#lo-nalyze

[londubhh]

ROTTMNT movie analysis that got longer than I meant it to (shocker)

Leo and Raph's relationship (a touch of the twins), the impact of Karai's death and their fight with Shredder, and the symbolism of their ninpo.

Never connected the dots before but Leo boasting about their ninpo the entire intro of the movie was 100% foreshadowing for them losing it later on, and carries a lot of meaning.

Having their ninpo won them the battle with Shredder, “fixed” Karai’s death, and it’s kind of like her last gift to them. Nothing could hurt them now.

Leo worked so hard to master his portals. There were multiple episodes about him being bad at it, how that rattled his confidence. He was finally confident in his portals, (his quick fight with Prime in this scene??? Hello???), so surely he could do anything now.

This scene could easily be Leo just. being Leo. But he's carrying himself with a confidence that he didn't have before, not this deeply. A façade of the narrative he's crafted to cope. He's convinced himself that because they've worked so hard, trained, have their powers, and defeated their biggest enemy, nothing could touch them. He's bargaining.

Their fight with Shredder deeply impacted all of them, even if we don't see it. Losing Karai, nearly losing their dad, etc. they're all a little rattled. Raph spent the entire first half of movie trying to teach Leo the lesson he learned that day: work together, rely on each other, you have your family.

Raph learning this lesson is what awoke their ninpo the first time. It’s why he’s being so strict about it. I’d be pissed too if I finally learned I could rely on my family just for one of them to act like this massive trauma didn’t hurt.

Raph is acutely aware that Leo doesn't understand what he learned that day. He makes as such obvious. Because, unintentionally, Leo throws it in his face. Raph thought he didn't have to carry it alone anymore, but Leo isn't listening. And that didn't matter before, when Raph thought the responsibility was all his, but not only is Leo the leader now, but he wasn't supposed to do it alone anymore.

And Leo throws that in his face. Because Leo thinks Raph doesn't trust him (more on this later), he doesn't realize Raph is hurting. It's not about him.

To finish off the scene, it's Leo's failure to listen and Leo's ninpo that ruins the mission. Their lack of teamwork. On a more symbolic level, their lack of trust. It's Leo literally cutting Raph off before he can reach him.

Another detail I wanna point out is it was Raph to pull Leo away from Karai. He knows Leo was affected by her death. He thought that if he spelled it out for him, he’d finally listen and take this serious; it’s not a game anymore, hasn’t been for a long time. Especially now that the Foot Clan is involved, possibly for the first time since Shedder. I think that’s why Raph is so calm in their argument (until he, rightfully, isn’t).

Leo mocks his stress, so Raph repeats his point. Raph has taken responsibility back. He's placed the weight of all of their lives back on himself, he was supposed to have his family to help him, he wasn't supposed to be alone anymore, (how much heavier does a weight feel when you were free for it for just a moment?) until Leo can get his act together.

But Leo doesn't get it. He think's Raph doesn't trust him. Leo's projecting insecurities he's developed onto him, isn't hearing what Raph is saying. And Raph is frustrated. After everything, you can't take the risk of one of us dying seriously? (He does, it terrifies him, so he makes up a world where that can never happen again.)

It's not that Leo doesn't take the Foot Clan seriously (Warren and Hypno, no. He doesn't think they're threats. Not in the same way.) I’m a firm believer Leo was being serious in this scene. He was doing his typical quip at the beginning, but once the fight starts he doesn't have another one.

He understands the threat here. He does something similar when fighting Krang Prime later on, "Suprise!", "If this isn't the poster shot...", etc. Don't get me wrong, Leo has been insensitive and more than a bit insufferable this entire time, but to his credit he’s listening to Casey here, it’s why he goes for the key in the first place.

But at this point it doesn't matter. Raph is fed up with him and hurt by Leo's actions thus far. You can see Leo considering his options because he doesn't trust Raph's call here (Raph is scared. Raph is responsible for all of them. Dad is hurt.)

Leo makes his decision. The narrative was shattered the second they lost their ninpo, that Splinter got hurt (which Leo doesn't have a very overt reaction to, like he's trying to ignore it). But Leo does understand this threat and goes after the key. He just didn't realize how seriously Raph takes protecting him, that he'd give up his own life to do so (he think's Raph's mad at him, doesn't trust him, that he got in the pod).

