Leo (Fire Emblem)

"Nohrian law is blunt on the subject of traitors. There is only one punishment... The sentence is death."

- Leo in Chapter 18 of Birthright

Leo (レオン Reon, Leon in the Japanese version) is a major playable character in Fire Emblem Fates]] on the Conquest and Revelation routes. The second youngest of the Nohrian royal siblings, Leo commands the loyalty of Odin and Niles as his personal retainers. If Leo achieves an S support, he will bear a son named Forrest with his spouse.

Leo is voiced by Mamoru Miyano in the Japanese version and by Max Mittelman in the English version.

Profile
Leo is the second youngest of five in the Nohrian royal family and the child of King Garon and an unnamed concubine. When Corrin was adopted into the family during his childhood, he acknowledged her as one of his older siblings. Much like Camilla and Elise, Leo was unfortunately used as a tool by his mother in order to gain favor with Garon. Despite harboring no love for his mother, Leo bonded exceedingly well with his three half-siblings.

A few years prior to the events of Fates, a band of thieves attempted to rob Castle Krakenburg but was quickly intercepted by Leo and the palace guards. One of the thieves was left behind as a scapegoat so that the others could escape. The thief is revealed to be Niles, who begged Leo to put him out of his misery by killing him. Leo decided against complying with the thief's request, as he recognised his worth and decided to recruit him as one of his personal retainers.

Some time later, Garon brought a mysterious Dark Mage named Odin with a dubious background before Leo, forcing him to accept the man as one of his retainers. Due to the doubts that he initially harboured towards Odin, Leo deliberately deployed him on dangerous and impossible missions in an attempt to get rid of him. His fears proved to be unfounded, as he was impressed by Odin's competence in completing all the missions flawlessly. As a result of this, Leo recognised Odin as an invaluable ally, thereafter refraining from putting him in harm's way.

Prologue
Leo makes his first formal appearance in Chapter 1, where he plays audience to the mock duel that Xander and Corrin engage in. After Corrin succeeds in besting Xander in combat, Leo interrupts their exchange of praise by stating that true strength does not exist in simple swordplay. When he attempts to continue the argument, he is interrupted by Corrin teasing him for having worn the collar of his coat inside out, prompting him to flee to his quarters out of embarrassment. He returns shortly after with his collar fixed, where he scolds Elise for not acting her age when she throws herself into Corrin's arms.

Corrin is later escorted into the throne room of Castle Krakenburg with their siblings in Chapter 2. Here, Leo watches on as Corrin resolutely states their will to fight for Nohr before they are entrusted the cursed blade of Ganglari and issued a challenge to defeat a group of Hoshidan prisoners. Following the successful completion of the challenge, Corrin prepares to fight Xander to protect the prisoners from being executed. Leo then intervenes and breaks up the fight by pretending to execute the remaining prisoners, a fact that he informs Corrin of after Garon departs from the throne room. He later accompanies his siblings in escorting the remaining prisoners out of the castle to freedom.

Later in Chapter 3, upon learning that Corrin has been punished with the task of investigating an abandoned fort on the Hoshido-Nohr border, Leo expresses concern over their lack of urgency in their regard of Garon's apparent leniency. This warning of his earns him a slap from Elise, who urges him not to scare Corrin before their first mission. He later shows up again with the rest of his siblings to reinforce Corrin after they are ambushed by a group of Hoshidan Ninja led by Saizo. When Xander later orders Corrin to depart with Gunter first, Leo does not see them again until the onset of Chapter 6, when the forces of Hoshido and Nohr clash at the Plains of Hoshido.

Birthright
If Corrin chooses to side with Hoshido, Leo will aid his siblings in a desperate bid to defeat the Hoshidans and force Corrin to return to Nohr. The Nohrian army is eventually defeated by Corrin and their Hoshidan siblings, and they are thereafter forced to make their retreat.

Leo next appears at the end of Chapter 9, following the conclusion of a battle that breaks out between Corrin's army and Zola. As Zola attempts to flee from the Hoshidan army, he is halted in his tracks by an entanglement of trees summoned by Leo's casting of Brynhildr. Despite Zola's pleas, Leo attempts to execute him for being an embarrassment to Nohr. Corrin swiftly intervenes, only to be greeted by Leo's hurtful outburst of them being a traitor and that they possess no right to control his actions. He later changes his mind and departs after warning Corrin that he will eventually punish them for their betrayal.

