Burns Leonard

Japanese name:	レオナルド・バーンズ
Nickname:	White Lion

Leonard Burns was a Third Generation pyrokinetic, and the captain of Special Fire Force Company 1. As a citizen and a priest, it was a sense of duty that had Leonard work for the church, but ever since encountering the Evangelist, his faith in The Holy Sol Temple started to waver.

Leonard is a somewhat intimidating, but nice person. He is respected by his team-mates and values his recruits, rushing in to save them from jeopardy, personally thanking those who help them and checking on them if they are wounded. He has known a tendency to have his arms folded until a situation force his hand. When it comes to fighting, Leonard has shown to have a very serious attitude, overwhelming his opponents with ruthless might, even when they are dramatically weaker than he is. Leonard has a secretive and stoic presence, abandoning pleasantries in order to avoid difficult discussions and people he wishes to remain distance from. This behaviour leads Shinra and Akitaru to believe that Burns is hiding crucial information to further his own ends. This was proven true as he hides his past experience with the Adolla and secretly investigates the Adolla to find out the truth on his personal time. When he chooses to reveal his secrets, Burns is very direct and blunt due to his belief that emotions should not factor into a Fire Solider's role to protect the greater good. He instead places great value on strength and certainty, feeling that being strong enough to act on information is needed in order to learn it.

Though generally calm, even in the most dire situations, Onyango sees Leonard as a hot-headed and stubborn man despite outward appearances. Once he has decided on his course of action, Burns will not stop until he has succeeded. Shinra feels that Burns acts without explaining himself to anyone because he thinks all of his actions are justified. Causing him to ignore opposing viewpoints and the consequences of his actions to get his way. Burns himself admits that he is a stubborn old veteran incapable of changing. In private, Burns expresses frustration with the Cardinals of the Holy Sol Temple restricting his freedom to act and admits to having a no real faith in the Church's teachings after his experiences. Despite seemingly looking down on those who lack a singular drive in life for wandering through life: Burns is a very independent thinker and actor, Exploring The Netherworld, an unholy place in the eyes of society, without fear or guilt. In spite of these issues and his attitude, Burns not only sees the Holy Sol as important to the Empire's stability but he maintains his faith in a god. Even after encountering the Evangelist, he continued to pray. Praying out of respect and habit as opposed to doing so out of any desire to protect himself or others. Burns states that he will always be a priest and will always believe, even if there is nothing to believe in. Despite his frustrations with the organisation, he will defend the church from attack and work within it for the sake of social order. Because of his lifetime spent protecting the Tokyo Empire and his dogmatic commitment to his station, he is unwilling to change the world or challenge the nature of things.

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