[The following is a translation of p. 64-65 of the Saint Seiya Encyclopedia. Only words inside the brackets are my comments.]

Experts of War, Silver Saints

Once the orders of Sanctuary are given out, with excellent fighting ability, going all over the world, they accomplish their mission for certain. In other words, they exist as the very example of the word, 'Saint', they are Silver Saints.

    If the basic of a Saint is a Bronze Saint, the ones who has a fighting ability with far higher dimensions are those who wear the 24 kinds of Cloths, the Silver Saints.
    Because the Gold Saints has the most powerful fighting ability beyond all that exists, they are really considered the last resort and because, there are all kinds of important missions to carry out, unless things come to the worst, the Gold Saints doesn't really receive many orders.
    In fact, many orders of Sanctuary are transferred mainly to the Silver Saints to be executed, and when they perform those missions, they will appoint Bronze Saints to go with them as support.
    The Bronze Cloths has its basic protection function plus an extra unique feature distinctive to the Cloth. This is very common for Bronze Cloths. For example, the Phoenix Cloth has its self-restoration feature and Andromeda Cloth has its Nebula Chains. This is because the Bronze Saints to the core, are to aid higher rank Saints and that those extra features originated so that the Bronze Saints can be responsible for that kind of position.
    Compared to the Bronze Saints, many Cloths of the Silver Saints with a few exceptions are confined only to the protection function. This is because the Silver Saints have mastered all sorts of high level fighting ability and that they don't really need any special extra features on their Cloths.
    That is to say, the Saint's own ability is for offensive methods and the Cloth is especially made for defense, making the distinction of the roles between the Saint and the Cloth very clear.
    It is actually rare for Saints like Auriga and Kerberos to be able to use part of their Cloths as weapons. Even for these Saints, it is used when their own Finish Blow[Fatal Skill] has not been used yet and more as a small skill.(Though for Auriga and the like, they were completely defeated by Phoenix Saint before they could launch their own original skills...)
    The Silver Saints are entrusted by Sanctuary with the supervision of Cloths that has no owner. Many are responsible for teaching Saint Candidates to prepare to wear them. Furthermore, an important mission imposed on the Silver Saints is to find among the Saint Candidates those who will inherit their Cloths.
    Because in the previous Holy Wars, many Saints and Cloths were lost, it was a matter of concern for Sanctuary if they could bring up new Saints and increase their war potiential to prepare for the next Holy War.
    Sanctuary sent 10 Silver Saints to kill the 5 Bronze Saints because the Bronze Saints had personal fights[Not Condoned Fights] held by Graude Foundation, but the 5 Bronze Saints fought back and the execution of that order finally failed.
    Later, these 5 Bronze Saints won over those forces opposed to Athena again and again, almost miraculously. We should not view these events as being the Silver Saints as weak, but rather that the 5 Bronze Saints are very special.
 

Lost Cloths

    The Cloth Cemetery at Jamir seems to have a lot of Cloths waiting to be restored. The Cloths resurrected there will be sent the Silver Saints around the world...
 

Silver Saints that Were Active in the Past

    In Sanctuary's Cemetery, many who are buried there are not just Saints who died in the Holy Wars, but some while executing orders had accidents or simply died.
    In the battle against the King of the Underworld, we are able to recognize many names of Silver Saints on the gravestones:

    SERGE, LUDWIG,GILLES, HELGA, JOSE, ALGERNON, TESS, SIROE, EDOMON, GAVIN, JUAN, BARBABA, IVAN, KAIN, ISAC, TONY, CIMA, TIMOTHY, HIMRAR, MIGEL, NOBO, SALOMO, VAN, ZOLA, KIM.
 
 

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