Leo later appears before Corrin's army at the end of Chapter 13 in Cheve, following the conclusion of a battle waged between the Chevois rebels and the Nohrian border guards. Upon entering the scene, he attacks Corrin when he catches sight of them talking to Camilla, believing that they are in the midst of brainwashing her. Although Camilla attempts to convince Leo of Corrin's righteousness, he adamantly refuses to listen to her, insisting that they are a liar attempting to trick her. He then closes in on Corrin, only to be intercepted by a rebel General and the subsequent arrival of a group of Wyvern Riders led by Scarlet. Shocked at the spike in the resistance's strength and recognising the Nohrian army's inability to fight back due to Camilla's injuries, Leo issues the order to retreat.

Leo appears again in Chapter 18, where he impedes the progress of Corrin's army as they attempt to pass through the Woods of the Forlorn. Before appearing before the Hoshidan army, he summons a horde of Faceless to greet them, and while they are in the midst of a frenzied confusion, he emerges from the darkness on horseback. He then uses Brynhildr to trigger the outbreak of a small earthquake that causes the surrounding gravestones to crumble, whereupon he announces his intent on carrying out the Nohrian law of executing traitors. Renouncing his familial love for Corrin and expressing his intent to kill them, Leo then watches as the putrid waters of the swampy terrain begin to take their toll on their army. Upon noticing that Corrin is unaffected by the terrain, Leo remarks that their connection with Nohr has not been cut, thereafter using this as a crutch to justify the fact that they have made the wrong choice in choosing Hoshido over Nohr. Cursing Corrin for abandoning the siblings who love them most, he then reveals a grudge that he has nursed against [Corrin] for a long time for having usurped the love and attention of Xander and Camilla. Refusing to answer Corrin's disbelief at his hatred of hereo promptly initiates his attack.

Despite his best efforts, Leo is eventually defeated in battle. When urged to surrender by Corrin, Leo lashes out at them, refusing to suffer the humiliation of divesting Nohrian principles by bowing down to Hoshido. He then comments on their naivety, bluntly stating that Hoshido is impure and would not hesitate to slay them if doing so benefits them. This prompts Corrin to point their blade at him in outrage, an act that causes Leo to respond by goading them into killing him. When Corrin refuses to move, Leo intensifies his goading, threatening to attack them if they continue to not do anything. Corrin staunchly refuses to comply with Leo, and when he exclaims his disbelief at their hesitation, they echo his sentiment and question why he has chosen not to attack them. This causes Leo to fall into silence, prompting Corrin to explain that due to his kind heart and their familial bond, he has thus chosen not to take any action. Despite initially attempting to quiet Corrin, Leo eventually admits the truth of their words before apologizing to Corrin for lying about his hatred for them. Corrin then seizes upon the opportunity to urge him to join the Hoshidans' cause, only for him to decline due to refusing to take up arms against his family. Azura steps forward at this point and entrusts a crystal ball into his possession, gently asking that he rethinks his decision after looking into its depths. Recognising her as a former princess of Nohr, he asks if they bear any blood relations, only for her to maintain a cryptic stance and again urge him to find the answers he seeks in the crystal ball. Leo thereafter warns Corrin of the fact that Xander has become very strong, suggesting that they seek out the Rainbow Sage in Notre Sagesse to gain the power needed to fend against him. He then gives them a warp tome to transport them directly to Notre Sagesse before parting ways with them.

Leo makes his next appearance at the end of Chapter 25 in Castle Krakenburg. Following Iago's defeat by Corrin's army, Leo watches in disgust as Iago disgracefully attempts to save his skin by accusing Garon of having placed him under a spell. With Iago's pleas falling dead on his ears, Leo mercilessly executes him. He then informs Corrin that he has been enlightened on the righteousness of their cause, but admits that he is unable to formally join them due to his position as a prince of Nohr. A spot bit of comic relief is stipulated at this point, as Corrin notices that Leo's collar is flipped inside out yet again, working him into an embarrassed fluster. Elise emerges shortly after this exchange, and although initially surprised by her appearance, Leo expresses understanding at her wanting to end their family conflict by means of reasoning with Xander and Garon. He then attempts to get Elise to follow him to the secret tunnel and wait out the Hoshidan army's confrontation with Xander and Garon, only for her to refuse. Recognising her resolve, Leo urges her to be careful and sends both her and Corrin off with his blessings as he makes his retreat.

