Saint Seiya Omega ran from 2012 to 2014, airing 97 episodes across one season on TV Asahi. It is a spin-off of the Saint Seiya anime series, created by Masami Kurumada to mark the 25th anniversary of the franchise. The story follows a young teenager named Koga, who becomes one of the 88 warriors protecting the goddess Athena, whose protectors are known as Saints. He fights as the Pegasus Bronze Saint, and his journey to grow stronger opens the door to a wider conflict between Athena and her sister Pallas.
The series introduces a new generation of Saints rather than bringing back the returning cast from Kurumada’s original work. That choice sets it apart from Saint Seiya: Next Dimension, the manga sequel that Omega was an alternative to, created due to lack of material to adapt. Instead, Omega creates a fresh set of characters, new armors, and a new threat in Mars, the god of war sealed away by Seiya decades earlier.
Koga and the Five Bronze Saints
Koga is the main character of the first part of the series, known as “Chapter Mars.” He is a young boy raised by Saori Kido, the current incarnation of Athena, after Seiya saved his life as a baby. Koga trains every day to become a Saint, unaware that the power inside him will awaken at the moment the crisis arrives.
He is joined by five other Bronze Saints:
- Dragon Ryuho
- Lionet Souma
- Wolf Haruto
- Aquila Yuna
- Aria
These five form the core group of Koga’s friends, each with their own constellation-based armor and their own path to power. Together, they fight Mars in his quest to capture Aria and become the new Athena.
The voice cast brings together familiar names from Japanese animation. Hikaru Midorikawa voices Koga, while Katsuyuki Konishi voices Lionet Souma, Tetsuya Kakihara voices Dragon Ryuho, Junichi Suwabe voices Orion Eden, Tatsuhisa Suzuki voices Wolf Haruto, and Kiyoyuki Yanada voices Bear Geki. Nobutoshi Canna voices Volans Argo, Aya Hisakawa voices Hornet Sonia, Hidekatsu Shibata voices Mars, Mamiko Noto voices Aria, and Satsuki Yukino voices Aquila Yuna.
Mars, Pallas, and the Holy War
The conflict between Athena and Mars drives the first part of the series. Mars was sealed away long ago by Seiya, but now his revival is at hand, and he seeks to capture Aria to become the new Athena. The fight against Mars sets the stage for the larger war to come.
The second season introduces Athena’s sister Pallas and her Pallasite warriors. Pallas becomes the new enemy, and her followers align with the Gold Saints who have sided with Mars. This shift moves the series from a single fight to a full-scale holy war, with Koga and his friends joined by Orion Eden as they try to save Athena before it is too late.
The “Chapter New Cloth” part of the second season sees the Saints upgrade their armors, known as New Cloths, which draw on stronger elemental powers. The “Chapter Ω Awakening” part takes the war to Pallasvelda, where Pallas’s elite Pallasites begin to conspire against her.
The Armors and the ClothStones
One of the biggest changes in Omega is how the Saints’ armors, called Cloths, are designed and used. In the original Saint Seiya series, the Cloths were ancient armors worn by the Saints. In Omega, the Cloths emerge from jewels worn by the characters, which are known as ClothStones. These stones envelop the wearer’s body and create the armor, a different approach from the original continuity.
The Cosmo essence, one of the basic concepts of Saint Seiya, is expanded in Omega with the addition of specific elemental properties. These include Fire, Wind, Thunder, Earth, Water, Darkness, and Light. Each Saint can channel these energies through their Cosmo, giving the battles a broader palette of attacks and effects.
In the second season, several Saints, including the main characters, get their cloths upgraded. Their new designs look much more like Kurumada’s original work, and the upgraded Cloths are stored in special boxes, just as in the original series.
The Fighting and the Pace
The action in Saint Seiya Omega is fast and theatrical, with Saints drawing power from their Cosmo to perform elaborate attacks. The fights between Bronze Saints and Gold Saints are a highlight of the show, with each character showing off their elemental abilities and their signature moves.
The pacing of the series is uneven. The first part, “Chapter Mars,” focuses tightly on Koga and his friends, building their bonds and their skills. The second part, covering the Zodiac Temples Saga and the conflict with Mars, stretches across more ground and introduces more characters, which can slow down the momentum. The second season, with its introduction of Pallas and the New Cloths, picks up again, though the sheer number of new names can be hard to keep track of.
The series does not always connect its threads cleanly. Some arcs feel rushed, especially in the middle stretch of the second season, where the buildup to Pallasvelda is less developed than the earlier conflicts. The story jumps between characters and locations without always landing its points, leaving some viewers feeling lost in the later episodes.
Sound and Presentation
The music for Saint Seiya Omega draws on the sound of the original series while adding new themes. The show’s presentation is bright and colorful, with detailed designs for the Cloths and the settings, though the animation quality varies across episodes.
The voice acting carries the emotional weight of the story. Midorikawa’s performance as Koga anchors the early episodes, giving the young protagonist a sense of determination and fearlessness. The supporting cast, including Konishi as Lionet and Shibata as Mars, bring depth to their roles, even in episodes where the plot drags.
What Works and What Doesn’t
Saint Seiya Omega succeeds when it stays focused on its central characters and their growth. The early episodes, centered on Koga and his friends, are some of the strongest in the series. The relationships between the Bronze Saints, their shared training, and their first fights against Mars give the show a human core that grounds the larger stakes.
The show also excels in its visual design. The New Cloths introduced in the second season are striking, and the elemental powers give the battles a fresh look that sets them apart from other shows in the genre. The fights between Bronze Saints and Gold Saints are tense and well-choreographed, with the Cosmo system providing a clear reason for why the fights play out the way they do.
Where the series stumbles is in its handling of the second season. The introduction of Pallas and the New Cloths is rushed, and the series does not spend enough time establishing why Pallas wants to take over or what her followers are fighting for. The sheer number of new characters in the second half can also be overwhelming, making it harder for viewers to follow the story.
The series also suffers from some derivative storytelling. Critics have noted that Omega borrows heavily from other shows in the same genre, and the plot twists and character arcs can feel familiar rather than fresh. This is a fair criticism, though it applies more to the structure of the story than to the execution of individual episodes.
Final Word
Saint Seiya Omega is a solid spin-off that respects its source material while building something new on top of it. The show’s strongest moments come from its central characters and its imaginative designs, particularly in the second season’s New Cloths. Its weakest moments come from pacing issues and a tendency toward familiar plotting.
It is worth watching for fans of the original series who want to see where the franchise goes next, and for newcomers who enjoy action-packed stories with strong character bonds. The uneven pacing and derivative plotting keep it from reaching the heights of the original, but the best episodes stand alongside the best work in the genre.
The final chapters of the series, leading to Pallasvelda, offer a satisfying conclusion to the conflict between Athena and Mars. The series ends with the Saints ready to face their greatest challenge, and the setup for future stories is left open for further exploration.
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