Ophiuchus Shaina

Ophiuchus Shaina (蛇遣い星座（オピュクス）のシャイナ, Opyukusu no Shaina) is one of Athena's 88 Saints. Kurumada introduced her in vol.1 of his manga as the master of Pegasus Seiya's rival, Cassios.

Background
Shaina of Ophiuchus is a Silver Amazon in the 20th and 21st centuries. Initially an enemy of Pegasus Seiya, Shaina becomes an important ally of the Bronze Saints as the series progresses. Her main goal in the beginning is getting revenge on Seiya, but she ends failling in love with him.

Origin of Name
The katakana シャイナ can be translated as shiner, "bright" in English, because a supernova explosion was last seen in that constellation, which was the brightest star at the time. in the whole sky.

Personality
Shaina is tough, aggressive, passionate and imposing. After the defeat of her disciple to Pegasus Seiya, she becomes a fierce enemy to the Bronze Saints, full of hatred and anger, especially after Seiya broke her mask and saw her face. The rule in such a situation is to kill the man who saw the face of an Amazon or fall in love with him.

She pursues Seiya a few times, determined to kill him, but Shaina really falls in love. Once these feelings are exposed, Shaina abandons the hostility, to become a friend and ally of the Knights of Athena, regularly standing by Seiya's side and often putting her own life on the line to save him.

Shaina, alongside Eagle Marin, is considered one of the most powerful Amazons in Sanctuary.Her strength greatly impresses men, and is feared and respected by most of her companions, such as Ichi of Hydra.

Appareance
Shaina is an athletic woman. She has long black hair (pale green hair in the anime and later versions of the manga) and, like all Amazons, always keeps her face hidden under a mask. Contrary to what her harsh attitude suggests, her face is beautiful, soft and gentle, with big green eyes that express sweetness.

Her robes consist of brown mesh, gray mesh on her right arm, green tights, pink leg warmers, and yellow high-heeled shoes. Unlike other Silver clothes, hers only covers small parts of her body, consisting of a breastplate, two knee pads, a left forearm bracelet that runs from her fingers to her elbow, and she wears a tiara/crown parallel to her. head to go from ear to ear; on top is carved the head of a snake, slightly bent as if crawling forward.

In the end of Poseidon's arc, Shaina is seen wearing civilian clothes in the anime. She wears a purple jacket, brown blouse and green pants.

Childhood
In the anime only, it's shown that Shaina trained in the Sanctuary with other female trainees through her fiercely violent fighting style and nature, which earned her an infamous reputation. Shaina became a fearsome opponent due to the fact that she was perceived as the most powerful female Saint.

The anime shows that Shaina first met the Pegasus Saint when they were both very young. Few after Seiya's arrival, after training during one afternoon, Shaina saw a rabbit and took her mask off because the little animal was scared and she didn't want to terrorize it more. She heard the footsteps of the young Seiya, who was still a trainee; she took a defensive stance, but reeled back since she was wounded from her previous training. Upon seeing the wound, Seiya ripped a piece of his tunic and tended to it, which left Shaina flushing. When she protested, he lectured her for not taking care of herself and insisted into helping her. Though Seiya didn't seem aware of it, it had long been a law in Sanctuary that female Saints were to cover their feminine faces with masks; should a man see a female Saint's face, she would have two choices: love him, or kill him.

The law of the mask
The Sanctuary has a certain law for the few female saints. They must wear masks, and if a man sees her uncovered face, she would be given two choices: Love him or kill him. Shaina chose to kill Pegasus Seiya, since he saw her face during the beginning of the series. The Pegasus Saint proved to be too much even for her, meaning she had to love him, and this destiny would continue to frustrate her throughout the series.

After failing several times in killing him, Shaina slowly swayed more towards Seiya's side. After finding out that that Athena was really with them, she aided the Bronze Saints in their battle against Sanctuary; it's here that her turmoil over being unable to kill Seiya is revealed. When she's almost killed for helping him, in a plot twist that leaves Seiya very shaken, he learns Shaina was a girl he once helped in the past and whom he never forgot.

Galaxian War Arc
The night Seiya left for Japan during the Sanctuary arc, Marin refuses to fight her to save Seiya so Shaina attacked him. The Pegasus Saint shattered her mask, only to find that Shaina was more beautiful than what he imagined. Not recognizing her, Seiya praised her beauty, which only fueled Shaina's fury and hatred and making her one of Seiya's biggest enemies but also to Marin. Shaina stays in the Sancturary training hard preparing her vengaence.

Silver Saint Arc
Shaina is eager to test her skills but also wanna take vengaence, so she asked Marin for a training match.

In the Colisseum, Shaina takes on Marin, at the begining Shaina tests Marin's stamina and speed but Marin gets tired quickly and is forced to pullback. Shaina looks so superior that she tries to provoke her but Marin tries to defend herself, so she uses her Thunder Claw to knock down Marin.

