Athena

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Athena (雅典娜)
Alias(es)	Saori; Goddess of Wisdom and War; Goddess of War
Species/Race	Olympian main god (Kami) reincarnated as a human infant
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Greek Sanctuary; Athena's Saints
Occupation/Role	Protector of humanity and Earth; leader of the Sanctuary; true Pope
Status	Active; most of her divine power is drained by Saturn's Magic Ring as of Chapter 347
First Appearance	174

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Reincarnated Athena	174 175	Reborn on Earth as an infant. Aiolos protects her from Saga's purge before entrusting her to Meruem.
Meruem-trained Saori	177	Receives instruction in knowledge, martial arts, and Cosmo; easily defeats Seiya and the other Bronze Saints in sparring.
Publicly recognized Athena	189	Reveals her identity during the Galactic Tournament and manifests Athena's Cosmo, causing attacking Silver Saints to hesitate.
Reawakened Athena	191	Regains her memories, claims her position as the true Pope, and begins rallying Saints to her cause.
Awakened War Divinity	213 223	Possesses the Divinity of the God of War and dons her God Cloth to confront Ares.
Fully awakened Goddess of War	341	Her presence strengthens all Saints fighting under her while the battle continues.
Divine power divided with Pallas	346	Pallas's Magic Ring drains Athena's power until their divine power reaches parity; Athena still overwhelms Pallas in close combat.
Severely depleted divinity	347	Saturn takes most of her remaining Cosmo through the Magic Ring, leaving Athena with roughly one-tenth of her divine power.

Background / History

Athena was reborn on Earth while Saga assassinated Pope Shion and seized control of the Sanctuary. Fearing that her awakening would expose him, Saga sought to eliminate her reincarnation. Aiolos fled with the infant, fought Shura while shielding her, and ultimately entrusted both Athena and the Sagittarius Gold Cloth to Meruem before drawing the pursuing Sanctuary Soldiers away. 174 175

Meruem raised Athena as Saori and deliberately trained her as a combatant rather than allowing her to remain a sheltered goddess. By the time she began interacting with Seiya's group, she had developed exceptional hand-to-hand skill and Cosmo control. 177 185

Saori publicly identified herself as Athena at the Galactic Tournament. After later recovering her memories, she declared herself the true Pope, ordered the Five Little Strong Ones to challenge the Twelve Palaces, and gained the allegiance of numerous Saints. 189 191

Her divinity repeatedly became the target of hostile gods and divine artifacts. Eris drained roughly seventy percent of Athena's power through the Golden Apple before Meruem destroyed it, returning the stolen power. Pallas later used the Magic Ring to steal Athena's divinity during the Pallasite war. 201 202 341 346

Appearance

As Saori, Athena is a beautiful short-haired young woman with a noticeably athletic, muscular build. When acting as the Goddess of War, she appears in a radiant God Cloth and carries divine weapons. 185 223 341

• Short-haired in her younger appearance. 185
• Possesses a muscular physique, including defined abdominal muscles. 185
• Can appear as a heroic Valkyrie-like goddess with a warm yet majestic Cosmo. 190
• Wears Athena's God Cloth in major divine battles. 223 341
• Uses either the Victory Scepter or a sharp Saint Sword, depending on her awakened state. 212 341

Personality

Saori initially presents as shy outside combat, yet becomes decisively fierce once she begins fighting. Meruem's upbringing transforms her from a reserved girl into a confident, battle-ready figure who actively seeks stronger sparring partners. 177 185

As Athena, she is composed under pressure and willing to confront other gods directly. She shows compassion even toward enemies such as Eris and Pallas, ordering a quick end for Eris and repeatedly sparing Pallas despite holding the advantage in their duel. 202 346

Beneath her divine authority, Athena is exhausted by her endless reincarnations and conflicts. She values the support Meruem provides and becomes emotionally vulnerable after the war against Ares. 212 228

Abilities & Skills

Divine Cosmo

Athena possesses the distinctive Cosmo of the goddess worshipped by the Saints. Its manifestation is sufficient to make Sanctuary Saints question Saga's authority and acknowledge her claim. 189

• Her divine power is comparable to Poseidon's when fully awakened. 213
• Divine artifacts such as Eris's Golden Apple and Pallas's Magic Ring can drain or transfer her power. 201 346 347
• Athena's divine power can be refined into Athena's Charms, which can restrain even gods. 231

War Divinity

Athena's awakened war aspect enhances her combat ability and empowers Saints fighting under her banner. 217 341

