Leon (Kingdom Hearts)

Leon is a protagonist from the Final Fantasy series who appears in the Kingdom Hearts series.

Early Life
Squall Leonhart grew up in the paradise world of Radiant Garden until it was consumed by darkness. Ashamed and angry that he was unable to defend his home and his loved ones from the Heartless, Squall assumed the name of "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.

Leon awakened in Traverse Town along with the few fellow Radiant Garden refugees Yuffie, Aerith, and Cid, none of which changed their names as Leon did. During his teenage years, Leon formed the Heartless Resistance, effectively keeping an area of Traverse Town safe against Maleficent and the growing tide of Heartless. He was also known to travel between worlds in his Gummi Ship, assisting other refugees in peril and relocating them to Traverse Town. His actions did not go unnoticed, eventually gaining the attention and confidence of King Mickey who was watching the growing battle warily.

Nine years later
Nine years after Radiant Garden's fall, which is now renamed as Hollow Bastion, when the wielder of the Keyblade was revealed, King Mickey ordered Goofy and Donald Duck to find Leon, trusting that Leon would inform them of the circumstance and help them find the wielder, Sora. It turned out, however, that Leon had already found Sora within the safe First District of Traverse Town, challenging and either defeating the boy in a duel or being defeated before dragging Sora back to the resistance's hideout; a room in one of Traverse Town's motels. There, Leon and Yuffie explained to Sora about the Heartless and his destiny as the Keyblade's chosen one. Uniting Sora with the newly arrived Donald and Goofy, Leon then sent them on their way.

When Sora, Donald, and Goofy returned to Traverse Town again seeking Leon's help, they find him in the Secret Waterway, underneath Merlin's house, training. Here he offers information about the Keyholes of each world that lead to the heart of the world. He explains that the Heartless are drawn to the heart's power and would corrupt it, thus causing the world to disappear. This is why Sora's Keyblade is so important, because it has the power to seal them from the Heartless.

Leon also gives Sora the Earthshine Gem which contained the spirit of Simba, for luck. Later, after they move to the newly accommodated base, a previously abandoned house deep in Heartless territory, Leon and company tells Sora about Maleficent and about Ansem and his journal before once again, seeing Sora, Donald, and Goofy off.

Leon also gives Geppetto and Pinocchio a place to live after they escape from Monstro.

After escaping from Hollow Bastion, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Kairi sought shelter with Leon's group in Traverse Town. Sora informed Leon of everything that had happened, prompting him to follow Sora and company when they left for the final battle with Maleficent in Hollow Bastion.

After Sora defeats the Behemoth Heartless that guards Hollow Bastion's Keyhole, Leon stands waiting to bid his farewells, for after Sora seals the heart of all worlds, Kingdom Hearts, the two groups might never see each other again.

Later, Leon, Yuffie, and Aerith can be seen wandering the Hollow Bastion Library, reading the books.

After Sora sealed Kingdom Hearts and returned the universe to its order, Leon, Yuffie, and Aerith are reunited with Cid and Cloud in Hollow Bastion.

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
After the defeat of Ansem, while skirmishing 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 realize that Leon and his friends were 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 know his name, which they could not explain how. Like the Leon from the first game, he nonetheless decides to help Sora and company, 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 will 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
In Kingdom Hearts II, Leon is seen to be slightly more cheerful than he was in the original Kingdom Hearts, as he and others are rebuilding their home. Leon is also the leader of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee, which is composed of the returning Final Fantasy characters from the first Kingdom Hearts and Merlin. He fights alongside Sora in one of the fights near the beginning of the game, when Nobodies attempt to make a move on the city. Sleeping Lion, a Keyblade in Kingdom Hearts II, is another reference to Squall. He later gains three extra hands, Yuna, Rikku and Paine, when Donald convinced them that Leon has a whole collection of treasure. He explains to the trio about Sora's journey and the significance of their mission, which convinces them to put aside their argument with the three.

During the Battle of the 1000 Heartless, he, along with many other characters, helps Sora fight the Heartless on the Ravine Trail in Hollow Bastion, later named Radiant Garden. He and Cloud were also shown back to back and surrounded by Heartless, bantering briefly before charging at their enemies. The two later returned to Hollow Bastion's outer wall and witnessed Sora's escape at the end of the battle.

By the time they visit again, the town is infested with Heartless from Space Paranoids. While Sora, Donald, and Goofy set off to Space Paranoids to help Tron, Leon goes to pick up the eradicator program that Cid has been working on to defeat the Master Control Program for good. They eventually succeed, and Tron is able to remind everyone of the town's true name.

During the game's end credits, he is seen in Merlin's house, reading a letter that produces a strange glowing butterfly shape that floats towards the ceiling and then vanishes.

Leon plays the largest role of any Final Fantasy character in Kingdom Hearts II storywise, is the only Final Fantasy character that has relations to King Mickey, and works very closely to Sora and company. Leon is also the only Final Fantasy character in the game to come face to face with Organization XIII and fight the Nobodies. He seems to be a good friend to both Cloud and Aerith.

Final Fantasy VIII
Leon originated as Squall Leonhart, the main protagonist in Final Fantasy VIII. He is studying to become a full-fledged member of the mercenary force known as SeeD, and specializes in the Gunblade, one of only two current cadets to do so. Ordinarily introverted to the point of seeming rude to others, he is forced to take a role of leadership as the world moves toward conflict, similar to his taking on leadership of the Final Fantasy characters in Kingdom Hearts after the fall of Radiant Garden. His scar still remains slashed across his face just as it did in Final Fantasy VIII, but he is unaware of Seifer in Twilight Town.

"Leon" shares his pseudonym with the English name of the Final Fantasy II character Leon, whose original Japanese name is shared with Squall's surname, Leonhart.