Proud & Princely; from the charismatic Napoleon Bonaparte, to the perfectionist Naoe Kanetsugu, Leo otome love interests share two noticeable traits – a noble air of elegance, and a self-awareness of their own exceptional abilities.

In the third instalment of our Zodiac Reviews series, we look at a selection of characters born between July 22 and August 22: in other words, Leo; the sign of the lion.

The characters we have selected are: Leon Dompteur from Ikemen Prince, Naoe Kanetsugu and Imagawa Yoshimoto from Ikemen Sengoku, Napoleon Bonaparte from Ikemen Vampire, and Barbatos from Obey Me.

Note: Barbatos’ birthday is August 22, so he’s technically on the cusp of Leo and Virgo, but it turns out we have far more Virgos on the Zodiac Reviews list, so we’ve chosen to include him in the Leo group instead.

If you’re curious about other star signs, we previously reviewed Gemini and Cancer love interests in the articles listed below:

• Tricksters & Twins | Gemini Love Interests in Otome Games | Zodiac Reviews #1
• Pure-hearted & Determined | Cancer Love Interests in Otome Games | Zodiac Reviews #2

About Leos

If you’re not familiar with astrological stereotypes, Leos are generally considered to be proud, outgoing, and courageous, with the regal lion as their symbol.

They’re thought to be trail-blazers and natural leaders, with the element of fire and its associations being a prominent theme in the interpretation of this sign.

“…Leo isn’t self-aggrandizing or unwilling to roll up those sleeves and do the work: this sign knows that in order to be respected and admired, he or she needs to put in the effort worthy of a leader.”

– Horoscope.com

Regardless of your opinion on astrology and its authenticity in reality, it still makes for an interesting trope in fiction. In the context of otome games, a lot of attention gets devoted to character design, including archetypes, personality traits, and even character birthdays, as fans enjoy celebrating the special day of their favourite love interests (LIs).

This ‘Zodiac Reviews’ series looks at otome game LIs and their star signs to see if a character’s birthday may hint at their personality. In other words, we aim to determine whether there is such a thing as an astrologically-based character archetype.

Leo Characters

Leo Archetype

All of the characters we looked at in this review demonstrated a strong affinity with the ‘ouji-sama’ (Prince) archetype, with three of the four being political and military leaders, and Barbatos being the butler to the Prince of Hell. With an effortless grace, they excel at their craft, whether it be conquering most of Europe, finding the optimal tea for any given situation, or honing their keen eye for beauty.

These tropes correlate with the astrological stereotypes associated with the Leo Zodiac; proud, bold natural leaders. Like the lion, these otome love interests can’t help but gather admirers, as people of all persuasions find themselves instinctively drawn to the Leo’s natural charisma.

Recommendations

Unfortunately, Naoe Kanetsugu and Imagawa Yoshimoto aren’t currently available in Ikemen Sengoku, but with the release of Act 2, their routes shouldn’t be too far away. I’m particularly curious about Kanetsugu, as his backstory of rising from commoner to noble Samurai sounds intriguing, and I love watching rude, cold-hearted love interests gradually reveal their softer side.

Obey Me doesn’t feature individual routes, but Barbatos is a prevalent character in the main story, and there are side-stories you can unlock through collecting cards or participating in events. If you’re interested in an LI who’s quite literally “one hell of a butler”, then you’ll find what you’re looking for in this elegant demon.

If you prefer to pursue a character in their own route, then Napoleon is your best bet for a Leo romance. The poster boy for Ikemen Vampire, Napoleon is incredibly charismatic, which is understandable considering the things he achieved before mysteriously showing up at Le Comte’s mansion.

He’s chivalrous, kind, and shows a sincere interest in MC and her work, even starting his own journal so he can better understand her life before the mansion. With his iconic laugh and bizarre morning ritual, Napoleon is a unique character with an authentic, noble heart.

I haven’t yet finished my playthrough of Leon Dompteur (Ikemen Prince was only just released on English servers at the time of writing this review), but so far he seems to be about as Leo as a Leo could hope to be. He’s a literal prince (ouji-sama), whose crest is an actual lion, and his name (Leon) also means ‘lion’.

He’s a bold, striking character who tends to dominate the room no matter where he is, or whether he’s dressed in his royal finery or common clothes. It’s too soon to say if I’d recommend Leon Dompteur, but my first impressions of his character are definitely positive. If you’re looking for a love interest who, so far, appears to be a quintessential Leo, then you’ll find what you’re looking for in Ikemen Prince’s Leon Dompteur.

You’ll like Leo love interests if you like: princes, charismatic love interests, natural-born leaders, prideful characters, attaining the unattainable, lions, and otome characters who excel at their work.

Game Info

Characters and games mentioned in this article:

• Naoe Kanetsugu | Ikemen Sengoku
• Imagawa Yoshimoto | Ikemen Sengoku
• Napoleon Bonaparte | Ikemen Vampire
• Barbatos | Obey Me!
• Leon Dompteur | Ikemen Prince

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