Thanatos
Summary
Born on June 13, Thanatos is a major antagonist deity in Masami Kurumada’s Saint Seiya manga universe, which was subsequently adapted into an anime. Kurumada designed this character based on the mythological figure of the same name, who serves as the personification of mortality and death. In Greek mythology, he is the twin brother of Hypnos, the god of sleep. Within Kurumada’s specific mythos, Thanatos acts as a subordinate to Hades, the Emperor of Darkness and ruler of the Underworld, yet possesses all divine attributes. Consequently, he stands as a sworn enemy of Athena, the protector goddess of Earth. Kurumada introduced Thanatos in volume 27 of the manga, during the final segments of the Hades arc. He is characterized as cruel, merciless, and haughty, harboring a deep hatred for humans and showing no hesitation in whimsically inflicting death. After being defeated by Athena during her final battle against Hades in the 18th century, he was sealed in a box inscribed with the Seal of Athena. He remained imprisoned for 243 years until a curious three-year-old girl named Pandora opened it. Upon regaining his freedom, Thanatos informed her that Hades’s resurrection was imminent and declared that she would serve them from then on. According to the Pegasus Saint Seiya, Thanatos is visually identical to his brother Hypnos, with the sole distinctions being his silver hair and eyes compared to Hypnos’s golden ones. A strange star is also placed on his forehead. While Hypnos is calm and calculating, Thanatos is prone to losing his temper and acting recklessly when driven by rage. His residence is the Elysion, where he spends most of his time accompanied by scores of Nymphs and his twin brother, awaiting orders from their lord Hades. Thanatos offered fierce opposition to the Saints of Athena when they attempted to rescue their goddess and stop the Hades's Greatest Eclipse, a plan intended to eradicate mankind. His divine duty is to impart death upon all living beings when their time has come or as divine retribution. Prior to his formal introduction in the anime adaptation, Thanatos appeared in the opening sequence of the Inferno stage of the Hades arc, starting from episode 128. He was depicted standing beside Hypnos and overshadowed by Hades. His full appearance in the anime occurred in 2008 during the final episodes, which adapted the last two volumes of the manga (volumes 27 and 28), sixteen years after his initial manga debut. From episode 142 onward, his silhouette in the anime’s opening sequence revealed his features in full.
