General Leo

[Spooniest]

Discuss the character arc of General Leo here.

Who is he? What is he? What does he represent?

I'd like to take a moment and quote the foreword of The Fellowship of the Ring:

I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence. I much prefer history, true or feigned, with its varied applicability to the thought and experience of readers. I think that many confuse 'applicability' with 'allegory'; but the one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the other in the purposed domination of the author.

...LEO LIVES

[Denmark]

kefka absorbed leo's lifeforce (along with gestahl's and all those espers) in Thamasa. maybe.

he's a plot device to show that the empire isn't FULL of troutty jerks in charge. and so you grow to like him, and thus hate (x21) kefka even more when he kills him. that's all, imo

[Inferno]

When you see him at the Imperial Camp, you know right away he's an honourable man. He has tremendous fighting skills. The fact that he dies is frustrating because you know he would have been a great ally and an excellent addition to your party.

On the other hand, if Kefka doesn't kill him, the storyline, the way we see Kefka and his growing craziness would be totally different.

Casualty of a great story.

[Jiro]

As Denmark said, he's a plot device. General Leo is the good guy on the bad side. He is the honourable counterpoint to Kefka's ruthless insanity. He demonstrates some humanity in the Empire, and helps with the guise that Gestahl isn't an entirely evil prick.