Aquarius Camus

Aquarius Camus (のカミュ) is one of the gold saints of the 20th Century. He is the Golden Knight of Aquarius, known as the "Mage of water and ice". He trained little Hyoga for six years in the icy lands of eastern Siberia, and was forced to fight against Hyoga at the battle of 12 houses.

Background
He is a Gold Saint, guardian of the temple of Aquarius, and also Cygnus Hyoga and Kraken Isaac's master. Camus is a very powerful knight, with the ability to lower the temperature and cast Diamond Dust with great ease. "Execution Aurora" is his most powerful secret strike, which emits a cold close to absolute zero, and was inherited by Hyoga.

In the anime only, he was the master of the Crystal Saint, who was Hyoga and Isaac's master instead. This happened because the anime was being produced at the same time of the first arcs of the manga. At some point the anime surprassed the events of the manga, so original fillers were needed to be created, that later conflicted with the canon story.

Origin of Name
Camus is the surname of french philosopher Albert Camus.

カミュ (Kamyu) can also be translated as Camil or Camille, an unisex French name meaning "religious helper". Camil was once used in the Spanish translation, such as in the Abel movie.

Personality
Camus is apparently a stoic, cold and distant person, since he believes that as a Gold Saint, he should never show exasperation or it would draw the people into despair. His cold demeanor is not based on suppressing his feelings but instead in controlling them. He fights for what he believes is correct and is willing to do anything to defend his ideals. He has a great sense of responsibility and is very true to his duty. He is a cold-looking person, but deep down he is kind-hearted.

In the manga, he reveals to his pupil Hyoga that he actually knew that the Pope wasn't working under Athena's will, showing a deep knowledge about the knights and the occurrences around him. Despite suspecting the pope's malice, he always adopted a neutral stance, probably for not knowing the big picture, therefore, not taking sides on Hyoga's betrayal. This seeming neutrality comes from a place of prudence, because Camus is a practical knight, who recognizes strength and the cosmos as decisive factors in war.

Later though. it's revealded that he was glad to see his pupil Hyoga fighting for the real Athena, and demonstrated only to care to train his pupil to help him to reach the abslute zero, so Hyoga could survive the fight against stronger enemies. Camus has always shown to do things in his own way following his own will, not reacting so much to conflicts and external events that happen around him, showing a strong contradiction with what he preaches to Hyoga since his motivations are often followed by personal reasons like his attachement to his pupil or in Soul of Gold, in which he follows a promise that he did to an old friend.

Overall, Camus has commitment to justice though, allowing Seiya and Shun to pass freely through Aquarius' house, and only facing Hyoga again due to his insistence. Camus fights frankly against Hyoga, like a true knight, but is overcome by his pupil, who reaches the peak of his possibilities by fighting for Athena. In the spin-off, Episode G, Camus honorable side is better explored, since he is focused in protecting the innocent, be they ordinary soldiers or the inhabitants of the Town of Titans. He believes that the Golden Saints must keep a cool head at all times, and help to reassure and assist those of lower rank in times of crisis. He also shares a close friendship with Milo, sharing his thoughts with his friend about his pupil during the Sanctuary war.

Appareance
Camus is a light-skinned man who has considerable physique despite his structure, which allows him to maintain a remarkable corporal combat. In the manga, his hair is red, as well as his eyes, and nails painted in the same color. In the anime, Camus hair is long turquoise, reaching to his waist, and his eyes are navy blue.

He is commonly seen wearing his golden armor, however, he is one of the few Gold Saints to be seen in training suits in his adult years, where he wears a purple sleeveless shirt and beige pants, wearing light clothes despite being in the snow. In Soul of Gold Camus is seen wearing a similar outfit, but his shirt is green and his pants are blue, Camus as a child is seen wearing a beige coat. In the manga, while training young Hyoga in Siberia, he is seen wearing a winter coat, black pants and gloves.