(Raph stays to protect him because that's his baby brother and even if he's being a bit of an ass, he'll die to protect him. He looks at him with nothing but love and concern as he places him in that pod.)

Even after this Leo immediately crafts a new narrative: it's CJ's fault. If he hadn't gone after the key, this wouldn't have happened (the whole reason he went after the key was because he trusted CJ's judgement, everything shifts when Raph gets captured).

They lost their safety net, Leo takes a couple tries to try and get around that, but he can't. So, he finds another. CJ said he's the greatest ninja of all time, so he can do this. Raph might not like how he does things, but he was good in the future, so he can do this.

Then that narrative is shattered too. Leo has to confront his fears and not only accept that he has to do it, but he alone can't fix it. He thought that if they just trusted him things would be okay, but he needs to listen to them, to be responsible for them, he can't lose them. The thought terrifies him. It's here that Leo earns the trust he was asking for.

Their ninpo is their connection to each other. Their trust in each other is at an all time low even before the Krang showed up. Donnie and Mikey are affected by Raph and Leo's arguing, and honestly I think Donnie is also a little fed up with Leo. Not as much, but I digress.

Donnie and Raph discussed the escape pods at some point. Either Donnie thought of them or, if they were Raph's/a mutual idea, agreed that they were necessary. He's also coping with some fake confidence, pretty typical for Donnie, see above with him going along with Leo's four shell joke, as well as trying to keep the peace between them and trying not to take sides.

Mikey has faith in his brothers, is willing to call out when they're being unreasonable ("we don't have a plan!"), but he's mostly waiting for everyone to start trusting each other again and is relatively passive in everything.

Donnie fights the most with Leo after Raph is taken, but Leo's being stubborn and he eventually caves. "The world is ending and yet the barbs continue," could have been banter with some truth to it. Donnie (and Mikey, who Donnie spent the entire scene worried about) did almost die in the tunnels he explicitly told Leo was a bad idea. He's frustrated, too, but Leo's able to win him back. I hit the image limit but he's pretty annoyed and cynical about their future for majority of the rooftop scene.

Donnie was the one who almost died when they first faced Shredder. At this point, he's the one who's come closest with death (I think). The only exception is Leo when thrown off the roof, but he was saved by Raph's ninpo.

But Leo's figured it out, and he's able to regain their trust. He's listening, and he wants to reunite them instead of pushing and lashing out. He doesn't want to fight anymore. He gets it, displays his own vulnerability. He might not be able to save them from this, protect them. He could have kept fighting, but he's willing to die for Raph to know that he understands.

I think this insecurity is coming from a genuine place, Splinter's distrust. But that wasn't about him either, it was about Splinter's trauma and fear of Big Mama. That he was placed in the Nexus, a place he spent years being forced to fight, when he swore to never harm another creature. Leo's felt, for a long time, that his team didn't trust him so he has to beg for it. And there was a time they didn't.

But he forgot that he earned Raph's trust, Splinter's too. He thought Raph was mad at him. So he kept acting stupid and lost the trust he had earned because he kept projecting this insecurity onto them, because he didn't listen and assumed Raph just. didn't trust him to be a good hero. It wasn't about him.

It was about what Raph was going through, what Raph needed from him. Leo finally understanding everything Raph was going through, from the pressure of being leader to learning to have faith in his team, is what awoke it the second time. It meant so much to Raph because of how much Leo’s attitude was hurting him. It was Raph’s ninpo that awoke first, not Leo’s, because he didn't have to carry everything alone again. They're able to rely on each other.

In the end, it was Leo's ninpo that allowed him to save the world. And Mikey's, who was worried about his support systems not getting along, is supported as his ninpo brings him back home.

[londubhh]

You ever think about how there’s no red because Raph isn’t seen fighting by the public. He doesn’t get credit for what he did, what he went through. The boy who advocated for them to become heros, who trained the most, saved the guy who would bring Krang Prime to the prison dimension, fought off Krang’s control, lead the group to this point. But he’s never seen, never credited. If he’s captured on video at all, he’s just another victim of krangification.

He wanted to be a hero so bad, but he’s unsung.

[londubhh]

I like to think their markings (or lack of) is intentional beyond character design

Leo and Mikey glow the most, use their mystics and ninpo the most. They’re holding their weapons.

Once Donnie unlocks his ninpo, he uses it in a way that utilizes his strength: tech. He’s creating projections of something non-mystic that he’s spent his life studying. He’s not holding a physical weapon, just his brain. It comes from within him.