Shaina dont let her rival to recover and keeps beating her until Marin was completely stunned, then Shaina decides to use her fists hitting Marin even harder, with every punch Shaina deals a crushing blow after another, Marin is completely massacred and humiliated, unable to react Marin bleeds abundantly but Aiolia quickly interrupts this vicious beating by saving Marin before Shaina finishes her off.

Shaina fights Seiya second time
On Seiya's first visit to the Sanctuary as bronze saint, Shaina is waiting for him, but this time with his cloth, in combat Shaina has no problem to deal with Seiya's attacks and hitting him with his Thunder Claw, after a clash between Seiya and Shaina techniques, she manages to defeat Seiya and begins to strangle him but Marin intervenes, sending him to help Hyoga and allowing him to escape blocking Shaina's path. Shaina with her cloth could have defeated Marin again, but Shaina didnt cross the line because it's not honorable to attack an unarmed rival, this time they just argue threatening each other.

Gold Saints introduction
Some time later during the same arc, after seeking a last duel with Seiya and being refused for the umpteenth time, Shaina's emotions overcame her and she hurled herself at the Lightning Plasma attack that Leo Aiolia unleashed in order to protect Seiya and tell him how she felt she had to love him. Seiya was very shocked at the revelation, and seeing Shaina injured for him gave him the courage to face Aiolia.

In the proper Sanctuary arc, Shaina was in recovery from her injuries, which upset Cassios big time. She later mourns the loss of Cassios and helps Seiya and Marin to break free from Pisces Aphrodite's poisonous roses.

Poseidon
Shaina invades the Undersea Fortress, carrying with her the Libra Armor, whose power of her weapons were capable of toppling the Seven Pillars. The Amazon turns the suit over to Kiki's care, staying to fight Mermaid Thetis. As the fighting unfolds, Shaina feels the Bronze Saints' Cosmos disappear one after the other. Worried, Shaina defeats Thetis and leaves for the Temple of Poseidon to defeat him.

Arriving at the temple, Shaina finds Julian Solo, sitting on his throne, embodying Poseidon's powers. The Amazon has her mask broken, leaving her completely at Julian's mercy. Shaina tries to attack but is paralyzed and put out of action. Eventually Seiya arrives at the Temple of Poseidon and begins a tough fight, where he dons the Sagittarius Armor. Seiya fires some arrows which are returned and hit him. On one of these occasions, Shaina puts herself to protect Seiya, confessing once again her love for him. Eventually the unity of the Knights Cosmos manages to break through Poseidon's defense which is hit. Athena is saved and the soul of the Emperor of the Seas is sealed again.

Hades
Shaina has been promoted to the position of captain of the guard of the sanctuary, and held in a large respect for all the Bronze Saints survive. Her relationship with Seiya is now one of camaraderie and respect. She takes the Bronze Saints, who went to the underworld, the protection of the Sanctuary. He found, first, the invasion route of the enemy.

During the fight between Seiya and Thanatos, Thanatos showed Seiya his sister was real, and as Thanantos was trying to kill Seika to mock the human weakness of Seiya, Shaina, along with Marin, Kiki and Bronze Saints, jumped into water and protected by his power Seika met.

In the OVA's, she leads the Bronze saints who did not go to Mekai, so they could protect the Sanctuary.

Saint Seiya Episode G
Some strange things happen in the world, Egypt has appeared in a vast forest in the desert, when a Tiger Sables tusk attack people but Lynx Retsu achieved comenzer try to stop people to desist from its Research momentarily accompanied Shaina who manages to defeat the Beast.

Saint Seiya Next Dimension
Shaina and Marin appears before Hyoga, offering to protect Seiya with Marín so he can join Athena and the other in the past. This leaves two silver saints to protect Seiya vs an angel. Her cloth appears to have been repaired of the damage it had in the Hades arc.

In Chapter 54, it was revealed by Virgo Shijima that there was a myth of a 13th Gold Saint. The Ophiuchus Gold Saint who will bring the end of Sanctuary. In the Present Shaina seems to get possessed by some means and journeys to the mid-point between the House of Scorpio and Saggitarius where she discovered ruins of a 13th House of the Zodiac. Marin, who had become worried about Shaina's bizarre behavior followed her and was astonsihed to see the legends of the cursed 13th house of the Zodiac were true. Shaina in her trance like states that not only the end of Sanctuary is coming but the end of Earth as well.

Anime

 * Differences between the original manga series and the anime version.
 * In the sanctuary arc, before confessing her feelings, Shaina fights Seiya more times than she really does in the original story.
 * In one of the attempts to assassinate Seiya, she has a fight against Hyoga and Shun. (Episode 30)
 * Shaina defeats Marin easily on episode 16. Shaina gives Marin a vicious beating until Aiolia interrupts the fight.

