List of Saint Seiya characters
Encyclopedia
This article comprises a list of characters that play a role in Saint Seiya (also known as Knights of the Zodiac) and its canonical continuation, Saint Seiya: Next Dimension, two manga series created, written and illustrated by Masami Kurumada
.
The plot of Saint Seiya
begins in 1990 (date retconned from 1986 by the author at the beginning of Next Dimension) and follows a group of five mystical warriors called Saints as they battle in the name of the goddess Athena against agents of evil who seek to rule the Earth. Their main enemy in the first arc of the story is the traitorous Gold Saint of Gemini, who has murdered the representative of Athena and taken his place as leader of the Saints. In the second arc, the Saints are confronted with the god of the Sea Poseidon, who, after kidnapping the mortal reincarnation of Athena, threatens to flood the world with incessant rain to cleanse it of the evils of mankind. Their final enemy, who appears in the third arc of the series, is the god of the Underworld, Hades, whom Athena has fought since the age of myth.
Saint Seiya: Next Dimension
acts both as a prequel and a sequel to the first series. It details the aftermath of the war against Hades and starts with Athena seeking help from the gods of Olympus and from Chronos to save Pegasus Seiya by travelling back to the 18th century. The two main antagonists are the troops of the goddess Artemis, in the 20th century storyline, and the incarnation of Hades in the 18th century.
, which he created 9 years before Seiya. Most protagonists of Kurumada's works bear a resemblance to Ryūji, because Kurumada subscribes to the revered Osamu Tezuka
's Star System (a stable cast of characters) technique. The same process is done with almost all the other characters from the series, as in all Kurumada's works.
Cygnus Hyōga, also known as Swan Hyōga in several international adaptations, is one of the main characters in Kurumada's manga. He is the Bronze Saint of the Cygnus constellation
and was born in the fictional village of Kohoutek, in eastern Siberia
, which, at the time when Kurumada wrote and drew his manga, was in the Soviet Union
. His mastery over his Cosmo grants him superhuman talents, including the ability to create ice and snow at temperatures as low as absolute zero
, by stopping subatomic particles. Hyōga is often portrayed wearing a cross and rosary
of the Northern Cross, another name for the constellation Cygnus. Calm by nature, he displays a seemingly emotionless exterior, but a more tender side of his character emerges on occasion, such as his deep gratitude to Andromeda Shun
for having saved his life and his undying devotion to his mentor Aquarius Camus. In Japan, Hyōga is a popular character, ranking second in the main character polls of the Bronze Saints.
The previous incarnation of Pegasus Seiya
, during the 18th century, who is best friends with Alone since childhood, and was trained as the Saint of Pegasus
by Crateris Suikyō. He first met Alone during a snowstorm night in an abandoned shack, where they both sought shelter. Tenma deceived Alone at first so that he could steal his belongings, but was stopped by Suikyō. As Suikyō decided to kill Tenma for theft, Alone lied and said he had given his bag to Tenma. Suikyō was eventually convinced to a degree and told Tenma he was now in debt to Alone, and should therefore guard the boy for the rest of his life.
Years later, escaping with Alone from Libra Dohko and Aries Shion, Tenma discovers Alone's change and vows to protect him, but he does not tell his friend the reason. After realizing he has left behind his Pegasus Cloth during the escape from the Gold Saints, he heads back and equips it and attempts to fight the Gold Saints. He is defeated, and later heads back for Alone, but discovers that he has finally become Hades. He tries to make him remember, though Pandora and some Skeleton soldiers intervene and almost kill him, until Dohko and Shion arrive. The two Saints defeat the small group of Skeletons and interrogate Tenma about his identity and who trained him. He reveals that his master went by the name of Crateris Suikyō, which shocks the Gold Saints since they knew him.
Suddenly, a Specter appeared: Celestial Noble Star, Gryphon Vermeer. As Tenma charges towards him, Vermeer stops him with just one finger and easily overpowers him along with Shion and Dohko, due to Hades' barrier. It is then that the Garuda Specter appears and Tenma recognizes his voice as his master Suikyō's. The Saints lives are spared in the last minute due to Pandora's summoning of the Specters. The Saints then escape and revitalize themselves with water from the Crateris Cloth. Afterward, Tenma sees a mysterious reflection of his future: Seiya, using a wheelchair.
