wouldn’t mind (if it’s a full season with 20-26 episodes) an episode or two on the time period in between the end of season 2 and the movie to kinda show how that strain Between Raph and Leo started forming and how Mikey and Donnie reacted to it (technically not needed just something I wouldn’t mind seeing y’know?)
@@lollivee6770 OOO NO I AGREE BIG NEED
They said if they had gotten a season 3 it would be more Mikey focused
Amazing as always!!!
I love Leo as a character, but I could never "fall" for his character like Donnie specifically because he was _too much like me._ I use self deprecating humor and other forms of lowering my accomplishments and self worth out of a fear that not only am I worth less than people think I am, or that my current situation makes me out to be (or is typically attributed to have), but that everyone else can tell.
Donnie, even with his own issues with self worth, is an idealized image of what I wish I could be and be seen as: intelligent, a valued member of the family, a trusted ally, a pillar of my community and friends, and accepted/valued regardless of his neurodivergencies. He has doubts about his place in the team, and to an extent about his worth due to his difficulty to understand mystic magic, but he doesn't doubt _if_ he can build something, just wether his family will like it or if it will turn on him. Blow up in his face, if you will (literally and figuratively).
Leo? Leo doubts his worth, his place, and his abilities, craving an ounce of validation that he is in fact worth it and valued. He is social and capable of strategizing, of being the "face man" and leader, but those aren't traits I particularly see myself being good at, or am actively good at atm. He encapsulates all my worst traits whilst having few to none of the ones I value as "good" or possible within myself.
Leo is an amazing character, and exceptionally interesting and fun... _But mad scientist has been _*_the_*_ gender for the past few decades, and for the next few to come._
THIS is why Leo’s my favorite character.
Extremely relatable.
I honestly relate with Leo soooo much. My friends say i am leader of my friend group but i question it sometimes because i am a jack of all trades. Not having a skill im amazing at makes me feels lackluster. Its a long road ive been working on, one of the best sayings ive heard is "out of the cooks im the best engineer and out of all the engineers im the best cook." A true leader honestly understands their teams strengths and weaknesses and know how to work with them.
what a beautiful job, i love what you had to say. leo is such a good character and imo has so much of rise's nonverbal characterization, when you broke it down to his expressions i felt so validated for also observing this movie so hard lmao. really awesome job, thank you for sharing! 🐢💙
I like how the first line of "what makes you Beautiful" is used five times.❤
When I watched the movie after watching the show I wondered to myself, “what happened? Why he suddenly so different in the movie?” Then I read a theory somewhere. What if Leo acted the way he did in the movie because he was trying to lose his place as leader? Splinter would see that he’s not worthy and place leader back on raph? This video gave me a better understanding and a whole new perspective on Leo. Thank you for the video and I look forward to more 😁
Oooo I never really thought about this, but that's a pretty good theory. Although for me, I just thought that leo was just being ben schwartz
This analysis completely summarized everything this movie made me feel but didn't have the words to say. An amazing breakdown of a character who gets a lot of criticism.
Edit: Man, that ending sequence of Leo alone in the prison dimension followed by his brothers uniting to bring him back never fails to bring me to tears.
I'm excited for this 😁 this version of Leo was always so interesting to me.
Oh boy.....Leo is such an amazing character, more so than the other versions of TMNT. Leo, much like Donnie, tends to remind me of me in the sense that I use jokes and humor to cope with many things, especially stress, and especially when I was growing up, I was desperate to be validated as someone who can do amazing things. It's sometimes seen that I'm not taking certain things seriously, but I try my best to. I often believed little to nobody had faith in me in most of everything I did, even to this very day. Leo and Donnie literally come together and make it look like it's seeing me in a cartoon. If I could hug Leo and validate him, I'd do it in a heartbeat.
I would hug him too.
Lays down on the floor and cries.
You've really, truly managed to capture why so many people find Leon so human, or such a deep character in general. The constant desperate need to prove himself over and over again, because it never is nor will be enough, because it couldn't possible be. It's tragic, and what's even worse is that he managed to fool everyone into thinking that all he is is vapid and egotistical, to the point where they don't question it, they don't try to pry off the layers too see for themselves if there's anything else at all.
