His Story

Saionji has become increasingly insecure and unhappy over the years, consumed by inner demons of uncertainty and doubt. Although he (like just about everyone of major standing at Ootori Gakuen) is much admired by girls, he has no loved ones, unlike Touga who takes open advantage of the situation, Saionji will only ever be interested in, or consider, one woman to be the one that he desires: Himemiya Anshi. (Though he does spend a brief period of time with Wakaba after his expulsion.) And his stubborn possessiveness of her knows absolutely no bounds; when he was her Victor, he would routinely beat her in frustration. But.. frustration against Anshi, or was he simply using her as a proxy for himself?

He labors under a persistent delusion that Anshi belongs to him, and that she returns his affections; this couldn't be farther from the truth, but unlike Touga or Utena, Saionji never learned the truth of the Rose Bride.. HIs most cherished possession is their diary that they kept together while he was the Victor; he genuinely believes everything written there is for real. Of course, Anshi could really care less, but it was his will at the time that she participate...

Much of Saionji's violence and immature behaviors seems to stem from the incident in his and Touga's childhood... following some friendly duelling, they rode home together, but chanced to pass by a church, where some men were seeking a girl who'd disappeared after a funeral... Although Saionji was reluctant, he followed Touga to the church.. where they found a girl huddled up in the third of three coffins; her parents had just died, and she wanted to die with them... She begged them not to open the coffin; Saionji pleaded with Touga not to do it, but he didn't listen...

And the question that the girl asked lodged in Saionji's heart and stayed there... "Why does anyone live, if all anyone ever does is die? Eternity doesn't exist, does it?" He wanted to show the girl something eternal, but he couldn't.. but somehow, Touga did. Touga was always going to places where Saionji couldn't go, seeing things Saionji couldn't see... as the two were rivals, he became jealous... it's quite possible the only reason he REALLY wants to win Anshi back is to get 'even' with Touga in their silent war.

As a Duellist, Saionji is fierce and vicious, but not undefeatable; curiously, his grace and patience appears more in the Kendo hall than in the Forest of Challenges. As the Captain of the Kendo Club, his strikes are controlled and directed, his force channeled. But as a Duellist on the field, he attacks with wild, random strikes, almost no style at all- his only chance of winning is through sheer brute force... even the completely unskilled Utena was able to defeat him through sheer persistence. It's even arguable that the only reason he began the story as the Victor of the Duel was because none of the other more combat-competent Duellists had any interest or reason to challenge him... rule by apathy.

After he attacks Utena, causing Touga to be injured, Saionji is thrown out of the school.. with no where to go, he takes refuge in Wakaba's company- even more ironic as he originally scorned her love letter in the first episode and caused the cycle that began Utena's rise and ascension through the Duellist ranks..

While with Wakaba, for a time (before Mikage gets to him later), Saionji allows his softer, more compassionate side to show through; He works on making her a leaf-pin for her hair, starting to realize that perhaps it'd be better to move on and find a better, more true love... However, when Mikage tempts him back into joining the school again, he betrays Wakaba's affections once again, and gives the leaf pin to Anshi.

Even still, after that Saionji is a more reserved presence, more laid back and more thoughtful. It takes the intervention of Akio to coerce him to Duel again; although suspicious, he is at least partially inducted into Touga's 'other life' with Akio, and becomes privy to some of the Ends of the Earth's secrets. At least enough that he realizes that not only was it Utena in the coffin years ago, but that he and Touga are still in that church with her... sealed away inside their own coffins of restricting belief...