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** Subverted in the Remake, where the events are chronologically swapped. Though Leon was still able to take a romp through the sewers, to shoot and hold his gone properly, take continued physical abuse at the hand of enemies, all with a bullet wound who continues to get bloodier and bloodier each cutscene. His only comment is that it 'feels worse than it looks'.
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* KillAndReplace: In the non-canon ''Gaiden'', Leon was implied to have killed on the ship ''Starlight'' by a shapeshifting B.O.W., who then took his place and escaped with Barry and Lucia.
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* DrowningMySorrows: Has developed a bit of a drinking problem as he's grown older (though in the original incarnation of Resident Evil 2, he was a known drinker). First shown in Damnation where is shown carrying a flask of alcohol and TakenUpToEleven in Vendetta, where is found drinking obtrusively during his vacation, trying to forget the tragedy of last mission.
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* DrowningMySorrows: Has developed a bit of a drinking problem as he's grown older (though in the original incarnation of Resident ''Resident Evil 2, 2'', he was a known drinker). First shown in Damnation ''Damnation'' where is shown carrying a flask of alcohol alcohol, where he takes a swig during the midst of battle, and TakenUpToEleven taken UpToEleven in Vendetta, ''Vendetta'', where is found drinking obtrusively during his vacation, trying to forget the tragedy of last mission.mission and the frustrations in his life.
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** Also in Resident Evil 2, near the end of his "A" scenario (or either of his scenarios in the 2019 remake) after having denied Annette's claims of Ada being a spy, he is genuinely shocked when Ada holds him at gunpoint and demands him to hand over the G-Virus. Fortunately for him, [[DefrostingIceQueen she can't go through with it]].
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** Also in Resident ''Resident Evil 2, 2'', near the end of his "A" scenario (or either of his scenarios in the 2019 remake) after having denied Annette's claims of Ada being a spy, he is genuinely shocked when Ada holds him at gunpoint and demands him to hand over the G-Virus. Fortunately for him, [[DefrostingIceQueen she can't go through with it]].
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* JumpedAtTheCall: He was fully devoted and fairly excited to become a police officer, even willing to trespass into danger in the Resident Evil 2 Remake through sheer sense of duty, though that didn't turn out too well. Even though he didn't become a cop, he still seems devoted to stopping bioterrorism, though that motivation has become quite shaky due to his evolution to a HurtingHero.
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* JumpedAtTheCall: He was fully devoted and fairly excited to become a police officer, even willing to trespass into danger in the Resident Evil 2 Remake through out of sheer sense of duty, though that didn't turn out too well. Even though he didn't become a cop, cop in the end, he still seems devoted to stopping bioterrorism, though that motivation has become quite shaky due to his slow evolution to a HurtingHero.
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** This gets even more outrageous during ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDamnation Damnation]]'' where during the final battle against the unsealed Tyrant, Leon is on the receiving end of an uppercut and is then immediately ''thrown across the courtyard and into a pillar'' by said Tyrant. Afterward, he is then pinned by the Tyrant to the pillar then thrown away after the Tyrant is distracted by the Lickers. Note that said Tyrant is also strong enough to stop a [=BMT=] in its tracks and then ''lifting'' it. Leon recovers from that beating within seconds.
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** This gets even more outrageous during ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDamnation Damnation]]'' where during the final battle against the unsealed Tyrant, Leon is on the receiving end of an uppercut and is then immediately ''thrown across the courtyard and into a pillar'' by said Tyrant. Afterward, he is then pinned by the Tyrant to the pillar then thrown away after the Tyrant is distracted by the Lickers. Note that said Tyrant is also strong enough to stop a [=BMT=] in its tracks and then ''lifting'' it. Leon recovers from that beating within seconds.seconds, though it does take him a moment to struggle to his feet again.
** Another ridiculous feat of Leon's tenacity is shown in ''Vendetta'' where he is picked up and thrown by Glenn Arias/Diego monster and thrown roughly into the wall. Not only does Leon manage to get up okay, the moment he hits the ground he is able to spin around and immediately start firing his gun when any other normal person would have splattered into the wall on the first impact, or at least shatter a few bones. He is also punched and kicked by the same creature, once into the air and the other almost off the building, though shown again to immediately be able counter. The only sign of injury throughout this entire battle is Leon seemingly to have ''only'' been his arm, as he is seen holding it during the last moments of the movie.
** Another ridiculous feat of Leon's tenacity is shown in ''Vendetta'' where he is picked up and thrown by Glenn Arias/Diego monster and thrown roughly into the wall. Not only does Leon manage to get up okay, the moment he hits the ground he is able to spin around and immediately start firing his gun when any other normal person would have splattered into the wall on the first impact, or at least shatter a few bones. He is also punched and kicked by the same creature, once into the air and the other almost off the building, though shown again to immediately be able counter. The only sign of injury throughout this entire battle is Leon seemingly to have ''only'' been his arm, as he is seen holding it during the last moments of the movie.
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* LightningBruiser: While lacking the raw power and strength that other characters like Chris or Jake have, Leon still is a formidable fighter, taking advantage of his more lean figure into speed while also be able to dish out quick and brutal attacks with much more finesse and technique.
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* CharacterDevelopment: Starts out as a [[NaiveNewcomer naive]] and [[IdealHero idealistic]] rookie cop who is very [[ChronicHeroSyndrome motivated to do what is right and to protect/help others]] (''Resident Evil 2 Remake'') who evolves into a [[TookALevelInBadass badass]] but rather tired, DeadpanSnarker government agent (''Resident Evil 4''), into a [[JadeColoredGlasses jaded]] [[PragmaticHero pragmatic]], though is [[SamaritanSyndrome still heroic and willing to do the right thing despite tragedy]] (''Resident Evil 6''), and then to a HurtingHero who is exhausted of the constant tragedy, jaded by the [[ForeverWar constant unending battle]], and now has a [[DrowningMySorrows drinking problem]] (''Vendetta'').
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* CharacterDevelopment: Starts out as a [[NaiveNewcomer naive]] and [[IdealHero idealistic]] [[EagerRookie rookie cop cop]] who is very [[ChronicHeroSyndrome motivated to do what is right and to protect/help others]] (''Resident Evil 2 Remake'') who evolves into a [[TookALevelInBadass badass]] but rather tired, DeadpanSnarker CasanovaWannabe (though he seems to understand that his flirting will never pull through) government agent (''Resident Evil 4''), then into a [[JadeColoredGlasses jaded]] [[PragmaticHero pragmatic]], though is [[SamaritanSyndrome still heroic and willing to do the right thing despite tragedy]] (''Resident Evil 6''), and then to a HurtingHero who is exhausted of the constant tragedy, jaded by the [[ForeverWar constant unending battle]], and now has a [[DrowningMySorrows drinking problem]] (''Vendetta'').
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* CharacterDevelopment: Starts out as a [[NaiveNewcomer naive]] and [[IdealHero idealistic]] rookie cop who is very [[ChronicHeroSyndrome motivated to do what is right and to protect/help others]] (''Resident Evil 2 Remake'') who evolves into a [[TookALevelInBadass badass]] but rather tired, DeadpanSnarker government agent (''Resident Evil 4''), into a [[JadeColoredGlasses jaded]] [[PragmaticHero pragmatic]], though is [[SamaritanSyndrom still heroic and willing to do the right thing despite tragedy]] (''Resident Evil 6''), and then to a HurtingHero who is exhausted of the constant tragedy, jaded by the [[ForeverWar constant unending battle]], and now has a [[DrowningMySorrows drinking problem]] (''Vendetta'').
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* CharacterDevelopment: Starts out as a [[NaiveNewcomer naive]] and [[IdealHero idealistic]] rookie cop who is very [[ChronicHeroSyndrome motivated to do what is right and to protect/help others]] (''Resident Evil 2 Remake'') who evolves into a [[TookALevelInBadass badass]] but rather tired, DeadpanSnarker government agent (''Resident Evil 4''), into a [[JadeColoredGlasses jaded]] [[PragmaticHero pragmatic]], though is [[SamaritanSyndrom [[SamaritanSyndrome still heroic and willing to do the right thing despite tragedy]] (''Resident Evil 6''), and then to a HurtingHero who is exhausted of the constant tragedy, jaded by the [[ForeverWar constant unending battle]], and now has a [[DrowningMySorrows drinking problem]] (''Vendetta'').
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* BeardOfSorrow: Has grown a bit of stubble after the events of Resident Evil 4, which makes him look older and a lot more tired and depressed.
* BreakTheCutie: In the Resident Evil 2 Remake, the young and naive Leon fails and witnesses the death of the officer Elliot, who is severed in half in the A scenario. He is shaken up almost has a mental breakdown at that moment before being forced to move on due to incoming zombies. The first thing Leon does when he meets Marvin is apologize for not being able to save him.
** Effectively, the entire game of the Resident Evil 2 Remake is this to him because chronologically by the next game, he lost if not all of his naivety and idealism.
** Effectively, the entire game of the Resident Evil 2 Remake is this to him because chronologically by the next game, he lost if not all of his naivety and idealism.
* CharacterDevelopment: Starts out as a [[NaiveNewcomer naive]] and [[IdealHero idealistic]] rookie cop who is very [[ChronicHeroSyndrome motivated to do what is right and to protect/help others]] (''Resident Evil 2 Remake'') who evolves into a [[TookALevelInBadass badass]] but rather tired, DeadpanSnarker government agent (''Resident Evil 4''), into a [[JadeColoredGlasses jaded]] [[PragmaticHero pragmatic]], though is [[SamaritanSyndrom still heroic and willing to do the right thing despite tragedy]] (''Resident Evil 6''), and then to a HurtingHero who is exhausted of the constant tragedy, jaded by the [[ForeverWar constant unending battle]], and now has a [[DrowningMySorrows drinking problem]] (''Vendetta'').
* DespairEventHorizon: Had practically crossed over into it by the events of ''Vendetta'' and seemed perfectly content with just drinking away and feeling sorry for himself, having become so jaded that he no longer sees the reason to fight as he feels that no matter how hard he tries, it never ends. He is pulled out of it by Chris and Rebecca, though is in danger of falling back on this.
* DrowningMySorrows: Has developed a bit of a drinking problem as he's grown older (though in the original incarnation of Resident Evil 2, he was a known drinker). First shown in Damnation where is shown carrying a flask of alcohol and TakenUpToEleven in Vendetta, where is found drinking obtrusively during his vacation, trying to forget the tragedy of last mission.
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* FirstNameBasis: Is on this with President Adam Benford.
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* FirstNameBasis: Is on this with President Adam Benford.Benford, who was a good friend of his.
** Had a minor one in the ''2'' remake, when he fails to save Elliot from the zombies and sees him get severed in half. He was forced to come into his senses, less he end up like the officer too.
* HeroicFatigue: Having a life dedicated to helping and protecting others can do that to a person. By the the time of his most recent incarnation in ''Vendetta'', he has become so jaded that he refuses to fight any longer, feeling that no matter how hard he tries, the fighting never ends and people still die.
-->'''Leon:''' I keep fighting...and fighting...And instead seeing the end of this shit, [[CrapsackWorld it keeps getting worse]]. Is this how my life's supposed to be? Fighting the living dead and the bastards that make them? What's the point of it all?
-->'''Leon:''' I keep fighting...and fighting...And instead seeing the end of this shit, [[CrapsackWorld it keeps getting worse]]. Is this how my life's supposed to be? Fighting the living dead and the bastards that make them? What's the point of it all?
* HurtingHero: Has eventually evolved into one over the years. Every game and movie seems to tack on more emotional baggage and pain for him to carry. His most recent appearance in ''Vendetta'' has him trying to drink away his sorrows to deal with the repeated tragedy in his life, frustrated with what his life has become.
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* IncorruptiblePurePureness: Out of all the people on the good guys' side, Leon is probably the most decent at heart and inspite of losing his way from time to time, is never once tempted towards villainy nor gives into his darker urges like a need for vengeance or pursuing good ends by unscrupulous means. He's also the only hero to get infected with something but managed to [[FightingFromTheInside fight off the mind control]] but even [[HeroicWillpower managed to regain complete control]] all the way to the point when he's cured.
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* IncorruptiblePurePureness: Out of all the people on the good guys' side, Leon is probably the most decent at heart and inspite in spite of losing his way from time to time, is never once tempted towards villainy nor gives into his darker urges like a need for vengeance or pursuing good ends by unscrupulous means. He's also the only hero to get infected with something but managed to [[FightingFromTheInside fight off the mind control]] but even [[HeroicWillpower managed to regain complete control]] all the way to the point when he's cured.cured.
* InnocenceLost: He was a naive and innocent young man in the Resident Evil 2 Remake, which would eventually be lost as he experiences the horrors of surviving the zombie outbreak which involves killing his would-be coworkers, his superior, and witnessing the death of many others, all the while the undead try to tear his throat out.
* InnocenceLost: He was a naive and innocent young man in the Resident Evil 2 Remake, which would eventually be lost as he experiences the horrors of surviving the zombie outbreak which involves killing his would-be coworkers, his superior, and witnessing the death of many others, all the while the undead try to tear his throat out.
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* JadeColoredGlasses: in ''Resident Evil 6'', due to all the terrible things he's seen he tends to take a more pragmatic approach, exhorting his similarly traumatized and/or vengeful comrades to put aside their troubles to step back and take a look at the big picture. Nevrtheless he still will go to absurd lengths to help people in need, even during and especially in the middle of the zombie apocalypse.
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* JadeColoredGlasses: in ''Resident Evil 6'', due to all the terrible things he's seen he tends to take a more pragmatic approach, exhorting his similarly traumatized and/or vengeful comrades to put aside their troubles to step back and take a look at the big picture. Nevrtheless Nevertheless he still will go to absurd lengths to help people in need, even during and especially in the middle of the zombie apocalypse.
