Athena (Saint Seiya)
Athena is a female anime and manga character who features in Saint Seiya.
Contents |
Biography
Athena (Japanese: アテナ, Hepburn: Atena) was a female goddess born the daughter of Zeus and thus one of the 12 gods of Olympus. She inherited the Earth from her father, and since then, had fought to protect humanity.
She came to inherit the earth from her father, and since then, has fought to protect humanity.
After the war against the Giants, Athena had to face the malevolent god of war, her brother Ares. This most terrible battle forced Athena, for the first and only time, to allow the Libra Cloth to use weaponry in battle. With this help, the Saints managed to reverse their impending defeat and win.
During the first Holy War against Poseidon, Athena with the help of the inhabitants of the continent of Mu where she selected warriors who fought for peace and hope, and created special armor, Cloth, for them, made with Orichalcum. These Cloths symbolized the constellations and were worn by these chosen warriors, protecting them and enhancing their ability to manipulate their Cosmos. The Cloth were classified into three types: Gold, Silver and Bronze Cloth. The ones who were chosen to wear them became the first Saints.
Seven generations after the first Holy War, a shrine was erected in her name to protect her, Sanctuary, situated near present-day Athens, and from her quarters, protected by Twelve Zodiac Shrines, she commands the Saints through her personal intermediary, the Pope. It was also here that Athena's God Cloth was kept when not in use.
When the shrine was completed, a new Holy War began, this time against the Giants (Gigas). This battle was called the Gigantomachy. During the war, for reasons unknown, the continent of Mu was destroyed and sank into the sea. Thus, the production of Cloth ceased, and knowledge of how to restore and repair them was restricted to the descendants of the people of Mu.
After the war against the Giants, Athena had to face the malevolent god of war, her brother Ares. This most terrible battle forced Athena, for the first and only time, to allow the Libra Cloth to use weaponry in battle. With this help, the Saints managed to reverse their impending defeat and win. After the terrible war with Ares came yet another Holy War, against Hades (Athena's eldest uncle and god of the Underworld) and his Specters. Athena once again emerged victorious from the confrontation. However, unlike her other adversaries, Hades had not given up; his body went into dormancy and since then, every 243 years, his spirit takes possession of the purest human being on Earth and begins a new war against Athena. Unlike other gods who use human bodies as vessels for their spirit, Athena is instead actually born as a mortal girl underneath her statue in Sanctuary every 200 years, to lead the Saints in their next Holy War and to protect the Earth from danger. In the twentieth century, she was reborn as Kido Saori. As Saori, she faced various dangers and gods, in addition to the betrayal of several of her Saints, the attempt of Poseidon (possessing Julian Solo) to eradicate humanity, and the last Holy War against Hades and his army.
Overview
Personality and attributes
As a result of reincarnation, she tended to be reborn in different human bodies over the centuries where she took the form of young women.
She was said to had been sent to Earth by the Olympian gods every 250 years, when evil takes over Earth. Her mission during every one of her incarnations is to restore peace and bring hope, destroy the agent of evil and protect Earth. To do so, she has been assisted since the age of myth by an army of 88 youths of great strength and courage, whose fists rend the skies and whose kicks split the earth, who don radiant holy armor called Cloths, and who are known as the Saints of Athena.
Athena is said to be by birthright the goddess of battle, but she does not believe in conquest and only fought defensive wars. She hates weapons, and thus only allows her Saints to battle using their bodies and armors. The only Saint allowed to wield weapons is the Libra Gold Saint, and it is only with her permission that the Saints are allowed to brandish the weapons kept by the Libra Saint.
As Athena hated weapons, such as swords, none of her Saints use them, except in extraordinary situations.
Powers and abilities
Athena was the Greek goddess of war, wisdom, justice and heroic endeavor.
She was reborn approximately every 250 years to protect the Earth from evil with the help of her loyal Saints.
She usually carries a golden staff representing Nike, the Goddess of Victory, and a shield which can eliminate all evil and owns a powerful Divine Cloth.
Seven generations after the first Holy War, a shrine was erected in her name to protect her. Athena's Sanctuary (アテナの聖域サンクチュアリ, Atena no Sankuchyuari) was situated near present-day Athens, and from her quarters, protected by Twelve Zodiac Shrines, she commands the Saints through her personal intermediary, the Pope. It was also here that Athena's God Cloth was kept when not in use.
Notes
- Athena was created by Masami Kurumada where she featured in the setting of the Saint Seiya universe.
- The character was based on the goddess Athena from Greek Myth.
In other media
Television
Films
Appearances
- Saint Seiya:
External Links
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