Knights of the Zodiac has one of the most dedicated fan communities, rivaling anime series such as Sailor Moon, Gigantor, and Dragon Ball Z. Created by Masami Kurumada, Knights of the Zodiac is an anime series based on the manga Saint Seiya. The series follows a group of young men who have been called upon by the Greek goddess Athena to protect the world and rise to become loyal knights to their goddess.
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The series’ main character is Seiya, a young boy who becomes the Pegasus knight of Athena while searching for his missing sister. Saint Seiya has many powerful characters that take up the ranks of the many different zodiac signs; however, among the many knights, only a few demand respect from all of their peers as the most powerful among them. Here are the most powerful Saints in Knights of the Zodiac, ranked.
Updated on March 23, 2024, by C.M Edwards: Knights of the Zodiac is one of the pillars of early shonen anime that has stood the test of time and become an iconic franchise with a dedicated fanbase. Knights of the Zodiac is an enormous story that follows magical individuals who have been chosen by the goddess Athena to protect the cosmos with the power of constellations and their own convictions. Knights of the Zodiac, or Saint Seiya, is one of the most beloved franchises from the early age of shonen anime that has gone on to have a legacy of over thirty years. Seiya, the main character of the series, faces off against evil entities and saints who have turned against the cause to protect the universe and his loved ones. While Seiay is an extremely powerful main character, there are countless saints who are just as powerful as Seiya and play a pivotal role in the series. Here are more of the strongest saints in Knights of the Zodiac.
17 Cancer Deathmask
Constellation and Cloth: Gold Cancer
While Deathmask’s strength compares well to most of the other gold saints of his level, Deathmask sets himself apart from his peers by being one of the most violent and sinister saints to hold a high-ranking cloth.
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Deathmask served as a cruel villain saint who refused to serve loyally to Athena and instead took it upon himself to turn against the cause for his own selfish goals. Deathmask possesses devastating abilities that match his nature purposely, and when he was revived by Hades, his power grew even more devastating as he fought against other saints.
16 Pisces Aphrodite
Constellation and Cloth: Gold Pisces
Aphrodite is a gold saint of Athena and belongs to the Pisces constellation. Aphrodite is one of the most respected saints of the eighty-eight saints and is welcomed within most circles thanks to his straightforward personality and dashing appearance.
However, Aphrodite is more than a pretty face and can more than hold his own in battle by utilizing his unique talents. Aphrodite mainly uses roses to attack with poisons that rob targets of their sense, which matches his elegant but deadly appearance. Aphrodite’s
15 Aquarius Camus
Constellation and Cloth: Gold Aquarius
Camus has an extensive history as a golden saint and holds an extreme amount of respect among his brothers, having trained multiple saints and fought against just as many. Camus even fought in the battle of the Twelve Houses, even though it was not his choice. As a very callous and cold individual, Camus’s abilities match his personality as he is the master of cold and ice.
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Able to lower the temperature in the area, Camus can freeze objects instantly and use his abilities with ease, being a more than adept combatant. Deon Rose’s ability is one of the most potent attacks in his armory and is extremely difficult to avoid.
14 Scorpio Milo
Constellation and Cloth: Gold Scorpio
Milo is a member of the Saints of Athena with a lot of potential. Having reached the level of Gold Saint at the young age of seven, Milo possesses cunning and strength centuries ahead of his time. As a very outspoken individual, Milo can sometimes come off as proud and egotistical. However, Milo takes great care of his reputation as a Golden Saint and has no patience for anyone who bad-mouths his comrades.
Milo has only had a few chances to prove himself in combat, having faced Cygnus Hyoga and Wyvern Rhadamanthys, drawing in the first and losing in the second due to an outside force.
13 Lyra Orphee
Constellation and Cloth: Silver Lyra
It is assumed that Lyra is the reincarnation of a fallen Greek hero, having numerous similarities with the legend that translate into his own story. As a Silver Saint, Orphee has great strength, but it is also suspected that his true abilities rival that of the three judges of Hades.
