La Leyenda (Series)

***La Leyenda*** is a Mexican series of Horror-Comedy Animated films created by Animex Producciones, though later produced by Ánima Estudios. The series currently includes four theatrical, feature length films, with a fifth one coming out in 2018. The series largely focuses on Leo San Juan and his friends uncovering mysteries and stopping the nefarious, and often times supernatural, forces of evil.

## Synopsis

### Overview

Although officially compared to *Goosebumps* and *Scooby Doo*, the La Leyenda film series tends to have more in common with films such as *Indiana Jones*. As such, the films had a higher emphasis on "great adventure" in spooky, often times macabre and horrific environments. The films follow a young, good-natured and intelligent boy named Leo San Juan ask he's tasked with saving people from the threats that go bump in the night. Leo does not go on these journey's alone however. He is often aided by the cowardly, but kind soldier, Don Andrés, the intelligent and mellow Alebrije, the bratty, but caring Teodora and the laid-back but shady Evaristo. Leo in recent films is also aided by his older brother, Nando and is in recurring contact with a ghost girl named Xóchitl. Being meek, weak but compassionate and kind, Leo tends to solve problems through diplomatic means and sometimes takes pity on the monsters he must stop. In spite of his naturally caring and warm personality, Leo has been forced to undertake increasingly dark adventures which has caused him to grow somewhat aloof and distant in his later adventures, but maintaining this emphatic and caring center.

### Recurring characters

* **Leo San Juan:** The main hero of the film series, Leo is a kind-hearted and caring boy from Puebla. Though initially quite innocent, meek and shy, Leo is forced to rapidly grow as the films go on as he comes face-to-face with evils more horrific than the last.
* **Teodora Villavicencio:** A bratty, but good-hearted young girl who died over 50 years before the start of the original film. Teodora is spoiled, somewhat dim and self-absorbed, but has proven time and time again that she is a truly brave and heroic figure underneath it all.
* **Don Andrés:** An amiable and romantic conquistador from a time long ago, Don is a brave and kind warrior who is completely incompetent at fighting. Don believes hiself to be a more well-cultured man than his friends and values education and the finer things, but is also a fan of adventure and exploration.
* **Alebrije:** A laid-back and intelligent Alebrije, Alebrije had a rough childhood and has a miserable love life, but retains a mostly level-headed and friendly demeanor. He's both mature and immature, in the sense that while he looks after little ones like a big brother, he's also not opposed to toilet humor and can be quite harsh at times.
* **Evaristo:** A mostly good-hearted and friendly Alebrije, Evaristo is the best friend of Alebrije.
* **Nando San Juan:** Leo's older brother Initially being portrayed as a sadistic bully, Nando received character development and grew into a much more kind and caring big brother, albeit one who still loved to tease Leo but did so in a kinder, more good-natured way.
* **Xóchitl:** Leo's first love interest, Xóchitl was a good friend of Toñita and remained good friends with Teodora after their deaths at the hands of Nahuala. Xóchitl is mature, caring but also slightly impish and in spite of her natural maturity, still has a childish sense of humor.
* **Finado and Moribunda:** Two skulls that came to life in the Manor, Finado and Moribunda are twins who followed Leo around, eventually joining his team at the end of *La Leyenda de la Nahuala*. Finaldo is shown to be very boyish at times, a hopeless romantic but also quite timid in the face of true danger. His sister, Moribunda is the more responsible of the two. She's far more brave, headstrong but also violent and ill-tempered while Finaldo is somewhat ore easygoing. Regardless, the two are still very young children and are frightened easily. They seem to look up to their friends as older siblings.

## Series

* *La Leyenda de la Nahuala* (2007)
* *La Leyenda de la Llorona* (2011)
* *La Leyenda de las Momias de Guanajuato* (2014)
* *La Leyenda del Chupacabras* (2016)
* *La Leyenda del Charro Negro* (2018)
* Las Leyendas: El Origen (2022)
* La Leyenda de los Chaneques (2023)