Leon

Sir Leon is a Knight of Camelot who has proven himself both trustworthy and loyal to Uther and Arthur Pendragon. Unlike the other Knights of the Round Table, with the exception of Gwaine, Leon is of noble blood. At one point, it appeared that he had been killed by the dragon's fire (The Last Dragonlord). However, he survived and continued on in his duties as a knight. He participated in the battle against Cenred, where he also faced death, and was revived by the druids with the Cup of Life. Later on, he refused to serve Morgana when she became queen, which lead him to escape with his childhood friend, Gwen, become one of the Knights of the Round Table, and take back Camelot with Arthur and the other original members of the Round Table. When he became a Knight of the Round Table, he was involved in many adventures, like vanquishing the Dorocha, recovering a dragon egg, being possessed by a Lamia, and taking back Camelot when Morgana became queen for a second time after overthrowing Arthur.

Early Life
Not much is known about Leon’s early life. However, it is known that he grew up with Guinevere and Elyan as their mother worked as a maid in Sir Leon’s household (The Coming of Arthur). He was from a family of noble blood and eventually joined the Knights of Camelot.

Knight of Camelot
When Leon revealed that he let Arthur win the jousting tournament, this annoyed Arthur, who later defeated Leon in the tournament while disguised as "Sir William of Deira" (The Once and Future Queen).

He later helped Arthur recover information on sorcerers when Uther suspected that someone was attempting to assassinate Morgana (The Nightmare Begins).

When Uther was bewitched by the troll disguised as Lady Catrina, Leon was doubtful of his king’s magically influenced decisions and appeared to disapprove when Arthur ’s title as Crown Prince was stripped away. He tried to tell Uther to reject Bayard 's visit while being eerily stared at by Jonas, but Uther ignored him. He was amongst those who attempted to tell Uther that his wife was a troll and had to endure several councils with her stench (Beauty and the Beast).

When Aredian was searching Merlin's home for magical objects, it was Leon who found the magical bracelet that Aredian had planted to frame Merlin, which Gaius claimed to be his in order to protect Merlin (The Witchfinder).

When Arthur learnt the truth of his birth, he came into the palace, full of rage. Merlin went after him, but he encoutered Leon, who was guarding the door. Merlin persuaded Leon into letting him in to save the king's life. So, if it weren't for Leon's actions, the king would be dead and Arthur would never forgive himself (The Sins of the Father).

When Morgana was enchanted to make everyone fall asleep, Leon and Gaius discussed Arthur's whereabouts whilst looking over a sleepy Uther (The Fires of Idirsholas).

When Arthur sent his men to attack The Great Dragon in his attack on Camelot, Leon and various other knights were attacked by the Dragon in battle. When the beast unleashed its fiery breath on the group, Leon was injured by the flames but survived (The Last Dragonlord).

He led the border patrols which spotted Cenred’s army and reported it to the court. He later fought in the Great Battle for Camelot against both the army of Cenred and the skeleton soldiers raised by Morgana (The Tears of Uther Pendragon).

When in The Rising Sun, Gaius, while possessed by a Goblin, insulted Leon and spat beer in his face, Leon became incensed. When the enraged knight challenged him to a battle, the Goblin quickly apologised and offered to buy him and his friends a drink. Leon, based on his long time friendship with Gaius, quicky accepted the apology and forgave him, not realising that he was possessed. However, the Goblin spiked the drinks with a magical potion that caused boils to grow on their faces. Leon and his friends went to Gaius, desperate, and the Goblin possessing Gaius charged gold coins for an antidote, satisfying the Goblin’s intense thirst for gold (Goblin's Gold).

When Gwaine arrived in Camelot, followed by a few thugs disguised as knights, Gwaine got into a fight with 'Sir Oswald'. Leon was also present during Gwaine's trial (Gwaine).



