Resident Evil - Leon S. Kennedy / Characters

Leon Scott Kennedy

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/leon_kennedy_re4r.png

Leon in Resident Evil 4 (2023).

^{Leon in Resident Evil 2 (2019).}

^{Leon in Resident Evil 2 (1998).}

^{Leon in Resident Evil 4 (2005).}

^{Leon in Resident Evil 6.}

Voiced by: Paul Haddad (2 (1998)), Paul Mercier (4 (2005), The Darkside Chronicles, Degeneration), Christian Lanz (Operation Raccoon City), Matthew Mercer (Damnation, 6, Vendetta, Death Island), Nick Apostolides (2 (2019), Infinite Darkness, 4 (2023)), Riley McShane (Dead by Daylight), Jin Yamanoi (JP, Damnation), Toshiyuki Morikawa (JP, since Operation Raccoon City) ^{Foreign VAs}

Appearances: 2 (and 2019 remake), 3, Gaiden, 4 (and 2023 remake), Darkside Chronicles, 6, Operation Raccoon City, Degeneration, Damnation, Vendetta, Infinite Darkness, Death Island

Mentioned: Survivor, Code: Veronica, Umbrella Chronicles, 3 remake, 5, Wesker's Report I

Portrayed by: Avan Jogia (Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City) Johan Urb (Resident Evil: Retribution)

Face model: Christian Duerre (4 2005), Jamisin Matthews (Degeneration, The Darkside Chronicles, Operation Raccoon City, Damnation), Bart Voitila (6), Eduard Badaluta (2 2019, 4 2023)

"If you don't try to save one life, you'll never save any."

Introduced in Resident Evil 2, Leon is another recurring protagonist in the series. He began his career as a rookie police officer in the RPD; however, Leon was 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. As an agent, Leon has fought and continues to fight against bioweapon threats, although more jaded than he once was back in 1998.

