Sir Leon is a Knight of Camelot who has shown himself to be loyal and trustworthy towards both Uther and Arthur Pendragon. Unlike the other Knights of the Round Table, he is of noble blood (except Gwaine). He appeared to have been killed by the dragon's fire but it turned out that he survived since he later appeared. He participated in the battle against Cenred, where he also faced death, but was revived by the druids. Later on he refused to serve Morgana when she became queen. Which lead him to escape with his childhood friend, Gwen, becoming one of the Knights of the Round Table, and taking back Camelot. 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 again.
Biography
Early Life
Not much is known about Leon’s early life. However it is known that he grew up with Guinevere (and Elyan) as her mother worked as a maid in Sir Leon’s household (The Coming of Arthur). He eventually joined the Knights of Camelot.
Knight of Camelot
When Leon revealed that he let Arthur win the jousting tournament. This annoyed the Prince, who later defeated Leon in the tournament masked as "Sir William" (The Once and Future Queen).
He later helped Arthur recover information on sorcerers when Uther suspected that someone was assasinating 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 disapproving when Arthur’s title as Crown Prince was stripped away. He was amongst those who attempted to tell Uther that his wife was a troll, and had to endure several councils with her stenc (Beauty and the Beast)
.
When Morgause arrived in Camelot, and after she challenged Arthur, Arthur went on a quest to receive a wish. When Arthur went on the quest Uther was furious, Leon was in charge of the search. When Arthur returned, Leon was told to guard the door and not let anyone enter. Then Merlin tried to barge through him to get it, but he failed. Merlin convinced Leon to let him through because Arthur and Uther were fighting. Arthur defeated Uther, because Merlin told Arthur that what he saw was only a hallucination set up by Morgause. 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 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. He quickly apologised when the enraged knight challenges him to a battle and offered to buy him and his friends a drink. However, the Goblin spiked the drink with a magical potion, which causing boils to grow on their faces. Leon and his friends went to Gaius, desperate, and Gaius charged coins for an antidote, satisfying the Goblin’s 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).
Knight of the Round Table
Sir Leon drinking from the Cup of Life.
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.
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 of them 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 to him, and stated that her powers had grown. He later accompanied the Knights of the Round Table to investigate Drea’s story, and they discovered that the Dochora had been released, once they discovered it 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, but they escaped successfully. At the Isle of the Blessed; him, Percival and Elyan fought a Wyvern, but they (except Percival) escaped unharmed. Along with 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 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 Leon went with them, he later joined the others in playing a joke on Merlin, he was later poised by Julius and was only saved by Merlin’s magic (Aithusa).
Leon later joined the other knights on there ambush on King Caerleon raiding party, upon the declaring of the war by Caerleon’s queen, he joined Elyan and the other knights to inform Arthur of there 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 at Camelot, he led several search parties for Merlin, and informed him that they must have a traitor in Camelot again. Later he gave Merlin advice on which crossbow to use, believing Merlin’s statement of killing Arthur to be a joke. He later unintentionally tipped Gaius and Gwen off to Merlin’s attempt.
He along with the other knights, caught Dragoon the Great and tried to apprehend him, however Merlin’s powers proved too great and he, along with the others, was defeated (A Servant of Two Masters).
During there investigation into Gaius’ disappearance, Leon informed Arthur and Agravaine of the fact that a horse was missing from the stables, suggesting Gaius had stolen it to escape (The Secret Sharer).
Leon was among the Knights w
ho 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 with Guinevere, there was a jousting tournament, Leon enrolled himself, at the start they had to show tribute to Guinevere by giving her a ring. After they all gave her a ring a mysterious warrior entered the field and giving Gwen a ring, he revealed himself to be Lancelot. Later in the Tournament he was knocked out by Arthur, who was later beaten by Lancelot (Lancelot Du Lac).
When the knights were making a practical joke on Elyan, they discovered a realm, 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, they knocked him out and turned him in. Luckily, not long later, the Druid boy freed Elyan and Arthur didn't get killed (A Herald of the New Age).
Around the time Princess Mithian arrived Leon discovered a young man dead, who seems to have "fell". He told Agravaine who seemed "upset", and told him to get Gaius and explain how he died, Gaius said that he probably fell, then Agravaine "discovered" a note from "Odin's court" (The Hunter's Heart).
