OVA
Description
Ioria di Leo is the Gold Saint who guards the fifth temple of the Zodiac, the House of Leo, within the Sanctuary. As the younger brother of the Sagittarius Gold Saint Aiolos, he carries the heavy legacy of his sibling who was posthumously branded a traitor for attempting to assassinate the goddess Athena in her infancy. This false accusation profoundly shapes Ioria's character, as he spends years laboring to prove his own loyalty to Athena and restore the honor of his family name, all while privately maintaining a deep love and respect for his brother's memory. The weight of this disgrace was so immense that, in his youth, he dyed his naturally blond hair red to distance himself from the resemblance to his condemned brother.
Ioria is defined by a personality of impetuous passion and unwavering righteousness. He is a natural warrior with a hot spirit that incites him to direct action, a trait that often creates an ideological contrast with the more contemplative and calm Aries Mu. Despite this fiery nature, he is fundamentally noble and magnanimous, driven by a fierce determination to protect Athena and eliminate any threat to the Sanctuary. His primary motivation throughout the Hades arc stems from this core of justice: to defend humanity and the goddess from the invading specters of the Underworld, and to confront those who betray the Sanctuary, even if they were once revered comrades.
In the narrative of The Hades Chapter - Sanctuary, Ioria is one of the most formidable defenders during the initial invasion of the Underworld's forces. When specters infiltrate the twelve houses, he confronts them directly at the Leo Temple, dispatching multiple enemies with ease. During this battle, he is briefly entangled by Worm Raimi, but he quickly overcomes the specter. His focus shifts dramatically when he senses the familiar cosmos of the former Gold Saints Saga of Gemini, Camus of Aquarius, and Shura of Capricornius, who have been resurrected as specters to serve Hades. Arriving at the Virgo Temple, he witnesses the devastating aftermath of their forbidden attack, the Athena Exclamation, which killed his friend Virgo Shaka. Consumed by rage and a sense of betrayal, Ioria attacks the trio with his Lightning Plasma technique, only to be stopped by Mu of Aries, who reasons that the traitors are already like the living dead. Undeterred, Ioria joins Mu and Milo of Scorpio in forming their own Athena Exclamation to counter the traitors' technique. The cosmic clash is only resolved by the intervention of the Bronze Saints, who push the combined energies into the sky.
Ioria shares critical relationships with his fellow Gold Saints. He is noted to be a close friend of the enigmatic Virgo Shaka, whose death affects him deeply. His dynamic with Aries Mu is one of frequent ideological opposition, with the impulsive Leo often clashing with the logical Mu, yet their mutual respect as comrades is absolute. The most significant relationship is with his absent brother, Aiolos. The spirit and legacy of Aiolos serve as a constant moral compass for Ioria, and the clearing of his brother's name is a profound moment of personal vindication.
While facing the specters within the Sanctuary, Ioria demonstrates his combat prowess. However, his journey sees significant development when he follows Athena to the Underworld to confront Hades directly. Within the hold of Hades's castle, the demonic lord’s cosmic influence drastically limits the power of all who enter, allowing only ten percent of their true strength. Here, the Gold Saints Ioria, Mu, and Milo are easily overpowered by the Judge of the Underworld, Wyvern Rhadamanthys, and cast into the frozen pits of Cocytus. This humbling defeat highlights the immense power of their divine foes. Ultimately, Ioria is freed by Athena's divine intervention and joins the other Gold Saints at the Wailing Wall, the impassable barrier that seals the path to Elysium. In a final act of martyrdom that cements his legacy, Ioria stands alongside the eleven other Gold Saints, sharing a poignant moment with the spirit of his restored brother Aiolos. Together, they collectively burn their infinitely powerful cosmos to destroy the wall, sacrificing their lives to ensure the Bronze Saints can continue forward.
