Character Personality

[antecedence]

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖊𝖗

ℌ𝔬𝔫𝔬𝔲𝔯𝔞𝔟𝔩𝔢

As mentioned above, Leon is from the 11th Century, and happens to have been a Crusader. As such, he holds a devotion to the church which, even as the church excommunicates him, seems to be a cause of distress more than anger.

Leon is someone who has done things he's not proud of in the name of the church - most specifically when Walter's monsters appear in the far reaches of his domain, Leon attempts to go through the correct channels to disperse the threat to those under his protection by attempting to entreat the church to allow him to sortie the monsters, but his request is refused.

Leon appears to obey this unquestioningly... if a little regretfully. The Thing That Makes Leon Turn His Back On The Church is his fiancee, Sara, has been kidnapped by the vampire Walter Bernhardt. Even then, the way Leon does things is interesting.

Leon doesn't betray his orders to run off to kill some monsters. Absolutely not. Instead, Leon makes sure that he does not disobey the church by first renouncing his title, to then run off and kill some monsters. To me and you, that might seem silly, but I believe that Leon did this in order to technically not disobey what he would have interpreted as God's will, for without a title, he would not be bound to obey the Church as he is not an agent of the pope - and I do think that technicality means everything to him.

ℭ𝔬𝔲𝔯𝔞𝔤𝔢𝔬𝔲𝔰

Going back to the Renouncing His Title And Running Off To Save The Girl Instead Of Just Getting Another One Thing, this is no small undertaking. At this point, Leon had been a knight and a baron for six years - yet makes the decision to do the right thing at great expense to himself almost immediately in the name of love.

Exploring what renouncing a title would truly mean way back then is important to understand what kind of stones this man had. In the 11th Century, life for peasants wasn't exactly easy. The life of a baron was luxurious and very cushy compared to those that would work his land, and the renouncement in itself is an enormous thing- enough to destroy his life even without the Church being very pissy over the whole affair.

Add into it the fact that Leon was good at what he did and was not a coward that shied away from war, so the decision is clearly not made for selfish reasons.


Of note: He also leaves his sword with the Company. When questioned on why he arrives in the woods unarmed, Leon responds that the sword was not his. It belonged to the Company, so he left it with them. Wandering into a forest of eternal darkness without a decent weapon is so brave, it's almost stupid.

ℌ𝔲𝔪𝔟𝔩𝔢

Leon shows that he is indeed quite a humble and kind sort which is open to new things where most of his kind wouldn't be, especially in a religion-dominated section of history.

When he first meets Rinaldo he is (incorrectly) addressed as Lord Belmont - something Leon dismisses immediately. He tells Rinaldo that he has given up his title right away - adding that the pair of them are equals. His seems to surprise Rinaldo slightly.

Later, when Leon receives an explanation that alchemists are regarded as heretics by the Church and that Ricardo is a gosh darn heretic, Leon doesn't seem judgemental over the fact whereas most of that time period would be. Despite the whole Crusades Thing.

Player's Note: This might be a plot hole, but I do believe that it's a jab at the Church, who, in early-canon Castlevania games, are almost always bigoted and useless. Who is to say that Leon didn't go into the Crusades and learn something about tolerance on the way?

𝔎𝔦𝔫𝔡

When Rinaldo states that he will use whatever alchemical aid he is given - in this case, the whip of alchemy - with gratitude. Later, he allows Rinaldo to enchant his gauntlet with magic - later making sure to thank him for his troubles. Later, when the Succubus tells him some of Rinaldo's story, Leon appears concerned for him.

So concerned that he revisits Rinaldo's cottage, and his attempt to "support Rinaldo in his suffering" is certainly a display of kindness and caring, even though Rinaldo's rage means he cannot hear the full story.

When it becomes apparent Sara is a vampire, his denial, and grief, and anger is profound. He immediately resolves to defeat Walter on the small chance it could cure Sara, but the realization that he would have to kill Sara in order to turn the Whip of Alchemy into the Vampire Killer, a whip powerful enough to harm Walter, makes him state that he could never do such a thing.

