Pegasus Seiya // artwork by Shingo Araki (1987)

Seiya is the defacto main character of the series (it bears his name after all). A headstrong, impetuous and stubborn Japanese young man, Seiya was left in an orphanage along his sister Seika when they both were very young. Unknown to him, he was the son of Mitsumasa Kido and he was later recalled by his dad to go to Greece and train to become a Saint*. At his arrival at sanctuary he was greeted by Pope Arles himself and put in the care of Marin, who taught him how to handle the supernatural strength of the Saints by not relying on merely brute force, but in cosmos-energy.

The teachings of Marin made him a very strong warrior, one who would defeat the favorite front runner for the Pegasus cloth, Cassius with just a few moves, leaving him battered and broken. He would later leave for Japan again to meet with Saori Kido, who replaced her grandfather as the head of the Graude Foundation. He expected to be reunited with his sister but was told that she was lost almost at the same time he went to Sanctuary. Saori offers him a choice: battle another Saints in the Galaxian Wars and get media exposure or find her on his own. After some though Seiya reluctantly accepts her offer.

As main characters go, Seiya is your typical front-man, selfless but arrogant, humble, but headstrong. He will not quit until his opponent is defeated, even if he’s stricken a thousand times. A technique doesn’t work with him twice and he has some of the most powerful displays of battle in the series, his combat skills include a mastering of The Ryu-Sei-Ken (meteor punch), and two techniques developed by himself: the Sui-Sei-Ken (a concentrated blow of energy) and the Rolling Crush. Of all the characters he’s been the only one who ever raises his fist against a God successful striking Eris, Poseidon, Dolbar, Hilda, Abel and Apollo. Although he despised Saori and everything she stood for, once he learns that she’s Goddess Athena his devotion to her is unconditional and absolute.

*in Manga continuity.