THANATOS
Thanatos is the God of Death in Masami Kurumada's Saint Seiya universe, serving as one of the twin deities under Hades alongside his twin brother Hypnos. Characterized by his silver hair, black forehead pentagram, and ruthless arrogance, he resides in Elysion where he unleashes crushing divine Cosmo against Athena's Saints.
Cronologia
Biografia
In the Saint Seiya universe, Thanatos is the divine embodiment of death (死を司る神) and a primary lieutenant to Hades, Lord of the Underworld. Alongside his twin brother Hypnos, the God of Sleep, Thanatos serves as a strategist and powerful commander in the recurring Holy Wars against Athena.
Unlike his calm and pragmatic brother, Thanatos is defined by extreme arrogance, a quick temper, and absolute disdain for mortal human life. During the climax of the Hades arc, Thanatos resides in the immaculate paradise of Elysion, guarding the true body of Hades while enjoying moments of leisure.
Armed with the supreme divine Cosmo known as the 'Big Will', he effortlessly overpower Athena's Bronze Saints and destroys five Gold Cloths simultaneously. His cruelty reaches its peak when he attempts to kill Seiya's long-lost sister, Seika, from across dimensions, an act that drives Pegasus Seiya to ignite his Cosmo to divine heights and awaken his Pegasus God Cloth.
Storia
Thanatos and Hypnos have served Hades since the ages of myth, repeatedly clashing with Athena's army across centuries. In the 16th-century Holy War, the Twin Gods decimated Athena's forces, leaving Cancer Sage and Altar Hakurei as the sole surviving Gold Saints.
Prior to the 18th-century war, Thanatos personally tempted Tokusa, the brother of Crane Yuzuriha, granting him eternal life as a Specter in exchange for sacrificing his family.
In the 18th-century Holy War depicted in Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas, Thanatos operated from a floating castle in the sky, granting portions of his power to Specters like Nasu Veronica. He engaged Cancer Manigoldo and Pope Sage in battle, where Manigoldo sacrificed his life to destroy Thanatos' physical host body. Before Thanatos could inhabit Sage's body, Sage used Athena's Holy Coffer to seal the god's soul inside, locking him away for 240 years until he was inadvertently freed by an infant Pandora in modern times.
I PEZZI DI THANATOS
Poteri & Abilità
• Big Will Divine Cosmo: Wields the supreme divine Cosmo of the Gods, granting him vast physical and cosmic superiority over mortals. • Long-Distance Death Infliction: Capable of causing instant death to any living creature across space without physical contact, targeting their soul or bloodline. • Terrible Providence (テリブル・プロビデンス): His signature technique in canon. A devastating energy blast that cripples body and mind, destroying the five senses, causing madness, and dismembering physical matter. Capable of shattering five Gold Cloths in a single blow.
• Tartaros Phobia (タルタロズフォビア): A technique featured in The Lost Canvas that summons a swarm of suffering, tortured souls from Tartaros to attack his enemies. • Psychokinesis & Invisible Blasts: Unleashes energy attacks that are invisible to ordinary mortals, making them nearly impossible to detect except by skilled psychokinetics like Kiki. • Power Bestowal: Able to grant fractions of his divine Cosmo to subservient Specters, such as Nasu Veronica. • Thanatos Surplice & Divine Form: Wears a dark, highly protective divine Surplice armor in combat, complemented by noble white robes during leisure.
Apparizioni
• Saint Seiya (Original Manga) (1990) — Debut in Chapter 101/102 of Masami Kurumada's original manga as the primary antagonist of the Elysion chapter. • Saint Seiya: The Hades (PS2) (2006) — First video game appearance as a boss and playable divine character. • Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas - Meiō Shinwa (Manga) (2006–2011) — Featured as a major antagonist during the 18th-century Holy War. • Saint Seiya: The Hades Chapter - Elysion (OVA) (2008) — Animated debut adapting the final arc of the original manga. • Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas (OVA) (2009–2011) — Animated adaptation covering his fight against Cancer Manigoldo and Pope Sage.
• Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas - Extra / Anecdotes (2011–2016) — Backstory chapters detailing past Holy Wars and previous encounters. • Saint Seiya: Brave Soldiers (PS3) (2013) — Playable divine fighter featuring Terrible Providence. • Saint Seiya: Soldiers' Soul (PS3/PS4/PC) (2015) — Playable god character with updated HD movesets and unique dialogue. • Saint Seiya: Cosmo Fantasy / Zodiac Brave (iOS/Android) (2016) — High-tier playable God unit in mobile RPG. • Saint Seiya: Galaxy Spirits (iOS/Android) (2016 / 2019) — Playable God-class character. • Saint Seiya Awakening: Knights of the Zodiac (iOS/Android) (2017 / 2019) — Premier SS-rank damage dealer with an Awakened skill rework. • Saint Seiya: Legend of Justice (iOS/Android) (2022) — Ultra-rare God unit addition to the mobile roster.
Relazioni
• Hades — Supreme Lord of the Underworld, whom Thanatos serves loyally alongside his brother. • Hypnos — Twin brother and God of Sleep, who frequently scolds Thanatos for his hot-tempered nature and unnecessary violence. • Pandora — Commander of Hades' army, whose fate was tied to the Twin Gods after she freed them from Athena's box as a child.
• Pegasus Seiya & Bronze Saints — Mortal enemies in the 20th century; Seiya slays Thanatos after awakening his Pegasus God Cloth. • Cancer Manigoldo & Pope Sage — 18th-century Gold Saint and Pope who sacrificed their lives to destroy Thanatos' host body and seal his soul. • Nasu Veronica — 18th-century Specter directly commanded by Thanatos and empowered by his divine energy. • Tokusa — Brother of Crane Yuzuriha, tempted by Thanatos into becoming a Specter in exchange for immortality.
Evoluzione
Across the Saint Seiya franchise, Thanatos evolved from a late-saga endgame boss into one of the franchise's most iconic divine antagonists. In Masami Kurumada's original 1990 manga and its 2008 OVA adaptation, Thanatos appears as an ethereal entity in Elysion who does not require a human vessel, battling with distant, godlike condescension until Seiya's God Cloth awakening leads to his defeat.
His role expanded significantly in Shiori Teshirogi's Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas (2006–2011), which introduced a physical host body taking direct field command during the 18th century. This depiction highlighted his strategic involvement in the Holy War, direct command over Specters, and expanded his arsenal with new techniques like Tartaros Phobia. In competitive mobile titles like Saint Seiya Awakening, Thanatos has maintained an active presence as an indispensable top-tier SS unit, receiving gameplay reworks like Awakened Thanatos to remain central to the game's competitive meta.
Da Collezione
For Saint Seiya action figure collectors, Thanatos is considered a crown jewel of any Underworld display. Bandai first produced the character in August 2008 under the classic Saint Cloth Myth line to coincide with the Hades Elysion OVA series. Featuring wide die-cast armor wings, metallic dark surplice plating, and an Object mode frame, the original release quickly became a sought-after centerpiece.
In January 2023, Bandai Spirits released the upgraded Saint Cloth Myth EX Thanatos, incorporating the EX METAL body with reinforced metal waist and knee joints to support the massive wing structure. The EX release includes screen-accurate silver hair, four distinct facial expressions, a fabric civilian robe, a harp, an Object mode frame, and a mini figure of young Pandora holding the sealed box. Due to its impressive engineering and premium accessories, the EX version commands high secondary market value and remains an essential grail for Saint Seiya completionists.
Curiosità
• In Masami Kurumada's original manga canon, Thanatos possesses only one named special attack: Terrible Providence. • Thanatos was freed from his 240-year seal inside Athena's Holy Coffer when Pandora opened the locked box as a young child.
• Despite his godhood and arrogance, Thanatos loses his composure completely when Seiya manages to scratch his finger, causing him to bleed. • In Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas, Thanatos and Hypnos pass their leisure time in their floating sky castle by playing chess.