Saint Seiya: Episode G
He first appears to deliver a message Pope to Leo Aiolia before leaving advised? to more calm and render him some homage to the Patriarch. Then reappears at the meeting with the other golden Gold Saints, later and is responsible for eliminating all soldiers Hyperion trying to enter the sanctuary. While Leo Aiolia fight against King MInos, Camus uses the Freezing Coffin to seal the Megas Drepanon as this by emitting a dark cosmos. Later, rescues and soldiers Aioria Shrine attacks Pontos. The Gold Saint, God and Titan maintain a tough battle, Santo Gold ends using his Aurora Execution against Titan and although this is not defeated admits that human beings are not insignificant.

In Grevena, Camus is wounded by ocean, but manages to freeze the entrance to the Labyrinth and the body of the titan. Ocean returns with the sword raised and meets with his peers. The Titans continue their plan, which is to carry the Labyrinth Aioria so you can contact Cronos and cosmos are synchronized so that he can regain his memory. Meanwhile, Camus and Aioria are visited by Lithos, she is coming to take Aioria to rest but the scene is interrupted by the appearance of Iapetus, who kidnaps her. The Lion frustration is such that he decides to go alone to face the Titans, destroy Freezing Coffin was sealed with the entrance to the Labyrinth of Cronos and invades that place in order to save the girl.

Aioria gets through the entrance to the Labyrinth of Cronos, what surprises all the enemy soldiers on the other side. Later with the support of the cosmos of Dohko Aioria hit Pontos achieved. At the time, Aries Mu, using Dohko Cosmos, transports Shura, Milo, Shaka, Camus and Aldebaran with Aioria. Pontos is preparing to attack all together, but mentally, the patriarch stops arguing that these saints fulfill their desires to face the Titans. Pontos decides to let them go.

Later, when Rea announces its Fire Lizard, to destroy the ice blocking the passage to the other world, Camus attacking lizard gets repaired cracks and preventing the destruction of their world. Eventually Camus conquers his Aurora Execution.

Along with Aldebaran, Camus, Shura and Shaka also joined the fight against Cronos. During the battle against Kronos, the Titan releases three giants:Hoplisma nephritis (Jade Armor) , Elektron Teru (Amber Beast) and Margarites Drakon (Pearl Dragon). One of the beasts attacks Aioria but Taurus Aldebaran protects Leo. The beast attacks with fire Aioria Aldebaran who protects and sacrifice his body for the attack, but Shura destroys the attack with his Excallibur. The dragon's attacks with needles of water but Camus saves with Diamond Dust and the giant Nephritis attacks and seems to be the end of them and this time Virgo Shaka saves.

Milo giant attacks and that causes the three giants are released on them and asks Aioria Aldebaran launch it on them. Aldebaran throws Aioria who uses his Lightning Bolt to fulfill the promise he made ​​to Kronos and Hyperion. Cronos Aioria seem to achieve and teases Leo's wishes.

For a change we have a discussion on the grounds of both Milo do to protect the earth and Camus by Athena and his comrades, after a talk is ready for battle against Margarites Drakon (Pearl Dragon). Milo attacks the giant but he defends his deadly breath. Milo Camus protects the attack and noted that the speed of this beast is amazing. Camus has discovered that in fact the magic dragon is protected by creating a barrier. Camus creates a plan to break that barrier Milo with his Scarlet Needle, Camus trust your best friend.

The dragon attacks Camus with a ball immense water pressure. Camus defends the beast attacks but also Milo. Camus stops the attack with Freezing Coffin. The beast still continued its deadly offensive and Camus freezes its dunamis to protect Milo who attack with your stylus with your cosmos raised to the maximum. Milo attacks with his Scarlet Needle Antares followed. Without suspecting what Camus dragon attacks him with his Aurora Execution. And after freezing destroys Milo definitely.

Training with Hyoga
Although he was one of the Golden Knights of Sanctuary, Camus spent most of his time living in the tundra of Eastern Siberia. During his years there, he trained a child named Isaac as his student. Some time later, he took another student, Hyoga. In the classic manga, when Hyoga first arrived in Siberia, Camus asked him why he wanted to become a Saint. Hyoga replied that once he becomes more powerful, he could salvage his mother, who was buried deep under the frozen seas of Siberia, within a sunken ship. Camus told him that he would eventually doom himself if he was fighting for such a reason. He pointed out to the icebergs far away, and told Hyoga that he must be as tough and emotionless as the eternal frozen icebergs of Siberia, only then will he become a strong fighter. Through his training, Hyoga had always respected Camus as a fatherly figure.

