ONA
Description
Andreas Riese is a central antagonist from the anime Saint Seiya: Soul of Gold, serving as the新任 ruler of Asgard after succeeding Hilda. Standing at 188 centimeters tall, his outward appearance is that of a charismatic and benevolent leader, but this facade conceals a much darker reality: he is a puppet under the control of the Norse邪神 Loki. His background reveals that he was originally a physician in Asgard, known for his compassion, and he once aided the God Warrior Sigmund during his wrongful imprisonment. When Hilda fell ill, Riese took her place as the earthly代理 of Odin, which marked the beginning of his transformation and the revelation of his true purpose.
Under his rule, Andreas Riese is driven by a grand and destructive motivation. He resurrects Yggdrasil, the colossal World Tree that was forbidden in Asgard, and uses his position to deceive the populace with promises of sunlight and prosperity once its fruit ripens. In reality, his goal is to harvest the power of the Gold Saints, whose cosmos are used to nourish Yggdrasil. This process is intended to create the legendary Spear of Gungnir, a weapon of immense power that would allow him to dominate the world. He is also responsible for gathering and commanding the seven new God Warriors, using modified Odin Sapphires to enforce his will. Notably, he can induce a state of frenzy in these warriors, turning them into mindless Berserkers who feel no fear or pain, marked by a purple tint in their eyes that eventually darkens to black as their rage and his control intensify.
Throughout the story, Riese acts as the primary obstacle for the resurrected Gold Saints. His role is defined by manipulation and observation, as he often watches the battles between the Saints and his God Warriors from a distance. A key event in his past is a confrontation with the Gold Saint Aiolos, during which Aiolos’s golden arrow wounded Riese’s left eye, an injury that serves as a lasting reminder of his vulnerability. His key relationships are largely transactional and based on control. He views the God Warriors as disposable tools, and his alliance with the scientist Fafner is purely for furthering his experiments with Yggdrasil. His most significant relationship is with the priestess Lyfia, whom he ultimately orders to be killed by the God Warrior Utgardar after publicly accusing her of treason, an act that solidifies his role as a ruthless tyrant.
The development of Andreas Riese is tied directly to his gradual loss of control and the awakening of the entity within him. As the Gold Saints grow stronger and begin to destroy Yggdrasil’s core, Riese is forced to fight them directly. He confronts Leo Aiolia and the other Saints but is overwhelmed, his power suppressed by the lingering effects of Aiolos’s golden arrow still lodged in his body. In his moment of desperation, the邪神 Loki fully emerges, seizing complete control of his body. While the combined technique Athena Exclamation, performed by the Gold Saints Mu, Saga, and Dohko, destroys Riese’s physical form, this is not the end. The destruction only eliminates the host body, allowing Loki to discard the broken puppet and assume a new, more powerful form using the stem of Yggdrasil, leaving Andreas Riese as a forgotten vessel.
Despite being primarily a figurehead for a god, Andreas Riese possesses notable abilities of his own, though they are often overshadowed by Loki’s power. He is a capable combatant, able to engage Gold Saints in battle and demonstrated a high level of durability. His most distinctive ability is his manipulation of the Odin Sapphires to create the Berserkers, controlling the minds of his warriors to amplify their strength and rage while stripping away their fear and humanity. Furthermore, he has some resistance to the attacks of the Gold Saints, holding his own until the arrow wound weakens him. Ultimately, his power proves insufficient against the combined might of the Saints, leading to his body’s destruction and the completion of Loki’s resurrection.
Under his rule, Andreas Riese is driven by a grand and destructive motivation. He resurrects Yggdrasil, the colossal World Tree that was forbidden in Asgard, and uses his position to deceive the populace with promises of sunlight and prosperity once its fruit ripens. In reality, his goal is to harvest the power of the Gold Saints, whose cosmos are used to nourish Yggdrasil. This process is intended to create the legendary Spear of Gungnir, a weapon of immense power that would allow him to dominate the world. He is also responsible for gathering and commanding the seven new God Warriors, using modified Odin Sapphires to enforce his will. Notably, he can induce a state of frenzy in these warriors, turning them into mindless Berserkers who feel no fear or pain, marked by a purple tint in their eyes that eventually darkens to black as their rage and his control intensify.
Throughout the story, Riese acts as the primary obstacle for the resurrected Gold Saints. His role is defined by manipulation and observation, as he often watches the battles between the Saints and his God Warriors from a distance. A key event in his past is a confrontation with the Gold Saint Aiolos, during which Aiolos’s golden arrow wounded Riese’s left eye, an injury that serves as a lasting reminder of his vulnerability. His key relationships are largely transactional and based on control. He views the God Warriors as disposable tools, and his alliance with the scientist Fafner is purely for furthering his experiments with Yggdrasil. His most significant relationship is with the priestess Lyfia, whom he ultimately orders to be killed by the God Warrior Utgardar after publicly accusing her of treason, an act that solidifies his role as a ruthless tyrant.
The development of Andreas Riese is tied directly to his gradual loss of control and the awakening of the entity within him. As the Gold Saints grow stronger and begin to destroy Yggdrasil’s core, Riese is forced to fight them directly. He confronts Leo Aiolia and the other Saints but is overwhelmed, his power suppressed by the lingering effects of Aiolos’s golden arrow still lodged in his body. In his moment of desperation, the邪神 Loki fully emerges, seizing complete control of his body. While the combined technique Athena Exclamation, performed by the Gold Saints Mu, Saga, and Dohko, destroys Riese’s physical form, this is not the end. The destruction only eliminates the host body, allowing Loki to discard the broken puppet and assume a new, more powerful form using the stem of Yggdrasil, leaving Andreas Riese as a forgotten vessel.
Despite being primarily a figurehead for a god, Andreas Riese possesses notable abilities of his own, though they are often overshadowed by Loki’s power. He is a capable combatant, able to engage Gold Saints in battle and demonstrated a high level of durability. His most distinctive ability is his manipulation of the Odin Sapphires to create the Berserkers, controlling the minds of his warriors to amplify their strength and rage while stripping away their fear and humanity. Furthermore, he has some resistance to the attacks of the Gold Saints, holding his own until the arrow wound weakens him. Ultimately, his power proves insufficient against the combined might of the Saints, leading to his body’s destruction and the completion of Loki’s resurrection.