Leonard Burns

is a Third Generation Captain of Special Fire Force Company 1. He was the Fire Soldier who responded to the Kusakabe house fire 12 years ago.

Appearance
Leonardo is a tall man with wavy grey hair, with some of it being styled into a ponytail in the back. He has a bearded chin-strap and green-colored eyes,​​​​​  one of which is covered by a black eye-patch. This eye-patch becomes enveloped in white flames whenever Leonardo uses his Ignition Ability. It is revealed that hidden right eye is severely burned and seemingly non-functional. Leonardo's outfit consists of the protective outer jacket, which he wears over his shoulders, a white collared shirt, dark-colored trousers and boots and a light-colored belt. His protective outer jacket is coated with blue lines and the buttons on it are in shape of cross-like symbols. Leonardo's outfit contains patches with "1" on them, to signify his affiliation to Special Fire Force Company 1.

Personality
Leonardo is a somewhat intimidating, but nice person. He is respected by his fellow team-mates  and also values his recruits and is willing to save them from jeopardy. Leonardo has a secretive and stoic presence, abandoning pleasantries in order to avoid difficult discussions and people he wishes to remain distance from, which leads Shinra and Akitaru to believe that Burns is hidding crucial information to further his own ends. When he chooses to reveal himself, 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 has known a tendency to have his arms folded until a situation force his hand. When it comes to fighting, Leonardo has shown to have a very serious attitude, overwhelming his opponents with ruthless might, even when they are dramatically weaker than he is. He places a great value on strength and certainty. Though is generally calm, even in dire situations, Onyango claims that Leonardo is ultimately 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.

Abilities
Leonardo is a veteran who has made a name for himself through his abilities. Burns' pyrokinetic Ignition Ability   is known as Fire Incarnate. Using it, he can burn the flames inside his body like a furnace to increase his physical abilities with thermal energy. Doing so, Leonardo was able to push away the plasma on Arthur Boyle's Excalibur back at him and redirect the flames of Shinra's kicks by intercepting the kicks with his palms. The sheer force created by this heat is enough to prevent opponents from getting close to Burns, unless they greatly enhance the speed and force of their attacks. Additionally, Burns is able to deal a heavy concussive blows to his opponents through the use of this intense heat, without touching them. Even by just heating his arm he is capable of killing an Infernal with a single blow.

Leonardo's sturdy body allows him to land from extraordinary heights without repercussions, withstand critical attacks without flinching,  contuined fighting desoite being in crippling pain and his speed grants him the ability to react to and deflect enemy attacks with ease.

Background
While acting as the link between the light and shadow of The Holy Sol Temple, Leonardo took care of 52 in the Netherworld. After Amaterasu released a ton of Infernals, he and 52 targeted them. Upon encountering one such Infernal, he noticed something strange about it, during the battle it somehow established an Adolla Link with the pair, causing his right eye to set ablaze, while 52's left eye suffered the same damage. Witnessing the Evangelist, Leonardo assumed it was an illusion, before he and 52 returned to their world where Burns quickly killed the Infernal. 52 revealed he had grabbed onto an ignited stone from the place they were just in, proving that it wasn't an illusion they experienced before storing it in a bottle. Seeing Adolla destroyed Leonarado's faith, leading to him investigating the church to discover a truth incompatible with how people understand his world. Using his position of the Captain of Company 1 for all kinds of research, he found nothing in the Church connected to the past, but by coincidence, while researching the long forgotten Netherworld, Leonardo discovered the diary of Raffles I's wife.

In Year 186, when the Kusakabe's house caught fire, the 38 year old Leonardo attended the scene fifteen minutes after it started with Onyango. As he entered and searched for Shinra's mother and baby brother, Burns encountered a Demon Infernal holding Shō and felt the fire in his left eye burn out of control due to the Evangelist's involvment. When the Infernal left the house, it began to collapse, forcing the brigade to evacuating outside. Afterwards, Leonardo lied to Shinra about his family perishing in the fire, in an attempt to make the boy fear the flames to ultimately avoid him using his Ignition Ability and joining the Special Fire Force.

