Dohko x Shion

Dohko x Shion is the slash ship between Libra Dohko and Aries Shion from the Saint Seiya fandom.

Original Manga
Dohko and Shion are the only two survivors of the 18th century Holy War against Hades. After sealing Hades in his vessel, Dohko set out for China on a mission to guard the tower where the 108 soldiers of Hades are trapped until the seal was broken and they returned to the world. Shion remained in the Sanctuary of Athena, taking care of it and attending to his duties as Pope. The two did not meet again for over two hundred years, although they could communicate telepathically with each other and the source text implies that they spoke regularly.

On several occasions it has been shown that the two argue often, even fighting with each other due to disagreements between them. Despite this, their arguments are short-lived and they remain best friends as if nothing ever happened. This is shown in both Next Dimension and the Saint Seiya: Origin short comic.

Shion doesn't appear in the original manga until the Hades arc, where he comes back from the dead as a supposed traitor to Athena. Dohko, whose mission to watch over the 108 soldiers of Hades has finished, returns to the Sanctuary and shows his disappointment at his friend's switching sides. At first, due to his youth recovered by Hades, Shion prevails over Dohko, and is about to defeat him when the Libra Cloth appears and the technique that allowed Dohko to live for so long is broken. Shion notices that his old Cosmos has disappeared and for a while he thinks he's dead. Then he recognizes the new Cosmos as the one Dohko had during his youth, brave, strong and fierce. His old body opens like a chrysalis and from inside comes the young body of Dohko, who explains that although two hundred and forty-three years have passed, for him it has only been two hundred and forty-three days. With his new body rejuvenated, Dohko and Shion continue to fight. Their strongest attacks collide and they both disappear.

Later it is revealed that the invasion of the Sanctuary by the deceased Saints was just a ploy to trick Hades, hatched by Shion. Before his revived body vanishes, he has one last conversation with Dohko and for a moment they talk about old times as friends. Shion expresses his wish to stay there a little longer talking to him. Dohko cries, watching as Shion's body turns into specks of light. One last flash of light lingers in his palm before going out.

Saint Seiya: Origin
In this prequel that takes place twenty eight years before the series starts, Shion awakens Dohko telepathically. They both start talking about how little is left for the babies that are to become Gold Saints to be teleported to the Sanctuary. Shion mentions how their mission, which has lasted for more than two hundred years, is about to end, but Dohko has fallen asleep again. Complaining, he starts calling out to him telepathically until he wakes him up and scolds him for falling asleep in front of the waterfall he is supposed to guard. Dohko tells him that he tries to move as little as possible to save energy. While they are chatting, a shooting star falls from the sky and passes through the roof of the Gemini temple. After staring at it, Shion realizes that there are two instead of one and then notices that there is a third one. Dohko believes that the third star will bring misfortune to the Sanctuary. After picking up the newborn twins from the Gemini temple, Shion realizes that there is a third being wrapped up in a blanket. Dohko urges him to kill that third baby but Shion refuses and tells him that even if it is a bad omen, he is incapable of taking the life of an innocent creature. The two argue further, and as Dohko tries to convince Shion to do as he says, the third baby evaporates, possessing the body of one of the twins.

Fifteen years later, when Athena was about to arrive at the sanctuary, Shion is training Mu, his disciple and tells him that if something bad happens to him, he has to go visit his friend Dohko in China.

Later, after baby Athena's kidnapping, Mu leaves the sanctuary, not recognizing the person behind the mask who claims to be the Pope as his teacher. Arriving at the place in front of the waterfall where Dohko is always sitting, Dohko tells him that he has tried to contact Shion telepathically many times, but he has stopped answering. Dohko is visibly upset when he tells Mu his suspicions about Shion's death.

Saint Seiya: Next Dimension
In Next Dimension, the two of them are also best friends along with Crateris Suikyō. Then he got promoted to Silver Saint while Dohko and Shion remained as Bronze Saints. Although this didn't affect their frienship, it brought Dohko and Shion closer.

In Next Dimension it is also shown that they both got their Gold Cloths at the same time, being the newest of the twelve Gold Saints. Their characters are portrayed as more juvenile, reckless and immature, compared to the original manga.

In one of the first scenes, Dohko learns the identity of the boy who is destined to be possessed by Hades and leaves the Sanctuary to kill him and avoid the Holy War. Shion runs after him and asks him not to be so reckless, even threatening him with a battle of a thousand days if he didn't desist. They fight for a while until Dohko manages to convince him that killing Alone is for the best. When they are about to kill him, the child's kindness makes them doubt for a second and it is enough for Tenma, Alone's friend to intervene, saving his life and escaping with him on horseback.

Shion and Dohko chase after them, intrigued by the fact that Tenma owns a Cloth. After losing Alone to Pandora and meeting several specters of Hades and Suikyō, now transformed into Garuda, one of the Judges of the Underworld, the three return to the Sanctuary. Looking at their reflection in Crateris's armor, which shows the future, Dohko sees himself old and wrinkled and Shion sees himself as the Pope, but decides not to reveal this fact. When they arrive at the Sanctuary, the two of them are punished by Capricorn Izo, who throws them off a cliff with Excalibur.

Later the two of them appear in flashbacks as children, training or getting into trouble.

Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas
Lost Canvas is an alternate interpretation of the 18th century Holy War, written by author Shiori Teshirogi. In it, Dohko and Shion are not rookies, but have been Gold Saints for a long time. The two of them are sent on various missions together. They also have several scenes where they chat, commenting on the battles that are taking place elsewhere and stating facts about the fighters. At the end of Dohko's Gaiden, he tells Mu and Kiki that evil has taken over the Sanctuary and that something has happened to Shion but that he trusts Athena to restore peace.

Other Media
They briefly appear together on Episode G and some of the franchise videogames.

Fanon
The ship is the most popular for both characters on AO3 and is in the top ten pairings for the Saint Seiya Series category. In Next Dimension, Shion has short hair instead of long and is portrayed this way in some of the fanworks. Common themes include angst, as they both survived a war and saw their comrades die, grief, as Dohko loses Shion twice, resurrection and de-aging, as some fans prefer to portray them with their young appearance instead of as old men.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

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