:Leo Kliesen

Leo was created by series producer Katsuhiro Harada for Tekken 6, who asked the development team to create a female German playable character. However, when he saw the submitted designs, he felt the character could be popular with both men and women, and focused on making a "cool" character that could be loved regardless of gender. According to game director Yuichi Yonemori, this caused some difficulties, particularly for the voice actors for Leo as they had to try and appeal to male and female players.{{cite AV media |url=https://archive.org/details/tekkentag-2-banchokumite-harada-pd-yonemori-p-talk-show-in-namco-nipp |title=Katsuhiro Harada & Yuichi Yonemori interview, Nipponbashi Tekken Museum (4/30/2012) |date=2012-04-30 |time=21:30}} In an interview with 4Gamer, Harada stated that the character's name was a shortened version of their real name, though refused to state what it was. He further noted that while Tekken was a popular series, their characters were seldom featured in fan works. However, after the release of Tekken 6, he noticed that alongside the character's high usage rate amongst players, Leo featured significantly in fan art and doujins, something he felt made them "really valuable" to the Tekken franchise.{{cite web |url=https://www.4gamer.net/games/120/G012084/20110912001/ |language=Japanese |title=鉄拳が目指すアクションゲームの究極とは――本日稼働開始の「鉄拳TAG TOURNAMENT2」。新宿平八こと原田Pが語る格闘ゲーム，その哲学 |website=4Gamer |date=2011-09-14 |accessdate=2024-01-28 |archive-date=January 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200113114220/https://www.4gamer.net/games/120/G012084/20110912001/ |url-status=live }}

Despite the stated ambiguity regarding Leo's gender, the artbook included the character's concept art under the "male" section.{{cite book |asin=B003LUB7S0 |date=January 2009 |title=Limited Edition Tekken 6 Art Book |page=70 |publisher=Namco Bandai Games}} Things were further confused when a video surfaced of a 2011 Namco Bandai event, where it appeared the character was stated to be female and that their first name was "Eleonore". In the 4Gamer interview, Harada explained that the statement was meant to be for the crowd's ears only and was surprised at how far it spread. Harada later clarified in a 2012 interview at the Osaka Tekken Museum that the video was only a part of a longer statement: Eleonore was only the first draft of the character, and Leo's gender was officially "unknown", a statement Yonemori echoed. Harada in turn noted that localizations of the games sometimes made expressing this difficult, as details would sometimes get lost in translation between regions. Harada reiterated many of these statements on social media platform Twitter when asked about the character.{{cite tweet|number=537447821993967616|user=Harada_TEKKEN|authorlink=Katsuhiro Harada |first=Katsuhiro |last=Harada |title=それ、キャラ名も決まってない頃の開発当初は女性キャラ枠だった、が途中でコンセプト全部作り直した、という話ですよ。公式に不明ですから。 RT@negidera 何度も何度も同じ質問されてると思いますがレオの性別は不明ですよね？友達が女だと言ってきかないんです！！！回答お願いします！ |language=Japanese}} When a user inquired if Leo was non-binary, Harada said no, stating "Leo would not want to be categorized as such. In any case, it doesn't matter, right? Leo is Leo".{{cite tweet |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20211005134606/https://twitter.com/Harada_TEKKEN/status/1445384736654991361 |number=1445384736654991361 |authorlink=Katsuhiro Harada |first=Katsuhiro |last=Harada |title=I'm no longer aware of such things, and Leo would not want to be categorized as such. In any case, it doesn't matter, right? Leo is Leo, your game character. |user=Harada_TEKKEN |archivedate=2021-10-05 |url-status=dead}}