In Episode G assassin, more of his first moments with Hyoga is expanded. It's shown that years ago, on the icy plains of Siberia, Camus asked a young Hyoga to answer a question from his heart, without lying. Camus commented that in the next day, the boy could die under that dawn, and that he has witnessed many Cosmos disappearing, which leads the aquarius knight to ask if Hyoga really wanted to become a Knight. The boy says he doesn't want to be anything anymore, and that he needed to obtain the power of a Knight or else he wouldn't be able to fulfill his desire. Hyoga's firm response makes Camus accept him as a disciple. Camus, however, says that the training would start tomorrow, and in that day there would be a celebration to the arrival of Hyoga, inviting the boy to have a hot soup.

In Poseidon arc, reminescences of Isaac and Hyoga show that Camus at some point, before Isaac's disappearance, shared with his students his suspicions that the Pope was corrupted and that a civil war could break out within the Sanctuary, and that its consequences would be devastating.

The Sanctuary saga
After the Pope had summoned all Golden Knights to return to Sanctuary, Camus returned to Greece to fullfill his duties as Aquarius Golden knight. However, before he left, he sank the sunken ship with Hyoga's mother to the deepest trench of the Siberian seas, and left a message to Hyoga, telling him to meet him in Sanctuary, allowing his pupil to finally get his Cygnus cloth, and giving his student a mission to assassinate the bronze saints fighting for personal reasons in the Galaxian Wars, Such order was given to Camus through the sanctuary. Hyoga was surprised upon return, but accepted it.

Later, in the 12 houses, when Hyoga fought the Gemini Saint (just a shadow manipulated by the Pope) in the Gemini Temple, he was struck by his Another Dimension attack, and when he awoke he was warped to the Libra Temple. He saw his master there, and demanded to know why he sank his mother's ship to the deeps. Camus replied that Hyoga's attachment to his mother is his weakness, and he sank the ship so he could not go down to see his mother anymore. His emotions and his feelings of love for his mother clouded his cosmos to achieve the awakening of the Seventh Sense, a crucial requirement to engage the Gold Saints in a fair battle. However, Hyoga's heart was filled with hatred and love towards the loss of his mother, the one being who inspired him to be a Saint.

The two fought, but Hyoga was no match for his master's overwhelming cosmos and mastery of ice. Sensing that Hyoga is in no condition to battle against the Gold Saint, Aquarius Camus decides to finish off his pupil using the Aurora Execution, his most powerful attack, and locking him inside the Freezing Coffin. Weeping over the tragic result of this battle (in his first open display of emotion in the story), Camus prays for forgiveness for having done this, but is still honeslty convinced that it was for the best.

When Hyoga was freed from the Freezing Coffin by Shiryu wielding one the weapons of the Libra Cloth, he faced his next opponent in Sanctuary, Camus' friend Scorpio Milo and finally arrived at the Aquarius Temple to face his master again in battle. During this battle, Milo had frequently questioned Hyoga's motives, asking Hyoga if he understood Camus' feelings and thoughts.

Camus told him that he was wrong to have just frozen his body, and would not show any mercy to him this time. Hyoga was still easily beaten by Camus, up to the point where Camus froze and shattered Hyoga's Bronze Cloth. However, Hyoga managed to awaken his 7th sense and hit Camus back with an attack, freezing the left side of his shoulder armour; when this happened, Camus commented that that Hyoga's powers of ice had reached absolute zero, but he would not be defeated since Hyoga didn´t wield a tecnique that could use the Zero Absolute at Full Power.

Much to Camus' surprise, Hyoga mimicked his Aurora Execution technique, and was ready to use it on him. Camus, shocked to see this, also readies his ultimate technique which makes the best use of his freezing power. Both Camus and Hyoga release the Aurora Execution instantly freezing the house of Aquarius.

Standing frozen, Camus commented that he was pleased that Hyoga was able to reach such a level of power and activate his Seventh sense, because he battled believing in himself, Athena, and his friends. Camus wished that he could let Hyoga continue his path to truth and justice, but lamented that he didn't have the power to do so. Having his whole body frozen, the Aquarius Saint fell to the floor, dying happily as his mission in Earth was finished. Hyoga cried upon his master's death, realizing that in the end, his master guided him to reach Absolute Zero and eventually to his learning in awakening his Seventh sense at the cost of his life.

