Leo: I'm nothing without them! How come nobody trusts me? [Music builds]
None of you guys have any faith in me, why? [Music builds]
But I was doing everything right! How could it go so wrong? ♪ You're insecure ♪ (x5) Skulltrot: There are plenty of moments within the series that demonstrate Leo’s insecurities, but quite frankly to put them all in here would be incredibly redundant and ultimately lead to the same point being made. For the sake of time and for my own sanity as I squeeze making this video into my busy life as a college student, I am just going to focus on some of the moments that I think demonstrate an important aspects of his insecurities rather than each individual moment that proves they are present in his psyche. The episode Minotaur Maze is the first time Leo’s insecurities are made blatantly obvious to the viewer. Again, prior to this episode, they are there in most interactions, especially once you pick up on certain behavioral patterns that Leo exhibits, but this episode is where it’s first really enunciated into the plot. This entire episode is literally Leo being desperate to prove himself and be recognized for his achievements. The idea that he could get praise from this shady pizza place is so appealing to him that he ends up putting his brothers in danger. At first it genuinely seems like he is just being egotistical and full of himself, but no one who is genuinely confident in their abilities would be that desperate to show off and to specifically make sure their brother’s see them being great. Not only that, but this is the first time that he really admits this out loud. He just does so in a way that makes him sound full of himself because, well, he’s Leo. It’s what he does. Leo: We're just here to get pizza! [mumbling] And to get my photo on the wall of champions... Raph: AH HA! I knew we weren't here for pizza! You just wanted to come here so you could get your picture on the wall. To prove you're the best at something! Leo: That's what I just said. Raph: Don't try to deny it Leo. I got you. Leo: I'm not trying to deny it. Skulltrot: While trying to make a portal, Leo specifically calls himself useless. Leo: I'm useless. Skulltrot: Totally not keeping this point vague because it’s coming up later in the video. In Portal Jacked, Leo specifically says that he is nothing without his brothers. Like, yes, of course he doesn’t want to lose his brothers and he’s worried about them because he doesn’t know where they went. But also, he doesn’t feel like he amounts to anything without them because he doesn’t feel that he is good enough to be anything without them. Leo: I'm nothing without them! Skulltrot: Raph’s the strong one. Donnie is the smart one. Mikey is artistic and super skilled. And what’s Leo? He’s just the face man. He can talk someone up and weasel his way into the upperhand of a situation. Comparatively, Leo believes this is a lackluster skill to have. In Many Unhappy Returns, Leo is seemingly not taking the situation with Shredder seriously, which is getting on his family’s nerves, particularly Raph’s. However, one of the first things we learn about Leo’s character in the first episode is that he uses humor as a coping mechanism. Mikey: Really, Leo? Leo: What I can't make a joke in the middle of the craziest thing ever? That's how I cope. Skulltrot: Honestly, right of the bat this detail of his personality shows us that he’s a lot more insecure than he lets on because he is always making jokes. That’s not to say that every single time he makes a witty one-liner he’s using it to barricade a wall between his stress, but it certainly factors into how he reacts to certain situations throughout the series. Again, almost every episode can be analyzed to pinpoint examples of him being insecure to some degree. My point with this is that during the battle with Shredder it seems like he isn’t taking it seriously at all. He keeps making jokes. But tell me, right now, that this is the face of a kid that isn’t stressed out of his damn mind. You can see a shift in how he presents himself, albeit a subtle one, after Splinter mentions Big Mama might have something that can help them. Before, they were just sentient punching bags, but now there is something tangible Leo can focus on and work with to make a feasible plan to stop Shredder. During this episode, his family has a noticeable lack in faith in Leo because they’re assuming he’s not taking the situation as seriously as it is needed. He confidently claims to have a plan and follows through with said plan without further explanation despite his family’s opposition and lack of trust in him. Splinter is very vocal about his doubts and expresses his disappointment in his son throughout practically the entire episode. Eventually, this leads Leo to ask why no one has any faith in him. Leo: How come nobody trusts me? None of you guys have any faith in me, why? Skulltrot: This is the first time he really openly questions that. The very imporant details here are that Leo doesn’t feel like his brothers trust his capabilities, even in traits he possess that are unarguably his greatest strengths, such as being strategic, perceptive, and adaptable. Those scenes and episodes are what I personally think are the most important regarding the specifics of Leo’s insecurities because they establish