Leo is a slender person with short blonde hair, and an ahoge sticking up in the center. Their default outfit consists of a black shirt with several straps, and a red, white, and black jacket atop it. Red and black gloves cover their hands and wrists, while a red tied scarf covers their neck. A pair of jeans covers Leo's legs, with brown shinguard boots. A brown pouch hangs from the right side of their belt, while a holster is strapped to that thigh. This outfit persisted until Tekken 8, where their attire was changed to a white strapped shirt, a red coat with many trailing straps, a harness around their hips and pelvis, and the removal of the scarf in place of a black cloth tied around their right arm.{{cite web |website=One eSports |url=https://www.oneesports.gg/tekken/tekken-8-leo-gameplay-trailer/ |title=Tekken 8 Leo gameplay trailer is a showcase of mix-up potential |first=Ron |last=Muyot |date=2023-11-22 |accessdate=2024-01-30 |archive-date=November 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231128034115/https://www.oneesports.gg/tekken/tekken-8-leo-gameplay-trailer/ |url-status=live }} Leo has had several alternate outfits throughout the series, including a Chinese-themed martial arts outfit. During development of Tekken 6, several other designs were considered for the character, including a painter outfit with overalls, and a similar one that would have had lion themed accessories including a tail, with stylized text of their name on their belt and left sleeve.

File:Tekken Tag Tournament - Leo Swimsuit.png titles, Leo can equip customization options regardless of gender, such as male and female swimsuits.]]

Introduced in Tekken 6, Leo Kliesen is a Bajiquan practitioner from Germany whose father, Niklas was a world-famous spelunker who vanished when Leo was young, while their mother, Emma was an executive for G Corporation, a major company in the Tekken universe. After their mother is murdered and the police abruptly call off the investigation, Leo investigates on their own. The investigation leads to G Corporation's leader Kazuya Mishima, and Leo enters his tournament in order to face him and get answers.{{cite web |website=4gamer |url=https://www.4gamer.net/games/075/G007509/20090630049/ |title=「鉄拳」シリーズ史上最高のボリューム＆クオリティ！ X360/PS3/PSP「鉄拳6」，2009年秋発売 |date=2009-06-30 |accessdate=2024-01-30 |language=Japanese |archive-date=January 31, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131014715/https://www.4gamer.net/games/075/G007509/20090630049/ |url-status=live }} In Tekken Tag Tournament 2, and Tekken 7, Leo learns that their mother used to work for Mishima Zaibatsu before resigning to G Corporation, and was researching the "devil gene". In Tekken 8, Leo discovers that Kazuya, who has the Devil Gene, had "taken care of" all researchers, including Leo's mother. Leo briefly despairs until their father returns, encouraging them to not give up.{{cite web |url=https://bleedingcool.com/games/tekken-8-releases-new-character-trailer-for-leo-kliesen/ |title=Tekken 8 Releases New Character Trailer For Leo Kliesen |first=Gavin |last=Sheehan |website=Bleeding Cool |accessdate=2024-01-30 |date=2023-11-22 |archive-date=February 14, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240214230719/https://bleedingcool.com/games/tekken-8-releases-new-character-trailer-for-leo-kliesen/ |url-status=live }} Leo was originally voiced by Veronica Taylor. As of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 the role was taken over by Philipp Zieschang, who voiced the character in German, though voice lines such as pain grunts were still performed by Taylor. With Tekken 8, Zieschang voiced the character solely.{{cite web |url=https://mein-mmo.de/tekken-8-leo-kaempfer-vorstellungstrailer/ |website=Mein MMO |title=Eines der größten Prügelspiele für PS5 bekommt deutschen Kämpfer, begeistert Fans: "Darauf habe ich gewartet" |date=2023-11-24 |accessdate=2024-01-30 |archive-date=January 31, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131021545/https://mein-mmo.de/tekken-8-leo-kaempfer-vorstellungstrailer/ |url-status=live }} In addition to the aforementioned games, Leo has appeared in Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Tekken Mobile, and shmup mobile game Full Bokko Heroes X.{{cite web |url=https://www.4gamer.net/games/238/G023803/20150330057/ |website=4gamer |accessdate=2024-02-08 |date=2015-03-30 |title=「フルボッコヒーローズX」に「鉄拳」とのコラボクエスト最終章が登場 |language=Japanese |archive-date=July 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712233549/http://www.4gamer.net/games/238/G023803/20150330057/ |url-status=live }}{{cite twitter |number=935659414786207744 |title=Leo announced for Tekken on mobile! Here's an early look at one of his.. ermm... Leo's outfits! #tekken #tekkenmobile #leo @TEKKEN |user=Arc9ine |first=Landon |last=Nguyen}}

