Andromeda Shun

Andromeda Shun (アンドロメダ星座の瞬, Andoromeda Seiza no Shun?, shun meaning "twinkle"), also known as Shun is a fictional character from the Saint Seiya universe created by Masami Kurumada as one of the main protagonists of the media franchise, which originated in the manga written and illustrated by Kurumada, later adapted to anime, and subsequently inspiring soundtracks, OVAs, movies, video games, and other collectibles. He is arguably one of the strongest characters in the series, although his gentle disposition and kind nature tend to hold him back from using his full power, until he is forced to do so. Shun is also the younger brother of Phoenix Ikki, a fellow bronze saint.

The Saint of Andromeda
Perhaps the most reluctant of the Bronze Saints when a situation must be resolved by violence, Shun is the official Bronze Saint of the Andromeda constellation. He is a merciful soul by nature, and a firm believer in solving problems without causing bloodshed. This creates a sharp contrast between himself and the rest of the Saints: Whereas they will not hesitate to battle when the situation demands it, Shun only allows himself to fight if it's an absolute necessity, or when his almost endless patience wears out. When this is the case, Shun can become an extremely skilled and deadly fighter.

Shun is portrayed rather weak in the first 4 movies and the anime-only 'Asgard' arc: In almost every fight scene, he is almost always defeated, and needs his brother Ikki to rescue him (except against Mizar Zeta Syd, the one time Shun defeated a foe in either of the first 4 movies or the 'Asgard' anime-only story). This has led to a misconception among certain fans that Shun is a 'weakling', but it is important to remember that these stories were not written by Masami Kurumada and therefore are not canonical, and are out of Kurumada's true continuity and plot.

However, in the 'Sanctuary', 'Poseidon' and 'Hades' storylines of the original manga (which were written and illustrated by Masami Kurumada), Shun is shown as a competent and tough, if unwilling, fighter and opponent. In 'Sanctuary', he manages to hold his own against Gemini Saga, and even manages to kill Pisces Aphrodite, both of them Gold Saints. In the Poseidon arc, he acquits himself very well, defeating Io, the Southern Pacific Mariner General of Scylla, and Sorrento, the Southern Atlantic Mariner General of Siren. In the Hades arc, he manages to dispatch various opponents, and is the second of the Bronze Saints to achieve his God Cloth. As a result, he comes off looking much better in these arcs than in the movies or 'Asgard'; though he may be adverse to fighting, he will fight when he is required to, and is just as powerful or skilled as any of the other main Bronze Saints.

Power and abilities
To fight, Shun normally relies on the Andromeda chain, as he does not want to use his full power because he does not want to kill the opponents. During the Sanctuary Arc, Shun awoke the 7th sense in his fights against the Gold Saints. Although a reluctant fighter, Shun is one of Kurumada's characters with the larger technique arsenals at his disposal.

His known techniques are:

• Nebula Chain: The Andromeda Saint's signature technique which allows him to manipulate the chains of his Cloth however he pleases. At the most basic, the "Nebula Chain" is a straight-forward attack where the chains rapidly slice and wrap themselves around the enemy. This attack can be improved by using the Thunder Wave of the chain.
• Rolling Defense: A simple defensive technique that utilizes Shun's chains in one of two ways: he will either twirl the chains around himself to create a barrier, or set them on the ground to mimic a circular web; this was later named the Circle Defense. In web mode, the chains construct a distance between himself and the opponent, and will discharge energy volts or simply slash the enemy if they attempt to enter the field.
• Great Capture: A technique that twists the chains to paralyze, capture, or immobilize foes. Shun also uses other ways of capturing opponents with Boomerang Shoot, Spiral Duct, etc.
• Nebula Stream: A defensive attack that links directly to Shun's Cosmo. It entangles the foe with streams of the Andromeda cosmos in an attempt to paralyze them. As Shun becomes more determined to use his true power, the stream will eventually transfigure into the "Nebula Storm" technique.
• Nebula Storm: By the time Shun has chosen to execute it, his Cloth and chains are abandoned (either voluntarily or destroyed by his opponent) to allow him full access to his cosmos. The attack is dispelled as a single burst from the summit of Shun's Cosmo. Because of its extreme destructive nature, Shun will only use it as a last resort.

Constellation and the Chains of Andromeda
The Andromeda Cloth represents the constellation Andromeda, which is associated to princess Andromeda, who was chained to be sacrificed to the monster Cetus, in Greek mythology. The chains from the Andromeda Cloth are said to be the very same chains used to tied the mythological character in her legend. The chains are legendary for their durability as well as defensive nature, and have only been completely shattered few times. They are also renowned for their great length, as they can be extended far enough to reach light years away. When there's a really great evil, the chains can become charged with negative energy and release lightning shocks of at least 10.000 volts, as when Unicorn Jabu grabs them just before Ikki's reappearance in the Galactic Tournament, despite Shun's warnings; he refused to let go of the chains and received the electric backlash fully. Along with his comrades, Shun's Bronze Cloth has changed shape several times throughout the series. The manga and anime both parallel each other in terms of the Andromeda Cloth's evolution (although, it should be noted that the Cloth received one extra repair in the anime; however, it did not change shape after it):

• When Gold Saint Virgo Shaka (Taurus Aldebaran in the anime) revived it using his own blood.
• When the former Pope Shion of the Aries Constellation rejuvenated it with Athena's fresh blood during the beginning of the Hades arc.
• When Shun summoned his Cosmo to protect his older brother Ikki from a would-be-fatal blow by Hypnos, the God of Sleep. The cloth changed the most this time, becoming a God Cloth. One notable change was the addition of wings.

The Gold Cloth of Virgo
As Shun was born under the astrological constellation of Virgo, he has the privilege of donning that Gold Cloth in times of crisis. This was shown when he and his fellow Bronze Saints (also wearing Gold Cloths each) battled the god of Death, Thanatos.

Shun, like the rest of the Bronze Saints, did not have time to use his Gold Cloth or launch any attacks while wearing it, as Thanatos attacked all the Bronze Saints immediately upon their receiving of the Gold Cloths. Thanatos, with one strike, was able to shatter all 5 Gold Cloths that were present, an event which was unprecedented.