Turanga Leela

“	What's the secret of time travel doing on Fry's ass?	”
–Leela, Bender's Big Score

“	It was bound to be somewhere.	”
–Leela and Fry, Bender's Big Score

Turanga Leela (born July 29, 2975) one of the main characters in Futurama. She is the tomboyishly beautiful and very sexy captain of the Planet Express ship. With a "no rain or sleet" attitude and a "kick-your-arse" grace, this delivery captain is a refreshing source of professionalism to counterpoint the rest of the crew. For better or worse, the ship runs on her high octane passions, be it because of her longing for family, her love of violence, her commitment to a job well done, or her affection for animals. She has been known to scrap the missions on a whim on the promise of learning more of her past, jeopardize the crew's lives to spite Zapp Brannigan and save Nibbler. Leela the amazing was the first female Blernsball player and the worst player ever because of her poor depth perception (this is due to the fact that she has one eye). However, in space, depth perception is less useful because things are further away and so Leela is captain of the Planet Express ship.

Her usual costume is gray boots, black leggings and a white tank top

Childhood

Having grown up in the Cookieville Minimum-Security Orphanarium, Leela long lived the lonely life of an orphan, thinking herself as the only member of an unknown alien race. It is not until her late 20s that she discovers she is in fact the daughter of Turanga Morris and Turanga Munda, shamed sewer mutants from Earth's own degraded depths.^[1] It would appear that she was born as a surprisingly unmutated mutant, her only known mutations being purple hair, the elbow talons she usually shaves, an concessional appearance of a singing boil she named Susan and her distinct cyclops eye, she also occasionally lays an egg as stated in "Leela and the Genestalk" when she visits her parents. Leela was taught Kung-Fu by Master Fnog, who had crashed down on her dreams by telling her that she did not have "the will of the warrior" but the will of "a schoolmarm" or "housewife."

Adulthood

"Look, I don't know about your previous captains, but I intend to do as little dying as possible."

―The Series Has Landed - Turanga Leela on dying

After growing up, Leela begins work at Applied Cryogenics as a Fate Assignment Officer, code number "1BDI" (one beady eye). When Leela meets Fry, she becomes a job deserter in favor of piloting for Planet Express.^[2] Leela lives alone in a small unfurnished apartment, "1I" (one eye) in New New York City.^[3] She was named Orphan of the Year in 3000^[4] and for a short while, Miss Universe.^[5] Due to an accident, she and Kif Kroker have several children together, though Amy, as Kif's "Fon-Fon-Ru", is considered the mother.^[6]

Personality

In addition to her tomboyish nature, beauty and sexiness, Leela is known for her extreme sensitivity and no-nonsense personality. She is a headstrong woman who focuses on work first and fun later. She is known for loving animals that are endangered, which led her to meeting Nibbler for the first time. She routinely rejects perverts such as Zapp Brannigan. She frequently learns from her mistakes and tries to right many wrongs. She is also shown to be a hardcore pacifist as she was the only citizen on Earth who would definitely never vote for Nixon's Head to be president. She is fairly impulsive and rejected Fry in the original series, as she did not share his feelings. She was mostly put off by his immaturity and childishness but still was never completely put off by him.

Relationships

Relationships with Misc. Characters

"Men who call too much are the worst... I bet."

―Amazon Women in the Mood

Leela has an ex-boyfriend named Sean: uneducated, unambitious, pasty and hunched, with an incredible, beautiful creative soul and musical talent. Their breakup may not have been entirely mutual, judging by the fact that Leela stresses how mutual it was every chance she can and that she believed he was cheating on her. Apparently, he told his wife that she was crazy and he dumped her.

She went on at least one date with Doug.^[7]

Leela dated the Dean of Mars University after Fratbots won a boating race, however, he didn't call her after one date.^[8]

Leela started dating Adlai Atkins, an orphan she grew up with after she reconnected with him as an adult. They became engaged after he performed phases eye surgery on her, but broke up after Leela realized he didn't like her the way she was.^[9]

Leela dated Chaz, the mayor's aide, but broke up with him after she realized he thought he was too important for most everyone.^[10]

While stranded on Omega 3, Leela has a quick fling with William Shatner.^[11]

Leela almost married Alkazar after he tricked her into thinking they were the last of their race.^[12]

Leela gets engaged to Yivo, along with the rest of the universe.^[13]

Leela made out with Amy Wong during the battle at Wipe Castle.^[14]

Relationship with Zapp Brannigan

Leela met Zapp Brannigan en route to Vergon 6. She took pity on him and had sex with him, something she regrets constantly.^[15] Zapp believes he still has a chance with Leela and hits on her every time they meet. Bender frequently reminds Leela about her one night stand with Zapp, to her disgust. Zapp makes an attempt to convince Leela that they will be the new Adam and Eve in the episode, In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela. Leela even got very upset when Zapp started dating her mom and got very close to marrying her.

Relationship with Bender

Leela first met Bender when she was chasing after Fry, before later working together at Planet Express. Although they are seen as friends, they rarely seem to agree with one another, or even enjoy each others company, due to Leela's un-impulsive nature and Bender being the subsequent opposite. After Bender flushed Nibbler down the toilet, the Professor installed an empathy chip in Bender, allowing him to feel Leela's emotions. The act initially seemed to bond the two, but it was later revealed that the empathy chip had to be running at triple capacity to get Bender even close to Leela's true feelings. When Bender asked Leela what she likes most about him, she commented that she liked his "in-your-face attitude."

