History Characters / Leverage

%% ** TheChick: Parker

* TheChick: As the crew's grifter and TeamMom, she fulfills this role as well as TheDragon.

* CunningPeoplePlayPoker: Nate has already been established as TheChessmaster. But when a group of Irish Mob thugs try to strongarm the woman who owns McRory's, Nate challenges the leader to a poker match [[spoiler: with three members of law enforcement who knew Nate's criminal father, and gets the Irish mobster to confess to several crimes in front of the cops.]]

** As the only member of the team to have physically hurt people in the past, Eliot takes [[TheAtoner atonement very seriously]]. It's heavily implied he did something he considers unforgivable under the orders of [[spoiler: Damien Moreau]], possibly killing children. WordOfGod has it that Eliot is a man who has "accepted that he is damned." It's also mentioned in one episode that he and his father had a falling out when Eliot joined the military and it isn't known if they ever reconciled.

** Eliot's opponents who can seriously give him a challenge can be counted on one hand: Quinn, Mikel Dayan, Alexander Moto's bodyguard, Roper, and the Butcher of Kiev.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: Creator/JohnRogers points out to fans who call Eliot's eclectic assemblage of skills "unrealistic" that most of them are skills that ''the real-life Christian Kane actually has''. He really is an experienced chef, he really does sing country, and he personally performs every stunt that the insurance will let him (and many that they really, ''really'' wouldn't, if they knew about it beforehand). When he was informed that he needed to learn how to play hockey and fight on skates in time for the shooting of "The Blue Line Job", he said "Okay," and was ready by the time the cameras started rolling. And while he might not be ''quite'' as good of a fighter as Eliot in real life, Kane was also a high-school wrestler.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: John Rogers points out to fans who call Eliot's eclectic assemblage of skills "unrealistic" that most of them are skills that ''the real-life Christian Kane actually has''. He really is an experienced chef, he really does sing country, and he personally performs every stunt that the insurance will let him (and many that they really, ''really'' wouldn't, if they knew about it beforehand). When he was informed that he needed to learn how to play hockey and fight on skates in time for the shooting of "The Blue Line Job", he said "Okay," and was ready by the time the cameras started rolling. And while he might not be ''quite'' as good of a fighter as Eliot in real life, Kane was also a high-school wrestler.

* SharpDressedMan: Almost always slickly dressed, unless the con needs him to a bit grittier (as in "The Reunion Job").
* SinkOrSwimMentor: In the fifth season, [[spoiler:in preparation for his retirement, he puts the various team members in challenging situations on their own, outside their comfort zones, to see what how they adapt and figure out who's capable of taking over]].

* CoolPet: In the TieInNovel ''The Zoo Job'', Parker bonds with a capuchin monkey. To Hardison's chagrin, she calls it Alec: "I named him after someone I've always been able to rely on to be there for me".

* StaticStunGuns: Parker likes tasers.

* StaticStunGUns: Parker likes tasers.

* WeaponOfChoice: Parker likes tasers.
--> Parker: "He could've just let me taser him."

* AmbiguouslyEvil: She's certainly not someone to trust, but her actual motivations have yet to be revealed. Crosses over with HiddenAgendaVillain.
* TheChessmaster: Heavily implied.

* HiddenAgendaVillain: We know she wants Moreau out of the way. What we still don't know is why. She could be anything from a KnightTemplar looking to see him arrested to a rival BigBad scheming to take his place.

* MysteriousEmployer: All that we know about her is that she has loads of recourses and hates Moreau.
* MythArc: She kicked it off.
* NoNameGiven: As stated above, name unknown, origin unknown.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Now that the series is canceled, we may never learn the truth about her.

Former insurance investigator at IYS Insurance turned leader of a band of thieves.

** HurtingHero: The loss of his son and [[spoiler:Sophie's sabbatical, and his father's murder]] each have a pronounced effect on him.

* BigGood[=/=]BigBad: He thinks himself the former before realizing [[spoiler:that he truly is a thief now, and so a criminal. No criminal could be a BigGood, so he is simply a very smart and dangerous BigBad who stands on the side of the weak and oppressed good people.]]

