Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas

In a small town in Italy, Tenma and his best friend Alone are living in peace at an orphanage. Alone is an aspiring painter and visits the cathedral where he hears about a painting that is so beautiful it is said to redeem souls. While painting in a meadow, Alone is approached by Pandora. She tells him that he is the purest human soul and therefore he will one day be the vessel of Hades, King of the Underworld. After a flood threatens his home village, Tenma awakens his cosmos in order to reroute the flood's path. Libra Dohko happened to be in the area and witnesses Tenma's skills. He offers to take Tenma to the Sanctuary in Greece so that he may train as a saint. Before he departs for Greece, Tenma vows to become saint and Alone vows to become a true painter.

At the Sanctuary, Tenma begins his training and meets Yato. Tenma manages to find Sasha, Alone's younger sister. Sasha is attacked by Worm Raimi, until Shion Aries vanquishes him. Tenma then learns that Sasha is the reincarnation of Athena. Two years later, Tenma becomes the Pegasus Saint after winning his rank rightfully in a combat. Back in Italy, Alone is suffering as learns that any living creature he paints ends up dying. Pandora appears before Alone and she takes him to the cathedral in the forest. She shows him the painting he had been yearning to see, and Alone then awakens as Hades.

Three Silver Saints are revived by Hades to kill Sasha, but are defeated by Dohko and Shion. As a selfpunishment for killing their comrades, Dohko and Shion go to Tenma's hometown in Italy where Specters, Hades' soldiers, have been located. Upon realizing that each of his friends have been killed, Tenma finds Alone who destroys a painting of Tenma which causes his death. Dohko tries to avenge Tenma but he is confronted by the Specter Bennu Kagaho and convinced by Shion to retreat.

Another Bronze Saint lost in the previous fight, Unicorn Yato, finds Tenma's dead body and is guided by a woman named Yuzuriha to an area known as Jamir. There, Yuzuriha's master reveals that Tenma can be revived if his soul is brought from the Underworld as his body is preserved by Sasha's Cosmos infused Leash of Flowers. Yato and Yuzuriha go to the Underworld where they find Tenma's soul imprisoned by the Specters. Tenma is able to free himself and joins Yato and Yuzuriha.

Griffin Minos, one of three Hades' three most powerful Specters known as "Judges", and his men arrive at the sanctuary and kill of several Athena Saints. Their march toward the sanctuary is stopped by a field of red roses, which kills several Specters as they try to cross. The Pisces Gold Saint, Albafica makes his presence known before the invading Specters and easily kills off a few more Specters. The Specter Deep Niobe intercedes and neutralizes the poisonous flower field with his own poison. In order to protect a nearby village, Albafica absorbs the poison into his own body, and then kills Niobe. Minos steps in, and manages to restrain the Albafica with his cosmic marionettion and orders his men to destroy the nearby village as a way of taunting Albafica. Minos vows to break every bone in Albafica's body with his puppeteering ability, but the Pisces Saint proves to be resilient.

Albafica tells Minos that his men will perish, and as they reach the outskirts of the village they are killed off by a bloody rose trap. Minos finds this amusing and applauds the Pisces Saint for living up the image of a gold saint. Albafica temporarily breaks free but to no avail, and is recaptured by Minos who then proceeds to snap the life out of Albafica. Minos goes to the nearby village, and begins to destroy it. The Aries saint, Shion steps in but is also overpowered by Minos' technique. Shion is saved by Albafica who survived having almost every bone in his body snapped. Albafica fights Minos once more and is successful in planting a bloody rose in the Specter's heart. Minos tries to take out the village before he dies, but he is contained by Shion who leaves him no choice but to wait for death. Having used up all his blood, Albafica dies shortly after Minos.

Yuzuriha reveals to Tenma and Yato that their real mission is to pick the fruits of the legendary Sapindus tree that grows in the underworld. On their way, they are found by Hell's Watchdog Cerberus and Alone, who tries to lure the Pegasus Saint into his army and then reveals his plans to invade the Sanctuary. As the last and most unexpected obstacle, Tenma is challenged by the ominous Gold Saint Virgo Asmita, who seems to doubt Athena's capacity to keep peace in the world.

Picking 108 fruits of the Sapindus tree, Tenma, Yato and Yuzuriha start their way back to the world of the living. Meanwhile, Specters head towards Jamir and find themselves caught in Virgo Asmita's trap. Returning to life, Tenma, Yato and Yuzuriha are reunited with Hakurei, who explains the true purpose behind the fruits of the Sapindus tree: they will be able to seal the Specters' souls and prevent their resurrection; however, in order to do that, they need to be empowered by the essence of cosmo: the Eight Sense. Virgo Asmita achieves this, and seals the attacking Specter's souls. Virgo Asmita then disappears, having apparently sacrificed his life in order to bless the rosary.

Minos' Specters, previously killed by Pisces Albafica's Bloody Rose trap, are brought back to life. Now, they find themselves face to face with Taurus Aldebaran, who proves to be capable of dealing with them with his arms crossed. While Aldebaran and Dohko patrol the Sanctuary's vicinity, Bennu Kagaho arrives, seeking revenge against the Libra Saint – however, he meets Taurus instead, and they start a furious battle: the fastest Specter against the fastest Gold Saint.

The fight between Aldebaran and Kagaho reaches its climax. Bennu recalls old memories with the arrival of the Taurus Saint's disciples, and decides to take on his opponent with full power; on the other hand, Aldebaran decides to unleash his most powerful technique in order to end the battle. During the night, peace is shaken: Alone himself invades the Sanctuary and wreaks destruction, forcing the Gold Saints into submission with his grand Cosmo. Sagittarius Sisyphus resists and shoots a golden arrow at Hades. The god deflects the arrow and it pierces alongside Sisyphus' heart leaving the gold saint comatose. Sasha then steps in to fight her older brother.

Tenma returns before Sasha and Alone and the three childhood friends are reunited at last. Alone unleashes his guard dog Cerberus on Tenma and Sasha, but they evade the three headed dog. Tenma kills Cerberus but is rendered useless when trying to strike Alone. Pope Sage shows himself having surrounded Hades with hundreds of talismans he inherited from the previous Athena. It is revealed that Sage was the Gold Cancer Saint of the previous holy war, as Hades is weakened the power of the talismans. As Sage prepare to seal Hades' soul, Pandora steps in renders the talismans useless and convinces Alone to leave. Before doing so, the unfinished Lost Canvas appears in the sky above and Alone reveals the world will end when his painting completely covers the sky.

Hypnos and Thanatos confront Pandora on how she let Hades out of her sight. Having concerns whether it is Hades or Alone that is running the show, Pandora feels that Tenma must die in order for Hades to truly be in control. Pandora sends two assassins: Bat Wimber and Dullhan Cube. Wimber's bats put everyone in the sanctuary to sleep. As the two Specters are about to kill Tenma, Taurus Aldebaran steps in having destroyed his hearing. The two Specters severely beat up the Taurus saint and reopen his wounds that were inflicted by Bennu Kagaho. In the end he sacrifices his life and fends them both off, protecting Tenma.

Guilty over Taurus Albebaran's sacrifice, Tenma tries to leave the sanctuary and face Alone by himself. He is intercepted by Cancer Manigoldo and is incarcerated on Sage's orders as he is valuable in the fight against Hades. Hakurei returns to the sanctuary and convinces his brother Sage to let Tenma go. Yato and Yuzuriha break him out of his imprisonment and accompany him on the journey towards Hades' castle.