• Grants a battlefield-wide power boost to her Saints while Athena is present and the war continues. 341
• Makes her a superior close-combat fighter even when her divine power is reduced to Pallas's level. 346
• Her war aspect is distinct from her wisdom aspect and is characterized as warlike and straightforward. 259

Martial Arts and Cosmo Training

Meruem personally trained Saori in martial arts, knowledge, and Cosmo control from childhood. 177

• Easily overwhelms Seiya and other Bronze Saints in unarmed sparring. 177
• Uses precise, minimal-effort attacks to inflict maximum damage. 227
• Outclasses Ares in technique and stamina despite his status as the God of War. 227

Divine Armament Combat

Athena is proficient with her divine weapons and God Cloth. 212 223 341

• Victory Scepter — Used to intervene against Poseidon and to strike Ares with immense force. 212 223
• Saint Sword — Her preferred weapon after fully awakening the Goddess of War; it forces Pallas into a defensive struggle. 341 346
• God Cloth — Provides the equipment necessary for direct combat against main gods such as Ares. 223

Sealing

Athena can participate in sealing powerful divine entities.

• Works with Meruem to seal Ares after defeating him in Sparta. 228
• Assists Meruem in sealing Hades's soul out of Shun's body. 238

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Athena's God Cloth — Her divine armor for battles against gods. 223 341
• Victory Scepter / Athena's Scepter — A divine scepter capable of harming gods. 212 223
• Saint Sword — A sharp divine sword used after her War Divinity fully awakens. 341 346
• Athena's Charms — Divine-power and God Blood-infused restraints effective even against Kami. 231

Relationships

• Meruem — Guardian, adoptive father figure, mentor, and closest support. He raised and trained Saori; she trusts his strength and cares deeply for him. 175 185 212 228
• Aiolos — Loyal Gold Saint who protected her as an infant and entrusted her to Meruem at the cost of his own safety. 175
• Seiya, Shiryu, Hyoga, Ikki, and Shun — Her Five Little Strong Ones and foremost Bronze Saint protectors; she guides their growth and relies on them in major wars. 177 191 346 347
• The Gold Saints — Her elite Saints and principal supporters in reclaiming and defending the Sanctuary. 191 243
• Ares — Her brother and rival God of War; Athena decisively defeats him in Sparta. 223 227 228
• Poseidon — Fellow main god and adversary during the Sea Realm conflict. 211 213
• Pallas — A goddess who addresses Athena as her sister; their conflict is intensified by the Magic Ring's theft of Athena's divine power. 341 346

Story Role / Major Arcs

Sanctuary Reclamation

After escaping Saga's attempted purge as an infant, Saori grows under Meruem's protection. She reveals herself during the Galactic Tournament, recovers her memories, and leads the Saints in challenging the Twelve Palaces and Saga's false papacy. 175 189 191

Eris and the Golden Apple

Eris remotely absorbs Athena's divine power with the Golden Apple, leaving Saori weak and unable to resist. Meruem breaks the artifact, restoring Athena's power and ending Eris's advantage. 201 202

Sea Realm Conflict

Athena accompanies Meruem and her Saints into the Sea Realm to confront Poseidon. She refuses to shield Meruem from Poseidon's wrath, intervenes only when necessary, and remains calm after Poseidon's full awakening. 211 212 213

War Against Ares

Athena personally leads the Sanctuary's retaliation against Ares in Sparta. Wearing her God Cloth, she overwhelms him through disciplined technique and superior combat skill before she and Meruem seal him away. 222 223 227 228

Hades Soul Incident

Athena cooperates with Meruem to remove and seal Hades's prematurely awakened soul from Shun's body. She later receives the resurrected Gold Saints of an earlier generation, who renew their loyalty to her. 238 243

Pallasite War

One year after Meruem's departure, Athena leads the Sanctuary against the Pallasites and the looming Hades Army. Her fully awakened War Divinity boosts her forces, but Pallas's Magic Ring steadily drains her divine power. 341 342

After the Five Little Strong Ones defeat the Pallasite Four Heavenly Kings, Athena confronts Pallas directly. Despite having half her divine power stolen, she dominates their sword duel until Saturn appears and drains nearly all of her remaining power through the Magic Ring. 346 347

Notable Quotes

“His words are my will...” 198

“As you wish!” 346

Trivia

• Athena is regarded as a goddess whose divine power is second only to Zeus's among the Olympians. 175
• Her two stated domains are war, which strengthens her in battle, and a second domain associated with allowing her Saints to unleash their ultimate potential. 217
• Unlike the more peaceful Athena known to Mars, this incarnation is dominated by her Goddess of War aspect and willingly initiates war when necessary. 259