Alraune Queen

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Alraune Queen
Saint Seiya character

Queen, in a screenshot from the anime adaptation
Created by Masami Kurumada
Voiced by Yūsei Oda (織田優成)
Profile
Age 19
Gender Male
Date of birth April 15
Nationality Germany (Freiburg)
Class Specter
Loyalty Hades
Surplice Alraune (Mandrake)
Star Demonic Star
Height 1.71 m
Weight 56 kg
Blood type B
Secret moves Blood Flowers Scissors
First appearance manga: chapter 81, vol.22
Anime: ep.140

Alraune Queen (天魔星アルラウネのクィーン Tenmasei Aruraune no Kuīn?) is a minor character from the classic manga series, Saint Seiya,authored by renowned japanese mangaka Masami Kurumada, and later adapted to anime. His power lies within the Demonic Star (天魔星), and he is one of the few exceptional powerful Specters among the Underworld. He is mostly seen with his companions Harpy Valentine, Minotauros Gordon, and Basilisk Sylphid.

Contents

[edit] The Plant Human

After a failed mission to invade Athena's Sanctuary, a command was issued for all remaining Specters on Earth to return to their homebase, the Underworld. While Judge Wyvern Rhadamanthys forwarded this command to the dark warriors of Hades, he was challenged by four Bronze Saints of Athena's -- Pegasus Seiya, Dragon Shiryu, Cygnus Hyoga, and Andromeda Shun. As Rhadamanthys contemplated the decision to destroy these saints, four of his own subordinates appeared to defend his honor -- Harpy Valentine, Basilisk Sylphid, Minotauros Gordon, and Alraune Queen. These four were known throughout the Underworld for their extraordinary skills, and each of them were more than enough to dispose of these mere Bronze Saints. Leaving the assassination of the intruding Saints to the four Specters, Rhadamanthys descended down to the Underworld.

Harpy Valentine found a foe in Pegasus Seiya, while Basilisk Sylphid and the other three Specters sought out the other Bronze Saints. The Basilisk and his companions quickly proved their superiority, and their foes were momentarily defeated. Satisfied, the Specters left the base, leaving their enemies behind while issuing a challenge for them to follow.

[edit] Cutting Plant

Alraune Queen, wearing his Surplice's headpiece, in a panel from the manga, vol.27. Drawing by the author Masami Kurumada.
Alraune Queen, wearing his Surplice's headpiece, in a panel from the manga, vol.27. Drawing by the author Masami Kurumada.

After receiving news that the Underworld's infamous Wailing Wall had been pierced by Athena's Saints, Basilisk Sylphid and his companions quickly went to investigate the scene. As they approached the site, their presence alerted Bronze Saint Dragon Shiryu, who decided to stay behind and fight so that his companions had a chance to cross the cosmic river behind the Wall into Elysion.

Sylphid, Gordon, and Queen arrived to find that the reports were true. Paying Shiryu no mind, they attempted to chase the rest of the saints, only to find that the Dragon refused to let them pass. With no other choice, Sylphid, Gordon, and Queen teamed up to ensure that the Saint was beaten quickly.

Queen started by unleashing his lethal technique, "Blood Flower Scissors", and thought he had cut the Saint's head off. But Shiryu had in fact defended himself with his Excalibur technique and cut Queen in the neck. Gordon followed in the attack, but failed in defeating the Saint as well. Sylphid had waited patiently and, when the right opportunity presented itself, struck down the Saint with his own attack. The move sent Shiryu slamming onto the undamaged section of the Wailing Wall. However, the Dragon survived and counterattacked, sending the damaged Basilisk crashing into the ground.

Fuming with rage, Sylphid pulled himself up and retaliated with Gordon and Queen for a triple team attack.

Queen, along fellow Specters Sylphid and Gordon, arrives to stop Shiryu. Screenshot from the anime adaptation.
Queen, along fellow Specters Sylphid and Gordon, arrives to stop Shiryu. Screenshot from the anime adaptation.

Shiryu, rising his Cosmo to the highest limit, unleashed his sensei's signature technique -- "Rozan Hyaku Ryu Ha". Not even the might of all three Specters was enough to endure the sheer destructive power of this move. Queen and Gordon were killed immediately, while Sylphid was completely thrashed.

[edit] Name, Surplice & Star

  • Alraune Surplice

Queen's Surplice represents the mythical beings Mandrake, also known by the german name Alraune, the mythic character from legends of the Middle Ages, who was the offspring of a witch or prostitute, impregnated with semen of a hanged man, and did not possess feelings and a soul. Its appearance was that of a woman sprouting from a rose.


  • The Demonic Star 天魔星

The star originates from the character Song Wan, from the Water Margin story.

Something worth noticing is that this star is a Terrestrial Star in the original novel, which the author Masami Kurumada might have mistakenly used. Althoug in Japanese its name contains the word compound Tenma, it's incorrect to translate it as Celestial Demon, as it is a compound of two words with a global and not individual meaning, originated in Buddhist tradition. The correct english equivalent to the japanese instance is Demon or Demonic.

  • Queen

The name Queen comes from the royal title.

[edit] Notes

  • In the anime adaptation, Alraune Queen, Harpy Valentine, Basilisk Sylphid, and Minotauros Gordon were introduced at a later point than they were originally introduced by Kurumada in his manga. Valentine made his debut in Hades: Inferno, episode 135, while Sylphid, Gordon, and Queen were introduced in the beginning of the Elysium chapter, in episode 140.
  • The combined efforts of Alraune Queen and Minotauros Gordon were able to outmatch Dragon Shiryu's "Rozan Sho Ryu Ha" and "Excalibur" techniques. While "Rozan Sho Ryu Ha" had been countered several times prior to this battle, only Gold Saint level opponents have been able to deal with "Excalibur" , which exemplifies the strength level of these Specters.

[edit] References

  • Saint Seiya Vol. 22, by Masami Kurumada
  • Saint Seiya Vol. 27, by Masami Kurumada
  • Saint Seiya Vol. 28, by Masami Kurumada
  • Saint Seiya Official Encyclopedia