It's only Sara overhearing their conversation, fleeing the cottage, and telling Leon that her final wish is that others will not know her fate, and if he still loved her, he would grant that wish, that makes him enter a blood covenant with her soul and kill her to join her soul to the whip - turning it into the Vampire Killer.

It's obvious by Leon's grief after the deed is done that the task was no easy one.

Later, when Leon defeats Walter, he tells Walter that he destroyed him as much for Rinaldo's revenge as his own.

ℑ𝔫𝔫𝔬𝔠𝔢𝔫𝔱

Leon appears to be slightly innocent. He requires explanation on alchemy, magic, relics, and the Ebony and Crimson stones, and most otherworldly things including the whip of alchemy, though he does appear to be a quick learner and eager to try things which he has very little understanding of.

This is both a strength and a weakness - while he’s certainly not dim, or anything close, he will likely flounder in a modern setting until he is fortunate enough to find someone to show him how exactly things work.

The good thing is, he’ll probably pick anything up quickly. The bad news is that his good nature can lead him to being manipulated as he was in canon. ...And he's manipulated, most so by Mathias, his BFF, and the man who would later become Dracula.

𝔰𝔥𝔬𝔯𝔱-𝔱𝔢𝔪𝔭𝔢𝔯𝔢𝔡

Leon, alike all of his descendants, shares the great Belmont Lack Of Temper. When it is explained to him that he must defeat five demons in order to fight Walter, he loses it quickly, but is calmed down by Rinaldo.

In the Ghostly Theatre when he fights the Succubus and she takes Sara's form and then tries to kill him with a knife, his anger is quick at the fact she took Sara's form to attack him - not that she tried to knife him, more the fact he chose to do it as Sara.

When he learns that Sara is a vampire he moves from denial to anger extremely quickly, but as with every other outburst of his, it's quickly put into place by Rinaldo.

This, ultimately, is his biggest weakness. Without someone to balance him, his temper will likely overtake all rationality when he is provoked.

ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔯𝔞𝔠𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔐𝔬𝔱𝔦𝔳𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫𝔰:

Leon's ultimate focus and motivation is undoubtedly his fiancee, Sara. Early in the game when he walks into Walter's Castle he asks Sara to wait for him, and one of the two real times in the game that he is distracted is when he fights the Succubus, who shape-shifts to Sara's form.

When Walter introduces himself to Leon, Leon immediately interrupts him by demanding Sara back. His concern for her even enables him to overcome Walter's spell of sleep upon him and stand before him, unaffected.

His focus alters slightly after he kills Sara - in order to grant her dying wish above all else. Leon leaves Ricardo immediately after burying her, and that is his sole aim from then on.

Later, when it becomes apparent that Mathias orchestrated everything in order to obtain Walter's soul and offers Leon immortality as a vampire as Leon is the only one who shares Mathia's own grief at losing a loved one, Leon curses him as a wretched fool and tells him that Elizabetha would not want such a thing for him.

He draws the comparison with Sara, and confirms that everything he's done, he's done for her - as part of her dying wish to prevent others from suffering her fate.

He states that granting it is all that he could do to prove his love for her, and that an eternity without her would mean nothing but emptiness.

It is for these ends as well that after defeating Death, Leon swears that he and his clan will destroy Mathias every time he is reborn - something which his descendants indeed take very seriously.

𝕴𝖓 𝕾𝖚𝖒𝖒𝖆𝖗𝖞;

Leon is a courageous and brave young man which holds his honour and virtue subconsciously close to heart even though circumstance means he no longer has to. He possesses a kindness and a humble attitude which is rare in 11th century lords and while indeed, it is a weakness, he tends to trust others entirely - and care for them in a genuine fashion. He is balanced with strengths and weaknesses - but at his core he is a human which possesses resolution enough to ensure his task is a success.