Leon later led a patrol that accidentally stumbled past Cenred’s borders, and Cenred had them made into an example for trespassers. They were all attacked and killed except for Leon, who had enough life left in him for him to be saved by a group of Druids, who took him to their camp and resurrected him using the Cup of Life. He then went back to Camelot and informed Arthur and Uther of this, Uther decided that the Cup must be recovered before Cenred found it. Arthur obtained it temporarily but it was taken by Cenred’s men, allowing Morgause to turn his army into immortals. As they marched into Camelot, Leon’s border patrol spotted them. The patrol was slaughtered except for Leon, who fled when he discovered their power when he mortally wounded one of them, but he did not die. Leon then informed Uther of the invasion (The Coming of Arthur).

Knight of the Round Table
After Morgana took over, Leon and the surviving Knights refused to pledge their loyalty to her. With the help of Guinevere, he managed to escape and reunite with Arthur. He watched Arthur knight Gwaine, Elyan, Lancelot and Percival. When they attacked Camelot to save Uther and the other Knights, Leon fought with the rest and survived long enough for the enchantment to be broken. He later went out riding with the new Knights to bring Guinevere back to Camelot (The Coming of Arthur).

The Darkest Hour
A year later, Leon was coming back to Camelot with Elyan and several other Knights when they encountered Morgana on her way to the Isle of the Blessed with Morgause, where she attacked them. After arriving back in Camelot, he recounted what had happened and stated that Morgana's powers had grown. He later accompanied the Knights of the Round Table to investigate Drea’s story and they discovered that the Dorocha had been released. Once they discovered this news, he went with Arthur and the the other Knights as the made their own journey to the Isle of the Blessed. On the journey, they encountered Wilddeorens and escaped successfully. At the Isle of the Blessed, Leon, Percival, and Elyan fought a Wyvern and, with thd exception of Percival, escaped unharmed. Along with the other knights, he was devastated about Lancelot’s death (The Darkest Hour).

Later Adventures
He later attended Arthur ’s Birthday feast and a enjoyed the festivities. He also attended Arthur ’s Coronation and cheered loudly for him (The Wicked Day).

Upon Arthur learning of the existence of a dragon’s egg and the fact that Julius was after it, he took the Knights of the Round Table with him to hunt it and destroy it. While on the trip, he joined the others in playing a joke on Merlin. He was later drugged by Julius and was only saved by Merlin’s magic (Aithusa).

Leon later joined the other knights on the ambush of King Caerleon's raiding party. Upon the declaring of the war by Caerleon’s queen, Leon joined Elyan and the other knights to inform Arthur of their readiness to die for him and, later, volunteered to take part in the duel for victory (His Father's Son).

Morgana later sent a gang of armed bandits after Arthur, Merlin, and the Knights of the Round Table to chase and capture them in the Valley of the Fallen Kings. They all escaped, except Merlin. Back in Camelot, Leon led several search parties for Merlin and informed Merlin that they must have a traitor in Camelot again. Later, he gave Merlin advice on which crossbow to use to kill Arthur, believing Merlin was merely joking about killing Arthur. He later, unintentionally, tipped Gaius and Gwen off to Merlin’s attempt. When Merlin disguised himself as Dragoon in order to rid himself of the Fomorroh controlling him, Leoon, along with the other knights, encountered Dragoon the Great and tried to apprehend him. However, Merlin’s powers proved too great and Leon and the others were defeated (A Servant of Two Masters).

During their investigation into Gaius’ disappearance, Leon informed Arthur and Agravaine of the fact that a horse was missing from the stables, suggesting that Gaius had stolen it to escape (The Secret Sharer).

Leon was one of the Knights who rescued the Lamia from bandits. She soon started to exert her power over them, making them aggressive and more violent. Her first victim among them was Sir Elyan. Instead of going back to Camelot, she forced them to travel to a castle to the East that she knew of. Once there, the Lamia picked them off one by one. First was Gwaine, followed by Percival. When Leon saw Percival fall to the Lamia, he snapped out of her spell and attacked, but she defeated him. Thanks to Merlin’s intervention and Arthur’s arrival, he was able to recover from the attack (Lamia).

