Leon Belmont

Leon Belmont was a noble knight in Europe during late 11th century, and the protagonist of Castlevania: Lament of Innocence. He lost both parents at a very young age, and was knighted at 16. Leon was also a good friend of Mathias Cronqvist. When his dear lady Sara Trantoul was whisked away by the vampire Walter Bernhard, he entered the castle grounds unarmed, but was given a Whip of Alchemy, a whip that was blessed with the power of alchemy, by the old man Rinaldo Gandolfi, who lived on the grounds. Using his whip and magic gauntlet, he entered the castle in hopes to find and rescue his fiancée.

With the exception of Gabriel Belmont, who exists in a separate canon, Leon is the earliest named member of the Belmont clan. He was the first to use the Vampire Killer Whip and was responsible for swearing his family to fight evil for eternity.

Family relations
According to Koji Igarashi's ideal timeline, Leon Belmont is the earliest, as well as the very first known member of the Belmont clan, making him the ancestor to all of the later known members of the Belmont clan so far.

Sara Trantoul was Leon's fiancée, but she was captured by the vampire Walter Bernhard and was then bitten by him. Only by sacrificing herself to be entwined with the sacred whip could Walter then be stricken down by Leon. This was how the whip, Vampire Killer, acquired its power.

Leon was a nobleman, but was forced to renounce his title to go after Walter and save Sara. Future Belmonts would therefore come from far humbler backgrounds.

Legacy
So far, Leon has only starred in a single Castlevania game, Castlevania: Lament of Innocence. However, chronologically, he is the earliest known Belmont in the Belmont clan, living in the late 11th century. Lament of Innocence takes place in 1094 in particular. Leon's adventures in Lament of Innocence can also be chronicled in the 2007 cell phone manga by the same name.

As the first Belmont in the vampire slayer business, later games and franchises often point back to him.
 * An early script of the Castlevania film featured a scene where Trevor Belmont and his brother Christopher uncover a mural that told the tale of Leon's struggle against Mathias.
 * When Christopher Belmont is troubled by dreams that seem to be a prelude to Dracula's revival in the American comic series Castlevania: The Belmont Legacy, he seeks solace in Legacy Cemetary, his family's cemetery. A great statue of Leon Belmont is the first monument he comes across and later Belmonts appear after him in chronological order.
 * In the 2007 cell phone game Castlevania: Order of Shadows, Zoe and Dolores Belmont find hidden away in The Order's possession the gauntlet which Rinaldo had enchanted for Leon, which enabled the hero Desmond Belmont to be able to use alchemy items. It is later learned that the Vampire Killer whip possesses memories of and a connection to the spirit of those who have come in contact with it.
 * In the 2006 Nintendo DS game Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, Jonathan Morris and Charlotte Aulin are able to summon Leon's strength along with four other great Belmonts in The Greatest Five attack, where they each strike using the whip in succession.

Other Information
Official background: He is a baron who is revered as the most powerful of the land's knights. Casting aside fame and fortune to save his abducted betrothed, he ventures into the vampire's castle alone.