Kurumada chose the forced reading
Tenma for the kanji
that compose his name, instead of the more commonly used Tenba to avoid redundancy in the complete name of the character. Also, Tenma's name is spelled in kanji in Next Dimension, as opposed to Saint Seiya Lost Canvas, where it appears spelled in katakana.
In the musical
for theatre Saint Seiya: Super Musical they returned as antagonists, as the musical is based on the film they appeared in and they are mentioned collectively in the summary of the play available at its official website and the cast portraying them has been revealed.
Masami Kurumada
is a Japanese manga artist and writer, known for specializing in fighting manga featuring bishōnen and/or mahō shōnen. He is famous as the creator/author of popular manga, such as Ring ni Kakero, Fūma no Kojirō, Saint Seiya and B't X. His male protagonists are a reflection of the classical and...
.
The plot of Saint Seiya
Saint Seiya
, also known as Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac or simply Knights of the Zodiac, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masami Kurumada and serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1986 to 1991, and adapted into an anime TV series by Toei Animation from 1986 to 1989.The story follows...
begins in 1990 (date retconned from 1986 by the author at the beginning of Next Dimension) and follows a group of five mystical warriors called Saints as they battle in the name of the goddess Athena against agents of evil who seek to rule the Earth. Their main enemy in the first arc of the story is the traitorous Gold Saint of Gemini, who has murdered the representative of Athena and taken his place as leader of the Saints. In the second arc, the Saints are confronted with the god of the Sea Poseidon, who, after kidnapping the mortal reincarnation of Athena, threatens to flood the world with incessant rain to cleanse it of the evils of mankind. Their final enemy, who appears in the third arc of the series, is the god of the Underworld, Hades, whom Athena has fought since the age of myth.
Saint Seiya: Next Dimension
Saint Seiya: Next Dimension
, also known as simply Next Dimension, is an ongoing manga written and illustrated by Masami Kurumada. It is a prequel and continuation to his manga series Saint Seiya; placed during the previous "Holy War" between the deities Hades and Athena and their respective minions; the Specters and the...
acts both as a prequel and a sequel to the first series. It details the aftermath of the war against Hades and starts with Athena seeking help from the gods of Olympus and from Chronos to save Pegasus Seiya by travelling back to the 18th century. The two main antagonists are the troops of the goddess Artemis, in the 20th century storyline, and the incarnation of Hades in the 18th century.
Creation and conception
When Kurumada designed Seiya's likeness, he was inspired by Ryūji Takane, the main character of his hit manga Ring ni KakeroRing ni Kakero
, or Put It All in the Ring, is a manga created by Masami Kurumada. A total of 25 volumes were published in Weekly Shōnen Jump between 1977 and 1981.- Plot :...
, which he created 9 years before Seiya. Most protagonists of Kurumada's works bear a resemblance to Ryūji, because Kurumada subscribes to the revered Osamu Tezuka
Osamu Tezuka
was a Japanese cartoonist, manga artist, animator, producer, activist and medical doctor, although he never practiced medicine. Born in Osaka Prefecture, he is best known as the creator of Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion and Black Jack...
's Star System (a stable cast of characters) technique. The same process is done with almost all the other characters from the series, as in all Kurumada's works.
Pegasus Seiya
- Voice actors: Toru FuruyaToru Furuyais a veteran narrator and seiyū born on July 31, 1953 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As a child, he was a member of Gekidan Himawari, a children's acting troupe...
, Hiroko EmoriHiroko Emoriis a Japanese voice actress whose works for Aoni Production.-Notable voice roles:*Armitage III as Bronski*BS Tantei Club: Yuki ni Kieta Kako as both Toshie and Sachi Tachibana*Caroline the car in the Japanese version of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends...