the root concept of what his insecurities entail. He doesn’t feel like his team really has any faith in him, which makes it incredibly difficult for him to have faith in himself. He feels insignificant compared to his brothers and doesn’t think he alone amounts to much of anything without them. Oh what? There’s more important scenes? I didn’t say anything about the movie? [laughs] Oh, look at that time stamp on this video. Trust me! We’re getting there. Before I get into absolutely ripping Leo’s mental state into shreds, most of the people who watch my videos aren’t subscribed. So if you’d like to see me throw all your favorites into the wringer just like I’m doing with Leo then you should consider, y’know, subscribing. ...That’s a segway, that works- [laughs] Up until the movie, Leo’s insecurities aren’t detrimental to the functioning of the team. He did his part, played his role, followed Raph, and usually had a bit of an ego about it. Sometimes it caused issues, sometimes it got them into trouble, but it wasn’t ever anything that was too serious or couldn’t be fixed. However, the key difference between the show and the movie is that Leo is now the leader of the team. Or at least, he’s supposed to be the leader. Is he really acting like the leader though? Heh. No. Absolutely not. At the beginning of the movie, the role of leader is still undeniably Raph’s. Even though it’s supposed to be Leo, Raph takes charge when Leo is lacking… which is all the time. I'm really nailing this point into the coffin, so just bare with me here. In the very first scene we get of present day Leo, we see how he is avoiding the responsibilities tied to this position. Instead of training like they were supposed to be doing, Leo brings Mikey and Donnie out to mess around in the city. Raph gets frustrated with Leo, but instead of listening, Leo simply makes a game out of Raph’s concerns. While trying to retrieve the portal key from Warren and Hypno, Leo insists on doing things himself and completely ignores everything his brothers are doing. This is noticeably out of character for Leo, as in the series, as big as his ego was, he was typically seen as the team player and morale booster. The only exception to this, as I have pointed out with Minotaur Maze, was when he felt the need to prove himself and his capabilities. Thus, the unspoken change in his attitude is that something between the timeskip of the series and the movie has led him to feeling as though he is constantly not meeting expectations placed on him. Notably, he doesn’t feel that he meets the expectations of what makes a suitable leader. Raph will take control when needed, so Leo can try to prove to himself that he is able to handle things, and if all fails, have Raph figure out how to order the others to compensate for it. Something important I want to add is that I don’t think he’s consciously relying on Raph in this way. I think in his brain it’s more of him trying to prove himself by taking control of everything, subsequently leaving his brothers to hurry and fill in where they can to keep things from going south, but after rewatching the movie probably a solid 20 times, that’s what it seems like is happening under the surface. Or at least, that is how the dynamic is playing out between them, regardless of conscious intent. Leo avoids his responsibilities as a leader and attempts to overcompensate for himself by taking over everything, even when it gets in the way of his brothers. He is relying on Raph to soften the blow of whatever he screws up. Or, at the very least, Raph is serving as a safety blanket by doing that and saving Leo from worse consequences in the midst of a mission. Evidently, his avoidance of responsibility and adamance on doing things his way results in the mission being a failure. They don't retrieve the stolen item because Leo's insistence of getting it himself winds up working against his brothers, indirectly aiding the Foot Clan. Directly after this scene, Raph confronts Leo over what happened. While watching this scene for the first time, it seems as though Leo is being extremely arrogant and egotistical. He brushes off all of Raph's concerns, just as he has been throughout the entire movie thus far, and seems to actively ignore him during a serious conversation. However, there is one detail within this minute-long scene that completely alters the root cause of Leo's attitude. Blink and you'll miss it, but Leo's facial expressions open a window to a part of himself that he is masking from the others and from himself. Now, looking at these three facial expressions he makes during this shot, his character can easily be interpreted as being annoyed by Raph's objurgation. At face value, he is just a teenager getting annoyed by the concept of taking responsibility. His expression is simply progressing from feeling smug to taken aback by the sudden dark twist in tone to a peeved scowl. There doesn't appear to be much more depth to it. Except, he then wears this facial expression, successfully recontextualizing the facial expressions before. This look is much more serious with a frown and guilty eyes. Contradicting his dismissive actions before and after this moment, he looks over towards Raph, clearly attentive to what he is saying. He isn't actually ignoring him and he isn't ignoring