Game:Squall Leonhart

First confrontation
Sora first encounters Leon in Traverse Town, after exploring the place and going into the Accessory Shop for the first time. Here, Leon's attacks are rather basic - he does a few occasional slashes and casts fireballs on Sora every now and then, but each attack deals substantial damage to Sora (considering that Sora's stats are low and the game has just begun).

It is recommended that Sora train to Level 9 and above; the Scan and Guard abilities would come in handy too - Guard should be used to fend off the fire - deflecting fireballs will make Leon let his guard down for a while ; but when used against Leon himself he will immediately countterattack, rendering the Guard ability useless. Also, do not be shy about using the Keyblade: attack and block Leon's slashes while you can. One advantage of this battle is that you have the entire First District as a battlefield, so when you are out of Leon's reach and your HP is depleting, use a Potion quickly.

Should you fail in this battle, don't fret - the outcome is more or less the same, whether you win or lose.

One very useful strategy is to keep your distance and wait for Leon to fire a fireball. You can attack to deflect it, doing damage and stunning Leon. You can then hit him with a combo without fear of getting hit, then retreat and repeat the process.

Pegasus Cup
Leon and Yuffie appear as the first seed in the Pegasus Cup, and Leon's abilities improve significantly here. Start by defeating Yuffie first, as she has less HP, and then concentrate on Leon.

This time, apart from the occasional slashes and fireballs, Leon goes into Limit Break mode when he has less than half of his HP left (i.e. when his Gunblade becomes longer and has a blue glow to it which is often referred to as Blasting Zone), making him more difficult to defeat. Furthermore, while Leon is in Limit Break mode, his attacks become more powerful. You may use melee attacks on him while he is not in Limit Break mode, and as in the previous encounter, fend off the fireballs with Guard.

While he is in Limit Break mode, there are a few instances where he will walk (note: walk, not run) towards Sora and attack him. This is the cue for Sora to use Guard to fend off his attacks. When several Guards are performed successfully, Leon's Limit Break stops and he has to power up. This move may be time-consuming, but it does give Sora more experience everytime he deflects Leon's attacks.

When Leon runs towards Sora and plunges the Gunblade into the ground, it is best to attack Leon from the back. Continue doing so until Leon's HP is depleted. As in the previous encounter, do not be shy about using the Keyblade, because Leon can now heal when his HP is running out. Do also remember to heal when necessary.

It should be noted that Leon uses the same strategy in the Hades Cup, except that instead of Yuffie, Leon's combat partner is Cloud. Here, it is advisable to defeat Leon first before concentrating on Cloud.

Kingdom Hearts
"It's over!" "Get this!" "Dodge this!" "Power!" "Now you've got my attention!" "You don't stand a chance against me!" "Hey, you need a break?" "What's the matter? Had enough?" "Hey, gimme a break." "No way...I can't lose..."

Kingdom Hearts II
"Here goes!" "It's over!" "I'll help out!" "Go!" "I'm better, give it up..." "So that's it..."