Squall Leonhart

"...they’ll keep on coming at you, as long as you continue to wield the Keyblade. But why? Why would it choose a kid like you?"

—Leon

Squall Leonhart, better known as Leon (レオン), is a supporting character in the Kingdom Hearts series. Originally the main character of Final Fantasy VIII, Leon's role is to help guide Sora, Donald and Goofy in their journey. He wields a Gunblade as his weapon.

Background

Squall grew up in the paradise world of Radiant Garden (later known as Hollow Bastion), along with Aerith, Yuffie and Cid. When the Heartless attacked and his homeworld consumed by darkness, the sixteen-year-old Squall escaped with his friends to Traverse Town, where they would take refuge for the next nine years. Ashamed and angry that he was unable to defend his home and his loved ones from the Heartless, Squall changed his name to Leon, in order to distance himself from his past, vowing never to use his real name until the Heartless are defeated and his world restored.

Kingdom Hearts

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Donald and Goofy were ordered by King Mickey to go to Traverse Town to get help from Leon, as well as to seek the Keyblade wielder. Meanwhile, Leon had encountered Sora outside the Accessory Shop in the First District. Leon then remarked how the could Keyblade choose a kid like Sora, causing Sora to get angry. The two then duel, ending with Leon knocking Sora unconscious. Later, upon waking up in one of the hotel rooms, Leon and Yuffie explained to Sora about the Heartless and his destiny as the Keyblade's chosen one. At the same time in the next room, Aerith is explaining the same thing to Donald and Goofy, who were unaware that the Keyblade wielder is nearby. After Sora eventually met Donald and Goofy, Leon along with Aerith and Yuffie advised the three of them to be careful and to look out for each other before the three set out on their journey.

After going to a few worlds as well as sealing their keyholes respectively, Sora, Donald and Goofy returned to Traverse Town. Back there, Leon and Aerith explained that every world in the stars has a Keyhole, which leads to the heart of the world, and that the Heartless are drawn to its power and would do something to it, thus causing the world to disappear; which is why Sora's Keyblade is so important. Leon then gives Sora the Earthshine gem, which can be used to summon Simba, and asked Sora to continue to use his Keyblade to seal off the other Keyholes from being overtaken by the Heartless.

"We may never meet again, but we'll never forget each other."

—Leon

When Sora later returns from Hollow Bastion along with Kairi, and after listening to Sora's story on what had happened, Leon and his friends told Sora that the only way to prevent the darkness from leaking out in that world was to seal the Keyhole. Soon after Sora went back to Hollow Bastion, before sealing the Keyhole he was surprised to see Leon, Aerith and Yuffie there, who had arrived on Cid's Gummi ship. They explained to Sora that Hollow Bastion was their childhood home and that they wanted to see it again. However, all they could see is that their home was in "worse shape" than the peaceful world they were acquianted with. Before saying goodbye to Sora, they sadly told him that once he defeats Ansem and the worlds restored, they may never see him again as the walls separating the worlds would return, thus preventing interdimensional travel between them. Nonetheless, Leon comforted Sora that although they may never meet again, they would never forget each other, as their hearts are connected.

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories

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After the defeat of Ansem, while skmishing through Castle Oblivion Sora, Donald and Goofy later meet Leon and his friends in a memory-based version of Traverse Town. However, like the town itself, little did Sora and his party realized that Leon and his friends are actually the product of Sora's memories that were being manipulated by Naminé. Due to that, the Leon and his friends that Sora encounter have no memories of ever meeting Sora, but somehow they know his name which they could not explain how. Like the Leon from the first game, he nonetheless decides to help Sora and co., such as by teaching Sora the card-based system as well as providing the Simba and the Key of Guidance cards in order for Sora to proceed. Before Sora leaves, Leon ensures him that he'll be okay, no matter what shape reality takes, and that while he may not remember Sora, he knows that he is in his heart.