the situation despite how he is portraying himself to those around him. With this, the prior facial expressions are no longer progressing from smug to taken back to annoyed, rather it is a façade of smugness to a crack in the façade as he is bombarded with the reality of his responsibilities to contemplative guilt for failing to measure up to expectation. If there is annoyance, it is most likely directed at himself more so than it is at Raph. Any frustration he directs at Raph is more likely to be a projection of the frustration he has with himself. The root of the issue is internal, stemming directly from his insecurities and subsequent lack of faith in his leadership abilities. A few minutes later into the film, we get the scene of the team finding out that the stolen object was a key to the dimension sealing away the Kraang, a dangerous imperialistic race of aliens responsible for wiping out and conquering many planets within the universe, yadda yadda yadda, I’m sure most people watching this video already know that. This is by far the most dire situation that they have faced before. This time there is no getting around it. Leo is forced to face the consequences of his actions. His decisions ultimately lead to the very thing that caused the apocalypse in the bad timeline we are shown at the beginning of the movie. How he reacts to this information essentially confirms something about his character that has only been subtly implied up to this point. Obvious when breaking down his character, but still only implied nonetheless. Sweating under the tension, he anxiously attempts to come across as overconfident and make light of the situation. This behavior of his is now noticeably shown to be a façade, a weak façade at that, he uses to cope with stress as, thanks to the gravity of the situation, this time he can't attempt to make up for it by himself. He screwed up and everyone, including himself, knows it. His guilty face and demeanor says it all. There is nothing he can do to salvage the situation to place it in his favor. Obviously, Leo feels responsible for this disaster because he technically is responsible. So he does what he always does. Ignoring his family yet again, he goes to retrieve the key as the others retreat in order to compensate for his mistake by proving that he is capable entirely by himself and that he himself is strong. Once again breaking down this scene and analyzing his facial expressions, it's easy to gauge his thought process during this moment. Here, Leo is processing the reality of this situation. He is the one that caused the Kraang to be freed and if he doesn't get that key to close the portal, then the entire world will be doomed. Casey believes getting the key as soon as possible is the best course of action. If they wait to grab it after they retreat, it will be too late. Leo absolutely has to go for it now. Still, this is scary and Leo isn't fully confident in his abilities to retrieve the key. However, Casey is someone who looks up to him. He is someone who sees something in him, or someone that he becomes in the future who is admired and respected for his strength. Therefore, not only does he want to fix his mistake, but he also wants to make sure he proves Casey is right about him and his potential. Convincing himself, he bites the bullet and, without telling anyone what he is doing, charges for the key. And he is going to get it by himself because if there is any moment to prove he is capable, it is this one. The entire scene that follows this shot is uncharacteristically emotionally raw. There are no witty one-liners for Leo hide behind. There is no ploy of confidence to parade around to the others. He doesn't have an audience. Leo doesn't say anything. The music even dies down and the sound around him muffles as he focuses on the key. The frames of the shot are entirely focused on his facial expressions which progress from contemplation to doubt to grim determination. This is a serious, dangerous, high stress moment. He manages to get the key successfully, however, in his split-second decision to charge into the eye of the metaphorical storm, he doesn't think about his escape. Consequently, he would have been killed if it weren't for Raph getting between the Kraang's attack and sacrificing himself in the process. Another impulsive decision, another moment Raph must cushion the consequence. Completely failing to notice an increasingly more obvious pattern here in behavior and the consequences that follow, Leo once again shoves aside his failures as he fixates on getting his brother back. Raph getting captured was another one of his mistakes, so now he feels as though he must fix it his way in order to prove himself competent to everyone else. Really, it is mostly to prove his competence to himself. By doing this, he continues to stubbornly refuse to listen to anyone else. If he can’t get it right doing it his way, then he is not fit to be leader and he is not worthy. This leads to the group getting separated and getting put in yet another life-or-death situation. One that, yet again, is ultimately Leo's fault due to his negligence. Now, at this point, it is obvious his behavior is caused by an insecurity he has about his abilities and role in the team both in general and as the leader. He has an innate desire