Leina Vance, middle daughter of the Continent's aristocratic Vance Family, rejected her expected succession as Countess to forge her own path as a warrior, inspired by her late mother Maria. She left home to travel the world, honing her combat skills through real experience and aspiring to compete in the Queen's Blade tournament held every four years to determine the land's strongest ruler. Her journey began as an adventurer motivated by justice, fighting bandits, monsters, and evil sorcerers without seeking reward or prestige. An early duel with the morally principled bandit Risty ended with Leina forfeiting out of respect. Leina stands approximately 170 cm tall (165 cm in later continuities) with blonde hair, blue eyes (which turn purple under curses), and a muscular build. Her standard attire features silver armor, including a magically fortified breastplate offering significant protection against demonic attacks. She wears brown straps wrapped around her right arm and neck, a buckler shield on her left gauntlet, and wields Evindil—a sword reforged from her mother's broken blade using Iron Mountain ore. Evindil was later revealed to possess dwarvish origins and demon-exorcising power. As the Phantom Warrior Maria during Queen's Blade Rebellion, her outfit shifts to black coverings with a white-and-blue breastplate, arm guards, and thong, alongside longer hair. Personality-wise, Leina is headstrong and independent, eager to prove her strength through diverse battles. She admires formidable opponents like Risty but is prone to intense fear when overwhelmed, sometimes to the point of losing bodily control. Her central sense of justice motivates her to protect the vulnerable without expectation of reward. After becoming the Phantom Warrior Maria, she retains this idealism but gains wider reverence. A curse inflicted by the Swamp Witch forces her to sleep 16 hours daily and causes sudden narcoleptic episodes, even mid-battle, complicating her activities. Her combat abilities blend swordsmanship, energy projection, and adaptive techniques. Core skills include Dragon Tail—a golden or green energy beam shaped like a dragon (later enhanced to destroy castle structures)—and precise sword-and-shield tactics emphasizing defense. After absorbing Queen Claudette's powers, she gained lightning manipulation, summoning strikes or enveloping her blade in electricity, culminating in combined techniques like Lightning Dragon Tail. She replicates observed moves, such as Tomoe's Warrior Priestess kick. Initial assessments note balanced attack and defense (3/5) with high potential (5/5); Rebellion-era evaluations highlight bravery and popularity (5/5) but reduced potential (2/5). Leina's story spans multiple continuities. In the original tournament arc, she won Queen's Blade but renounced the throne, passing it to her sister Claudette to wander the Continent as Maria. During these travels, she contracted the Swamp Witch's sleep curse, leading her to operate intermittently while aiding Annelotte's Rebel Army against Claudette's tyrannical rule. Post-tournament developments include mastering lightning abilities inherited from Claudette and participating in pivotal battles, such as exorcising the demon Delmore from Queen Aldra and defeating the red demon Belphe with a single energy-charged kick. Her journey consistently emphasizes self-determination, summarized in her declaration: "I'm sorry, Father, but your daughter chooses to be an adventurer."