Resident Evil 2 director Hideki Kamiya has officially verified a decades-old fan theory, confirming that the iconic protagonist Leon S. Kennedy was named after the lead character in Luc Besson’s 1994 cult classic film, Léon: The Professional.
The Inspiration Behind the Name
Writing on X (formerly Twitter), Kamiya recounted the development process of his directorial debut, Resident Evil 2. During the production, he consulted series creator Shinji Mikami regarding the naming of the game’s new protagonist. After several of his initial suggestions were rejected, Kamiya proposed the name “Leon,” inspired by the protagonist of the film he had recently watched.
Connecting the Dots: The Matilda Connection
While Leon Kennedy and the hitman portrayed by Jean Reno share little in personality, the cinematic connection runs deeper than just a name. In the film, the character Léon takes in a 12-year-old girl named Mathilda, famously played by Natalie Portman. In subsequent Resident Evil titles, players can unlock a handgun named the “Matilda,” which is made available alongside the “Professional” difficulty setting—a clear nod to the movie’s title and its central relationship.
Separating Fact from Development Folklore
Kamiya clarified that while the name Leon was his choice, the inclusion of the Matilda handgun was not his doing. He credits other members of the Capcom development team for that specific easter egg. This revelation serves as another example of how fan theories regarding the series’ development—much like the long-rumored history behind the original concept for Resident Evil 4 evolving into Devil May Cry—are finally being put to rest by those who were actually in the room.
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