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Saint Seiya (Knights of the Zodiac) seasons

The classic Saint Seiya anime was made by Toei Animation from the manga by Masami Kurumada. The TV series aired on TV Asahi from October 1986 to April 1989 with 114 episodes, divided into the Sanctuary, Asgard and Poseidon arcs. The story was finished years later in the Hades chapters, 31 episodes released from 2002 to 2008 in three parts: Sanctuary, Inferno and Elysion. In Brazil the TV series premiered on Rede Manchete on September 1, 1994, and the Hades saga aired on Band in 2010. Watch them in the order listed here.

Season	Premiere	End	Episodes	Studio
Sanctuary arc (episodes 1–73)	October 11, 1986	April 16, 1988	73	Toei Animation
Asgard arc (episodes 74–99)	April 23, 1988	November 12, 1988	26	Toei Animation
Poseidon arc (episodes 100–114)	November 19, 1988	April 1, 1989	15	Toei Animation
The Hades Chapter: Sanctuary	November 9, 2002	April 12, 2003	13	Toei Animation
The Hades Chapter: Inferno	December 17, 2005	2007	12	Toei Animation
The Hades Chapter: Elysion	March 7, 2008	August 1, 2008	6	Toei Animation

Sanctuary arc (episodes 1–73)

The Sanctuary arc covers episodes 1 to 73, aired from October 1986 to April 1988 under director Kōzō Morishita. It starts with the Galaxian Wars tournament and moves through clashes with the Black Saints and the Silver Saints, plus a short anime-original story about the Gold Cloth. It ends with the long climb through the Twelve Temples of the Sanctuary, each guarded by a Gold Saint, which many fans consider the heart of the series.

Asgard arc (episodes 74–99)

The Asgard arc covers episodes 74 to 99, aired from April to November 1988. It is an original story created for the anime and does not appear in the manga. The Bronze Saints travel to the icy northern land of Asgard to face a new group of warriors. Kazuhito Kikuchi took over as director from this arc to the end of the TV series.

Poseidon arc (episodes 100–114)

The Poseidon arc covers episodes 100 to 114, aired from November 1988 to April 1989, and adapts the manga's chapters about the sea god Poseidon. The Bronze Saints head to his underwater domain to protect Athena. This arc closes the original TV series; the anime did not continue to the Hades story at the time, which only arrived as separate episodes more than a decade later.

The Hades Chapter: Sanctuary

The first part of the Hades chapters has 13 episodes, released in Japan from November 2002 to April 2003, first shown as a pay-per-view release on Japanese satellite TV. Directed by Shigeyasu Yamauchi, it adapts volumes 19 to 22 of the manga and returns to the Sanctuary, where a new threat linked to Hades appears. It continues directly after the events of the Twelve Temples.

The Hades Chapter: Inferno

The Inferno part has 12 episodes, released in two halves of six from December 2005 to 2007. It adapts volumes 23 to 26 of the manga and takes the Bronze Saints into the underworld of Hades. Tomoharu Katsumata directed this part, and the main Japanese voice cast was replaced, a change that was much discussed by fans at the time.

The Hades Chapter: Elysion

The Elysion part has 6 episodes, released from March to August 2008. It adapts volumes 27 and 28, the final volumes of Kurumada's original manga, and brings the classic Saint Seiya story to its end. With it, the Hades chapters total 31 episodes, and the full classic anime reaches 145 episodes counting the TV series.

Next season Anime finished

The classic story is complete: the TV series ended in 1989 and the Hades chapters were finished in 2008. As of November 2026, no new Saint Seiya anime has been announced. The franchise is still active, though. A new manga by Masami Kurumada, Saint Seiya: Heaven Chapter, was announced in March 2026 and began in Weekly Shōnen Champion on May 14, 2026. The TV anime also reached its 40th anniversary on October 11, 2026.

FAQ

How many episodes does Saint Seiya have?

The original TV series has 114 episodes, aired in Japan from 1986 to 1989. The Hades chapters add 31 episodes released from 2002 to 2008, so the full classic story has 145 episodes.

What is the Saint Seiya watch order?

Watch the TV series in order: Sanctuary (episodes 1–73), Asgard (74–99) and Poseidon (100–114). Then watch the Hades chapters: Sanctuary, Inferno and Elysion. Asgard is an anime-only story but sits naturally between the other arcs.

Will there be a new Saint Seiya anime?

No new anime has been announced as of November 2026. The newest release is the manga Saint Seiya: Heaven Chapter by Masami Kurumada, which started in Weekly Shōnen Champion in May 2026, the same year as the anime's 40th anniversary.

When did Saint Seiya premiere in Brazil?

It premiered on Rede Manchete on September 1, 1994 as Os Cavaleiros do Zodíaco, dubbed by the Gota Mágica studio under Gilberto Baroli. Hermes Baroli voiced Seiya and Letícia Quinto voiced Saori.

Is Knights of the Zodiac the same as Saint Seiya?

Knights of the Zodiac is a separate CG remake by Toei. It premiered on Netflix in 2019, added episodes in 2020 and released a second season on Crunchyroll in 2022. It retells the early story and is not part of the classic continuity.

Saint Seiya (Knights of the Zodiac) characters →

Sources

Updated November 1, 2026