It's tragic because Leon, despite his numerous missteps and innate need for glory and validation, does prove his wit and capability, but despite his assurances no one believes in it. During the whole ordeal with Big Mama, Splinter was furious with him, everyone was doubtful and expecting of nothing but the worst.
But even when he voiced this issue out loud, there was no response. He surpassed everyone's expectations and still, nothing had changed.
I do wish a new character was introduced, or that someone from the established cast would finally make that step forward and choose to see him, and by extension help him. I wish something would finally change regarding his deep insecurities and how he's perceived. I wish he was allowed to be vulnerable in front of another and not be persecuted over it.
*Flips table* FINALLY SOMEONE MADE A VIDEO ABOUT ALL OF THE SHIT I NOTICED. This right here is why I fucking love and adore Leo so much in this series. What makes this entire thing even better is that at the end both Rise Leo and 2012 Leo had these same problems: their inferiority complex. For 2012 Leo he coped with it by putting up a wall, and by trying to over protect his team by trying to be strict and over fulfilling his role as leader. And admittedly, his own self angst from just being a teenager also played a role in that. 2012 Leos's struggle was projected outward, while Rise Leo's was all focused inward. It's just...SO well written holy fuck and the facial expressions is such a key component to figuring it out. Legit when I first was watching the movie I couldn't take my eyes off of Leo for even a second because I felt like I would miss a moment where I wasn't able to mentally connect what he's thinking to know his next move. Granted I'm personally a bit of a freak like that because of my emotional driven intelligence but hot damn is it amazing to analyze and chew on, Leo is like THE best character to pick apart and analyze as a emotional intelligence exercise in general. Also my favorite color just so happens to be blue so. Yeah go Leo hgfdfgdhgfh
omg thank you for saying this and putting together such a well-spoken and produced video on the topic, Leo's internal struggles with his inferiority complex throughout the show were moments where I really appreciated the depth of his character and the movie really was the culmination of all that.
To add to where his insecurities originated, I think there is even more to say about how he was raised. I love Splinter and Rise's Splinter is my favorite, but his own character clearly struggled and continues to struggle with the massive change from being an action star to being well... a mutant rat. Struggling with the depression that came from his past, his failings as a parent are understandable, though they are failings nonetheless. By taking a step back and choosing to raise his sons with Lou Jitsu instead of Hamato Yoshi, (which itself shows how he valued his old persona more than his true self,) he raised them with a figure who was unrealistically perfect. Lou Jitsu was a movie star persona, of course he would never fail or need to rely on anyone else for strength. Consequently, Leo grows up with a warped sense of what true strength is. (All of the brothers do of course, but for now, I'm focusing on Leo.) Leo is taught to idolize and seek to become a figure like Lou Jitsu, which is impossible.
Continuing even FURTHER to bring this point home, Leo also idolizes Jupiter Jim, who suffers from the same portrayal that Lou Jitsu does. He is a perfect, never-failing leader that does everything himself and always succeeds. We see especially in the episode with Red Fox, that even though it would have been way easier for Red Fox to defuse the bomb herself, she instead unties Jupiter Jim so that he can shine in the spotlight. When Leo fails as a leader in the movie, what media does he turn to in order to cope and see what a true leader is like? A Jupiter Jim comic.
Leo throughout his life has not only compared himself to his brothers, but to the characters in the media he was raised on. It's understandable that in a moment where he is doubting himself after he loses the key, that he would latch on to Casey Jr.'s praise of his future self being the greatest ninja the world has ever seen. In that moment, Casey Jr. unknowingly reinforced the insanely unrealistic expectation of himself, and presented it as a real achievable goal, parroting what you stated in the video.
Unsurprisingly from the length of this comment I adore Leo's character and have talked a lot about it lol, and I really appreciate the video providing such an in-depth analysis. It's frustrating when Leo is either mischaracterized as being self-absorbed, or when people criticize the movie for "taking his character arc backward." His arc was never completed in the show, especially considering how last-minute becoming leader was. He never learned to rely on his family to cover his weaknesses like Raph did, and it feels like the natural way he would respond to the responsibility and expectations of being the new leader.