** In ''Vendetta'', he seems to have lost his drive and is just so ''tired'' of fighting since the terrorism doesn't seem to ever and and Leon doesn't see the point anymore to fight. He's become so jaded that he rather spend his days drinking away to deal with his problems. Thankfully, Chris and Rebecca manage to drag him out of his stupor and he finds the drive to fight again.
* JumpedAtTheCall: He was fully devoted and fairly excited to become a police officer, even willing to trespass into danger in the Resident Evil 2 Remake through sheer sense of duty, though that didn't turn out too well. Even though he didn't become a cop, he still seems devoted to stopping bioterrorism, though that motivation has become quite shaky due to his evolution to a HurtingHero.
* KillTheOnesYouLove: Leon was forced to kill his good friend of ten years, Adam Benford (who was also the president) after he had been infected by the C-Virus.
* JumpedAtTheCall: He was fully devoted and fairly excited to become a police officer, even willing to trespass into danger in the Resident Evil 2 Remake through sheer sense of duty, though that didn't turn out too well. Even though he didn't become a cop, he still seems devoted to stopping bioterrorism, though that motivation has become quite shaky due to his evolution to a HurtingHero.
* KillTheOnesYouLove: Leon was forced to kill his good friend of ten years, Adam Benford (who was also the president) after he had been infected by the C-Virus.
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** Somewhat lampshaded in the 2019 remake, in Leon's A scenerio. Lt. Branagh offers him a M9 bayonet, though Leon refuses until pressed.
* KnightInShiningArmor:He's very understanding to certain people, especially when their lives become an absolute hell for them. He will help them in their current situation through the end.
* KnightInShiningArmor:He's very understanding to certain people, especially when their lives become an absolute hell for them. He will help them in their current situation through the end.
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** Somewhat lampshaded in the 2019 remake, in Leon's A scenerio.scenario. Lt. Branagh offers him a M9 bayonet, though Leon refuses until pressed.
*KnightInShiningArmor:He's KnightInShiningArmor: He's very understanding to certain people, especially when their lives become an absolute hell for them. He will help them in their current situation through the end.
*
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* SayMyName: Known for yelling the names of just about everyone in each game he appears in.
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* SayMyName: Known for yelling the names of just about everyone in each game he appears in. In turn, Helena cries out his name if he dies in Resident Evil 6.
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* SoleSurvivor: Though technically not the only survivor of the Raccoon Police Department, Leon may believe he was the only one left as it is never said that he met Kevin Ryman who managed to escape too and had escaped to Miami. Though he would later become the only survivor of his squad established in Vendetta, thanks to a mole, and was forced to put down his former teammates when they turned into zombies.
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* WideEyedIdealist: Was one in the Resident Evil 2 Remake at the start of the game, being extremely devoted to duty and doing the right thing. But this tragically gets beaten down over the course of the game and he canonically becomes more depressed as time goes on.
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** In ''Resident Evil 6'', he tries to talk a zombified President Benford down, seemingly forgetting what a zombie is and that they can't be talked down.
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** In ''Resident Evil 6'', he tries to talk a zombified President Benford down, seemingly forgetting what a zombie is and that they can't be talked down.down, though that might be because Benford was a good friend of his, one of the handful Leon has at that point, and didn't really want to shoot him even if he was already gone.
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This example seems to be more a case of Never Live It Down.
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** His one drinking scene in ''Vendetta'' got exaggerated by the fandom to ridiculous levels to where some fandom sectors now believe he's a raging alcoholic. Never mind that this is immediately after he's lost a squad and he's never shown drinking in any of the games. (Chris, meanwhile, spends the start of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil6'' piss-drunk in a bar -- after being amnesiac for 6 months -- and it's barely commented on.)
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Doesn't really count as battle couple if they're not officially together. And really, let's not include entries that are made from pure fandom goggles. Until Claire or Leon actually gets some substantial romantic development beyond the bit of ship teasing in RE2R, it doesn't count.
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* BattleCouple: In ''[=RE6=]'', where Ada repeatedly teams up with him for boss fights. Officially speaking, their relationship status is defined as [[DatingCatwoman "complicated"]].
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* BettyAndVeronica: The fandom tends to see Claire and Ada as this for him, though it never goes beyond ShipTease with Claire and Leon.
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* DatingCatwoman: Official material describes their relationship status as "It's complicated". They are never ''quite'' on the same side whenever they cross paths, usually because Ada is looking to obtain whatever sample or data Leon has been sent to destroy. But multiple parties have commented on the obvious sparks between Leon and Ada, for [[ShipperOnDeck better]] or [[StalkerWithACrush worse]].
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* DatingCatwoman: Official material describes their his relationship status with Ada as "It's complicated". "it's complicated." They are never ''quite'' on the same side whenever they cross paths, usually because Ada is looking to obtain whatever sample or data Leon has been sent to destroy. But multiple parties have commented on the obvious sparks tension between Leon and Ada, them, for [[ShipperOnDeck better]] or [[StalkerWithACrush worse]].
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* ShipTease: He has mountains of it with Ada every time they appear together, but special mention goes to ''Damnation'', where the staff said their dialogue was written to imply the pair may have met and gone on a date off-screen. He also has some with Claire in the 2019 remake of ''Resident Evil 2''.
** He has this with pretty much every woman he meets, bar [[{{Squick}} Sherry]]. Just watch his interactions with [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil4 Hunnigan, Ashley]], [[Anime/ResidentEvilDegeneration Angela]] and [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil6 Helena]].
** He has this with pretty much every woman he meets, bar [[{{Squick}} Sherry]]. Just watch his interactions with [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil4 Hunnigan, Ashley]], [[Anime/ResidentEvilDegeneration Angela]] and [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil6 Helena]].
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* ShipTease: He has mountains lots of it with Ada every time they appear together, but special mention goes to ''Damnation'', ''Damnation'' where the staff said their dialogue was written to imply the pair may have met and gone on a date off-screen. He also has some with Claire in the 2019 remake of ''Resident Evil 2''.
** He has this with pretty much every woman he meets, bar[[{{Squick}} Sherry]].Sherry. Just watch his interactions with [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil4 Hunnigan, Ashley]], [[Anime/ResidentEvilDegeneration Angela]] and [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil6 Helena]].
** He has this with pretty much every woman he meets, bar
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* {{Deuteragonist}}: Shares the role of deuteragonist of the entire series with Jill.
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Before you ask: police militarization
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** Which makes sense as before the new millennium those would be the weapons he's be trained in as a police officer.
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OK to use trope redirects.
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* BayonetYa: Played with in the RE2 Remake, where the default combat knife is an M9 Bayonet Knife. Played straight however in RE6 where he or Helena can make use of the Assault Rifle RN, which has an attached bayonet.
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* BayonetYa: Played with in the RE2 Remake, ''[=RE2=] Remake'', where the default combat knife is an M9 Bayonet Knife. Played straight however in RE6 ''[=RE6=]'' where he or Helena can make use of the Assault Rifle RN, which has an attached bayonet.
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* BetterToDieThanBeKilled: Files in [=RE6=] state that during [=RE2=] he seriously considered "ending it" with a quick bullet to the head instead of leaving it to whatever monster finally got him, but he stayed alive for the sake of helping the other survivors, especially Sherry.
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* BetterToDieThanBeKilled: Files in [=RE6=] ''[=RE6=]'' state that during [=RE2=] ''[=RE2=]'' he seriously considered "ending it" with a quick bullet to the head instead of leaving it to whatever monster finally got him, but he stayed alive for the sake of helping the other survivors, especially Sherry.
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* [[{{Bishonen}} Biseinen]]: Leon definitely qualifies in his younger years with that fabulous [[Film/{{Titanic 1997}} Jack Dawson-esque]] 'do of his. While he's no longer as effeminate by the time of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' (''just look at his muscles''), he's still much more of a PrettyBoy than any of the other male protagonists, particularly with the steadily-increasing length of his hair. Other characters seem to notice, as one of the Policia in the beginning of 4 asks if he "forgot his makeup", and Leon himself lampshades it in ''Damnation'' when he's nearly stabbed in the face by a pair of pruning shears and retorts with "Do I look like I need a pruning?" Explains a lot about his status as the [[LauncherOfAThousandShips Fandom Bicycle]].
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* [[{{Bishonen}} Biseinen]]: {{Biseinen}}: Leon definitely qualifies in his younger years with that fabulous [[Film/{{Titanic 1997}} [[Film/Titanic1997 Jack Dawson-esque]] 'do of his. While he's no longer as effeminate by the time of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' (''just look at his muscles''), he's still much more of a PrettyBoy than any of the other male protagonists, particularly with the steadily-increasing length of his hair. Other characters seem to notice, as one of the Policia in the beginning of 4 asks if he "forgot his makeup", and Leon himself lampshades it in ''Damnation'' when he's nearly stabbed in the face by a pair of pruning shears and retorts with "Do I look like I need a pruning?" Explains a lot about his status as the [[LauncherOfAThousandShips Fandom Bicycle]].
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* BayonetYa: Played with in the RE2 Remake, where the default combat knife is an M9 Bayonet Knife. Played straight however in RE6 where he or Helena can make use of the Assault Rifle RN, which has an attached bayonet.
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* FingerlessGloves: His RPD Uniform has fingerless gloves as a part of it. After that finger-less gloves have been a staple of his outfits ever since. From his return in RE4, Degeneration, his outfit during his misadventures on China in RE6 and Vendetta.
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* FingerlessGloves: His RPD Uniform has fingerless gloves as a part of it. After that finger-less gloves have been a staple of his outfits ever since. From his return in RE4, [=RE4=], Degeneration, his outfit during his misadventures on China in RE6 [=RE6=] and Vendetta.
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* SlouchOfVillainy: A throne in ''[=RE4=]'' lets him do this.
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* SlouchOfVillainy: A He can find throne in ''[=RE4=]'' that lets him do this.
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* FingerlessGloves: His RPD Uniform has fingerless gloves as a part of it. After that finger-less gloves have been a staple of his outfits ever since. From his return in RE4, Degeneration, his outfit during his misadventures on China in RE6 and Vendetta.
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Series canon: [[Characters/ResidentEvil1 Resident Evil]] | Characters/ResidentEvil2 | Characters/ResidentEvil3Nemesis | [[Characters/ResidentEvilCodeVeronica Code Veronica]] | Characters/ResidentEvil0 | Characters/ResidentEvil4 | [[Characters/ResidentEvilDegeneration Degeneration]] | Characters/ResidentEvil5 | [[Characters/ResidentEvilRevelations Revelations]] | [[Characters/ResidentEvilDamnation Damnation]] | Characters/ResidentEvil6 | [[Characters/ResidentEvilRevelations2 Revelations 2]]| Characters/ResidentEvil7Biohazard | [[Characters/ResidentEvilVendetta Vendetta]]\\
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Series canon: [[Characters/ResidentEvil1 Resident Evil]] | Characters/ResidentEvil2 | Characters/ResidentEvil3Nemesis | [[Characters/ResidentEvilCodeVeronica Code Veronica]] | Characters/ResidentEvil0 | Characters/ResidentEvil4 | [[Characters/ResidentEvilDegeneration Degeneration]] | Characters/ResidentEvil5 | [[Characters/ResidentEvilRevelations Revelations]] | [[Characters/ResidentEvilDamnation Damnation]] | Characters/ResidentEvil6 | [[Characters/ResidentEvilRevelations2 Revelations 2]]| 2]] | Characters/ResidentEvil7Biohazard | [[Characters/ResidentEvilVendetta Vendetta]]\\
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[[center: [-Characters/ResidentEvil1 ([[Characters/ResidentEvilChrisRedfield Chris Redfield]]) | Characters/ResidentEvil2 ('''Leon S. Kennedy''') | Characters/ResidentEvil3Nemesis | Characters/ResidentEvilCodeVeronica | Characters/ResidentEvil0 | Characters/ResidentEvil4 | Characters/ResidentEvil5 | Characters/ResidentEvilRevelations | Characters/ResidentEvil6 | Characters/ResidentEvilRevelations2 | Characters/ResidentEvil7Biohazard]]-]
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[-''Protagonists:'' [[Characters/ResidentEvilChrisRedfield Chris
Series canon: [[Characters/ResidentEvil1 Resident Evil]] | Characters/ResidentEvil2
Spin-offs: [[Characters/ResidentEvilGunSurvivor Gun Survivor/DeadAim]] | [[Characters/ResidentEvilOutbreak Outbreak]] | [[Characters/ResidentEvilTheUmbrellaChronicles The Umbrella Chronicles]] | [[Characters/ResidentEvilTheDarksideChronicles The Darkside Chronicles]] | [[Characters/ResidentEvilOperationRaccoonCity Operation Raccoon City]]\\
Other media: [[Characters/ResidentEvilTheMarhawaDesire The Marhawa Desire]] | [[Characters/ResidentEvilHeavenlyIsland Heavenly Island]]-]]]]]
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A rookie police officer in the RPD, Leon was unfortunately caught in the Raccoon City outbreak ''on his first day on the job''. After escaping from Raccoon City, Leon was recruited by the United States government and trained to become an elite agent answering directly to the President.
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A rookie police officer in the RPD, Leon was unfortunately caught in the Raccoon City outbreak ''on on his first day on the job''.job. After escaping from Raccoon City, Leon was recruited by the United States government and trained to become an elite agent answering directly to the President.
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->'''Voiced by:''' Paul Haddad (''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2 2]]'' 1998), Paul Mercier (''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil4 4]]'', ''The Darkside Chronicles'', ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDegeneration Degeneration]]''), Creator/ChristianLanz (''Operation Raccoon City''), Creator/MatthewMercer (''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDamnation Damnation]]'', ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil6 6]]'', ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilVendetta Vendetta]]''), Nick Apostolides (''2'' 2019); Creator/ToshiyukiMorikawa (JP, since ''Operation Raccoon City''), Jorge Roig Jr. (LA, ''Degeneration''), Gerardo García (LA, ''Vendetta''), Martin Gopar (LA, ''Damnation'')
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->'''Voiced by:''' Paul Haddad (''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2 2]]'' 1998), Paul Mercier (''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil4 4]]'', ''The Darkside Chronicles'', ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDegeneration Degeneration]]''), Creator/ChristianLanz (''Operation Raccoon City''), Creator/MatthewMercer (''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDamnation Damnation]]'', ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil6 6]]'', ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilVendetta Vendetta]]''), Nick Apostolides (''2'' 2019); Creator/ToshiyukiMorikawa (JP, since ''Operation Raccoon City''), Jorge Roig Jr. (LA, ''Degeneration''), Martin Gopar (LA, ''Damnation''), Gerardo García (LA, ''Vendetta''), Martin Gopar (LA, ''Damnation'')''Vendetta'')
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->'''Voiced by:''' Paul Haddad (''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2 2]]'' 1998), Paul Mercier (''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil4 4]]'', ''The Darkside Chronicles'', ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDegeneration Degeneration]]''), Creator/ChristianLanz (''Operation Raccoon City''), Creator/MatthewMercer (''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDamnation Damnation]]'', ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil6 6]]'', ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilVendetta Vendetta]]''), Nick Apostolides (''2'' 2019); Creator/ToshiyukiMorikawa (JP, since ''Operation Raccoon City''), Jorge Roig Jr. (LA, ''Degeneration''), Gerardo García (LA, ''4'' and ''Vendetta''), Martin Gopar (LA, ''Damnation'')
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->'''Voiced by:''' Paul Haddad (''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2 2]]'' 1998), Paul Mercier (''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil4 4]]'', ''The Darkside Chronicles'', ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDegeneration Degeneration]]''), Creator/ChristianLanz (''Operation Raccoon City''), Creator/MatthewMercer (''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDamnation Damnation]]'', ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil6 6]]'', ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilVendetta Vendetta]]''), Nick Apostolides (''2'' 2019); Creator/ToshiyukiMorikawa (JP, since ''Operation Raccoon City''), Jorge Roig Jr. (LA, ''Degeneration''), Gerardo García (LA, ''4'' and ''Vendetta''), Martin Gopar (LA, ''Damnation'')
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->'''Voiced by:''' Paul Haddad (''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2 2]]'' 1998), Paul Mercier (''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil4 4]]'', ''The Darkside Chronicles'', ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDegeneration Degeneration]]''), Creator/ChristianLanz (''Operation Raccoon City''), Creator/MatthewMercer (''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDamnation Damnation]]'', ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil6 6]]'', ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilVendetta Vendetta]]''), Nick Apostolides (''2'' 2019); Creator/ToshiyukiMorikawa (JP, since ''Operation Raccoon City'')
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->'''Voiced by:''' Paul Haddad (''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2 2]]'' 1998), Paul Mercier (''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil4 4]]'', ''The Darkside Chronicles'', ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDegeneration Degeneration]]''), Creator/ChristianLanz (''Operation Raccoon City''), Creator/MatthewMercer (''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDamnation Damnation]]'', ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil6 6]]'', ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilVendetta Vendetta]]''), Nick Apostolides (''2'' 2019); Creator/ToshiyukiMorikawa (JP, since ''Operation Raccoon City'')City''), Jorge Roig Jr. (LA, ''Degeneration''), Gerardo García (LA, ''4'' and ''Vendetta''), Martin Gopar (LA, ''Damnation'')
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* {{Adorkable}}: In the 2019 remake of the second game, his being a rookie results in both terrified responses to the surprise horror he wasn't prepared for - and dorky remarks and snark, still not stripped of his idealism and go-getter mentality as he survives the Raccoon City incident against implausibly escalating problems. Best shown when he tries to chat with Ada and Claire, as it's obvious he's not exactly as skilled with handling women as he will be by the time of [=RE4=].
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* {{Adorkable}}: In the 2019 remake of the second game, his being a rookie results in both terrified responses to the surprise horror he wasn't prepared for - and dorky remarks and snark, still not stripped of his idealism and go-getter mentality as he survives the Raccoon City incident against implausibly escalating problems. Best shown when he tries to chat with Ada and Claire, as it's obvious he's not exactly as skilled with handling women as he will be by the time of [=RE4=].
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[[center: [-Characters/ResidentEvil1 ([[Characters/ResidentEvilChrisRedfield Chris Redfield]]) | Characters/ResidentEvil2 ('''Leon S. Kennedy''') | Characters/ResidentEvil3Nemesis | Characters/ResidentEvilCodeVeronica | Characters/ResidentEvil0 | Characters/ResidentEvil4 | Characters/ResidentEvil5 | Characters/ResidentEvilRevelations | Characters/ResidentEvil6 | Characters/ResidentEvilRevelations2 | Characters/ResidentEvil7Biohazard]]-]
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----
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A rookie police officer in the RPD, Leon was unfortunately caught in the Raccoon City outbreak ''on his first day on the job''. After escaping from the Raccoon City, Leon was recruited by the United States government and trained to become an elite agent answering directly to the President.
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A rookie police officer in the RPD, Leon was unfortunately caught in the Raccoon City outbreak ''on his first day on the job''. After escaping from the Raccoon City, Leon was recruited by the United States government and trained to become an elite agent answering directly to the President.
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Introduced in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2''. A rookie police officer, who unfortunately was caught in the Raccoon City outbreak ''on his first day on the job''. He later returned in the ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvilTheDarksideChronicles Operation Javier]]'' scenario, ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'', ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil6'', and the non-canon ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvilGaiden Gaiden]]''. He is also the protagonist of the 3D animation movies ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDegeneration Degeneration]]'' and ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDamnation Damnation]]'', which take place between his appearances in 4 and 6. Like Chris, he has made a vow to rid the world of viral weapons. A good-hearted man with a strong sense of justice, he currently is employed as a federal agent of the United States government and answers directly to the president.
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Introduced in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2''. A rookie police officer, who unfortunately was caught ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'', Leon is another recurring protagonist in the Raccoon City outbreak ''on his first day on the job''. series like Chris, and is arguably a bigger audience favorite. He later returned in the ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvilTheDarksideChronicles Operation Javier]]'' scenario, The Darkside Chronicles]]'', ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'', ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil6'', and the non-canon ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvilGaiden Gaiden]]''. He is also the protagonist of the 3D animation movies ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDegeneration Degeneration]]'' and ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDamnation Damnation]]'', which take place between his appearances in 4 and 6. Like Chris, he has made a vow to rid 6.
A rookie police officer in theworld of viral weapons. A good-hearted man with a strong sense of justice, he currently is employed as a federal agent of RPD, Leon was unfortunately caught in the Raccoon City outbreak ''on his first day on the job''. After escaping from the Raccoon City, Leon was recruited by the United States government and answers trained to become an elite agent answering directly to the president.President.
A rookie police officer in the
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->''"I'm gonna scrub this virus from the face of the earth!"''
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[[caption-width-right:300:[[labelnote:Leon in ''Resident Evil 2'' (1998).]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/re2_leon_s_kennedy.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]
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For other characters in the franchise, see the ''Resident Evil'' character index at Characters.ResidentEvil.
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!Leon Scott Kennedy
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/re2_remake_leon_s_kennedy.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:Leon in ''Resident Evil 2'' (2019).]]
[[caption-width-right:300:[[labelnote:Leon in ''Resident Evil 4''.]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/re4_leon_s_kennedy.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]
[[caption-width-right:300:[[labelnote:Leon in ''Resident Evil 6''.]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/re6_leon_s_kennedy.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Paul Haddad (''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2 2]]'' 1998), Paul Mercier (''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil4 4]]'', ''The Darkside Chronicles'', ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDegeneration Degeneration]]''), Creator/ChristianLanz (''Operation Raccoon City''), Creator/MatthewMercer (''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDamnation Damnation]]'', ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil6 6]]'', ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilVendetta Vendetta]]''), Nick Apostolides (''2'' 2019); Creator/ToshiyukiMorikawa (JP, since ''Operation Raccoon City'')
->'''Face model:''' Eduard Badaluta (''2'' 2019)
->''"I'm gonna scrub this virus from the face of the earth!"''
Introduced in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2''. A rookie police officer, who unfortunately was caught in the Raccoon City outbreak ''on his first day on the job''. He later returned in the ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvilTheDarksideChronicles Operation Javier]]'' scenario, ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'', ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil6'', and the non-canon ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvilGaiden Gaiden]]''. He is also the protagonist of the 3D animation movies ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDegeneration Degeneration]]'' and ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDamnation Damnation]]'', which take place between his appearances in 4 and 6. Like Chris, he has made a vow to rid the world of viral weapons. A good-hearted man with a strong sense of justice, he currently is employed as a federal agent of the United States government and answers directly to the president.
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* TheAce: His file in the 2019 remake of ''2'' states that the RPD was excited to have him on the force, due to having exceptionally high training scores. He proves to be just as capable in action, surviving encounters with monsters that had killed entire teams of highly trained agents. By ''4'', he had become a member of the Secret Service, tasked with protecting the family of the President of the United States.
* AdaptationalAngstUpgrade: Downplayed. In the original game, Leon had a "Stop, or I'll shoot!" mentality when he's against a horde of zombies. In the remake, he shows genuine fear when he sees a zombie eat a dead sheriff after it glares at him, but once the initial shock of each new threat subsides, he's able to snark about writing reports while glaring down dangerous unknowns himself.
* AdaptationalBackstoryChange: In the original ''[=RE2=]'', Leon was late for his first day because he broke up with his girlfriend and drank so much that he overslept. In the remake, this has been changed to him getting a phone call to stay away from Raccoon City and wait for further orders. After a week of complete silence, Leon enters the city by himself to investigate.
** In the S.D. Perry novel, Leon was late because he was stuck in a traffic jam [[WhereTheHellIsSpringfield outside New York.]]
* {{Adorkable}}: In the 2019 remake of the second game, his being a rookie results in both terrified responses to the surprise horror he wasn't prepared for - and dorky remarks and snark, still not stripped of his idealism and go-getter mentality as he survives the Raccoon City incident against implausibly escalating problems. Best shown when he tries to chat with Ada and Claire, as it's obvious he's not exactly as skilled with handling women as he will be by the time of [=RE4=].
* AlwaysSaveTheGirl: After losing Ada once, this seems to have become a principle for him. Matthew Mercer explained it in an interview as "Even if a situation seems very dangerous and stupid and a total trap, if there’s a woman who needs help he can’t turn that down [...] And in the end of it he’ll feel better about himself knowing he went through the motions on the off chance whoever it was really needed help.”
* AnOfferYouCantRefuse: His epilogue in ''[=RE3=]'' states that following the events of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'', Leon and Sherry were captured by the US government. They subsequently forced Leon, whose experience was highly sought after, into service as a special agent using Sherry's life as leverage. This is re-iterated in ''Darkside Chronicles''.
* ApologeticAttacker: Quietly apologizes to [[spoiler:the corpse of President Benford]] after killing him in ''6''.
* BackToBackBadasses: With Chris Redfield in ''Vendetta''.
* BadassBiker: Leon acquires a Ducati in ''Vendetta'' to drive along New York while killing A-Virus Cerberi. He later drives it into Arias' headquarters to kick both zombies and Arias' asses.
* BadassInANiceSuit: In the [=PS2=] port of ''[=RE4=]'' and onward, [[http://smhspanthers.k12tn.net/web_student_projects/Matt%27s_css_page/bamboo%283%29/images/Leon_and_Ashley_Alternate_Costumes.gif his second alternate costume is this,]] complete with a NiceHat ''and'' a ScarfOfAsskicking. He even has a special reload animation when he wears the costume while equipped with the Chicago Typewriter. His pose in the status menu also changes.
** In the Remake his Noir outfit makes him look like a snazzy noir detective, complete with a black & white filter on the game.
* BadassNormal: Situations that would kill most people are startlingly routine for him, and he doesn't even have superhuman enhancements or Chris' massive muscle mass to back that up. Leon is simply ''that'' good at what he does.
* BattleCouple: In ''[=RE6=]'', where Ada repeatedly teams up with him for boss fights. Officially speaking, their relationship status is defined as [[DatingCatwoman "complicated"]].
* BeingGoodSucks: This eventually goes to him in ''Vendetta'' like it did to Chris in ''5'' and ''6''. Despite his efforts in fighting bioterrorism, they still keep popping up, even when he rids the current BigBad. It took Chris himself to snap out of it when Rebecca gets kidnapped and Patricio dies, who pleads him into saving his family.
* BetterToDieThanBeKilled: Files in [=RE6=] state that during [=RE2=] he seriously considered "ending it" with a quick bullet to the head instead of leaving it to whatever monster finally got him, but he stayed alive for the sake of helping the other survivors, especially Sherry.
* BettyAndVeronica: The fandom tends to see Claire and Ada as this for him, though it never goes beyond ShipTease with Claire and Leon.
* BigBrotherInstinct: Towards Sherry. Even when she's a fully trained government agent and a badass in her own right, he still tries to protect her, shielding her so she will land on top of him when they fall off a fence and expressing hopes that her partner/protectee, Jake, will look after her.
* [[{{Bishonen}} Biseinen]]: Leon definitely qualifies in his younger years with that fabulous [[Film/{{Titanic 1997}} Jack Dawson-esque]] 'do of his. While he's no longer as effeminate by the time of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' (''just look at his muscles''), he's still much more of a PrettyBoy than any of the other male protagonists, particularly with the steadily-increasing length of his hair. Other characters seem to notice, as one of the Policia in the beginning of 4 asks if he "forgot his makeup", and Leon himself lampshades it in ''Damnation'' when he's nearly stabbed in the face by a pair of pruning shears and retorts with "Do I look like I need a pruning?" Explains a lot about his status as the [[LauncherOfAThousandShips Fandom Bicycle]].
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: In one nightmare-inducing scene in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4''. He attacks Ada and comes close to strangling her to death, but he snaps out of it after Ada stabs him in the leg.
* BodyguardCrush: All the girls he ends up protecting develop a crush on him, with the exception of Sherry, who's a child.
* BoringButPractical: His kits in The Mercenaries of ''4'' and ''6'' are widely considered to be this. As the starter character and {{Muggle}} of the mode, he lacks the bells and whistles of others such as advanced acrobatics or super human strength, and usually possesses weapons that are decidedly less flashy compared to the rest. What he ''does'' have, however, is perfectly balanced and adequate for almost any type of map. He's also usually exempt from the equipment penalties[[note]]No extra ammo, less herbs, ''no knife'', etc...[[/note]] that others might have, as well.
* BrokenAce: By ''Vendetta'', he's been fighting the war against B.O.W.s so long that he's began to question if continuing is all worth it. He's become an alcoholic, and it takes Rebecca and Chris (no stranger himself) bringing him back to set him on the course.
* CaptainCrash: Became sort of a RunningGag involving Leon after the release of ''6'' that, for all of his talents and badassery, he couldn't simply set foot onto a vehicle without it being reduced to smoldering scrap at some point; his extremely bad luck with vehicles arguably giving even [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureBattleTendency Joseph Joestar]] himself a run for his money, and he seems to be aware of this as well, as evident by his reaction in ''6'' when Hunnigan suggests he tries piloting the plane he's on. Starting with his cop car in the original release of ''2'', it steadily evolves into a motorized boat and then a bulldozer in ''4'' which [[http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdhzcavvJi1rqgklbo1_1280.png even Ada has noticed.]]; ''6'' has him riding yet another cop car, a bus, a BSAA Humvee, another military jeep with mounted miniguns, a HellishCopter, a commuter train and a ''jet plane'' to top it all off. Many of these didn't last more than one trip.
** The only vehicles he's ever been in that did not crash or get destroyed shortly thereafter are the jetski at the end of ''4'' and the escape chopper Ada left for him in ''6'', and the latter likely only survived because it's Helena who's driving the stick. The fate of the BSAA Humvee he and Helena rode in is debatable, but at least it's still intact after they disembarked. There was also his Jeep in the [=RE2=] remake, but he never had to drive it under duress and abandoned it for a county sheriff's car, which is later hit by a semi truck and explodes, marking the start of his car troubles.
** To be fair, almost every time he crashes a vehicle, there are zombies inside trying to eat him. [[GenreBlind You'd think he would've learned to check the backseat by now.]]
* CatchPhrase: "... Women."
* CerebusSyndrome: One major point of contention among Leon fans is the complete ToneShift of his character between games ''4'' and ''6''. Whereas in ''4'', Leon is the perma-confident, yet goofy CasanovaWannabe[=/=]PluckyComicRelief of a government agent who flirts with every female character he comes across while spouting heaps of corny one-liners like it's going out of style, this NarmCharm of his [[DarkerAndEdgier wanes with every successive release]], starting with ''Degeneration''. By the time of ''6'' and ''Vendetta'', he's seemingly become the physical embodiment of brooding and angst, perhaps even moreso than Chris Redfield himself.
* ChickMagnet: So far, the one with most LoveInterests in the series: Ada, Angela, Ashley, and Manuela all have a thing for him, Helena seems to be on the fence, while Hunnigan and Claire do enjoy his company. Doesn't qualify for UnwantedHarem, because he does seem to be interested in Angela, and openly pines for Ada by canon.
* ChronicHeroSyndrome: He's seemingly pigeonholed into this role as his presence in the series is defined. Unlike Chris, whose story mainly focuses on his partnership with Jill and feud with Albert Wesker [[spoiler:up until the latter kicked the bucket in ''5'']], almost every time Leon is present in a ''Resident Evil'' media released since ''2'', he's often out to save the world from an absurdly-powerful evil-doer, only to do that again in the next title featuring him. Even post-CerebusSyndrome this is still his hat, one that he seems to be really tired of as of ''Vendetta''.
** Leon seems to just be plainly incapable of ''not'' being the good guy, since his first instinct whenever he comes across people in distress is to drop whatever he's doing and save them, [[HonorBeforeReason even if it puts all of them in even more danger]]. This is brought up ''many'' times during his first chapter of ''6'' alone, much to the chagrin of Helena.
* ClearMyName: In ''[=RE6=]'', he's forced to fake his own death and go on the run after being framed for the president's assassination. Obtaining evidence to prove Simmons' guilt becomes his mission throughout the second half of the game.
* ColourCodedCharacters: Averted. He's the only major character who doesn't show a distinct color preference. (In order: dark blue, army green, brown, black, and gray). They do, however, largely take on the theme of camouflage/outdoor clothing, and most include some kind of leather jacket either in the main outfit or in unlockable outfits. Fandom will sometimes make his color navy blue, but this is far from official (his debut outfit ''was'' a police uniform, so the color scheme wasn't really up to him).
* CombatPragmatist: Leon will use anything and everything just to get an advantage over his enemies. Not that you can blame the guy considering his opponents are usually virus-or-parasite-empowered monstrosities that can take quite a bit of punishment.
* ContrastingSequelMainCharacter: Leon started out as a rookie cop in contrast with Chris, who has years of experience under his belt. Unlike Chris, Leon initially has no personal grudges against Umbrella that unintentionally started the ZombieApocalypse, despite the fact that Umbrella deployed Mr. X to kill any witnesses. It isn't until the final half of the game that he wants to take down Umbrella and it was disbanded thanks to Wesker, who confessed in court. Whereas Chris actively sought to fight bio-terror attacks around the world, Leon gets sent off to areas where he can take on enemies to avoid casualties. ''Vendetta'' even extends this contrast.
-->'''Leon (narrating)''': I never thought my life would turn out this way.
* CowardlyLion: In the 2019 remake, it's quite clear the poor guy is scared out of his mind, but he keeps it together and even managed to develop a DeadpanSnarker side after he adapts a bit.
* CrazyPrepared: In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'', he only goes to the village to investigate and ask questions, yet he brings with him a pistol, knife, attache case, flashlight, radio, binoculars, a tracking device, and a ''grappling hook'' (plus a shotgun, if you play on easy mode). As well as, presumably, gum. Though he ''was'' investigating a group that had kidnapped the President's daughter, so he had pretty good reason to expect trouble.
* DatingCatwoman: Official material describes their relationship status as "It's complicated". They are never ''quite'' on the same side whenever they cross paths, usually because Ada is looking to obtain whatever sample or data Leon has been sent to destroy. But multiple parties have commented on the obvious sparks between Leon and Ada, for [[ShipperOnDeck better]] or [[StalkerWithACrush worse]].
* DeadpanSnarker: His lines in ''4'' are full of this, but it's severely dialed back in ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDegeneration Degeneration]]''. ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDamnation Damnation]]'' ramps it back up to full force, and ''6'' seems to find a balance between the two.
** In the 2019 remake of ''2'', he starts out as a pretty serious if naive rookie, but as the night wears on he develops more of a proto-version of the snarky attitude he will become known for in ''4''. Showing more of a character progression (and hinting that his snark is actually a coping mechanism to help him deal with the insanity inducing crap he has to deal with).
--> '''Leon:''' ''I hope I don't have to write a report about this.'' *after causing the station's bell to tear itself apart. A snark on him likely being the last RPD officer still alive, thus no one to even report to.*
* DestructiveSavior: The chase sequence in ''Vendetta'' sees Leon causing considerable collateral damage to a New York freeway in the process of fighting a pair of zombie dogs. The chase sequence concludes with two car exploding, an exit sign shot down onto the road, and a grenade tossed into traffic.
* {{Determinator}}: He goes through ''Resident Evil 2'' with a bullet in his shoulder, ''Resident Evil 4'' with a Plaga growing inside him, and ''Resident Evil 6'' as a fugitive from the US government. In ''Resident Evil 4'', his tenacity is reflected in a note left by the infected villagers, which reads something to the effect of: "If we don't stop him now, he'll kill us all!"
* {{Deuteragonist}}: Shares the role of deuteragonist of the entire series with Jill.
* DistractedByTheSexy: With Ada, see [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxqFgSB4UvM&playnext=1&list=PL6C92C52DBD58876B here]] and just follow his line of sight.
* DudeWheresMyRespect: No matter how good Leon is, no matter how many zombies or mutants or horrible creatures he takes out, he's ''never'' given the respect he really should have by his enemies. They either constantly underestimate him, denigrate him, or brush off his successes as mere luck or chance. Leon then proves them wrong. ''Every single time!''
* [[EtTuBrute Et Tu, Ada?]]: In ''4'', when he was forced by Ada to give the Plagas sample to her. Shortly afterwards, he gives a very surprised "She really pushed it!" when she remotely activates charges set to detonate the island. She gives him the key to a jet-ski to escape, so any feelings of betrayal he may have had were very short-lived.
** Also in Resident Evil 2, near the end of his "A" scenario (or either of his scenarios in the 2019 remake) after having denied Annette's claims of Ada being a spy, he is genuinely shocked when Ada holds him at gunpoint and demands him to hand over the G-Virus. Fortunately for him, [[DefrostingIceQueen she can't go through with it]].
* EvenTheGuysWantHim: Has been known to do this to some players.
* {{Expy}}: His voice in the remake is highly reminiscent of a young Creator/TomCruise.
* ExtremityExtremist: In ''4'', the majority of his melee attacks consist simply of kicks, with the exception of {{Suplex Finisher}}s.
* FindTheCure: He spends the majority of ''4'' infected with a Plaga [[spoiler:along with Ashley]], and part of his mission becomes a race to get rid of the parasite before it matures and takes control of his body permanently.
* FirstDayFromHell: Leon's first day as a police officer and a special agent have him fighting for his life against zombies and crazy villagers respectively.
* FireForgedFriends: Almost every single relationship he has within the franchise started off as them fighting for their lives against monsters. He quickly befriends people under extreme pressure, whether they're his Partner for that game or a doomed MauveShirt.
* FirstNameBasis: Is on this with President Adam Benford.
* {{Flanderization}}:
** Back in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'', he wasn't quite TheStoic OneManArmy DeadpanSnarker he is in later games. He was just someone who tried to be a nice cop, but no one took him seriously. Justified as he went under government special training to become the president's family bodyguard.
** In his second scenario in ''2'', he gets a couple of snarky moments; by his next appearance in ''4'', it becomes a defining characteristic. It doesn't last past ''4'', however, if his current attitude is any indication.
** Somewhat adjusted in the 2019 remake. He starts back out as a fairly naive rookie cop in WAY over his head, and it isn't until later in the game that he starts snarking at his situation, showing the start of his progression to his personality shown in ''4''.
** His one drinking scene in ''Vendetta'' got exaggerated by the fandom to ridiculous levels to where some fandom sectors now believe he's a raging alcoholic. Never mind that this is immediately after he's lost a squad and he's never shown drinking in any of the games. (Chris, meanwhile, spends the start of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil6'' piss-drunk in a bar -- after being amnesiac for 6 months -- and it's barely commented on.)
* FrameUp: In ''[=RE6=]'', Leon and Helena are framed for the bio-terror attack on Tall Oaks and the president's assassination. Finding evidence to [[ClearMyName clear their names]] and bring Simmons to justice is the driving force of the second half of their campaign.
* GangstaStyle: One of his bonus costumes in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'' is a thug outfit, and while wearing it, Leon holds any of the handguns this way. It even affects the way he shoots -- bullets fire faster, but he generally shoots lower.
** Returns again in the remake, though only with the M19 (rebranded m1911), which is only available if you play his B scenario.
* GeniusBruiser: Sort of. In Ada's Report, she describes him as being "practically a genius," in that he has smarts and knows how to use them. Furthermore, as shown in ''6'', he's able to fight [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower Chris Redfield]] to a stalemate.
* GenreBlind: For 30 seconds, then finds out that headshots are more effective in killing zombies.
** In ''Resident Evil 4'', he didn't think the villagers were zombies. Apparently, he wasn't aware OurZombiesAreDifferent.
** In ''Resident Evil 6'', he tries to talk a zombified President Benford down, seemingly forgetting what a zombie is and that they can't be talked down.
* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: He is subjected to this in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'', when he begins succumbing to the control of the Plagas infection. Ada stabs him in the leg, and the pain lets him regain his senses.
* GrapplingHookPistol: He has a grapple belt in ''4'', which helps him escape one of Salazar's various {{Death Trap}}s. He later uses the hook tip as an improvised weapon to distract Krauser, before running for cover.
* GunFu: Leon uses this to good effect during ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilVendetta Vendetta]]'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGtiZ4No3sA as seen here]].
* GunsAkimbo: In ''6'', he can dual-wield his matching Wing Shooter pistols.
* TheGunslinger: Leon seems to favor pistols [[ShotgunsAreJustBetter and shotguns]] above all else. And he uses them with [[GunFu extreme efficiency]].
** While the other protagonists are often depicted using various types of weapons, Leon would more often than not be holding a pistol on the boxart of whatever media he's in, and has a whopping ''four'' different handguns as his WeaponOfChoice throughout the series. Yes, even in ''6'', where he could [[GunsAkimbo dual-wield a pair of them]].
** In fact, a vast majority of the weapons available to him throughout the course of ''2'', ''4'' and ''6'' happen to be handguns or ''[[HandCannon Hand Cannons]]'' of various flavors.
* HeroicAmbidexterity: In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'', Leon demonstrates that he's equally skilled with a knife regardless of which hand he's using. While Krauser sticks to using his right hand, Leon switches the knife back and forth throughout their fight as needed.
* HeroicBSOD: In ''2'' when he thought Ada was dead in both A and B of his scenarios, blaming it on the G-Virus in the process (in A). In ''6'', [[spoiler:when Chris tells him Ada is dead]]. Brief but very noticeable.
* HeroicBuild: A leaner example of the trope, at least when comparing him to the likes of [[RatedMForManly Chris]] or Barry. Leon is built for equal parts strength and speed, more gymnast than power-lifter and it shows in the athletic feats he pulls off in the franchise.
* HeroicWillpower: Continues to resist the Plagas growing inside him, even as the parasite neared maturity. Saddler is able to disable him with pain, but cannot take over Leon's mind the way he could control Ashley.
* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: While experience has made him wiser, Leon started out as someone that wanted to believe the best in others. His naivety resulted in him trusting the likes of [[DirtyCop Chief Irons]], [[DatingCatwoman Ada]], and [[SociopathicSoldier Krauser]].
* IcyBlueEyes: Another example of icy and piercing, but since they're blue-gray, some of the marksman legends creep in as well. Subverted in that Chris is actually the one with a history of being a marksman, not Leon.
* IncorruptiblePurePureness: Out of all the people on the good guys' side, Leon is probably the most decent at heart and inspite of losing his way from time to time, is never once tempted towards villainy nor gives into his darker urges like a need for vengeance or pursuing good ends by unscrupulous means. He's also the only hero to get infected with something but managed to [[FightingFromTheInside fight off the mind control]] but even [[HeroicWillpower managed to regain complete control]] all the way to the point when he's cured.
* JackOfAllStats: In the minigames such as "The Mercenaries", he's usually the most balanced character.
* JadeColoredGlasses: in ''Resident Evil 6'', due to all the terrible things he's seen he tends to take a more pragmatic approach, exhorting his similarly traumatized and/or vengeful comrades to put aside their troubles to step back and take a look at the big picture. Nevrtheless he still will go to absurd lengths to help people in need, even during and especially in the middle of the zombie apocalypse.
--> ''(After a man asks for help finding his missing daughter in a zombie-overrun college):''
-->'''Helena''': Leon, we don't have time to...
-->'''Leon''': We're ''making'' the time.
* KnifeNut: In ''Resident Evil 4'', a disproportionate amount of fights seem to involve his knife, especially those with Ada and Krauser. He explains this preference to Ada after disarming her and holding a knife to her throat when she tries to draw her gun on him again.
--> '''Leon:''' ''Try using knives next time, works better for close encounters.''
** Somewhat lampshaded in the 2019 remake, in Leon's A scenerio. Lt. Branagh offers him a M9 bayonet, though Leon refuses until pressed.
* KnightInShiningArmor:He's very understanding to certain people, especially when their lives become an absolute hell for them. He will help them in their current situation through the end.
* LanternJawOfJustice: His 21 year old self's updated model in ''[=RE2=]: Remake'' sports a pretty impressive cleft chin.
* LeParkour: He engages in a number of "free-running" cutscenes, both in ''4'' and in the films.
* LiteralistSnarking:
-->'''Salazar''': So maybe you have nine lives. But it doesn't matter now, Mr. Kennedy! I've sent my [[TheDragon right hand]] to dispose of you.
-->'''Leon''': [[{{Troll}} Your right hand comes off?]]
* MadeOfIron: In a series with zombies and other unholy biological abominations, this isn't ''that'' notable, but through the course of the games, Leon (among other things) spends several hours running around with a gunshot wound to the shoulder, is thrown upwards of thirty feet into a solid wall and is able to get back up, gets PunchedAcrossTheRoom by Saddler and only ends up dazed, and falls forty feet from a helicopter, and taking the weight of his fall on one shoulder hard enough to crack tempered glass. After struggling to get back up, he is seemingly able to push on after all of these injuries. Adrenaline may be a partial explanation, though his tenacity is also highlighted by the fact that he's considerably smaller than Chris but invariably gets hurt more.
** This gets even more outrageous during ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDamnation Damnation]]'' where during the final battle against the unsealed Tyrant, Leon is on the receiving end of an uppercut and is then immediately ''thrown across the courtyard and into a pillar'' by said Tyrant. Afterward, he is then pinned by the Tyrant to the pillar then thrown away after the Tyrant is distracted by the Lickers. Note that said Tyrant is also strong enough to stop a [=BMT=] in its tracks and then ''lifting'' it. Leon recovers from that beating within seconds.
* MoralityPet: To FemmeFatale Ada, making him the one chink in her emotional armor. While she's readily taken advantage of him and lied to him over the years, Ada has also risked her missions and her life to protect him. For his part, Leon recognizes this enough to call her bluff when threatened at gunpoint.
* NaiveNewcomer: Zig-zagged in ''2'', as he very much expects everyone to listen to him because he's a cop, and yet everyone keeps running off to the time or blowing him off when he overestimates his authority in a ZombieApocalypse even despite him meaning well. Simultaneously, he's surprisingly competent in the grand scheme of things and quickly wraps his head around the chaos at hand as he [[TookALevelInBadass gets himself into high gear.]] By the time ''4'' rolls around, he's SeenItAll.
** The remake dials it up a few notches by [[AdaptationalAngstUpgrade making him react much more to the horror around him]], but also tones it down by making him react ''appropriately'': he doesn't try to talk down the zombies, he just pulls his gun and starts shooting.
* NervesOfSteel: As a general rule, [[SeenItAll considering the sheer amount of crap that's been thrown at him]].
* NiceGuy: Empathetic, reasonable, and always willing to help a comrade or fellow survivor. Hell, he regularly risks his life to help people who have lied to or attacked him as long as they aren't actually evil. Rather than [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished backfiring]], trying to help everyone has so far netted him several lucky breaks, a few good friends, and [[ChickMagnet a lot of]] [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan love interests]].
* NiceHat: A [[FedoraOfAsskicking fedora]] to complement his Chicago 1920s mob alternate outfit ([=PS2=] version onwards).
* NiceJobBreakingItHero:
** If he is played in the A scenario in the [=RE2=] Remake, he accidentally distracts the sheriff who was restraining a zombie, allowing the zombie to overpower and kill him. Oops.
** According to the director of ''Darkside Chronicles'', this is the ultimate result of Leon's refusal to give up on Manuela. In saving the girl, he unknowingly helped set the stage for the events of ''4'', ''5'', and ''6''. Because he saved Manuela, Krauser went to work for Wesker and helped him gain a sample of the Dominant-strain Plagas. And because the American government took custody of Manuela, [[spoiler: Simmons was able to obtain a sample of the T-Veronica virus, which was used to develop the C-Virus]].
* NobleMaleRoguishMale: In ''Operation Javier'', Leon and Krauser have this dynamic, respectively. It's most obvious in their interactions with Manuela, who Leon [[KnightInShiningArmor bonds]] with quickly while Krauser tries to be more [[ShootTheDog pragmatic]] about the situation.
* OnTheRebound: His original backstory involved falling for Ada the day after a nasty breakup, though this is only mentioned in side material.
* OneManArmy: Along with Ada, possibly the biggest example in the series, especially in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4''. It's worth noting that out of all the main protagonists, Leon arguably has the most experience in fighting alone, even more so than the likes of Chris and Jill.
--> '''Bitorez Mendez:''' [[UnderestimatingBadassery I clearly underestimated the American agent's capability.]] He's still alive. I thought that we could wait until the egg hatched, but at this rate, [[PersonOfMassDestruction he could destroy the whole village before it does.]]
* OnlyAFleshWound: Really, a bullet to the shoulder did nothing to stop him from fighting a ''giant crocodile!''
* OnlySaneMan: In ''[=RE6=]'', he comes across as easily the most level-headed of the survivors. Helena, Jake, and Chris all have fairly serious issues, while Sherry and Piers are more inexperienced and caught up in their partners' problems.
* PapaWolf: Is a protective and encouraging figure for Ashley, Sherry, and arguably Manuela in the physical or absence of their actual fathers.
* PeekABangs: Most notable in ''Resident Evil 4'', but keeps a similar style in subsequent appearances.
* PermaStubble: In ''Damnation'' and ''Resident Evil 6''.
* {{Pirate}}: His alternate costume in ''Resident Evil 6's'' Mercenary Mode.
* RareGuns: Leon's [=VP70M=] is a very rare pistol in reality. Production stopped at around 3,000 units due to poor sales and practically every branch of the German military rejecting it, and by the time of the game's setting, it had been discontinued for just one year shy of a full decade.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: One of the side effects of his Plaga infection.
* RedOniBlueOni:
** The blue to Claire's red in ''2'' and ''Degeneration''. Best exemplified in the latter, where he spends the entire run time giving absolutely zero fucks about everything, while Claire is much more emotionally involved in the situations around her. Inverted regarding their line of work, because Claire gives up fighting to work in an NGO while Leon becomes a government agent.
** Also functions as the blue to the other Redfield, especially in ''6''. Chris spends much of the game angry and depressed, letting his impulses get the best of him and nearly getting both him and Piers killed. Leon, meanwhile, has the coolest head under pressure and is responsible for reigning in his partner, Helena. This even extends to their fighting styles, which can be summed up as force vs finesse.
* SayMyName: Known for yelling the names of just about everyone in each game he appears in.
* SeenItAll: Leon has some of the worst luck when it comes to getting involved with viral outbreaks. [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2 His first day on the job]] saw him end up in a city full of zombies, where he also fought giant moths, giant spiders, {{wall crawl}}ing flayed mutants, {{man eating plant}}s, the ImplacableMan Mr. X and the borderline EldritchAbomination that is William Birkin. [[VideoGame/ResidentEvilTheDarksideChronicles His second chronological mission]] (so far as we know) saw him fight his way through an infected village and a small army of B.O.Ws, including man-eating frog-men, giant jumping spiders, more {{man eating plant}}s, demonic skeletal bat-things, giant bugs, and grotesque man-spider mutants, before finally facing off against the V-Complex, a plant-based monstrosity that is a contender for the biggest creature in the entire series, up there with [[VideoGame/ResidentEvilRevelations Malacoda]] the ''zombified whale''. Which he took down with '''handguns'''. Small wonder that he's so blase by the time he faces off against the Las Plagas cult; compared to that, they ''are'' "small time".
* ShellShockedVeteran: ''2'' and remake shows him as an idealistic rookie cop with ChronicHeroSyndrome until the horrors of Raccoon City sets off. The sequels, games and [=CGI=] movies, indicates Leon has this experience after the events of ''2'', hence his DullSurprise and being TheAlcoholic in the movies and his serious attitude in the games. While he is still idealistic, it's clear he's shaken by 2's events in which he tells Krauser.
* ShipTease: He has mountains of it with Ada every time they appear together, but special mention goes to ''Damnation'', where the staff said their dialogue was written to imply the pair may have met and gone on a date off-screen. He also has some with Claire in the 2019 remake of ''Resident Evil 2''.
** He has this with pretty much every woman he meets, bar [[{{Squick}} Sherry]]. Just watch his interactions with [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil4 Hunnigan, Ashley]], [[Anime/ResidentEvilDegeneration Angela]] and [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil6 Helena]].
* ShotgunsAreJustBetter: Leon seems to have an unspoken preference for shotguns (and pistols) over other manners of firearms. His starting loadouts for The Mercenaries of ''4'' and ''6'' both include one along with a judicious amount of buckshot, and beginning a new game of ''4'' on Amateur difficulty has him bringing a shotgun with him right off the bat, just in case. Averted with his EX costume in ''6'' Mercenaries, however.
* ShutUpHannibal: Just as Salazar attempts to give a confident and well-prepared speech on terrorism, Leon stops him by throwing a knife at his hand that pins him to the wall.
* SleptThroughTheApocalypse: Drinking himself into a stupor and oversleeping at a distant motel before heading to Raccoon City turned out to be the best mistake of his life.
** Averted in the remake of ''Resident Evil 2'', he only missed out on the start of the outbreak due to being warned and ordered by Chief Irons to stay away from the city until further notice. He did, in fact, wait 5 days before [[ChronicHeroSyndrome deciding to investigate anyway]], but it's implied that he kept trying to follow up every day, and only went to the city when he couldn't get answer.
* SlouchOfVillainy: A throne in ''[=RE4=]'' lets him do this.
* SmokingIsNotCool: He refuses a smoke when one is offered to him by a police officer in ''4'', and offers Luis gum instead when he asks if he has one.
** Though the fact that he has gum in the first place, and the fact that he always has a lighter that can't be discarded in ''2'' might imply he used to be a smoker, but quit sometime before ''4'' (a concept sketch for ''2'' of him posing with other R.P.D. members and smoking a cigarette might support this).
* TheSmartGuy: Practically, if not intellectually. Although Ada refers to him as "practically a genius" in the US translation, the original Japanese instead stated that he was "a born survivor". Regardless, within the context of the statement, she seems to mean he is more of a CombatPragmatist and Determinator as opposed to a literal genius. Even so, his status as CombatPragmatist among the major four protagonists is enough to qualify him for this.
* SpiderSense: In ''[=RE4=]'', he senses Krauser's presence while he's trying to sneak up on him.
* StakingTheLovedOne: In the opening moments of ''Resident Evil 6'', he's forced to shoot President Adam Bedford when the man becomes a zombie. Supplemental documents found in the game reveal that Bedford was the government agent that recruited Leon and mentored him. Their close friendship spanned more than a decade and convinced Bedford to declassify information about the Raccoon City incident, leading to his assassination.
* TheStoic: Develops these tendencies to an extent after the end of ''4'', but only really qualifies for the trope during the first half or so of ''Degeneration'' due to having already SeenItAll. Throughout the traumatic events of ''Resident Evil 6'', Leon comes off the most calm and controlled of his fellow survivors, knowing that seeing their respective missions to the end is all that matters. See [[CombatPragmatist Combat Pragmatist]] entry above.
** NotSoStoic: The few times after surviving Raccoon City that we see him genuinely lose his calm are when he thinks [[spoiler:Ada is dead]], when he discovers and is forced to shoot the zombified [[spoiler:President Adam Benford]], and to a lesser extent when he [[SayMyName shouts allies' names if they're killed]].
*** In the [=RE2=] remake, Leon is visibly and audibly shaken and terrified whenever he's alone (which is most of the game). He puts on a good mask around other people, but it's clear that he is ''not'' doing well.
-->'''Leon (To himself in the first Bloody corridor)''': You got this.
* TakingTheBullet: Perhaps the most famous example in the franchise, when Leon is shot protecting Ada from Annette Birkin. Even after taking a bullet to the shoulder, he still manages to fight his way out of Raccoon City.
