Saint Seiya Awakening introduces Grand Pope Hakurei as a powerful EX attacker focused on follow-up damage, turn chaining, and battlefield control. His kit revolves around stacking Returning Spirits, gaining Vigor, and triggering multiple extra attacks in a single round. While his mechanics may look complicated at first, Hakurei is actually a very straightforward offensive unit once you understand how his marks and extra turns interact.
Hakurei’s damage ceiling is extremely high. His AoE attacks already deal impressive Cosmic Damage, but the real strength comes from his pursuit attacks and True Damage effects after reaching higher Vigor thresholds. Once fully online, he can chain multiple actions together, repeatedly pressure enemies, and even disable targets with an unpurifiable seal. His ability to punish enemies at the end of rounds makes him especially dangerous in longer fights.
One of the most interesting aspects of Hakurei is that he rewards smart timing rather than mindless skill spam. Many players instantly use his strongest single-target ability whenever it becomes available, but in practice, rotating between his AoE attacks and pursuit triggers often results in much higher overall damage. Managing Returning Spirit stacks properly is the key to maximizing his performance.
Hakurei also has excellent synergy with off-turn attackers and units that hit multiple times. Characters capable of constantly triggering extra attacks help him generate additional Returning Spirit stacks, which leads to even more pursuit damage at the end of the round. This makes him especially effective in aggressive, combo-oriented lineups.
However, Hakurei is not without weaknesses. His biggest issue is survivability. Despite his massive offensive potential, his Temple growth currently feels underdeveloped, making him surprisingly fragile for an EX unit. Without strong protection or defensive support, he can be eliminated much faster than expected. Fast builds are usually preferred because they allow him to stack Vigor earlier and gain momentum before the enemy team can react.
Hakurei may not be the easiest unit to optimize, but his impact is undeniable. In the right composition, he becomes a relentless offensive engine capable of overwhelming enemies through repeated attacks and constant pressure. He feels especially rewarding for players who enjoy strategic turn management and combo-heavy gameplay.
Pros
- Extremely high AoE and pursuit damage
- Multiple extra turns and attack chains
- Strong synergy with off-turn attackers
- Excellent scaling with Cosmic Attack
- Very strong late-round pressure
Cons
- Fragile despite EX rarity
- Requires proper timing and stack management
- Vulnerable to control effects before immunity activates
- Needs heavy investment to fully shine