anyway I'm gonna end the ramble, thank you for the video and I've got to go subscribe now lol
Edit because I'm normal about this piece of media:
The unhealthy way that Leo consumes media is not even a mistake or misguidance on his own part, but again, something he was taught to do. By Splinter giving them lessons such as WWLJD, or "What Would Lou Jitsu Do," It frames Lou Jitsu's actions and behaviors as directly applicable to life situations, when in reality, they are lessons that require interpreting to real-life scenarios. (Unless you're in a place that specializes in both fish and ladders, to be fair.) And, most of what they learned that was useful from Lou Jitsu was their physical abilities, while their mental/emotional abilities were learned from Spinter, as their father, as seen by situations like the season 1 finale in which he reinforces their true selves
You just brought a very new and interesting approach of Lou Jistu's and Jupiter Jim''s influence in the turtles's lives that I never considered, yet it feels so evident and intentional from the creators. You pointed at a schema that makes sense for Leo's sense of self (he literally called JJ his father figure once) and that resonates A LOT with me and certainly, many younger people will relate to this. I mean, how many children (heck even adults sometimes) have fantasized themselves as being fictional characters and tried to roleplay ad them in order to feel more confident/perfect?
You really made my night with that pondering of yours. Thank you very much!
@@hanakosan4404 No omg, thank you for such a sweet reply!!! You made my night too, literally kicking my feet rn. I will take any opportunity I can to gush about Rise and it feels like there's always something like this that I see on every rewatch, the creators of the show/movie are so meticulous and intentional with every detail and the quality never fails to amaze me. And you're right!! I'm the exact same way and it's understandable how this would influence the turtles and the choices they make.
Me 🤝 Leo
Having fictional father figures
Oh, my this made me cry!
It was such a wonderful analysis and yet it hit so close to home unknowingly, especially how Leo would act. I saw so many parallels.
Honestly, while some may think this may be a dumb analysis of a kids show character, the words in here couldn't be more true to life. Especially with how we are raised to expect we should be able to do everything on our own when we grow up, when in reality it couldn't be more wrong. It has led to so many problems I have seen growing up, in me and in others.
Thank you this was truly a treat to watch!
I really loved this movie’s portrayal with this, and it makes me even happier because this is something a lot of people can relate to and makes it more touching in a sense
I really appreciate that you go in-depth on Leo’s psychology and analysing and evaluating Leo’s character and linking it back to a nice message. I’ve really enjoyed your videos so far as they go a step further than just analysis and I don’t see that done very often. Just a really well written video, I look forward to seeing more of your work!
I recently saw someone on Tumblr point out that Leo acting out of character in the beginning of the movie could also be him deliberately trying to screw up and infuriate the others in a desperate attempt to make Splinter give the leadership role back to Raph, which is also an extension of him not stepping up to his responsibility. Then, once Raph is gone, Leo can no longer fall back on him, so he starts to emulate him instead, trying to brute force his way to a goal. Obviously, since he ISN'T Raph, this doesn't work and Leo is now forced to step into the role of leader as himself, and he realises how he CAN lead in a way that is unique to him.
Then of course there's the whole can of worms which is post-movie Leo and how there is no way that boy isn't gonna be suffering from extreme depression (probably even borderlining suicidal) due to not only having almost singlehandedly doomed the fate of the entire world, but also now having to live with the fact that he has absolutely caused his brothers a great deal of unnecessary trauma as well, and there's going to be constant reminders, both physically and emotionally. His insecurities have now been redirected from his capability to his own life, as even though he has now acceptected the responsibility of being leader and proven he can do as such, the overwhelming guilt will no doubt push him to harbour a complete disregard for his own wellbeing, believing that there's no other way to make up for his seemingly irredeemable mistake. He will burden himself with these emotions alone, hiding them away and only letting them out in the dark corners of his room where his family can't see. His mask of confidence is no longer to hide his insecurity, but to make his family believe that he is Okay, he is Fine, because this Isn't About Him. This is all for them, because the last thing he wants to do is make them worry. Before, Leo at least wanted to be able to love himself in the way that he makes people perceive he does, but now, there's no one he hates more than himself.
This movie takes Leo's self-worth issues and doesn't fix them - it actually makes them worse.
And I love it so much for that, because it's not something you see often or done well.
I would also like to point out that in the movie Leo can be seen scooting away when Casey says that Leo’s brothers would die in the future and Leo isn’t like the one Casey knew. I feel like the scooting is kind of a way for Leo to try and escape his problems, not literally but more figuratively. He’s trying to avoid his problems by doing this.