(as child), Masakazu MoritaMasakazu Moritais a seiyū and actor born in Tokyo, Japan. He currently works for Aoni Production. He is also the host of the radio show, Bleach B-Station. Morita is perhaps best known for his roles as Ichigo Kurosaki , Tidus , Auel Neider , Pegasus Seiya , Troy Bolton is a seiyū and actor born in Tokyo, Japan....
- The Bronze Saint PegasusPegasus (constellation)Pegasus is a constellation in the northern sky, named after the winged horse Pegasus in Greek mythology. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains one of the 88 modern constellations.-Stars:...
in the 20th century and protagonist of the series. An orphaned child later revealed to be son of Mitsumasa Kido, he was separated from his sister Seika and forced to become a Saint. Attaining such goal against all odds, first motivated to rejoin his sister, Seiya later discovers his destiny as one of the soldiers of the goddess Athena, whom he has protected for millennia, his soul returning every time she does, to assist her in the battle against the evil that consumes Earth. As a warrior of immense might, Seiya achieves victory in impossible battles, managing to defeat the gods Poseidon and Hades, who finally curses him to stop his rebirth cycle, leaving him using a wheelchair and in a comatose state, which Athena now seeks to revert.
Cygnus Hyōga
- Voice actors: Kōichi HashimotoKoichi Hashimotois a Japanese voice actor. He is currently affiliated with , though he has been attached to Arts Vision, Aksent, Ken Production, and Art 7 in the past...
, Hiroaki Miura, Jason DouglasJason DouglasJason Douglas is an American stage and film actor who is gaining increasing visibility of late by breaking into mainstream film and television work. He is also a known anime voice actor who works for Funimation Entertainment, ADV Films, Seraphim Digital, and OkraTron 5000.-Anime Voices:* A.D...
(US version) - Techniques: Diamond Dust, Kholodnyi Smerčh (manga only, from холодный смерч, russian for Cold Tornado), Aurora Thunder Attack (anime only), Aurora Execution, Koĺtso, Freezing Coffin variant.
Cygnus Hyōga, also known as Swan Hyōga in several international adaptations, is one of the main characters in Kurumada's manga. He is the Bronze Saint of the Cygnus constellation
Cygnus (constellation)
Cygnus is a northern constellation lying on the plane of the Milky Way. Its name is the Latinized Hellenic word for swan. One of the most recognizable constellations of the northern summer and autumn, it features a prominent asterism known as the Northern Cross...
and was born in the fictional village of Kohoutek, in eastern Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
, which, at the time when Kurumada wrote and drew his manga, was in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. His mastery over his Cosmo grants him superhuman talents, including the ability to create ice and snow at temperatures as low as absolute zero
Absolute zero
Absolute zero is the theoretical temperature at which entropy reaches its minimum value. The laws of thermodynamics state that absolute zero cannot be reached using only thermodynamic means....
, by stopping subatomic particles. Hyōga is often portrayed wearing a cross and rosary
Rosary
The rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
of the Northern Cross, another name for the constellation Cygnus. Calm by nature, he displays a seemingly emotionless exterior, but a more tender side of his character emerges on occasion, such as his deep gratitude to Andromeda Shun
Andromeda Shun
, also known as Shun is a fictional character from the Saint Seiya universe created by Masami Kurumada as one of the main protagonists of the media franchise, which originated in the manga written and illustrated by Kurumada, later adapted to anime, and subsequently inspiring soundtracks, OVAs,...
for having saved his life and his undying devotion to his mentor Aquarius Camus. In Japan, Hyōga is a popular character, ranking second in the main character polls of the Bronze Saints.
Pegasus Tenma
- Techniques: Pegasus Meteor Punches
The previous incarnation of Pegasus Seiya
Pegasus Seiya
, also known as Seiya, is a fictional character from the Saint Seiya universe created by Masami Kurumada as the main protagonist of the media franchise, which originated in the eponymous manga written and illustrated by Kurumada, later adapted to anime, and subsequently inspiring soundtracks, OVAs,...