In terms of gameplay, the character was intended to be easy to use by both new and experienced players,{{cite web |website=GamesRadar+ |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/tekken-6-2/ |title=Tekken 6 |date=2007-03-28 |accessdate=2024-01-30 |archive-date=January 31, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131003534/https://www.gamesradar.com/tekken-6-2/ |url-status=live }} utilizing short-ranged attacks as well as various elbow and shoulder strikes. Some attacks allow for a variety of combos, such as the "Rising Bei Zhe Kao", while others allow Leo to change to stances such as the "Jin Ji Du Li". Due to Leo's gender ambiguity, the character can be customized to use both male and female-specific clothing and weapons.{{cite web |last1=Singh |first1=Ravjit |title=Some queer characters from the world of video games |date=2020-06-28 |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/science-tech/some-queer-characters-from-the-world-of-video-games/cid/1784479 |website=The Telegraph (India) |access-date=December 14, 2023 |archive-date=December 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231214073659/https://www.telegraphindia.com/science-tech/some-queer-characters-from-the-world-of-video-games/cid/1784479 |url-status=live }} In Tekken 8, Leo was given a "Rage Art" move, a new special attack that can be used once when the player is below a quarter health.{{cite web |url=https://www.dexerto.com/tekken/tekken-8-rage-art-system-explained-2231190/ |website=Dexerto |title=Tekken 8: Rage Art system explained |first=Rishov |last=Mukherjee |date=2024-01-22 |accessdate=2024-01-31 |archive-date=January 31, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131062725/https://www.dexerto.com/tekken/tekken-8-rage-art-system-explained-2231190/ |url-status=live }} In it, they knock the opponent back before utilizing a grappling hook to swing into them with their shoulder.

Outside of video games, Leo appears in the manga Tekken Comic, a retelling of the events leading up to Tekken 6, written by Rui Takato and published online as part of a collaboration between Bandai Namco and Ultra Jump.{{cite web |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/comics/the-strange-history-of-tekken-comics/ |title=The Strange History of Tekken Comics |first=Gavin |last=Jasper |date=2017-07-10 |accessdate=2024-01-30 |website=Den of Geek |archive-date=January 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240126080015/https://www.denofgeek.com/comics/the-strange-history-of-tekken-comics/ |url-status=live }} In it, Leo acts as Lili de Rochefort's bodyguard, though does so under the pretense of being named eventual heir to Lili's oil company. Along the way, they befriend Asuka Kazama.{{cite book |title=Tekken Comic |volume=1 |isbn=9784088778266 |first=Rui |last=Takato |publisher=Shueisha |language=Japanese |date=March 2010}} After Lili's company is bought out by Jin Kazama's corporation, Leo at first attempts to quit, but after aggressive coercion on Lili's part, helps the girls attack Jin directly to try and get it back.{{cite book |title=Tekken Comic |volume=2 |isbn=9784088790190 |first=Rui |last=Takato |publisher=Shueisha |language=Japanese |date=March 2010}}

