BIO:

Leona was born in an unnamed village, and spent her childhood there with her family. When Leona was still a child, Goenitz came to her village and demanded to talk to Guidel, Leona's father and the leader of the village. Goenitz requested that Guidel join him in their duties to serve Orochi, as everyone in the village were Orochi bloodline members. However, Guidel refused as he and his family liked peace and not the violent tendencies created by the Orochi blood. Enraged, Goenitz leaves, but not before smiling at Leona. That night, Leona lost control of herself, entering the Riot of Blood, and slaughtered everyone in the village. Goenitz was pleased, and put her blood lust to rest for a time "when he needs her again". After the event, Leona loses her memories and wanders aimlessly until she is found by Heidern, who eventually decides to adopt her. Heidern was taken back by her natural fighting ability, and decides to train her as a warrior under his command.

In KOF '96, Leona was a well-trained mercenary and Heidern gave her her first official mission: to take Heidern's place in the Ikari Warriors Team for the King of Fighters tournament. Her partners were Heidern's top mercenaries: Ralf Jones and Clark Still. Their mission was to investigate Geese Howard, Southtown's well known kingpin of crime. In the finals of KOF '96, Goenitz confronts Leona and reminds her of her Orochi lineage, which leaves her upset and concerned for her future.

Leona remained troubled for a while and it even effected her performance on the battlefield, which lead to her and her partners being relieved from military service. Ralf wanted help Leona's outlook and enters them into the the KOF '97 tournament. Ralf's idea worked better than he had imagined, because Leona eventually remembers her past completely during the events of King of Fighters '97. Towards the end of the tournament, Leona, along with Iori, suddenly went into the Riot of the Blood (which was induced by Orochi). By the tournament's end, Leona is successfully subdued and Orochi is sealed away again. Afterwards, Leona was distraught and attempts to end her life. Thankfully, Ralf stops her and reminds her that she is no longer alone. Finally feeling a part of something, Leona stays as a member of Ikari team for many years throughout the NESTS saga of KOF.

In KOF 2003, Orochi's presence is getting stronger towards the end of the tournament and the seal is broken again. Leona once again enters the Riot of the Blood and attacks Ralf and Clark, seriously injuring them. Heidern decides to have Leona sit out King of Fighters XI due to the emotional trauma she suffered after the incident. Ralf and Clark still trust Leona and convince Heidern that the KOF XIII tournament will help her, and Heidern agrees. Leona is determined to live with whatever flaws the Orochi blood invokes and enters the KOF XIII tournament. At the end of the tournament, Leona loses consciousness and ends up sleeping for several days. Her team was worried for her and stay beside her until she awakens. Leona eventually wakes up and comforted by their concerns, she laughs for the first time in the series.
 
                                            
 
                                            
   

                                                         

Page Updated:  Sep. 13th, 2023
As a sort of "replacement" for ol' Heidern in the early part of KOF, I think Leona was a more original & likeable character over her pops. Honestly, my first impression of her was that she was boring and that her color scheme was clashy. However, her "samurai-esk" hair is definitely cool... but doesn't quite fit with the "military girl" archetype. (However, it does make her unique in that regard.) I also found her "robotic" personality to be somewhat dull, but I suppose that's intended as part of her design? :/ Later on, I was more impressed with Leona's KOF XII appearance - when she acquired a sleeker / sexier outfit. Even her color scheme in KOF XII-XIII is easier on the eyes (less olive green). Props to the SNK artists for taking my original advice on that one. lol jk. But seriously, I was dissing Leona's original outfit for over a decade on this page, so I was happy to see her updated outfit. Leona's early moveset also didn't impress much, but again, her KOF XII-XIII version redefined her fighting style. It's safe to say Leona's design has grown on me... and I love her later inclusion in the Metal Slug series. It all makes sense now! ^o^ She might fit into Metal Slug even better than KOF!  Last but not least, Leona's "newer" artworks are pretty spectacular. Enjoy over 100 pieces of Leona art on TFG's profile!
	Fighting  Style  /  Moveset
	Personality  /  Charisma
	Outfit(s)  /  Appearance
	Effectiveness  in  series
	Overall Score

 

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