Leo Likes To Talk, It’s Part Of Being The Face Man & His Role As A Strategist That Can Manipulate Situations

Leo likes to talk, it’s part of being the face man & his role as a strategist that can manipulate situations to be in his favour but because he likes to talk there are certain words that can act as tells for his behaviour 

“Spill the beans Leo! Every time you say ‘indubitably’ I know you’re up to something”

In Bug Busters we learn that Leo says ‘indubitably’ when he’s trying to hide something but Leo also has another word that’s indicative to his true mood.

Ninjocity.

There are two prominent times where Leo uses the word Ninjocity.

Donnie: I don’t know how much longer we can keep this up, he’s crushing us!

Leo: Really? ‘Cause I thought my overall ninjocity was totally working

Raph: So what if I say he- that word a lot. It’s a good word. We need to be that word.

Leo: Relax Raph. We’ve got this hero thing wired. I mean, our ninjocity is off the charts

The two times Leo uses the word Ninjocity is in Many Unhappy Returns when he’s fighting the Shredder & at the start of the Movie.

Leo likes to make jokes when he’s stressed he admits to it in the very first episode saying it’s ‘how he copes’ & people have discussed that the reason Leo is making so many jokes at the start of the movie might be because he’s stressed about the idea of having just been made leader & is trying to make Raph take the role back. 

Leo using the word ‘ninjocity’ at the start of the movie is just proof of how stressed he was at the idea of being leader because the only other time he ever really uses that word is when his family is fighting a beast-like Shredder for the first time.

When people think of Leo in the episode Many Unhappy Returns they mostly think about how he was able to outmanoeuvre Big Mamma & how he knew his families strengths so well he was able to state exactly how they were able to hold off the Shredder while he & Splinter were at the Battle Nexus, but Leo’s attitude at the start of Many Unhappy Returns is perhaps the closest he’s ever acted in the show to how he acts at the start of the movie.

Meaning that at the start of Many Unhappy Returns his humour is cranked up to 11 & it appears like he isn’t taking anything seriously.

Leo: Thanks for doing the dirty work for us big up Shreddy!

Splinter: Not now Blue!

Leo: What? I thought a nickname might give us a nice repport.

Leo: One & Oh baby!

Leo: Going to need to make a two & Oh T-Shirt after this!

Leo: Oh Cheater! Don’t think we’re letting you keep those!

Raph: This is serious stuff Leo! Would you shore up our right flank already!

Leo: What? Mid-battle banter’s my thing like how your’s is saying words like flank

Leo likes to make quips in battle but the only times, he makes joke after joke, are the start of the movie & the start of the episode Many Unhappy Return or to put in other words the time he was trying to get out of being leader & the time his family was fighting Shredder for the first time.

People seem to think Leo had every thing under control the entirety Many Unhappy Returns because of how expertly he outmanoeuvred Big Mamma but he was only able to think of a plan involving Big Mamma /after/ Splinter suggested going to her. Before that he spends the start of the episode making joke after joke but whenever his families attention is off him

He’s terrified.

The fact that Leo’s actions at the start of the movie & the start of the episode Many Unhappy Returns are comparable means that the idea of being leader was as terrifying to Leo as fighting a beast-like Shredder.

And this is further evidenced by them being the only two real times Leo uses the word ‘ninjocity’, if Leo is stressed & scared he’s making joke after joke, appearing to not take anything seriously & the word ‘ninjocity’ makes an appearance in his vocabulary.

Leo likes to talk to try & distract others from his true feelings & intentions but he has tells.

If he says ‘indubitably’, he’s trying to hide something. If he says ‘ninjocity’ he’s stressed out & scared & is one bad event away from a panic attack.