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A-D

The Ace: 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 has become a member of U.S. STRATCOM, working on various international bioweapon threats. Following this, he's become one of the government's best agents, being frequently pulled out of his vacations to go on dangerous assignments, much to his displeasure.
Adaptational Angst Upgrade:
- In 2, Leon had a "Stop, or I'll shoot!" mentality when he's against a horde of zombies. In the remake of 2, he shows genuine fear when he sees a zombie eat a dead sheriff after it glares at him. He's able to snark about writing reports while glaring down dangerous unknowns himself, but the remake makes it clear through the in-game dialogue when dealing with enemies how terrified he is.
- In the original version of Resident Evil 4, Leon isn't shown to be too affected by the events of Raccoon City. In the trailer of the Resident Evil 4 remake, Leon is shown to be heavily traumatized by the events and is resolute to preventing another Raccoon City. There are heavy implications from his discolored looking eyes that he doesn't get enough sleep as a result of the trauma. This is confirmed in the remake's opening narration, where Leon explains that both his Training from Hell and the missions he went on nearly killed him several times, only putting up with it since it kept him from thinking about Raccoon City.
  Leon: The cop inside me died that day.
Adaptational Angst Downgrade: In the original Resident Evil 2, the reason he came to Raccoon City dead of night was because he had a bad breakup with his girlfriend, and went to a bar to drown his sorrows. He then went to a hotel to prevent himself from doing anything he'd regret. He overslept and was late on his first day in Raccoon City that he drove there before finding out it was overran by T-Virus monsters. In the remake, he was told to stay home due to the city being overran. He went to Raccoon City to investigate until he has his first encounter with zombies. Notably, the removal of this "breakup" backstory also lends towards the remake Leon being less affected by manipulative romantic advances. In the original, he was practically crying his heart out at the end of his brief time with Ada like he just lost the "love of his life", whereas in the remake, he just laughs at his own naivete while making the symbolic move to let go of his lingering attachment to Ada by throwing away the wristband she gave him. That said, her supposed death still left an impact on him as shown in the prologue in the remake of 4, serving as a motivation for ensuring other people’s survival.
Adaptational Backstory Change:
- 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 drives to the city to investigate.
- City of the Dead:
  - In this adaptation, Leon was late because he was stuck in a traffic jam outside New York.
  - Originally in his backstory for 2, Leon's family was involved in heinous crimes and were all killed when Leon was a child. In the novel, Leon's father and uncle were cops who gave him his gun as a graduation present, and there's no mention of anyone in his family being killed.
Adaptational Curves: In the original RE4, Leon had a fit but slender physique, but the 2023 remake shows that he now has a Heroic Build, complete with pretty impressive biceps that almost rival Chris'.
Adaptational Intelligence:
- Leon in the remake continuity is notably smarter and less gullible than his original counterpart, having enough common sense to know when he's being played and reacting appropriately instead of living in denial.
- In the remake of 4 Leon is shown to be fluent in Spanish and does try speaking with the first villager he meets in the local language, something he inexplicably never did in the original.
Ambiguously Christian: In RE6 during the level set in the Tall Oaks Church, Leon says to Helena that he "likes to think" that God is looking out for him. This could indicate that he's culturally Christian because of his upbringing (likely Catholic considering his Irish and Italian ethnic background) but that he either might be agnostic about God's existence, or may not be certain of his worthiness of God's protection because of his guilt or self doubt regarding his value for doing good deeds (which would be rather fitting considering his failures to protect others throughout the game).
Ambiguously Human: He displays a level of endurance way beyond what normal humans should be capable of, shrugging off bonecrushing blows to his spine like it's nothing. The fact that he was infected with the Las Plagas parasite might have something to do with it (as all instances of him surviving these attacks happen after it), but it's never stated outright anywhere.
Adaptational Personality Change: Leon's portrayals in the remakes have significantly overhauled his character and development. Instead of starting out as something of a cocky but easily manipulable, love-addled fool, Leon's Nice Guy traits are given more emphasis in RE2R and his naivete is shown to be due to inexperience, not stupidity; growing wiser and more cynical as he goes through life's harsh lessons. Compare his two characterizations in the original RE4 to that of the 2023 remake: the old 4 Leon had an even cockier attitude and became a ladies' man who shamelessly flirted with his coworker while still hung up on Ada. In contrast, the remake Leon is a much more thoughtful, taciturn man who keeps things professional, barely flirts, and is rightfully wary of people like Ada for their suspicious and deceptive ways.
Adaptation Relationship Overhaul:
- His dynamic with Claire has noticeably more romantic undertones in the remake of RE2 than in the original game, though it’s mostly just flirting on Claire’s part. Played up better in Infinite Darkness where Leon also starts flirting back and even teases Claire about having a dinner date sometime.
- His relationship with several of the supporting cast in 4's remake have also been considerably altered. Ashley is treated more as an equal while being a damsel in distress. Luis has more Bash Brothers moments outside of just the cabin standoff. Leon flirts less with Hunnigan, and his distrust of Ada after the events of 2's remake is more pronounced. Lastly, Krauser is now his bitter former mentor instead of just a comrade turned evil, and their antagonism towards each other is treated not as a simple rivalry, but that of a poignant and personal story between master and student.
- Speaking of Ada, Leon was originally depicted as having fallen deeply in love with her in RE2, to the point where he once even described her as someone he "couldn't let go of". This no longer seems to be the case as of his remake portrayals, where Leon's initial attraction towards Ada ends up being largely replaced by bitterness and distrust after he learns of her deceitful and manipulative nature. Compare the way their reunion plays out in 2005's RE4 to its 2023 remake: the 2005 Leon behaved like he lowkey wanted to reconnect and made longing glances at Ada whenever possible, whereas the 2023 Leon keeps a cold distance and generally speaks to Ada with acerbic bite. While there's still small signs of attraction between them, the remake Leon is far less receptive to Ada's advances and makes it clear that he would rather not associate with her more than necessary.
Adaptational Seriousness: To be in line with Leon's personality after the original Resident Evil 4, The RE4 remake version of Leon doesn't quip or joke as often and takes his mission very seriously. Most of his lines reeks of You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me! when he pairs up with Luis, and gives bosses a venomous Post-Mortem One-Liner after defeating them ("Give my regards to your god" to Mendez). He does loosen up near the end by quoting Luis once the island begins to explode. This contrasts the original game where Leon isn't as affected by the Raccoon City incident, and has enough quips and snark that would give Spider-Man a run for his money.
Always Save the Girl: After losing Ada once, saving women seems to have become a principle for Leon. 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."
Apologetic Attacker: Quietly apologizes to the corpse of President Benford after killing him in 6.
Badass Biker: 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. In Resident Evil: Death Island he acquires a badass Kawasakai Ninja H2, one of the meanest super sport bikes in existence that ends up destroyed by María Gomez, from the previous film.
Badass in a Nice Suit:
- In the PS2 port of RE4 and onward, his second alternate costume is a nice suit, complete with a Fedora of Asskicking and a Scarf of Asskicking. 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 2's remake, his "Noir" outfit makes him look like a snazzy noir detective, complete with a black & white filter on the game.
