Saint Seiya Episode.G: Assassin is a Shōnen manga written and illustrated by Megumu Okada. It is a spin-off of Saint Seiya: Episode.G, itself a spin-off of the original Saint Seiya manga by Masami Kurumada.
The story is set in the present. By uncertain means, two Gold Saints just pop in Japan from The '80s. The first is Shura, Capricornus Gold Saint, apparently following Athena's secret orders. The other one is Aiolia, Leo Gold Saint, who believes Shura to be a traitor for acting without the Sanctuary's formal authorization, but yet lets him go as long as he doesn't turn bad. They are quickly confronted by the group of the Faceless, dangerous Cosmo-using humans, and the Gladiators, swordsmen whose existence follows only one purpose: fighting each other to win a grand prize. Shura is unwillingly considered part of their little tournament as he possesses Excalibur.
Saint Seiya Episode.G: Assassin provides examples of:
- Alternate Universe: Even the characters state it! Shura and Aiolia do know they aren't in the right time nor the right place, and as a consequence, the universe they are in tries to forcefully integrate them by flooding them with memories of events they haven't lived yet.
- Back from the Dead: A few Gold Saints, either by time travel or by other unknown means.
- Came Back Wrong: Played with. Shura is perfectly fine until he recalls the moment of his death, at which point this kicks in and he gets dragged towards Hades, and he has to burn his Cosmo every waking second to resist the influence of the world trying to correct the anomaly he is now. Could also be viewed as some kind of Resurrection Sickness.
- Continuity Nod:
- Shiryu's eyesight problems when fights become intense.
- When Shiryu has to pull a Reverse Blow on Seiya to revive him.
- The Chessmaster: Seems to be Aiolos, not quite dead and leader of the Gladiators. Why? No clue.
- Eldritch Abomination: The Faceless.
- Enfant Terrible: Wadatsumi. Rude and violent, yet quite cute. Subverted that they are pulling a Grand Theft Me on a young child, so however Wadatsumi's real body looks like is still a mystery.
- It Was with You All Along: Cocteau, the owl that acts as Athena's messenger to Shura, actually is the Sleep-Mode Size of Gemini Saga and only returned to his true form once Shura is in mortal peril.
- Jigsaw Puzzle Plot: So Shura and Aiolia are in a future universe, OK. So there are the Faceless mercenaries. And the Gladiators. And the Saints, but those do not necessarily follow the orders of the Sanctuary. And a beaten Gladiator has been shown wearing a Gold Cloth. And his leader was Aiolos, the long long dead Sagittarius Gold Saint... What the hell is happening?
- It seems now that there is a parallel world plot where the Gold Saints had to face the threat of Zeus himself, reincarnated in Aiolia since he could manipulate lightning and win the war against the Titans (incidentally tying into Episode G)... Which marked him as a fit recipient. And Aiolos had to kill him, while his little brother held him in check like Shun did to Hades. That would explain why Aiolos got so jaded...
- Master Swordsman: The Gladiators.
- Parttime Hero: The Bronze Saints are still active, yet also have normal jobs. Shun is a doctor, Hyoga a bartender.
- Psycho for Hire: Some of the Faceless seem to really love destruction and murder.
- Rank Up: Shun, Hyoga, Shiryu, and Ikki are now respectively the Virgo, Aquarius, Libra, and Leo Gold Saints.
- Unlimited Wardrobe: After each appearance, every character wears a different outfit from the previous appearance. Seems like Okada has better fashion taste than Kurumada.
- 10-Minute Retirement: Sort of. Seiya is apparently still suffering from the wound caused by Hades's sword many years ago, to the point he can't fight. He finally gets better, though.