Raph relies on his strength. His ninpo may make that better (or simply increase his range/size and the strength is all his own, which I personally am of the opinion of). He himself doesn’t glow, the strength itself comes from him. The weapon he carries is himself, which his ninpo creates a projection of.

[londubhh]

Karai wasn't with the Hamato ancestors because she herself wasn't dead yet. She wasn't able to give them guidance, so they lost sight of what truly mattered.

When she and her father finally step into the afterlife she learned of people who left family behind and were willing to martyr children.

I don't think there is peace in the afterlife for the Hamato clan, but a lot of division and fighting.

[londubhh]

Imagine being Gray and remembering, for TEN YEARS, Lyon being this bubbly, kinda goofy, sometimes asshole of a kid and then you meet him on Galuna and he’s this stoic, jaded, impulsive bastard who’s assholery has gone from teasing to stabbing but like he kida gets better, so

And then boom 7 years pass and he’s the mushiest, most eccentric (which has always been a thing, really, but now it’s just annoying), relatively reasonably mannered man, but also the smuggest asshole you’ve ever met (there’s a theme, at least)

You used to be ALLERGIC to emotions and now you wanna talk about FEELINGS??? Last time I tried to do that you JUMPED OFF A CLIFF??????

[londubhh]

I think Rise Leo is more insecure than self-loathing.

I don’t think he hates himself, I think he’s 14-16 years old and unsure of his place in the group. This is a tough age to be. You’re not quite a kid, not quite an adult, and your sense of identity is changing rapidly. You’re learning who you are and what you value etc etc.

Consider this on top of them being isolated from the world for their entire lives, his family is literally his entire world. They’re isolated the Hidden City in a way as well (they aren’t Yokai, they’ve never met mutants like themselves bar the villains).

The “I’m nothing without them” comment, imo, was more about how they’re all he has socially. Without them, it’s just him and Splinter in the lair, April when she’s around (not undermining April at all, but Leo and his brothers are/have been isolated from the world in a way she isn’t). Without them, he’s the face man of a nonexistent group.

This got so much longer than intended omg—

You can see the seeds of those insecurities throughout the show, and I think these are natural to have at his age just. in general, and on top of being socially stunted. He’s not the strong one or leader (and he doesn’t want to be the later), he’s not the smart one (more on this later, and he isn’t the glue (I think Mikey’s close relationship with each of them helps tie the group together, especially in times of conflict) and beacon of light.

Now Leo is smart. He’s charismatic and cunning and knows how to negotiate. These are incredibly valuable skills but they’re often undermined, and not always necessary in all situations. I don’t think Leo realized how good he is at this, never mind how valuable his skill set is. And not to mention how he uses his portals on the battle field. Leo is incredibly battle-smart. His plans differ from Raph’s in strategy (Raph’s go-to is to hit and keep hitting, which isn’t always what needs to happen. You can’t brute strength through everything. Nothing against Raph just pointing out differences Raph ily). Leo is a strategist. His knowledge of his teams strengths and weaknesses is what makes him a good leader. He knows how to weaponize their skills and compensate for weaknesses.

But Leo doesn’t realize how valuable these skills are. And they only got a chance to really shine at the end of S1. Being made leader before he realized this only accentuated insecurities that were already there. Why would he be the leader? What does he even offer to the team? And he doesn’t want that responsibility, doesn’t trust himself with that responsibility. Raph is the strongest, of course he can protect them. What could he do?

On top of that, he’s being criticized every step of the way, which only exasperates how much he doesn’t know what he’s doing. Now in terms of the start of the movie, the whole key thing, there’s a lot of interpretations for what’s going on. Here’s my two cents:

Leo doesn’t want to be leader, so he just. doesn’t. Why should he listen to Splinter? They’ve been just fine the way they’ve been doing things, why does he get a say in how they operate after one mission? I just don’t think Leo took the role on, ignored it completely. Acted as he always did because that’s what worked for them. And, yeah, he goofed a mission, but they always goof missions. It just so happens that it had dire consequences this time.

When he steps into that role, I think he was trying. Leo was taking the Krang seriously, I could make a whole other post about this. But when Raph gets captured, he goes into his “leader mode” where he micromanages and calls the shots, handles it all himself.