Badass Normal: 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.
Bayonet Ya: 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.
Beard of Sorrow: 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. It's most noticeable in Vendetta, when his outlook on life was at its lowest point.
Being Good Sucks:
- At the end of Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness, Leon decides not to reveal Wilson's crimes to the public, afraid of the public backlash that will happen, breaking the newly formed peace between the US and Penamstan. In doing so, Leon also strains his long-time friendship with Claire.
- In Vendetta, Leon's whole outlook on bioterrorism is that no matter what he does, it's not enough. He's given up his personal life, strained friendships, and incurred a lot of trauma while new bioterrorists and bioterror attacks keep popping up. Chris and Rebecca have to snap him out of it, and the only reason he continues to still fight is that people need his help and it's the right thing to do.
Better to Die than Be Killed: Files in 6 state that during 2 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.
Beware the Nice Ones: Leon, even in his more brooding phase, is a pretty nice guy. His kindness, however, should not be mistaken for weakness.
Big Brother Instinct: 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.
Bodyguard Crush: All the girls he ends up protecting develop a crush on him, with the exception of Sherry, who's a child.
Boring, but Practical: 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 superhuman 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 that others might have, as well.
Brainwashed and Crazy: In one nightmare-inducing scene in Resident Evil 4, he attacks Ada and comes close to strangling her to death, but he snaps out of it after Ada stabs him in the leg.
- This is noticeably absent in the remake, where he fights and manages to remain in control throughout the majority of the game until he passes out and Ashley is able to remove the plaga from him.
Break the Cutie:
- In his A scenario in the Resident Evil 2 remake, the young and naive Leon fails to rescue fellow officer Elliot Edward and witnesses his gruesome death. Leon is shaken up, almost having 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 Elliot.
- Effectively, the entire game of the Resident Evil 2 remake is this to him because chronologically by the next game, he lost most if not all of his naivety and idealism.
Broken Ace: By Vendetta, he's been fighting the war against B.O.W.s so long that he's began to question if continuing is at all worth it. He's become an alcoholic, and it takes Rebecca and Chris bringing him back to set him on the course.
Captain Crash: Became sort of a Running Gag 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. He seems to be aware of this as well, as evidenced 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 even Ada has noticed.◊; 6 has him riding yet another cop car, a bus, a BSAA Humvee, another military jeep with mounted miniguns, a Hellish Copter, a commuter train and a passenger airliner to top it all off. Many of these didn't last more than one trip. To be fair, almost every time he crashes a vehicle, there are zombies trying to eat him. The only vehicles he's ever been in that did not crash or get destroyed shortly thereafter are the jet ski at the end of 4 and the escape chopper Ada left for him in 6. His terrible luck with vehicles continues in the film quadrilogy as well, with his sleek motorcycles being trashed in both Vendetta and Death Island.
Casual Danger Dialogue: In the RE2 remake, while Leon starts fairly terrified of Mr. X, towards the end of the game he grows more annoyed that he keeps on chasing him through the Umbrella headquarters and just won't die.
Leon: (when Mr. X jumps in front of him) Ugh, is this a fucking joke?
Character Catchphrase: He's known to say "Women..." whenever a woman (usually Ada) exasperates him. In the remake of Resident Evil 4, he noticeably uses "story of my life" whenever things go wrong, which happens often.
Character Development: Starts out as a naive and idealistic rookie cop who is very motivated to do what is right and to protect/help others (Resident Evil 2 Remake) who evolves into a badass but rather tired, Deadpan Snarker government agent (Resident Evil 4). He still maintains a heroic willingness to do the right thing, though he becomes increasingly jaded and pragmatic about it due to the constant tragedy and unending stream of battles(Resident Evil 6), gradually turning into an exhausted Knight in Sour Armor and developing a drinking problem (Vendetta).
Characterization Marches On: His personality in subsequent games and CGI media tend to differ greatly. In the original 2, he was a rookie cop trying to survive while treated as a Butt-Monkey no one took seriously, in 4, he is a Deadpan Snarker that frequently jokes, in Degeneration, he was a stoic to-the-point operative, then a shell-shocked serious agent trying to save the world in 6 and Vendetta. Starting from the remake of 2, he does what he can to save people, but comes off a lot less naïve. The remake of 4 and Infinite Darkness follow through the serious characterization for the sake of consistency, but he still makes small jokes from time to time.
Chaste Hero: Downplayed in the the remake of 4, but noticeable when compared to the original game. Leon's conversations with Ada and Hunnigan have most of the sexual undertones removed, and he takes Ashley's flirty advances of "working well together" quite literally on more than one occasion. In the finale, he takes Ashley's invitation to be her private bodyguard at face value as well.
Chick Magnet: So far, the one with most Love Interests 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.
Chronic Hero Syndrome:
- 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 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 evildoer, only to do that again in the next title featuring him. Even post-Cerebus Syndrome 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, 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.
Combat Pragmatist: 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.
Continuity Nod:
- Leon's casual alternate costume in 4's remake has him wearing a jacket in the style of the one he wears at the beginning of 2's remake, but in a shade of blue reminiscent of his RPD uniform.◊
- According to its inventory description, the knife that Leon has at the start of 4's remake is actually the same knife Marvin gave him in 2's remake years earlier.
Contrasting Sequel Main Character: 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 (who unintentionally started the Zombie Apocalypse), 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.
Cowardly Lion: In the 2019 remake, it's quite clear he's scared out of his mind, but he keeps it together and even managed to develop a Deadpan Snarker side after he adapts a bit.
*Crack!* "Oh, My Back!": The bullet-wound he took protecting Ada from Anette Birkin's pistol never fully healed, as one of his idle animations in Resident Evil 4'Remake, even if you do not take a single wound throughout the entire game, is to stretch his shoulder in visible pain, even six long years after surviving The Raccoon City Incident.
Crazy-Prepared: In Resident Evil 4, 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.
Creepy Shadowed Undereyes: The combination of significantly dimmer in-game lighting and Leon's constantly furrowed brow in 4's remake gives him this look for the majority of the game. Justified as he is no longer the innocent, bright-eyed cop he was in 2's remake, and he probably developed sleep problems after the incident in Raccoon City. Taken to its logical conclusion when wearing his "Villain" DLC costume, which gives him actual creepy undereyes along with Red Eyes, Take Warning.
Dating Catwoman: Prior to the remake series, official material described his relationship status with Ada 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, according to Damnation, they do meet up privately in the small pockets of time they're both off the clock.
Deadpan Snarker:
- His lines in 4 are full of snark, but it's severely dialed back in Degeneration. 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.]
Despair Event Horizon: 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.
Destructive Savior: 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 cars 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!"
Distracted by the Sexy: By Ada, anytime she's present. See here and just follow his line of sight.
Drowning My Sorrows: 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, where he takes a swig during the midst of battle and taken up to eleven in Vendetta, where is found drinking obtrusively during his vacation, trying to forget the tragedy of last mission and the frustrations in his life.

E-M

Et Tu, Brute?:
- 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, she can't go through with it.
- In 4 Ada forced him 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.
Everyone Has Standards: Despite Glenn Arias being a dangerous bioterrorist, when Leon learns the CIA tried to kill him by bombing him at his wedding, he's more than freaked out over their actions.
Extremity Extremist: Post-2. While every male character would liberally make use of punches and kicks, he stands out for usually employing a wide variety of kicks in hand-to-hand combat; only using his hands for holding a knife and performing wrestling moves such as his signature suplex, and a bulldog.
Fashionable Asymmetry: Leon's coat in his "Villain" outfit is covered in feathers on his left side and around the back of his neck to his right shoulder. The rest of the coat is bare.
Fedora of Asskicking: He wears a fedora to complement his Chicago 1920s mob alternate outfit (PS2 version onwards).
Fire-Forged Friends: 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 Mauve Shirt.
First-Name Basis: Is on this with President Adam Benford, who was a good friend of his.
Flanderization:
- Back in Resident Evil 2, he wasn't quite The Stoic One-Man Army Deadpan Snarker 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 an elite government agent.
- In his second scenario in 2, he gets a couple of snarky moments; by his next appearance in 4, it becomes a defining characteristic.
- 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.
Gangsta Style: One of his bonus costumes in Resident Evil 2 is a mafioso outfit, and while wearing it, Leon holds any of the handguns sideways. It even affects the way he shoots — bullets fire faster, but he generally shoots lower. It returns again in the remake, though only with the M19 (rebranded m1911), which is only available if you play his B scenario.
Genius Bruiser: 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 Chris Redfield to a stalemate.
Genre Blind:
- In Resident Evil 2 for about 30 seconds, then finds out that headshots are more effective at killing zombies.
- In Resident Evil 4, he didn't think the villagers were zombies. Apparently, he wasn't aware Our Zombies Are Different.
- 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, 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.
Grappling-Hook Pistol: He has a grapple belt in 4, which helps him escape one of Salazar's various Death Traps. He later uses the hook tip as an Improvised Weapon to distract Krauser, before running for cover.
Guest Fighter: Leon was added as a playable Survivor in Dead by Daylight in June 2021.
Gun Fu: Leon uses this to good effect during Vendetta as seen here.
Guns Akimbo: In 6, he can dual-wield his matching Wing Shooter pistols.
The Gunslinger:
- Leon seems to favor pistols and shotguns above all else. And he uses them with extreme efficiency. Which makes sense as before the new millennium those would be the weapons he'd be trained in as a police officer.
- 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 weapons throughout the series. Yes, even in 6, where he could 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 Hand Cannons of various flavors.
Heroic Ambidexterity: In Resident Evil 4, 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.
Heroic BSoD:
- In 2 when he thought Ada was dead in both his A and B scenarios, blaming it on the G-Virus in the process (in A).
- In 6, Leon just shuts down when Chris tells him Ada is dead. It takes a long moment for him to start functioning again and he doesn't really recover until he sees Ada alive, piloting a helicopter.
- A couple in the 2 remake:
  - First, when he fails to save Elliot from the zombies and sees him get severed in half. He was forced to come into his senses, lest he ends up like the officer too.
  - Second, after Ada slips from his grasp and falls, Leon's just left lying there on the collapsing bridge, crying. He doesn't move until the section he's lying on starts to collapse, so that he doesn't also fall.
    Nick Apostolides: BTS commentating) [Leon's] crushed. His soul went down with [Ada].
Heroic Build: A leaner example of the trope, at least when comparing him to the likes of 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.
Heroic Fatigue: Having a life dedicated to helping and protecting others can do that to a person. 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 of seeing the end of this shit, 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?
Heroic Willpower: He 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.
Horrible Judge of Character: 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 Chief Irons, Ada, and Krauser.
Humble Hero: After once again saving the day in Infinite Darkness, Patrick is congratulating Leon on how amazing he is and that he is a hero, with Leon shooting down the idea and stating that he was just "lucky".
Hurricane of Puns: In Resident Evil 2 Remake, Leon scoffs "Chew on this, you overgrown son of a bitch" after blowing up the gas-pipe that trapped the jaws giant alligator that tried to eat him. Six years later in Resident Evil 4 Remake, he becomes a Bad-Dude that simply cannot pass a chance to throw cringe-inducing one-liners at every monster that he fights. Notable groaners include:
(Meeting a giant the size of a three storey tall building) Whoa goddamn you are a big boy!
(When faced another armored one throwing truck sized burning boulders at him) You guys are becoming a real giant pain in my ass.
(After damaging Father Mendez enough that his lower body falls off, leaving him legless) Guess your tapdancing days are over!
