Leonardo (TMNT 2003)

Leonardo is the main protagonist of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Animated Series. He is the oldest brother of Donatello, Raphael, Michelangelo and adoptive son of Splinter.

He is voiced by Michael Sinterniklaas also voices Moritaka Mashiro and Mikey Simon.

Appearance
He wearing a blue bandana while his signature weapons are two Katanas. He is the leader of the four turtles and the most disciplined.

Personality
quiet and the most serious of the four. He has a very close bond with Splinter, and has a strong sense of honor, ethics, and Bushidō. Leonardo's twin swords are slung across his back. Episodes that deal with the Shredder and honor usually also focus on Leonardo, and he is often the Turtle who "saves the day". Leonardo is a more sensitive, self-doubting character than in previous incarnations. His younger brother Raphael often quarrels with him and resents his leadership, sarcastically calling Leonardo "Fearless Leader", although the two are shown to be very close at times. Though Leonardo's relationships with his younger brothers Michelangelo and Donatello are not as volatile, both have made comments alluding to the high standards the former has set, and his tendency to make them look bad. Despite this, his brothers view him as a pillar of strength and are at a loss when he is injured or absent. One of Leonardo's most prominent qualities is his determination to believe in the good and the best in people, even potential enemies; such as Karai.

At times, Leonardo is shown to be very hard on himself, as he feels that a lot is expected of him. As in the Mirage comics, Leonardo is ambushed and seriously injured by the Foot Clan and he feels he let his family and himself down. He has the same feelings after the final battle with the Shredder-his anger and self-doubt was caused by Karai, who he believed was an honorable ally, but she was unable to go against her master's orders, eventually causing her to stab Leonardo (albeit unintentionally). Leonardo also feels extremely inadequate, as he believes that again, he let himself and his family down, this time by finding no other way to destroy the Shredder than to blow up the spaceship that both the Shredder and the Turtles were on; the Turtles and Splinter would have perished if they had not been rescued by Utroms. Eventually, Leonardo finds inner peace under the guidance of the Ancient One, who trained Splinter's sensei, Hamato Yoshi. From their final battle with the Shredder, Leonardo was the only Turtle to sustain truly lasting damage; part of his shell on his upper left shoulder had its edge shorn. Nevertheless, he is the most skilled of the Turtles, being the only one trained by two ninja masters, capable of facing and defeating Karai, the new Shredder, in a one-on-one fight, as well as defeating all three of his brothers at once in a sparring match.

History
Through much of the fourth season, while the other turtles are fully healed and recovered from their battle with the Shredder, Leonardo still could not get over his failure. He becomes increasingly stern with himself and adopts a greatly aggressive personality (which has been likened to Raph's previous impulsive and hotheaded ways on many occasions). Leonardo also shows considerably less reluctance in using violence to interrogate people, and devotes himself to even greater lengths of training. His brothers worry about him and Splinter feels he must move on. It comes to a head when Leonardo loses his temper and nearly causes Splinter serious injury during a training session. Splinter sends Leonardo to find Master Yoshi's own sensei, The Ancient One, since there is nothing more he could do for his troubled son. Leonardo encounters a strange short man, as well as obstacles that echo his own anger. In the end, Leonardo admits that he was angry over failing his family while fighting the Shredder and that his only option was to self-destruct the ship to stop him. Leonardo comes to terms with his anger, accepting he did every thing in his power, and begins training under the short man, who turns out to be the Ancient One. Leonardo only leaves when he learns that his family is in danger (a result of Karai's vengeance, which destroys the lair and presumably eliminates them). Leonardo returns to the city, reunites his family in a safe location, and battles Karai (giving her one last chance to leave the Turtles in peace).

In the fifth season, of the eight acolytes under the Tribunal's training, Leonardo is the only one who doesn't receive a weapon from the Spirit Forge. It is implied that his spirit is his weapon, and anything he holds is merely an extension. (This was hinted at in previous seasons.) His otherworldly form is that of a dragon, a rare form, unheard of in someone his age. It is shown destroying evil guarding the second artifact. This avatar is first shown in "More Worlds Than One". His brothers later exhibit dragon avatars as well. In the fifth episode "Beginning of the End", he is given the sword "Gunshin" (one of the Fangs of the Dragon that commands the "White Flame of the Dragon King") by the wounded Feragi, who believes the sword was meant to be Leo's. Leo returns Gunshin in episode 12 "Enter the Dragons" when Feragi returns to help battle the Shredder, because he believes the sword truly belongs to Feragi.

In the Fast Forward season, and the Back to the Sewers season, the damage that occurred to Leonardo's shell as stated above has somehow been repaired.

Leonardo is trained not just by Master Splinter but the Ancient One himself, Hamato Yoshi's trainer and adoptive father. From then on, Leonardo is far more experienced and skillful at even more complex ninjitsu moves than even Splinter, Raph, Mikey, and Donnie all at once. He cuts Shredder's head off in a one-on one-duel in Shredder's domain.

Leonardo is the most skilled at ninjutsu and other forms of hand-to-hand combat he all learned from his adopted father and master, Splinter. As his weapons are dual katanas, he is proficient in "the ways of the sword" and basic knife-throwing techniques. If need be, he can use Qi Qong to slow his own bodily functions to survive temporarily without oxygen. After training sessions with "the Ancient One" he developed an intuitive/psionic-like ability to see what has previously transpired by "allowing thought to flow out and within."