As a warrior, Ioria's abilities are based on the principles of light and raw power, reflecting his direct and forceful personality. His signature technique is the Lightning Plasma, a devastating attack that unleashes millions of light-speed punches, often creating an inescapable net of lightning that shreds the opponent's defenses and armor. He also utilizes a simpler, concentrated blast known as the Lightning Bolt. In later confrontations detailed in side stories like Episode G, he possesses a forbidden technique called the Photon Burst, a complex and powerful attack that involves creating stars of light that infiltrate the opponent's body to destroy them from within, a technique said to rival the Big Bang.
Ioria is defined by a personality of impetuous passion and unwavering righteousness. He is a natural warrior with a hot spirit that incites him to direct action, a trait that often creates an ideological contrast with the more contemplative and calm Aries Mu. Despite this fiery nature, he is fundamentally noble and magnanimous, driven by a fierce determination to protect Athena and eliminate any threat to the Sanctuary. His primary motivation throughout the Hades arc stems from this core of justice: to defend humanity and the goddess from the invading specters of the Underworld, and to confront those who betray the Sanctuary, even if they were once revered comrades.
In the narrative of The Hades Chapter - Sanctuary, Ioria is one of the most formidable defenders during the initial invasion of the Underworld's forces. When specters infiltrate the twelve houses, he confronts them directly at the Leo Temple, dispatching multiple enemies with ease. During this battle, he is briefly entangled by Worm Raimi, but he quickly overcomes the specter. His focus shifts dramatically when he senses the familiar cosmos of the former Gold Saints Saga of Gemini, Camus of Aquarius, and Shura of Capricornius, who have been resurrected as specters to serve Hades. Arriving at the Virgo Temple, he witnesses the devastating aftermath of their forbidden attack, the Athena Exclamation, which killed his friend Virgo Shaka. Consumed by rage and a sense of betrayal, Ioria attacks the trio with his Lightning Plasma technique, only to be stopped by Mu of Aries, who reasons that the traitors are already like the living dead. Undeterred, Ioria joins Mu and Milo of Scorpio in forming their own Athena Exclamation to counter the traitors' technique. The cosmic clash is only resolved by the intervention of the Bronze Saints, who push the combined energies into the sky.
Ioria shares critical relationships with his fellow Gold Saints. He is noted to be a close friend of the enigmatic Virgo Shaka, whose death affects him deeply. His dynamic with Aries Mu is one of frequent ideological opposition, with the impulsive Leo often clashing with the logical Mu, yet their mutual respect as comrades is absolute. The most significant relationship is with his absent brother, Aiolos. The spirit and legacy of Aiolos serve as a constant moral compass for Ioria, and the clearing of his brother's name is a profound moment of personal vindication.
While facing the specters within the Sanctuary, Ioria demonstrates his combat prowess. However, his journey sees significant development when he follows Athena to the Underworld to confront Hades directly. Within the hold of Hades's castle, the demonic lord’s cosmic influence drastically limits the power of all who enter, allowing only ten percent of their true strength. Here, the Gold Saints Ioria, Mu, and Milo are easily overpowered by the Judge of the Underworld, Wyvern Rhadamanthys, and cast into the frozen pits of Cocytus. This humbling defeat highlights the immense power of their divine foes. Ultimately, Ioria is freed by Athena's divine intervention and joins the other Gold Saints at the Wailing Wall, the impassable barrier that seals the path to Elysium. In a final act of martyrdom that cements his legacy, Ioria stands alongside the eleven other Gold Saints, sharing a poignant moment with the spirit of his restored brother Aiolos. Together, they collectively burn their infinitely powerful cosmos to destroy the wall, sacrificing their lives to ensure the Bronze Saints can continue forward.
As a warrior, Ioria's abilities are based on the principles of light and raw power, reflecting his direct and forceful personality. His signature technique is the Lightning Plasma, a devastating attack that unleashes millions of light-speed punches, often creating an inescapable net of lightning that shreds the opponent's defenses and armor. He also utilizes a simpler, concentrated blast known as the Lightning Bolt. In later confrontations detailed in side stories like Episode G, he possesses a forbidden technique called the Photon Burst, a complex and powerful attack that involves creating stars of light that infiltrate the opponent's body to destroy them from within, a technique said to rival the Big Bang.