Sylphid (The Lost Canvas)

Basilisk Sylphid (バジリスクのシルフィード) is a minor character from Shiori Teshirogi's anime/manga series, Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas. His power lies within the Celestial Swift Star (天捷星), and he is one of the few exceptional powerful spectres among the Underworld. He is mostly seen with his master Wyvern Rhadamanthys and his companions Harpy Valentine, Minotaurus Gordon, and Alraune Queen.

Story


Like all the Specters, Sylphid was awakened when his Specter soul was released due to Hades imminent awakening. The soul and the Basilisk Surplice sought him out and transformed him into the Basilisk Specter. Since his awakening, Sylphid had fought and killed many soldiers in Hades' army. Hades likened him to a true Basilisk which was a Majestic Dragon with a paralysing gaze and a crest like a crown. He fought his way through his life, never knowing that there were people stronger than him until one day. The day he met the Specter Magnate Wyvern Rhadamanthys and the latter's servants Harpy Valentine, Minotaurus Gordon, and Alraune Queen he changed his ways. Sylphid fought against Wyvern but the powerful Specter was unaffected by the Basilisk's poisonous winds and was defeated. It was then he realized he was very lonely and decided that from that moment on he devoted his gratitude and loyalty to Rhadamanthys, and as Hades said it, his solitary crown as well.

He followed his master to "Italy" to await the imminent awakening of Hades and was stationed there in the Forest Cathedral. A group of Silver Saints came to investigate the area after hearing rumours about Specter activity. They stumbled upon several Specters that they defeated and followed a straggler that led them to the Cathedral. As they entered the Cathedral they witnessed the execution of the Specter by the hand of Pandora, and it was then that Sylphid along with Acheron Charon, Frog Zelos and an unidentified Specter jumped out behind the Saints. The Specters proceeded to slaughter the Saints.

After Alone had awakened as Hades, Sylphid participated in an audience with the god among all the 108 Specters. It was there that the god of the underworld declared his intentions to defeat Athena and her Saints and asked the Specters to paint the world in the colour of darkness. He also showed them a star map of the constellations where the death of a Saint would extinguish their respective constellation.

As Rhadamanthys received new power from Hades' divine blood Sylphid followed his master to the 6th Evil Temple, Saturn. Rhadamanthys was struggling to keep his new-found powers under control so Sylphid and Harpy Valentine did their best to calm him down. As they attempted to suppress their master, Rhadamanthys lunged out at them and smashed them furiously into the temple walls. They realized Rhadamanthys was fighting a battle inside of himself, and remembered that their master always told them that his enemies was their enemies. Sylphid and Valentine told their master they were sorry but that they had to intervene so that Rhadamanthys would not lose to his new power until it was under control. As one they used their power to strike at the Wyvern's heart, and managed to wake him from his rampage. The Magnate thanked them, but explained that this was his fight alone even though he said they would all fight together on the battlefield. He explained that they had to take his place in the holy war for now. He then ordered Sylphid to go to Athena's Sanctuary as Wyvern's representative as Valentine was already assigned as a vanguard. Sylphid replied that he would of course do it and that he would do anything to uphold his master's honour and pride.

Mission to Sanctuary


His mission was to find and destroy Athena's Cloth in the Sanctuary, with him he took Alraune Queen and Minotaurus Gordon. As the Saints had left the Sanctuary to fight against Hades there were little opposition for them as they traversed all the way to the Pope's chambers. In the chambers they met slight resistance which they easily disposed of, but were having difficulties locating Athena's Cloth. Sylphid ventured further as Queen and Gordon remained in the Pope's chambers. As they remained they encountered Libra Dohko who after a fierce fight, defeated them both. In Dohko's last attack the power from Athena's blood awakened, which he had received prior before coming to the Sanctuary. Sylphid suddenly revealed his presence by using the Basilisk's poisonous wind, and asked Dohko if he really had a god's blood in him, just like his own master. Dohko was unable to move thanks to Sylphid's wind, to which the Specter replied that the Saint had to die before he became a threat to his master Rhadamanthys. As the Gold Saint's body was getting number, Sylphid realized he was nowhere near his master's level. He called Dohko pathetic for succumbing to the poison, unlike Rhadamanthys who had not been affected and whom he declared was his master and the most powerful Specter. It was disgusting that Dohko and Rhadamanthys was in the same position and he would rid the world of both Dohko and Athena's blood.



Sylphid charged at the Saint and proceeded to grab at his throat and smash Dohko into the ground. The Specter stated that his wind had eradicated many human lives, even grass and trees. And that it was now Dohko's turn and that nothing except Sylphid would be left standing in the aftermath. The Basilisk continued to strangle the Gold Saint and unleashed more of his poisonous wind, proclaiming that nothing survives when his wings was unfurled and it was now time for Dohko's destruction. Sylphid unleashed his Annihilation Flap technique and sent Dohko flying into the air.



Sensing his mission being complete soon, he decided that Dohko's head would be a nice present for his master. But the Gold Saint retaliated to Sylphid's disbelief, and knocked his headpiece of. The Specter wondered how Dohko could have withstood the venom from his Annihilation Flap technique, a venom only his master had been able to withstand. To Sylphid's surprise, Dohko suddenly said he was sorry. The Gold Saint continued to say that the Specter was probably trying to escape the wasteland created by his own venomous winds, and that the only way out was with the wings of his master Rhadamanthys. Dohko also said that a wind that frail wouldn't even faze him, which angered Sylphid. The Basilisk shouted angrily at the Saint to take what he said back, and that following the Wyvern had only made him stronger. He did not want to escape his wasteland and that the weaklings that had perished before him didn't even deserve to exist. Sylphid lunged out at Dohko who suddenly took a hold around the Specter. I can touch you he said, to which Sylphid furiously asked if the Saint was mocking him and proceeded to unleash more of his poisonous winds. Dohko withstood the Specter's power and told Sylphid that he reminded him of Pisces Albafica and that he like Sylphid did not want to hurt other people. The Basilisk snapped furiously back that he only desired to serve Rhadamanthys and that it was the only way he could ever live. But as he prepared yet another attack, Dohko pressed his arms together cracking most of the Basilisk's bones. In his dying breath, Sylphid asked if every person's body felt as warm as Dohko's. The Libra Saint replied that they did, even Sylphid's and his master's. Sylphid then smiled as he passed away.

Concept & Creation
Sylphid was created in the same image as Basilisk Sylphid from the original Saint Seiya series by Masami Kurumada. And like his classical counterpart, the name "Sylphid" (シルフィード) is borrowed from "Sylph", an elemental being of air from mythologies. Sylphid's character is fleshed out more in The Lost Canvas as we get to see his feelings for his master Rhadamanthys as well as for the people around him. He was given an extra appearance in the first season of the anime adaptation of The Lost Canvas. In the scene he is among a group of Specters that ambush a group of Saints that invade the Forest Cathedral. Albeit he does not move in the scene, he has the same colouring as in the Elysion OVA: The Deadly Battle To Elysion.

Special Techniques
Sylphid's tehcniques are as powerful as his comrades. The one techniques shown far is a wind based technique.

"Annihilation Flap"
As the name implies, the "Annihilation Flap" is a wind-based attack that vacuums the air around Sylphid and unleashes a fury of currents that is also poisonous. The strength increases with the unfolding of the Basilisk Surplice's wings. Sylphid executes the attack by raising his arms upwards very fast which also sets his wings in an upwards movement. The wind currents are then gushed out from him, amplified by his Cosmo.