Dragon Shiryū

This article is about the fictional character. For the professional wrestler Shiryu, see Kaz Hayashi.

Dragon Shiryū
Saint Seiya character
Dragon Shiryū by Masami Kurumada
First appearance	Saint Seiya manga chapter 4 Saint Seiya anime episode 1 (briefly) Saint Seiya anime episode 2 (fully)
Created by	Masami Kurumada
Voiced by	Hirotaka Suzuoki Chiyoko Kawashima Takahiro Sakurai Jay Hickman (English)

Dragon Shiryū (龍星座の紫龍, Doragon no Shiryū^?, shiryū meaning "violet dragon"), also known as Shiryū, is a fictional character from the Saint Seiya universe created by Masami Kurumada as one of the protagonists of the media franchise, which originated in the manga written and illustrated by Kurumada, later adapted to anime, and subsequently inspiring soundtracks, OVAs, movies, video games, and other collectibles. He is considered the most mature of the five heroes, and thus the wisest. As the Bronze Saint of the Dragon constellation, Shiryū dons the emerald Dragon Bronze Cloth, a jewel among the Cloths due to its legendary defense properties.

Concept and creation

As Masami Kurumada uses the revered Osamu Tezuka's Star System technique, (a stable cast of characters which play a different or similar role in the author's various works, sometimes with the same personality and sometimes with an entirely new one), he designed Shiryū's appearance very similarly to that of Eidō Jun, a character in the successful Ring ni Kakero, a manga that Kurumada wrote and drew years before Saint Seiya, and that he considers his favorite creation. Also, Shiryū's appearance is almost identical to Azusa Ranmaru, from the work Kurumada authored before Saint Seiya, Otoko Zaka.^{[citation needed]}

Character outline

The Saint of Dragon

Out of all five main characters, Shiryū is known as the calmest and most collected. His sheer physical strength is the greatest of the Bronze Saints, with the possible exception of Phoenix Ikki. This is reflected in his ability to win numerous battles without the Cosmo-augmenting capabilities of the Dragon Cloth. Shiryū trained at the Lushan's Five Old Peaks (廬山五老峰, Rozan Gorōhō^?) in China to obtain the Bronze Cloth of the Dragon constellation, and his mentor was none other than the senior Gold Saint, Libra Dohko.

Shiryū sports a large tattoo-like image of a green and white dragon on his back. However, it is stated in the manga and the anime that it is not a tattoo, but it is connected to his guardian Dragon constellation and only appears as his Cosmo is rising. Whenever his life is in danger, the Dragon image begins to fade away—once it completely vanishes, it is a sign that Shiryū's Cosmo is nearing zero, thus being himself near death.

During his training in Rozan (as Lushan is known in Japanese), Shiryū awoke his Cosmo and learned various arts of combat, as well as fundamental wisdom for life, from Libra Dohko. During the Sanctuary Arc, Shiryū awakens the 7th sense in his fight against Cancer Deathmask. He awoke the 8th sense during the Hades Arc.

Techniques

Rozan's Rising Dragon Force (Rozan Shōryūha): His signature technique. He concentrates his cosmo into his wrists, legs, and sometimes his whole body to punch or kick an enemy. Usually the punch comes from the bottom up. Unlike the favored techniques of the other Bronze Saints, Shiryū's Rozan Rising Dragon Force does have one weakness — while performing the move, his heart will be left open for a millisecond. Only three people in the series have noted this: his master Libra Dohko, Bronze Saint Pegasus Seiya, and Gold Saint Capricorn Shura.

Rozan's Dragon Flight (Rozan Ryūhishō): He uses his whole body to move forward on the enemy, as if flying. Used on Saint corpses at Jamir, against Chrysaor Krishna, and also against Basilisk Sylphid.

Dragon's Kick (Dragon no Ken): Shiryū leaps toward the heavens and delivers a powerful kick to his enemy. Used only on Cancer Deathmask.

Rozan's One Hundred Dragons Force (Rozan Hyakuryūha): A technique that by far surpasses the destructive potential of the Rozan Rising Dragon Force or the Rozan Dragon Flight. Shiryū's Cosmo erupts at its maximum, and he plows through the enemy with both his arms and palms extended, emitting a devastating, virtually unstoppable burst of Cosmo. One hundred dragons made out of pure Cosmo march in the sky as the enemies are completely obliterated.

Rozan's Enraged Dragon Force (Rozan Kōryūha): It is a kamikaze technique similar to Seiya's "Pegasus Rolling Crush," except while Seiya normally intends to send both himself and his opponent back to the ground, Shiryū will continue to soar into the air and eventually into space—killing both himself and his enemy. Dohko had strongly discouraged Shiryū from using it, even going as far as putting a ban on its use.

Excalibur: Inherited by the Gold Saint Capricorn Shura, who gave Shiryū this power when he found himself defeated by him and realized Shiryū should live and continue to fight for Athena. A deadly Cosmo attack focused with precision on Shiryū's right arm in the form of a sword. Although Shiryū's version of the sword was not as defined as Shura's (Shiryū's Excalibur lies only in his right arm, while Shura's can be unleashed from any of his limbs), the Dragon later refined it enough to rival Shura's and used it to cut the unbreakable golden spear of Chrysaor Krishna, the powerful Mariner General, along with his Scales armor, during the Poseidon Arc.

Constellation and cloth

The Bronze Cloth of Dragon is legendary for the large shield on its left arm guard. Its reputation is unmatched by any other Cloth among Athena's Saints, and only very few have ever shattered it. The Dragon Cloth itself is noted for its ultimate durability, as it spent the last two centuries and a half bathed under the mineral-rich waterfall of the Rozan mountains, which made it harder than diamonds. Also, its right-hand gauntlet is endowed with extremely powerful piercing capabilities. This is the origin of the Cloth's nickname, "The strongest Fist and Shield".

In their battle during the first arc of Kurumada's manga, Seiya manages to destroy the Shield by tricking Shiryū into hitting his own shield. Shiryū's Cloth has suffered various damages throughout the series, and, of course, required repairing. With each revision its shape gained a new form. In the manga and the anime adaptation, the Cloth went through three different designs, each resulting from the reparations.

Due to having reformed from using a Gold Saint's blood, the third version of the Dragon Cloth (second in the anime adaptation) can suddenly become golden with power whenever Shiryū uses his Cosmo to the maximum. At that point, Shiryū has awoken his 7th sense, and is as powerful as a Gold Saint momentarily. However, in the battle with Chrysaor Krishna, Krishna comments that, even with the golden Dragon Cloth, Shiryū's power level is still that of a Bronze Saint, and continues to overpower him with his attacks.

The Dragon Cloth represents the constellation Draco, which is associated to Ladon, the hundred eyed dragon who guarded the golden apples of the Hesperides, in Greek mythology.

During times of extreme need, the main five Bronze Saints will be allowed to wear Gold Cloths for a temporary amount of time. In the Sanctuary arc, Shiryū showcased the 12 weapons of the Libra Gold Cloth when he, Seiya, and Shun needed help in freeing Cygnus Hyōga from Aquarius Camus' ice coffin. This was the first time Shiryū was allowed to make use of the Libra Cloth, but certainly not the last. In the respective battles against Poseidon, the Lord of the seas, and Thanatos, god of Death, Shiryū is assisted by the Libra Cloth.

Reception

In Japan, Shiryū is the most popular character in Saint Seiya, ranking 1st in the main characters poll of the five Bronze Saints.^[1]

References

1. ^ Kurumada, Masami (2004). "Popularity polls". Saint Seiya, Volume 3. Viz Media. ISBN 1-59116-299-8.