In any Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, Leonardo has always been the most level-headed and serious of the brothers, but now he is embracing his darkness to truly become a force to be reckoned with, thanks to the Shredder's help.

Leonardo is the leader of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and as such, he is always the one trying to keep his brothers in check. The weight of this responsibility also parallels his own weapon choice. The katanas that Leonardo wields are deadly, but they also require great precision and control - qualities emblematic of a great leader. Leonardo has often struggled with balancing his role as a brother with the requirements of a leader, all of which has led to an interesting narrative connection with the Shredder.

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In issue 131 of Sophie Campbell and Pablo Tunica's TMNT series, Shredder aka Oroku Saki takes the Ninja Turtles to the woods in Northampton, Massachusetts to train for the upcoming threat of Rat King's Armageddon Game. On the journey, Shredder and Leo discuss Leo's dark self that was created by Shredder and a demonic Kitsune when the Turtle was kidnapped and brainwashed by the Foot Clan. Although Leonardo believes he defeated this Dark Leo, Saki explains that he only subjugated him. Dark Leonardo is a separate entity who lives within Leo and cannot be locked away. Shredder tells Leo that he will have to battle and absorb his dark self in order to fend off the coming war.

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The Shredder reveals that Dark Leo is a permanent part of him - this isn't a one-time deal, but the act of unleashing his dark side. Becoming Dark Leonardo will require the most heroic Turtle to abandon everything that defines him, unlocking his potential for evil in order to serve the greater good. And this is the true dichotomy of a leader: One must be willing to make the hard choices, even if it means becoming something monstrous.

What this story does so well is that it redefines what it means to be a leader, and by extension, what it means to be Leonardo. No longer is he just the responsible big brother, but he's now someone who is capable of black magic being taught by the Shredder, of all people. This is a pretty huge status quo change for the leader of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and it will be interesting to see how it affects Leonardo going forward.