About
Name: Piro (in manga); Marusu (in anime)
Other Names: Mars, Marth, Figlio della Sfinge, Sphinx child, 마르스 (Marusu)
Gender: Male (in manga); Unknown/not given (in anime); female (Unico: Awakening)
Species: Sphinx, mythical creature
First Appeared: Piro appears in the November 1978 issue of Lyrica magazine with the eighth chapter titled The Tale of the Fangs of Athens (Part 1) (アゼンスの牙の物語 [第１回]). Marusu appears in the second theatrical film Unico in the Island of Magic released July 16, 1983.
Piro (ピロ Piro) appears in the manga, while Marusu (マルス, Marusu) is a character that appears in the second film. While the manga’s sphinx child, Piro, shares the same features as Marusu, it’s unconfirmed if they are the same with mainly a name change.
Voice Actors
Japanese Voice: Noriko Tsukase (1983)
English Voice: Lara Cody
Italian Voice: Erica Laiolo
Korean Voice: Jeong Seon-hye
Spanish Voice: Eba Ojanguren
Physical Appearance
Piro and Marusu have a green mane (or hair) and a tail with a beige body. They have green eyes with exaggerated eyelashes.
Personality
Piro isn’t your typical sphinx, and does not seem prepared for the world. He shows no interest in being tough like his mother, so he struggles until he figures it out. The young sphinx, Marusu, in the anime is knowledgeable thanks to their mother’s teachings. Marusu is fairly carefree and able to help Cherry and Unico in their quest.
Abilities
- Can use claws and teeth to attack. (Manga)
- Oddly knowledgeable about modern day food and entertainment for comical reasons. (Manga)
- Knowledgeable about certain worldly things thanks to mother. (Anime)
Timeline of Appearances
| Date | More Information |
|---|---|
| 1978 | Piro appears in the 8th chapter The Tale of the Fangs of Athens (Part 1) (アゼンスの牙の物語 [第１回]) as the son of the Sphinx. While Unico is wandering the desert, he comes upon the Sphinx, who asks him a riddle. Unico falls unconscious, and the Sphinx takes him to her home. This is where we first meet Piro, the Sphinx’s son. The Sphinx offered Unico as food, but Piro doesn’t want to eat him. After Piro’s mother leaves, Piro allows Unico to leave. After leaving, Unico comes upon the Sphinx once more. This time, she is dying from being attacked by Oedipus. Unico returns to Piro and tells him the news. The little sphinx wants to give up, but Unico helps him the best he can. The two leave the cave and hide in a nearby forest. Piro doesn’t know how to be a beast at all, but Unico tries his best. When the Titania, Queen of the Fairies, appears, she wants Piro as her pet. Unico tries to protect his friend, but the fairies trick Unico into getting stuck in a tree. With Unico gone, Piro agrees and goes to live as Titania’s pet. This, of course, is not the best decision, and Piro regrets becoming a pet for the Fairy Queen. He must learn to be strong and fight back if he’s wanting to get away. |
| 1983 | Marusu appears in the second theatrical film Unico in the Island of Magic on July 17, 1983. Cherry and Unico head out to speak with the Sphinx, but Marusu finds them instead as they pass out from exhaustion. After they come to, they ask Marusu about Kukurukku, but Marusu doesn’t know how to go against the evil magician. Instead, Marusu mentions the rocking horse, and the three venture off to the ends of the world. After speaking with the rocking horse and learning about Kukurukku’s past, the sphinx child travels with Cherry and Unico to Fuego Island to help them defeat Kukurukku. |
| 2024 | The Kickstarter that began in 2022 to create a retelling of “The Cat on the Broomstick” chapter from the original manga called Unico: Awakening was a success. Scholastic picked up the series and the first volume will be released on August 6, 2024. The sphinx’s daughter will appear once more! |