Here’s the thing. Raph didn’t learn to work as a team, that he could rely on them, until the end of S2. For two years now, Raph led in a similar way. With a tight reign. I think Leo, on top of just being stubborn, was emulating a form of leadership he was used to. Raph had his character development, but that was all of what, six months ago?

“I was doing everything right, how could it all go so wrong.” He thinks this is how he’s supposed to lead. It’s what Raph did (albeit not nearly as intensely) and that always worked—until Shredder, until it didn’t, which Leo realizes later on—why isn’t it working for him? What is he doing wrong?

Post-movie, I think Leo’s character would have been in a weird place. He understands the importance of working together, admits how much the responsibilities scare him but take them on because that’s what he has to do, but the mess of the invasion I think would have worsened these insecurities (and especially if he had injuries hindering him afterwards, internalized ableism can be intense). He knows how to run the team, but he’s not so sure of his own place in it—he’s not Master Leonardo, he admits, he’s just Leo.

Leo has to learn the value of his own skills—I do think he values himself as a person, as a brother—and how they make him an amazing leader. He’s 16 years old learning his own skill set (I don’t think the comparison of 40 year old Master Leonardo helped). He’s finding his place in the team and how it was always fitting for him to take this role, that there was a lot more importance to the face-man role than he realized.

And in terms of future Leo, I’d imagine these skills were vital for pulling and holding the resistance together. The social politics of the whole thing etc etc, why he was placed as general on top of his battle intelligence. His skill set is perfect for a war general, actually, but p!Leo doesn’t understand that (he’s not really told much about the future anyway, just that he’s a great ninja—ninja’s are often hired for espionage, assassinations, spying, things with strategy).

[londubhh]

Could you explain your theory about Leo with “How valuable his charisma actually is” please? I read that and instantly wanted to hear everything. If you wouldn’t mind. Also thank you for everything you make, I love love love your breakdown of Rottmnt characters, it means so much.

Hiiii. An excuse to psycho-analyze the blue boy? Absolutely, I love picking through his head, there's so many things going on in there. This got so long oops my bad

I've touched on this here but I'll elaborate! I think it all really plays into Leo's insecurities and imposter syndrome with the whole Leader thing. I get a little off topic but shh. I do think Leo's arc was always meant to be him realizing he was always a good fit for this role in the team. He never had to learn to be a leader, but realize he's had those capabilities, if that makes sense.

Leo is a very insecure character from the get-go. And from the kid's perspective, it makes sense how he deduced these things. Some important context for Leo's 14 years of life thus far: he's completely isolated from the world save for his four incredibly niche-ly talented siblings and neglectful father (who he earnestly believes he's the least favorite of), and his biggest strength is with other people and strategy.

As for other people? They weren't interacting with anyone. ever. Leo knows he's a good manipulator, can lie his way out of things, can read people's motivations, etc etc. But beyond getting his way out of trouble or manipulating his siblings from time to time for a shenanigan, it wasn't important and it wasn't cool in the same way everyone else's skills were. And I don't think his brother's realized he had this skill either, or at least how valuable it would be to their team.

Raph was their protector, Donnie built their home, Mikey just emulates effortless skill in everything he does, and April is tenacious and strong, has that same Skill Aura as Mikey if you will. And all of these things have a flashy cool factor Leo craves. He's the cool guy! But charisma doesn't have that, not in the same way. So he compensates with his rad skills and skateboarding tricks. But those aren't as useful (especially when he tends to goof the former when it counts).

Before the team formed, Leo's skills didn't really serve any purpose. And when Leo loves and respects his family so much alongside the tangible evidence that they're better, it's easy for him to place their pedestal above him. Leo's also very unaware that literally every cast member has their own complex about the value they bring to the table, their place, their skills, etc. To him, they're all so confident and sure of themselves, stable in knowing who they are and what they can do. And he's. not.

When they decide they wanna be heros, things start to shift. Leo's skills get to shine a little more, but it's not really acknowledged. And it's not as obvious. Leo get's his flashy cool thing: portals! But he's bad at them. Origami Tsunami shows off his strategic mind and ability to rally the team very early on, and that he's the most level headed of the bunch. let's not go after the spine breaking bandit guys that sounds like a #badidea!! and he spins to make it sound cool. A good leader doesn't let their team be in over their head and inspires them, etc.

