Wiz: The 80s and 90s certainly gave us some memorable characters and epic playground rivalries.
Boomstick: Like Leonardo, the head honcho of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Wiz: And Jason Lee Scott, leader of the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers.
Season seven's third episode stars such a rivalry between the sword-wielding stars of the same time period, figureheads of iconic adolescent teams. Due to the sheer variety of material both characters have had at their disposal over the years, the opening emphasizes that neither combatant is allowed outside help or anything beyond his standard equipment in this fight. With fantastic powers and power sources to their name, Leonardo and Jason Scott are both heroes of their own time, but when they meet with blades drawn, only one will live to see the end of a death battle.
First on the chopping block is Leonardo, one of four once-ordinary turtles living in the sewers of New York City. These turtles developed a humanoid physiology upon being exposed to a broken canister containing mutagenic ooze; a chemical compound that mutates the genetic structure of any living creature that makes contact with it. Splinter, an ordinary rat who was also exposed to the mutagen, took the turtles under his care, naming them after Renaissance-era artists. The rat trained the quartet in the ways of ninjutsu, seeing the potential for them to become great heroes. Of the four turtles, Raphael's temperament, Donatello's lack of tactical savvy, and Michelangelo's general incompetence rendered each unfit to lead the team. Thus, the role of leader fell into Leonardo's hands. The blue-masked turtle proved to be the most diligent of the four, following Splinter's teachings and adopting a code of honor built upon them. Under his leadership and training, Leonardo led the group in their nightly crusades against the myriad nemeses they faced.
Within the Turtles franchise, there are several incarnations of the team that exist across the multiverse. With none of these possessing the de facto interpretation of Leonardo, the episode takes a composite stance, looking at what the character is generally capable of without emphasizing any outliers from a given version. One standard for the character is his proficiency with twin katana, more specifically, a straight-edge variant called ninjaken. These blades are sharp enough to cut through metal and Leo is skilled enough to use these blades singularly or both at once. The Leonardo featured in the more recent Rise of continuity also has access to an odachi greatsword, one that can create portals to anywhere he can envision. Other traditional ninja armaments are also at the ninja's disposal; shuriken, kunai, tanto daggers, longbows, smoke bombs, and grappling hooks are all just examples of such weapons. As for what the turtle himself is capable of, Leonardo is skilled in a number of martial arts, both bare-handed and in conjunction with his swords. The eighteen disciplines of ninjutsu also include a number of combat schools beyond this, while the skills Leonardo has otherwise include utilizing pressure points and the ability to recover from non-fatal injuries using the healing hands technique.
Numerous versions of Leonardo have a consistent skill level, courtesy of both Splinter's training and his own power. Their feats of strength range from toppling stone pillars to holding open the jaws of mutated dinosaurs. In speed, Leonardo can outpace explosions and react to villains capable of harnessing actual lightning. While durability is something of a grey area in comparison, the main villain in the Rise cartoon, Baron Draxum, can fight the turtles on equal ground. Being at the epicenter of his own laboratory's destruction and surviving in the aftermath, Draxum serves as a measuring point for Leo's own defensive value. There are, however, a number of shortcomings that must be addressed. Being burdened with the responsibility of leadership, Leonardo is prone to questioning his own self-worth and decisions. His katana have had their blades snapped or otherwise been broken on several occasions, depriving Leo of his primary weapons. In addition, some of the more impressive skills Leonardo has demonstrated, such as transforming into a dragon or achieving a second mutated form, are both limited to one universe and outside the character's traditional scope; as per the episode's rules, these potentially outcome-changing powers are barred from use. Still, the character is skilled enough to, in most series, be the only turtle worthy of defeating the team's chief nemesis, the Shredder. If only for this fact alone, Leonardo's position as leader of the turtles is justified too many times to count.