, during the 18th century, who is best friends with Alone since childhood, and was trained as the Saint of Pegasus
Pegasus (constellation)
Pegasus is a constellation in the northern sky, named after the winged horse Pegasus in Greek mythology. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains one of the 88 modern constellations.-Stars:...
by Crateris Suikyō. He first met Alone during a snowstorm night in an abandoned shack, where they both sought shelter. Tenma deceived Alone at first so that he could steal his belongings, but was stopped by Suikyō. As Suikyō decided to kill Tenma for theft, Alone lied and said he had given his bag to Tenma. Suikyō was eventually convinced to a degree and told Tenma he was now in debt to Alone, and should therefore guard the boy for the rest of his life.
Years later, escaping with Alone from Libra Dohko and Aries Shion, Tenma discovers Alone's change and vows to protect him, but he does not tell his friend the reason. After realizing he has left behind his Pegasus Cloth during the escape from the Gold Saints, he heads back and equips it and attempts to fight the Gold Saints. He is defeated, and later heads back for Alone, but discovers that he has finally become Hades. He tries to make him remember, though Pandora and some Skeleton soldiers intervene and almost kill him, until Dohko and Shion arrive. The two Saints defeat the small group of Skeletons and interrogate Tenma about his identity and who trained him. He reveals that his master went by the name of Crateris Suikyō, which shocks the Gold Saints since they knew him.
Suddenly, a Specter appeared: Celestial Noble Star, Gryphon Vermeer. As Tenma charges towards him, Vermeer stops him with just one finger and easily overpowers him along with Shion and Dohko, due to Hades' barrier. It is then that the Garuda Specter appears and Tenma recognizes his voice as his master Suikyō's. The Saints lives are spared in the last minute due to Pandora's summoning of the Specters. The Saints then escape and revitalize themselves with water from the Crateris Cloth. Afterward, Tenma sees a mysterious reflection of his future: Seiya, using a wheelchair.
Kurumada chose the forced reading
Furigana
is a Japanese reading aid, consisting of smaller kana, or syllabic characters, printed next to a kanji or other character to indicate its pronunciation. In horizontal text, yokogaki, they are placed above the line of text, while in vertical text, tategaki, they are placed to the right of the line...
Tenma for the kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
that compose his name, instead of the more commonly used Tenba to avoid redundancy in the complete name of the character. Also, Tenma's name is spelled in kanji in Next Dimension, as opposed to Saint Seiya Lost Canvas, where it appears spelled in katakana.
Support characters
- Cassios
- Voice Actor: Banjo GingaBanjo Ginga, sometimes credited as his real name , is a Japanese voice actor who was born in Kofu, Yamanashi. Ginga is currently affiliated with Aoni Production...
, Matt Culpepper (English)
- Formerly a Saint apprentice under OphiuchusOphiuchusOphiuchus is a large constellation located around the celestial equator. Its name is from the Greek "serpent-bearer", and it is commonly represented as a man grasping the snake that is represented by the constellation Serpens. Ophiuchus was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century...
Shaina. During the final fight for the Pegasus Cloth and the status of Saint, Seiya cut off one of his ears, and he hated Seiya for it ever since. Cassios had great respect and affection toward Shaina; however, he realizes that Shaina had affection toward Seiya. Motivated by this, he takes Seiya's place and dies during the fight with Leo Aiolia in order to wake the Leo Gold Saint from the control of Saga's Dellusional Demon's Emperor Fist. In the anime adaptation, he was also the younger brother of Docrates, an anime-only character.
- Guilty
- Voice Actor: Hidekatsu ShibataHidekatsu Shibatais a Japanese voice actor from Asakusa, Tokyo who is affiliated with Aoni Production. He was a classmate of Yasuo Fukuda at Azabu High School. He is married to voice actress Akiko Sekine....
- Master of Phoenix Ikki during his stance on Death Queen Island. Harsh and heartless, and concealing his features behind a fearsome mask, Guilty employed brutal methods in Ikki's training, to force him to become a being of pure hate, to be able to wield the power of the Phoenix Cloth. Guilty was responsible for Esmeralda's death, and died at the hands of Ikki, as his final trial to become a Saint, not before revealing to Ikki the secret of his birth. Also known as the mysterious Saint, Masami Kurumada never revealed Guilty's destined constellation.
