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Leonidas
Leonidas Title Card
Jesse Wellens as Leonidas
Character information
Birth name Λεωνίδας (pronounced Leonidas)
Nickname(s) King Leonidas I of Sparta
Leonidas the Brave
Born c. 540 BC
Sparta, Greece
Died 480 BCE (aged 60)
Thermopylae, Greece
Physical description
Hair Black
Eyes Brown
Based on
Leonidas Based On
Rap battle information
Appeared in Master Chief vs Leonidas
Vs Master Chief
Release date January 31, 2012
Official vote(s) 32% (Old poll from ERB Website)
Location(s) Thermopylae Pass
The Pit of Death
Cameo information
Leonidas, Fourth Doctor, Macho Man Randy Savage Cameo Hitler vs Vader 3
Appeared in Hitler vs Vader 3
During The prologue of Hitler vs Vader 3
Location(s) Tatooine


THIS IS SPARTA!
— Leonidas

Leonidas battled Master Chief in Master Chief vs Leonidas. He also made a cameo appearance at the beginning of Hitler vs Vader 3, alongside the Fourth Doctor and Macho Man Randy Savage. He was portrayed by Jesse Wellens on both occasions and voiced by EpicLLOYD in Master Chief vs Leonidas.

Information on the rapper

Leonidas I, or Λεωνιδας in Greek, was born circa 540 B.C.E. He was a warrior-king of Sparta, famous for his leadership of the 300 Spartans who fought and died in the face of insurmountable odds in the battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C.E. during the invasion of Greece by the Persians.

Myth:

Leonidas is said to have met the great and vast armies of Persia at Thermopylae Pass, where he sent 4,000 regular soldiers (hoplites) and 300 elite soldiers to fight. The Greek historian Herodotus wrote that the Persian Army had around seven million soldiers which "drank entire rivers empty". Packed tightly between the high cliffs of the pass, the Spartans held their position and were successful under unrelenting pressure from the Persians. However, a double-agent posing as a Spartan warrior is said to have passed Leonidas' battle plans to the Persians, allowing them to overtake the Spartans. Leonidas fell in this final stand, and died a great hero's death.

History:

Although sources disagree, modern historians believe the Spartans and Athenians had around 7,000 soldiers and the Persians around 300,000 soldiers. As the myth became popular, these numbers may have been manipulated to emphasize the heroism of Leonidas and his men.

In popular culture:

The story of this battle has been adapted many times, but the best known is the semi-fictional portrayal by actor Gerard Butler in the movie 300, based on the graphic novel series of the same name by Frank Miller. The film's most famous scene involves Leonidas meeting with a Persian messenger over terms of surrender; Leonidas adamantly refuses and holds the Persian at swordpoint, to which the Persian replies, "This is blasphemy! This is madness!", and Leonidas fires the retort, "Madness?! THIS… IS… SPARTA!!", kicking him into Sparta's Pit of Death. This scene has been the subject of numerous online video and musical remixes, which peaked during the early years of YouTube as among the most popular internet memes of that era.

ERBoH Bio

This. Is. MY BIOOOOO!!! I am the Great King Leonidas. Hero-king of Sparta, the 17th of the Agiad line, son of King Anaxandridas II. You can come at me with black powder bombs, war-beasts and arrows that blot out the sun, but dying in battle is the greatest honor, so bring it on! Although, to be honest, I probably could have done things differently. Could I have been nicer to Ephialtes the hunchback so he didn't turn on me and ruin my plan to defeat Xerxes? Sure, but that's not really my style. I'm more of a "kick-a-guy-in-a-hole-to-start-a-war" sort of guy. Could I have worn a bit more armor? Yeah, but then nobody could see my sexy abs while they're trying to kill me. I just hope my son, Pleistarchus, can avenge me and live through his battles.

Lyrics

[Note: Leonidas is in gold, while the Spartans are in regular text.]

Verse 1:

Spartans! (Hoo!) Let's start this! (Hoo!)

Show this petty officer who's the hardest! (Hoo!)

The biggest mistake that you've ever made!

I'll toss you like a frag grenade!

I'll stomp you in the face with my sandals enraged,

And tonight we shall rhyme in the shade!

Your puny fans are fat nerds on computers,

Jerking off to games, giving themselves first person shooters!

Your armor's hard, but my abs are harder!

You're in my hood now, chief! THIS IS SPARTA!

Verse 2:

Ha! I've had better battles with my six-year-old son!

I don't need firepower when I'm rocking these guns!

I'm king! You sleep in a freezer in outer space!

I'd look you in the eyes, but you're too much of a bitch to show your face!

Trivia

  • Leonidas is the first rapper to be portrayed by one actor and voiced by another.
  • He is the first real-life historical person to be based on a film depiction of their character. He is also the first rapper whose ERB incarnation is derived from a comic book, albeit indirectly.
  • Along with the Fourth Doctor, they are the first reused footage cameos to be portrayed by guests.

Gallery

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