(Defeating a batallion of animated armor) Nighty Night, Knights!
(Punching a hole through Saddler's human parts with a spear after being offered a "Holy body" once too many times) I'll give you a hole-ly body!
Iconic Item: 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.
Iconic Sequel Character: Leon and Claire are the main characters of the second game, but they are easily the most memorable main characters after Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine. In fact, with the exception of Village, Leon is the main character in the even numbered sequels, and non-interactive media.
Icy Blue Eyes: Another example of icy and piercing, but since they're blue-gray, some of the marksman legends creep in as well.
Incorruptible Pure Pureness: Out of all the people on the good guys' side, Leon is probably the most decent at heart and 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 not only managing to fight off the mind control but also managed to regain complete control all the way to the point when he's cured.
Ignored Expert: In Degeneration, he's brought in as a consultant to assist with a rescue operation at the Harvardville Airport outbreak. Despite his surviving several B.O.W.-related catastrophes by this point and offering plenty of evidence that he knows exactly what the hell he's talking about, the two S.W.A.T. officers accompanying him into the airport repeatedly ignore his advice for dealing with zombies, even after each of them nearly dies as a result. While Angela wises up just in time to survive the mission, Greg... doesn't.
Jack of All Stats: In the minigames such as "The Mercenaries", he's usually the most balanced character.
Jade-Colored Glasses:
- 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. Nevertheless, 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.
- In Vendetta, he seems to have lost his drive and is just so tired of fighting since the terrorism doesn't seem to ever end and Leon doesn't see the point anymore to fight. He's become so jaded that he'd rather spend his days drinking 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.
Jumped at the Call: He was fully devoted and fairly excited to become a police officer, even willing to trespass into danger out of sheer sense of duty, though that didn't turn out too well. In fact, he specifically requested to be assigned to Raccoon City because of the Arklay murders. Even though he didn't become a 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 Knight in Sour Armor.
The Kingslayer: Becomes a modern-day one at the beginning of his route in Resident Evil 6 when he fatally shoots Adam Benford, President of the United States, after Benford is zombified.
Knight in Sour Armor: More prominently shown in the remake series. Though he started out as a young and idealistic Knight in Shining Armor who always looks out for people's wellbeing even at his own expense, Leon's harrowing experiences in Racoon City and its immediate aftermath have left a dark mark in his psyche, having learned firsthand how corrupt and evil those put in places of power can be, and how certain type of persons can exploit others for their own agenda. By the time he's settled into life as a government agent, Leon's bright-eyed idealism has been eclipsed by growing cynicism and doubts, though he still retains his strong sense of justice and drive to protect the innocent. As Ada half-mockingly lampshades in RE4R, the older Leon hasn't really changed much from his "boy scout" days as a rookie cop; he just thinks he did.
Lantern Jaw of Justice: His updated model beginning with the 2019 remake of RE2 and continuing with 2023's RE4 sports a pretty impressive cleft chin.
Large Ham: Leon in the original Resident Evil 4 and the Remake of Resident Evil 2 is basically a handsome late 80's early 90's action hero, defiantly throwing cocky and confident one liners with gusto in the face of danger, with the (in)famous "No thanks, Bro!" and "Your right hand comes off?" retort to Salazar in Resident Evil 2002 being most beloved. He no longer eats this confident ham sandwich in the 2023 remake of Resident Evil 4, instead opting for calmly and drily delivered wit to cope with the mind numbing terror of his predicament instead.
Literalist Snarking: Part of Leon's repertoire of snarking in 4 is a couple of Literal-Minded jabs at his enemies' taunts.
Salazar: So maybe you have nine lives. But it doesn't matter now, Mr. Kennedy! I've sent my right hand to dispose of you.
Leon: Your right hand comes off?
Lightning Bruiser: 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 leaner figure into speed while also be able to dish out quick and brutal attacks with much more finesse and technique.
Made of Iron:
- 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 Punched Across the Room by Saddler and only ends up dazed, falls forty feet from a helicopter and takes the weight of that 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.
- In Damnation, 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 lift it. Leon recovers from that beating within seconds, though it does take him a moment to struggle to his feet again.
- In Vendetta, he is picked up and violently thrown by the mutated Arias into the wall. Not only does Leon manage to get up okay, but also 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 shattered 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 seems to have been Leon's arm, as he is seen holding it during the last moments of the movie.
Morality Pet: To Femme Fatale 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.