Saint Seiya (1986), chapter II: Poseidon
Later on, in the Holy War against Poseidon, Camus' spirit remained in the Aquarius Gold Cloth, which came to protect Hyoga in the confrontation against Poseidon, similar to how the Sagittarius Cloth was guided by Aiolos to help Seiya. Aries Mu commented on how Camus, like Aiolos - has always watched over his pupil and the bronze saints - and thanked him for representing the Gold Saints in the battle against the Sea God.

Saint Seiya (1986), chapter III: Hades
In the manga, and therefore in the anime, Camus was resurrected from the dead by Hades, and, lead by Shion, attacked Sanctuary under the name of Hades together with Gemini Saga and Capricorn Shura. The trio fought through Aries Mu and managed to make it as far as the Cancer Temple before being attacked by Virgo Shaka's illusion. In the end, Shaka managed to warp them away.

The former Gold Saints killed three of the Spectres which followed them (Cube, Ox and Mils), disguising themselves as them, and using their Spectres's armour as a disguise to pass through the incoming houses. Upon reaching the Virgo Temple, the trio attack Shaka and injured him. Shaka then realizes that they are the former Gold Saints in disguise. Shaka kills all the remaining Spectres, and welcomes them to the inner part of the Virgo Temple. Shaka, deciding that this will be his place of death, attacks Saga's trio with his Tembu Horin attack, stripping them of their 5 senses. During which, he reminds Saga's trio of the forbidden technique Athena Exclamation. The trio hesitates, at such shocking revelation, but they are losing their senses fast and are becoming close to death. Although doubtful whether to go to such extremes, Saga, Shura and Camus eventually used this technique to kill Shaka.

Aries Mu, Leo Aiolia, and Scorpio Milo, arriving at Virgo temple, were shocked at this. Despite the fact that Saga's trio were still stripped of their 5 senses they were attacked by the first. However, the trio used another Athena Exclamation attack on them. To counter this, Mu, Aiolia and Milo charged up their own Athena Exclamation attack and used it against them. The collision of two Athena Exclamations was eventually unbalanced by Dragon Shiryu (in the anime, redirected by a combined effort all 4 Bronze Saints). Athena, hearing this and realizing their true plan, summoned both parties to here, where she eventually killed herself with Saga's golden dagger.

Returning to Hades' castle with Athena's blood, Saga's trio claim that they have successfully assassinated Athena. However, they quickly attacked Pandora and tried to hold her as hostage, demanding her to take them to see Hades, whom they plan to kill. However, Pandora reminds them that their resurrected bodies were a gift from Hades, and would only last for twelve hours that were already about to end. The trio fell onto the floor, powerless. Before disintegrating to dust once more, the Bronze Saints enter Hades' castle, and Hyoga was able to see his master once more before his death.

The Hades arc continued in Hades' realm. At the climax of the second part of the Hades arc, Camus joined the other Gold Saints in the final gathering at the Wailing Wall, and with their combined powers, managed to destroy it and open a path to Elysion. After this, his spirit and cosmos vanished, leaving his Aquarius Gold Cloth floating among the other Gold Cloths.

Episode G Assassin
It's an alternate future, since the timelines were changed. Camus appears before Hyoga, his adopted daughter Natasha, Yoshino Hino, Death Mask, Milo and Shura. Totally changed, Camus emanates a thunderous Cosmo. Apprehensive about what could happen, Death Mask orders Hyoga to attack him using Camus' greatest technique, warning that if nothing was done he would create a hell of extreme cold. Camus folds his arms above his head, wearing a Divine Aquarius Armor. Hyoga thought that Camus Cosmos kept growing, when in reality the Aquarius Knight was stopping the movement of atoms.

Camus triggers Aurora Execution. Death Mask is in doubt of Hyoga's ability to hold back such cold air, imagining that Yoshino and Natassia wouldn't survive that. Fortunately both are protected by Shun's Circular Defense. Hyoga, meanwhile, draws the cold air from Camus' attack to him like a lightning rod, but such a maneuver would result in the collapse of his body, which would leave the place as cold as Cocytus itself. In thoughts Hyoga says he will defeat his master to protect his daughter.

