Sea Dragon Kanon (海龍のカノン Shīdoragon no Kanon?), also known as Gemini Kanon (双子座のカノン Jemini no Kanon?), is a fictional character from the manga Saint Seiya, authored by Japanese mangaka Masami Kurumada, and later adapted to anime.
Personality and background[]
Kanon is a character with a substantial importance in the universe of Kurumada's manga, and therefore in its anime adaptation. He is directly responsible for triggering two main events : the conflict of the 12 temples by inciting Gemini Saga to succumb to his evil desires, and the resurrection of Poseidon, Emperor of the Seas. Also, Kanon is notable for redeeming himself after all his sins in the past and wreaking havoc as the Gemini Gold Saint in the army of Hades' 108 Specters.
Kanon is the younger twin brother of Gold Saint Gemini Saga, and later took up his position as a Gold Saint after Saga's death. Before finally embracing his destiny as the Gemini Saint, Kanon masqueraded as the Sea Dragon General of the North Atlantic, one of Poseidon's seven Sea Generals.
At first, Kanon was depicted as a treacherous man, always tempting his twin brother to use his status and power to advance his status of influence beyond that of a Gold Saint. He concluded that their amazing and powerful abilities were gifts from the Gods for them to take advantage of. Much to his dismay, his brother opposed this and caused his incarceration at Cape Sounion. After his redemption, however, Kanon becomes a much centered person, much like his brother.
Kanon was the one person responsible for Poseidon's awakening, although he kept Poseidon just half awakened so that he could pose as the true leader of the Marines as a Marine General and use Poseidon's army to achieve his desires. In order to do so, Kanon stole the scales of Sea Dragon and pretended to be the Sea Dragon General under Poseidon's order.
Even after joining forces with the Athena, Kanon retains his ruthless personality and harsh characteristics, scolding Pegasus Seiya and Andromeda Shun that they should never hesitate to finish their enemies, because their hesitation was a weakness that their enemies would take advantage of. Even so, he quickly absorbs the honor of a Gold Saint.
Plot overview[]
Poseidon Chapter[]
Although Saga was extremely popular in the Sanctuary and practically worshipped by the surrounding villages as a healer and a protector, almost no one was aware that he had a younger twin brother, Kanon. Kanon is very different than his brother, for his ambitions and dreams of power corrupt his mind. Kanon accepts this as simply using their powers to further advance their status and there was no wrong doing in this. Kanon attempted to convince Saga to betray Athena whom had just been reborn after her two century absence in the Sanctuary, and that they could take over the Sanctuary to rule the world together. Kanon reminds Saga that the Gold Saint Aiolos is also favored to become the next Grand Pope of Sanctuary, and he should also be disposed of. Saga shocked by his twin's ambitions, deems Kanon a heretic. Saga confronted Kanon and easily subdued him before dragging him to the watery prison of Cape Sounion. Kanon prophecies that Saga's evil seeds would cause doubt in his mind and will haunt him for the rest of his life, he knows this because only a twin brother knows another twin brother. Kanon vows revenge against Athena and his older twin brother.
The prison of Cape Sounion was deemed mythical as it was impossible to escape from it, and the prisoners would end up drowned by the endless rising tides unless the Goddess Athena's will decided otherwise. Eventually, Kanon found a way to escape by breaking through the back wall of the grotto and entered a dark chamber containing the Trident of Poseidon with the seal of Athena on it. Easily breaking the seal and grabbing the Trident, Kanon was sucked into the depths by the resulting whirlpool and awoke in the Underwater Sanctuary of Atlantis, the realm of the Sea God Poseidon.
Gemini Kanon, in a screenshot from the anime.
Upon exploring the temple of Poseidon, Kanon found a large room containing the seven Scales of the Marina Generals, the highest ranking protectors of Poseidon, as well as an urn sealed by Athena containing the vanquished and dormant soul of Poseidon. Upon breaking the seal, the spirit of Poseidon was released and inquired about the name of the person whom had just freed him. Concealing his true identity, Kanon looked about the room and his gaze fell upon the Scale of Sea Dragon, and claimed his name to be Sea Dragon.