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Surpassing most other saints in his class and even in the Gold Rank, Orphee is a mysterious individual very different from most other saints. Orphee tends to lend more toward his musical talent than searching for endless battles. However, his Cosmo is constantly discussed as being vast, and perhaps one of the strongest of all the saints.
12 Taurus Aldebaran
Constellation and Cloth: Gold Taurus
Aldebaran is one of the oldest saints to serve under Athena and one of the original Gold Cloth saints. Aldebaran is a kind and gentle person, who makes himself very approachable to his friends and those needing help similar to that of Iskandor from Fate/Zero. Behind his gentle exterior is unimaginable strength that encompasses his rank.
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Regarded as one of the strongest saints, Aldebaran served his role righteously until he was defeated by Deep Niobe during the Hades conflict. Even so, Aldebaran was given a second chance to make his comrades proud by joining his fallen brothers in the afterlife and using their spirits to bring down the wailing wall.
11 Capricorn Shura
Constellation and Cloth: Gold Capricorn
Capricorn Shura is one of the most indecisive saints in the Saint Seiya universe, having moral dilemmas and heavy doubts over his many years of service as a gold saint. In the manga, Shura is one of the few Saints who is fully aware of the identity of the Pope and decides to ignore this information, citing that he cares little for who he fights for.
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While his loyalty can be called into question, there is no doubt that in battle, Shura is a force to be reckoned with, having crossed blades with both Dragon Shiryu and Cancer Lancelot.
10 Dragon Shiryu
Constellation and Cloth: Bronze Dragon
As a bronze knight, Shiryu is not often sought after for his strength or power, but instead for his maturity. Shiryu has a better grasp on the way the world works and has both feet firmly planted on the ground.
Having the most maturity of the five saints, Shiryu is often the voice of reason and is the one whom most knights turn to for advice. Shiryu’s calm demeanor is a bit deceptive as he is a deadly warrior, having only been defeated by the mightiest knights of the Zodiac.
9 Andromeda Shun
Constellation and Cloth: Bronze Andromeda
Andromeda Shun is perhaps one of the strongest knights next to his brother, Phoenix Ikki. However, unlike most knights, Shun does not chase after power or conflict.
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Shun has a much kinder sense of self than most knights in the order, which often holds him back in battle. When pushed to his limits, when his friends are in danger, and no other options are available, Shun can tap into his true strength and rise to the level of his brother.
8 Leo Aiolia
Constellation and Cloth: Gold Leo
Aiolia is a gold cloth saint of the Leo constellation. He is a prideful, dedicated knight who is completely devoted to Athena and to his brother knights. Aiolia is the younger brother of Aiolo, who was cast out of the order of knights after he betrayed the Goddess Athena. Ever since his brother’s betrayal was discovered, Aiolia has worked tirelessly to redeem his family name.
The main abilities that Aiolia possesses are his powerful lightning attacks utilizing his Cosmo energy. Raitoningu Boruto fires a direct dense bolt of electricity at his opponent. His other technique, Raitoningu Purazuma, is much more deadly as it sends countless strikes toward his target, pulverizing them into dust.
7 Gemini Kanon
Constellation and Cloth: Gold Gemini
Kanon is a powerful saint of the order of Zodiac Knights. He has a colorful past both as a gold cloth knight and as a renegade without a cause. Kanon is the younger brother of Saga and as such, possesses a power resembling his older brother, which makes him more than a talented fighter.
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While possessing immense power, Kanon has poor personality traits that sometimes get the better of him. However, Kanon has worked hard to redeem himself of his checkered past and for the downfall of his brother, Saga. Kanon’s most powerful combat techniques are modeled after his brother’s, but not as strong; they are Galaxian Explosion and Genrou Ken.
6 Ares Shion
Constellation and Cloth: Gold Ares
Shion is one of the oldest and wisest Zodiac Knights. His appearance is much different from his peers, with his flowing green hair and a stern gaze. Shion is one of the few survivors of the previous holy war among the ranks of the Zodiac Knights. He carries great experience in battle and the respect of his comrades who fought alongside him.