N-Z

Naïve Newcomer:
- 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 all the time or blowing him off when he overestimates his authority in a Zombie Apocalypse 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 gets himself into high gear. By the time 4 rolls around, he's Seen It All.
- The remake dials it up a few notches by 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.
Nerves of Steel: After the Raccoon City incident, as a result of being forced to serve as a secret agent and going through some brutal training, he develops a steely will with little being able to phase him and his usual response is a deadpan, sarcastic remark and riddling anyone opposing him with bullets.
Nice Guy: Empathetic, reasonable, and always willing to help a comrade or fellow survivor which is best shown in the Resident Evil 2 remake where he vows to save Raccoon City and refuses to leave Martin behind even knowing he’s been bitten and is only forced to when Martin threatens him. Hell, he regularly risks his life to help people who have lied to or attacked him as long as they aren't actually evil like Ada Wong, who he risks trying to rescue in his A scenario in the original Resident Evil 2 and in the remake while the lab is falling apart and about to blow up. Rather than backfiring, trying to help everyone has so far netted him several lucky breaks, a few good friends, and a lot of love interests. In the remake of Resident Evil 4, he constantly checks up on Ashley’s well-being, praises her when she helps out, and takes the time to comfort her in the castle, reassuring her he’ll protect her at all costs and remove the Plagas from her body. Unlike the original game, he lets her down gently on her implied flirtation, telling her she can easily take care of herself and doesn’t need a bodyguard.
Noble Male, Roguish Male: In Operation Javier, Leon and Krauser have this dynamic, respectively. It's most obvious in their interactions with Manuela, whom Leon bonds with quickly while Krauser tries to be more pragmatic about the situation.
Not So Stoic:
- 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.
- The few times after surviving Raccoon City that we see him genuinely lose his calm are when he thinks Ada is dead, when he discovers and is forced to shoot the zombified President Adam Benford, and to a lesser extent when he shouts allies' names if they're killed.
Oblivious to Love:
- Leon in the remake series appears to be incapable of picking up subtext from the fairer sex. (Ironic, considering his previous characterization as a shameless flirt in past but chronologically later entries.) For example, Claire makes a few subtle (and at the end, not-so subtle) flirty passes at him in RE2R, but none of it seems to register to his greenhorn head. In fact, the only reason this incarnation of Leon comes to look at Ada as a possible romantic interest is because she makes a bold move to kiss him on the lips and says some blatantly romantic words to his face (that later turn out to be not all that sincere, leaving him bitter and jaded from the experience). This characterization is carried into the remake of 4, where Leon flirts significantly less with Ada and Hunnigan than the original, and takes Ashley's subtle advances at face value.
An Offer You Can't Refuse: After Claire departed to look for her brother, Leon and Sherry were picked up by the U.S. government and the latter was used as a bargaining chip against Leon. In addition to keeping the Raccoon City Incident a secret, the government was also interested in Leon's skills and sought to recruit him into their ranks. Leon is forced to accept the offer in order to ensure Sherry's safety.
On the Rebound: His original backstory involved falling for Ada the day after a nasty breakup, though this is only mentioned in the side material. The remake omits it altogether.
One-Man Army: Along with Ada, possibly the biggest example in the series as he manages to not only survive the Raccoon City incident while shooting the undead and mutants by himself, he also goes in to rescue the president’s daughter with armed, intelligent, and infected villagers, cultists, and soldiers and various other mutants to shoot up. There’s also his various feats in the CGI movies as well. While the other protagonists are shown to be just as capable taking out monsters by themselves, Leon is the one to have the most experience taking them out by his lonesome.
Bitorez Mendez: 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, he could destroy the whole village before it does.
Only a Flesh Wound: Really, a bullet to the shoulder did nothing to stop him from fighting a giant crocodile! It's 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 gun properly, take continued physical abuse at the hand of enemies, all with a bullet wound which continues to get bloodier and bloodier each cutscene. His only comment is that it 'feels worse than it looks'.
Only Sane Man: 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.
Papa Wolf: Is a protective and encouraging figure for Ashley, Sherry, and arguably Manuela in the physical or emotional absence of their actual fathers.
Parental Abandonment: His parents were killed when he was a child.
Le Parkour: He engages in a number of "free running" cutscenes, both in 4 and in the films.
Perma-Stubble: Leon has adopted a scruffy look, making him look more grizzled, that coincides with his soured outlook from Damnation onwards. Notably, this is also when the series took a turn more toward action.
Pirate: His alternate costume in Resident Evil 6's Mercenary Mode is a red pirate coat.
Pretty Boy: In the Resident Evil 4 (Remake), Krauser makes it official by explicitly calling Leon a pretty boy, after years and years of gaming media calling him one.
Red and Black and Evil All Over: Leon's "Villain" costume in the RE4 remake is a black coat and pants with a red shirt and gloves. His eyes turn red, and his hair is black. It also adds a "Villain" filter to the game which tints everything red.
Red Eyes, Take Warning:
- One of the side effects of his Plaga infection is that his eyes turn red, indicating a loss of control over his body.
- His "Villain" costume in RE4R turns his eyes red.
Red Oni, Blue Oni:
- 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.
Rescue Romance: Defied at the end of the original Resident Evil 4, when Ashley offers him some "overtime". Leon ain't dumb enough to shtup the girl he's supposed to be protecting, though.
Say My Name: 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.
