Along with the extensive overhaul to the team lineup of KOF '96, Leona entered the series as a replacement for Heidern, leader of the Ikari Team. Introducing the plot element of Heidern's adopted daughter had been dreamed up by the game designers before the production of KOF '96, and the details surrounding her origins gradually came to include a crucial role as a descendant of the Orochi tribe. Designed with the ardent love of her designers, Leona's special moves are markedly unique compared to the other characters, and reveal the particular tastes of her designers.