Leon Bronev

"It is perfect weather for a day of world domination!"

- Leon Bronev

Leon Bronev is the secondary antagonist in the second trilogy of the videogame series Professor Layton and had his first appearance as a tertiary antagonist in "Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask". He acts as the main antagonist of the sixth and last game, though at the end of the game the Voice of the Azran takes this role. Bronev is the leader of a criminal organization called Targent. Like Jean Descole, Bronev wants the three legacies of the Azran Civilisation.

Leon's past
Leon Bronev was an archaeologist who specialized in the Azran civilization. He lived with his wife, Rachel, and children, Hershel and Theodore, in a village. When his sons were still young, Targent learned of his findings and kidnapped him and his wife, leaving Hershel and Theodore as orphans. His obsession with the Azran civilization led him to climb the ranks of Targent. His obsession only grew after the death of his wife. Eventually, Bronev becomes the leader of Targent.

The Miracle Mask
To get the Mask of Chaos and the Mask of Order, he took a room in the Reunion Inn, the hotel in which Jean Descole and the Masked Gentleman had established their hideout.

In the end, he captures Descole after he discovered the Infinite Vault of Akbadain with his private army and tries to unmask him. Suddenly, Descole's butler Raymond saves him by throwing a smoke bomb between the TARGENT agents. When the smoke's clear, Descole has disappeared and Bronev secures the ruins of Akbadain.

The Azran Legacy
He appears in a cave in the snowy town called Froenborg, after Professor Layton and professor Sycamore released a girl related to the Azran Civilization from an ice wall. He kidnaps the girl and takes her with him in his giant warplane.

In the end, he raises the Azran Dolls and has to redeem himself to stop them, as they want to destroy the world. He is arrested afterwards, alongside the remainder of Targent, by Inspector Grosky; as he did so, he apologized to Layton, calling him by his birth name, Theodore Bronev. Layton refused to answer by that name, saying he was called "Hershel Layton", and that Leon had no right to call himself a father. However, Layton then said that he hope one day he and Leon can become friends, regardless of their past.

Trivia

 * His English first name Leon may come from his lion-like appearance and his determined personality.
 * Leon Bronev seems to be a tribute to Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the primary villain of the James Bond film series. The similarities to the famous supervillain include the operation of a large, evil organization, a similar sounding name, and his initial appearance with a hidden face while stroking a cat (or a ferret in Bronev's case).
 * In the final scene of the US version of the Miracle Mask, Bronev remarks "It is perfect weather for a day of world domination" when he first gets out of the car. This line is dropped in the British version.
 * This last point is heavily ironic, given the fact that Bronev joined Targent following the death of his partner, who wanted him to utilize the Azran Legacy in order to build a peaceful world. However, he is prepared to kill people if necessary - whether this is a bluff or not is unknown.