Lion

A regal ruler who dominated with power and charisma.

When she seized the Russian throne in 1762 through sheer force of will and political cunning, overthrowing her own husband without hesitation, Catherine demonstrated the defining trait of the lion: absolute confidence in her right to lead. Like the lion who commands the pride through presence and strategic dominance rather than brute force alone, Catherine expanded Russia's territory by an astonishing 200,000 square miles, orchestrating diplomatic mastery and military campaigns with regal authority. Her famous declaration — "I shall be an autocrat: that's my trade" — captures the lion's unapologetic ownership of power. Even her patronage of Voltaire and the Enlightenment reflected the lion's charismatic magnetism, drawing the world's greatest minds into her orbit, cementing her reign as one defined by intellectual dominance and commanding, unquestioned leadership.