When the original Manga / Anime came to an end, the series found itself in limbo, and from 1991 to 2001, no new material came of it. Interestingly enough, instead of merely following the manga and adding filler episodes from time to time, the anime took great liberties with the source material, altering details of backstories, adding / changing characters, creating entire new story arcs, and usually tying all new 'filler' material to the original manga plot.

The series quickly became a hit, and Toei Animation soon followed with an Anime adaptation in the same year. Along the series, they face off in various Holy Wars against Deities who wish to claim Athena's earth as their own, always against increasingly stronger opponents. It told the story of the Saints, a group of powerful warriors who are sworn to fight as the army of the Goddess Athena.

Saint Seiya/Knights Of The Zodiac is a manga by Masami Kurumada that ran from 1986 to 1991.