Sphinx Pharaoh



Sphinx Pharaoh (天獣星スフィンクスのファラオ, Tenjūsei Sufinkusu no Farao) is one of Hades' 108 Specters, and his power lies in the Divine Bestial Star. Pharaoh is Hades' personal musician, and played often for him.

The Musician of the Underworld
Pharaoh had always been Hades' favourite musician, but that changed when Lyra Orphee tried to win his beloved Eurydice back from the dead. Pandora realised the Saint could be a powerful ally, so when Orphee set out for the world above with his Euridice. Pharaoh was sent to stop them, so with Pandora's mirror he created a fake light which Orphee mistook for the sun. Thus the Saint turned around and his beloved was turned halfway into stone. Orphee then vowed to remain by her side for eternity. This would be a drawback for the Sphinx Spectre. Because Orphee would now play on his lyre every 13th day for Hades. From that moment on, Pharaoh was being neglected as Hades' favourite musician.

The Battle of Music
As the Saints of Athena invaded the Underworld, Pharaoh was soon visited in the Second Prison by Pegasus Seiya and Andromeda Shun. The Saints soon killed the Spectre's pet, Kerberos which made him rather angry. So he was determined to finish them directly, and used his own harp for it, but he was interrupted by Lyra Orphee, his rival. Orphee said he would take care of them, but Pharaoh didn't want to wait and used his "Balance of Curse" technique on them. The two Bronze Saints tried to protect themselves, but the Specter's music got to them. As Seiya's heart was ripped out, the technique was suddenly stopped by the intervention of Orphee who played on his Lyre. The Saints thought he would rescue them but, the Silver Saint knocked them unconscious with his music. Orphee said they were rather dead by now and headed of with the bodies, Pharaoh was still a little sceptic. His suspicions were true as he had ventured to Orphee's garden, and found that the two Bronze Saints were still alive. After Seiya had revealed that they had Athena's Cloth, he sprung to action and caused a light with Pandora's Mirror as a diversion. He easily snatched the Goddess Cloth, and thus revealed himself. Though the Lyra Saint recognised the light as the same one he had been foiled with, and became really angry.

Pharaoh was only concerned that the Cloth would please Pandora, and didn't care so much for Orphee. Suddenly the Saint's music loosened Pharaoh's grip, and he dropped Athena's Cloth. The Specter couldn't believe the traitorus nature of Orphee, and decided that it was time to see who's music was the more powerful. Pharaoh managed to break one of Orphee's strings, and smirked as he deemed his favor in the battles outcome. As Orphee lay struggling against the music, the Sphinx Spectre said how Pandora and Hades liked the Saint but that was not his case, he was better then Orphee. He then utilised his "Balance of Curse" technique, and demanded Orphee's heart to leave him and be measured on the sacred scale. But it wasn't the Saint's heart, it was his own. Pharaoh couldn't believe it, how had the Saint managed to attack? In this moment he accidentally dropped Pandora's Mirror, and Orphee ignored the Spectre's question and asked if that was the thing which had created the false sunlight. Pharaoh asked if he was gonna whine again, though on the contrary he thanked the Spectre. Orphee had now accepted his mistake and was prepared to fight as one of Athena's Saints. The Sphinx Spectre said that he couldn't fight him since his attack string was broken, but suddenly all of Pharaoh's strings were broken. With his strength, Orphee pulled his attack string with his teeth and utilised his finishing move on the Specter. Pharaoh lay defeated in the flower patch, and with his last worst he said that he bowed for the music that seduced Hades.

The Lost Canvas
He is the Gate Keeper of Lost Canvas. He first appears testing Rhadamanthys' loyalty towards Hades. He is later seen in the entrance of Lost Canvas removing the hearts of soldiers and unknown Saints. If the weight of the heart (measured by individual purity) is the same as the Feather of Maat, than the opponent continues alive, otherwise he is killed. Sisyphos managed to overcome Pharaoh's technique and exterminate the Specter. Before his death, however, Pharaoh put a curse into the gates, so that only a Big Bang would destroy the entrance to the Lost Canvas.

Techniques

 * Balance of Curse (バランスオブカース, Baransu Obu Kāsu)

Surplice, Star & Name
Pharaoh's Surplice represents the mythological creature called Sphinx, and is depicted as a lying one. The Sphinx appears in a few world mythologies, including Greek, Egyptian and Mesopotamian. In Greek myth, the Sphinx is a female monster who harasses travelers coming to the city of Thebes by asking them a special riddle. When they fail to answer the riddle correctly, they are eaten alive by the Sphinx. Ultimately, the tragic hero Prince Oedipus is able to defeat the Sphinx by solving the riddle. In despair at being outwitted, the Sphinx throws herself off of a cliffside and dies. The star originates from Huangfu Duan in the Water Margin story. Kurumada named him after the Egyptian royalty title, Pharaoh. In Egyptian depictions, a pharaoh is often guarded by multiple sphinx creatures.
 * Sphinx Surplice
 * Divine Bestial Star
 * Pharaoh