* TookALevelInBadass: He start off as a rookie cop, and becomes a [[OneManArmy One Man Zombie-Slaying Army]] by ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4''. By the events of ''Vendetta'', he's already stopped multiple bioterror attacks - including two in heavily populated cities.
* TookALevelInCynic:
** In the original and remake of ''2'', he starts out as a very optimistic, naive rookie, but by ''4'', its easy to see the events of that night, and the intervening years have already taken a toll on his outlook.
** Like Chris, he takes the loss of a SWAT team under his command pretty hard in ''Anime/ResidentEvilVendetta'', and starts [[DrowningMySorrows hitting the bottle]] to cope with both the grief and his growing frustration with spending almost half his life fighting bioterrorism with no clear end yet in sight. [[HesBack He snaps out of it]] with help from Chris and Rebecca.
* TrapDoorFail: Leon narrowly manages to avoid landing on a bed of spikes with a grappling hook after being dropped through a trapdoor by Salazar, denying the latter the satisfying sound of his impalement.
* TrashTalk: ''Resident Evil 4'' has quite a lot of this between Leon, Saddler, and Salazar when the Los Illuminados hack into his radio-phone.
* UnwittingPawn: He is this for most of Resident Evil 2,[[spoiler: with Ada leading him on hook line and sinker with her ploy of being an FBI agent.]] It takes Annette directly telling him that he is being played for a sap for him to wake up and realize it.
* UsedToBeASweetKid: The remake of his premiere game stresses his idealism and faith in justice to heavily contrast him with the far more grizzled man of intrigue he grows up to be.
* UtilityBelt: Wears one in ''Resident Evil 4'', using it to carry non-player usable equipment such as grappling hooks, tracking device, and a belt mounted flashlight.
* VampireRefugee: ''Resident Evil 4'' sees Leon infected with the Plagas early on, forcing him to FindTheCure before the parasite matures and takes over his body. In one nightmarish sequence, he briefly falls under the parasite's control and tries to murder Ada before being brought back to his senses. BigBad Saddler takes several chances to gloat over Leon's impending assimilation and eventual role as his servant.
* VerbThis: Played straight in the 2019 remake, after killing a giant mutated alligator.
--> '''Leon:''' ''Chew on that! You overgrown son of a bitch!''
* WaistcoatOfStyle: Wears a "tacti-cool" but still stylish waistcoat in [=RE6=]'s Lanshiang campaign, as seen above.
** In the 2019 Remake, he wears one in his "Noir" costume. Making him look more like he is from a 1930s detective flick.
* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Somewhat discussed in ''Darkside Chronicles''. [[spoiler:Leon's only heard of psychos wanting the Veronica Virus or people horribly mutating if they were forced to contract it. He expresses shock that it was used as a treatment for Manuela and that she harbors it and its powers within her. Once he adjusts, though, he shoots down Krauser's idea that they should kill her before she becomes a threat.]]
* WrestlerInAllOfUs[=/=]SuplexFinisher: Leon can suplex Zealots and soldier Ganados (Strangely/[[SimpleYetAwesome Frustratingly]], not village Ganados), crushing their heads. Also, one of his grapples in 6 is a Bulldog.
* WhereDoesHeGetAllThoseWonderfulToys: As the plot demands, he pulls a grappling hook and an IncrediblyObviousBug out of nowhere in ''[=RE4=]'', then gets a rocket launcher from nowhere in ''Damnation''. Admittedly, he ''does'' [[JustifiedTrope work for the government]], making it justified to an extent.
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!Leon Scott Kennedy
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/re2_remake_leon_s_kennedy.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:Leon in ''Resident Evil 2'' (2019).]]
[[caption-width-right:300:[[labelnote:Leon in ''Resident Evil 4''.]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/re4_leon_s_kennedy.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]
[[caption-width-right:300:[[labelnote:Leon in ''Resident Evil 6''.]] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/re6_leon_s_kennedy.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Paul Haddad (''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2 2]]'' 1998), Paul Mercier (''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil4 4]]'', ''The Darkside Chronicles'', ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDegeneration Degeneration]]''), Creator/ChristianLanz (''Operation Raccoon City''), Creator/MatthewMercer (''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDamnation Damnation]]'', ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil6 6]]'', ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilVendetta Vendetta]]''), Nick Apostolides (''2'' 2019); Creator/ToshiyukiMorikawa (JP, since ''Operation Raccoon City'')
->'''Face model:''' Eduard Badaluta (''2'' 2019)
->''"I'm gonna scrub this virus from the face of the earth!"''
Introduced in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2''. A rookie police officer, who unfortunately was caught in the Raccoon City outbreak ''on his first day on the job''. He later returned in the ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvilTheDarksideChronicles Operation Javier]]'' scenario, ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'', ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil6'', and the non-canon ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvilGaiden Gaiden]]''. He is also the protagonist of the 3D animation movies ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDegeneration Degeneration]]'' and ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDamnation Damnation]]'', which take place between his appearances in 4 and 6. Like Chris, he has made a vow to rid the world of viral weapons. A good-hearted man with a strong sense of justice, he currently is employed as a federal agent of the United States government and answers directly to the president.
----
* TheAce: His file in the 2019 remake of ''2'' states that the RPD was excited to have him on the force, due to having exceptionally high training scores. He proves to be just as capable in action, surviving encounters with monsters that had killed entire teams of highly trained agents. By ''4'', he had become a member of the Secret Service, tasked with protecting the family of the President of the United States.
* AdaptationalAngstUpgrade: Downplayed. In the original game, Leon had a "Stop, or I'll shoot!" mentality when he's against a horde of zombies. In the remake, he shows genuine fear when he sees a zombie eat a dead sheriff after it glares at him, but once the initial shock of each new threat subsides, he's able to snark about writing reports while glaring down dangerous unknowns himself.
* AdaptationalBackstoryChange: In the original ''[=RE2=]'', Leon was late for his first day because he broke up with his girlfriend and drank so much that he overslept. In the remake, this has been changed to him getting a phone call to stay away from Raccoon City and wait for further orders. After a week of complete silence, Leon enters the city by himself to investigate.
** In the S.D. Perry novel, Leon was late because he was stuck in a traffic jam [[WhereTheHellIsSpringfield outside New York.]]
* {{Adorkable}}: In the 2019 remake of the second game, his being a rookie results in both terrified responses to the surprise horror he wasn't prepared for - and dorky remarks and snark, still not stripped of his idealism and go-getter mentality as he survives the Raccoon City incident against implausibly escalating problems. Best shown when he tries to chat with Ada and Claire, as it's obvious he's not exactly as skilled with handling women as he will be by the time of [=RE4=].
* AlwaysSaveTheGirl: After losing Ada once, this seems to have become a principle for him. Matthew Mercer explained it in an interview as "Even if a situation seems very dangerous and stupid and a total trap, if there’s a woman who needs help he can’t turn that down [...] And in the end of it he’ll feel better about himself knowing he went through the motions on the off chance whoever it was really needed help.”
* AnOfferYouCantRefuse: His epilogue in ''[=RE3=]'' states that following the events of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'', Leon and Sherry were captured by the US government. They subsequently forced Leon, whose experience was highly sought after, into service as a special agent using Sherry's life as leverage. This is re-iterated in ''Darkside Chronicles''.
* ApologeticAttacker: Quietly apologizes to [[spoiler:the corpse of President Benford]] after killing him in ''6''.
* BackToBackBadasses: With Chris Redfield in ''Vendetta''.
* BadassBiker: Leon acquires a Ducati in ''Vendetta'' to drive along New York while killing A-Virus Cerberi. He later drives it into Arias' headquarters to kick both zombies and Arias' asses.
* BadassInANiceSuit: In the [=PS2=] port of ''[=RE4=]'' and onward, [[http://smhspanthers.k12tn.net/web_student_projects/Matt%27s_css_page/bamboo%283%29/images/Leon_and_Ashley_Alternate_Costumes.gif his second alternate costume is this,]] complete with a NiceHat ''and'' a ScarfOfAsskicking. He even has a special reload animation when he wears the costume while equipped with the Chicago Typewriter. His pose in the status menu also changes.
** In the Remake his Noir outfit makes him look like a snazzy noir detective, complete with a black & white filter on the game.
* BadassNormal: Situations that would kill most people are startlingly routine for him, and he doesn't even have superhuman enhancements or Chris' massive muscle mass to back that up. Leon is simply ''that'' good at what he does.
* BattleCouple: In ''[=RE6=]'', where Ada repeatedly teams up with him for boss fights. Officially speaking, their relationship status is defined as [[DatingCatwoman "complicated"]].
* BeingGoodSucks: This eventually goes to him in ''Vendetta'' like it did to Chris in ''5'' and ''6''. Despite his efforts in fighting bioterrorism, they still keep popping up, even when he rids the current BigBad. It took Chris himself to snap out of it when Rebecca gets kidnapped and Patricio dies, who pleads him into saving his family.
* BetterToDieThanBeKilled: Files in [=RE6=] state that during [=RE2=] he seriously considered "ending it" with a quick bullet to the head instead of leaving it to whatever monster finally got him, but he stayed alive for the sake of helping the other survivors, especially Sherry.
* BettyAndVeronica: The fandom tends to see Claire and Ada as this for him, though it never goes beyond ShipTease with Claire and Leon.
* BigBrotherInstinct: Towards Sherry. Even when she's a fully trained government agent and a badass in her own right, he still tries to protect her, shielding her so she will land on top of him when they fall off a fence and expressing hopes that her partner/protectee, Jake, will look after her.
* [[{{Bishonen}} Biseinen]]: Leon definitely qualifies in his younger years with that fabulous [[Film/{{Titanic 1997}} Jack Dawson-esque]] 'do of his. While he's no longer as effeminate by the time of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' (''just look at his muscles''), he's still much more of a PrettyBoy than any of the other male protagonists, particularly with the steadily-increasing length of his hair. Other characters seem to notice, as one of the Policia in the beginning of 4 asks if he "forgot his makeup", and Leon himself lampshades it in ''Damnation'' when he's nearly stabbed in the face by a pair of pruning shears and retorts with "Do I look like I need a pruning?" Explains a lot about his status as the [[LauncherOfAThousandShips Fandom Bicycle]].
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: In one nightmare-inducing scene in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4''. He attacks Ada and comes close to strangling her to death, but he snaps out of it after Ada stabs him in the leg.
* BodyguardCrush: All the girls he ends up protecting develop a crush on him, with the exception of Sherry, who's a child.
* BoringButPractical: His kits in The Mercenaries of ''4'' and ''6'' are widely considered to be this. As the starter character and {{Muggle}} of the mode, he lacks the bells and whistles of others such as advanced acrobatics or super human strength, and usually possesses weapons that are decidedly less flashy compared to the rest. What he ''does'' have, however, is perfectly balanced and adequate for almost any type of map. He's also usually exempt from the equipment penalties[[note]]No extra ammo, less herbs, ''no knife'', etc...[[/note]] that others might have, as well.
* BrokenAce: By ''Vendetta'', he's been fighting the war against B.O.W.s so long that he's began to question if continuing is all worth it. He's become an alcoholic, and it takes Rebecca and Chris (no stranger himself) bringing him back to set him on the course.
* CaptainCrash: Became sort of a RunningGag involving Leon after the release of ''6'' that, for all of his talents and badassery, he couldn't simply set foot onto a vehicle without it being reduced to smoldering scrap at some point; his extremely bad luck with vehicles arguably giving even [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureBattleTendency Joseph Joestar]] himself a run for his money, and he seems to be aware of this as well, as evident by his reaction in ''6'' when Hunnigan suggests he tries piloting the plane he's on. Starting with his cop car in the original release of ''2'', it steadily evolves into a motorized boat and then a bulldozer in ''4'' which [[http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdhzcavvJi1rqgklbo1_1280.png even Ada has noticed.]]; ''6'' has him riding yet another cop car, a bus, a BSAA Humvee, another military jeep with mounted miniguns, a HellishCopter, a commuter train and a ''jet plane'' to top it all off. Many of these didn't last more than one trip.
** The only vehicles he's ever been in that did not crash or get destroyed shortly thereafter are the jetski at the end of ''4'' and the escape chopper Ada left for him in ''6'', and the latter likely only survived because it's Helena who's driving the stick. The fate of the BSAA Humvee he and Helena rode in is debatable, but at least it's still intact after they disembarked. There was also his Jeep in the [=RE2=] remake, but he never had to drive it under duress and abandoned it for a county sheriff's car, which is later hit by a semi truck and explodes, marking the start of his car troubles.
** To be fair, almost every time he crashes a vehicle, there are zombies inside trying to eat him. [[GenreBlind You'd think he would've learned to check the backseat by now.]]
* CatchPhrase: "... Women."
* CerebusSyndrome: One major point of contention among Leon fans is the complete ToneShift of his character between games ''4'' and ''6''. Whereas in ''4'', Leon is the perma-confident, yet goofy CasanovaWannabe[=/=]PluckyComicRelief of a government agent who flirts with every female character he comes across while spouting heaps of corny one-liners like it's going out of style, this NarmCharm of his [[DarkerAndEdgier wanes with every successive release]], starting with ''Degeneration''. By the time of ''6'' and ''Vendetta'', he's seemingly become the physical embodiment of brooding and angst, perhaps even moreso than Chris Redfield himself.
* ChickMagnet: So far, the one with most LoveInterests in the series: Ada, Angela, Ashley, and Manuela all have a thing for him, Helena seems to be on the fence, while Hunnigan and Claire do enjoy his company. Doesn't qualify for UnwantedHarem, because he does seem to be interested in Angela, and openly pines for Ada by canon.
* ChronicHeroSyndrome: He's seemingly pigeonholed into this role as his presence in the series is defined. Unlike Chris, whose story mainly focuses on his partnership with Jill and feud with Albert Wesker [[spoiler:up until the latter kicked the bucket in ''5'']], almost every time Leon is present in a ''Resident Evil'' media released since ''2'', he's often out to save the world from an absurdly-powerful evil-doer, only to do that again in the next title featuring him. Even post-CerebusSyndrome this is still his hat, one that he seems to be really tired of as of ''Vendetta''.