- Guilty's mask is inspired by the gruesome RangdaRangdaRangda is the demon queen of the leyaks in Bali, according to traditional Balinese mythology. Terrifying to behold, the child-eating Rangda leads an army of evil witches against the leader of the forces of good — Barong.- Description :...
, the feared creature from Balinese myths.
- Nastassja
- Voice Actor: Akiko Tsuboi
- One of Mitsumasa Kido's women and late mother of Cygnus Hyōga. After dying in a shipwreck, her remains were preserved intact by the gelid waters of the Siberian seas. She's also alternatively known, both in the manga and anime adaptation as . Kurumada later introduced a character of the same name in the short story arc dedicated to Hyōga in the thirteenth volume of the manga, sister to Alexer, leader of the Blue Warriors.
- Esmeralda
- Voice Actor: Chisato NakajimaChisato Nakajimais a Japanese voice actress currently represented by Aoni Production. Her hobbies include painting, singing, and tennis.She is most known for the roles of Mari-san in Kinnikuman and Percy the Small Engine in the Japanese dub of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends.-Anime television:*Kimagure Orange...
- She was sold as a work slave to an abusive local farmer for only three bags of grain. When Ikki first encountered her, he mistook her for Shun, because she and Shun shared the same facial features with the only differences being hair color and gender. She was killed by Guilty, Ikki's master, in order to provoke Ikki into drawing power from hatred. In the anime adaptation her background is the same, with the addition of being Guilty's daughter.
- Kiki
- Techniques: Telekinesis, ability to sense invisible energy forces, and ability to see invisible crack marks on Saints' Cloths.
- Voice Actor: Hiroko EmoriHiroko Emoriis a Japanese voice actress whose works for Aoni Production.-Notable voice roles:*Armitage III as Bronski*BS Tantei Club: Yuki ni Kieta Kako as both Toshie and Sachi Tachibana*Caroline the car in the Japanese version of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends...
, Karen Hatch (English)
- Apprentice under Aries Mu. Also known as Appendix Kiki. Like his master and grandmaster, Kiki also bears the ornaments on his forehead and is the youngest of the people of the continent of Mu. He never fights, but can use powerful telekinesis against normal humans. In the Poseidon arc, he was given the duty of bringing the Libra Cloth to all the Bronze Saints, fulfilling it valiantly even at the risk of his life.
- The ornaments in Kiki's forehead are inspired by the traditional make-up of the aristocrats of the Heian periodHeian periodThe is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
of Japanese history.
- Yakoff
- A young boy from Kohoutek village, in Eastern Siberia, neighbor and good friend of Cygnus Hyōga. He watches over Nastassja's eternal sleep when Hyōga is absent due to his responsibilities as a Saint. He helps Hyōga in various domestic tasks and also assisted the Saint in his escape from the Blue Warriors' imprisonment.
- Miho
- Voice Actor: Naoko Watanabe, Sasha PaysingerSasha PaysingerSasha Paysinger is a voice actress for ADV Films for English-dubbed anime titles. When away from voice acting, she also works as a flight attendant.-Voice roles:*Angelic Layer - Hatoko Kobayashi*Aquarian Age: Sign for Evolution - Rumiko Sakamoto...
(English)
- Seiya's fellow orphan and childhood friend, she works at the orphanage where she and Seiya, along with his sister Seika lived before Seiya was taken away. Miho is in love with Seiya to some degree, and in a sense represents the point of view of the normal people who are mere witnesses to the struggles among the gods.
- Mitsumasa Kido
- Voice Actor: Kōhei MiyauchiKohei Miyauchi' was a veteran Japanese seiyū born in Kagoshima Prefecture. His real name was Takayuki Miyauchi and his nickname was "Miya-chan". On June 2, 1995, Miyauchi died on his hospital bed at the Nihon University Itabashi Hospital from abdominal varices...
