Gemini Kanon (双子座のカノン, Jemini no Kanon) is a a character from the classic anime/manga series, Saint Seiya. He was the younger twin brother of Gold Saint Gemini Saga, and later took up the position after Saga's death. Before finally embracing his destiny as the Gemini Saint, Kanon masqueraded as the Sea Dragon, one of Poseidon's seven Sea Generals, thus he was ever known as Sea Dragon Kanon (海龍のカノン, Shīdoragon no Kanon).
Personality and background
Kanon is a character with a substantial importance in the universe of Kurumada's manga, and therefore in its anime adaptation. He is directly responsible for triggering two main events : the conflict of the 12 temples by inciting Gemini Saga to succumb to his evil desires, and the resurrection of Poseidon, Emperor of the Seas. Also, Kanon is notable for redeeming himself after all his sins in the past and wreaking havoc as the Gemini Gold Saint against the army of Hades' 108 Specters.
At first, Kanon was depicted as a treacherous man, always tempting his twin brother to use his status and power to advance his status of influence beyond that of a Gold Saint. He concluded that their amazing and powerful abilities were gifts from the Gods for them to take advantage of. Much to his dismay, his brother opposed this and caused his incarceration at Cape Sounion. After his redemption, however, Kanon becomes a much centered person, much like his brother.
Kanon was the one person responsible for Poseidon's awakening, although he kept Poseidon just half awakened so that he could pose as the true leader of the Marines as a Marine General and use Poseidon's army to achieve his desires. In order to do so, Kanon stole the scales of Sea Dragon and pretended to be the Sea Dragon General under Poseidon's order. Even after joining forces with Athena, Kanon retains his ruthless personality and harsh characteristics, scolding Pegasus Seiya and Andromeda Shun that they should never hesitate to finish their enemies, because their hesitation was a weakness that their enemies would take advantage of. Even so, he quickly absorbs the honor of a Gold Saint.
Chronology
Saint Seiya Episode G
In a special prequel chapter, the authors re-tell the story of how Kanon escaped his prison and became Sea Dragon Kanon.
Saint Seiya (1986): Poseidon
Main Article: Sea Dragon Kanon
Saint Seiya (1986): Hades
Kanon's redemption
Kanon explained to Milo that he had come to terms with his past and was now a Saint of Athena. Milo berated him and offered Kanon one last opportunity to leave unharmed. Kanon refused, and Milo immediately attacked the former Sea Dragon with his patented move, the "Scarlet Needle". Kanon, determined to prove his new allegiance, remained still and did not lash out. Milo unleashed a second wave of needles, and Kanon still did not budge. A third and fourth wave followed, until a bloody Kanon was now writhing in pain from the holes in his body. Having heard the commotion, Athena herself walked out of her bedroom to plead with Milo to stop. Milo contested that, while their goddess may have forgiven Kanon for his deeds, the other saints of Sanctuary cannot afford to do the same. The Scorpio stalked towards the Gemini and prepared to release the final blow, the Antares. Determined to gain the trust of the saints, Kanon told Milo that he would receive the Antares to illustrate his new dedication to Athena. At the same time, Milo was silently bewildered that Kanon had not once retaliated. Being Gemini Saga's younger brother, Kanon certainly had enough raw power to really hurt Milo if he wanted to. Milo struck the final blow into Kanon, impaling his chest with one finger. Kanon dropped to the floor. Milo then turned around and apologized to Athena before exiting the palace. Athena looked over to the Gemini, who was now on his knees and recovering. With tears flowing down his face. It seems that the "final blow" Milo had used on him was not the deadly Antares, but a pressure point to stop the bleeding. Kanon's act of benevolence had earned their trust, after all.
Camus and Shura were baffled as to the identity of the man wearing Saga's Gemini cloth, but Saga himself immediately knew who it was that dared to don his old armor. The older Gemini urged his two companions to find a way out of the temple as he remained to confront the new Gemini Saint. Saga remembered the time where Kanon had proposed the plan to assassinate the Grand Pope and Athena, and demanded an explanation from his younger brother as to what he was doing in this temple. Kanon simply replied that he had Athena's permission to guard over the temple from intruders. Saga scoffed and blasted the illusion with a fist. Revealing that, although Kanon was not physically there, the Gemini Cloth was. This confirmed that the cloth had accepted Kanon as its current master, and Saga secretly wept with joy. Never in a million years would he thought he would see his "evil" little brother take up the duties of the Gemini Saint and fight for justice.
In the climax of the Sanctuary prelude to the Hades arc, Kanon and Saga finally came face-to-face physically. In a symbolic gesture, Athena ordered the younger Gemini to present the older Gemini with the very same golden dagger he had used to try to murder her 13 years ago.
After the events in Sanctuary, Kanon finally donned the Gemini cloth for the very first time. Together with senior gold saint Libra Dohko, bronze saints Pegasus Seiya, Dragon Shiryu, Cygnus Hyoga, and Andromeda Shun, the saints of Sanctuary invaded the World of the Dead in Athena's name.