At that moment, Isaak appears, wearing the Cygnus clothe. Aiming to help Hyoga, Isaak attacks Camus, cutting in half the massive power of the Aurora Execution. Unfortunately Camus remains unstoppable. Hyoga notices a demonic look in his master's eyes, wondering if he was under the influence of the Imperial Satan. Camus elevates the Cosmos even more launches Aurora Annihilation, a supreme technique of absolute cold. Isaak doesn't think twice and sacrifices himself, absorbing all the power of Camus' attack, asking Hyoga to shoot him. The Aurora Execution that Hyoga casts swallows Isaak, but is unable to harm Camus. Shura notes that the powers that Camus manifests far surpass human limits. Even protected with a Golden clothe, Hyoga no longer feeling his hands. Because of Isaak's cosmo-energy, Hyoga still resists.

Hyoga tries to contain Camus with the Ice Coffin, but this one is destroyed with a simple move. Hyoga imagines that another power other than the Imperial Satan or the Divine Armor would be fueling Camus. The situation demands the joint work of those present. Milo uses the Restriction, managing to paralyze Camus' movements. Several spirits try to get hold of little Natassia, forcing the joint action of Death Mask and Shura to eliminate them and save the girl. Camus also frees himself from the Restriction, snapping back to a normal state. He recognizes Hyoga, and asks if it was part of a dream, showing confusion for being alive and in that place. Camus meets Natassia who soon introduces herself as Hyoga's daughter, something that leaves Camus surprised. The Camus then crouches down, asking the girl to regard him as her grandfather.

Non-canon anime episodes
In the anime, Camus was instead master of the Crystal knight, making him the master of the master of Hyoga. This happened because the anime was animated at the same time as the manga, and the producers indeed didn't know that Camus, Hyoga's master, was going to appear in the story so they invented the Crystal subplot. In the battle of the 12 houses in the sanctuary, when Camus discovers that Hyoga killed his disciple, he says that Crystal was foolish for commiting such acts and succumbing for the evil Pope influence, and focuses on fighting against Hyoga to see his potential.

Saint Seiya: Soul of Gold
Camus (still a child) was training to perfect the cosmos, accidentally creating an avalanche that kills his friend Surtr's sister. From that day on, Camus swore to be faithful to his friend when he sought him out. And having revived in Asgard made the Aquarian sure of his obligation. On a night of intense snowfall, Camus appears to Milo, in the presence of the God Warrior, Surtr. Milo gets surprised when Surtr tells him that Camus was now an ally of the Asgard warriors, and without further explanation he attacks the Scorpio with a firestorm. Camus acts using Diamond Powder. Miro is hit and falls off a cliff.

Back at the palace Camus is confronted by Sigmund, who expresses his aversion to the presence of the Saint of Athena. Surtr apologizes to Camus, explaining to him that Sigmund that had his older brother Siegfried killed by the Knights of Athena. Camus asks if Surtr doesn't share the same feeling of hate for the Saints. Sutr says he has nothing against Camus, but draws his attention that when he attacked Milo and Camus intervened, he seemed to have nullified his flames, saving the Saint from Scorpio. Camus has no chance to respond, as a soldier arrives at the moment to report Miro's presence.

Camus comes out to confront him. Face to face with his former comrade. Once again Milo asks why they have to fight. Camus says he was indebted to Surtr. Before becoming a knight, while training, The two knights fight, Camus looks at the strange marks that appear on the scorpion's face, saying that such wounds would not heal in Asgard. Miro swears he will destroy Yggdrasil after finishing off Camus. That's when Sigmund appears, willing himself to end the fight. While brandishing his weapon, Milo is consumed by a firestorm. Surtr arrives, accompanied by some soldiers. Sigmund doesn't like being deprived of revenge against the Saints of Athena, but Surtr doesn't care and sends word to Andreas that he has killed one of the Golden Saints. The flames however extend, with someone walking towards the group. While Sigmund and Surtr wonder who it is, Camus immediately recognizes the newcomer; Gemini Saga. The sight of the Gemini Saint makes Camus apprehensive, as he would have to fight two gold knights.

