Saionji has spent his life in Touga’s shadow, taking second place in almost everything. Although both boys are popular and talented, they seem to be locked in a competition, but Touga’s cavalier attitude towards him seems to grind on Saionji’s nerves. He knows that Touga is manipulative, yet still gets pulled in by him.

Although Saionji does realize it until Touga tells him near the end of the story, he and Touga met Utena years ago, right after her parents died. The two boys had been out practicing and on the way home, they came upon a funeral, which, as it turns out, was for Utena’s parents. Upon hearing that a little girl was missing, Touga went into the church, despite Saionji’s objections. Inside they found three coffins with young Utena inside the third one. Since there were three coffins, she decided one of them must be for her. She wondered why anyone bothers when they are just going to die anyway and laments that there is no eternity. Since neither boy can offer her anything eternal they leave, but the next day she was out of the coffin. Although Touga denies it, Saionji believes that somehow Touga had some sort of knowledge and used to help the girl.

Saionji began to see Touga as somewhere beyond him, going somewhere without him. Although to most outside observers, it would appear that the two were equals, Saionji felt that they were constantly competing and also felt that he was losing. Anthy offered him something eternal, and something Touga would not have. He would finally win. Although he outwardly obsesses about Anthy, it is really Touga and their fractured friendship that really motivates him. He professes to love her, but hits her constantly.

It is Saionji that draws Utena into the duels. Wakaba, Utena’s close friend, sends him a love letter and he posts it for everyone to read. She is humiliated, and Utena decides to confront the man responsible for hurting her friend. Saionji, seeing her ring, assumes she is the new duelist and tells her to meet him at the secret arena. She shows up with a wooden sword and no knowledge of the duels, but Saionji fights her anyway. Needless to say, he is devastated when he loses and challenges Utena to another duel. At first Utena thinks about throwing the match, since she really doesn’t want to be involved, but in the end she fights to win.

Eventually, Touga manipulates Saionji into attacking Utena so that Touga can step in to protect her—a step towards convincing her that he is her prince. Saionji gets suspended from school and is kicked off campus. Still, he doesn’t seem to get that Touga set the whole thing up.

He and Utena never get along, since their philosophies are so different. Saionji considers her inferior and she considers him a misogynist bastard at worst, and an idiot at best. Although he acted as a catalyst in the beginning, he becomes more marginalized as the story continues.

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