, Marty Fleck (English)
- Foster-grandfather of Saori who adopted her and took her to Japan after finding a dying Sagittarius Aiolos in Sanctuary. In the manga, it was revealed that he was actually the birth father of all the orphans he sent around the world to be trained as Saints. In the anime, he merely took the children from various orphanages, and sent them for their training. Just before he died, he told Saori all the truth regarding the encounter with Aiolos in Sanctuary and her divine origins and purpose of her birth in this era.
- Seika
- Voice Actor: Yuriko YamamotoYuriko Yamamotois a Japanese voice actress currently employed by Aoni Production.-Notable voice roles:* Arcadia of My Youth as La Mime* Dancouga as Sara Yuki* Earthian as Takako* Fight! Iczer One as Iczer One* Fist of the North Star as Yuria...
, Satsuki YukinoSatsuki YukinoSatsuki Yukino , real name Yuki Inoue , is a popular Japanese voice actress from Ōtsu, Shiga. Yukino is also a singer as part of the Hinata Girls...
OVA
- Seiya's older sister, whom he lost contact with when he was sent to Greece to be trained as a Saint. After Seiya was taken away, she wandered the world looking for him. It was long implied that Marin, Seiya's mentor, could be Seika, and some characters, including Seiya, thought it was possibly true. Marin and Seika even shared the same physical characteristics: same age, same birthdate, same height, same birthplace. Also, Marin has a brother she lost and was looking for. Seika resurfaced as a separate character in the Hades chapter, completely amnesiac, after having followed Seiya all the way to Greece alone. It was Seika's voice that, more than any other, urged Seiya on in his fight against Thanatos. It is then revealed in the final arc of Kurumada's manga that Seika and Marin are not the same person.
- Shunrei
- Voice Actor: Yumiko ShibataYumiko Shibatais a Japanese voice actress employed by the talent management firm 81 Produce.-TV:*Gō Q Chōji Ikkiman *Headmaster *High School! Kimengumi *Kyōryū Wakusei...
, Eriko SatoEriko Sato, originally a glamour model, is a Japanese actress.She was born in Sapporo, Hokkaido, and raised in Tokyo. She was given the Best Actress award at the 2008 Yokohama Film Festival....
OVA, Ai Bandō Elysion OVA, Kimberly Prause (English)
- Shunrei was an abandoned orphan found by Dohko in Rozan (China). She cares deeply for Shiryū, and her prayers for Shiryū's safety in battle often help him through his darkest hours, particularly against Cancer Deathmask, as well as against the Specter trio of Sylphid, Gordon and Queen.
- Shunrei's name kanji are (春麗) which are also the same for the name of Chun Li in the Street FighterStreet Fighter, commonly abbreviated as SF, is a series of Fighting Games developed in Japan in which the players pit the video games' competitive fighters from around the world, each with his or her own unique fighting style, against one another...
series, meaning "Spring Beauty".
- Eurydice
- Voice Actor: Yuko NagashimaYuko Nagashimais a Japanese voice actress who works for Aoni Production.-Anime:* Ceres, The Celestial Legend - Gladys Smithson* Eden's Bowy - Fennis, young Yorn* Magic Knight Rayearth - Caldina* Martian Successor Nadesico - Erina Won* Naruto - Tsubaki...
- Lyra Orphée's lover, she enjoyed great happiness at the Saint's side on Earth, until the day of her untimely death because of a snake bite. Crushed by her demise, Orphée descended to the Underworld to bargain for her soul with Hades. Touched by the Saint's pleas and melody, she was allowed to return to Earth by the deity, only to be thwarted by Sphinx Pharaoh. She thus was condemned to remain bound to the Underworld half-turned into stone, and later helped Seiya and Shun to unearth Orphée's seemingly forgotten loyalty to Athena.
- Tokumaru Tatsumi
- Voice Actor: Yukitoshi HoriYukitoshi Horiis a Japanese voice actor from Setagaya, Tokyo. He is the elder brother of fellow voice actor Hideyuki Hori and is currently represented by Aoni Production....