But the thing is this skill isn't hyped up like everyone else's. Nobody's going omg Leo yess great speech! and when they get onto the field they first listen to Raph's plan because he's their leader at that point. So everyone views Raph as the plan guy. But it's Leo who helps cheer them up after the plan fails and comes up with the paper store. And nobody really realizes how good that plan is, another example of Leos strengths getting pushed under the rug because to a bunch of teens it's not as cool so it doesn't stick out as much. And then the plan fails because they snatch all the paper and run, it's Donnie's tracker that saves it. So it's not a victory in Leo's own head, or anyone else's. He is the one who comes up with the sprinkler idea, which again, brain, but nobody really acknowledges it, which is what Leo both craves and kinda needs for his self esteem.

The first bit of external validation Leo get's is during Shell in a Cell where he stumbles into being a wrestling champion just to realize he's not actually good at it and it isn't easy, and of course his strong brother is better at it. It makes a lot of sense to me that Minotaur Maze comes immediately after that. He's chasing that high! All while very blatantly feeling insecure. I don't think they realize those feelings aren't a bit because of the way Leo acts in general, which is in part his personality and also him trying to deflect anything that hurts.

As for his charisma, he tries to face man a few times in the first few episodes his thing that he's placing all his self worth eggs in (especially since portals are an Issue at this point and his brother's aren't shy in how little they trust him in that, meanwhile Mikey and Raph picked up their mystic weapons really fast). The Fast and the Furriest in the restaurant when trying to find out who took the tank, which he fails at pretty badly.. Minotaur Maze with Hueso and at the end of the maze, which just gets his brothers mad at him for his Shenanigans despite getting them out of a bad situation. He was the reason for it in the first place. Bug Busters puts all of this to a head. He's screaming the entire time let's not trust this lady guys I have a bad feeling GUYS and they're like lmao okay sure Leo.

Leo's placed himself in this paradox of wanting his brothers to take him seriously but not wanting them to Expect anything of him because he doesn't think he can live up to an expectation. He never has before. He's the least favorite (do I think a lot of it comes down to his daddy issues? yes I do. he acts like he doesn't care so it doesn't hurt, and also he's just generally pretty nonchalant). He acts care free and then wants them to listen to what he says and just. know he's not joking. He's trying real hard to have both. It really bugs him that they can't see through his comedy, that they don't trust him and don't really take him seriously, either (but Leo refuses to take himself seriously. that involves confronting uncomfortable emotions.)

The episode starts with an example of Raph's early leadership, go in, hit stuff, win, in contrast to Leo's plans. Leo's immediately like hey we gotta make a new plan or this guys gonna get mutated. Leo tries to protect Bullhop and Raph immediately yells at him. and he's like DUDE do you guys hear me when I speak??? At all?? Ever?? oh look he got mutated! to which Raph's response is Leo omg if you just stuck to the plan this wouldn't have happened!! Raph's being stubborn because he thinks Leo's just. doing his Thing and not taking this seriously. So Leo spends the entire episode screaming because nobody's listening to him. It's the first big conflict between the two (though Donnie calls it a classic raph leo argument, which is interesting to me). And it's hard for Leo to value his own skills. even when he proves himself everyone's mad at him.

They meet Big Mama and Leo's like hey guys bad vibes! bad idea! I'm the people person guys, cmon. Raph and Mikey are too trusting and Donnie's bad at reading people. Leo knows this. Nobody realizes Leo knows this. Leo knows his brother's skills and weaknesses well, another big strength of his. His skills and talents are on full display and everyone's just like lol anyway! how's he supposed to feel like he has serves a purpose on the team? But also, how are his brothers supposed to know this? This is like. their first time meeting a seemingly trustworthy person. They've been isolated their entire lives. It's not like they've ever been betrayed before. These kids have never really. met people before. bar April and obvious villains.

So what's happening here is Leo is good at this Thing that never really had a chance to shine before now, and its not flashy like his brother's talents, and he's spent all this time acting like a class clown because he's Like That and he's hiding a little bit (the later is something I think gets worse as the series goes on). Nobody realizes Leo's good at this thing. So they think Leo is. being Leo and not making a serious judgement call, a judgement call they should listen to because he's got great intuition, apparently. Which is news to them

Big Mama reveals she's a spider? SEE I TOLD you guys there was something--Omg LEO stop being mean to this nice lady!! (because Leo is notoriously a bit mean. this isn't out of character for him to just be Like That). Which in turn hurt's Leo's feelings more. And an upset Leo is a petty Leo. A frustrated Raph is a Raph who's just gonna roll his eyes and move on and not listen. Rinse repeat.

