Siren Sorento

Infobox animanga character
name = Siren Sorento
series = Saint Seiya


caption = Siren Sorento by Masami Kurumada
first =
creator = Masami Kurumada
voiced by = Yoku Shioya (塩屋翼)
age = 16
gender = Male
born = September 10
nationality = Austria
class = Marina
paux1 = Poseidon
paux1 name = Loyalty
paux2 = Siren
paux2 name = Scale
paux3 = General
paux3 name = Rank
paux4 = South Atlantic
paux4 name = Pillar
paux5 = Unknown
paux5 name = Training
aux1 = 1.78 m
aux1 name = Height
aux2 = 75 kg
aux2 name = Weight
aux3 = A
aux3 name = Blood type
aux4 = Dead End Symphony
Dead End Climax
aux4 name = Secret moves
aux5 = manga: chapter 47, vol.14
Anime: ep. 97 (briefly)
Anime: ep.110 (fully)
aux5 name = First appearancenihongo|Siren Sorento|海魔女のソレント|Seirēn no Sorento is a character from the classic manga series, "Saint Seiya", authored by Japanese mangaka Masami Kurumada, that later was adapted to anime.

Techniques

* Dead End Symphony: Sorrento's signature technique. He plays a song on his flute, which weakens his opponent to the point that they are unable to fight back. The music directly resonates within the opponent's brain, meaning that even if the opponent can not physically hear the song, he would still be affected. Although it mainly targets the mind, the Dead End Symphony can cause direct physical damage as well, as Sorrento was able to shatter Shun's Nebula Chain and Cloth with music alone.
* Dead End Climax: once Sorrento reaches the climax of his song, the music he plays will kill his opponent by destroying their mind.
* Circular Barrier (anime only): Sorrento uses his flute to draw an imaginary circle, which becomes a physical shield able to protect him from attacks.
* Sound Waves (anime only): Sorrento moves his arm in a sword-like fashion and releases powerful sound waves that are able to knock down his opponents.

Poseidon's Messenger

His first appearance varies slightly (but are similar) in the manga and anime adaptation. In the original Kurumada's manga, Sorrento was sent to kill the injured Bronze Saints in the hospital right after the fight in the Sanctuary chapter. Sorrento encountered the Taurus Gold Saint Aldebaran, who was sent by Athena to protect the injured Bronze Saints. However, Aldebaran was no match for the enchanted music from Sorrento's flute, even after he pierced his own eardrums so that he would be unable to hear the Sorrento's melody. Aldebaran was able to achieve a stalemate by tricking Sorento into thinking he had been killed, and was able to use his cosmo to paralyze Sorento. Before the two could begin the battle again, Saori showed up and requested Sorrento to take her to see Julian Solo, who was the young host chosen by Sorrento's worshipped deity, Poseidon, as his physical body. Later Sorrento revealed that when Saori "requested" Sorrento to take her to Poseidon, it was like a gentle command that he could not refuse, a request from a true goddess. While he remained to be one of Poseidon's Marina Shoguns, he gained great respect for Athena from this encounter.

In the anime adaptation, he was introduced as Poseidon's Marina General fulfilling the role of a messenger of the divinity, who gave the Nibelung Ring to Hilda, the guardian of Asgard. Sorrento revealed himself toward the end of the anime-only Asgard Chapter, and fought with Alpha Dubhe Siegfried (who now realizes that Hilda was under Poseidon's manipulation). Siegfried (already injured from battling with the Bronze Saints) could not overcome Sorrento's "Dead End Syphony", even after he pierced his eardrums so that he would be unable to hear the music. Realizing that the only way to defeat Sorrento is to sacrifice himself (He realized this when Shiryu's technique failed on him), Siegfried grabbed Sorrento and was going to kill them both by ascent into the space. Sorrento became horrified at Siegfried's deadly attack and strong resolution to defeat him at the cost of his own life. However, Sorrento was able to free himself by projecting a demon fairy image to shock Siegfried, and then playing his song to weaken Siegfried, causing Siegfried to release his hold, leaving the sole Asgard warrior to burn by himself in to the depths of outer space. Sorento's fight against Siegfried in the anime adaptation was mirrored directly after Sorento's fight against Aldebaran in the manga, which was modified in the anime adaptation. In the anime, Aldebaran fought another of Hilda's warriors (Zeta Myzar) instead of Sorento.