, Ron Howald (English)
- Saori's butler, bodyguard and right-hand man. Trusted man of Mitsumasa Kido and a black belt, third danDan (rank)The ranking system is a Japanese mark of level, which is used in modern fine arts and martial arts. Originally invented in a Go school in the Edo period, this system was applied to martial arts by Kanō Jigorō, the founder of judo and later introduced to other East Asia countries.In the modern...
in KendōKendo, meaning "Way of The Sword", is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu.Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements.-Practitioners:Practitioners...
. He was in charge of overseeing the orphans who were to be sent out all over the world to train and become Bronze Saints, and due to his extreme severity and at times downright abusive behavior, most of them were resentful towards him. He always tried to be strong and protect Saori, but even the Sanctuary soldiers can defeat him. (Not without struggle, however, as he offered considerable resistance for an outnumbered man). He starts as a rather daunting and abusive retainer for the future Saints, but he is in truth a man who is honor-bound to protect Saori, and ultimately is the series' comic reliefComic reliefComic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension.-Definition:...
.
- Hell's Watchdog CerberusCerberusCerberus , or Kerberos, in Greek and Roman mythology, is a multi-headed hound which guards the gates of the Underworld, to prevent those who have crossed the river Styx from ever escaping...
- The enormous, three-headed demonic watchdog guarding the entrance to the Underworld. Savage, grotesque in appearance and emitting a foul stench, it relentlessly devoured souls that belonged to greedy people in life. Sphinx Pharaoh was in charge of taking care of the creature, and it was defeated temporarily by Pegasus Seiya and Andromeda Shun.
- Quasimodo
- An aged man from Rodrio village, who led a righteous life. Irrationally fearing an undeserved eternal punishment while on his deathbed, Quasimodo was personally comforted by the Pope of Sanctuary, thus passing away in peace.
- The NymphNymphA nymph in Greek mythology is a female minor nature deity typically associated with a particular location or landform. Different from gods, nymphs are generally regarded as divine spirits who animate nature, and are usually depicted as beautiful, young nubile maidens who love to dance and sing;...
s
- The minor divine spirits in Elysion, who delight Thanatos with their beautiful voice and music.
- Alone
- Hades' chosen vessel in the 18th century, with the purest soul on earth. Prior to the Holy war, he was best friends with Pegasus Tenma since childhood. He first met Tenma during a snowstorm one night, in an abandoned shack where they both sought refuge. Tenma deceived Alone at first so that he could steal his belongings, but was stopped by Suikyō. As Suikyō was going to kill Tenma for theft, Alone lied and said he had given his bag to Tenma. Suikyō was eventually convinced and told Tenma he was now in debt to Alone and should therefore guard Alone for the rest of his life. At the start of the war, he could feel that darkness was headed his way, and that it came after him. He and Tenma escaped from Libra Dohko and Aries Shion, and ended up outside a small mausoleum. As Tenma went back to retrieve his Cloth, a voice called for Alone inside the mausoleum. As he entered, he found Hades' Sword stuck in the ground. It was then that Pandora showed herself and convinced Alone of grabbing the hilt of the sword. Alone started plunging into darkness and ignored Tenma as he strode towards Hades' Castle.
- Hecate
- , (from GreekGreek languageGreek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
: , "far shooting").
- The elderly witch of the moon. Kurumada based her on the mythological persona HecateHecateHecate or Hekate is a chthonic Greco-Roman goddess associated with magic, witchcraft, necromancy, and crossroads.She is attested in poetry as early as Hesiod's Theogony...
. She tricks Athena into cutting off her hair by means of an illusion of multiple pathways to the temple of the moon. She makes a brew with Athena's hair which restores her youth, becoming a young girl again. She then guides Athena to Chronos who in turn punishes her, turning her body into dust. Later, she resurfaces unharmed, as she was able to survive Chronos' assault.
- Pegasus
- Tenma's loyal horse and steed. He saved Shion's, Dohko and Tenma's lives, by protecting them from the Skeleton soldiers.
