OVA
Description
Asmita de Virgem is the Gold Saint of the Virgo Temple in the 18th century Holy War as depicted in the manga Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas. He is a man who, despite being born blind, is regarded as the human whose strength and spiritual awareness place him closest to the divine. His blindness is not a physical ailment but a self-imposed sealing of his eyes, a condition he maintains to better sense the suffering and pain present in the world around him.
His personality is initially marked by bitterness, mystery, and profound skepticism. Unlike his peers who follow the Greek pantheon, Asmita practices Buddhism, a philosophical divergence that sets him apart and causes other Gold Saints like Taurus Hasgard to distrust him. For much of the early story, he refuses to pledge his loyalty to Sasha, the reincarnation of the goddess Athena, harboring deep doubts about her capability to protect humanity. He is introspective, questioning the nature of gods, the purpose of human suffering, and the cyclical path of death and rebirth. This questioning nature makes him the most ambiguous of the Gold Saints, a man whose allegiance seems uncertain even to his allies.
Asmita's primary motivation is the search for truth and the alleviation of suffering. He does not fight for glory or personal power but to resolve his philosophical doubts. His journey leads him to test the resolve of the Bronze Saint Pegasus Tenma. By confronting Tenma in the Underworld and creating a powerful illusion where he seemingly kills Athena, Asmita successfully pushes the young saint to awaken his Seventh Sense. This test serves as a catalyst for Asmita himself, dissolving his earlier doubts and confirming his faith in humanity and Athena.
His most critical role in the story is the creation of the rosary that turns the tide of the Holy War. After ordering Tenma to collect the 108 fruits of the Mokurenji, the only living tree in the Underworld, Asmita travels to Jamir. There, he uses his immense cosmos and mastery of the Eighth Sense to awaken the latent power within the fruits. By sacrificing his own life and unleashing his full power, he forms the beads into a rosary that permanently seals the souls of any Spectre it vanquishes, preventing Hades from resurrecting his army. This selfless act is his greatest contribution, ensuring that the sacrifices of his comrades would have a lasting impact.
Key relationships define his arc. He was taken as a disciple by Hakurei, the former Pope, who guided his early enlightenment. His interactions with Sasha are initially hostile, but after his trial of Tenma, he acknowledges her as his goddess and apologizes for his past defiance. His relationship with Pegasus Tenma is pivotal; Asmita acts as a harsh mentor, testing his spirit and later donating his own blood to repair Tenma's damaged Pegasus Cloth, creating a spiritual link that allows his spirit to offer guidance from beyond the grave. His spirit later appears to Defteros of Gemini, urging the reclusive Gold Saint to enter the battle in his stead.
Asmita undergoes significant development, moving from a distant, doubtful observer to a decisive and sacrificial guardian. He begins the narrative questioning which side to serve, but through his encounters, he achieves a clear conviction. His arc culminates in his physical death, yet his consciousness endures. He achieves a state of enlightenment, allowing his spirit to continue aiding his allies, proving that his understanding transcends the physical limits of life and death.
His notable abilities are vast and deeply tied to Buddhist and Hindu concepts. Asmita has awakened the Eighth Sense, or Alaya-vijnana, which allows him to transcend the cycle of life and death and travel freely between the human world and the Underworld. He uses mantras to amplify his power: Om to burn his cosmos to its maximum, and Kan to create an absolute defensive barrier. Among his offensive techniques are the Rikudo Rinne, which sends an opponent's soul to be reincarnated into one of the Six Realms of Samsara. His most powerful technique is the Tenbu Horin, an inescapable offensive and defensive formation that creates a perfect universe unto itself, from which he can systematically deprive an enemy of all their senses, leaving them completely powerless. He also wields the devastating Tenma Koufuku, a galaxy-exploding attack capable of annihilating powerful Spectres in a single blow.
His personality is initially marked by bitterness, mystery, and profound skepticism. Unlike his peers who follow the Greek pantheon, Asmita practices Buddhism, a philosophical divergence that sets him apart and causes other Gold Saints like Taurus Hasgard to distrust him. For much of the early story, he refuses to pledge his loyalty to Sasha, the reincarnation of the goddess Athena, harboring deep doubts about her capability to protect humanity. He is introspective, questioning the nature of gods, the purpose of human suffering, and the cyclical path of death and rebirth. This questioning nature makes him the most ambiguous of the Gold Saints, a man whose allegiance seems uncertain even to his allies.
Asmita's primary motivation is the search for truth and the alleviation of suffering. He does not fight for glory or personal power but to resolve his philosophical doubts. His journey leads him to test the resolve of the Bronze Saint Pegasus Tenma. By confronting Tenma in the Underworld and creating a powerful illusion where he seemingly kills Athena, Asmita successfully pushes the young saint to awaken his Seventh Sense. This test serves as a catalyst for Asmita himself, dissolving his earlier doubts and confirming his faith in humanity and Athena.
His most critical role in the story is the creation of the rosary that turns the tide of the Holy War. After ordering Tenma to collect the 108 fruits of the Mokurenji, the only living tree in the Underworld, Asmita travels to Jamir. There, he uses his immense cosmos and mastery of the Eighth Sense to awaken the latent power within the fruits. By sacrificing his own life and unleashing his full power, he forms the beads into a rosary that permanently seals the souls of any Spectre it vanquishes, preventing Hades from resurrecting his army. This selfless act is his greatest contribution, ensuring that the sacrifices of his comrades would have a lasting impact.
Key relationships define his arc. He was taken as a disciple by Hakurei, the former Pope, who guided his early enlightenment. His interactions with Sasha are initially hostile, but after his trial of Tenma, he acknowledges her as his goddess and apologizes for his past defiance. His relationship with Pegasus Tenma is pivotal; Asmita acts as a harsh mentor, testing his spirit and later donating his own blood to repair Tenma's damaged Pegasus Cloth, creating a spiritual link that allows his spirit to offer guidance from beyond the grave. His spirit later appears to Defteros of Gemini, urging the reclusive Gold Saint to enter the battle in his stead.
Asmita undergoes significant development, moving from a distant, doubtful observer to a decisive and sacrificial guardian. He begins the narrative questioning which side to serve, but through his encounters, he achieves a clear conviction. His arc culminates in his physical death, yet his consciousness endures. He achieves a state of enlightenment, allowing his spirit to continue aiding his allies, proving that his understanding transcends the physical limits of life and death.
His notable abilities are vast and deeply tied to Buddhist and Hindu concepts. Asmita has awakened the Eighth Sense, or Alaya-vijnana, which allows him to transcend the cycle of life and death and travel freely between the human world and the Underworld. He uses mantras to amplify his power: Om to burn his cosmos to its maximum, and Kan to create an absolute defensive barrier. Among his offensive techniques are the Rikudo Rinne, which sends an opponent's soul to be reincarnated into one of the Six Realms of Samsara. His most powerful technique is the Tenbu Horin, an inescapable offensive and defensive formation that creates a perfect universe unto itself, from which he can systematically deprive an enemy of all their senses, leaving them completely powerless. He also wields the devastating Tenma Koufuku, a galaxy-exploding attack capable of annihilating powerful Spectres in a single blow.