When a fire affected the citizens of Camelot, Leon and Elyan went to aid. They the Southron Army attacked and he 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 retaking Camelot again. He definitely 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 at full power when jousting against Arthur out of fear that he would injure him. He also tried to stop Merlin from interfering with a meeting between Arthur and Uther but Merlin convinced him to let him in by telling Leon that Arthur was trying to kill his father. Leon refused to p
ledge himself to Morgana, believing that she was not a true Pendragon and had no right to be queen. Even when Morgana had him and his men at the mercy of crossbowmen, saying they would be spared if they pledged to serve her, he and his men defiantly refused.
Leon was very courageous even when faced with overwhelming odds or magical opponents and 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 knew the difference between bravery and foolishness and therefore 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. He was also shocked and horrified when Morgana ordered her soldiers to attack innocent people, demonstrating his concern for the wellbeing of the citizens of Camelot.
Leon also had a ready sense of humour and he and the other knights sometimes teased Merlin, though Leon seemed to think 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.
Relationships
Arthur
Leon respected the king and looked on him as a friend. Together they fought in many battles and went on many adventures. Their relationship got better when Morgana was queen and they went into hiding while meeting other people. Arthur made Leon a Knight of the Round Table, an honour bestowed on only his closest and most trusted knights, and the next day, Leon helped him, 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).
Guinevere
Leon knew Gwen very well since Gwen’s mother worked in his household. When Morgana was queen and she 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).
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 but only as a joke and showed that he cared about him as he was upset when he found out 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 he 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 even though Uther commanded him to keep everyone out of the king’s chambers while Arthur fought him, he still let Merlin in once he told him that they were going to kill each other (The Sins of the Father). Leon was 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).
Lancelot
Leon first met Lancelot when him and Percival saved him from Morgana’s immortal knights. Not long after, he watched him become a Knight of Camelot while 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, but it was not until they travelled to the Isle of the Blessed, he was very upset when he died (The Darkest Hour). When Lancelot returned he was over the moon, but when he had the affair with Guinevere shortly before her and Arthur’s wedding, Lancelot took his life (under Morgana’s orders), and again he was upset when he died (Lancelot Du Lac).
Elyan
Elyan and Leon knew each other very well since Elyan’s mother worked in Leon’s house when he was a boy. Together they had many adventures once they were knights, and they were great friends. Despite this Leon still deliberaetly annoyed Elyan once by not giving him any water
Abilities
Sir Leon is one of Camelot’s most skilful warriors and was Arthur’s second in command. He was a highly skilledswordsman surviving many battles where many other knights were slain. Leon was also skilled with a lance and when practising against Arthur he would have defeated him if not for the fact that he was worried about injuring the prince. 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 made 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 survived besides him, and on the last two occasions he was the only person to survive. He also survived an encounter with Morgana when two other knights were killed by her, with Elyan being the only other person to survive.
Season 3 promo
Behind the Scenes
- Originally 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.
- It is assumed that Rupert Young be one of two cast members that will replace Nathaniel Parker in the opening credits for Series 5. The others being Eoin Macken, the actor that will play Mordred if he appears or Ben Daniels.
Appearances
- Series 2
- The Once and Future Queen (first appearance)
- 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
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 romance Leondegrance is one of the few kings who accept Arthur as his overlord. For this, his land is invaded by the rebel King Rience, but Arthur comes to his rescue and expels the enemy. Arthur meets Guinevere for the first time during this excursion, and they develop a love that eventually results in their fateful marriage.
Fan Art
| Kingdom of Camelot |
|---|
| Queen: Guinevere Pendragon Court Physician: Gaius Keeper of the Royal Library: Geoffrey of Monmouth Knights: Sir Leon • Sir Percival • Sir Brennis • Sir Cador • Sir Geraint Other Allies: Merlin • Annis • Odin • Rodor • Mithian • Godwyn • Bayard • Elena • Alined • The Diamair • Vivian • Olaf Former Allies: Morgana Pendragon † • Nimueh † • Cedric † ? • Cornelius Sigan † • Tristan de Bois † • Lady Catrina † • Edwin Muirden † • Uther Pendragon † • Agravaine de Bois †• Sefa• Mordred † |