# Saint Seiya (1986)

> A young orphan trains to earn the Cloth of Pegasus and joins fellow Saints fighting to protect the goddess Athena.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/38783

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 114
- Episode runtime: 24 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: animation, action, adventure, fantasy
- Network: tv asahi
- Cast: Toru Furuya, Hirotaka Suzuoki, Ryo Horikawa, Koichi Hashimoto, Hideyuki Hori, Keiko Han, Hideyuki Tanaka, Mami Koyama
- TMDB rating: 8.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0161952/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: earnest, epic, heroic, adventurous

## What critics say

Audiences broadly regard Saint Seiya as a beloved, acclaimed action anime whose friendship-driven battles and mythological spectacle made it a landmark of its era.

## Synopsis

Saint Seiya (1986-1989) is a Japanese animated shonen action fantasy series created by Masami Kurumada and produced by Toei Animation for TV Asahi. Drawing on Greek mythology, it follows the orphan Seiya, voiced by Toru Furuya, who trains to win the mystical Cloth of Pegasus and become a Saint sworn to protect the goddess Athena, voiced by Keiko Han as Saori Kido. He is joined by fellow armored warriors Shiryu, voiced by Hirotaka Suzuoki, and Shun, voiced by Ryo Horikawa, along with Hyoga and Ikki. Across a single run of 114 episodes, the story is built from serialized battles in which the heroes face elite guardians and rival fighters, each combat drawing on cosmos energy and sacrifice. The engine is loyalty and friendship under pressure, as the young fighters push past their limits to defend their patron against forces of darkness. The tone is earnest and epic, with stirring fight choreography, emotional bonds, and a heroic register that rewards viewers who enjoy long, escalating confrontations. Fans of Dragon Ball Z, Naruto and Fullmetal Alchemist will find resonance in its shonen energy and mythic scale.

## Shows like Saint Seiya

- [Sailor Moon (1992)](https://ember.film/tv/3395)
- [Ronin Warriors (1988)](https://ember.film/tv/33098)
- [Saint Seiya: Saintia Sho (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/67483)
- [Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (2003)](https://ember.film/tv/5123)
- [Reign: The Conqueror (1999)](https://ember.film/tv/32662)
- [Shin Captain Tsubasa (1989)](https://ember.film/tv/56050)
- [Record of Ragnarok (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/95718)
- [Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas (2009)](https://ember.film/tv/54734)
- [Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/81716)
- [The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/138716)

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