Leona


 * "She executes her orders with (?). The Silent Soldier in all her glory. LEONA HEIDERN." - The King of Fighters XV

Leona, also known under her extended codename Leona Heidern , is a character introduced in The King of Fighters '96 as the new member to the Ikari Warriors Team. Her official nickname is The Silent Soldier.

Aside from the main body of The King of Fighters series, Leona is also featured in a one-shot chapter in the spin-off manga, The King of Fighters: Kyo and has her own character image album.

Development
Before production for her debut game began, developers wanted to create a suitable replacement for Heidern as a part of the game's overhaul. Developers admit that they wanted to introduce the plot element of Heidern's adopted daughter before the production of KOF '96. Leona was conceived to be an Orochi descendant by the time of her debut and her designers took special care to let their interests at the time reflect in her actions. Her most recent design was done by Eisuke Ogura, Nobuyuki Kuroki comments on Leona's chest ending up being more robust compared to her previous incarnations.

Personality
Leona is a reticent individual who has trouble expressing herself outside of combat or a mission. Due to her past, she often keeps her emotions in check as she is afraid of losing control and hurting her friends because of her Orochi blood.

Aside from Ralf, Whip, Clark and Commander Heidern, Leona does not talk to anyone. She often feels lonely, but is comforted with the new family she has found with the Ikari mercenaries. Ever since the attempted suicide, Leona resolves to take control of her own Orochi blood, using it only when the situation calls for it, something that she tells her opponents in her own pre-fight dialogues. As she understands and gain more control of her own power, even as a Hakkesshu, she has become more vigilant against her own kind and made a personal vendetta to stop whatever the Hakkesshu are planning, similar to what the Three Sacred Treasures do.

Powers

 * Cutting/Piercing Hands - Leona can cut or pierce with her hands.
 * Cutting Aura - Leona can create a cutting aura around her hands and feet.
 * Cutting Ball - Leona can create a ball of energy surrounded by several energy blades.
 * Riot of the Blood - Due to her Orochi heritage, Leona goes into this state whenever Orochi's presence is strong.
 * Orochi Power - Leona can exert some control of this state so long as Orochi's power remains weak. While using it, her hair temporarily turns red or shows a tint of red, just like her full-blown Orochi form.
 * Explosive Techniques - Leona can create explosions, through her gloves and earrings.

Fighting Style
She shares several moves with her adoptive father, Heidern, and she also seems to emulate Ralf's moves. For example; her CD/Blowback attack is almost akin to Ralf's. Also as the games progress, her moves seem to become more explosive much like Ralf's and her style of running changing from being like Heidern's to like Ralf's, but at the same time still maintaining her more agile techniques taught by Heidern; unlike Heidern however, she has more apparent differences in her techniques via extra variations that focus more on speed and acrobatics.

Being the daughter of Gaidel, she utilizes some slashing claw-like moves later refined by her adoptive father's fighting style. However, she does not possess power over water like her father does, possibly due to her prior trauma stunting her abilities for a time.

Music

 * Rumbling on the City - The King of Fighters '96, '98, R-1, R-2, SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium
 * W.W.III - The King of Fighters '99
 * The Trooper - The King of Fighters 2000, EX, EX2
 * My Whip - The King of Fighters 2001
 * Jungle Bouncer - The King of Fighters 2002
 * Inside Skinny - The King of Fighters 2003
 * Irregular Mission - The King of Fighters XIII
 * Smell of Gunpowder - The King of Fighters XIII (when the music is set to "Type B", console version only, shared with Ralf Jones and Clark Still)
 * Survivors Under The Sky - The King of Fighters XIV
 * Great Grit - The King of Fighters XV
 * DESERT REQUIEM ~Operation '02UM~  - The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match
 * Ray - Days of Memories (Boku to Kanojo to Koto no Koi)
 * Rumbling on the City ~SNK Heroines Edit~ - SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy

Voice Actors

 * Masae Yumi - The King of Fighters '96~XIII, Metal Slug Defense (recycled audio), Metal Slug Attack (recycled audio)
 * Seiko Yoshida - The King of Fighters XIV~present
 * Lisa Leonard - Maximum Impact series (English voice)

Appearances
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Games

 * The King of Fighters '96
 * The King of Fighters '97
 * The King of Fighters '98
 * The King of Fighters R-1
 * The King of Fighters R-2
 * SNK Gals' Fighters
 * SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium
 * The King of Fighters '99
 * The King of Fighters 2000
 * The King of Fighters 2001
 * The King of Fighters EX
 * The King of Fighters 2002
 * The King of Fighters EX2
 * The King of Fighters Neowave
 * KOF: Maximum Impact
 * The King of Fighters 2003
 * KOF: Maximum Impact 2
 * KOF Maximum Impact Regulation A
 * The King of Fighters '98: Ultimate Match
 * The King of Fighters XII
 * Metal Slug XX
 * The King of Fighters XIII
 * The King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match
 * CR The King of Fighters
 * The King of Fighters XIV
 * SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy
 * The King of Fighters XV (also in Classic Costume ['96~2003])

Mobile

 * Ikari - Leona Gekitohen
 * Days of Memories - (first and seventh games) - Unplayable
 * Metal Slug Survivors
 * Metal Slug Soldiers
 * Metal Slug Team Mission
 * The King of Fighters Volleyball
 * The King of Reversi
 * The King of Fighters Mahjong
 * SNK Beach Volley Gal's Attack
 * Moeyo! KOF Daiundokai
 * SNK Gals Island Dokidoki Puzzle Shock!
 * SNK Gals Island Senkan Battle Gekichinshichaouzo!
 * Metal Slug Mobile 4
 * SNK Gals Island Beauty Dungeon Mimi to Kimashita!
 * SNK Dream Battle
 * SNK High School Collection
 * The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match Online
 * Metal Slug Defense
 * Metal Slug Attack
 * Crusaders Quest
 * Brave Frontier
 * Puzzle & Dragons
 * Kimi wa Hero
 * HIT : Heroes of Incredible Tales
 * Avabel Online
 * Mobile Legends - as a Karina skin
 * Gang Legend
 * The King of Fighters Destiny (Game)
 * The King of Fighters: World
 * The King of Fighters: All Star
 * The King of Fighters: Orochi Go
 * The King of Fighters M: Fighting Stars Assembly
 * SNK Fighting Age
 * Shinobi Master Senran Kagura: New Link  - collaboration event
 * Lapis Chronicle

Cameos

 * The King of Fighters XI - background cameo in Osaka Stage (Only in PS2 port)
 * Neo Geo Battle Coliseum - background cameo in the Antenna stage, holding her left arm while looking somewhere else in a frustrated manner.
 * Garou: Mark of the Wolves - In Hokutomaru's stage during the third round.
 * Capcom vs SNK 2 - Background cameo; standing besides Edward Falcon
 * The King of Fighters: Battle de Paradise
 * The King of Fighters '94 Rebout - Background cameo
 * The King of Fighters (pachinko)
 * The King of Fighters 2
 * Phantasy Star Online 2 - as a costume

Anime
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 * The King of Fighters: Another Day

Similar Characters

 * Orochi Leona