Shaka de la Vierge guards Athena's sixth zodiac temple, the House of Virgo. Hailed as "the man closest to god" for his profound spiritual insight and immense cosmic power, he is considered the reincarnation of Buddha. Born in India, he spent his early childhood in deep meditation along the Ganges River, directly communicating with Buddha. This fostered a perspective detached from human suffering and worldly attachments, viewing existence from a divine standpoint. As a child, he wrestled with existential questions about life's suffering and mortality; Buddha guided him that death is not an endpoint and embracing this truth would define his path. By age six, he displayed advanced spiritual maturity, and by thirteen, he earned the Virgo Gold Cloth. His training focused on transcending human limitations; he often meditated with closed eyes to heighten cosmic awareness, marked by a tilak on his forehead symbolizing Shiva's third eye. During the Sanctuary arc, he confronted Leo Aiolia under orders from the false Pope (Gemini Saga), neutralizing Aiolia's aggression through cosmic suppression and illusions. His major early battle occurred against Phoenix Ikki in the Virgo Temple. After effortlessly defeating the Bronze Saints, Shaka engaged Ikki in a multidimensional duel, employing Tenma Kōfuku and Tenbu Hōrin to sever his opponent's senses. Though dominant initially, Shaka acknowledged Ikki's growth when the Bronze Saint awakened his Seventh Sense, resulting in a stalemate that transported both to another dimension. This encounter subtly shifted Shaka's detached worldview, as Ikki's resilience demonstrated the value of human bonds. In the Hades arc, Shaka played a critical defensive role when resurrected Gold Saints—Saga, Shura, and Camus—invaded Sanctuary under Hades's banner. He initially delayed them with illusions in the Cancer Temple. After Saga disrupted his tactics, Shaka retreated to the Virgo Temple, eliminating accompanying spectres using his 108-bead rosary and the Tenkūhaja Chimimōryō technique. Confronting the trio in the Twin Sala Trees garden, he deployed Tenbu Hōrin to deprive them of their senses, compelling them to use the forbidden Athena Exclamation. Though obliterated by this attack, Shaka's consciousness survived; he transmitted a blood-written message ("Arayashiki," meaning Eighth Sense) on flower petals to Athena before his physical form dissipated. This confirmed his mastery of the Eighth Sense, allowing him to traverse the underworld without dying. Later, he reappeared in Elysion alongside Athena to confront Hades directly. He attempted to destroy the Wailing Wall barring entry to Hades's realm, coordinating with resurrected Gold Saints to channel their collective cosmos into Sagittarius Aiolos's arrow, successfully breaching the wall but extinguishing their spirits. In the canonical sequel *Next Dimension*, set during the 18th-century Holy War, Shaka's lingering consciousness aided Andromeda Shun and Pegasus Tenma, shielding them from his predecessor's attacks and reinforcing his role as a timeless protector. His abilities centered on sensory manipulation and cosmic transcendence. Key techniques included Tenbu Hōrin (sensory deprivation), Tenma Kōfuku (dimensional banishment), and Tenkūhaja Chimimōryō (manifesting demonic illusions). As the first Gold Saint to fully awaken the Eighth Sense, he could enter and return from the underworld autonomously. His combat style blended psychic assaults with physical prowess, often culminating in the opening of his eyes—a sign of his full cosmic release.