Key Takeaways
- New 8-page Saint Seiya manga, Saint Seiya THEN: Haikyo no Hana, in the next issue on November 14.
- Next Dimension sequel involves time travel where Athena saves Seiya, but they all lose their memories.
- A possible new arc “Saint Seiya THEN” may introduce Zeus, hinting at a future saga fans are eagerly awaiting.
The newest Akita Shoten’s Weekly Shonen Jump issue, released this week, confirmed Greek-mythology-based seriesSaint Seiya (also known as Knights of the Zodiac) will have a sequel manga. The news was originally announced on creator Masami Kurumada’s blog last October, but no further information was provided, except for a few drafts.
Saint Seiya was serialized from 1985 to 1990 in Shueisha’s Shonen Jump, covering three arcs (Sanctuary, Poseidon, and Hades). In 2006, Masami Kurumada started Saint Seiya: Next Dimension, originally marketed as a story about a past generation that would be aided by Shiori Teshirogi’s The Lost Canvas. However, the second Next Dimension volume departs from The Lost Canvas and blends present and past times, turning into the official Saint Seiya sequel. The original story follows warriors called Saints protecting the goddess Athena, focusing on mainly five Bronze Saints (Pegasus, Dragon, Cygnus, Andromeda, and Phoenix).
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New Saint Seiya Content is on the Way
According to the magazine, a new 8-page manga will be published in the next issue, slated for November 14, 2024, and it will be called Saint Seiya THEN: Haikyo no Hana (Saint Seiya THEN: Flowers of Ruins). In the drafts posted on the author’s blog last month, we can see mostly Saori Kido (Athena) and a panel with the original Gold Saints. Check out below:
Next Dimension ended serialization in July, and the 16th (and last) manga volume was also released this week. In this sequel, Athena goes back to the past aiming to get rid of Hades’ sword, to save Pegasus Seiya in the present from a serious wound inflicted by that same sword. This time travel puts the whole Earth in danger of collapsing, but Athena ends up saving Seiya and coming back safely. As a way to pay the price for putting even the universe’s order in danger, Athena agrees to lose both her memories and divine status. The four main Bronze Saints, who also went to the past to aid her, and Seiya also lose their memories in a bittersweet ending. Next Dimension is not published in English, but the story is partially inserted in the mobile game Saint Seiya: Legends of Justice.
It is still unclear if the new manga is just an one-shot after story or if it will be the name of a new arc, but it seems likely this chapter will open a whole new arc, which might be titled Saint Seiya THEN. Fans have been waiting for a Zeus Arc/Heaven Arc for a long time (because everybody wants to see Zeus in any mythology-based media), and Kurumada already hinted this could be the beginning of this awaited saga. Fans are speculating that Athena will recover her memories and some conflict will arise because of that, starting a new story.
Saint Seiya/Knights of the Zodiac manga is published in the US by VIZ Media. The original series spawned an anime adaption back in the 1980s, which is now available on Crunchyroll. A CGI reboot was released from 2019 to 2023, with three seasons (the first one is on Netflix, the others are on Crunchyroll). A live-action movie debuted last year, with Sean Bean in the cast.
Source: ANN