- Leonardo: Taste cold steel! (leaps towards and slashes a bladed robot)
From there, the episode tackles Jason Lee Scott, the Red Ranger, and the cosmic scale that led to his title. The intergalactic witch Rita Repulsa, countless millennia ago, attempted to conquer the earth, but her efforts were halted by the benevolent sorcerer Zordon. Imprisoned in a dumpster and exiled to drift aimlessly across the void of space, ten thousand years would pass before Rita crashed onto the moon. She was then freed from the dumpster and immediately renewed her mission to claim the planet. Zordon anticipated the possibility of Rita's return and set up contingencies in the meantime. When Rita returned just as he predicted, Zordon summon five spirited youths to act as Earth's protectors in his stead. These five teens were gifted with access to the Morphing Grid, a field of energy that gives those with access to it immense power. It was Jason, a natural-born leader and already a teacher of martial arts himself, who latched onto their role with fervor. It was through his urging that Jason and his friends accepted the mantle of Zordon's chosen champions, the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. With the powers of the Morphing Grid at their disposal, these five youths, led by Jason, would time and again stand against Rita and her armies' constant plots to take over the world.
Thanks in no small part to the Morphing Grid, the first leader of the Power Rangers is also one of their most celebrated. The Grid is able to act as a power source as well as a defensive barrier, absorbing attacks on behalf of the Ranger. It also amplifies the physical strength, speed and skill of a Ranger actively relying upon it; Billy Cranston, the Blue Ranger, had no prior martial arts experience, but became highly athletic under his Ranger persona. Jason's own pre-existing physical prowess was similarly multiplied, helped by his mastery of martial arts such as taekwondo, judo, and shinkudo, a combination of karate and Japanese swordsmanship. Through these skills, Jason developed a fighting style heavily dependent on swift, high-impact motions. The Red Ranger has less in the way of weapons and equipment as a result, namely a communication device that permits teleportation and the knife-laser pistol hybrid christened the blade blaster. The real hallmark of the Red Ranger's arsenal, however, is the Power Sword, a straight sword that can also store energy for attacks like the Tyrannosaurus Charge tackle.
Despite being a teen starting off, Jason is just as much a hero as Zordon could have hoped for. Every Ranger draws their power from the Morphing Grid, and as such, the Red Ranger should be comparable to both his contemporaries and members of future Ranger teams. Thus, feats other Rangers have demonstrated, like throwing cars and pushing multi-kiloton boulders, should be possible for Jason to match. The original Red Ranger has his own accomplishments that stand on his own as well. Surviving an explosion that destroyed much of the Rangers' command center headquarters on numerous occasions is a fine example of Jason's own merit, as are outrunning threats as varied as blasts of lightning and sapient extra-terresterial cars. Despite all this astonishing strength to his name, weaknesses in Jason's powerset are just as prevalent. The Morphing Grid's defensive capabilities are not infinite; should it be overtaxed with sufficient force, a Ranger's link to the Grid becomes severed, leaving the Ranger as an ordinary human. On an offensive front, Power Rangers are not allowed to practice escalating force, meaning that unless standard armaments are inefficient, access to higher-end weaponry is limited. Some of the Rangers' strongest abilities, namely, combining their weapons or summoning their mechanical zords, depends on the aid of the entire team; with this fight is strictly a one-on-one ground match, thse powers are banned from appearing, further limiting Jason's full potential. These setbacks are certainly a hindrance, but the ability to work around them highlights Jason's true strength, being a leader to his allies. This strength was and still is the same one that serves him well alongside his fellow Rangers for several generations, among the first and the best to partake in this legacy.
- Jason: You want a fight, you've got it! (slashes one of Rita's monsters while violently yelling)
The two combatants have been studied and given their share of study. One advertisement for the Blue Apron cooking service later, and now, it's time for a death battle!
The nighttime streets of New York City are filled with an array of lights from all directions. Leonardo, leader of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, enjoys the solitude of his surroundings with a slice of pepperoni pizza; out on a nighttime run, the original Red Ranger, Jason Lee Scott crosses paths with the reptile. When the two teens collide, Leo is unintentionally knocked aside and the pizza splatters into the pavement. Any attempts at civility are dashed as Jason prepares an apology, but mistakes the turtle for one of Rita's creations and promptly changes his attitude.