Fantastic analysis and this series is severely underrated
the tangible guilt and desperation in leo's actions, especially after raph is captured, is ramped up so much, it's like watching angsty fanfiction, it's so good
Okay, when I say Leo is JUST LIKE ME! I MEAN IT! I don't do things that put my family in danger, but Leo puts up a facade to cover up his emotions like fear, insecurity, sadness etc THATS ME! Whoever needs to hear this: you don't need to prove yourself in order to be strong and making your family proud love yourself just as you are, It's OK to have flaws hell everyone does. Your family won't love you any less, relaying on your loved ones and admitting your flaws is what makes you strong. Thank you for this amazing video! Bye! 🤗💖
❤🫂are you doing okay and mentally bud now
Donnie and Leo are easily the
best characters in the show
Mikey and Raph aren't bad either
period
they are all amazing in their own way
fr bro miley and raph r just mid
tbh I just feel like I think they made raph a hit too serious liek he more mature then leo and I dont like that
I honestly really like your thumbnails
Also in the episode portal jacked, notice how his brothers didn’t really miss him only caring about going back to their vacation instead of worrying where he was. He did too and now thinks that his brothers wouldn’t miss him and don’t worry about him at all not helping his feeling of uselessness
This is beautifully made. You’ve done an excellent job. I feel like I’ve come to understand Leo’s character further as well as feel reassured against the same insecurities that plague my mind. Thank you for making and posting this video.
On a light note, def helps with understanding Leo better to try and accurately portray his character in fanfiction.
I feel you on that fanfiction bit. Writing a consistent characterization can be tricky to handle, and these sorts of videos offers great help understanding the way some characters's psychology works.
This video literally made me tear up. I had recently gotten into the show, but sadly haven't seen S2 due to no access and the movie due to not seeing S2 yet. Regardless, ROTTMNT is an amazing show that deserves respect. I have experience/am experiencing something similar to Leo and him as a character has really helped me. Huge props to the writers
I love how each turtle represents different struggles people experience. Leo is very insecure and only acts like he is the best because he is afraid of failure. Everyone claims Donnie has autistic traits and I can see it but I think it’s great as it is part of who he is. Raf has anxiety and worry because he’s supposed to be the leader and the protector of his brothers. Finally, Mikey is like the therapist of the group (like me) who feels obligated to keep everyone happy and basically the glue that holds everything together which can be a lot of pressure also he’s ADHD boi. I freakin love this series ❤
Real quick I just wanted to say thank you so much for making this video, you can tell that there was a lot of time and effort put into this video and although it may seem crazy, this video really spoke to me. The topic was approached in such a knowledgeable and heart felt way that it really helped me to understand something I didn’t know I needed. The hardest part about feeling inferior is simply that it can happen to anyone because no one is perfect and we can fall into the trap of feeling personally responsible for that and the people in are lives.
I love the message of this movie, ‘it’s not about you,’ at first seeming like such a stereotypical remark that is often seen as an attack on people being egotistical and as such, can easily be interpreted of as much, especially at the beginning of the movie. However we, along with Leo, come to realize that the real lesson isn’t trying to accuse and condemn him for his insecure mistakes, but instead is an invitation to look to the others around you, to know that you’re not alone in the issues in your life and that it’s not about having to prove that you can be better, stronger, or perfect. But that you can instead focus on your situation and choices in life, so that you can do what needs to be done.
(…Okay I lied, it wasn’t very quick,) but seriously thank you for doing this, I’m at a time in my life when I really needed this and it means a lot to know I’m not alone. (In more ways than one.) So great job on this video and I hope that you and your collage studies go well! Your videos have all been wonderful to watch and I’m excited to see what you’ll do next; they all have so much heart. :)
2 more things I’d like to mention
In “down with the sickness” he mentioned that he was splinters least favourite, which might play some sort of part in his behaviour?? In some way
And in “pizza puffs” during the scene where he has to convince the chef to tell him where meat sweats is he seems to doubt himself (while this may be because he’s practically drunk, it also could be a small break in his facade because of his drunkenness)
Just food for thought, if I find anything else I’ll mention it in the replies
Watched ALL three of your videos on Rise of the TMNT, and I have to say-if you can get into SOOO much character depth for three characters from a show called “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”, than I can’t even imagine what kind of character videos you could make out of a similar show like Ninjago! 😱
(Or Miraculous-since that show also has a bit of character depth…😅)
Don’t know if you’ve actually seen these shows or not, (AND I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THEM IF YOU HAVE’T) but I’m just saying that you’re videos are so GOOD at explaining the true motivations and convictions of a character! I LOVE them! 👍🤩
This is beautifully worded!! The breakdown of scenes and expressions is done so well. I've tried explaining to some friends WHY Leo isn't just an egotistical dumbass because I knew this at heart but didn't know how to properly explain, now I can show them this!! Thank you!! 💙💙💙
I think one thing that feeds Leo’s insecurity in his abilities is how he can’t quantifiably contribute something to the team.
