Year: 2014
Runtime: 93 mins
Language: Japanese
Director: Keiichi Sato
Mitsumasa Kido finds a baby in the Himalayas and raises her as his granddaughter. Sixteen years later, Saori Kido is a young woman struggling to control mysterious powers. She is rescued from an assassin by Seiya, who learns she is the reincarnation of the Goddess Athena. As one of her Saints, Seiya pledges to protect her, and together they confront a dangerous plot orchestrated by the Sanctuary’s Pope. Saori journeys to the Sanctuary, determined to defy his murderous intentions and fulfill her destiny.
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Read the complete plot breakdown of Saint Seiya: Legend of Sanctuary (2014), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.
Sagittarius Gold Saint Aiolos Toshiyuki Morikawa is hunted by fellow Gold Saints, Capricorn Shura Shinji Kawada and Gemini Saga Koichi Yamadera, who act on orders from Sanctuary’s Pope to eliminate him for treason. Aiolos is struck down in the confrontation, and Saga dies in the clash. In the Himalayas, Mitsumasa Kido Ren Osugi and his loyal butler Tatsumi Bin Shimada discover a badly wounded Aiolos and a baby girl. With his last Cosmo, Aiolos reveals a heartbreaking truth: the Pope branded him a traitor, and he escaped with the infant to protect her—the reincarnation of the goddess Athena. Aiolos dies, leaving behind the Sagittarius Cloth as a final, silent pledge.
Sixteen years pass. Saori Kido Ayaka Sasaki, a beautiful yet troubled girl, travels with Tatsumi, who explains that Mitsumasa kept her identity secret and that she is the reincarnation of Athena. An assassin is sent to kill her, but she is saved by Seiya Kaito Ishikawa, the Pegasus Bronze Saint, whose courage lights the path ahead. Seiya’s fellow Bronze Saints—Cygnus Hyōga Kenshō Ono, Dragon Shiryū Kenji Akabane, and Andromeda Shun Nobuhiko Okamoto—rally to protect her, standing as a shield against a sudden surge of hostile Saints.
That very night, Leo Gold Saint Aiolia Go Inoue arrives at the Kido Mansion with a grave purpose: to recover the Sagittarius Cloth and kill Saori, whom he believes is a counterfeit Athena. After the Bronze Saints narrowly prevail, Tatsumi hands over the sacred garment, but Saori’s Cosmo is revealed and the doubt in Aiolia grows. He leaves with a warning—call upon Sanctuary to prove the truth of her divine identity.
The group’s doubt deepens as the Sagitta Silver Saint fires an arrow at Saori, fleeing into the night with Shiryu in pursuit. In a brutal turn, the assassin is burned alive by Ikki Kenji Nojima, the loner Phoenix Bronze Saint, who cuts the thread of the mission before it can be reported to the Pope.
Seiya and his friends press on toward Sanctuary, passing through the Aries and Taurus Palaces. There they meet Aries Mu Mitsuru Miyamoto, who initially misreads them but ultimately guides them onward. At Taurus, Seiya defeats Aldebaran Rikiya Koyama, and the group learns that Mu and Aldebaran are not enemies but allies who vow to watch over Athena while the Bronze Saints advance.
In the Cancer Palace, Deathmask Hiroaki Hirata uses teleportation magic to push Hyōga and Shiryu toward the Underworld. Hyōga ends up in the Aquarius Temple, where he faces his master Camus Daisuke Namikawa in a fierce duel and emerges victorious, Camus delivering a final, solemn vow to protect Athena. Meanwhile, Seiya and Shun reach the Leo Palace, where Aiolia presses his assault, testing the resolve of the newcomers.
Shaka Mitsuaki Madono, the Virgo Gold Saint, arrives to halt Aiolia and grant the Bronze Saints safe passage. In the Scorpio Palace, Seiya and Shun face Scorpio Miro Masumi Asano, pushing their limits as the clash climbs toward the Sagittarius Palace, where Shura awaits with wary might. Back at Cancer, Saori arrives with Mu and Aldebaran, reviving Shiryu and Hyoga even as she herself grows weaker, a beacon of Athena’s fraying presence.
As the battles unfold, Ikki returns to Shun’s side, challenging Shura in a dramatic duel that ends with Shura’s defeat. Milo—who guards Aiolos’s testament—offers a stern reminder to the Bronze Saints: their mission is to safeguard Athena’s life above all else. The surviving Gold Saints join Hyoga, Shiryu, and Saori, and Shaka reveals a critical truth: the Pope had deceived Aiolia, masking the real traitor within Sanctuary.
Saori and her protectors pool their Cosmo to revive Seiya. Aphrodite [Takuya Kirimoto] speaks to the Pope about the grim situation, but is slain before he can strike a fatal blow. Sanctuary itself is plunged into chaos when the Pope reveals his true identity as Gemini Saga [Koichi Yamadera], who had faked his death sixteen years earlier and now intends to seize control of the universe. The Gold Saints unite with the Bronze Saints to dismantle a colossal statue brought to life, while Seiya faces Saga alone.
Seiya reaches the mythical Seventh Sense, granting him a surge of power that temporarily gives him the upper hand. Saga merges with another colossal statue to intensify his assault on Athena, threatening the Sanctuary, the Saints, and the Earth itself. In a daring gambit, the Sagittarius Cloth envelops Seiya, enabling him to rescue Saori. With Athena safe in his arms, the hero confronts Saga one final time and, through a devastating arrow, defeats Saga and stops his curse, saving Sanctuary and the world. Saori, now sovereign of Sanctuary, thanks Seiya and his friends for rescuing her and restoring balance.
In a short post-credits moment, Seiya, Shiryu, Hyoga, and Shun celebrate Saori’s sixteenth birthday, their camaraderie and courage a bright beacon for the future.
Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 06:45
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