FIGHT!
What confusion Leo can register is met with shock as Jason throws a straight punch at the terrapin's face. The blue-masked ninja is immediately put onto the defensive as he blames Jason for ruining his meal. As soon as Leonardo can find an opening to counterattack, he takes the opportunity, catching Jason with a backhanded strike and tossing him into a pile of trash cans. The ninja turtle unsheathes the twin ninjaken on his back, eager for more action. Jason, for his part, is quick to react, tapping into the Morphing Grid as a surge of bright fuchsia energy swirls around him; when that light dies, the Angel Grove teen is clad in the rich red bodysuit of a Power Ranger. Both heroes stare one another down before dashing towards the center of the street. Leo spins forward with blades outstretched, which the Ranger vaults over. A second tackle from Splinter's protégé is dodged with a similar acrobatic display. Leonardo continues to push the attack, even as Jason parries every swipe and thrust sent his way. Backflipping from another stab, the Red Ranger draws energy into a fist before dashing into Leo. The ninja crosses his katana together to shield himself from the Power Punch, but the effort put into his defense falters as Leo is slammed into the asphalt.
Skidding across the ground, Leonardo reorients himself, leaping into the air and soon climbing up a lamppost. With an noted agility does the ninja turtle leap from atop the street light and slash at Jason with both blades. The Power Ranger takes a moment to let Leonardo boast before summoning his own weaponry in a flash of lightning. The Power Sword now in his grasp, Jason brings it against Leo's ninjaken in an overhead swipe. The ensuing clash of blades is a brief one, with both preferring to widening the distance between them through spinning flips. As he touches back down, Leo lands near more trash cans; the mutagenic hero kicks one towards Jason as a diversion. The ploy pays off, as Jason, in turn, is too preoccupied avoiding the can to notice Leonardo diving towards him until the last moment. As the lead Ranger thrusts himself forward, his Power Sword collides against the katana. A momentary lull in the action follows as the ninjaken shatter into bits right in front of Leo. This shock proves costly as the red Ranger envelops himself in the aura of a tyrannosaurus rex. As Jason closes in on him with a Tyrannosaurus Charge, Leonardo can only admire the spectacle before the attack connects. The charging tackle may come to a halt, but the Power Ranger stabs his foe in the shoulder for good measure beforehand.
Once more does Leo tumble across the street, and once more does he ease his way into a steady landing. The ninja turtle sees Jason rushing towards him, but with an opened manhole beneah him, Leo slams the adjacent cover into the Power Ranger's visored face, sending him tumbling into the pavement. The ninja leaps into the sewers below as Jason recovers. Focused chanting echoes from the sewer as a golden light radiates outward. Another flash of light follows as Jason grows impatient with his foe. As the Red Ranger calls out into the sewers, a blue portal opens above a nearby street light. Leonardo drops from out said portal, his injuries fully healed and his odachi resting on one shoulder. Jason refuses to accept this turn of events as he draws the blade blaster from his side and takes aim. A quick volley of laser fire soon stops as the Power Ranger watches Leo leap into another portal. The fight is now Leo's to control as he warps across the streets, keeping his movements unpredictable and Jason off guard. As he tackles the Ranger from all directions, Leo soon kicks Jason into the air and slams him back down in a spinning strike. The Angel Grove native keeps his guard up as Leonardo vanishes yet again. With a portal emerging right before him, the Red Ranger takes his shot, but the turtle's shell merely reflects the laser.