Poseidon then proceeded to inform Kanon that it was too early for his awakening and that he would enter the body of his destined host (Julian Solo) and awaken in several years upon the latter's turning sixteen. In the mean time, Kanon would remain in the Underwater Sanctuary and ruled it in the name of Poseidon, commanding to the Marina armies and calling the other Generals to join him, including Siren Sorrento whom would later on, always nurse doubts about Kanon's true identity and motivations.
During the resulting war against Athena's Bronze Saints after Kanon manipulated Poseidon into kidnapping Athena and hold her prisoner in the Main Breadwinner pillar, Kanon faced Phoenix Ikki and the truth was revealed about his true ambitions to take over the world. Siren Sorrento then confronted Kanon and allowed Ikki to destroy the pillar Kanon was supposed to defend, thus allowing the Bronze Saints to enter the main temple of the Underwater Sanctuary and face Poseidon himself. In the ensuing battle, Kanon would realize his wrongdoings and would sacrifice himself by stepping in front of Athena to shield her from Poseidon's Trident (note that this sequence was modified in the anime adaptation having Seiya shielding Athena).
The Hades[]
Kanon, as a redeemed Saint, wearing the Gemini Gold Cloth, battles Hades' Specters, in a panel from the manga, vol.23. Drawing by the author Masami Kurumada.
In the Hades arc, Kanon realized the error of his ways after his plot with Poseidon was foiled by Athena. He sought out the goddess and pledged his loyalty to her, whereupon Athena gave Kanon the armor of his dead brother, allowing him to become the Gemini Gold Saint, thus becoming the 7th Gold Saint protecting the Sanctuary 12 temples in the Hades Sanctuary Arc.
After that, Kanon kept watch over the Gemini Temple with Athena's permission. Because he was unable to physically protect the temple, Kanon used the talent for illusion that he shared with Saga to guard over the site. Ironically, it was Saga (along with former gold saints Capricorn Shura and Aquarius Camus) who Kanon had to do battle with in the temple. Using the same tricks Saga had perfected, Kanon created an illusion of himself wearing the Gold Cloth of Gemini to block Saga's passage. After having some troubles with the illusion, Saga sent an attack directly at the Pope's temple, almost hitting Kanon and ending his influence over the Gemini Temple.
In the Underworld, Kanon moved on his own, mentally controlling and killing the Specter Balrog Lune and challenging Rhadamanthys to a battle in which quickly overpowered him. Their fight, however, was interrupted by the arrival of some minor spectres, as well as bronze saints Seiya and Shun. Later on, Kanon found himself traveling with Shiryu and Hyoga as they sought out the palace of Hades. On the way, the group easily defeated many spectres, including the Deadly Beetle Stand of the Sky Ugly Star, and Lycaon Phlegyas of the Sky Guilt Star. Kanon and Rhadamanthys soon crossed paths once again, and Kanon instructed his two bronze saint companions to leave him as he battled the Wyvern Specter. The gold saint proved to be an adequate challenge for the Judge until Griffon Minos and Garuda Aiacos suddenly arrived on the scene. The two Judges expressed individual interest in battling the Gemini Gold Saint, and attacked him until Phoenix Ikki arrived on the scene.
Kanon and Rhadamanthys, both battle-worn, continued to fight to a stalemate. Eventually, 11 of the 12 gold cloths gathered together before the Wailing Wall. The Gemini Cloth was needed, and Kanon willfully returned it to his brother. Kanon, satisfied at the work he had accomplished, plunged onto the Wyvern with one last suicide technique, the "Galaxian Explosion" that propelled both men into the air.
