Who created it? It's 1986 when the fervid imagination of Masami Kurumada, up to then a perfect unknown, creates Saint Seiya, a combat manga with deep mythological features. Saint Seiya is first published on Shonen Jump, a japanese monthly magazine. Success comes quickly: also thanks to the anime, attended by character design genius Shingo Araki, the manga becomes a real phenomenon, whose contents spread not only in Japan, but all over the world. Saint Seiya project stops in 1991, after having produced more than 5.000 pages. In Italy, but also in Europe, the success of the anime has darkened Kurumada's work: it's only 1993 when Granata Press decides to publish Saint Seiya; unfortunately the italian adaptation is affected by a superficial translation, whose soul is far from the original one. The Star Comics edition, begun on June 2000, is more faithful, mainteining the japanese format.

What is Saint Seiya? Saint Seiya deals with the adventures of the Saints, that is the knights, whose task is to defend goddess Athena. The plot is simple: Athena, goddess of justice, has reincarnated herself into Saori Kido, a young japan girl, because the evil has come back to menace the Earth again. The protagonists of the manga are five boys, whose leader is Seiya, who, after years of hard training, have conquered the investiture of Athena's knights. The goddess safety and the preservation of peace and equity are the Saint's only aims. When the evil, in the shape of cruel enemies, menaces the serenity of the planet, Athena, Seiya and his friends work together to defeat the enemies and to save the Earth.

Who are the friends? In the course of the story, new allies add themselves to our five heroes. Among the second leading characters, there are the other bronze saints, who often remain in the dark, being not as strong as Seiya and the others. A key role is interpreted by Mu, gold saint of Aries, who often helps our heroes, repairing them their cloths and giving them precious advices. Among the other gold Saints, who fight in the name of Athena, there are Aldebaran, Taurus Saint, Aiolia, Lion Saint, Milo, Scorpio Saint, and the ghost of Aiolos, Sagitter Saint. The wise master of Goro Ho, Shiryu's trainer, fights together with Athena. Also Marin, Seiya's trainer, and Shaina are on the good side, even if Shaina probably helps Seiya just because she's in love with him.

Who are the enemies? In the beginning, Ikki (assisted by his Black Saints) seems to be the villain of the manga. Nevertheless, soon the Great Priest, chief of the great temple in Greece, becomes the main opponent. In his attempt to conquer the Earth, he's helped by the Silver Saints and the Gold Saints. In the following chapters, the role of antagonist will be interpreted by Neptune, empereor of seas, and Ade, king of death's reign.