Saint Seiya : The Lost Canvas — Gaiden
16 volumes · Teshirogi Shiori & Collective
Synopsis
The Lost Canvas Gaiden is a series of spin-offs published in Weekly Shōnen Champion between 2009 and 2012. Each arc focuses on a specific Gold Saint, telling a story of their youth or training absent from the main manga.
The series explores each Saint's origins — how they mastered their signature techniques, forged their fighting philosophy, and built their defining relationships. Each arc stands alone, but together they form a collective portrait of the twelve Gold Saints.
By telling these parallel lives, the Gaiden gives depth to characters who sometimes died in just a few chapters in the main manga. Knowing their stories makes each of their sacrifices all the more poignant.
Story Arcs
The undisciplined youth of Manigoldo under the eccentric Aquarius Sage — a master-student relationship that is both comical and deeply human.
The son of Ilias, the Leo legend, must prove he can carry his father's legacy without being its slave — and master the Lightning Plasma.
The origins of the fraternal drama between the Gemini twins: how did Aspros's love for his brother Defteros turn into apparent betrayal?
Three Knights with different philosophies — the weapons guardian, the stoic swordsman, and the master of absolute cold — reveal their origins.
Raw strength tamed, blind faith built in darkness, and a broken heart that refuses to stop beating.
The final arcs: the bearer of the sacred arrow, the knight poisoned by his own blood, the future 261-year-old Dohko, and the fragments of lives stolen by war.
The 16 Gaiden Volumes
These stories take place before and during the holy war told in The Lost Canvas. Characters cross paths and events intertwine — both series are ideally read in parallel.