Like, looking at his brothers, they all have some external trait or hobby they are good at, and can offer to the team effort. Raph’s massive gains (LOL) and physical strength, Donnie’s tech, Mikey’s art. This is what Leo percieves as skill.
But for Leo himself, his role on the team hinges on traits intrinsic to his personality, and not things he can physically execute.
He’s constantly seeks to prove himself, but there are no possible goalposts or achievements he can attain to tell himself he is good enough. I mean, how do you quantify wittiness? Perceptiveness? Strategizing?
These are traits that are dependent on a problem or a challenge - reactionary. You can’t just exert them like… lifting weights, building tech or creating art.
Leo knows what his brothers are good at. He trusts in the physical proof of their ability. There is no physical proof of his ability, that it couldn’t just not be enough/utilizable one day. That is a constant source of stress and uncertainty for him.
Leo is my favorite character since I pretty much try hard to prove myself & I act like I have a 'big ego' or thats what I put on as a front. Mainly I fail a lot trying to find motivation, sometimes I'll clean so much my foot is all red from standing trying to clean & it's painful. But I cope threw joking, I act like I don't care but I actually do, I hate when people doubt me but I act like I don't care, when I start crying I questing myself why I'm crying & tell myself I'm not supposed to care. I've trained myself to act like I don't care & I can't sound sincere anymore, I can't make a worried face and when my friends get mad at me it's hard for me to express that I care.
I really love this analysis, it shows how Leo really is or why he is like that. Like you said, he seems like a teen with no sense of responsibility or seriousness and a big ego, while he’s struggling with his insecurities and tries to prove that he is worth something, that he can fix his mistakes on his own. It’s something that many people don’t see at first. And I really liked your message at the end because it’s important to know that you can rely on others and that it doesn’t make you weak to ask for help. Everyone has their struggles and insecurities, and it’s completely fine to talk about it or ask for help. Also I really love your voice, it’s so nice and relaxing to listen🫶🏼 it’s the first time I’ve seen a video on your channel and you gained yourself a subscriber
RISE LEO IS TO LEONARDO WHAT ANIMATED OPTIMUS IS TO OPTIMUS PRIME
*THEY SHOW US AN UNCONVENTIONAL BUT CREATUVE WAY OF HOW THE CHARACTER WE LOVE BECAME WHAT HE IS*
Can I just say your analysis of the movie was amazing the way you looked deeper into every meaning and reason for Leo to act in such a way was spot on and beautifully done, the new criticism and psychoanalytic criticism you pointed out was thoughtful and I enjoyed everything you pointed out about Leo. He’s my favorite out of all of the turtles because of how much one can relate to him, from a surface level it’s not easy to see why he acts the way he does but this video explains everything about how dynamic his character really is. And ugh I can get over the way you presented the foil the antagonist was for Leo’s character and how this dynamic made the film have a deeper meaning and theme for both the story and Leo’s character. Literally amazing video please keep making more! ✨
Grate video as always!! Leo is my favourite character of this series and I’ve always wanted to hear someone explain his issues so thank you✨
Man this video made me cry and smile at the same time. The message of the movie makes me actually feel like I can overcome things, that I can truly do what I want/need to do. I absolutely love these babies and you were one of the main reasons I went to watch this series in the first place. It has truly changed my life, thank you so much for everything. I hope you stay safe and well, peace ❤
As someone who analyzes media as a form of therapy, I genuinely think your videos are amazing (I'm really struggling to find a stronger word, just take all the compliments, put them in a blender and drink that appreciation juice, YOU DESERVE IT).