Relationships with other members of Planet Express

Leela's relationships with the rest of the Planet Express crew differs from time to time. Though she mostly spends time with Fry and Bender, she sometimes hangs around Zoidberg, Hermes, as well as the Professor. However, apart from Bender and Fry, she hangs out most with Amy Wong. She first met Amy after joining Planet Express and didn't think much of her. She was shocked when Amy saved her and Fry's life by flying to their rescue in the Planet Express ship. Leela and Amy's friendship is hot and cold at times, and Leela often feels jealous of her because she is considered prettier and has better luck with love.

Relationship with Fry

Main article: Fry's and Leela's relationship

Her relationship with Fry is a major theme throughout the series. At first, Leela didn't think much of Fry but they became friends very quickly, but after years the two grew together, dating in multiple episodes (Though Leela said in an episode that their relationship was "on again, off again) and she even eventually marries him twice (and almost another time if you count his time paradox duplicate), the second accompanied by "a very long honeymoon" that lasts for decades.

Death & Comeback

Leela survives the Planet Express Ship crashing because of Fry shielding her with his body. After accidentally building Fry-bot with too much wiring she was severely electrocuted to death but was brought back by the stem cells.^[16]

Trivia

Leela's officer code (1BDI) is reference to her only having one eye.
at the last quarter of S2E2, she said: I don't want to die at the age of 25.
In a commentary track for Futurama, creator Matt Groening states that Leela's name is derived from the Fourth Doctor's companion Leela on the British science fiction television show Doctor Who.
- Her last name might also have been inspired by the German, Hungarian, Swedish and Spanish word lila ("purple, violet") , in a possible allusion to her hair color. It is also possible that Leela's name is a parody of Princess Leia Organa from Star Wars as she was once dressed up like her in the comic-con costume contest.
- Her name also plays on Turangalîla, the Sanskrit title of the landmark Turangalîla-Symphonie by French composer Olivier Messiaen.
The wrist device that Leela is seen consistently wearing has been shown to have at least seven uses: a communicator,^[17] reattach Fry's nose (a small laser),^[18] play tetris ^[19] and Pong, detect whether or not the Omicronian young (later known as Popplers) are edible,^[20] a tracking device receiver she uses in the Central Bureaucracy,^[21] a tissue dispenser, targeted advertising, as well as has a (possibly deadly) laser.
In "Rebirth", it is revealed that Leela wears size 12 shoes.^[22]
According to Zapp Brannigan in Into the Wild Green Yonder, Leela's measurements are 36-24-36. So Leela's body measurements match perfectly to having a hourglass figure due to a 36 inch bust and hip size, as well as a 24 inch waist.
Leela also has a singing boil on her buttocks named Susan, a parody of Susan Boyle, which she lances all the time.
In "The Butterjunk Effect", it is said that Leela and Amy auditioned to be Rockettes, however they kicked two Rockettes to death and did not get the job.
In "Fun on a Bun", we learn that Leela is flexible as she is able to brush her hair with her foot. Fry also has this ability, as shown in the same episode, which she remarks as "double dipping."
It is implied that Leela has multiple personality disorder as she became arrogant after being corrupted by Hollywood and became obsessed with killing a space whale after it ate a monument she was delivering.
The name of Leela's hair color is actually called leela (a dark shade of purple).
In "The Problem With Popplers" it's revealed that "Turanga" is Leela's surname.
In her debut, it is shown that Leela can be easily annoyed by people who are put off by her one eye.
Leela has 205 bones (a normal human has 206) in her body. ("Fry Am The Egg Man".). This may be due to the fact she only has one eye.
Her birthday is July 29th, because in the episode ("The Late Philip J. Fry"), Farnsworth's time machine says 7/29 before Farnsworth, Fry and Bender land on the date 12/3, 10,000 years into the future.
Leela temporarily became a man in the episode Neutopia.
When Leela tries to kill something, she says "it will be just like stomping a puppy."
Leela has the last spoken line of the series: "I do".

Gallery

References

Main Characters
Amy Wong • Bender Bending Rodríguez • Hermes Conrad • Hubert J. Farnsworth • John A. Zoidberg • Philip J. Fry • Turanga Leela

[1] "Leela's Homeworld"

[2] "Space Pilot 3000"

[3] "Parasites Lost"

[4] Leela's Homeworld

[5] "The Lesser of Two Evils"

[6] "Kif Gets Knocked Up a Notch"

[7] "Love's Labours Lost in Space"

[8] "Mars University"

[9] "The Cyber House Rules"

[10] "The Why of Fry"

[11] "Where No Fan Has Gone Before"

[12] "A Bicyclops Built For Two"

[13] The Beast with a Billion Backs

[14] Bender's Game

[15] "Love's Labours Lost in Space"

[16] "Rebirth"

[17] "Space Pilot 3000"

[18] "Spanish Fry"

[19] "Luck of the Fryish"

[20] "The Problem With Popplers"

[21] "How Hermes Requisitioned His Groove Back"

[22] Into the Wild Green Yonder

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