Hades (Saint Seiya)

Hades (ハーデス, Hādesu) is a Greek deity, brother to Zeus and Poseidon, and the dark ruler of the Underworld ( 冥界 Meika) and serves as the primary antagonist in the last story arc of Saint Seiya, The Hades Chapter.

Within the Saint Seiya universe Hades still plays the role of ruler of the Underworld, but is and old enemy of Athena, and subsequently the enemy of the warriors known as Athena's Saints. Hades bares a special grudge against all saints who had worn the Pegasus Cloth. He wishes to wipe out all of humanity by turning the Earth into a desolate frozen wasteland. He despises all human beings, who are each time more ungrateful towards the Gods.

Age of myth
As with Greek mythology, Hades is one of six children born from the union of the titans, Rhea and Cronus. Unlike his other siblings: Zeus, Posiedon, Hera, demeter and Hestia, Hades is not an Olympion god, but instead rules over existence itself alongside his brothers and the goddess Athena. While Zeus ruled over the sky and heavens, Poseidon controled the seas, and Athena became guardian diety of Earth, Hades was entrusted with rulling over the land of the dead conssiting of both Tartarus, where sinners are sent to suffer, and Elysion, home of the virtuous and honest. It was during this time that he rallied the promordial gods Thanatos and Hypnos as his personal generals.

It was during the age of myth that Hades fought the then current Pegasus Saint who had mortaly wounded the god. Worrying for the state of his appearance, as well as his life, caused Hades was thrown in a state of trauma, deciding to forever retreted within Elysion until the world had been conquered by his subordonates.

The 15th and 18th centuries
Hades most notable holy wars on humanity took place during the 15th and 18th centuries.

The 20th century
Hades's most recent holy war was took place in the 20th century.

Avatars
Much like the previous two main antagonists of Saint Seiya, namely Gemini Saga and Poseidon, Hades does not invade the Earth direcly prefering to take possesion of a human being. Every 243 years Hades can enter the world of humans and fight against Athena for control over the world. However, do to his pride and narcississm, as well as the trauma of near death caused by the Pegasus Saint from the age of myth, Hades refuses to engage his opponents directly, oppting to instead manifest his spirit inside the body of the purest and most softspoken adolescent boy on Earth. The teenager in question would also have to be incredibly handsome.

During the previous Holy War of 1747 Hades' avatar was the young painter named Alone, while in the more recent 20th century he toke control of the bronze saint, Andromeda Shun, one of main protagonists of the original Saint Seiya story. Surprisingly enough Shun bared a stricking resemblance with the malevolent god.

Hades' entourage
The god of the Underworld is served by three great generals: the God of Death Thanatos, the God of Sleep Hypnos, and a woman called Pandora, who acts as a messanger and deliverer of the god. It is Pandora's task to release Hypnos and Thanatos from their imprisonment soas to initiate the nest Holy War on Earth.

The Specters, Hades'  Holy Army
The most powerful warriors under Hades' authority are The Secters, the equivalent to Athena's Saints. Specters can be identified do to their black and dark mauve armors, called Surplices ( 冥衣（サープリス） Sāpurisu, meaning  "Dark Mantle"), as well as their battle mastery over Cosmo, the energy which gives all beings in the saint Seiya universe their powers. The Spectars' titles are attributed to them after a star (heavenly or earthly), a quality of said stars, and a guardian spirit.

There are 108 Specters in total, 36 Heavenly Stars and 72 Earthly Stars. The Heavenly Star Specters reside within the underworld itself and serve as jailors, while the Earthly Star Specters are sent during incursions to land of the living in order to impose Hades' will. The three most powerful Heavely Star Specters are refered to as Hades' Magnates, who werve the god as wardens for his various prisons.

Rankless soldiers within Hades' army are called Skeletons. They performe menial tasks, wear weaker types of Surplices, have very little control over Cosmo and are armed with siclles for battle.

Trivia
Despite being a villain, Hades has the tendency to posses a human with the most pure heart who was born during the time of his reincarnation as his vessels.