Saint Seiya Episode G (聖闘士星矢EPISODE・G Seinto Seiya Episōdo Jī?) is a Shōnen manga in the Saint Seiya franchise written and illustrated by Megumu Okada.
The story is set 7 years before the events of the original Saint Seiya manga and 6 years after the death of the Sagittarius Gold Saint Aioros and depicts the battle of the Gold Saints to protect the Earth from the threat of the awakened Titan gods.
After a 2 year break, the series is being resumed. Has now a spin-off, Saint Seiya: Episode.G Assassin, starring Shura and Aiolia in the future.
Saint Seiya Episode G provies examples of:
- Adaptational Attractiveness: Most of the characters were already handsome in the original manga/anime, but here they are made even more so thanks to the art style of Megumu Okada. Even Aldebaran is affected.
- Adaptational Badass: The Gold Saints in general are much more powerful in this work than in the classic series, being much more durable and having more special techniques.
- Adaptational Heroism: Shura, carrying this from the first anime series. In the classic manga, he willingly supported Saga plans and played a role in murdering Aioros, while in this manga he was Forced into Evil by Saga's Genrō Maō Ken.
- All Myths Are True: Saint Seiya and its spin-offs are mostly based in Graeco-Roman mythology. However, Episode G published a series of prequel chapters titled Volume 0: Aioros, where Aioros and his brother Aioria battle against Egyptian god Apophis.
- Artistic License – Nuclear Physics: The series opens with Leo Aiolia infiltrating a nuclear power plant that was under the control of a disgruntled cosmo-user who hadn't been given a cloth and deemed a saint despite his power. Expositing government officials explain that if the reactor—cut to an image of a cooling tower, not a reactor—goes critical, it will melt through the earth, to China. Nevermind the fact that critical reaction is actually the normal state of a reactor.
- Brought Down to Badass: It is eventually revealed that the Titans are this since part of their power remains sealed. It really is a justification for explaining the Gold Saint's Plot Armor.
- Big Bad: Kronos, the leader of the Titans who invaded Earth and wants revenge against the Olympian Gods for his imprisonment.
- Bilingual Bonus: All of the Titan's attacks are in Greek.
- Brainwashed: Being an Immediate Prequel to the original manga (which is set in 1986), here two of the Gold Saints are already brainwashed by this time: Shura, who killed Aioros, and Saga, masquerading as the Pope since 1973.
- Costume Porn: The armors worn by the characters are extremely complex looking.
- Didn't Think This Through: The Titans needed Aiolia's lightning to regenerate Chronus' memories and powers. What do they do? Kidnap Lythos to enrage him and try to kill him about nearly ten times. Pontus really forgot to give them their common sense before their resurrection.
- Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: Following the glorious tradition of the original series, where the lowly Bronze Saints defeat two Olympian Gods, in this series the Gold Saints (the elite of Athena's forces) combat the previous generation, the Titans, who are considered primordial gods in the original Greek myths.
- Foregone Conclusion: As an Immediate Prequel to the original series (which is set in 1986), the reader knows the Gold Saints, save Aioros, are alive by the time of the Sanctuary Saga of the original manga - which may be the biggest drawback to fully appreciate the series.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Leo Aiolia breaks Zeus's seal on Kronos's Soma by using his Lightning attacks, leading to the Titan's release.
- Noodle People: Part of the very peculiar graphic style of the series ; the other part being a level of detail that borders of visual overload.
- Mauve Shirt: Jon, an American man who helps Leo get into the nuclear power plant at the start of the manga. His introduction suggested that he was going to be the Badass Normal Audience Surrogate of the story, but he pulls a Heroic Sacrifice so Aiolia can save the day less than two chapters in. Though it gave the Gold Saint motivation to act later in the story, it wasn't needed.
- Plot Armor: Being a prequel to Saint Seiya, every Gold Saint (except Aioros) is Saved by Canon. The only reason why it's not a case of Invincible Hero is because they normally end a bloody mess after the big fights.
- Sinister Scythe: Megas Drepanon, Kronos's weapon of choice, following the original Greek myths, wherein Titan Kronos's symbol is a scythe.
- Posthumous Character: The manga is set in 1979, before the events of the original manga. Due to this, Aioros, who died before the events of the original manga, is shown alive in his flashbacks, before his canon demise.
- Titanomachy, Round Two: The Titans of myth are already on the loose, and they plan to release their leader Cronus to take their revenge on the Greek gods. But the Gold Saints of Athena's Sanctuary stand in their way. As for the rest of the franchise, the Greek gods (namely, Poseidon and Hades) do serve as main antagonists for the Athena and the Bronze Saints in the original work.
- World of Badass: Both sides of the conflict, Athena's Gold Saints and the Titans of myth, are badasses on their own. Side characters also have their moments.
