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Trivia
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- Referencenod to comics or other movies
- Cameoa familiar face shows up
- Setupplanted now, pays off later
- Behind the scenesproduction trivia
- Behind the scenesJump debut
Saint Seiya debuted in Weekly Shōnen Jump on December 3, 1985. It started slow and became a hit about six months later.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesSeiya came from another manga
Seiya's look was based on Ryūji Takane, hero of Ring ni Kakero (1977), Kurumada's own boxing manga. The mix of fighting and mythology came from there too.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesIt was going to be karate
Kurumada first pitched wrestling, then karate, inspired by The Karate Kid (1984). His publisher said no, so he turned to Greek myths and the constellations.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesA redrawn Final Edition
The Japanese Final Edition has scenes redrawn by Kurumada, revised dialogue and new passages. Volume 1 adds 80 extra pages.
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- Behind the scenesSexy robot armor
The Cloths were inspired by illustrator Hajime Sorayama's book Sexy Robot (1983). Before that, Kurumada considered Buddhist monk robes.
source ↗ - ReferencePerseus in reverse
In the myth, Perseus beats Medusa by looking at her reflection in his shield. Here Algol of Perseus wields Medusa's shield, and Shiryu blinds himself so he can't look.
source ↗ - SetupA Gold Saint in Japan
Late in the arc, the Pope sends Aiolia of Leo to Japan to kill Seiya. He's the first Gold Saint to join the fight.
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- Behind the scenesHyoga vs. his master was improvised
Kurumada didn't plan much ahead. Hyoga facing Camus, his own master, was decided mid-serialization.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesNatassia of the Ice Land
Volume 9 of the Final Edition adds a bonus side story about Natassia of the Ice Land.
source ↗ - ReferenceSix volumes of stairs
The Twelve Temples run from vol. 8, The 12 Palaces, to vol. 13, Athena Revives. It's the classic's longest arc, and it took 45 episodes in the anime.
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- ReferenceNo Asgard in between
In the manga, Poseidon comes right after the Twelve Temples. Asgard was made up for the anime, which was catching up to the manga.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesA Brazilian dust jacket
Volume 10 of JBC's Brazilian Final Edition has a variant dust jacket by Brazilian artists José Luís, Oren Junior and Marcos Martins.
source ↗ - ReferenceSeven pillars, seven seas
Each Marina General guards the pillar of one of the seven seas holding up the undersea temple. Bringing them all down is the only way to reach Poseidon.
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- Behind the scenesGold Saints back by request
Bringing dead Gold Saints back, now as traitors, was Kurumada's nod to fans who wanted more of them.
source ↗ - ReferenceThirteen years without anime
The manga reached Hades in late 1989, after the TV series had ended. This arc wasn't animated until 2002, in 31 video episodes.
source ↗ - ReferenceUnder the sal trees
Vol. 21 is called Under the Sal Trees. In Buddhist tradition, the Buddha died between two sal trees, and that's where Shaka makes his last stand.
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- Behind the scenesDante as a guide
Hades' underworld was inspired by Dante's Inferno, from the Divine Comedy, with its circles and prisons.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesShun was a late call
Shun being Hades' vessel wasn't planned. Kurumada came up with the twist during serialization.
source ↗ - ReferenceCrossing the Acheron
Vol. 23 is called The Acheron Crossing. In myth, the Acheron is the river souls cross on Charon's boat to enter the underworld.
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- Behind the scenesThe last chapter ran in V Jump
The manga left Jump in late 1990, and its final chapter ran in the very first issue of V Jump, dated December 12, 1990.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesToo much, said Kurumada
Years later, Kurumada himself said the God Cloths went overboard.
source ↗ - SetupApollo and Artemis were shelved
Kurumada considered Apollo and Artemis arcs after Hades but dropped them because of the workload, moving on to a Ring ni Kakero sequel.
source ↗ - Behind the scenes110 chapters, 28 volumes
The classic wraps up at 110 chapters in 28 volumes. In the US, VIZ released all of it as Knights of the Zodiac from 2004 to 2010.
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- Behind the scenesEighteen years in the making
Next Dimension started in 2006 and didn't wrap until July 4, 2024, with plenty of breaks along the way.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesAll in color
Chapters ran in black and white in the magazine, but the volumes are full color. For the first 14 chapters, the page borders looked like a starry sky.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesMeant to pair with Lost Canvas
The original idea was to run Next Dimension alongside The Lost Canvas as two takes on the same war. The stories drifted apart and the plan was dropped.
source ↗ - SetupThe story goes on
After the finale, Kurumada put out the Saint Seiya Then epilogues, and on May 14, 2026, the sequel Heaven Chapter began in Shōnen Champion.
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- Behind the scenesA shōjo artist
Shiori Teshirogi drew manga for girls before The Lost Canvas and had to adapt her style to a fighting series. Kurumada signed off on the story.
source ↗ - ReferenceAlbafica, a rose name
The name of Albafica, the Pisces Saint, came from rose names, the flower tied to the Pisces temple.
source ↗ - ReferenceA war 243 years earlier
The story is set in the 18th century, in the Holy War before Seiya's. Tenma is that era's Pegasus.
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- ReferenceTwins of the Night
In myth, Thanatos, death, and Hypnos, sleep, are twin brothers, sons of Nyx, the Night.
source ↗ - ReferenceGods of dreams
Morpheus and Oneiros come from the Oneiroi, the Greek gods of dreams, sons of Hypnos.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesThe anime stopped halfway
TMS made 26 video episodes from 2009 to 2011, closely following the manga. The studio says it won't continue, so the rest was never animated.
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- ReferenceThe Argonauts' ship
The Argo is named after the ship of Jason and the Argonauts in the quest for the Golden Fleece.
source ↗ - ReferenceFrozen Atlantis
Dégel of Aquarius takes on Unity in Atlantis, the legendary island Plato described as swallowed by the sea.
source ↗ - Behind the scenes6.7 million copies
The Lost Canvas sold about 6.7 million copies in Japan by 2013. Critics praised the Gold Saints and the art.
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- Behind the scenes223 chapters
The Lost Canvas ran in Weekly Shōnen Champion from August 2006 to April 2011, with 223 chapters in 25 volumes.
source ↗ - ReferenceA bridge to Seiya
The epilogue jumps 243 years ahead and ties the story to the start of the classic series.
source ↗ - SetupThere's more: Anecdotes
After the finale, Teshirogi made The Lost Canvas Anecdotes (2011–2016, 16 volumes), short stories about the Saints before the war.
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