When Arthur got engaged to Guinevere, there was a jousting tournament in which Leon participated. At the start, each contestant had to show tribute to Guinevere by giving her a ring, symbolising Arthur and Gwen's marriage. After they all gave her a ring a mysterious warrior entered the field and, giving Gwen a ring, revealed himself to be Lancelot. Little did they knew, the returned Lancelot was a Shade in league with Morgana. After reuniting with Lancelot, they posed a toast with their chalices. Later in the Tournament, Leon was knocked out by Arthur, who was later beaten by Lancelot. Later, Leon attended Gwen's trial after Lancelot kissed her, shortly before Lancelot's suicidal (Lancelot du Lac).

When the knights were playing a practical joke on Elyan, they discovered a druid shrine and Elyan was posessed by a Druid boy who wanted to have Elyan kill Arthur. When Elyan failed to assasinate Arthur, the knights were sent to find and arrest him. Leon, Percival, and Gwaine found him and, althought they didn't want to, knocked him out and turned him in. Luckily, not long later, the Druid boy freed Elyan and forgave Arthur (A Herald of the New Age).

Around the time Princess Mithian arrived Leon discovered dead a young man, who seemed to have fallen. He told Agravaine, who appeared upset, told Leon to get Gaius, and that the young man had fallen. Gaius said that he probably didn't fall. Then, Agravaine discovered a note from "Odin's court" on the young man. Leeon later participated in Arthur and Mithian's hunting trip and was the one who spotted the deer, not realising that it was Gwen under an enchantment (The Hunter's Heart).

When a fire affected the citizens of Camelot, Leon and Elyan went to aid. Then the Southron Army attacked and Leon was involved in a minor battle. The Southron Army won the battle and Morgana was once again crowned Queen of Camelot. He fled the kingdom when it was under Morgana's second reign. He later joined Arthur in reclaiming Camelot once more. It is certain that he survived the battle because he was seen at Arthur and Gwen's wedding (The Sword in the Stone).

Personality
Leon is very loyal to the Pendragon family. Because of this loyalty, he refused to fight to his full ability and strength when jousting against Arthur, out of fear that he would injure the prince. He also tried to stop Merlin from interfering with a meeting between Arthur and Uther. However, Merlin convinced him to let him in by telling Leon that Arthur was trying to kill his father. Leon refused to pledge himself to Morgana, believing that had no right to be queen because Uther had never given her that right by declaring her to be a Pendragon and because she had taken over Camelot with dark magic and violence, with no regard for the citizens of Camelot. Even when Morgana had Leon and his men at the mercy of archers armed with crossbows, declaring that they would be spared if they pledged to serve her, he and his men defiantly refused.

Leon is very courageous, even when faced with overwhelming odds or magical opponents. He even helped defend Camelot from the Great Dragon. He also fought against Cenred’s warriors and the undead skeleton army during the siege of Camelot. However, Leon knows the difference between bravery and foolishness. Therefore, he fled from Morgause’s immortal army when he realised that they couldn't die, thinking that he should warn Camelot instead of staying to face what would have been certain death. He was also a skilled leader and, during Arthur and Merlin’s search for Balinor, he took command of the knights of Camelot. When Morgana declared herself Queen, he was also shocked and horrified as she ordered her soldiers to attack innocent people, demonstrating his concern for the wellbeing of the citizens of Camelot. Leon also has a ready sense of humour. He and the other knights sometimes teased Merlin and it is apparent that Leon thinks of Merlin as a friend. Leon also interpreted Merlin’s desire to kill Arthur as a joke, not realising that Merlin, while under the influence of a Fomorroh, actually meant what he said.