Kingdom Hearts II

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A year after the events at Castle Oblivion, Sora, Donald and Goofy were reunited with Leon and his friends when they arrived in Hollow Bastion. At that time, Leon, Aerith, Yuffie and Cid had started the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee in order to rebuild their destroyed town. To Sora, Donald and Goofy's surprise, Leon and the others had only recently remembered the three of them, all at the same time. Apart from that, their progress of rebuilding the town was not going very smoothly due to Heartless and Nobodies appearing and gathering at the Villain's Vale. Later at the bailey, Sora's explanation to Leon about the Nobodies was cut short with the arrival of the members of Organization XIII, who taunted Sora and his use of the Keyblade, as well as several Nobodies appearing. Sora and Leon then fought the Nobodies to keep them away from the town's gates. Before departing for the next world, Leon advised them to be careful out there due to the threat of Organization XIII.

"Organization XIII... They look tough. Be careful out there."

—Leon

After visiting several worlds, Sora and co. later returned to Hollow Bastion when they found it to be covered in darkness. They eventually found Leon and King Mickey in Ansem's study, which housed a computer that might be essential to find out more information about Ansem, the Nobodies and Organization XIII. Sora and co. discovered a digital world inside the computer, which apparently stores the DTD, but requires a password to access it. With the help of Leon and the King, Sora was able to find the password. Shortly afterwards, Hollow Bastion was invaded by a swarm of Heartless and Nobodies. Leon is seen at the ravine trail back-to-back with Cloud, and the two share words on whether they can fight the Heartless horde surrounding them, implying a friendly rivalry between them. Later Leon, Cloud, Tifa and Yuffie helped Sora fought his way through the Heartless in the ravine trail.

The war against the Heartless invasion was won, and peace soon returned to Hollow Bastion. However, soon afterwards the MCP inside Ansem's computer started wrecking havoc by manifacturing Heartless to destroy the town. The MCP even messed up the town's defence system against its citizens. Leon and Aerith tried finding solutions to stop the MCP, but with no avail. Fortunately, with the help of Merlin's magic and Cid's technological skills, Sora and co. were able to defeat the MCP. After that, Tron showed the citizens the footage of the town when it was first built, and everyone remembered that the true name of the town was not Hollow Bastion, but "Radiant Garden".

Appearance and Personality

Leon's physical appearance consist of shoulder-length brown hair and blue eyes. A scar runs diagonally across the bridge of his nose. He wears a short leather jacket with small red wings on the back, as well as the red Griever symbol on the left sleeve. In Kingdom Hearts II, his jacket has a fur along the collar.

When Sora first meets Leon, his personality is that of a withdrawn and quiet loner. Eventually he opens up to become a more caring person, as seen as when he is worrying about Sora, Donald and Goofy's safety in the aftermath of the 1000 Heartless battle in Hollow Bastion. Although appearing as sullen and brooding in Kingdom Hearts, after returning home to Hollow Bastion in Kingdom Hearts II he seems to be more cheerful and is seen to be smiling more often. Leon has also good leadership qualities which he displays throughout in both games.

Trivia

• In the Japanese versions of Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II, Leon is voiced by Hideo Ishikawa. He is voiced by David Boreanaz in the English version of Kingdom Hearts and Doug Erholtz in Kingdom Hearts II.
• While his first outfit was original, Leon's attire in KH2 is more similar to his jacket in Final Fantasy VIII. Both versions share the red wings on the back, resembling the ones in Rinoa's back, the Greiver emblem on the shoulders, and the Griever necklace.
• Many fans believe that the letter Leon receives during the ending credits of Kingdom Hearts II is presumely from Rinoa by the insigna emerging from said letter.
• Leon is the only character that has been confirmed to have beaten Sora. He appears as a boss early in Kingdom Hearts, although he's beatable, Sora appears to lose the fight regardless of the outcome (this makes the fight a "scripted encounter" that the player is supposed to lose).

External Links

• Squall Leonhart in Wikipedia
• Squall Leonhart in the Final Fantasy Wikipedia.