Hades Arc
In the final arc of Saint Seiya, Athena is recovering from her recent battle with Poseidon at Sanctuary, when Hades returns to Earth and launches an assault, aided not only by his personal army, the 108 Demon Stars known as Specters, but also by former servants of Athena, deceased Silver and Gold Saints that had pledged their loyalty to Hades in exchange for resurrection. The mission of the Specters and revived Saints was to take Athena's head to Hades.
Wanting to protect her Bronze Saints from yet another battle, Athena forbids them from taking part in the war against Hades, but, paying no attention to such restriction, the Bronze Saints gather on Sanctuary when they feel the ominous Cosmo of Hades's forces. They take part in the battle against Athena's will and help defeat the Specters along with their fellow Gold Saints.
The true intentions of the revived Saints are then revealed: they mean to reach Athena's giant statue and revive it with Athena's blood so it can transform into Athena's Divine Cloth. Realizing the sacrifice they have made and having received Virgo Shaka's message that only by reaching the eighth sense could a being travel to Hades's realm without being subject to its laws, Athena uses the dagger Saga had once tried to murder her with and takes her own life. Using the spilled blood of the goddess, former Pope Shion revives Athena's Cloth and sends the Bronze Saints on a mission to deliver it to their goddess and assist her in the defeat of Hades, who had caused a Great Eclipse to darken the Earth and extinguish all life on Earth.
Athena travels the Underworld with Shaka, searching for Hades to make him stop the Eclipse. They find him at the palace of Giudecca, inhabiting the body of Andromeda Shun. Athena uses her blood to free Shun from Hades's influence, but the god's soul flees to Elysion, where his true body has rested since the age of myth, to avoid harm. Retaking control of his body, Hades is able to defeat Athena and trap her in a large urn, where she will bleed to death.
The Bronze Saints follow her into Elysion to deliver her Cloth, counting on the help of the Gold Saints to cross the Wailing Wall. Upon reaching it, they are forced to overcome the god of Slumber, Hypnos, and the god of Death, Thanatos. The Saints then proceed to release Athena from Hades's Urn and deliver her Divine Cloth. A terrible battle ensues, until, imbuing her staff of Nike with their collective Cosmos, Athena manages to pierce through Hades's Surplice and body. With the defeat of Hades, the Greatest Eclipse is undone. Having saved all life on Earth.
Read more about this topic: Athena (Saint Seiya), Appearances, In Saint Seiya
Famous quotes containing the words hades and/or arc:
“For Hades is mighty in calling men to account below the earth, and with a mind that records in tablets he surveys all things.”
—Aeschylus (525–456 B.C.)
“You say that you are my judge; I do not know if you are; but take good heed not to judge me ill, because you would put yourself in great peril.”
—Joan Of Arc (c.1412–1431)