Seen It All: Leon has some of the worst luck when it comes to getting involved with viral outbreaks. 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 crawling flayed mutants, man eating plants, the Implacable Man Mr. X and the borderline Eldritch Abomination that is William Birkin. His second chronological mission (as 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 plants, 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 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".
Series Mascot: It's a four-way fight between him, Chris, Claire, and Jill. Worth noting that when Resident Evil spirits were added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Leon was the only character to get a spirit who wasn't introduced in Resident Evil 1.
Shell-Shocked Veteran: 2 and its remake shows him as an idealistic rookie cop with Chronic Hero Syndrome until the horrors of Raccoon City sets off. The sequels, games and CGI movies indicate Leon has this experience after the events of 2, hence his Dull Surprise, being The Alcoholic 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.
Ship Tease:
- He has lots 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 has this with pretty much every woman he meets, bar Sherry. Just watch his interactions with Hunnigan, Ashley, Angela and Helena.
Shotguns Are Just Better: 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.
Sole Survivor:
- In his backstory, Leon's entire family was murdered when he was a child, with Leon being the only survivor thanks to the intervention of a police officer.
- Leon was the only survivor of his squad in Vendetta, thanks to a mole, and was forced to put down his former teammates when they turned into zombies.
Slept Through the Apocalypse: 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.
Slouch of Villainy: He can find throne in RE4 that lets him slouch with his foot crossed over his leg.
Smoking Is Not Cool: 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 a concept sketch for 2 shows him posing with other R.P.D. members and smoking a cigarette.
So Proud of You: On the receiving and giving end of this trope in during the 2023 remake or Resident Evil 4.
- Having bested Krauser in a one-on-one knife battle, Leon's Evil Mentor warmly tells him that he has trained him well, proudly dying by the blade of a student who has surpassed him.
- Having successfully secured Ashley's safety, the president's daughter asks if she could put in a word for him with her father to have him placed on her permanent security detail. Remake Leon still refuses, but having earned his respect with her bravery and resoursefulness, instead of bluntly shutting down the romantic dreams of a naive girl like his 2002 version, he proudly tells Ashley that ''she has become as much a hero as he is, and can take on the world herself without him.
Spider-Sense: In 4, he senses Krauser's presence while the latter is trying to sneak up on him.
The Stoic: 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 Seen It All. Throughout the traumatic events of Resident Evil 6, Leon comes off the calmest and most controlled of his fellow survivors, knowing that seeing their respective missions to the end is all that matters.
Straight Man and Wise Guy: The Straight Man to Luis' Wise Guy when they're together in 4. This dynamic is even more pronounced in the remake due to Luis's expanded screentime.
Suplex Finisher: Leon can suplex Zealots and soldier Ganados (but not village Ganados) crushing their heads.
Survivor's Guilt: The announcement trailer for RE4's remake shows Leon in the car dwelling on the people he couldn't save: Elliot, Marvin, the Kendo family, and Ada, rather than recounting the general aftermath of the events of 2 as he did in the original 4. He tells himself that he can't fail like that again.
Leon: If I could just forget what happened that night... the pain, even for a second... This time, it can be different. It has to.
Tainted Veins: After being infected with a Plagas parasite in 4, black veins appear across Leon's face and arms whenever it advances its evolution and acting up from Saddler's influence.
Took a Level in Badass: Leon goes from a neophyte police officer in his first appearance to a One Man Zombie-Slaying, Cult-Destroying Army in Resident Evil 4. By the events of Vendetta, he's already stopped multiple bioterror attacks, including two in heavily populated cities.
Took a Level in Cynic:
- In the original and remake of 2, he starts out as a very optimistic, naive rookie, but by 4, it's 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 Vendetta and starts 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. He snaps out of it with help from Chris and Rebecca.
Trauma Conga Line: Every game and movie seem 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.
Underestimating Badassery: No matter how good Leon is, no matter how many zombies, mutants or villains he takes out, he is never given the respect he really deserves by his enemies. They either constantly underestimate him, denigrate him, or brush off his successes as mere luck. Leon proves them wrong, every single time. Even his own allies doubt his abilities despite having the respect and trust of two different U.S. presidents.
Unwitting Pawn: He is this for most of Resident Evil 2, 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.
Leon: So that's all this was... I was just some pawn to you?
Used to Be a Sweet Kid: 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.
Utility Belt: 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.
Vampire Refugee: Resident Evil 4 sees Leon infected with the Plagas early on, forcing him to Find the Cure! 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. Big Bad Saddler takes several chances to gloat over Leon's impending assimilation and eventual role as his servant.
Vitriolic Best Buds: Downplayed. Leon and Krauser have a much more volatile relationship in the 2023 remake compared to the borderline Friendly Enemy rapport and former comradeship they had in the original; with Krauser taunting Leon as a runt, a rookie, and an American lapdog, and Leon calling him out as being a complete Jerkass and needlessly cruel instructor even back when he was a "good guy". Ironically, despite all this, Krauser's dying moments reveal a more tender side between the two that was never in the original, with him giving Leon a warm So Proud of You compliment and Leon admitting that Krauser's training did make him a better soldier. He gives a mournful glance after Krauser's death, showing they ultimately still cared about one another.
Villain Killer: Leon has killed Cartel boss Javier Hidalgo, almost single-handedly wiped out the entire Los Illuminados cult, and killed Derek C. Simmons, the corrupt National Security Advisor. The CGI animated movies have only added to Leon's considerably high body count.