Arthur
Leon respected the king and looked on him as a friend. Together they fought in many battles and went on many adventures. He also had high respect for Arthur as the prince, once refusing to beat him in a jousting tournament (The Once and Future Queen). Their relationship grew when Morgana was queen and they went into hiding. Arthur made Leon a Knight of the Round Table, an honour bestowed on only his closest and most trusted knights. The next day, Leon helped Arthur, Merlin, and the other rebels defeat Morgana. Leon stated that there was no one else he would rather die for and that he would follow Arthur to the mouth of hell if necessary (The Coming of Arthur, The Sword in the Stone). He has also been a pillar of faith and a source of comfort for Arthur, when he assured Arthur that Lancelot could get Merlin back to Camelot safely while they continued on their quest to The Isle of the Blessed (The Darkest Hour).

Guinevere
Leon knew Guinevere (Gwen) very well because Gwen’s mother worked in his household when they were both young. When Morgana was queen and Gwen helped him escape, they were very comfortable when talking to each other (The Coming of Arthur). Leon was delighted when he found out that she and Arthur were getting married. He showed his tribute by giving her a ring shortly before the melee (Lancelot Du Lac). After Morgana had been overthrown by Arthur and he had regained the Throne, Leon was one of the witnesses to Arthur crowning his new wife, Guinevere, as Queen of Camelot.

Merlin
At first Leon didn't really know Merlin, but once he became a Knight of the Round Table they became great friends (The Coming of Arthur). He enjoyed tormenting Merlin in jest and showed that he cared about him when he was upset at finding out that Merlin was nearing death on their journey to the Isle of the Blessed (The Darkest Hour). Leon also appeared to trust Merlin greatly, as he allowed Merlin to take a crossbow for Arthur and even thought that Merlin was joking when he, under the influence of a Fomorroh, said that he wanted to kill Arthur (A Servant of Two Masters).

Uther
Leon respected the king and was just as loyal to him, albeit not as close, as he was to Arthur. However, he was willing to disobey Uther's orders and, despite Uther's command to keep everyone out of the king’s chambers while Arthur fought him, he still let Merlin in once he was told that father and son were going to kill each other (The Sins of the Father). Leon was apparently one of Uther's favourite knights because the king made him one of the leaders of the battle between Camelot and Cenred's army (The Tears of Uther Pendragon).

Morgana
It can be assumed that Leon greatly respected the Lady Morgana as much as all the residents of Camelot did. However, this changed after her betrayal was exposed. Witnessing her cruel methods, he denied to bow down to her and serve her once she was queen and swore loyalty only to Uther and Arthur. Even when she was about to execute him, along with several of his fellow knights, he still shouted "Long live the king", much to her disappointment and anger. When she, instead of executing the knights, had several of Camelot's citizen shot with crossbows, Leon was shocked and extremely upset. He also took a leading role in taking Camelot back (The Coming of Arthur). A year later, he found her carrying a cart on her way to the Sea of Meredor. He halted her, oblivious about who she was. She immediately attacked him but did not kill him. He later reported her powers had greatly grown (The Darkest Hour). When she conquered Camelot for the second time, he was one of the knights to lead the attack againist the Southrons (The Sword in the Stone).

Gwaine
Leon first met Gwaine when he placed him under arrest under the orders of the king for "attacking" Sir Oswald (Gwaine). However, when Gwaine was made a Knight of Camelot, Leon started to respect him and eventually became friends with him (The Coming of Arthur). Both being Knights of the Round Table, Gwaine is one of Leon's fellow knights and close friends. Sir Leon enjoys playing pranks with Gwaine and takes his jokes in good humour. Gwaine seems to have brought out the more mischievous side of Sir Leon. The two fight well alongside eachother and never argue. The only time they fought with one another was when they were enchanted by the Lamia, which resulted in Leon getting a small wound in the arm (Lamia).

Lancelot
Leon first met Lancelot when Lancelot and Percival saved him from Morgana’s immortal knights. Not long after, Leon watched him become a Knight of Camelot when they were all made Knights of the Round Table. Then, they went on to overthrow Morgana and Morgause (The Coming of Arthur). They had many adventures when they were both knights. Leon was very upset when Lancelot died on the Isle of the Blessed(The Darkest Hour). When Lancelot returned, Sir Leon, along with the other Knights, was absolutely thrilled at the apparent return of a dear friend. However, when Lancelot had the affair with Guinevere shortly before her wedding to Arthur and then took his own life in his cell in the dungeon (under Morgana's orders), Leon was again very upset with the second loss of his friend (Lancelot Du Lac).