Sorrento against Shun

Sorrento is a loyal servant of Poseidon. He believed that Poseidon's great power to cleanse the world would lead to the good of mankind. As guardian of the Pillar of the South Atlantic Ocean, Sorrento faced Andromeda Shun in battle.

Andromeda Shun was also no match for Siren Sorrento's techniques, being crippled by the power of Sorrento's Dead End Symphony. However, he was interrupted when both heard the prayer of Athena who was trapped in the Main Breadwinner. Shun decided to use "Rolling Defense", which can block out any sound wave by repelling the air itself, but Sorrento's attacks goes beyond that of sound attacking the Cosmo's directly in the opponent's brain for which Shun has no defense for. Soon, Sorrento manages to break Shun's Cloth and Nebula Chains. Desperate, Shun uses his powerful Nebula Stream attack to restrict Sorrento's movements, therefore making him unable to play his flute, ending his fatal melody. Knowing that, upon using his full power, the Nebula Stream attack would eventually become the Nebula Storm technique which would instantly kill Sorrento, Shun begs the Sea General to reconsider his current stance and surrender. Sorrento, telling him that Poseidon's generals would never beg for mercy from an enemy, decides to continue playing the "Dead End Climax" with his flute. Shun realizes he had no other choice but to use Nebula Storm attack to defeat Sorrento.

The Siren's Realization

Although Sorrento was thought to be dead, he actually survived this attack. When the final Marine General, Sea Dragon Kanon, revealed the plan he started 13 years ago to manipulate Poseidon into starting the war with Athena so that he could take over, Sorrento realized that all of the Generals were only pawns used by Kanon to achieve his goal of world domination. Seeing that it was wrong to awaken Poseidon in this era, he helped Phoenix Ikki destroy the Pillar of the North Atlantic Ocean. After Kanon revealed that the Amphora that Athena used to seal Poseidon 2000 years before was kept in the Main Breadwinner, Ikki leaves, saying that there is no need for him to fight Kanon anymore. Sorrento also leaves, commenting that he originally believed that Poseidon would be the one God to bring a new era to mankind, but now he realizes that Athena is the true goddess who can bring peace to the world. It was her merciful love to the world of men that moved his heart.

After Poseidon was defeated and sealed, Sorrento again encountered Julian Solo, now no longer possessed the spirit of Poseidon. Though they became friends, Julian does not remember their previous meeting. Sorrento accompanied Julian to use the power of his music to bring joy to the victims who suffered from the global natural disasters caused by Poseidon's awakening.

Sorrento's final appearance was in the Hades arc of the manga. Poseidon's soul reawakens in Julian Solo, and joins the battle between Athena and Hades. Sorrento is surprised that the spirit of Poseidon was not sealed completely in Julian. He then wishes the Bronze Saints good luck.

Additional Notes

* Kurumada probably named him after the coastal city of Sorrento in Italy.

* During the fight in the anime with Shun, Sorrento revealed some of his other techniques besides the "Dead End Symphony" and "Dead End Climax". For example, he used his flute to create a circular shield in front of him to block and deflect Andromeda Shun's chain attack, and raised one of his arms in a motion like Shura's "Excalibur" to create sound wave attacks. However, both of these are only seen in the anime adaptation, and neither appeared in the manga.

* The method that Taurus Aldebaran used to defend himself in the original manga was exactly the same method that Alpha Dubhe Siegfried used later in the anime adaptation. Neither of them succeeded.

* Sorento was born in Austria, a country famous for its musical arts, and home of many great musicians, such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Ironically he is the only Marine General who is from a landlocked country, a country with no coastline.

* Sorento's return to the anime adaptation occurred in May 2008, in episode 143, which adapted vol. 27 of Kurumada's manga, in which Sorento's and Poseidon's reapparance is contained, 17 years after it was published in the manga. He was voiced once again by Yoku Shioya.

References

* Saint Seiya manga, vols.14 & 17, by Masami Kurumada.