** Leon seems to just be plainly incapable of ''not'' being the good guy, since his first instinct whenever he comes across people in distress is to drop whatever he's doing and save them, [[HonorBeforeReason even if it puts all of them in even more danger]]. This is brought up ''many'' times during his first chapter of ''6'' alone, much to the chagrin of Helena.
* ClearMyName: In ''[=RE6=]'', he's forced to fake his own death and go on the run after being framed for the president's assassination. Obtaining evidence to prove Simmons' guilt becomes his mission throughout the second half of the game.
* ColourCodedCharacters: Averted. He's the only major character who doesn't show a distinct color preference. (In order: dark blue, army green, brown, black, and gray). They do, however, largely take on the theme of camouflage/outdoor clothing, and most include some kind of leather jacket either in the main outfit or in unlockable outfits. Fandom will sometimes make his color navy blue, but this is far from official (his debut outfit ''was'' a police uniform, so the color scheme wasn't really up to him).
* CombatPragmatist: Leon will use anything and everything just to get an advantage over his enemies. Not that you can blame the guy considering his opponents are usually virus-or-parasite-empowered monstrosities that can take quite a bit of punishment.
* ContrastingSequelMainCharacter: Leon started out as a rookie cop in contrast with Chris, who has years of experience under his belt. Unlike Chris, Leon initially has no personal grudges against Umbrella that unintentionally started the ZombieApocalypse, despite the fact that Umbrella deployed Mr. X to kill any witnesses. It isn't until the final half of the game that he wants to take down Umbrella and it was disbanded thanks to Wesker, who confessed in court. Whereas Chris actively sought to fight bio-terror attacks around the world, Leon gets sent off to areas where he can take on enemies to avoid casualties. ''Vendetta'' even extends this contrast.
-->'''Leon (narrating)''': I never thought my life would turn out this way.
* CowardlyLion: In the 2019 remake, it's quite clear the poor guy is scared out of his mind, but he keeps it together and even managed to develop a DeadpanSnarker side after he adapts a bit.
* CrazyPrepared: In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'', he only goes to the village to investigate and ask questions, yet he brings with him a pistol, knife, attache case, flashlight, radio, binoculars, a tracking device, and a ''grappling hook'' (plus a shotgun, if you play on easy mode). As well as, presumably, gum. Though he ''was'' investigating a group that had kidnapped the President's daughter, so he had pretty good reason to expect trouble.
* DatingCatwoman: Official material describes their relationship status as "It's complicated". They are never ''quite'' on the same side whenever they cross paths, usually because Ada is looking to obtain whatever sample or data Leon has been sent to destroy. But multiple parties have commented on the obvious sparks between Leon and Ada, for [[ShipperOnDeck better]] or [[StalkerWithACrush worse]].
* DeadpanSnarker: His lines in ''4'' are full of this, but it's severely dialed back in ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDegeneration Degeneration]]''. ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDamnation Damnation]]'' ramps it back up to full force, and ''6'' seems to find a balance between the two.
** In the 2019 remake of ''2'', he starts out as a pretty serious if naive rookie, but as the night wears on he develops more of a proto-version of the snarky attitude he will become known for in ''4''. Showing more of a character progression (and hinting that his snark is actually a coping mechanism to help him deal with the insanity inducing crap he has to deal with).
--> '''Leon:''' ''I hope I don't have to write a report about this.'' *after causing the station's bell to tear itself apart. A snark on him likely being the last RPD officer still alive, thus no one to even report to.*
* DestructiveSavior: The chase sequence in ''Vendetta'' sees Leon causing considerable collateral damage to a New York freeway in the process of fighting a pair of zombie dogs. The chase sequence concludes with two car exploding, an exit sign shot down onto the road, and a grenade tossed into traffic.
* {{Determinator}}: He goes through ''Resident Evil 2'' with a bullet in his shoulder, ''Resident Evil 4'' with a Plaga growing inside him, and ''Resident Evil 6'' as a fugitive from the US government. In ''Resident Evil 4'', his tenacity is reflected in a note left by the infected villagers, which reads something to the effect of: "If we don't stop him now, he'll kill us all!"
* {{Deuteragonist}}: Shares the role of deuteragonist of the entire series with Jill.
* DistractedByTheSexy: With Ada, see [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxqFgSB4UvM&playnext=1&list=PL6C92C52DBD58876B here]] and just follow his line of sight.
* DudeWheresMyRespect: No matter how good Leon is, no matter how many zombies or mutants or horrible creatures he takes out, he's ''never'' given the respect he really should have by his enemies. They either constantly underestimate him, denigrate him, or brush off his successes as mere luck or chance. Leon then proves them wrong. ''Every single time!''
* [[EtTuBrute Et Tu, Ada?]]: In ''4'', when he was forced by Ada to give the Plagas sample to her. Shortly afterwards, he gives a very surprised "She really pushed it!" when she remotely activates charges set to detonate the island. She gives him the key to a jet-ski to escape, so any feelings of betrayal he may have had were very short-lived.
** Also in Resident Evil 2, near the end of his "A" scenario (or either of his scenarios in the 2019 remake) after having denied Annette's claims of Ada being a spy, he is genuinely shocked when Ada holds him at gunpoint and demands him to hand over the G-Virus. Fortunately for him, [[DefrostingIceQueen she can't go through with it]].
* EvenTheGuysWantHim: Has been known to do this to some players.
* {{Expy}}: His voice in the remake is highly reminiscent of a young Creator/TomCruise.
* ExtremityExtremist: In ''4'', the majority of his melee attacks consist simply of kicks, with the exception of {{Suplex Finisher}}s.
* FindTheCure: He spends the majority of ''4'' infected with a Plaga [[spoiler:along with Ashley]], and part of his mission becomes a race to get rid of the parasite before it matures and takes control of his body permanently.
* FirstDayFromHell: Leon's first day as a police officer and a special agent have him fighting for his life against zombies and crazy villagers respectively.
* FireForgedFriends: Almost every single relationship he has within the franchise started off as them fighting for their lives against monsters. He quickly befriends people under extreme pressure, whether they're his Partner for that game or a doomed MauveShirt.
* FirstNameBasis: Is on this with President Adam Benford.
* {{Flanderization}}:
** Back in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'', he wasn't quite TheStoic OneManArmy DeadpanSnarker he is in later games. He was just someone who tried to be a nice cop, but no one took him seriously. Justified as he went under government special training to become the president's family bodyguard.
** In his second scenario in ''2'', he gets a couple of snarky moments; by his next appearance in ''4'', it becomes a defining characteristic. It doesn't last past ''4'', however, if his current attitude is any indication.
** Somewhat adjusted in the 2019 remake. He starts back out as a fairly naive rookie cop in WAY over his head, and it isn't until later in the game that he starts snarking at his situation, showing the start of his progression to his personality shown in ''4''.
** His one drinking scene in ''Vendetta'' got exaggerated by the fandom to ridiculous levels to where some fandom sectors now believe he's a raging alcoholic. Never mind that this is immediately after he's lost a squad and he's never shown drinking in any of the games. (Chris, meanwhile, spends the start of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil6'' piss-drunk in a bar -- after being amnesiac for 6 months -- and it's barely commented on.)
* FrameUp: In ''[=RE6=]'', Leon and Helena are framed for the bio-terror attack on Tall Oaks and the president's assassination. Finding evidence to [[ClearMyName clear their names]] and bring Simmons to justice is the driving force of the second half of their campaign.
* GangstaStyle: One of his bonus costumes in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'' is a thug outfit, and while wearing it, Leon holds any of the handguns this way. It even affects the way he shoots -- bullets fire faster, but he generally shoots lower.
** Returns again in the remake, though only with the M19 (rebranded m1911), which is only available if you play his B scenario.
* GeniusBruiser: Sort of. In Ada's Report, she describes him as being "practically a genius," in that he has smarts and knows how to use them. Furthermore, as shown in ''6'', he's able to fight [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower Chris Redfield]] to a stalemate.
* GenreBlind: For 30 seconds, then finds out that headshots are more effective in killing zombies.
** In ''Resident Evil 4'', he didn't think the villagers were zombies. Apparently, he wasn't aware OurZombiesAreDifferent.
** In ''Resident Evil 6'', he tries to talk a zombified President Benford down, seemingly forgetting what a zombie is and that they can't be talked down.
* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: He is subjected to this in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'', when he begins succumbing to the control of the Plagas infection. Ada stabs him in the leg, and the pain lets him regain his senses.
* GrapplingHookPistol: He has a grapple belt in ''4'', which helps him escape one of Salazar's various {{Death Trap}}s. He later uses the hook tip as an improvised weapon to distract Krauser, before running for cover.
* GunFu: Leon uses this to good effect during ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilVendetta Vendetta]]'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGtiZ4No3sA as seen here]].
* GunsAkimbo: In ''6'', he can dual-wield his matching Wing Shooter pistols.
* TheGunslinger: Leon seems to favor pistols [[ShotgunsAreJustBetter and shotguns]] above all else. And he uses them with [[GunFu extreme efficiency]].
** While the other protagonists are often depicted using various types of weapons, Leon would more often than not be holding a pistol on the boxart of whatever media he's in, and has a whopping ''four'' different handguns as his WeaponOfChoice throughout the series. Yes, even in ''6'', where he could [[GunsAkimbo dual-wield a pair of them]].
** In fact, a vast majority of the weapons available to him throughout the course of ''2'', ''4'' and ''6'' happen to be handguns or ''[[HandCannon Hand Cannons]]'' of various flavors.
* HeroicAmbidexterity: In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'', Leon demonstrates that he's equally skilled with a knife regardless of which hand he's using. While Krauser sticks to using his right hand, Leon switches the knife back and forth throughout their fight as needed.
* HeroicBSOD: In ''2'' when he thought Ada was dead in both A and B of his scenarios, blaming it on the G-Virus in the process (in A). In ''6'', [[spoiler:when Chris tells him Ada is dead]]. Brief but very noticeable.
* HeroicBuild: A leaner example of the trope, at least when comparing him to the likes of [[RatedMForManly Chris]] or Barry. Leon is built for equal parts strength and speed, more gymnast than power-lifter and it shows in the athletic feats he pulls off in the franchise.
* HeroicWillpower: Continues to resist the Plagas growing inside him, even as the parasite neared maturity. Saddler is able to disable him with pain, but cannot take over Leon's mind the way he could control Ashley.
* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: While experience has made him wiser, Leon started out as someone that wanted to believe the best in others. His naivety resulted in him trusting the likes of [[DirtyCop Chief Irons]], [[DatingCatwoman Ada]], and [[SociopathicSoldier Krauser]].
* IcyBlueEyes: Another example of icy and piercing, but since they're blue-gray, some of the marksman legends creep in as well. Subverted in that Chris is actually the one with a history of being a marksman, not Leon.
* IncorruptiblePurePureness: Out of all the people on the good guys' side, Leon is probably the most decent at heart and inspite of losing his way from time to time, is never once tempted towards villainy nor gives into his darker urges like a need for vengeance or pursuing good ends by unscrupulous means. He's also the only hero to get infected with something but managed to [[FightingFromTheInside fight off the mind control]] but even [[HeroicWillpower managed to regain complete control]] all the way to the point when he's cured.
* JackOfAllStats: In the minigames such as "The Mercenaries", he's usually the most balanced character.
* JadeColoredGlasses: in ''Resident Evil 6'', due to all the terrible things he's seen he tends to take a more pragmatic approach, exhorting his similarly traumatized and/or vengeful comrades to put aside their troubles to step back and take a look at the big picture. Nevrtheless he still will go to absurd lengths to help people in need, even during and especially in the middle of the zombie apocalypse.
--> ''(After a man asks for help finding his missing daughter in a zombie-overrun college):''
-->'''Helena''': Leon, we don't have time to...
-->'''Leon''': We're ''making'' the time.
* KnifeNut: In ''Resident Evil 4'', a disproportionate amount of fights seem to involve his knife, especially those with Ada and Krauser. He explains this preference to Ada after disarming her and holding a knife to her throat when she tries to draw her gun on him again.
--> '''Leon:''' ''Try using knives next time, works better for close encounters.''
** Somewhat lampshaded in the 2019 remake, in Leon's A scenerio. Lt. Branagh offers him a M9 bayonet, though Leon refuses until pressed.
* KnightInShiningArmor:He's very understanding to certain people, especially when their lives become an absolute hell for them. He will help them in their current situation through the end.
* LanternJawOfJustice: His 21 year old self's updated model in ''[=RE2=]: Remake'' sports a pretty impressive cleft chin.
* LeParkour: He engages in a number of "free-running" cutscenes, both in ''4'' and in the films.
* LiteralistSnarking:
-->'''Salazar''': So maybe you have nine lives. But it doesn't matter now, Mr. Kennedy! I've sent my [[TheDragon right hand]] to dispose of you.
-->'''Leon''': [[{{Troll}} Your right hand comes off?]]
* MadeOfIron: In a series with zombies and other unholy biological abominations, this isn't ''that'' notable, but through the course of the games, Leon (among other things) spends several hours running around with a gunshot wound to the shoulder, is thrown upwards of thirty feet into a solid wall and is able to get back up, gets PunchedAcrossTheRoom by Saddler and only ends up dazed, and falls forty feet from a helicopter, and taking the weight of his fall on one shoulder hard enough to crack tempered glass. After struggling to get back up, he is seemingly able to push on after all of these injuries. Adrenaline may be a partial explanation, though his tenacity is also highlighted by the fact that he's considerably smaller than Chris but invariably gets hurt more.