Later, Camus appears as guardian of one of the Seven Chambers: The Ice Chamber, Jaheim. Again as an enemy, his rival is another old acquaintance; Capricorn Shura, Surtr ridicules Shura's attitude, which prompts Camus to come to her defense. Surtr doesn't give a damn about the bonds between the knights, and slashes at Camus. Redirecting the sword to the Capricorn's chest, Camus sees when the god warrior pierces his friend's chest. Later Camus perishes defeating Sutr.

In the last part, Camus resurfaces with all the gold knights to face the false god Loki. He has a quick conversation with Milo, about thinking he has saved a friend's soul.

Legend of Crimson Youth
In Legend of the Crimson Youth Camus, along with the other four Gold Saints who had lost their life during the purge of Sanctuary, was resurrected by Abel to serve as personal guard for his sister Athena. A twist of the plot would pit the Aquarius and the Capricorn against the mighty Corona Saints of the sun deity.

Techniques and abilities
Camus, unlike the other Gold Saints, specialized his Cosmo energy not in create power by the movement of atoms, but by stopping the same movement. Due to this, his power consists not in destroying the matter, but in freezing it. Among those warriors who use this kind of ability, Camus is considered the stronger since he is the one who can lower more the movements, creating a lower temperature. Having mastered the 7th sense, Camus is able to achieve with ease almost the lowest possible temperature: the Absolute Zero, while it is fully reached only by that surpasses his master. In the Hades Arc it seems Camus awakes the 8th sense as he is able to enter the Underworld. His techniques are:
 * Diamond Dust (ダイヤモンドダスト, Daiyamondo Dasuto): Camus creates cold air around his fist slowing the atomic motion of the air to form ice (manipulates the atoms of the air particles without destroying them, to stop them, its temperature drops quickly) which is manifested in the form of countless sharp snow crystals that are launched through a cold strong wind (blizzard glacial) capable of reaching and devastating effect freezing cold.
 * Kol'tso (Russian for ring) (カリツォー, Karitsō): Camus launches on his index finger rings of icy wind that encycles the body of the target stopping its movements.
 * Freezing Coffin (フリージングコフィン, Furījingu Kofin): This is a technique used to lock a body inside a block of ice, but since it has a slow realization it probably is not effective against moving targets. Although he commented not even the combined strength of all 12 Gold Saints could break this, Griffin Minos destroyed it with a punch when used as a wall by Cygnus Hyoga. Even so, when someone is locked inside it, the only way to get out is creating a temperature lower than that of the coffin.
 * Aurora Execution (オーロラエクスキューション, Ōrora Ekusukyūshon): It is the supreme secret technique and Camus, and the most powerful techniques of ice, it is the best energy used to freeze his executor. After separating the legs to achieve a good balance and raise both hands in front of chest with arms outstretched, Camus raises them above his head, arms outstretched and joined in this way giving the appearance of a vase filled with water (symbol of Aquarius, the source of life supported by Ganymede), while the representation of the sign of Aquarius appears behind him. When Camus lower arms pointing to the objective and the jug of gold that appears on his head a golden liquid pours the water of life represented by the Cosmos becomes a beam of energy or glacial stream, concentrated and deadly, a tremendous cosmos of frozen energy that reaches a temperature of -273 ° C.

Cloth, constellation and Temple
Camus's guardian constellation is Aquarius, and his Gold Cloth represents it and its associated myth: the beautiful youth Ganymede, loved by Zeus and carried off to Olympus to be his cupbearer, pouring water from his urn.

Although the Aquarius constellation is mostly represented by a young man, it is also sometimes depicted as a young maiden. Stereotypical androgynous manga/anime aestethics aside, it is the reason why Masami Kurumada designed Camus blending masculine and feminine traits in his physique: he drew him with long red nails and his hair was red in the manga. In the anime adaptation, his hair was turquoise-colored to generate a better color balance and contrast, and his nails had normal-length.

The temple he guarded was known both in manga and the anime adaptation as HouBeiKyuu, the "Temple of the Treasured Urn".

Predecessor and successor

 * Predecessor: Aquarius Mystoria
 * Successor: Aquarius Tokisada