In the ova 25, when the twelve Gold Saints join to destroy the Sighing Wall his soul briefly appears with the body of Gemini Saga when the latter used the Gemini Cloth once more before the final sacrifice. However, this is never explained.
Other media[]
In the Heaven Arc Prologue his soul is sealed with the other Gold Saints when they talk to the gods and say they always be loyal to Athena. Although being sealed he would encourage Phoenix Ikki and Andromeda Shun to fight against the angel of Artemis.
Kanon appeared briefly in Saint Seiya Episode G in a gaiden after he talks to Poseidon.
Power and abilities[]
Just like his brother, Kanon can distort space and time with his Cosmos, create illusions, manipulate minds and use telekinetic powers. Kanon also has fully control of the 7th sense, which is what allows him to move at the speed of light. During Hades' saga, Kanon successfully achieved the 8th sense so he could travel to the underworld to fight the Specters.
His most powerful attack is Galaxian Explosion (ギャラクシアンエクスプロージョン Gyarakushian Ekusupurōjon). Specter Emperor Fist (幻朧魔皇拳 Genrō Maō Ken)This move directly strikes the opponents brain, the weak version, known as Specter Fist (幻朧拳 Genrōken), can paralyse the opponent's nervous system for a few minutes, rendering him immobile and ultimately open to any attack. The more powerful version allows Saga to strike into the mind of his opponents allowing him to "brainwash" the opponent into doing his bidding and even make them go against their most precious assets. The effects of the power will only wear off if the victim complies with the brainwashed mission that Saga gave him when applying this move,in other words, if the person was sent to kill someone, that person will go back to his original self once he had committed the action of killing. Golden Triangle (ゴールデントライアングル Gōruden Toraianguru) allows his cosmo to bend the space and time itself to a different dimension, trapping his opponents inside.
Cloth, Constellation and Temple[]
Kanon's guardian constellation is Gemini, and his Gold Cloth represents it and its associated myth : the Dioskuroi, Castor and Polydeuces, twin sons of Leda and brothers of Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra.
As the SeaDragon Marina General, his Scales represent a sea dragon, mythical being of the seas. The temple Kanon guarded after recovering his status as Gold Saint was known both in manga and the anime adaptation as SouJiKyuu, the "Temple of the Twins".
Previous Incarnations[]
Though either Gemini Aspros or Defteros could be considered the previous incarnation of Kanon, most people consider Defteros Kanon's counterpart while Aspros is Saga's.
The 18th century incarnation of Kanon (or Saga) have yet to appear in Saint Seiya: Next Dimension, it is also not known if said incarnation is traitorous or not, also if one were to even appear at all.
Notes[]
- In his manga, Kurumada gave Kanon blonde hair. In the anime adaptation Kanon's hair color was modified to blue.
- Kanon's final kamikaze assault against Rhadamanthys is slightly altered in the anime. While launching the Wyvern into space, Kanon begins to unleash the "Galaxian Explosion" with his cosmos. Rhadamanthys attempts to counter this with the "Greatest Caution", but he was one step too late—before he could even release the energy from the technique, Kanon's attack completely overwhelms him to the point of obliteration. Kanon himself then suffers the same fate.
- Although the Gemini Gold Cloth was worn first by Kanon's twin brother Saga, it recognized both of them as the Gemini Saint, as Kurumada explained in vol. 16 of his manga. As they were twins representing the Gemini constellation, both Kanon and Saga were the Gemini Gold Saint, and both were rightful bearers of the Gemini Gold Cloth. Whether or not this is true for all Gemini Saints (that is they all are twins and both are rightful bearers of the Gemini Gold Cloth) has yet to be seen.
- As revealed by Masami Kurumada in vol.16 of his manga, Kanon became a Gold Saint at an early age. He had already been granted the Gold Saint status before the time he was 15 years old.
- Although Kanon never uses the Another Dimension the character file of volume 28 of Kurumada's manga confirms him as a user of this technique, however he uses it in the game for PS2.
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