Dragon Shiryū

, also known as Shiryu is a bronze saint of            Dragon. He is considered the most mature of the five heroes, and thus the wisest. As the Bronze Saint of the Dragon constellation, Shiryu dons the emerald Dragon Bronze Cloth, a jewel among the Cloths due to its legendary defense properties.

Concept and creation
As Masami Kurumada uses the revered Osamu Tezuka's Star System technique, (a stable cast of characters which play a different or similar role in the author's various works, sometimes with the same personality and sometimes with an entirely new one), he designed Shiryu's appearance very similarly to that of Eidou Jun, a character in the successful Ring ni Kakero, a manga that Kurumada wrote and drew years before Saint Seiya, and that he considers his favorite creation. Also, Shiryu's appearance is almost identical to Azusa Ranmaru, from the work Kurumada authored before Saint Seiya, Otoko Zaka.

The Saint of Dragon
Out of all five main characters, Shiryu is known as the calmest and most collected. His sheer physical strength is the greatest of the Bronze Saints, with the possible exception of Phoenix Ikki. This is reflected in his ability to win numerous battles without his Dragon Cloth. Shiryu trained at the Five Old Peaks (庐山五老峰) in China, let the water of the waterfall go upward, and obtain the Bronze Cloth of the Dragon constellation, and his mentor was none other than the senior Gold Saint, Libra Dohko.

Shiryu sports a large tattoo-like image of a green and white dragon on his back. However, it is said in the manga and the anime that it is not a tattoo but is connected to his guardian dragon star and only appears as his Cosmo is rising. Whenever his life is in danger, the tattoo-like image begins to fade away—once it completely vanishes, it is a sign that Shiryu's Cosmo is nearing zero, and Shiryu himself is nearing death.

Next Dimension
Sometime after winning Hades in the Elysian Fields, Shiryu returned to China, where he lived peacefully together for Shunrei Shoryu and her daughter, as a farmer and not as cavalier. Hyoga visit him in search Rozan and convince him to help Seiya, but before the failure part. Tohma comes in Five Peaks and attacks the old saint, who does not react and is thrown into a large waterfall where Dragon Cloth was sealed again. When the angel vai, Shiryu remove the casket from the bottom and fires up the family, leaving for the new combat carrying a cane that belonged to the late Old Master.

Power and abilities
During his training in Rozan (Mount Lu, 庐山), Shiryu awoke his Cosmo and learned many fighting styles, as well as fundamental wisdom for life, from Libra Dohko. During the Sanctuary Arc, Shiryu awakens the 7th sense in his fight against Cancer Deathmask. He awoke the 8th sense during the Hades Arc.

Rozan Shō Ryū Ha (廬山昇龍覇; Rising Dragon Punch): Shiryu maximum intensifies his cosmos and gives a blow with his fist or kick, the upward energy is comparable to the image of a majestic dragon which rises in the sky. A breath and drag violently hitting the opponent (although it may achieve several objectives) rose into the air while the image of a dragon devouring. Sometimes the attack is not completely vertical and horizontal as when it slightly Shiryu and Shura fighting technique seems a dragon that rotates around its prey. Unlike the favorite techniques of the other Bronze Saints, however, Shiryu's Rozan Rising Dragon Force does have one weakness—while performing the move, his heart will be left open for a millisecond. Only three people in the series have noted this: his master Libra Dohko, Bronze Saint Pegasus Seiya, and Gold Saint Capricorn Shura. When fighting Shura, Shiryu used this weakness as a decoy to lure Shura to hew his heart, then Shiryu was able to hurt Shura successfully.

Rozan Ryū Hi Shō (廬山龍飛翔; Soaring Mountain Dragon): Consists of an attack similar to Rozan Sho Ryu Ha, but in horizontal forward rather than upward.

Rozan Hyaku Ryū Ha (廬山百龍覇; One Hundred Rising Dragons): Shiryu learned it from watching his master Dokho's battle, even though he was blind at that moment. Dokho told Shiryu that his kindness was his disadvantage but at the same time it was his advantage, as well as removing any regret. Shiryu transcended the heart weakness of Rozan Rising Dragon Force and was still standing with legs apart and the palms of his hands facing the opponent, he erupts his cosmos as possible while throwing at the enemy with arms and palms outstretched, a horde of 100 Dragons appear behind him, across the sky and the enemy is destroyed by the dragons that cross it everywhere.

Rozan Kō Ryū Ha (廬山亢龍覇; Enraged Dragon Force): Shiryu intensifies his body like a revolving green dragon. Then catches his opponent in the back and pushing the limit of Rozan Shō Ryū Ha creating the Rozan Kō Ryū Ha, which makes them take off and drives through the skies at speeds intense. The two continue to climb until their bodies are incinerated and pulverized by the friction of the atmosphere. The victim can not be released because it is blocked by the huge acceleration suffered.

Excalibur (聖剣, Ekusukaribā): After defeating Capricorn Shura, Shiryu is entrusted with the Gold Saint's legendary technique Excalibur. It is not a physical sword, but a deadly Cosmo focused with precision on Shiryu's right arm. Although Shiryu's version of the sword was not as defined as Shura's (Shiryu's Excalibur lies only in his right arm, while Shura's can be unleashed from any of his limbs), the Dragon later refined it enough to rival Shura's and used it to cut the unbreakable golden spear of Chrysaor Krishna, the powerful Mariner General, during the Poseidon Chapter.

In Greek myth, Theseus found his father's sword and defeated Minotaur. However, the axe technique of Specter Minotaurus Gordon defeated Shiryu's Excalibur. Shiryu then used his fist again.

Constellation and cloth
The Bronze Cloth of Dragon is legendary for the large shield on its left arm guard. Its reputation is unmatched by any other Cloth among Athena's Saints, and only very few have ever shattered it. The Dragon Cloth itself is noted for its ultimate durability, as it spent the last 200 years bathed under the mineral-rich waterfall of the Rozan mountains, which made it harder than diamonds. This is the origin of its nickname "The strongest Fist and Shield".

Seiya manages to destroy the Shield by tricking Shiryu into hitting his own shield. Shiryu's Cloth has suffered various damages throughout the series, and, of course, required repairing. With each revision its shape gained a new form. In the anime, along with the same repairs from the manga, the Cloth went through three different designs.

Due to having reformed from using a Gold Saint's blood, the third version of the Dragon Cloth (second in the anime) can suddenly become golden with power whenever Shiryu uses his Cosmo to the maximum. At that point, Shiryu has awoken his 7th sense, and is as powerful as a Gold Saint momentarily. However, in the battle with Chrysaor Krishna, Krishna comments that, even with the golden Dragon Cloth, Shiryu's power level is still that of a Bronze Saint, and continues to overpower Shiryu with his attacks.

The Dragon Cloth represents the constellation Draco, which is associated to Ladon, the hundred eyed dragon who guarded the golden apples of the Hesperides, in Greek mythology.

During times of extreme need, the main five Bronze Saints will be allowed to wear Gold Cloths for a temporary amount of time. In the Sanctuary arc, Shiryu showcased the 12 weapons of the Libra Gold Cloth when he, Seiya, and Shun needed help in freeing Hyoga from the Aquarius Saint's ice coffin. This was the first time Shiryu was allowed to make use of the Libra Cloth, but certainly not the last. In the respective battles against Poseidon, the Lord of the Seas and Thanatos, God of Death, Shiryu is given the Libra Cloth to aid his friends.

Other Media
Main Article: Libra Shiryū

Reception
In Japan, Shiryu is the most popular character in Saint Seiya, ranking 1st in the main characters poll of the five Bronze Saints.