The paper "An Analysis of Gender and Sexuality Performance in Digital Games" in the journal DiGeSt cited Leo as an example of how "non-binary gender performance in digital games can be subversive". Emphasizing the character's "genderqueer" appearance, the authors noted that their attacks had a "possesses the kind of grace typically associated with female characters in the series". They further praised the fact that Leo's presentation was never "problematic", something uncommon in Japanese media in their eyes, where they felt such characters were typically used mainly for comic relief.{{cite journal |journal=DiGeSt. Journal of Diversity and Gender Studies|last1=Biscop |first1=Kilian |last2=Malliet |first2=Steven |last3=Dhoest |first3=Alexander |title=Subversive Ludic Performance: An Analysis of Gender and Sexuality Performance in Digital Games |doi=10.11116/digest.6.2.2 |volume=6 |issue=2 |publisher=Leuven University Press |page=32 |date=2019|doi-access=free }} The book Queerness in Play meanwhile cited Leo as an example of representing a genderless "butch" archetype, though noted beyond that the character represented stereotypes associated with their country, and argued their role in a fighting game as a playable character afforded them a "privileged relational status" as any other character in the title, downplaying their ambiguity.{{cite book |title=Queerness in Play |pages=44–45, 48 |isbn=9783319905426 |publisher=Springer International Publishing |first1=Meghan Blythe |last1=Adams |first2=Nicholas |last2=Taylor |first3=Todd |last3=Harper |date=October 2018}}

Clemson University lecturer D. Leland Fecher shared similar observations in a paper for Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture, examining the handling of gender in the Tekken franchise. He cited that while Leo's speed and fighting style fit female characters in the franchise, the strength of the attacks was more typical of male characters, and coupled with Leo's average height added to the ambiguity regarding Leo's gender and how one could perceive it. However, Fecher noticed that this also caused uncertainty in players, leaving them uncomfortable rather than embracing it as a progressive move on the part of the developers. He cited players posting to blogs and message boards that when discussing the character acknowledged Leo's gender ambiguity as an aspect of the character, but then questioned if the character was male or female directly afterward. Fecher observed that some players also made derogatory comments towards the character if they considered Leo to be male. He stated his observations were not meant to paint players in a negative light, but instead observe how they reacted when an anomaly such as an ambiguous character was inserted in a game series that had to that point defined clear gender identifiers amongst the cast, and hoped developers could learn from such reactions when implementing such characters in future games.{{cite journal |title=Gender Issues, Fighting Games, and Progress: Finding a Place for a Genderless Character in Tekken 6 |journal=Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture |issue=2 |volume=12 |page=5 |year=2012 |first=D. Leland |last=Fecher |issn=1547-4348}}

Ruchi Kher Jaggi, in a paper for the Mass Communicator, wrote that Leo was rarely used in mature content and that there were complaints due to the perception that they may be transgender.{{cite journal |journal=Mass Communicator: International Journal of Communication Studies |first=Ruchi Kher |last=Jaggi |title=Gender construction in video games: A Discourse |date=March 2014 |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=14–19 |doi=10.5958/j.0973-967X.8.1.002}} Tom Goulter of GamesRadar+ commented briefly on the character's use in such media, stating that after Harada's statements regarding the character, Leo saw increased appearances on "dodgy fan-art sites all over the Internet" due to the implied "newly-announced femaleness".{{cite web|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/tekken-tag-tournament-2-characters-meet-55-here/4/ |page=4 |title=Tekken Tag Tournament 2 roster – Meet all 55 fighters|first=Tom|last=Goulter|website=GamesRadar+|date=April 3, 2013|access-date=May 6, 2015|archive-date=April 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150422215456/http://www.gamesradar.com/tekken-tag-tournament-2-characters-meet-55-here/|url-status=live}} Stacey Henley, in an article for VG247, acknowledged that while the character's gender status was ambiguous, they could be read as male-presenting transgender by audiences, and helped emphasize in Henley's eyes how few well-handled female-presenting transgender characters there were in major gaming titles in comparison to their counterparts.{{cite web |first=Stacey |last=Henley |website=VG247 |title=Games like The Last of Us Part 2 are giving trans men a spotlight nobody else will |accessdate=2024-01-27 |date=2020-07-14 |url=https://www.vg247.com/videogames-trans-men |archive-date=January 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240128002103/https://www.vg247.com/videogames-trans-men |url-status=live }}

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Category:Fictional German people in video games

Category:Fictional androgynes

Category:Fictional bajiquan practitioners

Category:LGBTQ and video games

Category:Tekken characters

Category:Video game characters introduced in 2007