Sagaspedia
Easter eggs
Hidden details in every movie and series: 69 in total. Tap a poster to see its eggs. Titles you haven't marked as seen stay locked so nothing gets spoiled.
- Referencenod to comics or other movies
- Cameoa familiar face shows up
- Setupplanted now, pays off later
- Behind the scenesproduction trivia
- Behind the scenesBorn from The Karate Kid
Kurumada was planning a wrestling manga but changed course after seeing The Karate Kid (1984). He felt karate and judo alone no longer grabbed readers, so he turned to Greek mythology.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesSeiya was almost named Rin
In the first draft the hero was called Rin and the series was Ginga no Rin. The name Seiya and the final title only came once the Saint concept was locked in.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesPegasus Fantasy, by Make-Up
The Sanctuary arc's opening is Pegasus Fantasy, by the Japanese band Make-Up. The ending, Blue Forever, is by the same band.
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- ReferencePerseus in reverse
In the myth, Perseus beats Medusa by watching her reflection in his shield. Here it is the other way around: Perseus Algol wields the Medusa shield, and Shiryu blinds himself so he won't look.
source ↗ - ReferenceThe mask rule
Female Saints wear masks. If a man sees one of their faces, she must either kill him or love him. That is what drives Ophiuchus Shaina after Seiya.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesCloths inspired by sexy robots
The look of the Cloths came from Sexy Robot (1983), a book by illustrator Hajime Sorayama. Before that, Kurumada's heroes fought in school uniforms.
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- Behind the scenesA spin-off with its own author
Saintia Shō comes from Chimaki Kuori's manga, an official spin-off of Kurumada's work centered on Athena's handmaidens.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesAn opening sung by the cast
The opening song, The Beautiful Brave, is performed by the main voice cast themselves.
source ↗ - CameoSeiya catches the pendant
In episode 5, as the Galaxian Wars kick off, Shoko drops her pendant and Seiya is the one who catches it.
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- ReferenceThe zodiac up the mountain
Each of the twelve temples is named after a sign, in zodiac order, from Aries to Pisces. The fire clock at the top of the Sanctuary has one flame for each temple.
source ↗ - ReferenceThe message on the Sagittarius wall
In the empty Sagittarius temple, the Bronze Saints find a message Aiolos left on the wall, entrusting Athena to them.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesThe longest arc in the show
The Twelve Temples run 45 episodes, from 29 to 73. No other arc of the 1986 series is that long.
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- ReferenceThe apple of discord
In the myth, Eris tosses a golden apple into a feast of the gods and starts the quarrel that leads to the Trojan War. In the film, a golden apple awakens the goddess.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesPremiered at an anime festival
The film opened on July 18, 1987, at the Toei Manga Matsuri, a cinema program bundling several Toei shorts. That is why it runs only 45 minutes.
source ↗ - ReferenceFive Saints back from the dead
The Ghost Saints are five dead warriors Eris brings back, one per hero. The idea of foes returning from beyond shows up again in the franchise.
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- Behind the scenesThe film that created Asgard
The success of this film led Toei to create the Asgard arc for TV, a story that does not exist in the manga.
source ↗ - ReferenceThe masked warrior
Midgard, the masked God Warrior, is Hyoga with his memory wiped by Dolbar. The friend becomes an enemy before he is saved.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesA director who came back
Shigeyasu Yamauchi directed this film and also Legend of Crimson Youth, both in 1988.
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- Behind the scenesIt isn't in the manga
Asgard was made just for the anime. The show was catching up with the manga, and Toei needed a story to buy time.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesNew opening, new singer
Asgard swaps the opening song for Soldier Dream, sung by Hironobu Kageyama, a familiar voice of fighting anime.
source ↗ - ReferenceWarriors named after stars
The God Warriors are named after the stars of the Big Dipper: Dubhe, Merak, Phecda, Megrez, Alioth, Mizar and Benetnasch. Alcor, Mizar's companion star, gets one too.
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- Behind the scenesThe end of the TV series
Poseidon closes the show in April 1989, with episode 114. The last part of the manga, the Hades arc, would not be animated until 2002.
source ↗ - ReferenceSeven pillars, seven seas
Each Mariner General guards the pillar of one of the seven seas holding up the undersea temple. Toppling them all is the only way to reach Poseidon.
source ↗ - ReferenceA god who is a rich heir
Julian Solo is heir to a wealthy Greek shipping family. He had already crossed paths with Saori before learning he carried the soul of Poseidon.
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- Behind the scenesThe only 1980s feature
The other films of the era run 45 minutes. This one runs 75 and premiered at Weekly Shōnen Jump's 20th anniversary festival in July 1988.
source ↗ - ReferenceFive Gold Saints return
Abel revives Saga, Death Mask, Shura, Camus and Aphrodite, the Gold Saints who fell in the Twelve Temples, and turns them against the heroes.
source ↗ - ReferenceA brother who isn't in the myth
Abel is styled Phoebus, a name of Apollo, but he's an invention of the film. In Greek myth, Athena has no brother named Abel.
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- ReferenceAngels named after demons
Beelzebub, Astaroth and Eligor, three of Lucifer's angels, are named after demons from Christian demonology.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesThe last film of the classic era
It opened on March 18, 1989, two weeks before the final TV episode. After it, the franchise went 15 years without a new film.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesA different director
This is the only one of the four classic films directed by Masayuki Akehi. The two before it were by Shigeyasu Yamauchi.
