Capricorn Shura

Capricorn Shura (山羊座のシュラ, Kapurikōn no Shura) is one of the Gold Saints.

Personality and background
Shura belongs to the fabled rank of Gold Saint hierarchy among the other 12 Gold Saints. His guardian star is of the zodiac sign of Capricorn. Shura is the Gold Saint that underwent some modifications in his ideology when the manga was adapted to animation. While the anime series shows Shura as being the most loyal Saint to Athena, Kurumada depicted in his manga a Capricorn Saint that at first was somewhat reluctant, but short moments before his death, rediscovered his loyalty to Athena, and remained faithful to her even after his death. According to the manga, Shura, just like Cancer Deathmask and Pisces Aphrodite, knew that Gemini Saga was behind the Pope's mask but he still was obeying his orders. As he says in his fight against Shiryu, he doesn't believe anyone fights for a god anymore, so he doesn't care about fighting for Athena. He considered that those with power, were automatically qualified to be judged just. He thought that the Pope, even being evil, using that power, could use it for some good.

The new Saint Seiya Episode G manga, authored by Megumu Okada under commission by Masami Kurumada, although still non-canonical, shows a version of Shura that conciliate both previous versions: here, Shura is a very loyal Gold Saint, but when he discovers the truth about Gemini Saga, he is attacked by the Demon Emperor Fist, a technique that controls the mind of its victim. According to Saga's will, Shura starts to follow his orders, but remains loyal to Athena at heart. Masami Kurumada named Shura after Asura, the Hindu demon who eternally hungers for battle and war.

Plot overview
Shura, in a panel from the manga in vol.11. Drawing by the author Masami KurumadaThirteen years before the Galaxian Wars Tournament started, Sanctuary was rejoicing the birth of a reincarnated Athena who was reborn every 200 years in the land. The Pope of the Sanctuary decided that it was time to announce his successor who would lead the path of peace and justice along Athena. The choice came to two worthy Gold Saints - The Saint of Sagittarius Aiolos and the Gemini Saint Saga. The new Pope was to be Aiolos. Saga was furious over this decision, and killed the Pope, stealing his robes - effectively hiding his true face under the mask of the Grand Pope. He quickly devised a plan to kill Athena and take over Sanctuary. However, his plan to kill the infant Athena failed because of Aiolos who decided to escape Sanctuary together with the infant Athena and his Gold Cloth.

On his way to the outside world, he was confronted by many guardians of the Sanctuary who were sent to kill him. Aiolos quickly defeats them, however his victory is cut short when Shura - the Gold Saint of Capricorn stands in his way. The confrontation between Aiolos and Shura was never actually depicted by Kurumada in his manga, but he made Shura state he was the Gold Saint who mortally wounded Aioros as he fled Sanctuary, implying that the mentioned confrontation did happen. In the anime adaptation, this confrontation implied in the manga was developed and depicted.

Unknown to him at the time, the infant was Athena and Aioros survived his fatal attack, and would manage to smuggle the baby out of the Sanctuary and into the hands of Mitsumada Kido, who would later on train a new generation of Saints to protect Athena.

The Sanctuary arc
When the Bronze Saints invaded the Sanctuary in order to save Athena from death by the gold arrow embedded in her heart. Dragon Shiryu confronted Shura alone and told his friends to go on ahead.

Shura quickly demonstrated the power of Excalibur. Shiryu was horrified at seeing Shura's amazing power, and quickly realized the force behind Shura's attack. The power of the Excalibur had been embedded in Shura's arms and legs. Every strike Shura made had the power to tear Shiryu's Bronze cloth like it was paper, even breaking Shiryu's shield which was said to be unbreakable. As Shiryu suffered from Shura's attack, Shura revealed to him that he was the one that handed down Aiolos' punishment. Shura pierced Shiryu's heart (which was the weakness of his Rozan Shō Ryu Ha technique) but realized that Shiryu had done this in purpose, in order to break his left arm. Left with his right arm, he once again pierced Shiryu's chest. With Shura's hand stuck in his chest, Shiryu literally chopped Shura's right arm, amputating the Gold Saint's arm (this only happens in the anime) leaving him defenseless and unleashed his ultimate technique, the Rozan Kō Ryu Ha - sending both flying up the sky to their apparent death. Both the Gold and Bronze Saint rose up to the sky at an amazing speed. Shiryu's technique would kill both of them at the same time. The Gold Saint was horrified at Shiryu's unbreakable will, and asked him why did he fought so hard, and why was he willing to throw away his life like this. Shiryu explained to him that any Saint would know why: For love, justice and peace in the name of Athena. Shura cried over the error of his ways, and how he was not worthy of being a Gold Saint. He lamented the fact that both him and Shiryu will die soon, but just as they reached outer space, Shura decided that Shiryu was not meant to die. The Gold Saint burned up his remaining Cosmo and transferred his powerful Gold Cloth to Shiryu and kicked him back down Earth.

Poseidon arc
Shura's spirit spoke to Shiryu cheering him on during his fight against Chrysaor Krishna, reminding him that he passed the holy sword Excalibur to Shiryu's arm. Shiryu realized that this was Shura's parting gift before he was kicked back down to Earth. However, in order to use it, he would have to burn his cosmos to a Gold Saint's level and raise it to the limit. With this technique Shiryu was able to cut through Krishna's powerful lance, in addition to also cutting his powerful armor in half.

