About
Name: Sphinx
Other Names: Sfinge
Gender: Female
Species: Sphinx, mythical creature
First Appeared: The first appearance of the Sphinx was in Issue 25 of Lyrica Magazine on November 1978 in the 8th chapter titled The Tale of the Fangs of Athens (アゼンスの牙の物語). A version of Sphinx appeared in the Saving our Fragile Earth: Unico Special Chapter on July 20, 2000 at the Osamu Tezuka World Theater in Kyoto.
Sphinx (スフィンクス Sufinkusu) is a character that appears in the manga and in the special animation. While their appearances are similar, their personalities differ.
Voice Actors
Japanese Voice: Youko Asagami
Physical Appearance
In the manga, Sphinx has a light blue body and darker blue hair with yellow eyes. Her hair/mane flows down her back, curling at the tips. In the anime, her body is golden with blonde hair and reddish brown eyes.
Personality
Sphinx from the manga is crafty and frightful at first, but when she’s around her son Piro, she’s like any other mother. The Sphinx from the anime is intimidating, but more caring and helpful.
Abilities
- Knowledgable
- Strong
- Travelers must solve her riddles or be eaten
Timeline of Appearances
| Date | More Information |
|---|---|
| 1978 | The first appearance of the Sphinx was in Issue 25 of Lyrica Magazine on November 1978 in the 8th chapter titled The Tale of the Fangs of Athens (アゼンスの牙の物語). While Unico wandered the desert, he stumbled upon the Sphinx. Before Unico can pass, he must solve a riddle, but in his frightened and weakened state, he faints. The Sphinx uses the opportunity to take Unico home to feed her son Piro. |
| 2000 | Sphinx appeared in the Saving our Fragile Earth: Unico Special Chapter animation on July 20, 2000. When Tsubasa and Unico stop in a desolate area with the sun beating down on them, Sphinx’s voice startles the two. She rises from the sand and tells them they must answer a riddle in order for her to grant them a wish. Unable to answer the riddle, Tsubasa and Unico try to escape, but she stops them. After Sphinx reacts to the tree boy, Tsubasa, and makes a comment, he becomes upset and unknowingly answers the riddle correctly. The two ask Sphinx to return the world back to where humans can live on Earth again. In order to do this, Sphinx tells them they would have to change history, and grabs a Time Fairy to send them all back in time. |
| 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 will appear once more! |