Gemini Saga
Gemini Saga is a character from Saint Seiya, a manga/anime by established manga-ka Masami Kurumada. Saga served as the main antagonist for the Sanctuary arc, and is easily one of the most powerful characters in the series. Before the final showdown between himself and Pegasus Seiya, Saga was portrayed as a mysterious being with his facial features hidden from view.
Statistics
- Age: 28
- Height: 188 cm
- DOB: May 30th
- Blood: AB type
- Trained: Sanctuary, Greece
- Techniques: "Galaxian Explosion", "Another Dimension", "Demon Emperor Fist"
Before Saint Seiya
Although he is not in the same age range as Libra Dohko or Aries Shion, Saga is perhaps one of the oldest Gold Saint at the age of 28. Before the events of the conspiracy, Saga was one of the most popular men in Greece, and was often regarded as a kind, generous soul loved by many. Unbeknowest to most, there is an evil side lurking within him that Saga had struggled to supress for years.
The 13 Year Conspiracy
Along with fellow senior saint Aiolos of Sagittarius, Saga was summoned by Pope Shion for a meeting to decide the successor to the throne. Unfortunately for Saga, Aiolos would be the one announced to take the seat and lead Athena towards the path of good. This news did not please Saga, and it brought him to an eventual confrontation with the former pope.
Gazing at the stars on Star Hill, Pope Shion recalled the words of prophecy said by the last Pope before him. Suddenly, Saga appeared and demanded to know why he had been denied the throne. Shion hesitated at first, but finally explained that he felt an uncomfortable presence residing within Saga. Saga's hair color suddenly changed from light to dark, confirming Shion's suspicions. Before Shion could react, Saga landed a fatal blow through the former Pope's heart.
With Shion's death, Saga assumed his identity and orchestrated a mass conspiracy that lasted 13 years. The Pope's head-dress and mask allowed Saga to hide his true face from the rest of the world, and soon, it was announced throughout Sanctuary that the Gold Saint of Gemini had vanished. Saga then attempt to assassinate the baby Athena -- an event that would result in the death of Aiolos. Pulling baby Athena away from the tips of Saga's dagger, Aiolos confronted the Pope and demanded an explaination. Saga ignored him and resumed his attack, which led to Aiolos retaliating with a blow of his own. The punch sent Saga flying onto the wall, knocking off Saga's head-dress and mask. With his cover blown, Saga unleashed a fury of assaults that heavily injured Aiolos. Aiolos, concerned for baby Athena's safety, quickly took off from Sanctuary with the child in his arms.
Unfortunately, the rest of Sanctuary saw this as an act of treason. Saga, his true identity still hidden from the rest of the world, declared Aiolos a traitor who had murdered the baby Athena. Aiolos himself managed to escape, but only after an almost fatal confrontation against Shura of the Capricorn constellation. This fight worsened his injuries, and Aiolos would not live to survive the morning. Before dying, however, he was able to pass both his gold cloth and the baby to Mitsumasa Kiddo, a wealthy Japanese businessman on a sightseeing trip to Greece.
Pope Ares
Shortly after the start of the series, Saga had apparently became tired of hiding under the guise of Shion. He spread word that "Shion" had finally passed on, and that the seat of the Pope would be "passed down" to Shion's younger brother, Ares. Of course, it is still Saga underneath the newer head-dress and cloth. Ares himself, of whom was a featuring silver saint in Saint Seiya: Side Story, had been secretly killed (by of course, Saga) long ago.
Evidently, Ares must not have been an influential or even popular figure, as his name allowed Saga the freedom to make decisions without too much supposition. Ares was projected as a cruel dictator, and often acted in various ways that assured his dominance over Sanctuary's saints. One such act is his constant attempts to forcefully reclaim the gold cloth of Sagittarius from the bronze saints in Japan.
Final Confrontation
It seems that the evil nature in Saga hadn't fully consumed him, as the series depicts various scenes of the two sides arguing back and forth with each other. During the final confrontation between himself, Pegasus Seiya, and Phoenix Ikki, Saga is evidently struggling with his two personalities, and many times Seiya is spared from certain death due to the good side intercepting his evil side's assaults. Depending on the manga or the anime version of the story, it is either Seiya (using the shield of Athena) who ejects the evil spirit from Saga, or Athena herself (with the Goddess of Victory staff) who finishes off the evil entity. Before the arc is over, Saga is finally cleansed once and for all, and, in a final attempt to restore his honor, commits suicide.
Saga: Duo Nature or Evil Entity?
It is often debated what Saga's evil side truly is: is it an evil spirit (either the Chaos spirit or the God of War, Ares), or his own vile nature? Perhaps a combination of both? In the manga, it is his twin brother Kanon who sends Saga down the path of evil by explictedly claiming that there is an evil demon underneath Saga's generous nature. This scene apparently took place just days before Saga confronted Shion.
After Sanctuary Arc
Being one of the more popular characters in Saint Seiya, Saga has made various appearances after his initial storyline.
- Poseidon Arc: Saga makes a cameo in a flashback with his twin brother Kanon.
- Hades Arc: Saga is one of the six gold saints to return from the depths of Hell. The former saints have seemingly abandoned their sainthood to plead alligenace to Hades.
- 3rd Movie: Saga returns to life with his comrads after being revived by Abel, the brother of Athena. Note: this movie is not considered canon by most fans.