Leon Scott Kennedy's Past & Misc. Facts

I receive a lot of e-mails regarding Leon's past and the events leading up to his arrival in Raccoon City. I've never held an official source in my hand from Capcom (like a video game guide, or an interview) stating the information below is correct. However, big Resident Evil information websites like the Resident Evil Wika, among others, state the information is true and that it's from a translated Official Japanese Resident Evil game guide. If anyone has more official sources, scans, and goodies to share with me regarding the mysterious subject of Leon Scott Kennedy's past (or other misc. facts), please share. Forgive the mess while I research and await your informed feedback.

Leon Scott Kennedy's Family

The following quotes are purportedly from the aforementioned Japanese Resident Evil Game Guide:

"When I was a kid, my family was involved in crime, which left them all dead."

Additionally, he says:

"By becoming a police officer I will save as many people as possible, even alone."

Considering the weight of that situation, it's strange that Leon would be so optimistic and fresh in Resident Evil 2. The Resident Evil 2 Leon gives me the impression that he had a perfect, adjusted life in an upper-middle-class family that wears sweater vests from the GAP. (Because that's what white-people do, wear sweater vests; count their money, and plot, plot into the night.)

According to this information, Leon's family was involved in a crime with a weight serious enough to leave them all dead. This just doesn't fit, and it makes me wonder when this was written. After Resident Evil 2, or after Resident Evil 4? I'm fairly certain this rubbish wasn't made official before Leon's conception and premier in Resident Evil 2. He's just too idealistic and sweet of a character. He's not the chip-on-the-shoulder "I hadda rough past" type. He's not Sin City's Marv (and even Marv had a mom!) Not initially, anyway.

Leon's Lighter

Leon's lighter (You used it to solve some puzzles in Resident Evil 2, remember?) is mentioned in the Japanese guide as well. According to the guide, the lighter is his father's, and it "gives rise to courage" on his part. On that note, we learn early in Resident Evil 4 that Leon doesn't smoke. Yet he's not without his vices, Leon does enjoy his liquor. The guide goes on to say Brandy is what he favors. On the subject on liquor...

Leon's sloppy drunken night, how liquor changes Leon Scott Kennedy's Fate

I've been informed that the merely 21-year-old Leon, barely drinking age, went on a drunken bender in a motel the night before he arrived in Raccoon City! This is more uncharacteristic than knowing his motivation for joining the police force was a crime tinged past...and it gets worse.

According to the sources, Leon stayed up all night drinking because he just suffered a bad break-up with his girlfriend. If you're an asshole like me and bend this right, you have two options to consider:

a) Ada is the "rebound" girl.
b) Or Leon is a complete whiney faggot pussy.

I like both explanations and I'll apply both in my mind for now. A directly translated quote provided to me goes like this:

"But before being hired by the police, he splits up with his sweetheart of the land, which he lived with and is in uproar to stay together, before finally separating the day before and deciding to move ahead... After all, having split up the previous day he travels to Raccoon City with all-night vigil prepared for the barrel. However, in the middle of wild drinking at the motel on the way to Raccoon City, unable to contact the R.P.D. is puzzling and arrives at night, which... Thanks to being late... His destiny is largely changed."

I must repeat, "Sweetheart of the land"? ...in any case, Leon being emotional over a break-up is more in-character than some other nonsense Capcom made up about his past thus far. And I bet he met and fell in love with this girl in one day, too. Such is the grand tradition of ridiculousness in fiction.

Hobbies & The Single Life

Without too many official sources concerned about Leon's life outside of the Zombie-Action, I deduced what his usual hobbies include. He asks Hunnigan out and flirts with her at the end of Resident Evil 4, suggesting he's out spreading his royal seed and working off some stress the fun way whenever he gets a chance. However, the Japanese game guide suggests he's chosen to walk the lonely road of the single life. Read this quote:

By the way, he is not a cigarette smoker, and thinks it's [katsukoii]*. He favors Brandy. However, the drink is expensive. On holidays he turns off the lights and quietly watches movies alone. His favorite title is "French Connection".

Replace Brandy with Rum and add crafting artwork into the mix and this is one of my favored past times, good taste, Leon. "French Connection" is a pimpin' drug bust cop-movie released in '71.

Like I stated earlier, some of this information could be wrong, although I have various sources to the contrary. Feel free to share your findings with me via e-mail.

*katsukoii is supposedly the Japanese formal for a "Cool" used in the male form.