Leona

Leona Heidern (レオナ・ハイデルン, Reona Haiderun) is a character introduced in The King of Fighters '96 as the new member to the Ikari Team. Before production for her debut game began, developers wanted to create a suitable replacement for Heidern as a part of the game's overhaul. 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. In an interview with one of the series designers, Shinkiro, he replies that Leona is his favorite original character in the series.

Leona is also a playable character in "Metal Slug Survivors" and "Metal Slug Soldiers" -both mobile games, the hand-held game SNK Gals' Fighters, and the crossover title SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium. 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.

She is voiced by Masae Yumi and Lisa Leonard.

Story
Leona is the daughter of one of the Orochi Heads, Guidel and of a human woman. This combination makes Leona susceptible to the Riot of the Blood. She lived happily with her father and mother in the Amazon jungle. There, Guidel established a village for the remnants of the Hakkesshu. One day, Leopold Goenitz visited the village hoping to get allies to ressurect Orochi. Guidel refused to do so, which enraged Goenitz, but when he sensed Leona to have half-Orochi blood, he left. He returned later that night and activated the Riot of the Blood within Leona. She killed everyone, including her father and mother. Goenitz appeared behind her saying that she did a good job. Traumatized, she started to wander in the jungle until she was found by Heidern. He took her with him and established her with his troops. When he returned from a mission, he saw her cutting a tree with her bare hands. He then decided to train her.

In '96, Leona joined Ralf Jones and Clark Still and entered KOF, which was invaded by Goenitz. They have little accomplishments that year. The following year, the team entered KOF again and also lost. Near the finals, she entered the Riot of the Blood and attacked her team mates. It was Yashiro Nanakase, Shermie and Chris who were planning to revive Orochi.

In '99, Leona, Ralf and Clark were joined by Ikari Warrior newcomer, Whip. They were sent to investigate NESTS who were hosting the tournament. They entered with the same purpose in 2000 and made it to the finals, being defeated by K's team.

In 2003, at the end of the tournament, Orochi's presence was getting stronger, as the seal was broken again. She entered the Riot of the Blood again and attacked Ralf and Clark, badly injuring them. She was pulled out of the team by Heidern in The King of Fighters XI due to the emotional trauma she suffered after the incident.

Personality
Leona is very quiet and does not like to talk much. She has a cold attitude, and, aside from Ralf, Whip, Clark and Commander Heidern, Leona does not talk to anyone. She seems fearless on the outside, but she is afraid of hurting her friends because of her Orochi blood. Leona hates the sight of blood (because of the massacre she caused as a youth), but when she fights, she always seems to get covered in it. She's often lonely, but knows that Ralf, Whip, and Clark are always behind her.

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 - Thanks to her part Orochi, part human blood, Leona goes into this state whenever Orochi's presence is strong. While in this form, her eyes are dilated, her back is hunched, her skin adopts a shade of violet and her hair goes pink. She is mostly incoherent and frequently screams. She becomes stronger and faster but loses inteligence.

Fighting Style
She shares several moves with her adoptive father, Heidern. The V-shaped slashmarks that appear at the end of her V-Slasher Desperation Move and Super DM are an homage to Choudenji Machine Voltes V -- the titular giant robot had an attack in which it made a V-shaped slash through the enemy, leaving a glowing V for a few dramatic moments before it is destroyed. Her Rebel Spark Desperation Move and Super Desperation Move where she plant a dynamite to her opponent then moving away from the opponent while making a pose, is actually a homage to Kamen Rider Black RX -- a Japanese tokusatsu show where the hero impale his enemy and proceed to do the same pose as sparks coming out from his opponent's belly and eventually explodes. Also, her jumping CD attack (Strong attack which knocks the opponent away using both the heavy punch/kick buttons.) resembles Kamen Rider Black's version of the Rider Kick, owing to the sudden, unexplained glow of reddish energy around her foot, and being performed while in the air.

Music

 * Rumble in the City - The King of Fighters '96, '98
 * W.W.III - The King of Fighters '99
 * The Trooper - The King of Fighters 2000
 * My Whip - The King of Fighters 2001
 * Jungle Bouncer - The King of Fighters 2002
 * Inside Skinny - The King of Fighters 2003

Game Appearances

 * The King of Fighters '96
 * The King of Fighters '97
 * The King of Fighters '98
 * 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

Anime Appearances

 * The King of Fighters: Another Day

Similar Characters

 * Wild Leona