Sanctuary Arc
The night Seiya left for Japan during the Sanctuary arc, Marin refuses to fight her to save Seiya so Shaina attacked him. The Pegasus Saint shattered her mask, only to find that Shaina was more beautiful than what he imagined. Not recognizing her, Seiya praised her beauty, which only fueled Shaina's fury and hatred and making her one of Seiya's biggest enemies but also to Marin. Shaina stays in the Sancturary training hard preparing her vengaence.

Shaina is eager to test her skills but also wanna take vengaence, so she asked Marin for a traning match.

In the Colisseum, Shaina takes on Marin, at the begining Shaina tests Marin's stamina and speed but Marin gets tired quickly and is forced to pullback. Shaina looks so superior that she tries to provoke her but Marin tries to defend herself, so she uses her Thunder Claw to knock down Marin. Shaina dont let her rival to recover and keeps beating her until Marin was completely stunned, then Shaina decides to use her fists hitting Marin even harder, with every punch Shaina deals a crushing blow after another, Marin is completely massacred and humiliated, unable to react Marin bleeds abundantly but Aiolia quickly interrupts this vicious beating by saving Marin before Shaina finishes her off.

Shaina then suggests Gigas he uses Geist and the Caraib Ghost Saints to recover the mask of the Gold Cloth of Sagittarius. Later Shaina fights Seiya again but this time she wears her armor, and this time Shaina manages to win and grabs Seiya's neck but the fight is interrupted by Marin and Seiya manages to escape.

With Perseus Algol and Spartan, Shaina fights Seiya again, but this time she is defeated, thereafter Shaina tries to kill Seiya at all costs, first with Jamian, Shaina fights Hyoga and Shun at the same time but falls down the cliff and for the last time when Seiya is in the hospital, but then she declares her love for Seiya and Aiolia appears, Shaina tries to protect Seiya but she's seriously injured.

While she recovers, Shaina tries to go to help Seiya but Cassios stops her, a few hours later she saves Marin from Phaeton and his soldiers, she helps her to capture him.

Asgard Arc
In the exclusive Asgard Saga, she fights against Hilda of Polaris and her warrior gods, she saves Shun from Alcor sneak attack but ends up defeated by him, and yet receives a direct blow from Siegfried Of Dubhe, protecting Seiya.

Poseidon Arc
In the Poseidon Arc, Shaina gives Libra Cloth to Kiki while she fights Mermaid Thetis. Shaina defeats Thetis but she doesn't finish her, she fights Poseidon but she cann't do anything, later Seiya was wearing the Sagittarius Cloth and Shaina protects him from the golden arrow.

Saint Seiya Heaven Chapter
She is responsible for supervising the sanctuary, having under her command to Jabu and Ichi. Her first mission is to kill Seiya, since now the Shrine belongs to Artemis. Because of this, has a small confrontation with the Pegasus, which seems to defeat with her claws, however, her secret intention was to help him regain his armor, which was at the bottom of a cliff.

In the Games
Shaina appeared in several games. Many, as a playable character, and in others, only serves as a character secondary. The most important are: Saint Seiya: The Sanctuary and Saint Seiya: The Hades for PlayStation 2.The Saint Seiya: The Sanctuary exists an extra chapter that appears after you clear the main game with 80% + of the same key, a new Temple appears between Scorpio and Sagittarius, with Shaina wearing a gold version of her armor.

Saint Seiya Omega
Shaina fought with Seiya and the other saints against the first onslaught of Mars.

Shaina is Kouga's teacher and wants to make him able to protect Athena in Seiya's place. They train hard for several days.

Cloth
Main Article: Ophiuchus Cloth

Relationship with Seiya
In each arc she demonstrates her feelings for Seiya:

In the santcuary arc, she confesses her love after receiving an attack from Seiya.

In the Asgard arc, she appears aiding Shun to fight Bado de Alcor. She soon finds herself shielding Seiya from Siegfried's Odin Sword attack (not seen, but declares her love giving his life as a shield for him).

In the Poseidon arc, she receives the Sagittarius Arrow in the back, which Poseidon returns to Seiya, saving his life, and she again says that she loves him and inspires him to continue.

In the Hades arc, she berates Seiya's sister, Seika for not being with Seiya when he was looking for her. Shaina then protects her from the God of Death, Thanatos, even at the cost of her life.

In Next Dimension, she takes care of Seiya while he's in the wheelchair

Predecessor
Main Article: Ophiuchus Gold Saint

Techniques
Thunder Claw (サンダークロウ, Sandā Kurou): Shaina's only known technique. To perform it, she raises its claws, feigning a Cobra, which shows a powerful electric shock. The enemy ends up being damaged both by the electric shock and by the sharp claws.