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Warning: Spoilers for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #3The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' thrilling new era has split the brothers up and sent them on unique paths across the world, and Leonardo's journey may be the most shocking yet. While the rest of his brothers find ways to integrate their ninja ways into their newfound callings, Leonardo has abandoned the role altogether. In a critical shift to his status quo, Leonardo gives up being a ninja in favor of a much simpler role.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #3 by Jason Aaron, Cliff Chiang, and Shawn Lee continues the saga of the brothers' whereabouts, following Leonardo on his travels to the Ganges River. Here, he seeks peace after becoming devoid of a driving purpose, and he finds this in the form of a new calling. Leonardo, learning unspoken lessons from turtles along the Ganges River, decides that he is better off being a turtle instead of a ninja.
Leonardo letting go of his ninja identity marks a staggering change to his usual dedication to his master's teachings, and this decision shows just how far he's strayed from his old self since parting ways with his brothers.
"I Will Give Myself Wholly to Being a Turtle": Leonardo Officially Abandons His Ninja Lifestyle
Leonardo Gives Up His Iconic Katanas as His Bleak Fate Is Revealed
What brings Leonardo to the Ganges River is the story of the turtles residing on the river bank. According to him, these turtles eat corpses, so Leonardo wants to give himself up to them in order to "feed them something that has died." However, the turtles spare Leonardo, and he learns a valuable lesson from this. The turtles may eat the dead, but they don't kill the living to do so. As such, Leonardo loses his ninja weapons and chooses to follow in their merciful footsteps. Without his katanas, Leonardo is no longer a ninja, and he begins his existence as an ordinary turtle.
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Through watching the turtles, Leonardo comes to the conclusion that their way of being is right for him. This is because, as alluded to before, he considers himself dead - or, rather, aimless. Leonardo says in his narration, "Now I am just more rotting filth floating down the river, with no such thing as grace to be found." With no mission to guide him, Leonardo can't navigate the world or his place in it, thus leading him to this dark place. It's made abundantly clear through this Leonardo-centric story that his role as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' leader has broken him in unforeseen ways.
Leonardo’s Leadership Role in TMNT Lore Has Taken a Toll on Him
After Decades of Leading the Ninja Turtles, Leonardo Loses His Purpose
Leonardo has long been the leader of the ninja turtles. Since first being referred to as the leader in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #44 by Rick Arthur, Leo has fearlessly guided his brothers on many dangerous missions over the years. Still, as well-suited to the role as he is, his leadership puts an immense weight on his shoulders that has been too much to bear even before now. In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #23, the burden of keeping his brothers safe overwhelms Leonardo as his pressured mind makes him an easy target for Kitsune to manipulate into becoming a dark villain in TMNT lore.
The entire City Fall arc - featuring Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #23 by Tom Waltz, Kevin Eastman, Dan Duncan, Mateus Santolouco, Andy Kuhn, Ben Gates, and Sophie Campbell - is now available digitally and in collected formats from IDW Publishing.
Now, though being leader has been a burden for Leonardo in the past, his lack of purpose may be even worse for this ninja turtle. Without being able to command his brothers, Leonardo has no sense of duty. Moreover, he has no master to learn from after Splinter's death in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #100 - hence why he turns to ordinary turtles for any semblance of mentorship. Leonardo is the most dedicated of the turtles to his ninja teachings, but with nothing to motivate him, he sees no need for that which he honors most.
Leonardo Is Still a Ninja at His Core, Despite His Attempts to Find Peace
TMNT's Leader Can't Run From His Destined Role Forever
Although Leonardo attempts to leave his ninja roots behind, his inherent dedication to them proves that such a thing isn't possible for him. The Foot Clan soon tracks him down by the Ganges and slaughters many of the turtles, so he has no choice but to return to the fray. Leonardo digs up his buried swords and takes out the Foot Clan ninjas with ease. Deducing that they're after his brothers as well, Leonardo steals their helicopter and flies off to their aid. Leonardo's urge to fight for his brothers trumps any whims of forsaking his ninja identity.
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Even when he's at odds with his brothers, Leonardo can't ignore his calling to lead and defend them as a ninja. The ninja path is meant for him, even if he isn't sure how to navigate it anymore. Though Leonardo struggles with whether he's truly a ninja or a turtle, it's now become clear that he's a synthesis of both. He cannot be a pacifist like the turtles of the Ganges River, but he can still learn lessons from them as a fellow turtle - like when he spares the Foot Clan soldiers' lives, just as the turtles spared his.
Only Leonardo Can Bring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Back Together
With Three Turtles Reunited, One Remains - And Leonardo Must Save Him
Leonardo isn't the only ninja turtle dealing with an identity crisis at the moment. In the first two issues of Jason Aaron's bold new era for the turtles, Raphael and Michelangelo grapple with their own struggles after their brotherly falling-out. In earlier issues, Raphael is set up by the Foot Clan and imprisoned, while Michelangelo becomes a television star to mask his loneliness without his siblings. The two of them have reunited, though not on the best terms, as they engage in a brawl with each other instead of the Foot Clan ninjas targeting them. Luckily, their leader is back to keep them in check.
Leonardo can't give up his ninja identity as easily as he'd anticipated, and thanks to the turtles' teachings, he can instead push forward with a renewed sense of purpose.
With Raphael and Michelangelo fighting, Leonardo has to talk sense back into his brothers upon his arrival. He slips back into his leadership role with ease as he reminds them what's at stake, revealing Donatello's fate as the Foot Clan's next target. Leonardo manages to bring his brothers together with a shared goal and shows that he's back to his old self. It seems Leonardo can't give up his ninja identity as easily as he'd anticipated, and thanks to the turtles' teachings, he can instead push forward with a renewed sense of purpose as the leader of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #3 is available now from IDW Publishing.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) is a multi-media franchise that began with Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s comics in the 1980s. Throughout the years, their comic books expanded to movies, TV shows, video games, and toys. Most notably, the animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ran for nearly a decade and has become a nostalgic staple of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Several other movies have featured the four anthropomorphic turtle brothers (Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael), including the trilogy of live-action films in the ‘90s and the more recent movies Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and its sequel Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.
Created by Kevin Eastman , Peter Laird
First Episode Air Date December 14, 1987
Character(s) Leonardo , Michelangelo , Donatello , Raphael , Splinter , Shredder , April O'Neil , Casey Jones , Krang , Bebop , Rocksteady
Summary
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) is a multi-media franchise that began with Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s comics in the 1980s. Throughout the years, their comic books expanded to movies, TV shows, video games, and toys. Most notably, the animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ran for nearly a decade and has become a nostalgic staple of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Several other movies have featured the four anthropomorphic turtle brothers (Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael), including the trilogy of live-action films in the ‘90s and the more recent movies Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and its sequel Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.
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