to prove himself because he believes he has yet to accomplish something satisfactory to others and to himself. Of course, all of this brings up a few obvious questions. Why does he project these feelings in such a manner that makes him act the way he does? If insecure, why would he exert himself in a way that makes others complain about his incompetence? Why would he be so adamant about doing things on his own even though he has three other brothers, his dad, April, and Casey looking out for him? Leo demonstrates a behavioral pattern of overcompensating in order to mask his insecurities. More specifically, this overcompensation of his insecurities manifests in him attempting to make up for what skills he believes he lacks. He doesn't deem himself as capable as people around him, or perhaps he doesn't believe his skillset is comparatively significant, and feels the need to prove himself as solely able. As a result, he acts blithely, coming across as incredibly egotistical and dismissive. Even worse, in a leadership position, this makes him immature, dangerously impulsive, and have a perceived lack of respect for those following him, especially with Raph, who has the authority to accurately criticize him. Consequently, his behavior creates tensions within his family, namely between him and Raph, and gets in the way of important missions. By attempting to prove he can cover his weaknesses on his own, he taints the value his actual possessed skillsets and admirable qualities could have. In simpler terms, Leo has an inferiority complex. An inferiority complex is defined as an unrealistic feeling of general inadequacy caused by an actual or perceived inferiority, commonly associated with aggressive behavior in compensation. Everything I have pointed out regarding Leo’s behavior has been an example of this definition. Until the movie, the actual origin of Leo's poor view of himself was relatively unknown. There are certainly multiple factors at play here. Splinter, as much as he cares about his sons, is emotionally negligent. None of them really got the attention they needed and Leo probably didn’t get enough praise from his dad growing up to establish proper confidence. His brothers all struggle with this in their own ways, so obviously Leo would too. As well as all three of his brothers have a thing going for them and are very talented, so it would be very easy for him to fall into the trap of comparing himself to their achievements and belittling his own in the process. However, there is another interesting part of this that had yet to be shown, but is demonstrated in the movie. That would be the root foundations of his inferiority complex. The very thought process that sparks his feelings of inferiority. This is found directly in the movie, not within Leo's characterization itself as that is all indirect, but in the movie's narrative and theme. Just as any good story would have it, the main antagonist in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the Movie parallels the protagonist. The Kraang have a warped idea of what makes someone strong and it ends up being their downfall. The Kraang are an ancient extraterrestrial race that go planet to planet conquering worlds. To them, conquering a planet is wiping out all life that was preexisting to give more land to their kind. Juxtaposing Leo's overcompensation for feelings of inferiority, the Kraang believe that they are inherently superior and that true strength is exerting brute force via power and control over those deemed weaker. Essentially, dissecting this story down to its skeleton reveals a fairly common trope. It's the arrogant antagonist vs the insecure protagonist, both of which serving as each others foils as their similarity is where these polar opposite traits originate from. To recapitulate, the misconception both Leo and the Kraang are suffering from is that true strength is entirely defined by one's capabilities and one's singular capabilities alone. It is the flawed belief that you are not strong unless you are able to singlehandedly do the work of multiple people, something that is literally impossible to do without burning yourself out or worse. If you cannot stand your own ground entirely by yourself, then you are weak. And that weakness is inherently a bad thing. Although, notably, the Kraang project this idea of inferiority onto others, resulting in the superiority complex that Kraang are a superior race. Leo only aims this mentality at himself. He doesn’t look at any of his family’s flaws in that same negative light, only his own. Bringing this full circle, remember what he says about himself in Portal Jacked? He believes he is weaker without his brothers. And, yeah, that’s true. He is weaker without his brothers. But everyone is weaker on their own because there’s strength in numbers. Leo believes he is worse off without his brothers, but he never seems worried that his brothers wouldn’t be okay without him. It isn’t just that he is worried about where they are, although, yes obviously he was. He doesn’t believe he can amount to anything worthwhile without them because he has weaknesses that he is overly critical of. Therefore, to hide any weakness that he believes diminishes his integral worth as a person, he boasts of his skill and opts for doing things his way over whatever