Leonardo
Two swords, one leader, forty years of collecting.
Named for Leonardo da Vinci, one of four brothers in a self-published black-and-white comic with a print run around 3,000.
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Why Leonardo matters to collectors
Leonardo is the brother the franchise leans on when it wants to be serious. In the Mirage comics he carries the weight of Splinter's expectations, and in every adaptation since he has been the one who has to make the call. That gives him a wider visual range than the others, because artists draw both the disciplined student and the reluctant commander.
Key issues and milestones
- TMNT #1 (Mirage) (1984) - Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird self-publish the debut that starts the whole franchise.
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series (1987) - The cartoon assigns him blue and makes the leader role explicit for a mass audience.
- Playmates Leonardo action figure (1988) - Part of the first Playmates wave, a toy line that became one of the best sellers of the decade.
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (film) (1990) - Jim Henson's Creature Shop builds practical suits and Leonardo leads the live-action version.
Eastman and Laird named the turtles after Renaissance artists after a joke about how ridiculous the phrase teenage mutant ninja turtle sounded said out loud.
Collecting Leonardo through the years
Leonardo collecting is really two hobbies stacked on top of each other. The 1984 Mirage first print is the scarce end, and collectors learn very early to tell first printings from the later Mirage runs, because the reprints look close enough to fool a casual buyer. The other end is the 1988 Playmates figure, which shipped in huge numbers and is graded on the card rather than on rarity. Sword accessories go missing constantly, so loose figures with both katana and the original belt command more attention than the figure alone. Later waves added sports variants, storage-shell versions and a long tail of oddities that collectors either love or ignore entirely, with very little middle ground.
Leonardo on VeVe
VeVe has released Leonardo through TMNT character figure series and the Dojo Discipline series, which uses training stances and dojo staging instead of combat scenes. Sculpts pull from the comic look and the animated look depending on the series, so the same character reads quite differently across releases. Drops are scheduled in the app with tiered rarities and a smaller premium sculpt sitting above the standard editions.
TMNT figure series releases plus the Dojo Discipline series, which frames each turtle around training and stance rather than battle poses. Check the drop calendar for upcoming TMNT releases - drops sell out in minutes, and reminders keep you ahead of them.
New to digital collecting? Start with what VeVe is and why first appearances are the rookie cards of comics.
Before you collect Leonardo
- Claim your free US$10 - new collectors start with credit toward a first piece, no card required.
- Is VeVe legit? - our honest review, including the parts VeVe would rather we skipped.
- How to start on VeVe - signup through first drop, step by step.
- Are VeVe collectibles worth it? - who genuinely enjoys this hobby, and who should pass.
Leonardo collector FAQ
Where can I buy Leonardo digital collectibles?
Leonardo digital collectibles release on VeVe through scheduled drops and the in-app marketplace. TMNT figure series releases plus the Dojo Discipline series, which frames each turtle around training and stance rather than battle poses.
What is Leonardo's first appearance?
Leonardo first appeared in TMNT #1 (Mirage) (1984). Named for Leonardo da Vinci, one of four brothers in a self-published black-and-white comic with a print run around 3,000.
Are Leonardo collectibles on VeVe officially licensed?
Yes. Every TMNT collectible on VeVe is produced under official license with the rights holder - that licensing is the core difference between VeVe and unlicensed NFT projects. More on licensed vs unlicensed.
Are Leonardo digital collectibles NFTs?
Technically yes - VeVe collectibles are NFTs recorded on blockchain for provenance. In practice they work like licensed digital collectibles: bought in-app with a custodial wallet, no crypto knowledge needed. How VeVe NFTs actually work.