Steve Leonard

Steve Leonard (better known as Steve Leopard) was The Lord of the Vampaneze and Darren's archenemy in The Saga of Darren Shan series.

Cirque du Freak
In the first book, he was Darren's best friend, that was until they went to the Cirque Du Freak together. Steve recognized one of the performers as a vampire and he tried to get him to turn him into one. Mr.Crepsley (the vampire) tested Steve's blood and found out that he was evil. Steve was enraged and ran away. Steve later visited Darren who had stolen Crepsley's spider, Madame Octa, which was very poisonous. The spider bit Steve and put him into a coma. Unknown to Steve, Darren made an exchange for the antidote with Mr. Crepsley if he would become his assistant. They then cured Steve. Darren later faked his death but Steve discovered the truth. Believing that Darren betrayed him, he confronted Darren shortly before he left and told him that he will become the greatest vampire hunter and kill him.

Hunters of the Dusk
When Darren, Mr. Crepsley, and Vancha attacked some Vampeneze who were meeting with Evanna, they didn't realize that Steve was the Lord of the Vampaneze and that he was disguised as a servant. But it wasn't actually Steve, it was a vampet. They later on discover that after they "killed" the Vampaneze Lord that Steve is the real Lord. Steve managed to escape since they thought that he was a mere servant.

Allies of the Night
Unknown to Darren, Steve had met with R.V and they forged fake birth certificates for Darren and enrolled him at Mahler's. Steve then had R.V kill some humans in Mr. Crepsley's hometown, knowing that that would attract him. The plan worked and Steve pretended to be their ally. Steve later showed his true colors when he lured Darren, Crepsley, Vancha, Debbie and Harkat into a trap. He then took Debbie hostage but he was soon knocked out by Darren. But before Darren could kill him R.V grabbed Debbie and threatened to kill her if he killed Steve. R.V then escaped with Debbie. Gannen Harst, one of the Vampaneze Lord's body gaurds gave them a headstart. So they left with the unconcious Steve.

Killers of the Dawn
Darren and his allies escaped from the Vampaneze and brings Steve with them to his old apartment. The police came however and they believed that Darren, Mr. Crepsley, Vancha and Harkat were the killers that they were looking for. The police then arrested all of them except for Steve who they believed was innocent and Vancha who escaped with Chief Inspector Burgess as his hostage. The police then took Steve to a refirmary but Steve killed several nurses and escaped. He didn't appear until the end of the book when he, Gannen and the Lord of the Vampaneze faced off against Mr. Crepsley. Mr. Crepsley managed to kill the Lord of the Vampaneze only to be pushed into a pit of stakes by Steve. But before he died he grabbed Steve's chain and hung on. He finally let go when Gannen promised to spare his friends. After Mr. Crepsley died Steve revealed to Darren that he himself was the Lord of the Vampaneze and the one that Mr. Crepsley killed was only a decoy.

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It turned out that Steve had a son with Annie Shan, named Darius. Steve twisted his mind and made him believe that Vampires were evil. Several years after Killers of the Dawn took place, Darren came back to his hometown with the Cirque. Steve then arranged for Darius to give Darren's old friend Tom Jones a ticket to the Cirque. Tom reconized Darren and gave him a ticket to a soccer game that he was playing in. Darren went and watched RV and a vampet named Morgan James (who in Killers of the Dawn helped Darren escape from jail) kill Tom. Then lured Darren to face Steve, Gannen, and Darius. Darius then shot Darren with an arrow gun in the shoulder. But before they could kill him, Darren shouted for people to help. Steve then decided that he would kill him later. Steve later sent RV, Morgan, Vancha and Darius to attack the Cirque. Morgan killed Mr. Tall and RV kidnapped Evra's son, Shancus. Darren, Harkat and Debbie pursued Morgan and Darius as Vancha, Alice and Evra pursued RV who still had Shancus. Harkat then killed Morgan and Darren grabbed Darius. They then went to the old theatre where Darren and Steve first saw the Cirque. Darren and Steve then confronted each other but Darren couldn't get to Steve because there was a pit of stakes between them. Steve then killed Shancus by snapping his neck and told Darren that Darius was his nephew, which successfully convinced Darren not to kill Darius. Steve then escaped with RV and Gannen.

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Steve and Darren met in a final battle in their hometown. They dueled to the death. It was one on one because Gannen knocked Vancha out only to be knocked out himself by RV. Steve then killed RV. In the end Darren got the upper hand and stabbed Steve in the chest, it was fatal, but not an immediate kill. Steve lay there, paralyzed with shock, when Desmond Tiny showed up. Mr. Tiny announced that he was the father of the two battling parties. Steve begged Mr. Tiny to take him as a son, since Mr. Tiny chose the winner, Darren, to be at his side. Evanna was present at this time and was as shocked as anyone else. Her brother Mr. Tall, had died earlier that day, and was shocked to find out she had two more brothers. Mr. Tiny disowned Steve at that moment and left him to die. Darren, who did not want to be owned by Mr.Tiny, let Steve stab him until they both died. Darren's soul was then sent to the Lake of Souls.

Trivia

 * He had 62 books about Vampires and had seen at least 50 movies about Vampires.


 * His favourite Vampire movie was "'Salem's Lot".
 * He once squirted ketchup on his mom's bed and left a plastic bat in the 'blood'.
 * He liked to drink his own blood when he was human.
 * He was called "Steve Leopard" By his friends and enemies.

In the Film
Steve is Darren's (secret) best friend. His mom is always drunk and his dad is long gone. He dislikes his life and Darren was the only thing to make him feel good. However, that all changed after Darren became half-vampire instead of Steve.

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Steve was a bad influence on Darren. He would often lead him into trouble. When Darren told him they had to be "secret best friends", he didn't like it at all. A flier for the Cirque du Freak came out of a car and they decided to go to that. There, Steve saw Vur Horsten, a vampire under the name of Larten Crepsley

After the show, Steve went to find Mr. Crepsley to ask to become a vampire. After Mr. Crepsley told him that his blood was evil he swore to kill him and left. He then found out that Darren had stolen Madam Octa, who then bit Steve. Steve was then in a coma, which Darren cured with the help of Mr. Crepsley. Steve then found out that Darren had 'died'.

At the funeral, Steve saw the marks on Darren's fingers and started shouting at him, only to be pulled off by Mr. Kersey. Steve gave Darren his PSP and left. At school, Steve punched a student in the face for bad mouthing Darren and threw his test paper at Mr. Kersey's face.

After being turned down by the Vampires, Steve finds the Vampaneze and joins their ranks. Murlough was his mentor. His first 'victim' is Mr. Kersey as he disliked him. Like this, Steve then made up a plan to kill Darren and Crepsley, leading them back to the Darren comes to rescue his family and Rebecca. He and Steve fight before being stopped by Mr. Tiny and Steve then leave the theater.

Personality
Steve is rash and a bad influence. He is quick to judge and will get into fights easily. He can hold a grudge easily and will go through elaborate plans to get what he wants. And is self motivated into killing or in a psychopathic way with out remorse. He enjoys it most of the time.

Books

 * (Unknown untill identity is revealed)
 * (Unknown untill identity is revealed)

Short Stories

 * "An Essay on Vampires by Steve Leonard"
 * "Annie's Diary"
 * "Shanta Clause"

Movies

 * Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant