OVA
Description
Tenma, also known as Pegasus Tenma, is the protagonist of Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas and serves as the Pegasus Bronze Saint during the 18th century Holy War against Hades. He is an orphan of Japanese ancestry who was raised in an orphanage in Italy alongside two other children, Alone and Sasha, with whom he formed a deep bond and came to regard as siblings. Later in the story it is revealed that he is the son of Mephistopheles Yōma and Owl Partita, though he remains unaware of his true parentage for most of his life. His soul is ancient and reincarnates every time Athena returns to Earth, as the destiny of the Pegasus Saint has always been to stand at the goddess's side and to oppose Hades across the ages.
Tenma's personality is defined by a hot-blooded, determined, and compassionate nature. He is impulsive and sometimes reckless, charging into danger to shield others, but he also possesses considerable emotional depth. He openly expresses fear, grief, and doubt, and his empathy extends even to his enemies. His core motivation grows out of his bonds with his childhood friends. When Sasha is taken to the Sanctuary and revealed to be the reincarnation of Athena, Tenma decides to become a Saint so that he can protect her. When his other friend Alone awakens as the human vessel of Hades, Tenma's central goal becomes not simply to defeat the god, but to save the human heart of his friend trapped within. This refusal to accept the tragic fate imposed by destiny is fundamental to his character and sets him apart from a conventional warrior.
In the story, Tenma is discovered by Libra Dohko, who recognizes his potential and brings him to the Sanctuary in Greece, where he trains under Dohko for roughly two years. His ability to master cosmo energy in an unusually short time allows him to earn the Pegasus Bronze Cloth. He participates in the mission to infiltrate Hades' castle, battles Specters, travels through the Underworld, and later makes his way through the demonic temples of the Lost Canvas to reach Alone. His Cloth is destroyed by Hades and subsequently restored with the blood of Virgo Asmita, giving it a new form. During training with Gemini Defteros on the Demon Island, he completes three difficult trials and awakens the Seventh Sense, granting him power comparable to that of the Gold Saints. In his confrontation with his mother, Owl Partita, his cosmo awakens further, causing the Pegasus Cloth to shine with a golden light, and when Partita draws his soul from his body, a feather from that soul touches the damaged Cloth and revives it as the Pegasus God Cloth. With this power he defeats Partita and continues to his final encounter with Alone. In that climactic battle, Tenma fights Alone relentlessly and ultimately succeeds in bringing his friend back to his senses, allowing the three childhood companions to banish Hades' soul from the earthly plane with their combined cosmo. Dohko later reveals that Tenma's life was consumed by this final effort, marking the cost of his victory.
Tenma's key relationships shape the entire narrative. Sasha, the reincarnation of Athena, is his childhood friend who believes in him throughout the war, and he is fiercely protective of her while also learning to respect her as a leader. Alone, the human vessel of Hades, is his best friend, and the tragedy of Alone's possession drives the story forward; Tenma never stops believing that his friend can be saved. Dohko of Libra serves as his primary mentor, training him with discipline and acting as an older brother figure, while Aries Shion also guides and rescues him during an attack on the Sanctuary. His parents also play significant roles, particularly Partita, who reveals the truth of his origins and ultimately enables the awakening of the God Cloth, while Yōma reappears as an adversary in the later stages of the war.
In terms of abilities, Tenma's signature technique is the Pegasus Meteor Fist, which unleashes a rapid shower of punches that strike an enemy many times per second, propelled by his cosmo and capable of reaching distant targets. He also commands the Pegasus Comet Fist, a concentrated strike that gathers the force of the meteors into a single devastating blow shaped like a comet. His exceptional control over cosmo allows him to sense other presences and push past normal human limits, and the awakening of the Seventh Sense grants him speed and power on the level of the Gold Saints. His Pegasus Cloth evolves throughout the story, enhanced by Asmita's blood and eventually reborn as a God Cloth with vastly greater strength. Tenma's fighting style relies on high-speed close combat and the power of his will, which intensifies in proportion to his desire to protect the people he loves.
Tenma's personality is defined by a hot-blooded, determined, and compassionate nature. He is impulsive and sometimes reckless, charging into danger to shield others, but he also possesses considerable emotional depth. He openly expresses fear, grief, and doubt, and his empathy extends even to his enemies. His core motivation grows out of his bonds with his childhood friends. When Sasha is taken to the Sanctuary and revealed to be the reincarnation of Athena, Tenma decides to become a Saint so that he can protect her. When his other friend Alone awakens as the human vessel of Hades, Tenma's central goal becomes not simply to defeat the god, but to save the human heart of his friend trapped within. This refusal to accept the tragic fate imposed by destiny is fundamental to his character and sets him apart from a conventional warrior.
In the story, Tenma is discovered by Libra Dohko, who recognizes his potential and brings him to the Sanctuary in Greece, where he trains under Dohko for roughly two years. His ability to master cosmo energy in an unusually short time allows him to earn the Pegasus Bronze Cloth. He participates in the mission to infiltrate Hades' castle, battles Specters, travels through the Underworld, and later makes his way through the demonic temples of the Lost Canvas to reach Alone. His Cloth is destroyed by Hades and subsequently restored with the blood of Virgo Asmita, giving it a new form. During training with Gemini Defteros on the Demon Island, he completes three difficult trials and awakens the Seventh Sense, granting him power comparable to that of the Gold Saints. In his confrontation with his mother, Owl Partita, his cosmo awakens further, causing the Pegasus Cloth to shine with a golden light, and when Partita draws his soul from his body, a feather from that soul touches the damaged Cloth and revives it as the Pegasus God Cloth. With this power he defeats Partita and continues to his final encounter with Alone. In that climactic battle, Tenma fights Alone relentlessly and ultimately succeeds in bringing his friend back to his senses, allowing the three childhood companions to banish Hades' soul from the earthly plane with their combined cosmo. Dohko later reveals that Tenma's life was consumed by this final effort, marking the cost of his victory.
Tenma's key relationships shape the entire narrative. Sasha, the reincarnation of Athena, is his childhood friend who believes in him throughout the war, and he is fiercely protective of her while also learning to respect her as a leader. Alone, the human vessel of Hades, is his best friend, and the tragedy of Alone's possession drives the story forward; Tenma never stops believing that his friend can be saved. Dohko of Libra serves as his primary mentor, training him with discipline and acting as an older brother figure, while Aries Shion also guides and rescues him during an attack on the Sanctuary. His parents also play significant roles, particularly Partita, who reveals the truth of his origins and ultimately enables the awakening of the God Cloth, while Yōma reappears as an adversary in the later stages of the war.
In terms of abilities, Tenma's signature technique is the Pegasus Meteor Fist, which unleashes a rapid shower of punches that strike an enemy many times per second, propelled by his cosmo and capable of reaching distant targets. He also commands the Pegasus Comet Fist, a concentrated strike that gathers the force of the meteors into a single devastating blow shaped like a comet. His exceptional control over cosmo allows him to sense other presences and push past normal human limits, and the awakening of the Seventh Sense grants him speed and power on the level of the Gold Saints. His Pegasus Cloth evolves throughout the story, enhanced by Asmita's blood and eventually reborn as a God Cloth with vastly greater strength. Tenma's fighting style relies on high-speed close combat and the power of his will, which intensifies in proportion to his desire to protect the people he loves.