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Shion is incredibly gifted in the skill of Cosmo energy, able to use healing and telekinesis effortlessly. Shion’s strongest techniques are Stardust Revolution, which fires a volley of stars at his opponent; and Chrystal Wall, a barrier able to reflect enemy attacks.
5 Gemini Saga
Constellation and Cloth: Gold Gemini
Gemini Saga is a saint of great reputation and immeasurable power. While serving as a gold cloth knight to Athena, he was an unstoppable force on the battlefield, said to be the most powerful gold cloth knight to ever serve in the history of the Zodiac Knights. While this claim can be argued between others ahead of him on this list, there is no doubt that among all the Knights of the Zodiac, Saga stands above most.
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Saga was known for his battle prowess, using his powerful abilities such as Galaxian Explosion, which utilized as much Cosmo energy as he could muster to create an obliterating warhead that explodes into a shockwave, vaporizing anything in its path.
4 Libra Doko
Constellation and Cloth: Gold Libra
Doko is one of the oldest and most respected members of the gold cloth in the Knights of the Zodiac. He is known for having trained Dragon Shiryu and being a survivor of the previous holy war. Doko’s skill and experience earn him the title of master from all Knights in every cloth, and his power and presence on the battlefield are legendary.
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Doko is not revered for his talent in Cosmo energy manipulation. Instead, he is renowned for his pure, raw strength. It is confirmed that he is the strongest saint to ever serve under the gold cloth, rivaling Shion and Saga in his youth. Doko’s strength is legendary, and his ultimate technique transforms him into one hundred dragons that devastate his opponent.
3 Virgo Shaka
Constellation and Cloth: Gold Virgo
Shaka is declared the knight of all knights, currently the most powerful saint in Knights of the Zodiac, whose power is compared to a god within the series. Shaka is the noblest and most elegant of all the gold cloth saints and carries a strong aura of confidence and composure. In the highest levels of strength and power in the ranks of the golden cloth, Shaka stands just a bit higher than the likes of Saga and Doko.
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He has even gone toe to toe with the mighty Ikki of the phoenix constellation, which ended in a draw between the two. It took the combined efforts of four extremely powerful resurrected knights, including Saga himself, to subdue Shaka. Shaka is a master in the art of Cosmo energy and uses his ultimate technique to utterly and beautifully destroy his opponents by robbing them of their senses and slowly destroying the mind, body, and soul.
2 Pegasus Seiya
Constellation and Cloth: Bronze Pegasus
Seiya is the main protagonist of the Saint Seiya manga and anime series. He embodies the constellation of Pegasus and descended from the previous wielder of the Pegasus cloth, who was the only man to wound the God Hades in battle.
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Seiya is a kind-hearted and innocent young man who isn’t afraid to fight for what he believes in and embodies the values that all of Athena’s saints strive to achieve. Seiya has overwhelming strength and conviction, pouring his all into everything he does, and taking his responsibilities as the Pegasus Knight seriously.
1 Phoenix Ikki
Constellation and Cloth: Bronze Phoenix
The argument for the strongest saint in Knights of the Zodiac is a long and difficult one. Ikki stands among the mightiest saints and is the popular choice when it comes to the most powerful, having recently been portrayed in the Netflix Knights of the Zodiac CGI anime series. Ikki is a member of the bronze knight ranks, serving as the knight of the phoenix constellation. His power is enormous and destructive, just like his personality, which makes him a fierce warrior.
Ikki has faced some of the most powerful saints and gods on his own and held his ground, despite being a less experienced warrior compared to his opponents. Ikki’s Phoenix Illusion Demon Fist is a technique that destroys his target’s mind by overwhelming their sense and forcing their mental awareness to deteriorate rapidly. In addition, Ikki’s special trait of becoming stronger after every defeat in battle multiplies his power tenfold and makes him a constant threat.
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