Manga
The manga that were hits in Japan in the 1980s.
1980S HITS
About
In Greek mythology, Athena, the daughter of Zeus, was born in full armor. By birthright the goddess of battle, she did not believe in conquest, and only fought defensive wars. Her battles with bloodthirsty gods and giants shook the very earth and seemed to last forever. On the battlefield, there were a group of youths that always surrounded and protected the goddess: the Knights of Athena! Flash forward to modern-day Greece: two Japanese tourists are shocked to see a mansized meteorite crash to the earth before them. It turns out to be young Seiya. Seiya must train harder than ever if he is to survive his match with the brutal Cassios! Whoever wins will receive the greatest prize known to man: the incredibly powerful Pegasus Cloth!
Character analysis
Seiya trains in brutal, isolated conditions from a young age purely for the chance to earn the Pegasus Cloth, sacred armor tied to Greek myth, and his straightforward, never-say-die determination makes him the clearest entry point into the story's over-the-top mythological battles.
Shiryu's training emphasizes patience and discipline over raw aggression, and his steady, loyal presence among the five main Saints makes him the group's most consistently level-headed fighter.
Hyoga trained in the frozen north after his mother's ship sank, and his cold, controlled fighting style is tied directly to that grief, his power literally channels the ice of the sea that took her from him.
Shun is notably less aggressive than his fellow Saints, fighting with defensive chain techniques rather than direct offense, and the story treats his compassion as a genuine strength rather than a weakness to overcome.
Ikki survived brutal training and betrayal that left him deeply distrustful of everyone except his brother Shun, and his solitary, often antagonistic relationship with the other Saints makes his eventual cooperation with them land as a real, hard-won shift.
Status evaluation
Elaborate, armor-focused character designs drawing on Greek mythology give the series a distinct visual identity.
The myth-inspired tournament and battle structure is entertaining, if fairly formulaic by modern standards.
The series stays earnest and dramatic throughout, with very little comic relief.
Each Saint's tragic backstory gives the ensemble cast real emotional weight beneath the battles.
Some god-tier antagonists are intimidating, but the tone stays mythic-adventure rather than horror.
Battles involve real injury and occasionally graphic violence.
Greek mythology references and an expanding cast of Saints add some tracking to follow.
This is a completed series. This figure has not been verified against a current source and should be treated as approximate.
“Five orphans raised from childhood purely to fight for a goddess they've never met is a lot of pressure to put on a group of teenagers, and the series never lets you forget it.”