Leo does not appear again until the sequence following Garon's defeat in the Endgame, where he and Camilla attend Ryoma's coronation as the king of Hoshido on his invitation. During a brief conversation he shares with Corrin after the ceremony, Leo expresses his disbelief at the emotional outbursts displayed by Hinoka and Sakura. On seeing Corrin expressing happiness at his and Camilla's presence, Leo establishes Nohr as Hoshido's newest ally, stating that it would be unbecoming of him to miss Ryoma's coronation as a result. He then formally announces that he will assume the throne of Nohr, with Camilla revealing that she has chosen to relinquish her birthright due to her belief that her brother will make a better ruler than her.

Conquest
If Corrin chooses to side with Nohr, Leo, in response to them begging Xander to retreat, curtly disagrees, stating that doing so will induce the Hoshidans to believe that the Nohrians fear them and that Corrin has been coerced into joining Nohr. He then urges Corrin to stand their ground and prove that their choice to join Nohr is entirely of their own volition. The Hoshidan army is eventually defeated by Corrin and their siblings, and they are thereafter forced to make their retreat. Shortly after the conclusion of this conflict, Leo is summoned to embark on a mission separate from Corrin.

Leo later appears in Chapter 14, where he surprises Corrin in Cyrkensia by stressing the need to continue remaining vigilant while they are in the midst of discussing the neutrality of the Kingdom of Nestra. He then informs them of his plan to join them after he is done with acting as a bodyguard for Garon in Cyrkensia. Leo is greeted by his retainers shortly after this, whose excessive sentimentalism proves to be too uncomfortable for him, prompting him to take his leave and head to the Opera House. When Corrin later makes their way to the Opera House, Leo guides them to where Garon is located before indicating a seat for them to assume before the start of a song performance. Unbeknownst to Leo and the Avatar, the performance is staged by Azura, who sings a charmed song designed to curse the beast masquerading as Garon. Following the end of the performance, Leo attempts to pursue the "mysterious" songstress but fails as she manages to slip out of sight. Shortly after this, a group of Hoshidan assassins led by Kumagera arrive on the scene, prompting Leo to immediately accuse them of weakening Garon through the songstress. A battle ensues in the Opera House thereafter, one that eventually concludes with the defeat of the Hoshidan assassins.

After the battle, Garon orders the Avatar to kill all of the songstresses under the pretext that all possible sources of rebellion must be eradicated before they are allowed to grow. Corrin retaliates by trying to raise their objection to his demand, instigating an argument that sees Garon becoming progressively infuriated. Leo, sensing the heat of the situation, swiftly reacts by urging Corrin to remain quiet as he concocts reasons to excuse their behaviour before leaving. Once out of Garon's sight, Leo reasons with Corrin that while he disagrees with Garon's inhumane ways, it is still wholly unwise to openly defy him as this could result in a death sentence. Revealing that he and his siblings have constantly appeared to comply with Garon's orders while doing good behind the scenes, Leo quickly comes up with a plan to rescue as many of the songstresses from Garon's wrath as possible. Shortly before the plan is carried out, Leo's Brynhildr suddenly reacts with Corrin's Yato without any prior warning, transforming it into the Grim Yato.

Later in Chapter 16, while Corrin's army is waiting for the arrival of a ship to ferry them to Hoshido, Leo reveals that Iago has given him some extra funds for the army's war chest. He then spots Xander preparing to strike Corrin from behind and shouts a warning for them to deflect the incoming blow. With Xander finally joining Corrin's army, Leo expresses satisfaction that his family is whole again. Shortly after Corrin's army boards the ship, a battle breaks out when it is ambushed by a band of thieves led by Shura. Prior to the start of the battle, Leo keenly observes that the leader of the thieves is pretending to be a Nohrian soldier, and that each and every one of the soldiers on board has to be spoken to in order to identify him. Following the end of the battle, Leo attempts to convince Corrin to kill Shura. If they choose to comply, he will be relieved with his choice, otherwise, he sighs in exasperation and reminds them that they are in the midst of a war.