Battles of the Underworld
In the Underworld, Kanon moved on his own, mentally controlling and killing the Specter Balrog Lune and challenging Wyvern Rhadamanthys to a battle in which quickly overpowered him. Their fight, however, was interrupted by the arrival of some minor spectres, as well as bronze saints Seiya and Shun. Later on, Kanon found himself traveling with Shiryu and Hyoga as they sought out the palace of Hades. On the way, the group easily defeated many spectres, including the Deadly Beetle Stand of the Sky Ugly Star, and Lycaon Phlegyas of the Sky Guilt Star. Kanon and Rhadamanthys soon crossed paths once again, and Kanon instructed his two bronze saint companions to leave him as he battled the Wyvern Specter. The gold saint proved to be an adequate challenge for the Judge until Griffon Minos and Garuda Aiacos suddenly arrived on the scene. The two Judges expressed individual interest in battling the Gemini Gold Saint, and attacked him until Phoenix Ikki arrived on the scene.
Techniques and abilities
- Galaxian Explosion: Though not as strong as Saga's Galaxian Explosion, the move is practically similar to his big brother's.
- Genrou Ken (literally meaning "Illusion Fist"): Last but not least, Kanon has his own interpretation of Saga's infamous Genrou Maou Ken, with minor differences: it does not require the opponent to kill a target in order to be released, and the technique can be executed in the same manner as Ikki's Phoenix Genma Ken, where the enemy is tricked by a series of illusions into doing Kanon's bidding.
- Golden Triangle : is a move that bends space and time to open an alternate dimension, where the opponent is sent, similar to "Another Dimension". Once inside, one is trapped unless the user lets them out, or they are distracted, and forced to stop the technique. It seems to be unique to the Sea Dragon; he can use the technique to send his foe into the Bermuda Triangle since he is the Guardian of the North Atlantic Ocean Pillar.
Astral Projection : Kanon can control his Cloth at distance and uses his cosmic power to do so in Hades Arc, and Saga was also able to find his twin after becoming disillusioned by his immense power only to realize it was just an illusion.
Labyrinth of Twins: Illusion to make enemies wander aimlessly around the Gemini Temple without being able to find an exit. Both Gemini Kanon and Gemini Saga are able to use this technique. In the Hades Arc, the golden saints Capricorn Shura and Aquarius Camus were unable to get through it, even knowing that it was an illusion. The technique was only broken when Gemini Saga launched an attack directly to the Grand Master chamber, hurting Gemini Kanon and once again breaking the caster Kanon's concentration.
Cloth, Constellation and Temple
Kanon's guardian constellation is Gemini, and his Gold Cloth represents it and its associated myth: the myth of the Dioskuroi, Castor and Polydeuces, the twin sons of Leda and Zeus, and brothers of Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. The temple Kanon guarded after recovering his status as Gold Saint was known both in manga and the anime adaptation as "SouJiKyuu", the "Temple of the Twins".
As the Sea Dragon Marina General, his Scales represented a sea dragon, a mythical being which, in some cultures had an association with water, rain and the seas. In some Asian legends, the sea is ruled by a Dragon King.
Predecessor and successor
- Main Article: Gemini Cloth
Notes
- In the OVA 25 (but not in the original manga), when the twelve Gold Saints join to destroy the Sighing Wall, his soul briefly appears with the body of Gemini Saga when the latter used the Gemini Cloth once more before the final sacrifice. However, this is never explained.
- In his manga, Kurumada gave Kanon blonde hair. In the anime adaptation Kanon's hair color was modified to blue.
- Kanon's final kamikaze assault against Rhadamanthys is slightly altered in the anime. While launching the Wyvern into space, Kanon begins to unleash the "Galaxian Explosion" with his cosmos. Rhadamanthys attempts to counter this with the "Greatest Caution", but he was one step too late—before he could even release the energy from the technique, Kanon's attack completely overwhelms him to the point of obliteration. Kanon himself then suffers the same fate.
- Although the Gemini Gold Cloth was worn first by Kanon's twin brother Saga, it recognized both of them as the Gemini Saint, as Kurumada explained in vol. 16 of his manga. As they were twins representing the Gemini constellation, both Kanon and Saga were the Gemini Gold Saint, and both were rightful bearers of the Gemini Gold Cloth.
- As revealed by Masami Kurumada in vol.16 of his manga, Kanon became a Gold Saint at an early age. He had already been granted the Gold Saint status before the time he was 15 years old.
- Although Kanon never uses the Another Dimension the character file of volume 28 of Kurumada's manga confirms him as a user of this technique, however he uses it in the game for PS2.
- Before the airing of the Poseidon saga, various promos and merchandises (such as box of the Bandai figure) depicted Kanon with grey hair and red eyes.
- In the manga, Saga's hair is longer than Kanon's, with emphasis on individual strands. Kanon's hair is wavier and less detailed. This detail is omitted in all versions of the anime, from the Poseidon arc to the recent Hades OVAs.
- identical to Saga's evil incarnation.
- In the US translation of the manga released by VIZ, Kanon's name is spelled as "Canon". In the Hades Sanctuary Book, his name is also spelled "Canon."