And even when Raph finally admits Leo was right he's not even in the room. Leo the entire time he's saving his brothers is just mmmngnnnnmgnmmm >:CCCCCCCCC nobody listens to meeeee >:CCC which yk what fair. but also hurt him and he's focusing on the anger of it all because that's easier. And then he does a good plan to save them all on his own. He's immediately met with "you shouldn't have left us!" the poor guy can't do anything right this episode lmklfsdf.

To Raph's credit, is Leo being annoying about it? yeah. Do I fault Leo for being petty here? Not really. But if my little brother was acting like this I'd probably be pissed off too LKMLSDF. I think Raph's comment about Leo being a poor winner is fair considering it's Leo and we know he is. Nobody realizes there is a lot of hurt underneath his attitude this entire episode. I think this is really where Leo's 'nobody trusts me' complex starts. The whole situation would have been helped if Leo just said hey it actually kinda hurts my feelings that you disregarded any concern I had today, but Leo was never gonna say that are you kidding?

And even after alllll of that, Leo listens to Raph when the plan is good (portal to the roof) and trusts him to catch the bugs. He's being petty, but he's not stupid. Only for Raph to not trust him again and listen when he says hey I think the guy that tried to kill us will, in fact, throw me off the roof. This moments a big one for Raph because it's the first really big danger one of his brother's are in, but it's also big for Leo because he's upset. He spent all day begging his brothers to trust him and they didn't and he almost died because of it (COUGH)

anyway. I think bug busters captures my point pretty well. they've never been in situations like this before so they don't really understand how useful Leo's particular skill set is, which reinforces Leo's own complex of I don't bring enough to the table. All of which continues throughout the first season of Leo trying really hard to get the portal thing to work to compensate for it.

It's not until Many Unhappy Returns that Leo finally gets the validation he was looking for, but even that came with some issues. Leo finally puts on the table that he doesn't think the team trusts him, Splinter doesn't trust him. To Splinter's credit, they're going after the woman that manipulated him and held him captive for years. It's less that he doesn't trust Leo and more his fear of Big Mama, but also he doesn't trust Leo to take it seriously. Which. hurts Leo. who already thinks his dad doesn't like him that much.

He spends the episode begging Splinter who says outright he should have brought Donnie (and Leo knows Donnie is not the People guy, and Leo's got this Thing with Donnie. he's extra mean to him in particular because Donnie's got something he's really good at and Leo. doesn't). And when Leo comes back from that victory he's met with distrust from his brothers

He proves again that he knew exactly how that fight was gonna go, that he knew they could handle it! He and Raph have their little heart to heart, everyones like OHHH Leo's actually good at this. It should be a win. It was a win! Leo's attitude kinda chills out in S2 in comparison to the back half of S1, but he's still chasing external validation because even though he had that good moment, I don't think he really internalized it. Yeah, his team trusts him now, but he's still not overly confident in what he brings to the table, bar the portals he's mastered.

I also want to briefly mention I don't think Leo completely understood what Raph was working through at the end of S2. The way he felt like everything was his responsibility until he ended up in that very same situation in the movie.

Getting made leader, from Leo's perspective, feels less like an acknowledgment of his skills and more like a punishment. Splinter' doesn't explain to Leo why he made that decision. So from Leo's perspective his dad who didn't trust him to be serious just threw this massive responsibility onto him now that the big scary Shredder threat was out of the way. For a kid with some baggage already between him and his dad, I don't think he thought it was a good thing.

Raph's S2 finale arc is him realizing the leader weight is too much for him, that he needs to let his team in. I think Splinter making Leo leader was a moment for him to take a step back and be like. oh. you know what. yeah. I fully believe Raph had total faith in that decision which is partly why he was pushing Leo so much, and Raph didn't want the job anymore! Raph has his own arc of trying to come up with plans but not being good at it, but he knows Leo is. it's like second nature. Leo doesn't know that. He's confident, but not enough to feel like he should be in charge. It stirs up a lot of those prior tensions he and Raph had. Raph's extra frustrated that Leo isn't stepping up to the plate (I genuinely think Leo was just like fuck you dad I'm not doing it since when do you call the shots) because he knows Leo is capable and Raph doesn't want to be the leader anymore. All Raph is asking is for Leo to take things serious, not to change, to do things differently, to try.