Waistcoat of Style:
- Wears a "tacti-cool" but still stylish waistcoat in RE6's Lanshiang campaign.
- In the 2019 remake of 2, he wears one in his "Noir" costume, making him look more like he is from a 1930s detective flick.
What Measure Is a Non-Human?: Somewhat discussed in Darkside Chronicles. 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.
Weapon Specialization: Leon has several weapons that could be considered his signature weapon, depending on the game/medium:
- The H&K VP70M, now nicknamed "Matilda" (a reference to the movie The Professional, like his own name), is probably the weapon most associated with Leon. It was his starting weapon back in the original Resident Evil 2 and could be upgraded like the real-life pistol into a weapon capable of rapid-fire capability in bursts of 3 rounds. It came back in Resident Evil 4 as a Special unlockable weapon and was the first time it was called The Matilda. We saw it next in the re-telling of Leon's exploits in Raccoon City in Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, and also in his campaign alongside Jack Krauser during the events of Operation Javier, from the same game. Furthermore, his "Wing Shooters" in Resident Evil 6 are designed after the VP70M, this time wielding them in pairs. It came back again in the remake of Resident Evil 2, again under the Matilda name.
- Another weapon closely associated with Leon is the Desert Eagle .50 A.E. It is a powerful Magnum weapon exclusive to Leon in the original Resident Evil 2, and Leon is depicted with it after finishing the game in his Results Screen. More interestingly, in the S.D. Perry novel, Leon already has the Desert Eagle before he arrives in Raccoon and never uses the VP70M. It is mentioned that the Desert Eagle was a graduation gift from his father and uncle, both of them former cops. Leon was also seen with it in the prototype of Resident Evil 4 though it was ultimately scrapped. It comes back in Resident Evil 6 and in the remake of Resident Evil 2 under the name "Lightning Hawk", which some people have pointed out might be a reference to T. Hawk, short for Thunder Hawk, a character from Street Fighter, another Capcom property. In both instances, it is again exclusively available to Leon's campaign.
- The "Silver Ghost" takes the place of the VP70M as Leon's starting weapon in 4. It is a fictional gun, though in development it was actually the Ruger KP94, and it is stated by its designer to bear elements of the Ruger P85, the S&W Sigma and the H&K USP. In the game's lore, it was custom made for Leon by Joseph Kendo, the same man who designed the famous Samurai Edge Beretta 92FS for S.T.A.R.S. Even if you upgrade to another pistol, the game always depicts Leon as using the Silver Ghost in every FMV sequence. In the CGI movie Resident Evil: Degeneration, it's again featured as Leon's main gun.
- Finally, Leon is also closely associated with the knife. Previously associated more with Chris and Claire Redfield as a design element, the Knife made a huge comeback in Resident Evil 4, when it was upgraded from a next-to-useless weapon quickly stashed away by players, to an always present, multi-purpose workhorse. The game places heavy emphasis on Leon's use of the knife: he has special animations where he uses it to attack bosses like el Gigante or Saddler and has a knife duel with Jack Krauser in a memorable moment of the game. He even puts Ada in checkmate by pulling his knife on her before she could aim her gun at Leon, even advising her to "Use knives next time, works better for close encounters" (advice she takes to heart later, when she's attacked by a momentarily Plagas-possessed Leon). The remake of 4 makes it even more vital and versatile; it can now be used to parry enemy attacks (including previously One-Hit Kill attacks like chainsaws or Mandibula Plagas), stealth kill enemies, and prevent fallen but writhing Ganados from turning into stronger variants, with its only downside being its limited durability.
Wide-Eyed Idealist: Leon started out as one in the 2019 remake of Resident Evil 2, being portrayed as a humble and dutiful young cop who's devoted to doing the right thing. This tragically gets beaten down over the course of his journey in Racoon City and its immediate aftermath, turning him more cynical. By the time he shows up in 4's remake, he's become a hardened and jaded man as a result of his previous experiences, albeit still retaining his noble and heroic nature.
Wound That Will Not Heal: The bullet that Leon took for Ada in Resident Evil 2 (Remake) has evidently shattered a bone or two beyond repair, as six years later in Resident Evil 4 (Remake) it still haunts him in the form of stretching his right shoulder in visible pain as idle animation, even if you do not sustain any damage throughout the entire game.
Wrestler in All of Us: Leon is capable of performing a suplex in 4 and one of his grapples in 6 is a Bulldog.
Where Does He Get All Those Wonderful Toys?: As the plot demands, he pulls a grappling hook and an Incredibly Obvious Bug out of nowhere in RE4, then gets a rocket launcher from nowhere in Damnation. Admittedly, he does work for the government, making it justified to an extent.
Zombie Apocalypse Hero: Leon S. Kennedy. Starting off as a cop-in-training who finds himself thrown into a Zombie Apocalypse on his first day. However, he soon discovers he has a knack for killing the infected and gets recruited as a special agent for dealing with outbreaks.
Zombie Infectee: He gets two infections in the series. Both times, he's managed to have the infection removed.
- In 4 and its remake, Saddler (or Méndez) injects a Plagas when he's unconscious, but doesn't know about his infection until Luis tells him and Ashley. Throughout the game, while he's prioritizing Ashley, his Plagas was about to mature until Ada gives him enough time to save himself and Ashley from their infections with Luis' plagas removal laser machine.
- In Death Island, he gets pricked by Dylan Blake's drones that contain an upgraded T-Virus, severely weakening him along with Chris and Claire. However, Rebecca Chambers was able to develop a vaccine to cure Leon, Chris, and Claire on time while Jill goes after Blake.

"..Where's everyone going? Bingo?"

Characters / Resident Evil - Leon S. Kennedy

Leon Scott Kennedy

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Characters / Resident Evil - Leon S. Kennedy

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Leon Scott Kennedy

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