Les chevaliers du zodiaque

Saint Seiya "The Knights of the Zodiac" is a cult anime that marked an entire generation of fans, which had enormous success worldwide at the turn of the 80s and early 90s.

The animated series, produced by Toei Animation in 1986, is based on the famous manga of the same name by Masami Kurumada, and tells the adventures of a group of young warriors, the knights of Athena, who fight to protect the goddess and the Earth. The story of the anime is fascinating and has several elements of Greek and Nordic mythology and religions including Buddhism, Shintoism, etc.

The characterization of the many characters is one of the anime's strong points.

The knights (saint) designed and created by Masami Kurumada are all beautifully characterized, with strong and distinct personalities, which make them unique, and many of them are memorable characters.

The main characters are: Seiya of Pegasus, the protagonist, a good, impulsive and courageous boy who never gives up in the face of countless difficulties; Shiryu of the Dragon, a stoic and wise warrior, who fights for others; Hyoga of the Swan, a cold boy, who however hides a great pain in his heart; Shun of Andromeda, a kind and compassionate boy, who sacrifices himself for others; Ikki from Phoenix, a strong, rebellious and lonely boy, who hides a dark and sad past; Saori, a girl, reincarnation of Athena in the 20th century, torn between her human feelings and her duties as a goddess who protects humanity.

And then there are several secondary characters, including silver knights, golden knights, warriors of Asgard and marine generals, some of whom are wonderful antagonists both in terms of visuals and characterization.

Shingo Araki's character design is another very positive element of the anime, an effective, beautiful and very suitable design, which makes the anime immediately recognizable, which stands out from the mass of anime.

The armor of the knights and enemies are a real spectacle, with their bright colors and fascinating details. Some of the armor designs created by Masami Kurumada are amazing ideas.

The music of the anime is another memorable element, a pleasure for the ears. The background music is epic and engaging, and helps to create a very evocative atmosphere.

Another honorable mention are some duels present in the anime, unforgettable and of great charm.

In conclusion, "The Knights of the Zodiac" is an anime of great quality, obviously we must and must contextualize it in the period in which it was released, that is, in the mid-80s: contextualized in that period, it is one of the best anime ever of the late 80s, a true cult, which has managed to conquer audiences of all ages. The series is a true jewel of 80s Japanese animation that conquered the whole world of that period, and which in Italy (and not only) has remained unforgettable.

Rating: 10. I give it the best, because it is an absolute cult anime of the animation of the late 80s and early 90s.

Saint Seiya is a Japanese animation TV series about a group of young men chosen to defend the Goddess Athena with their mysterious powers. However, it isn't simply an action series where everyone gets beaten to pulp. It is scattered with mythological references, from Greek mythology to Norse tales. The graphics, although rather old (1986) are splendid, very aesthetical. We quickly become attached to all five of the heroes, who will risk their lives to preserve justice and peace. The musical score of the anime is, all along, a work of art. All in all, anyone interested in mythology and who likes Japanes animation should try to get his hands on this deep yet action filled anime!

Saint Seiya (also known as Los Caballeros del Zodiaco in Spanish, Knights of Zodiac in English and Les Chevaliers du Zodiaque in French) is one of the best series ever created. First aired in 1986, the series was not as outstandingly popular as your DBZ's or your Sailor Moon's in Japan but strangely it contains/contained an almost religious following in Hispanic (Argentina, Chile, Dominican Republic, etc) and Europ(France and Spain). Based around the idea that our modern world coexists with warriors wearing cloth/armors which are associated with constellations, the series dwells with the adventures of the saints/knights of the goddess Athena. Swearing to protect her, the Bronze saints (the main characters of the story) go to any length and fight anyone who threatens Athena or the well-being of mankind.

The series aired in Adult Swim for a while in a crappy time slot and has never really developed an American audience, which is a shame.I can not stress enough how good the series is.

Saint Seiya is the best anime ever, it's about 5 young warriors "The Bronze Saints" who defend the reincarnation of Godess Athena (Saori Kido) against threats such as the "Silver Saints" and the deadly "Gold Saints" (the zodiac signs, from aries thru pisces) in which the bronze saints come out victorious, and with the 5 remaining gold saints alive as their allies, who repair the heroes' destroyed armors

Then comes the Asgard saga, where the heroes have to fight against the threat of a corrupted Hilda Polaris (the representation of Odin on earth) and her 7 god warriors

And the 3rd part of the series, the heroes fight Poseidon and his 7 marines to protect not only Athena, but the whole world..

The series are great, the characters (in my opinion) is what makes a show (or an anime) great, and in saint seiya all the characters are awesome, both in apperiances and personalities... I really can't choose who my favorite character is, they're all cool... but one thing is for sure: this is my favorite anime of all the time!

This is one of the greatest animes ever made. I grew up watching the show, hell I still do watch it when ever I can find it on tv.