OVA
Description
Alone is a fifteen-year-old Italian orphan who serves as the mortal vessel for Hades, the god of the Underworld, during the 18th century Holy War. He was raised alongside two other orphans, Tenma and Sasha, in a small village in Italy; Tenma is destined to become the Pegasus Saint, while Sasha is the reincarnation of the goddess Athena. Before his transformation, Alone possesses an exceptionally pure and gentle soul, which makes his body the ideal choice for Hades. A kind-hearted aspiring painter, he believes in the inherent goodness of people and disapproves of violence. He shares a close friendship with Tenma and a sibling-like bond with Sasha, promising Tenma that he will become a great artist and finish a portrait of him by the time they are reunited.
The catalyst for Alone’s transformation is the discovery that every living creature he paints dies shortly afterward. This curse, combined with manipulation by Hypnos, the god of sleep, warps his compassionate nature into a dark philosophy: death is not an end but the ultimate form of salvation, a liberation from suffering, pain, war, and poverty. Alone accepts his destiny as Hades not as an evil conquest but as a mission of mercy. To bring this salvation to the entire world, he begins painting the Lost Canvas, a massive celestial painting of Earth viewed from space. Once completed, the painting will end all life on the planet. Alone confesses that he was never fully possessed or controlled by Hades; instead, he acts of his own free will, wielding the god’s immense power to achieve his goal of eradicating the world. This agency makes him a tragic idealist rather than a puppet.
Throughout the story, the relationship between Alone, Tenma, and Sasha forms the emotional core of the conflict. Alone’s childhood memories prove to be a powerful obstacle to Hades’s complete awakening; he subconsciously paints an image of the three friends as children within the Lost Canvas. When Pandora seals him in dimensional isolation to prevent distractions, he continues his work. However, as the Holy War reaches its climax, his confrontation with Tenma causes his original self to resurface. Overwhelmed by regret and horror, a restored Alone begs Tenma to destroy his body to prevent Hades from fully manifesting. When Tenma cannot do so, the will of Hades finally takes complete control, transforming Alone’s features into the god’s true form. Ultimately, Hades is forced to abandon Alone’s body, and Alone’s life ends after he, together with Tenma and Athena, combines their efforts to banish the god from the earthly plane.
As the vessel of Hades, Alone commands the 108 Specters, the army of Hades, and possesses an overwhelmingly powerful cosmos that can subdue even the Gold Saints. His primary method of destruction is artistic; the completion of the Lost Canvas is meant to bring about the end of the world. His power also allows him to resurrect fallen Specters. While he rarely engages in direct combat, his very presence and the aura of death he projects make him the central threat of the war—a tragic antagonist whose quest for universal salvation is inextricably linked to universal annihilation.
The catalyst for Alone’s transformation is the discovery that every living creature he paints dies shortly afterward. This curse, combined with manipulation by Hypnos, the god of sleep, warps his compassionate nature into a dark philosophy: death is not an end but the ultimate form of salvation, a liberation from suffering, pain, war, and poverty. Alone accepts his destiny as Hades not as an evil conquest but as a mission of mercy. To bring this salvation to the entire world, he begins painting the Lost Canvas, a massive celestial painting of Earth viewed from space. Once completed, the painting will end all life on the planet. Alone confesses that he was never fully possessed or controlled by Hades; instead, he acts of his own free will, wielding the god’s immense power to achieve his goal of eradicating the world. This agency makes him a tragic idealist rather than a puppet.
Throughout the story, the relationship between Alone, Tenma, and Sasha forms the emotional core of the conflict. Alone’s childhood memories prove to be a powerful obstacle to Hades’s complete awakening; he subconsciously paints an image of the three friends as children within the Lost Canvas. When Pandora seals him in dimensional isolation to prevent distractions, he continues his work. However, as the Holy War reaches its climax, his confrontation with Tenma causes his original self to resurface. Overwhelmed by regret and horror, a restored Alone begs Tenma to destroy his body to prevent Hades from fully manifesting. When Tenma cannot do so, the will of Hades finally takes complete control, transforming Alone’s features into the god’s true form. Ultimately, Hades is forced to abandon Alone’s body, and Alone’s life ends after he, together with Tenma and Athena, combines their efforts to banish the god from the earthly plane.
As the vessel of Hades, Alone commands the 108 Specters, the army of Hades, and possesses an overwhelmingly powerful cosmos that can subdue even the Gold Saints. His primary method of destruction is artistic; the completion of the Lost Canvas is meant to bring about the end of the world. His power also allows him to resurrect fallen Specters. While he rarely engages in direct combat, his very presence and the aura of death he projects make him the central threat of the war—a tragic antagonist whose quest for universal salvation is inextricably linked to universal annihilation.