OVA
Description
Pope Sage is the reigning Pope of the Sanctuary in Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas and a former Gold Saint of the Cancer constellation. He is the younger twin brother of Hakurei, and the two are the only Saints who survived the previous Holy War against Hades. Sage is more than two hundred years old, and despite his advanced age his abilities have not diminished; he maintains that a Pope must be able to read one step ahead of the gods, a conviction he proves during his fight with Thanatos. In appearance he is an elderly man with long gray hair that reaches past his hips and eyes that are usually concealed.
Sage came of age as a warrior during the last Holy War, where he encountered the twin gods Thanatos and Hypnos, the servants of Hades. He was unable to save many of his comrades in that conflict, and the memory of those losses remains a lasting emotional wound. That experience drives him to plan for revenge against the twin gods, and his work as Pope is shaped by the need to prepare the Sanctuary for the next war. In that role he assists the goddess Athena, coordinates the Gold Saints, and investigates the gods who serve Hades.
His path to the papal throne was unusual, since the position and the Gold Cloth were effectively passed to him through his brother Hakurei. Because of this, Sage tends to complain about his brother in a light, informal tone whenever they meet, though the two remain loyal to each other and work together when the situation demands it. As a teacher, Sage trained Manigoldo, who later becomes the next Cancer Gold Saint. He is also a perceptive leader when it comes to threats within the Sanctuary. Flashbacks show that he was aware of Gemini Aspros' betrayal and the plot to assassinate him, and he worked with Virgo Asmita to uncover Aspros' true motives.
As a former Cancer Saint, Sage has deep mastery over techniques that involve the soul. He is able to create a copy of himself, immobilize opponents by manipulating souls, and travel through the underworld or across dimensions at will. He also possesses a large collection of talismans called Talisman Cage, which are capable of sealing the power of gods. In his final confrontation with Thanatos, he uses his brother's Altar Silver Cloth to seal Thanatos within the Holy Coffer, giving up his own life to complete the seal.
His story traces his development from a grieving survivor of a devastating war into a calculating strategist who readies the Sanctuary for the conflict to come, and finally into a self-sacrificing leader who removes one of Hades' most dangerous servants from the battlefield. His influence carries on through Manigoldo, whom he trained, and through the preparations he put in place before his death.
Sage came of age as a warrior during the last Holy War, where he encountered the twin gods Thanatos and Hypnos, the servants of Hades. He was unable to save many of his comrades in that conflict, and the memory of those losses remains a lasting emotional wound. That experience drives him to plan for revenge against the twin gods, and his work as Pope is shaped by the need to prepare the Sanctuary for the next war. In that role he assists the goddess Athena, coordinates the Gold Saints, and investigates the gods who serve Hades.
His path to the papal throne was unusual, since the position and the Gold Cloth were effectively passed to him through his brother Hakurei. Because of this, Sage tends to complain about his brother in a light, informal tone whenever they meet, though the two remain loyal to each other and work together when the situation demands it. As a teacher, Sage trained Manigoldo, who later becomes the next Cancer Gold Saint. He is also a perceptive leader when it comes to threats within the Sanctuary. Flashbacks show that he was aware of Gemini Aspros' betrayal and the plot to assassinate him, and he worked with Virgo Asmita to uncover Aspros' true motives.
As a former Cancer Saint, Sage has deep mastery over techniques that involve the soul. He is able to create a copy of himself, immobilize opponents by manipulating souls, and travel through the underworld or across dimensions at will. He also possesses a large collection of talismans called Talisman Cage, which are capable of sealing the power of gods. In his final confrontation with Thanatos, he uses his brother's Altar Silver Cloth to seal Thanatos within the Holy Coffer, giving up his own life to complete the seal.
His story traces his development from a grieving survivor of a devastating war into a calculating strategist who readies the Sanctuary for the conflict to come, and finally into a self-sacrificing leader who removes one of Hades' most dangerous servants from the battlefield. His influence carries on through Manigoldo, whom he trained, and through the preparations he put in place before his death.