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- Behind the scenesA thirteen-year wait
The TV series ended in 1989, and the Hades arc only arrived in 2002, on home video and Japan's SKY PerfecTV! pay-per-view.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesOnly the composer came back
Of the 1986 staff, only composer Seiji Yokoyama returned for the Hades arc. His classic cues come back in the biggest scenes.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesAn opening by Yumi Matsuzawa
The Hades: Sanctuary opening is Chikyūgi by Yumi Matsuzawa, who also sings the ending.
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- Behind the scenesNew voices for everyone
For Inferno, the whole Japanese cast was replaced. Tōru Furuya, the voice of Seiya since 1986, gave way to Masakazu Morita.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesA new team behind it
Director Tomoharu Katsumata and writer Yōsuke Kuroda take over from here, with episodes trickling out between 2005 and 2007.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesPegasus Forever
The Inferno opening is Pegasus Forever, performed by Marina del Ray, a new take on Pegasus Fantasy.
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- ReferenceThe paradise of Greek heroes
In myth, Elysium is where the souls of heroes rest forever. Here it becomes the garden where Hades keeps his own body.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesJust six episodes
Elysion is only six episodes long, released from March to August 2008, and wraps up the Hades arc.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesDel Regno
Elysion's opening is Del Regno, sung by Yuko Ishibashi.
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- Behind the scenesAiolia takes the lead
For the first time, the show revolves around the Gold Saints, and the lead is Leo Aiolia.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesA 40th anniversary gift
Soul of Gold was part of the projects marking Kurumada's 40 years in manga and topped 50 million views worldwide by September 2015.
source ↗ - ReferenceThe Norse world tree
Yggdrasil is the tree that links the worlds in Norse myth. In the show, it drains the Saints' Cosmo to power the God Warriors.
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- Behind the scenesA Valentine's Day release
The film opened in Japan on February 14, 2004, Valentine's Day, 15 years after the franchise's previous film.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesAn ending left hanging
Overture was meant to follow the Hades arc, but it ends ambiguously, with loose threads that were never resolved in anime.
source ↗ - ReferenceThe twins of Zeus
In myth, Artemis and Apollo are twins, children of Zeus, and half-siblings of Athena. The film casts them as the gods judging humanity.
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- Behind the scenesAn author from shōjo manga
Shiori Teshirogi drew manga for girls before The Lost Canvas. She traded ideas with Kurumada throughout the run to get the tone of a fighting manga right.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesThe author wrote new scenes
The anime sticks close to the manga, but Teshirogi wrote extra scenes just for the animated version.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesThe war left half-told
TMS released 26 episodes over two seasons, from 2009 to 2011, and stopped. The studio has said it has no plans to adapt the rest of the manga.
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- Behind the scenesThe 25th anniversary series
Omega was made for the anime's 25th anniversary, without Kurumada's involvement, as an animated alternative to the sequel he was publishing in manga.
source ↗ - ReferencePocket-sized Cloths
Cloths no longer come in metal boxes: they come out of Cloth Stones the Saints carry around. And every Cosmo has an element, like fire, wind or thunder.
source ↗ - CameoSeiya, now a Gold Saint
Seiya appears as the Sagittarius Gold Saint, a living legend to the new generation.
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- ReferencePallas, the friend from myth
In myth, Pallas was raised alongside Athena and died in an accident while the two sparred. Athena took her name: Pallas Athena.
source ↗ - ReferenceBrand-new Cloths
Season two gives the heroes a new look with the New Cloths, stronger than the ones from the first phase.
source ↗ - CameoIkki is back in action
Phoenix Ikki returns near the end of the series to fight Aegaeon, one of Pallas's generals.
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- Behind the scenesMilo became a woman as a joke
Scorpio Milo appears as a woman. The idea started as a staff joke and stuck once Kurumada approved it.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesNo Ikki versus Shaka
To fit one film, several classic fights were cut, among them the Ikki and Shaka duel in the Virgo temple.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesPremiered at Annecy
The film premiered at the Annecy animation festival in France on June 11, 2014, ten days before it hit Japanese theaters.
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- Behind the scenesShun became Shaun
The show turned Shun into a girl. Writer Eugene Son said the Bronze Saints lacked women, and the change split the fanbase.
source ↗ - ReferenceA villain who didn't exist
Vander Guraad is not in the manga. She was created for the show, with an army that turns Cloth technology into a weapon.
source ↗ - SetupThe arrow in the final scene
The season ends with a golden arrow lodged in Sienna's chest. Fans of the classic show will recognize what comes next.
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- Behind the scenesFrom Netflix to Crunchyroll
Season one came out on Netflix in two parts, in 2019 and 2020. Season two, Battle for Sanctuary, moved to Crunchyroll in July 2022.
source ↗ - ReferenceThe same twelve hours
Just like the 1986 series, the heroes get twelve hours and twelve temples to save the goddess.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesSeiya's English voice
In the English dub, adult Seiya is voiced by Bryson Baugus, and Sienna by Emily Neves.
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- Behind the scenesA two-year wait
The second part of Battle for Sanctuary premiered on April 1, 2024, almost two years after the first, and wrapped on June 10.
source ↗ - Behind the scenes36 episodes in all
With this part, the series wraps at 36 episodes: 12 on Netflix and 24 on Crunchyroll.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesOne director all the way
Yoshiharu Ashino directed the whole series, across Netflix and Crunchyroll.
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- Behind the scenesSean Bean dies again
Alman Kido, played by Sean Bean, dies in an explosion to save the others. One more death on the actor's long list.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesSeiya is Sonny Chiba's son
Mackenyu, who plays Seiya, is the son of Japanese action star Sonny Chiba.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesA box-office bomb
The film cost about $32 million and made around $7 million worldwide. A sequel looks unlikely.
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