Elyan
Elyan and Leon knew each other very well since Elyan’s mother worked in Leon’s house when they were boys. Together, they had many adventures once they were knights and they were great friends. Despite this, Leon still deliberately annoyed Elyan once in jest by not giving him any water (A Herald of the New Age).

Percival
As they were both Knights of Camelot and Knights of the Round Table, Leon and Percival went on many adventures together, as well as joking around with each other. They were both amazing fighters and extremely loyal.

Abilities
Sir Leon is one of Camelot’s most skillful warriors and is Arthur’s second in command. He is a highly skilled swordsman, surviving many battles in which many other knights were slain. Leon is also skilled with a lance and once, while practicing against Arthur, he would have defeated the prince if not for the fact that he was worried about injuring the him. However, it should be noted that Arthur had the sun in his eyes during the practice session.

Leon also displayed remarkable survival skills, being able to recover from the wounds inflicted on him by the Great Dragon, survive a battle with Cenred’s men long enough to be revived by druids who had him drink from the Cup of Life, and escape from a group of immortal soldiers unscathed. On the first occasion, Arthur and Merlin were the only others who are known to have survived besides Sir Leon. On the last two occasions, Leon was the only person to survive. He also, along with Elyan, survived an encounter with Morgana, in which two of the four knights involved were killed.

Behind the Scenes

 * 48-1-.jpgnally Leon was only supposed to be a character in The Once and Future Queen, but he received such a good reception that the producers brought him back again and again. He is the only named knight of Camelot to have appeared in more than one episode in Series 2.
 * When Leon was injured by the Great Dragon in The Last Dragonlord, some believed he was killed. However, in spite of the belief that he had died in the battle, he returned in Series 3.
 * Leon appears in all of the episodes of Series 4.
 * Rupert Young is a candidate out of four other cast members that will replace Nathaniel Parker in the opening credits for Series 5. The others being Eoin Macken, Alexander Vlahos, who will play teenage/adult Mordred, or Ben Daniels, if he returns after his mysterious disappearance at the end of The Sword in the Stone.

Appearances

 * Series 2
 * The Once and Future Queen
 * The Nightmare Begins
 * Beauty and the Beast: Part Two
 * The Witchfinder
 * The Sins of the Father
 * The Fires of Idirsholas
 * The Last Dragonlord


 * Series 3
 * The Tears of Uther Pendragon: Part One
 * The Tears of Uther Pendragon: Part Two
 * Goblin's Gold
 * Gwaine
 * The Coming of Arthur: Part One
 * The Coming of Arthur: Part Two


 * Series 4
 * The Darkest Hour: Part One
 * The Darkest Hour: Part Two
 * The Wicked Day
 * Aithusa
 * His Father's Son
 * A Servant of Two Masters
 * The Secret Sharer
 * Lamia
 * Lancelot Du Lac
 * A Herald of the New Age
 * The Hunter's Heart
 * The Sword in the Stone: Part One
 * The Sword in the Stone: Part Two


 * Series 5

In the Legends
While Leon appears to be a completely original character, it is possible he may also be based on or around King Leondegrance. King Leondegrance, or King Leon, was the father of Queen Guinevere and his kingdom was Carmelide or Cameliard. He served Uther Pendragon, King Arthur’s biological father and regnal predecessor. Leondegrance was entrusted with the keeping of the Round Table at Uther’s death. When Guinevere marries Arthur, Leondegrance gives the young king the table as a wedding present. In later romances, Leondegrance is one of the few kings who accept Arthur as his overlord. For this, his land was invaded by the rebel King Rience, but Arthur came to his rescue and expelled the enemy. Arthur meets Guinevere for the first time during this excursion and they develop a love that eventually results in their fateful marriage.