Phoenix Ikki // artwork by Shingo Araki (1987)

The powerhouse of the Bronze Saints. While is truth that Seiya always defeat the big threat is impossible to negate that Phoenix Ikki could do the same with more effective results than his Bronze brother (unfortunately, the series is not called Saint Ikki). A fan favorite, Ikki resonates a lot with the Saint Seiya audience for the same reasons that american characters like Wolverine and Batman does: he is harsh, cold, aggressive, and very much of a loner. he also has a lot of uniqueness bound to him, since he’s the first human to ever wear the Phoenix cloth. His cosmos is also very different than any other saints since it is full of hatred, anger, incredible aggression and power, but it still guided by his deep love and loyalty for his younger brother, his friends and his loyalty to Athena. Although he dislikes teamwork, he comes to battle whenever Athena’s Saints need his help, and is often seen coming in the nick of time to save his younger brother and friends from certain death.

Kurumada knew how to exploit the popularity of this character, making him appear on very specific parts of the story, always making a last minute save or by intimidating his opponent with his aggressiveness. In the anime however he has a lot more of exposure but always by the same principles of the author. Ikki is driven by the people he loves. It was the death of Esmeralda at the hands of his master Guilty and finding the truth about his family* that triggered the anger that made him go as a one-man army against the bronze saints in the Galaxian Wars. But only after facing his fellow bronze saints and his brother Shun he would come to his senses. The realization that Saori Kido was in fact Goddess Athena made him neutral in character. It also made much more clear as to which side he should take against Sanctuary.

The Phoenix saint is the only one of the 88 who cannot ever truly die since his namesake and constellation grant him the ability to return from the dead. His Bronze cloth also cannot be really destroyed since he can regenerate it at will (an ability that not even a gold cloth can achieve). Ikki’s techniques destroys and enemy Psychically and Psychologically. His Hōōgenmaken (Phoenix Demonic Illusion) can fill the mind of an enemy with powerful illusions to drive him mad, but he also has used it at times to make an enemy spill his guts about anything he needs to know. his Hōyokutenshō (Phoenix Wings Rise) unleashes and incredible force in the form of tornado-like winds or a powerful cosmos blow directed to an enemy.

*: In Manga continuity.