his brothers suggest. If his way doesn’t work, then what is he even contributing to the team that is worthwhile? Naturally, this becomes the largest hurdle he must overcome. He must learn to not necessarily overcome his insecurities and his perceived weakness, but to own up to them and allow himself to be humbled by the grounding reality of his imperfections. It is due to his inferiority complex that he does not feel fit to be the leader. Rather than brushing off his responsibilities due to a lack of care, he is desperately avoiding the responsibilities because he thinks Raph is much more qualified in the position than he is. As I said before, in the beginning of the movie it is Raph taking the responsibility as a leader, not Leo. In order to progress his character arc, the writers need to get Raph out of the team dynamic and force Leo to take charge, hence Raph getting captured. It isn't until Raph is out of the picture and unable to lead or cushion the blow of Leo’s decisions that Leo is forced into a position where he either assumes the role or lets the team fall apart. All of this leads up to Leo's character reaching this self-realization shortly after getting separated form his brothers while looking for Raph. This is the first major consequence he experiences where Raph is not able to keep him or the others safe. As mentioned before, during their first meeting Casey praises Leo's future self. The exact words he used were that Leo was the greatest ninja the world had ever seen. The way this is worded almost makes it sound like Leo is some kind of powerhouse and his respect stems from that. Leo interpreting what Casey said in this light feeds into Leo’s belief that his goal motivated by the inferiority complex is achievable. However, after Leo does things stubbornly his way and causes more issues, this time without Raph to take control and alleviate any disasterous consequences, Casey proceeds to tell him he's nothing like the Leo he knew in the future. Leo is faced with the realization that he is not great by being powerful like he thought, but gained respect by supporting those around him and building up their strengths so they can figure things out together. Leo: Look. I know I'm not the Leo you knew in the future and maybe I never will be. This whole time I was sure my family needed me, but the truth is... I need them. And if we're gonna survive this, we have to do it together. Skulltrot: He demonstrates that he has learned this lesson once the group gets back together. As they're overlooking the city, watching their home get destroyed from a rooftop, it seems like all hope is lost. Suddenly, Leo comes to a realization. Instead of trying to find the solution himself, this time he admits he doesn't always know the answers and listens to what the others have to say. He utilizes his strengths, which is strategy and support, to scheme a plan to take down the Kraang, not by trying to overcompensate for himself, but by listening to his teammates' feedback and incorporating it into his command. This scene lets the audience know that Leo is finally on a virtuous path to heroism through the lighting. As he finally supports his team by building them up rather than attempting to cover them all by himself, the lighting becomes less dreary and a spotlight quite literally shines onto Leo. He is a figurative and literal shining beacon of hope for his team. Now with a proper plan to work off of, Leo, Donnie, and Mikey finally confront Raph, who at this point has been turned into a Kraang monster. Opting to evade the attacks rather than fighting back. Leo tries to get through to Raph by being entirely honest with him. For once, he allows himself to be emotionally honest, and apologizes for not taking the time to acknowledge Raph’s worries and that he finally understood where he was coming from. Most importantly, he tells him, Leo: ...I realized it wasn't about me. Skulltrot: A line that is repeated multiple times throughout the movie. It was never about him needing to prove he is capable and worthy. It’s not about him because he is inherently a person that has worth. Being a hero has always been about being there for the people that need him and nothing to do with proving himself to be invincible. It’s heroic to help others point-blank. No matter what your weaknesses are, you are a good person if you go out of your way to help others. The stakes are high and their odds of survival are stacked against them. Knowing this, Leo simply stops fighting Raph and is fully willing to have his last words be his long overdue admission of his flaws and apology to his brother. Realistically, a genuine apology wouldn't break someone free from being literally taken over by an alien, but thematically, this being what allows Raph to regain control over his body makes sense. Leo has finally grounded himself and admitted his faults. He chose to be open with Raph and his team. Finally, he is not just concerned with how strong and capable he appears to others and himself, rather he is concerned with what the most affective approach to helping his family is. The four brothers regain their mystic powers that had been taken away during their first run in with the Krang and by working together are able to put up a formidable fight. Unfortunately, the Kraang is still much stronger