I'm a sucker for video essays in general but HOLY S, this is so Good. There's a palpable care and genuineness in the way you express all your points, the extracts you choose are lazer focus (even tho I would argue that quoting/paraphrasing said extract right before makes it redundant but shhhhhhhh, I'm writing a love letter to your work rn) and by god, the editing is just so good, so damn effective (but putting dramatic music while talking about the movie was a sin, I cried, screw you, how dare you make me feel things, again)
WOAH, that comment's getting a little long and I haven't even said anything about your actual analysis so I'll keep it short: Yes, I AGREE, so true bestie
Anyway, thank you and keep up the wonderful work ♡♡♡
You know something? Leo has also have a character arc like Sonic (from the movies)
They were both reckless and didn't understand the true meaning of a hero. But after learning from their mistakes and overcoming their insecurities, they both became heroes, the right way.
And they're both voiced by Ben Schwartz
Oh man this is a video I'm gonna come back to, this was so beautifully written and edited.
This video put every jumbled emotion and thought I have about Leo into a coherent, thoughtful, and engaging character analysis. Thank you for this glorious look into my favorite character’s psyche :)
This version of TMNT is very interesting. This is very different from any other series. They each have very strong personalities..... Even slight persona changes. I love this show so freaking much. 💕
To be honest I honestly love Rise Leo like it’s a nice to see finally Leo is being a bit of a troublemaker. For me too many versions of him being serious like the second live action movie where there’s a moment that the version of him couldn’t balance between being their big brother and leader. So I like that the creators made Leo a bit of a troublemaker even though he is second oldest in rise
Thank you so much for voicing his actions and analyzing him... Literally throughout the whole series his growth as a character is amazing and it must've been hard to actually find the right words to describe Leo's behaviors. Mad respect. Truly. 🙏✨
In terms of where Leo’s inferiority stems from; his brothers don’t have as much as an inferiority complex because Leo is often the one that encourages them and cheers them on. Leo is the CHEERLEADER of the group. But since Leo is the cheerleader, he gets less of these words of affirmation from the people around him.
You can see this multiple times. A good example is in the comic April announces the turtles one by one, practicing her public speaking skills. Leo is super on board and goes along with it, telling his brothers they’ve earned it, cheering for them, etc. But by the time it came to be Leo’s turn, everyone had lost interest and left, leaving Leo to have to announce himself, by himself, to get his turn of “praise”, only to be shot down by Splinter telling him to go to bed. He even ASKS for encouragement from his brothers in the hall of fame episode, and once again has to resort to being his own cheerleader, which isn’t nearly as gratifying.
Anyway, that’s my take on his personality. Poor guy just needs to be told he’s doing a good job now and then.
God this was such a well put and touching video. I relate to Leo a lot and hearing you talk about him was oddly cathartic in a way. As always I love your videos, and keep up the good work
this is an absolute BANGER of an analysis video, thank you SO MUCH for making it!!! hes literally such a complex and good character. i could cry
I just wanted to say that not only did I thoroughly enjoy this bc it's about tmnt but bc you bring up topics and phenomenas that I read about in uni bc of my interest in it. It surrounds my interest on multiple levels and I'm guessing its similar for you too. Incredible work and you honestly inspired me to start taking my own character analysis a bit more seriously. It does feel incredible to build up my vocabulary and tools with the help of uni, and even more incredible that i can not only apply them on my own surrounds but on my interests as well :D
So thanks for showing that it's a possibility
AGHHHHH THIS IS GONNA PREMIERE IN MY COUNTRY LIKE 1 AM UGHHHH
But I'm know this is gonna be ✨awsomeeeee✨
i'm so sorry timezones are the worst
@@skulltrot don't worry it's not like i sleep that much anyway😌👌
@@insertunoroginalnamehere6189 i feel that but also pls get enough sleep
YESSSSS LEO ANALYSIS!!!! I hate when people act like Leo is just a shallow character or a cocky asshole. Hes so multi-dimensional with his personality. We need a season 3 so we can peek into more of his character from now on.
Thank you for the awesome video, you have earned my subscribe and like hahah
Also I need a video about all the things that would make Rise! Leo a good leader from just the show, because I love the way they build up his intelligence and skill from the get-go.