Leo tackles the Ranger away, disarming him of the blade blaster in the process. As Jason uprights himself from the impact, the ninja turtle whisks himself away in another portal. From the skies above, Leo emerges, his odachi drawn back for a finishing blow. Jason, however, accepts this offense with one of his own. A crimson comet soars into the sky, higher than Leonardo himself. The Morphing Grid's energy surges into the Power Sword as Jason divebombs towards Leo. In a last-ditch effort, the sewer mutant readjusts himself to hurl a number of shuriken at his opponent, but they all merely glance off the target. Jason conitnues to plummet as the two heroes meet in a final clash of blades. With a vicious shout, Jason puts enough force behind his swing to shatter the odachi and send Leo rocketing into the asphalt. The ninja turtle bounces off on impact only once before Jason descends, skewering Leo on the sword. With a second swing, Jason cleaves the reptile in half as Leo's remains burst in a display of light and explosions. The Red Ranger immediately assumes his civilian guise before continuing on his nightly run, the ninja turtle's blood seeping back into the sewers whence it came.
K.O.!
After a brief debacle from the hosts about their frequent puns, the two carry on to the traditional post-match analysis. Leonardo more experience in martial arts and, by dodging lightning with greater ease and consistently, can be said to be faster than the Ranger. However, the Morphing Grid meant that Jason automatically developed a mastery of martial arts that could match Leo simply by tapping into it. While the ninja turtle still had an advantage in speed, strength and durability were much a different story. The most generous estimate a baseline composite Leonardo can measure to would be Baron Draxum, whose greatest durability feat would be living through the explosion that consumed his lab. While this puts the explosion at a respectable 12 tons of energy, Jason has withstood explosions equivalent to nearly 550 tons of TNT, 45 times greater than Leo. Meanwhile, the greatest strength feats they can be scaled to, Leonardo's toppling of a 240-ton stone pillar and Jason being an equal to Trini Kwan pushing a twelve thousand ton boulder, gives the latter an edge in physical power by nearly the same extreme. As future Red Rangers have performed feats of strength and defensiveness even greater, those too would hint that Jason would be even stronger. In the end, Leo had a few scant advantages, but the difference was not enough to make up for the fields where he was outmatched.
- Boomstick: [Jason's] Range-r of abilities does what Leonardon't.
Wiz: The winner is Jason, the Red Ranger!
Leonardo vs. Jason contains examples of:
- Blade Lock: After Leo tries a Death from Above tactic, Jason jumps higher than Leo and the two lock blades before Leo's odachi shatters.
- Broken Win/Loss Streak: For the first time in the series for both franchises, a TMNT character loses while a Power Rangers character, notorious for losing in every prior appearance, wins.
- Call-Back: Leo previously cut Zitz in half and ends up being the bifurcation victim this time.
- Combat Pragmatist: Leo kicks a sewer lid right into the faceplate of Jason's helmet. Jason even lampshades this by exclaiming, "Cheap Shot!"
- Composite Character: Played around with for both combatants. Each is made up of the best reasonable elements cherry-picked from their respective comics and series to give them the best odds.
- Continuity Nod: Several criticisms regarding the TMNT, first mentioned when the team first fought each other, are once again brought up:
- The general disdain the hosts have for Michelangelo, including the assumption that he was dropped on his head, is mentioned by Boomstick.
- Similarly, he calls out the turtles sans Leo for their choice of weapons, which was a major disadvantage for them in the battle royale.
- Death from Above: Leo tries to do this through the use of his odachi... only for Jason to jump higher than him and successfully pulling it off.
- LOL, 69: A running joke for the rest of Jason's rundown is making light of his lifting a boulder weighing exactly 69 tons.
- Lost Food Grievance: The fight mainly starts after Jason bumps into Leo and causes his pizza to fall to the ground. In Jason's defense, he did try to apologize...but then double-takes when he sees Leo and assumes the turtle is one of Rita's minions.
- Shout-Out: The closing pun is one to "Sega does what Nintendon't", part of another legendary fandom rivalry from the mid 90's.
- Tempting Fate: After Leo heals himself he proclaims himself as the "Immortal Turtle". He ends up biting the dust.
- Wrecked Weapon: It's noted that Leonardo's katanas have a disturbing tendency to get destroyed across his different appearances. In the fight proper, this fate befalls them and his odachi.