than even the four of them combined. They couldn't overpower him, but there is still one thing Leo can do. Sending Raph to save his brothers from falling to their deaths, Leo is left facing the Kraang alone. Such a climax would almost seem to contradict everything the plot has been building up to thus far relating to Leo's character arc, but really the fact that he is alone in such a critical moment serves to showcase the progress of his character development. Leo isn't alone because he pushed his brothers away. He is alone because he prioritized their safety. He faces the Krang solo, not out of the need to prove himself, but out of calculated responsibility. He doesn't attempt to face off the Krang determined to finish him off. It isn't some grand heroic gesture out of the sake of theatrics to prove he can be almighty and strong. Leo knows he can't beat the Krang in a battle of brute strength and resilience, so he finally utilizes his best skill properly. With his quick wit and adaptability, the very traits he would use to put on his façade of arrogance, he is able to devise a clever plan to outsmart his opponent within mere seconds. He settles for the only option he has. In a tragic act of selflessness, he sacrifices himself by luring the Kraang back through the portal and orders for the portal to be closed with both the Kraang and him still inside. Leo's sacrifice has nothing to do with proving himself. If it did, he would've pushed himself further than he could go in an attempt to show off, not trap himself in another dimension with no promise of making it out alive. It is about doing what he can to protect his loved ones and doing the right thing. It is about being a leader and taking care of those he is obligated to keep safe. Fortunately for Leo, ultimately when we let our walls down, the people we built up will protect us when we need it most. After all, this movies message is that we are stronger together. Leo's consequence for overcompensating his insecurities in order to appear stronger was to inevitably dig himself into worse scenarios. His consequence for finally admitting his flaws and being vulnerable with his team is a contrastly positive one. His brothers don't let drifting through the Prison Dimension be his last moments alive. Where they were unable to defeat the Kraang and he had to take drastic measures in order to ensure the safety of the world, his brothers come to his rescue in order to pull him back to their dimension. This leaves the movie off with the heartwarming message that Leo will never truly be weak because he has people to lean on when he is unable to handle everything by himself. And allowing himself to be vulnerable to those who are there for him saves him in the end. And that was all a lot of words, so let me summarize this a bit. The idea that in order to be worth something, to be respected, or to be seen as strong comes from being invincible is an incredibly flawed concept that many of us struggle to come to terms with. I mean, fuck, I struggle with it. The fact of the matter is, we don't have to be exceptional or unstoppable on our own in order to be special. We don't need to be the best at something to be worth being seen as important to others. None of us are perfect. We don't need to prove to anyone, especially to ourselves, that we are capable of biting more than we can chew. If you want to conquer the struggles in your life, you can't block out those who care for you and push them away when they try to help. You have to learn how to accept their help and ask for it when needed. None of us are perfect. We’re gonna need help at some point. It doesn’t make us incapable, it doesn’t diminish our worth as people. That's where true strength lies; the ability to admit and own up to our vulnerabilities. To not let our weaknesses define our every decision. To allow ourselves to succumb to humility and admit we’re just average people like everyone else, and that it’s okay. Just like Leo, we don't always have all the answers. No matter how keen our intuition is, no matter how clever we are, no matter what skills we possess, none of us will always know the right thing to do. No amount of compensation for our weaknesses can make us invincible. Letting our insecurities define our actions will only lead to more harm than good. That is why it is integral to build up the people around us and to listen to their voices. Allowing yourself to be humble enough to let someone else take control if they are better suited for a task. A good leader owns up to their flaws and builds a team that is able to cover every blind spot. A team that looks out for each other. Strength doesn't come solely from within ourselves, but from the communities we build by entrusting others to look out for us as we look out for them. Our weaknesses can become our strengths if we choose to account for them rather than overcompensate their presence. Then, and only then, can nothing stop us, not even a slimy imperialistic alien. Anyways! Thanks for watching this video! If you enjoyed make sure to subscribe, like, and comment. I try my best to read all of my comments. It’s my favorite part of making videos! I hope you all have a great day and please watch Rise of the TMNT if you haven’t already because if it doesn’t get a season 3 I think I will implode.
