Leon D.S. Geeste

> *"Leon is a gifted magic user and is very talented at Item Creation... In battle, he compliments Celine and should be used in battles in which the enemy is difficult to approach."* ~ PRIMA's Official Strategy Guide
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**Leon D.S. Geeste** is a brilliant scientist and skilled spellcaster. He is first seen in the Laboratory of Lacour Castle, working with other researchers on Lacour Hope - a superweapon capable of annhilating the enemies of Expel. Leon becomes a temporary party member while the party explores the Hoffman Ruins for a power source for the Lacour Hope. Later, if the player chose Claude Kenni as their starting character, Leon may permanently join the party.

Notably, Leon is one of only three pureblooded Fellpoolians observed on Expel.

Leon is an optional mid-game character, who joins near the end of the first disc. He is opposite Dias Flac, who will permanently join a party if the player chose Rena Lanford.

## Acquiring Leon

Initially, Leon suspects the party may be a group of traitors, sent by the Kingdom of Cross to infiltrate and sabotage the Lacour Hope project. The king spurns Leon's advice. Leon becomes a brief, mandatory addition to the party following the events in the Sanctuary of Linga, while the group delves the Hoffman Ruins in search of an energy stone. Upon arrival at the continent of El, Leon will be permitted to join the party on a permanent basis. This option is only available to Claude.

## Character

Leon is brilliant in science yet completely inexperienced in social situations. His parents and fellow researchers have insulated Leon from many experiences that are formative for a 12-year-old boy. As Leon opens up to the party, he admits he is uncomfortable around peers his own age and completely unsure of how to talk to girls. On the other hand, Leon has a streak of arrogance in the Heraldry Arts: he quickly dismisses the opinions of others, and relies upon his own intelligence to guide himself. Leon wears an oversized lab coat, partially covered by a Heraldic cape. He also hates cold weather. At 12, Leon is the youngest member of the party and, along with Precis Neumann, considered the least mature.

In a Private Action in Mars, Leon confides in Noel Chandler that he believes that Leon (along with his parents) are *atavistic*: whereupon expressed genes make a victim more closely resemble their feline ancestors. In other words, Leon evolved from animals similar to cats, and genetic mutations make him resemble these forebears. In Star Ocean 3, research into Expel revealed that Fellpoolians are descendants of colonists from outside the planet.

If the player permanently admits Leon into the party, Leon can attach himself to Claude Kenni (whom he sees as his older brother) and to Rena Lanford (as his big sister), or to other characters, depending on their friendship values and the choices the player makes. Leon reveals his own vulnerabilities to the player, and Leon drops his shield of arrogance.

### History

Little is known of his background prior to the events of a Star Ocean 2. Leon is the son of two researchers for the Kingdom of Lacour, Florice and Murdoch. Under the auspices of the king, Leon leads a cadre of scientists working on a weapon capable of destroying the monsters coming from El, the Lacour Hope. Thus, Leon has spent most of his life within the walls of the castle.

### Artistic Themes

Developers intend to irritate the player at the beginning of the game; early experiences with the boy reveal only his arrogance and youthful brashness. When Florice makes Leon attend the Lacour Tournament of Arms, the child does nothing but complain and deride the participants for fighting with "brawn" and not brains. In battle, Leon often mocks his opponents for their lack of intelligence; in towns, Leon dismisses those who fail to meet his absurdly high expectations.

Yet players are permitted a glimpse of Leon's potential maturation. In the Hoffman Ruins, Leon attempts to show off his knowledge of ancient Heraldry by opening the ruins' doors. Yet Leon is unable to open the doors by himself, and is embarrassed to ask Claude for help. The act of humility is a harbinger of Leon's future growth with the party. In disc two, Leon learns that he is unable to do everything himself, and must trust his friends for help and support. His friends, in turn, will reciprocate the love and trust he secretly desires.

Leon's counterpart is Dias Flac, a cold, wandering mercenary. Both Dias and Leon are enormously self-confident in their skills, even to a fault. Dias in his physical prowress; Leon in his mental abilities. Both Dias and Leon erect emotional barriers between themselves and others, to avoid exposing a deep vulnerability. Dias' insecurities derive from the murder of his parents by bandits, while Leon's insecurities are due to his inability to relate with other children, and the protective bubble of the castle prevents him from meeting others in an environment outside of work. Leon has spent his entire life compared against the abilities of expert scientists and wisened professors.

Yet despite these similarities, the two are polar opposites. Dias is a deeply matured character, and at age 25, he is the eldest of the entire party. Leon is deeply immature, and at age 12, is easily the youngest. Dias has traveled the world, lived on his own, and had relationships with women. Leon has not set foot outside the castle in years, relies on his over-protective parents for everything, and is terrified of girls. He only cautiously admits his developing attraction to the opposite sex. Dias, while heterosexual, is no longer fascinated by women in the way Leon is, as after years of experience, there is no mystery left in their femininity.

## Items

See *Items: Leon D.S. Geeste*.

Leon wields books, the only character to do so, as well as a small assortment of special weapons, such as the All-Purpose Knife.

## Trivia

* Leon's final Heraldic spell, Extinction, can only be found in the secret dungeon, the Cave of Trials.
* Extinction is the most powerful attack spell in the entire game.
* Leon is one of three characters who can potentially have every possible Talent (the others being Noel Chandler and Celine Jules).
* Leon has two victory sprite animations: (1) Leon sighs and (2) Leon forms a V for Victory with his fingers.