The Hades arc
After Deathmask and Aphrodite were sent back to Hades' castle by Aries Mu the combined might of Shura, Aquarius Camus and Saga were more than enough to stop the single Gold Saint of Aries.

Shura, Camus and Saga quickly made their way to the temple of Virgo, where they confronted the single Virgo Shaka. As they battled, Shaka realized that their combined power would soon end in his death. Shaka unleashed his ultimate technique which combined both defense and offense at the same time, the Tenbu Hōrin. Shaka also began taking away their senses, until they had only one left. Shaka told them they would be soon defeated by him if they didn't combine their Cosmos and unleash the deadliest attack deemed forbidden by Athena herself, Athena Exclamation. Although Saga agreed, Shura and Camus begs not unleash this attack, as they will be branded worse than traitor. Eventually, the former Gold Saints unleashed the Athena Exclamation, killing their comrade and lamented on the fact that Shaka had to die like this. However, Shaka's spirit came back to life for a short while only to write down his last message to Athena. Shura agreed to assist Shaka in suicide but wept over the fact Shaka was already dead as his body faded away into stardust.

The Athena Exclamation was once again unleashed against Scorpio Milo, Leo Aiolia and Aries Mu, who had to use their own Athena Exclamation attack to counter theirs. As the two powers clashed, the Bronze Saints interfered, and stated that this is not the way Saints should confront one another and remind them what true Saints are about. Shiryu reminded Shura that part of his soul resides in him, and therefore understood his pain. With the combined power of the Bronze Saints, they deflected the power of the two clashing Athena Exclamation away (in the manga, Shiryu unbalanced the two attacks, adding his strength to the side of Mu, Aiolia and Milo).

Athena, hearing their battle from the Hall of the Pope, summoned both groups over. Understanding the message that Shaka sent her, Athena commits suicide so that her spirit could enter Hell. After her death, the trio planned to blackmail Pandora into taking them where Hades was. As they entered Pandora's castle, Shura quickly held her under his sword and demanded to be taken to Hades. However, Pandora revealed to them that their twelve hours of life would soon be over, and the three fell as the sun started to rise, slowly disintegrating to dust. Before Shura's body turned into stardust, he reminded Shiryu of the gift that he had in right arm, and why he was given Excalibur.

After that, together along with Aiolos, all the 12 Gold Saints focused their power to break open the Wailing wall to open the gate towards Elysion, the paradise of the gods.

Power and abilities
Shura relies on his ability to quickly deal damage to his enemies using his Excalibur attack combined to his speed of light, achieved with the 7th sense. He houses the power of the holy sword in both his arms and legs, thus being capable of using them as if they were extremely sharp blades. Excalibur is regarded as the most powerful weapon of the entire series: in The Lost Canvas the previous incarnation of Shura, Capricorn El Cid, was capable of cleaving in four halves the arrow of the Sagittarius Cloth and cutting in half Genbu Gregor, a Spectre whose Surplice was as hard as diamond. His secret techniques are: It is hinted Shura achieved the 8th sense to be able to help the other Gold Saints in the Wailing wall. In Saint Seiya Episode G, he also was able to reach Dunamis, the power of the gods, to cut Galaxy Creios' holy armor using the Double Excalibur.
 * Sacred Sword Excalibur (聖剣エクスカリバー, Seiken Ekusukaribā): In the anime, it was said that in mythical times, Athena granted the legendary sword Excalibur only to a Saint who proved his undying loyalty towards the goddess. This technique is a very sharp blast, composed of extreme cosmo concentration released by his arms and legs movements. Since it is quickly released, it can be used multiple times.
 * Double Excalibur (ダブルエクスカリバー, Daburu Ekusukaribā): This technique was only used in Saint Seiya Episode G. It consists in the use of the Excalibur with his left arm in addition to the right arm, simulating a two-swords fighting style.
 * Jumping Stone (ジャンピングストーン, Janpingu Sutōn): When Shura is thrown by the impact of some attack, he grabs his enemy with his legs and flips both of them, so he will be released of the attack and the enemy will be thrown by his own attack.

Cloth, constellation and Temple
Shura's guardian constellation is Capricorn, and his Gold Cloth represents it and its associated myth : The fish-tailed goat Amalthea, that suckled the infant Zeus and whose horn was transformed into the Cornucopia.

The temple he guarded was known both in manga and the anime adaptation as Makatsu Kyuu, the "Temple of the Mountain Goat".

Previous Incarnations
In the sidestory, Saint Seiya Lost Canvas, the Capricorn Saint in the 18th century was known as Capricorn El Cid. His name is a reference to the Spanish historical figure and hero El Cid.

As Lost Canvas is not authored by Masami Kurumada, and only supervised by him, its status as canon is unknown. In Masami Kurumada's current Saint Seiya work, Saint Seiya Next Dimension, the Capricorn Saint in the 18th century was known as Capricorn Izō (山羊座の以蔵, Kapurikōn no Izō). He is a young man, with long hair and apparently of Japanese origins. He also wields the power of Excalibur, although when Izō performs the technique, Kurumada doesn't draw it resembling a European sword, as he did in Shura's case, but a Japanese sword. A recently introduced character that has yet to take a more prominent role in the plot, Izō is acknowledged by Libra Dohko to be a true Gold Saint. He first appeared in chapter 13, punishing Pegasus Tenma, Libra Dohko and Aries Sion because of their reckless charge against Hades.
 * Capricorn Izō