I go into their relationship in particular in my movie analysis so I'll try not to repeat myself a bunch lol. I think Leo subconsciously knows he doesn't want that responsibility, doesn't trust himself with it because what does he bring to it? Leo doesn't realize how well suited he is for that role. Nobody has ever told him, hey, how strategic you are is a strength. Your ability to inspire is a strength. The way you know the team inside and out is a strength. So Leo just has all this festering hurt of all the times nobody listened to him, he just feels stupid in the role. It's not for him, Raph's their protector and leader, not him. Why would it be him? And now Raph keeps yelling at him so it must be because he's doing something wrong like before. Leo projects the insecurities he's been carrying without realizing Raph's been suffocating under the role Leo's trying so hard to run away from because of how scary it is.

Take the way Leo acts after Raph is taken. Leo doesn't do what he usually does, create a plan, be strategic. No. The plan is ninja in, ninja their faces, ninja out. He's trying to emulate Raph's leadership. If it was Leo that got taken, Raph would fix it! Raph would know what to do. Raph's saved his life before. Leo doesn't expect that level from himself. And I think Leo is terrified to lose someone else after what happened to Karai. He doesn't want this responsibility and he doesn't trust himself with it. We know the idea of his brother's dying terrifies him, and he doesn't think he can stop it, so he tries to be like Raph

A Raph before learning not to shoulder it all on his own, that is. But CJ beats that lesson into him pretty fast. Leo for so long thought that if his family just listened to him so many things would have been avoided. But he also knows how badly he needs them, how he'd be lost and nothing without them.

If we look at the rooftop scene, we see Leo at his best. Inspiring his team, using their respective skills to create a well thought out plan. This moment is why Splinter made Leo the leader, and I'd like to tack on his speech with Raph as well. Because Leo knows what to say when it counts. But in Leo's head, I think he feels like he's just. not as good. He doesn't have those skills his brother's have. He's this third wheel that tags along and sometimes spouts some Bullshit. He doesn't view what happened on the roof as a skill, I don't think. He's learned that leadership isn't having the answers, he thinks it's about being able to carry the responsibility. Partly, yes, but it's also everything he's been doing since the beginning.

Before the series, they had never been in a situation where Leo's skillset would save their lives. Not like Donnie and Raph, Mikey less of that and more of a cool factor until the series where he starts shining and breaking out of his baby brother role. Even Leo's ninpo is more a tool, if that makes sense, where his brother's ninpos emphasize their own strengths (Leo doesn't realize the portals emphasize his because strategy isn't a strength he associates with himself). But it's Leo's job to know how to use those strengths, that's a strength in itself.

Oops this got long. Did that even make sense. TLDR Leo doesn't realize his skillset is actually a skillset and that's just reinforced by his brothers and family not realizing that for a while. Silly blue boy and his inferiority complex, made worse by being surrounded by individuals with very loud niche skills in comparison to his more covert skills. He literally just needs someone to spell it out for him, I think

[londubhh]

In terms of Splinter and how he sees himself in his children:

Donnie looks the most like him. He see’s his pre-mutation self in his expressions and mannerisms all the time. He had the same witty sense of humor and got gentler as he became a father. He holds his passions as a weapon, a tool to provide for those around him.

Leo is the most like him as a person, personality, insecurities. Splinter sees the best and worst of himself within Leo, but he could never view anything about that boy as a bad thing, who Leo is to be a bad thing

Raph fights the most like him. He moves like Lou Jitsu on the screen, exudes the same heroic nature but this time it’s not a script. Raph is both who he tried to be and who he left behind, all the way down to his gentle, soft loving heart.

Mikey has the same hobbies and creative spark. As a boy he loved art, music, dancing and moving his body. As a father he loves cooking for his boys, though he seldom the energy anymore

He eventually settled with acting, leaving some of his other hobbies behind as he grew. Being a completely different person was the best way to expression who he really was.

April has the same desire to leave a mark on the world, for greatness, to have a place to shine as herself (and not just another ancestor in a robe). She perseveres, even when she knows she may fail, much as he has with every challenge thrown at him.

They all hold the same love for their family as he did before his mother walked away and chose duty over him, so he promises to never do the same. Anything to preserve that fire and light in their eyes.

(It’s painful about seeing something you hate shine and settle into every corner of your heart. It’s scary thinking one day they’ll be even more like you. You wonder if being around them may ruin them.)