When Leo and his siblings enter Izumo in Chapter 18 with the intention of relaxing from the chaos of warfare, they stumble upon the Hoshidan siblings. Xander immediately launches into a heated exchange of hostilities with Ryoma, and both crown princes then attempt to engage in a duel, only to be stopped by Izana, the duke of Izumo. Izana then proceeds to confiscate the weapons of both parties, and Ryoma later seeks an audience with Corrin while they are in the midst of speaking with Xander. Before Ryoma is able to properly start a conversation, Izana emerges with two soldiers and proceeds to apprehend him. Izana then unveils himself to be but a guise used by the deceptive Zola to kidnap the Hoshidan royals, and is forced to fend against the Nohrians when Xander decides to punish him for his treachery. Expressing disgust at Zola's cowardly, deceitful actions, Leo personally executes him. When Corrin questions his action, Leo reasons that should Zola have been allowed to live, he would eventually have betrayed the Nohrian siblings. Shortly thereafter, Leo and his siblings join the Hoshidans in a feast. Despite the fact that they are still at war, they uphold Izumo's pact of neutrality.

Later in Chapter 21, as Corrin's army ascends the Eternal Stairway in a bid to enter the realm of Hoshido, they are ambushed by a horde of Faceless and Stoneborn. Camilla, somehow aware that Garon is responsible for the ambush, airily wonders why he has sent them to attack their army, only to be brought back to her senses by a panicking Leo.

Following the capture of Castle Shirasagi in Chapter 25, Leo and his siblings are left waiting outside the throne room with Hans and Iago after Garon marches inside in a wave of triumph in Chapter 26. While Leo is in the midst of conversing with his siblings, Iago makes a failed attempt to assassinate Corrin. Much to Iago's horror, Xander steps forth and chooses to take their side before challenging him to a duel, asserting his displeasure with his cruel ways. He is quickly joined by the rest of his siblings, with Leo revealing his deep-seated desire to express his repugnance with Iago's deceit. Together with his siblings, Leo manages to defeat both Hans and Iago. Leo is given the honor of personally executing Iago after vehemently condemning his existence. Following the conclusion of the battle, Corrin, much to Leo's incredulity and disbelief, reveals that the war is not yet over, as Garon still has yet to be slain.

Later in Chapter 27, Corrin leads Leo and the rest of the siblings into the throne room, where they manage to prove the truth of their words when Garon, seated upon the throne of truth, is revealed to be a slimy monstrosity in actuality. Initially stunned into inaction, Leo and his siblings are prompted to aid Corrin in slaying Garon when he attempts to behead them. Shortly after Garon is killed, the Nohrian siblings have barely any time to process their grief and shock before they are caught off guard by a sudden attack launched by Takumi. As Corrin walks towards Takumi with the intent of letting him kill them, they are struck when their Grim Yato fails to deflect an attack launched by a single arrow shot with Skadi, causing them to slip into a state of unconsciousness.

As Leo and the rest of his siblings struggle to fight against Takumi in the Endgame, Corrin regains consciousness and aids them in ending Takumi's rampage once and for all.

With the defeat of both Hoshido and Garon, Xander is, shortly after the final battle, coronated as the new king of Nohr as his siblings watch on with pride.

Revelation
Due to having formed a deep emotional attachment with both families, Corrin refuses to pick a side to align themself with. Despite [Corrin's] desperate protests, Xander and Ryoma cross blades with each other in an attempt to sway them into choosing a side. In a bid to prevent both armies from battling each other and retreat from the Plains of Hoshido, Corrin decides to take down both Xander and Ryoma. Leo and his siblings aid Xander in battling against Corrin but are unable to prevent them from succeeding. Corrin is thereafter branded a traitor and forced to flee.

Leo later reemerges in Chapter 10, following the conclusion of a battle between Corrin's army and Zola in Izumo. Upon witnessing Zola take Sakura hostage in a last-ditch effort to force Corrin's army to surrender, Leo attacks Zola from behind and executes him on the charges of cowardice and disgracing Nohr. Corrin then attempts to persuade him into joining their cause, only to fail as they unconvincingly reveal that Garon is being manipulated by an "invisible foe". Unimpressed by Corrin's weak reasoning, Leo bluntly accuses them for having abandoned their family before casting a spell to reveal a passage that will guide them to Archduke Izana and Takumi's prison cell. He then departs shortly after, ignoring Corrin's pleas for him to stay.

