Leon von Schroeder
Leon von Schroeder (レオンハルト・フォン・シュレイダー, Leonhart von Schroeder) is the younger brother of Zigfried von Schroeder and a highly skilled Duelist. Competing under the alias Leon Wilson (レオン・ウィルソン), he enters Kaiba's KC Grand Championship to aid his brother in seeking revenge against Kaiba Corporation, though he also hopes for the chance to Duel his longtime idol, Yugi Muto.
| Names | Leon von Schroeder (レオンハルト・フォン・シュレイダー, Leonhart von Schroeder), Leon Wilson |
| Gender | Male ♂ |
| Race | Human |
| Occupation | Duelist, Vice President of the Schroeder Corporation |
| Origin | Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters Episode 185: Unwanted Guest - Part 1, ＫＣグランプリ開幕 Kei Shī Guran Puri Kaimaku lit, KC Grand Prix Begins (December 24, 2003) |
| Alignment | Good |
| Age | Child |
| Created By | Studio Gallop, Nihon Ad Systems |
| Personality Type | INFP, 9w1 (Enneagram) |
| Voice Actors |  Japanese: Seiko Noguchi
|
Appearance
Leon has hazel eyes and dark maroon hair, tied back with a hairband, contrasting with Zigfried’s pink hair. His usual attire consists of a light-blue long-sleeved school shirt, a cream-colored vest adorned with a school insignia, navy-blue shorts, white knee socks, and black dress shoes. As a child, he wore a dark green jacket over a white shirt and tie, along with dark green shorts, black socks, and brown dress shoes.
Personality
Leon is polite and respectful, though he sometimes doubts his own abilities, particularly after advancing past the first round of the tournament. Despite his humility, he maintains an optimistic outlook and genuinely enjoys Dueling, never boasting about his victories. However, during his match against Yugi, his usual cheerful demeanor shifts to a more determined and aggressive approach as he fights to support his brother, unaware of Zigfried’s true intentions.
Leon idolizes Zigfried but is aware that his brother’s actions are misguided. He is also an avid admirer of Yugi, having followed his journey since Duelist Kingdom. In a scene removed from the dub, Leon is shown watching Yugi’s tournament matches on television. His admiration culminates in the KC Grand Championship, where he finally gets the opportunity to challenge Yugi in the finals.
Biography
Background
Leon was often overlooked by his family, who were primarily focused on preparing Zigfried to inherit their company. Whenever he sought attention or tried to spend time with his brother, he was scolded for being a distraction.
Developing a love for fairy tales, Leon discovered Duel Monsters and wrote to Maximillion Pegasus, requesting the creation of fairy tale-themed cards. Pegasus agreed and sent him the completed cards, fueling his passion for the game. Excelling in both Dueling and computers, Leon began entering tournaments under a false name to avoid his family's interference. Eventually, Zigfried discovered his activities, but rather than being upset, he was impressed. Recognizing his younger brother’s talents, Zigfried invited Leon to assist in managing their family business, promising that he would never be alone again.
KC Grand Championship
Leon first encounters Yugi after a Duel Machine match, during which the arena is locked down due to Zigfried hacking the system. He watches as Yugi defeats the machine using Rick’s Deck. Later, at the tournament’s opening party, Leon shyly introduces himself to Yugi and Joey, revealing that he is also a competitor. When Roland formally introduces him, he describes Leon as a Dueling prodigy, surprising Yugi and his friends.
In the tournament's first round, Leon is matched against Doctor Goat. Tea wishes him luck, causing him to blush at her encouragement. Despite being confused by his opponent’s eccentric behavior, Leon secures a victory and watches as the doctor is carried away on a stretcher by his nurse assistants.
Leon’s next Duel is against Ethan Shark, where he secures an overwhelming victory, finishing the match with all 4000 of his Life Points intact. However, Zigfried's second virus attack sends the haunted house arena into chaos, disrupting not only Leon’s match but also the other ongoing Duels.
In the semi-finals, Leon faces Rebecca Hawkins in a closely contested battle. The match is initially even, but Leon’s Fairy Tale cards prove too formidable for Rebecca. He systematically counters each of her strategies, ultimately turning her own Diamond Head Dragon against her with Thorn Princess, securing his victory. After the Duel, he attempts to console Rebecca, but she, frustrated by her loss, snaps at him before reminding him that the tournament is far from over.
Following Zigfried’s disqualification, Leon is unknowingly drawn into his brother’s scheme to destroy KaibaCorp. Zigfried hands him Golden Castle of Stromberg, explaining that it will bring prestige to their family by humiliating Kaiba. Unaware of the card’s true purpose—to release a virus into KaibaCorp’s systems—Leon accepts it in good faith.
In the finals against Yami Yugi, Leon gradually realizes Zigfried's true intentions. He ultimately refuses to aid his brother, but by then, Golden Castle of Stromberg is already in play, and he is unable to remove it. Yugi devises a strategy to use the card’s effect against itself, destroying it while Seto Kaiba works to neutralize the virus. With Golden Castle gone, Leon considers surrendering, but Yugi encourages him to fight to the end. Leon pushes forward, summoning Hexe Trude, but despite Yugi being down to his last card, he manages to claim victory with a combination of Necromancy, Diffusion Wave-Motion, and Dark Magician.
After the Duel, Yugi commends Leon for his strength and courage, causing him to break down in tears of joy. Zigfried, still believing his virus was successful, is quickly proven wrong when Kaiba reveals that not only was the virus neutralized, but all data had been fully restored, crushing Zigfried’s plan. However, Leon reassures his brother, sharing what he learned from his Duel with Yugi. Touched by Leon’s words, Zigfried embraces him in gratitude, their bond finally mended.
Leon makes a final appearance in episode 220, standing on the balcony of his castle, gazing at the sky. In the Japanese ending, he is seen alongside Zigfried, who is attempting to negotiate a business deal with Maximillion Pegasus.
Deck
Leon uses a Fairy Tale Deck, composed of cards that were specially created by Maximillion Pegasus upon Leon's request, based on fairy tale creatures (in the dub, he says that Pegasus felt the same way he did about fairy tales and decided to make the series of his own volition). Leon's Deck is varied and balanced, with effects ranging from effect negation with "Curse of Thorns" to swarming the field with "Iron Hans" and "Cinderella". His cards largely lack pure power, with only "Globerman" and "Hexe Trude" being stand-out attackers. Leon circumvents this with monster destruction effects like "Spinning Wheel Spindle" and "Gingerbread House".
Trivia
- Leon is the last Duelist Yugi and Atem face as one.
- In the English dub, he has the same voice actor as Noah Kaiba and Mako Tsunami.