** This gets even more outrageous during ''[[Anime/ResidentEvilDamnation Damnation]]'' where during the final battle against the unsealed Tyrant, Leon is on the receiving end of an uppercut and is then immediately ''thrown across the courtyard and into a pillar'' by said Tyrant. Afterward, he is then pinned by the Tyrant to the pillar then thrown away after the Tyrant is distracted by the Lickers. Note that said Tyrant is also strong enough to stop a [=BMT=] in its tracks and then ''lifting'' it. Leon recovers from that beating within seconds.
* MoralityPet: To FemmeFatale Ada, making him the one chink in her emotional armor. While she's readily taken advantage of him and lied to him over the years, Ada has also risked her missions and her life to protect him. For his part, Leon recognizes this enough to call her bluff when threatened at gunpoint.
* NaiveNewcomer: Zig-zagged in ''2'', as he very much expects everyone to listen to him because he's a cop, and yet everyone keeps running off to the time or blowing him off when he overestimates his authority in a ZombieApocalypse even despite him meaning well. Simultaneously, he's surprisingly competent in the grand scheme of things and quickly wraps his head around the chaos at hand as he [[TookALevelInBadass gets himself into high gear.]] By the time ''4'' rolls around, he's SeenItAll.
** The remake dials it up a few notches by [[AdaptationalAngstUpgrade making him react much more to the horror around him]], but also tones it down by making him react ''appropriately'': he doesn't try to talk down the zombies, he just pulls his gun and starts shooting.
* NervesOfSteel: As a general rule, [[SeenItAll considering the sheer amount of crap that's been thrown at him]].
* NiceGuy: Empathetic, reasonable, and always willing to help a comrade or fellow survivor. Hell, he regularly risks his life to help people who have lied to or attacked him as long as they aren't actually evil. Rather than [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished backfiring]], trying to help everyone has so far netted him several lucky breaks, a few good friends, and [[ChickMagnet a lot of]] [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan love interests]].
* NiceHat: A [[FedoraOfAsskicking fedora]] to complement his Chicago 1920s mob alternate outfit ([=PS2=] version onwards).
* NiceJobBreakingItHero:
** If he is played in the A scenario in the [=RE2=] Remake, he accidentally distracts the sheriff who was restraining a zombie, allowing the zombie to overpower and kill him. Oops.
** According to the director of ''Darkside Chronicles'', this is the ultimate result of Leon's refusal to give up on Manuela. In saving the girl, he unknowingly helped set the stage for the events of ''4'', ''5'', and ''6''. Because he saved Manuela, Krauser went to work for Wesker and helped him gain a sample of the Dominant-strain Plagas. And because the American government took custody of Manuela, [[spoiler: Simmons was able to obtain a sample of the T-Veronica virus, which was used to develop the C-Virus]].
* NobleMaleRoguishMale: In ''Operation Javier'', Leon and Krauser have this dynamic, respectively. It's most obvious in their interactions with Manuela, who Leon [[KnightInShiningArmor bonds]] with quickly while Krauser tries to be more [[ShootTheDog pragmatic]] about the situation.
* OnTheRebound: His original backstory involved falling for Ada the day after a nasty breakup, though this is only mentioned in side material.
* OneManArmy: Along with Ada, possibly the biggest example in the series, especially in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4''. It's worth noting that out of all the main protagonists, Leon arguably has the most experience in fighting alone, even more so than the likes of Chris and Jill.
--> '''Bitorez Mendez:''' [[UnderestimatingBadassery I clearly underestimated the American agent's capability.]] He's still alive. I thought that we could wait until the egg hatched, but at this rate, [[PersonOfMassDestruction he could destroy the whole village before it does.]]
* OnlyAFleshWound: Really, a bullet to the shoulder did nothing to stop him from fighting a ''giant crocodile!''
* OnlySaneMan: In ''[=RE6=]'', he comes across as easily the most level-headed of the survivors. Helena, Jake, and Chris all have fairly serious issues, while Sherry and Piers are more inexperienced and caught up in their partners' problems.
* PapaWolf: Is a protective and encouraging figure for Ashley, Sherry, and arguably Manuela in the physical or absence of their actual fathers.
* PeekABangs: Most notable in ''Resident Evil 4'', but keeps a similar style in subsequent appearances.
* PermaStubble: In ''Damnation'' and ''Resident Evil 6''.
* {{Pirate}}: His alternate costume in ''Resident Evil 6's'' Mercenary Mode.
* RareGuns: Leon's [=VP70M=] is a very rare pistol in reality. Production stopped at around 3,000 units due to poor sales and practically every branch of the German military rejecting it, and by the time of the game's setting, it had been discontinued for just one year shy of a full decade.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: One of the side effects of his Plaga infection.
* RedOniBlueOni:
** The blue to Claire's red in ''2'' and ''Degeneration''. Best exemplified in the latter, where he spends the entire run time giving absolutely zero fucks about everything, while Claire is much more emotionally involved in the situations around her. Inverted regarding their line of work, because Claire gives up fighting to work in an NGO while Leon becomes a government agent.
** Also functions as the blue to the other Redfield, especially in ''6''. Chris spends much of the game angry and depressed, letting his impulses get the best of him and nearly getting both him and Piers killed. Leon, meanwhile, has the coolest head under pressure and is responsible for reigning in his partner, Helena. This even extends to their fighting styles, which can be summed up as force vs finesse.
* SayMyName: Known for yelling the names of just about everyone in each game he appears in.
* SeenItAll: Leon has some of the worst luck when it comes to getting involved with viral outbreaks. [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2 His first day on the job]] saw him end up in a city full of zombies, where he also fought giant moths, giant spiders, {{wall crawl}}ing flayed mutants, {{man eating plant}}s, the ImplacableMan Mr. X and the borderline EldritchAbomination that is William Birkin. [[VideoGame/ResidentEvilTheDarksideChronicles His second chronological mission]] (so far as we know) saw him fight his way through an infected village and a small army of B.O.Ws, including man-eating frog-men, giant jumping spiders, more {{man eating plant}}s, demonic skeletal bat-things, giant bugs, and grotesque man-spider mutants, before finally facing off against the V-Complex, a plant-based monstrosity that is a contender for the biggest creature in the entire series, up there with [[VideoGame/ResidentEvilRevelations Malacoda]] the ''zombified whale''. Which he took down with '''handguns'''. Small wonder that he's so blase by the time he faces off against the Las Plagas cult; compared to that, they ''are'' "small time".
* ShellShockedVeteran: ''2'' and remake shows him as an idealistic rookie cop with ChronicHeroSyndrome until the horrors of Raccoon City sets off. The sequels, games and [=CGI=] movies, indicates Leon has this experience after the events of ''2'', hence his DullSurprise and being TheAlcoholic in the movies and his serious attitude in the games. While he is still idealistic, it's clear he's shaken by 2's events in which he tells Krauser.
* ShipTease: He has mountains of it with Ada every time they appear together, but special mention goes to ''Damnation'', where the staff said their dialogue was written to imply the pair may have met and gone on a date off-screen. He also has some with Claire in the 2019 remake of ''Resident Evil 2''.
** He has this with pretty much every woman he meets, bar [[{{Squick}} Sherry]]. Just watch his interactions with [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil4 Hunnigan, Ashley]], [[Anime/ResidentEvilDegeneration Angela]] and [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil6 Helena]].
* ShotgunsAreJustBetter: Leon seems to have an unspoken preference for shotguns (and pistols) over other manners of firearms. His starting loadouts for The Mercenaries of ''4'' and ''6'' both include one along with a judicious amount of buckshot, and beginning a new game of ''4'' on Amateur difficulty has him bringing a shotgun with him right off the bat, just in case. Averted with his EX costume in ''6'' Mercenaries, however.
* ShutUpHannibal: Just as Salazar attempts to give a confident and well-prepared speech on terrorism, Leon stops him by throwing a knife at his hand that pins him to the wall.
* SleptThroughTheApocalypse: Drinking himself into a stupor and oversleeping at a distant motel before heading to Raccoon City turned out to be the best mistake of his life.
** Averted in the remake of ''Resident Evil 2'', he only missed out on the start of the outbreak due to being warned and ordered by Chief Irons to stay away from the city until further notice. He did, in fact, wait 5 days before [[ChronicHeroSyndrome deciding to investigate anyway]], but it's implied that he kept trying to follow up every day, and only went to the city when he couldn't get answer.
* SlouchOfVillainy: A throne in ''[=RE4=]'' lets him do this.
* SmokingIsNotCool: He refuses a smoke when one is offered to him by a police officer in ''4'', and offers Luis gum instead when he asks if he has one.
** Though the fact that he has gum in the first place, and the fact that he always has a lighter that can't be discarded in ''2'' might imply he used to be a smoker, but quit sometime before ''4'' (a concept sketch for ''2'' of him posing with other R.P.D. members and smoking a cigarette might support this).
* TheSmartGuy: Practically, if not intellectually. Although Ada refers to him as "practically a genius" in the US translation, the original Japanese instead stated that he was "a born survivor". Regardless, within the context of the statement, she seems to mean he is more of a CombatPragmatist and Determinator as opposed to a literal genius. Even so, his status as CombatPragmatist among the major four protagonists is enough to qualify him for this.
* SpiderSense: In ''[=RE4=]'', he senses Krauser's presence while he's trying to sneak up on him.
* StakingTheLovedOne: In the opening moments of ''Resident Evil 6'', he's forced to shoot President Adam Bedford when the man becomes a zombie. Supplemental documents found in the game reveal that Bedford was the government agent that recruited Leon and mentored him. Their close friendship spanned more than a decade and convinced Bedford to declassify information about the Raccoon City incident, leading to his assassination.
* TheStoic: Develops these tendencies to an extent after the end of ''4'', but only really qualifies for the trope during the first half or so of ''Degeneration'' due to having already SeenItAll. Throughout the traumatic events of ''Resident Evil 6'', Leon comes off the most calm and controlled of his fellow survivors, knowing that seeing their respective missions to the end is all that matters. See [[CombatPragmatist Combat Pragmatist]] entry above.
** NotSoStoic: The few times after surviving Raccoon City that we see him genuinely lose his calm are when he thinks [[spoiler:Ada is dead]], when he discovers and is forced to shoot the zombified [[spoiler:President Adam Benford]], and to a lesser extent when he [[SayMyName shouts allies' names if they're killed]].
*** In the [=RE2=] remake, Leon is visibly and audibly shaken and terrified whenever he's alone (which is most of the game). He puts on a good mask around other people, but it's clear that he is ''not'' doing well.
-->'''Leon (To himself in the first Bloody corridor)''': You got this.
* TakingTheBullet: Perhaps the most famous example in the franchise, when Leon is shot protecting Ada from Annette Birkin. Even after taking a bullet to the shoulder, he still manages to fight his way out of Raccoon City.
* TookALevelInBadass: He start off as a rookie cop, and becomes a [[OneManArmy One Man Zombie-Slaying Army]] by ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4''. By the events of ''Vendetta'', he's already stopped multiple bioterror attacks - including two in heavily populated cities.
* TookALevelInCynic:
** In the original and remake of ''2'', he starts out as a very optimistic, naive rookie, but by ''4'', its easy to see the events of that night, and the intervening years have already taken a toll on his outlook.
** Like Chris, he takes the loss of a SWAT team under his command pretty hard in ''Anime/ResidentEvilVendetta'', and starts [[DrowningMySorrows hitting the bottle]] to cope with both the grief and his growing frustration with spending almost half his life fighting bioterrorism with no clear end yet in sight. [[HesBack He snaps out of it]] with help from Chris and Rebecca.
* TrapDoorFail: Leon narrowly manages to avoid landing on a bed of spikes with a grappling hook after being dropped through a trapdoor by Salazar, denying the latter the satisfying sound of his impalement.
* TrashTalk: ''Resident Evil 4'' has quite a lot of this between Leon, Saddler, and Salazar when the Los Illuminados hack into his radio-phone.
* UnwittingPawn: He is this for most of Resident Evil 2,[[spoiler: with Ada leading him on hook line and sinker with her ploy of being an FBI agent.]] It takes Annette directly telling him that he is being played for a sap for him to wake up and realize it.
* UsedToBeASweetKid: The remake of his premiere game stresses his idealism and faith in justice to heavily contrast him with the far more grizzled man of intrigue he grows up to be.
* UtilityBelt: Wears one in ''Resident Evil 4'', using it to carry non-player usable equipment such as grappling hooks, tracking device, and a belt mounted flashlight.
* VampireRefugee: ''Resident Evil 4'' sees Leon infected with the Plagas early on, forcing him to FindTheCure before the parasite matures and takes over his body. In one nightmarish sequence, he briefly falls under the parasite's control and tries to murder Ada before being brought back to his senses. BigBad Saddler takes several chances to gloat over Leon's impending assimilation and eventual role as his servant.
* VerbThis: Played straight in the 2019 remake, after killing a giant mutated alligator.
--> '''Leon:''' ''Chew on that! You overgrown son of a bitch!''
* WaistcoatOfStyle: Wears a "tacti-cool" but still stylish waistcoat in [=RE6=]'s Lanshiang campaign, as seen above.
** In the 2019 Remake, he wears one in his "Noir" costume. Making him look more like he is from a 1930s detective flick.
* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Somewhat discussed in ''Darkside Chronicles''. [[spoiler:Leon's only heard of psychos wanting the Veronica Virus or people horribly mutating if they were forced to contract it. He expresses shock that it was used as a treatment for Manuela and that she harbors it and its powers within her. Once he adjusts, though, he shoots down Krauser's idea that they should kill her before she becomes a threat.]]
* WrestlerInAllOfUs[=/=]SuplexFinisher: Leon can suplex Zealots and soldier Ganados (Strangely/[[SimpleYetAwesome Frustratingly]], not village Ganados), crushing their heads. Also, one of his grapples in 6 is a Bulldog.
* WhereDoesHeGetAllThoseWonderfulToys: As the plot demands, he pulls a grappling hook and an IncrediblyObviousBug out of nowhere in ''[=RE4=]'', then gets a rocket launcher from nowhere in ''Damnation''. Admittedly, he ''does'' [[JustifiedTrope work for the government]], making it justified to an extent.
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