Phoenix Ikki

On Death Queen Island, Ikki is trained by Guilty, a cruel master who teaches that only hatred brings strength. His one comfort is Esmeralda, a kind girl who looks like Shun. When Guilty kills her by accident, Ikki erupts in rage, kills his master and claims the Phoenix Cloth.

Back in Japan, he leads the Black Saints, crashes the Galaxian Wars and steals the Sagittarius Gold Cloth. He wants revenge on the Graad Foundation and on the world. After fighting Shun, Shiryu, Hyoga and Seiya, he remembers who he used to be and turns on his own allies. In the end, he seems to die in a cave-in.

In the twelve temples, Ikki reappears in the Virgo temple, where Shaka has just floored his friends. He holds out longer than anyone, but Shaka strips his senses one by one. With no way out, Ikki tries to blow up his own Cosmo and take the enemy with him, and the two vanish into another dimension.

Ikki returns and, before moving on, tells Shaka the truth about the false Pope. Later he reaches the top of the Sanctuary and fights Gemini Saga before Seiya does, using the Phoenix Illusion Demon Fist. He takes a beating but buys time for his friend.

In Asgard, Ikki arrives with his friends already in trouble and takes on Benetnasch Mime, a warrior who fights by playing the harp. Mime is technically stronger, and Ikki takes a beating.

With the Phoenix Illusion Demon Fist, Ikki dives into Mime's memories and shows him the truth about Folker, the adoptive father Mime killed: the man truly loved him. Ikki wins the fight, and Mime dies knowing it. To Ikki, a Cosmo full of hope beat one full of hatred.

In Poseidon's temple, Ikki goes straight for the Mariner General who leads the rest, the Sea Dragon. Facing him, he learns who is behind the mask: Kanon, Gemini Saga's twin brother.

Ikki realizes Kanon was the one who woke Poseidon and manipulated him to take the world for himself. The revelation turns the war. Ikki leaves Kanon behind and moves on to help Seiya and his friends in the final showdown with the god.

In the land of the dead, Ikki cuts his own path. He faces Garuda Aiacos, one of the three Judges of the Underworld, and uses the rule that no attack works twice on a Saint: he turns the Judge's move back on him and destroys him with the Phoenix Wings Rise.

At Giudecca he learns the worst: Shun is the body Hades has chosen. His brother begs Ikki to kill him while some of him is still in there. Ikki can't do it. It is Athena who arrives and drives Hades out of Shun's body.

In the manga, the Phoenix Cloth has something not even the Gold Cloths have: it regenerates on its own, no blood needed, like the bird reborn from its ashes. In Japan, Hideyuki Hori voiced Ikki in the classic series. In the 2023 live-action film, the Phoenix Knight became a different character, Nero.