SAINT SEIYA: Knights of the Zodiac

Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac follows Seiya, a determined young fighter who becomes the Pegasus Knight to protect Saori Kido, the living incarnation of the goddess Athena. Alongside fellow bronze Saints, Shiryu, Hyoga and Shun, Seiya trains and fights to stop dark forces that threaten humanity and Athena's reborn role. The series focuses on battles tied to constellations and the Saints' cloth armors, as mysteries about prophecy and destiny surface. Relationships are tested in combat and in quiet moments, and each episode raises the stakes without revealing final outcomes, keeping a balance between large scale confrontations and character moments. Seiya's loyalty is tested, friendships strain, and ancient myths are reframed for a modern audience hungry for epic clashes now.

Released in 2019 on Netflix, the series reimagines Masami Kurumada's original Saint Seiya manga for a global audience, featuring voices like Masakazu Morita, Fumiko Orikasa, Takahiro Sakurai, Hiroaki Miura and Satomi Sato, and a modern CGI aesthetic produced for streaming.

The Netflix reboot didn't win major industry awards, but it prompted discussion at conventions and online forums, with fans debating its modern approach, visual style and loyalty to the source material. Critics and followers often compared it to the 1980s Saint Seiya series, keeping conversation lively across fan communities.

As a modern CGI take on a classic franchise, it helped introduce Saint Seiya to viewers outside Japan through streaming, sparking renewed interest in the franchise and generating fan art, theory threads and social media conversation. It also prompted renewed attention to older adaptations and soundtracks among collectors.

Critics and viewers gave mixed to positive feedback, reflected in a 7.4/10 user rating; praise focused on action and mythology, while criticism targeted pacing, characterization, and the update of classic designs for contemporary tastes. Central themes include friendship, duty, fate and the cost of protecting something greater than oneself.