Character Profile: Ikki

Ikki is a violent character that really doesn't appear as much as the other Bronze Saints, He's Shun's older brother, and is the Phoenix Saint. When we first meet Ikki he is under the control of the Pope of Sanctuary (who isn't really the pope), but later he breaks free of the spell and realizes that the person he is most mad with is his father.

When Shun needs help, Ikki is there, though in one movie Ikki tells Shun that if he's a real Saint, he'll get up on his own. He's very over protective of his brother, which makes him more of a mother hen in a sense. He doesn't like to be bossed around, but in most cases you'll find in the a volcano, trying to power up his cosmos and strengthen his cloth.

When we first see Ikki, he's the bad guy. He's basically a blood-thirsty villain to start off with.

He is an orphan, and is Shun's older brother. He has won the Phoenix Armor on Death Queen Island. Ikis fought his master and killed him for the Phoenix Armor. When he got the Phoenix Armor, he was full of madness and hate.

To Shun, he's a hero. To the others, well, they didn't really get along right at the start.

Even after Ikki overcame his anger and hatred, he remained very bitter and ironical. He never fully healed from his experience on Death Queen Island. The choice of the name Esmerelda for Ikki's girlfriend was made by Masami Kurumada to make a parallel between Ikki and Quasimodo, the Hunchback from Notre Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo. Kurumada wanted Ikki to be physically or emotionally crippled or distorted and only Esmerelda could make him better.

Ikki is a ruthless emotionless warrior, who feels no regrets when it comes to killing someone. He also seems extremely arrogant and proud, as well as stubborn. But on the other hand he hates himself and calls himself a loser (in the manga, volume 5). He is unable to have a decent attitude in society. He constantly ends up insulting the others with his pessimistic and cynical attitude, and acts as if he were far superior to the others. Ikki does love his friends dearly but cannot show them this love, considered by him as a weakness.

He is rather contradictory as he is on one hand extremely harsh and tough, and on the other hand also very over-protective of his brother. He usually picks fights with Seiya who is more fiery than the others and can't keep calm. With Hyoga and Shiryu, Ikki is simply very distant.

Anyhow, Ikki is a lone wolf. He prefers spending his time away from the others. Therefore, he only appears in battles when one of his brothers (yes, all the saints are half brothers except for Shiryu) is in danger. Ikki's personality is like his element, fiery, proud and prone to anger. He does not give his trust to anyone let alone his heart.