Leonardo.AI Character Consistency — Character Reference Feature Deep-Dive

Leonardo.AI launched Character Reference in 2024 as a direct response to Midjourney's --cref. The feature works on Leonardo's own fine-tuned models (Phoenix, Vision XL, Lightning XL) and produces reasonably consistent characters across single-image generations. The capability tops out at the same place most reference-image features do — radical angle changes, novel poses, and outfit variations introduce drift. Leonardo's strengths sit in stylistic range and the Realtime Canvas workflow; its character work is competitive but not category-leading. For multi-angle production reference, EZ Character's single-pass approach remains the cleaner answer.

Last updated May 20, 2026 · By the EZ Character team

Leonardo.AI vs EZ Character at a glance

Criterion	EZ Character	Leonardo.AI
Pricing (entry)	$0 free tier	Free daily tokens + $10/mo Apprentice
Character consistency method	Multi-angle generation in one pass	Character Reference image conditioning
Multi-angle output	8 angles per job	One image at a time
Style range	Focused (character art)	Broad (all illustration styles)
API access	Roadmap	Yes — production API
Realtime canvas	No	Yes

When to use each

EZ Character

You need the locked multi-angle reference set, not exploratory one-off character images.

Leonardo.AI

You're in exploration mode and want a broad stylistic playground with reasonable character consistency for single-image work.

Frequently asked questions

How does Leonardo Character Reference work?

You upload a reference image, set a strength value (0–1), and generate. Leonardo conditions the new generation on the reference features. Mechanically similar to Midjourney --cref and Adobe Firefly Reference Image.

Is Leonardo good for game asset generation?

Leonardo has historically focused on game studios as a user segment and offers presets oriented around game art. For multi-angle sprite sheets and turnarounds specifically, a purpose-built tool is more efficient.

Does Leonardo support LoRA training?

Yes — Leonardo offers a "Train Your Own Model" feature on paid tiers. Effective for long-running character work, with the same setup-time tradeoffs as raw Stable Diffusion LoRA training.

What's the API like compared to EZ Character?

Leonardo has had a public API for some time; EZ Character's API is on the roadmap. For developers needing immediate programmatic access, Leonardo is currently the more accessible option.

Try EZ Character free

Upload one image. Get 8 consistent angles. See the difference for your own character.

Generate your reference set

Free tier: 40 credits every month. No credit card required.