Introduction arc
Leonardo attends the Rookie Fire Soldier Games to support his brigade's new officer, where he is stumbled upon by Shinra. When the boy introduces himself, Leonardo realizes that he knows who the boy is, and tells him that he has no time for idle chit-chat. Shinra attempts to catch up to him, asking if he remembers an incident twelve years prior, but Leonardo replies that he doesn't and advises him to go get prepared for the tournament, which leads Shinra to believe that the man is hiding something from him. When the building, the tournament was held in, catches fire, Leonardo rescues his recruits and later thanks Shinra for helping her out. Afterwards, he asks for an explanation on what happened inside the building, as the tournament gets halted.

VS. 1st Special Fire Brigade arc
After the scuffle between Special Fire Force Companies 5 and 8, Karim Fulham, Rekka Hoshimiya and Foien Li are approached by Leonardo and together they discuss the event. When trainees from the 2nd, 5th and 8th Brigades arrive at the 1st Special Fire Fighting Cathedral, Leonardo directs their training regiment, dictating the fights. Later, Leonardo fights Arthur and makes quick work of him, putting out his Excalibur's plasma by bending it back at him. Shinra then jumps in to fight him, attempting to kick him with his Ignition Ability, but Leonardo manages to intercept all of the Fire Soldier's kicks with his palms. When Shinra manages to hit Leonardo's stomach, the Battalion Commander, without flinching, uses it as an opportunity to inflict a heavy blow to Shinra without touching him, which ends the fight in his favour and finishes the combat training of the trainees. Leonardo and his brigade later confront and defeat giant Infernal in the Shinjuku area of Tokyo.

Preacher Pursuit arc
Leonardo and Karim, alongside the seven Battalion Commanders and Fire Soldiers of the Special Fire Forces, attends a meeting with Raffles III, where Adolla Burst and the issues involving the Human Body Ignition Phenomenon are brought up.

Netherworld arc
Leonardo apologises to Onyango for interrupting his retirement after the Hoshimiya incident. Onyango dismisses his concerns and instead asks Burns if his right eye was feeling given the frequency of the small earthquakes recently, Burns simply replies he didn't want Shinra to come to Company 1. As Company 8 seeks medical treatment for Shinra at the Special Fire Fighting Defence Clinic 6, Leonardo approaches him as he recovering from his surgery. Intending to tell Shinra the truth behind the fire incident involving his family, the two move to the courtyard, where Leonardo answered all of Shinra's questions and informed Shinra he knew Sho was abducted by the White-Clad.

When Shinra grabs him in anger, Burns knocks him away and states he will only explain further if Shinra shows he is strong enough. Beginning to fight, he admires Shinra's newfound speed and recognises the concept of 'divine protection'. After sparing briefly, Burns beings to unleash a mass amounts of heat powerful enough to blow Shinra away and preventing him through getting within striking distance. Eventually, Shinra's kick finally connects with Leonardo, resulting in him acknowledging Shinra's commitment to the truth and power, and recounting what happen 12 years ago. As Burns turns to leave, Shinra asks him about his knowledge of the Adolla, leading to Leonardo admiting to seeing it before.

Fifth Pillar arc
Within Company 1's church, Leonardo and Onyango discuss Company 8 moving against the Preacher. The priest asks if their brigade will cooperate with them, which Leonardo replies with telling him there's not much more Company 1 can do other than what Tamaki and Karim are already doing.

VS. Holy Sol Temple arc
Appearing before Joker and Benimaru in the Netherworld after they defeated the Shadow of the Holy Sun, he told Joker to come at him, but changes his mind after Benimaru wanted to join in. Seeking the secret of the church, Leonardo hands them an old diary as a clue for their mission. When Joker askes about the True Scriptures, Burns cames they not exist and that the church isn't deliberately hiding anything. However, the diary impiles that Raffles I underwent an exterme personaility shift before founding the Church, The trio discuss the possibility that somebody with the power to change faces could have replaced the emperor. Burns plans on covering up Joker and Benimaru's attack and the death of the Shadow Captain. With no new ideas in the church, Burns directs Joker towards Haijima Industries, as they are so deeply linked with the Empire's history.

Trivia

 * Earlier colour pages to pictured Leonardo's hair as instead of grey.