Please ignore me as I quietly sob over Leo's beautiful character arc
Rise Leo has quickly become one of my favorite versions of the character, I rlly love how this series put more focus on his insecurities
I love your videos analysing characters so much, it's just so entertaining to listening to you putting the characters under a microscope and understaanding and explaining why do they act like they do
Also, thank's for the subtitles (don't know if you make them or someone else), I can't hear without my subtitles
I swear I saw this exact video in my recommended videos last week. But apparently this video is only a half hour old.... This is pretty unsettling tbh.
Probably the pre release.
I just watched the movie yesterday, what a coincidence! But also yeah that movie metaphorically stabbed me and twisted the knife ;-; It's so cool seeing someone talk and emotionally analyze the characters! (That's what I do when I watch movies, haha!)
Can already tell this is going to be a great video
cant wait to watch, thanks for the video
Nick, please give us that season 3 we've all been waiting for. And make sure that Rise!Leo's mental issue goes from inferiority complex turn into imposter syndrome
Have you heard any news
This video was fantastic. Hec I thought I related to the other 3 turtles way more before this and got kind of salty when the character color code gave me light blue after taking the test for it. Which is Leo obviosly. But after this analízis. I feel I can relate to him more now. I am obviosly very different person but now I see some under the surface motivations and self doubts which are really similar. This video served for myself as a realization check. And how I need to figure out my positive qualities more instead of focusing on what I lack or expected to be. I have a lot of thinking to do. And process áll of this. Ultimately thank you for making this video. I needed to watch this.
4:50 > Sub prompt
I rarely sub on command, but in a short 5 minutes you concisely caught me to speed with how this show does these characters different; fleshed out Leo's character flows with strong examples, foreshadowed Leo's character arc, and made me laugh.
Edit: if it wasn't obvious I subbed on command
This was AWESOME! Thanks for reminding us why Leo's arc was so compelling and why he's so great 😭💙
I totally agree with this video and i was hoping someone would point that out! That’s why I think so many people can connect with this character is because of those reason. Just like stated in the video Leo tends to only see himself in a negative light and therefore he assumes he’s useless or that people don’t need him, and so he convers this up by always making jokes and tries to act like none of this is affecting me and he this as a joke. And I feel like a lot of people can relate to that specially for a teenager and I know I certainly can relate to that. Normally when someone has hurt me an emotional way I tend to either say something mean on myself before they can or I joke about it to the people around me. In the end I end up gaslighting myself and soon start to feel like I’m less than other people. That’s a lot of time in friendship it’s so easy for me to get jealous cause I feel like my friends like me less than my other friends. And I feel as if a lot of other people can relate to that, so by stating these things out is a great thing so maybe some people will see that they may have these bad habits. I would also like to state how how cocky and arrogant Leo becomes across not because he is this things but he has so little confidence in himself that he starts to pretend he to full of himself, making it hard to ask for help cause if he does people might start seeing through this facade and he really doesn’t want people to see him in a different light.
Again that’s why I think so many people can relate to this character cause of those factors, people that have low self esteem tend to hide it by either joking about it or doing an 180 on their emotions and do the exact opposite of what there feelings are and pretend to be these things when they aren’t. It’s the fact that leo doesn’t have over confidence it’s that he has so little confidence in himself that he is always trying to push himself to be something greater, but never recognizing those accomplishment. Which a lot of people do when they have low confidence.
That’s why I really enjoyed the focus on Leo in this movie cause I don’t think people ever saw those traits in show until it was obviously pointed out in the movie. Leo isn’t trying to be arrogant on person just for his huge ego he’s being arrogant because he has no big ego. And I think a lot of people tend to throw that over their ends. Don’t get me wrong characters that are arrogant can be just that and that can make this character feel dislike in some way. Buttt when a character is being arrogant or stupid or any other flaw personality type it’s not them just being that type of characters. It’s them trying to cope with the fact that they feel inferior to people or useless or have big insecurities they want to hide. And that’s the difference between these two types of characters and I wish people see this more often. That for one instance it’s not a character that needs to let go of their arrogance but a characters that needs to accept themselves of who they are and it’s ok not to be flawless and gain a better confidence in oneself, and this is exactly what Leo is going through in this show and movie.
