Athena, the Olympian goddess of war, wisdom, justice, and heroic endeavor, reincarnates cyclically as a mortal to protect humanity. In her 20th-century incarnation as Saori Kido, she leads from Sanctuary, guiding her Saints against threats to peace. Though her mortal form lacks superhuman strength, she wields cosmic energy to heal, communicate telepathically, and empower her warriors. Born of Zeus, her stewardship of Earth spans millennia, marked by reincarnation every 200 years beneath her statue in Sanctuary. Her legacy began in ancient mythos, collaborating with the lost civilization of Mu to forge Cloths—constellation-linked armor amplifying a Saint’s cosmic power. These Cloths, ranked Gold, Silver, or Bronze, became foundational to her defense, though she restricted weapon use, entrusting their safekeeping to the Libra Gold Cloth. Early conflicts, including wars against Poseidon, Giants, Ares, and Hades, shaped her strategies, compelling tactical compromises like permitting arms during Ares’ uprising. As Saori Kido, her mortal journey began with peril. Rescued from assassination by Sagittarius Aiolos as an infant, she was raised by Mitsumasa Kido, evolving from a privileged heiress to a resolute leader upon discovering her divine lineage. During the Sanctuary crisis, a god-killer arrow pierced her heart, compelling her Bronze Saints to conquer the Twelve Gold Saints within twelve hours to save her life—a trial underscoring her mortal fragility and strategic indispensability. Her sacrifices intensified in later wars. To stall Poseidon’s cataclysmic flood, she surrendered herself as a hostage. Against Hades, she sacrificed her mortal form to breach the Underworld, relying on her Saints’ God Cloths to triumph. Spin-offs like *The Lost Canvas* echo her eternal burden through incarnations like Sasha, an 18th-century Athena enduring parallel trials of leadership and loss. Though bound by duty, Athena shares profound, unspoken bonds with her Saints, notably Pegasus Seiya. Her divine blood awakens Cloths, while her shield purifies corruption, balancing vulnerability and cosmic authority. Across media—from OVAs to films like *Battle for Sanctuary*—she navigates prophecies of despair, embodying the duality of mortal impermanence and immortal resolve, her faith in her warriors defying even fated ruin.