** "the man on the street...in Africa."

** "The Department of Defense." "Isn't that treason?" "...We'll give it back."

* TheChessmaster: His label in the team is Mastermind. He has at least, on average, a dozen plans to take down his targets. He very adept at not only thinking up a long plan but using spur of the moment bits to help move the plan along. He knows the team members' strengths and weaknesses and how best to use them in plans.
** Also, quite literally: he's very good at the game of chess itself. In "The Queen's Gambit Job", he reaches the final of a world-class Blitz invitational, beating two grandmasters (''entirely fairly'') to do so. The only person he can't defeat at chess? [[WorthyOpponent Sterling.]]

--> '''Hardison:''' Going to Plan B?\\

--> '''Nate:''' That was Plan M.\\

* TheyDo With Sophie.

* ShesGotLegs: This seems to be something of a [[http://www.areyouscreening.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Leverage_Gina-Bellman-1_Ph-Michael-Muller.jpg default wardrobe for her.]]

%% * BlackAndNerdy: He's a hacker. What do you expect?

* GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex: Nate & Sophie's relationship from Season 4 and up.

* GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex: With Nate, from the Season 3 finale and up.

** As the only member of the team to have physically hurt people in the past, Eliot is TheAtoner. It's heavily implied he did something he considers unforgivable [[spoiler: Moreau]], possibly killing children. WordOfGod has it that Eliot is a man who has "accepted that he is damned." It's also mentioned in one episode that he and his father had a falling out when Eliot joined the military and it isn't known if they ever reconciled.

** In "The Last Dam Job" Nate notes that had Nate killed Ian Blackpoole for his role in Sam's death, Jimmy would have bought Nate an ice cream.

* FauxAffablyEvil: Moreau may talk like a civilized man, but all that charisma does absolute jack to hide the violent, brutish despot he is.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: At the end of ''The Big Bang Job'', he flees to San Lorenzo, a tiny European nation with no extradition treaties with anyone, and [[spoiler: at the end of ''The San Lorenzo Job'', he's imprisoned there for life with no way out entirely ''because'' they have no extradition treaties]].

* KnifeNut: Uses butcher knives and a meat cleaver as his WeaponOfChoice (though it's quickly established that he's perfectly capable bare-handed as well).

* KnifeNut: Aside from his experience with a knife in both combat and dining, WordOfGod is that Eliot prefers to use knives over guns in general, as seen in Season 5's opener.

** Yeah. ''THAT'S'' where he learned it... Wordings is that while he was in the military (and ''this was going to be shown on-screen'', except that the sets were already taken down!)... Eliot was ''a member of [[Series/StargateSG1]] an SG team.''

* NiceHat: He seems to have a closet full of them.

* NiceHat: Wears a knit hat in a few scenes.

* HairTriggerTemper: A man barrels into him and causes him to spill coffee on his shirt; Eliot knocks out a few of his teeth. Sterling walks into a bar; Eliot throws him over a table. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking A culinary student insults his appetizers;]] he goes after her with a knife. (The last example is PlayedForLaughs but still true all the same.) To sum up what's above: DO NOT MESS WITH THE GUY. Even if you're a woman.

-->'''Hardison:''' You're wondering if I have an answer? I do! BAM!

** "The Gold Job." Hardison comes up with a new con that actually works pretty well. And he spends nearly every one of his scenes reminding people of how "perfect" his plan is. [[spoiler: Cue the end, where his con is just about to succeed [[BreakTheHaughty when the plan falls apart.]] Nate points out that the problem with his plan is that games need a delicate balance between boredom and frustration, with Hardison's plan being too frustrating. Basically, the {{Aesop}} is that there is no perfect plan and that it's always good to have some backups.]]

** Taken UpToEleven in "The Gold Job." Hardison comes up with a new con that actually works pretty well. And he spends nearly every one of his scenes reminding people of how "perfect" his plan is. [[spoiler: Cue the end, where his con is just about to succeed [[BreakTheHaughty when the plan falls apart.]] Nate points out that the problem with his plan is that games need a delicate balance between boredom and frustration, with Hardison's plan being too frustrating. Basically, the {{Aesop}} is that there is no perfect plan and that it's always good to have some backups.]]

* DoggedNiceGuy: [=McSweeten=] has a crush on Parker, thinking she's a fellow FBI agent.

* ThoseTwoGuys: In their first three episodes they're almost inseparable and have a good dynamic.