Additionally the truly sad part about this is that I don’t really think Leo character got the complete closure he needs and that there is still development for his character. Leo finally understand that he doesn’t have to do things alone and that he needs his family for help for the flaws he makes up, making that perfect team and leaving behind no blind spots. But I feel like he forgets to realize that his family needs him as well. That’s why I think it was so easy for him to sacrifice himself, not just because he was doing a hero thing but I think he genuinely believed that his family would do better off without him. That’s why I’m the void he never tries to fight the kraang cause he believes that his family would be better off without him yet still thinking he needs his family and he’s nothing without. Having a very deep complex on how Leo views himself useless without his brothers but still believes they would be better off without him because of his useless.
That’s why I soooo wish there is going to be a season 3 of this show because I believe that Leo character isn’t done of developing. That he has to realize that he’s not useless and that an an individual he can do so much when he’s independent but still knowing he’s more with his brothers but still knowing he’s enough alone. And also for him to realize that these coping mechanisms aren’t the best and that he should try to open up more to his team and realize by opening up that his family feels the same way. That they are nothing without Leo and Leo is nothing without them.
Additionally, now with all the trauma they been through I really want to see how they deal with it and how by opening up about these traumas that they become closer together as a team and a family. That’s why I really like the end of season 2 cause we get to see a little bit of Ralf traumas and how by being open he feels more at peace and trust his brothers a lot more. That’s why I really hope for a season three cause their is so many aspects about each character that hasn’t been well enough develope yet to become a complete end of story. There still lots of stories to tell and things that need to be sad so we can only hope for a season three and do all we can as a fandom to support this show. For example I heard if the movie does really well they might make a season three so I suggest watching movie over and over again just on for background noise or something can really help. Also by liking the show and movie on Netflix can help and rewatching the show on Netflix or wherever you can find the show on a streaming service, and buying merchandise can help as well!
Anyway sorry for that getting a little off topic I just know by doing those things is a great way to support the show and get the season 3 that we deserve.
Ps let me just say I love these videos that you created and I have watched all three of them and hope that you continue to do more of these video and get other characters in such as Raph, and splinter, cause your analysis are exactly on point and for someone that having a hard time seeing these things in the characters or just not even trying out this show I feel like these videos are a great way to get people interested and realize the bigger understanding of each character and this show. Keep up the good work!!!!!
The vid started with that YOU'RE INSECURE 1D edit, I already know this video is gonna be amazing 💙💙💙
When a video essay starts playing PMD music that's how you know it'll slap!! Seriously though this is a great & comprehensive analysis and the way you used his sequences of facial expressions was brilliant!
I dont think you guys understand how much I LOVE HIM. He’s gotta be one of my favourite Leo iterations so far.
Aaa this video was so good!!! I’ve wanted someone to talk about his inferiority complex for awhile, and you put it into an amazing structure that really made me think about how Leo acts in the film and the show.
this video made me think about the parallels of the kraang and Leo and how they have the same mentality, but go about it a different way. At the end, when the kraang is literally beating the life out of Leo, I like to think that that is a literal representation of his insecurities and actions (his internal conflicts throughout the movie) that not only hurt him, but his family in the process. The only way for him to get out were his brothers, for them to rely on one another which is how they got their powers in the first place(anatowa hitorijanai)
That probably doesn’t make much sense but anyways loved the video and all of the ones before that
I hate how a lot of people keep thinking that Leo is stupid when you can tell that he is smarter than they think. Like in "Bug Busters", he was the only turtle who didn't trust Big Mama throughout the whole episode, and he was right. Or in the beginning of "You Got Served", Mikey was the only one who wanted to compete, but Leo told him to stop because it make the mafias mad, and he was right! Hueso needs to hire him more often.
i don't think i've seen enough analysis videos on leo, tbh. this video was really good, i liked how in depth it was. also, spiritfarer music is always a win, lol
i havent watched this show but i need to, YOUR ANALYSISES ARE FUCKING PHENOMINAL- this has me in tears god damn
I love this analysis so much, last part quite literally brought me to tears; exploding this is so well done
This version of _Leo_ nardo is a good representation of the ♌Leo🦁 zodiac: charismatic, confident (to the point of being arrogant) and _A Natural Born-Leader_ (even he himself didn't realize this)
... on that note, He and Tako Maki of the Sushi Pack might make good friends. The 🐙 might learn something from the 🐢.
This was superbly written! Leo has always been my fav and seeing the approach that Rise has taken, building him into that leader position, may be one of my fav character developments. Amazing job