- Suishō
- Garuda Suikyō's younger brother. The Specter is forced to reminisce about him after suffering the effects of Phoenix Ikki's Demonic Illusion Attack. Suishō was afflicted by a terminal disease, thus Hades offered Suikyō to save his brother's life in exchange of loyalty to him. Suishō died shortly after the deity's offering. Suishō's background remains to be revealed in further detail by Kurumada.
- The Pope of the XVIII century
- The Pope ruling Sanctuary in the 18th century, a survivor of the Holy War against Hades in the 15th century. He grants Shion and Dohko the rank of Gold Saints and the right to don the Aries and Libra Gold Cloths. He also foresees Hades' return to Earth and prepares Sanctuary to face such event. A false Pope, who swore allegiance to Hades also plays a role in the storyline, whether he and the legitimate Pope are the same person, still remains to be revealed by Kurumada.
Non-antagonic deities
- Chronos
- The god who rules time and father of Zeus. Said to be shapeless and hidden within the universe. Athena meets with him in the gate to time-space. Chronos helps Athena to return to the era of the previous Holy War in order to remove Hades' curse from Seiya, turning her into a baby.
- Zeus
- Father of Athena and the supreme god of the Olympus. His participation is to date, reduced to only mentions by other characters and in background narrative.
- Artemis
- The beautiful goddess of the moon, and elder sister to Athena. The goddess is initially hostile to her sister due to her battles with Hades and Poseidon. Though she reveals to Athena that the only way to remove Hades' curse from Seiya's body is to travel back in time with the help of Chronos.
- Apollo
- He is mentioned in passing when Athena visits Artemis, and is said to merely watch over the time of the day. Older brother of Athena and Artemis.
- Cronus and Rhea
- Briefly mentioned by Libra Dohko in vol.27 of Kurumada's manga, the mighty Titans, whose union gave birth to Hades, god of the Underworld, in the ages of myth.
- Cupid
- Mentioned by Thanatos in vol. 27 of Kurumada's manga, attributing the nymphs' agitation caused by Pegasus Seiya, to his usual mischief.
Canonical characters outside the manga
The following characters are considered canonical within the universe of Saint Seiya, as they were all created by Masami Kurumada. They were not introduced in his manga, but instead in the first Saint Seiya film. Two elements related to them, specifically the Sagitta Cloth and the Lyra Cloth, however, hold indisputable canonical status as they were later integrated by Kurumada into his manga.In the musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
for theatre Saint Seiya: Super Musical they returned as antagonists, as the musical is based on the film they appeared in and they are mentioned collectively in the summary of the play available at its official website and the cast portraying them has been revealed.
- Southern Cross Khristós
- Techniques: Southern Cross Thunderbolt
- The Silver Saint of the Southern Cross constellation, who battled the Saint who bears the opposite of his constellation, Cygnus Hyōga.
- Named after Jesus Christ, the anointed one.
- Sagitta Maya
- Techniques: Hunting Arrow Express
- The Silver Saint of the Sagitta constellation, predecessor of Sagitta Ptolemy, known as the deadly hunter.
- His name means both Demonic Arrow and Magic Arrow in Japanese.
- Scutum Jan
- Techniques: Bonecrush Screw
- The Silver Saint of the Scutum constellation, whose shield in his Cloth is even stronger than the fabled Dragon Shield.
- Kurumada named him after Jan Sobieski III, the polish ruler in whose honor the Scutum constellation was created.
- Lyra Orpheus
- Techniques: Stringer Requiem
- The Silver Saint of Lyra, predecessor of Lyra Orphée.
- Kurumada named him after OrpheusOrpheusOrpheus was a legendary musician, poet, and prophet in ancient Greek religion and myth. The major stories about him are centered on his ability to charm all living things and even stones with his music; his attempt to retrieve his wife from the underworld; and his death at the hands of those who...
, the legendary music virtuoso of Greek mythology.
- Orion Jäger
- Techniques: Megaton Meteo Crush
- The Silver Saint of the Orion constellation, from the ages of myth, regarded as one of the strongest Saints that ever lived.
- His name means Hunter in german, as his constellation represents the legendary hunter Orion from Greek myth.