Leo later appears in Chapter 14 in the throne room of Castle Krakenburg, where he attempts to inform Xander that Garon's crazed condition has gotten worse. Although initially attributing this to the stress of warfare, Xander is forced to reconsider this proposition when Leo directs his attention to the throne, where he witnesses Garon gleefully contemplating the destruction of both Hoshido and Nohr. As Leo presses on to divulge his suspicion that their father is being controlled by the "true enemy" that Corrin has talked about, Xander cuts him off before indicating his intention to ready his best troops to meet Corrin at the Bottomless Canyon.

Leo next appears in Chapter 17, where he and Xander enter the vicinity of the Bottomless Canyon to reinforce Corrin's army with their retainers just as they are preparing to fend against a battalion of Nohrian forces led by Iago. Expressing his delight at being given the opportunity to personally end Iago's life, Leo then aids Corrin in defeating the immediate enemy before them.

Leo subsequently aids Corrin's effort to put an end to Anankos' machinations.

Personality
Leo is portrayed as a character who possesses a keen intellect, one that he devotes towards the study of magic and strategy. In this regard, he is known to be diligent and hardworking in honing his expertise to a fine, sharp edge, to the point where he is widely regarded as a genius who is more than capable of flawlessly handling any difficult situation. Further complementing this facet of Leo's personality is the cold demeanour of calm that he assumes, one that he resolutely maintains even in the face of trying situations.

Beneath this exterior of perfection that Leo exudes, however, is a deep-seated inferiority complex that is specifically directed towards Corrin. This inferiority complex is not one that takes its roots from Corrin being his intellectual superior, stemming instead from the fact that they receive far more attention from Xander and Camilla than he does. This dimension of Leo's character is unveiled through his supports with Corrin, where he, while in the midst of tutoring them in the art of strategy, reveals his jealousy of them having received far more attention than he has from both Xander and Camilla.

In spite of him being recognised as an intellectual genius, Leo is not blinded by his reputation to the point of arrogance and pomposity. He is instead known to treat the people whom he engages with the utmost respect and civility, a fact that helps him to cultivate strong relationships with ease. His supports with Mozu prove this point, where he, in response to her woefully commenting that she is not the right person to turn to for strategy advice, kindly informs her that different people possess different strengths.

Leo has also been portrayed to be quite a romantic person, capable of capturing the heart of the lady whom he has fallen in love with. This fact can be observed throughout his potential spouses, where he is known to refrain from being too forceful in his attempt to convince the person he loves to accept him, choosing instead to adopt a slow, yet steady approach to prove the sincerity of his heart. Leo's S support with Nyx stands as a good example to prove this fact; in this support, he gently melts away the chronic insecurities that she harbours of being trapped in the body of a child by urging her to envision herself as an adult before carefully getting her to imagine him as her spouse. In doing so, he succeeds in convincing Nyx of the sincerity of his love, following which he directly proposes to her.

Leo is known to be ruthless in his treatment of those whom he has developed a tremendous disdain for. The best examples illustrating this fact can be gleaned through his treatment of Zola in both the Conquest and Revelation routes, where he ignores the latter's pleas for mercy and executes him with no hesitation.

Leo is said to like tomatoes the most out of everyone in the army. His birthday is June 30.

Trivia

 * Leo shares his English voice actor, Max Mittelman, with Forrest and Kaden.
 * Leo is the only character to share his voice actor with his child in the English version of the game.
 * Leo is the only Nohrian sibling to be recruited at a higher level than his older sibling.
 * Leo placed most popular male in the official character popularity poll held on the game's official site.
 * He placed 2nd in the character popularity poll and came in 3rd in the spouse poll, both issued by Famitsu.
 * He also appeared in 2nd place in the character popularity poll issued by Nintendo Dream.
 * Leo has a unique in-game model in Chapter 1 that shows him briefly wearing his collar inside out with the interior tagged purple side exposed, in line with the Avatar taking notice of his dishevelled clothes.
 * Leo shares one of his critical quotes, "You can't hide from me", with his retainers.
 * In the box art for Conquest, Leo's eyes are depicted as green instead of brown.