sai west	on garden	ji temple	kyou shell, pod	ichi one

We are introduced to Saionji in episode 1 of Utena, when Utena confronts him for hurting her best friend Wakaba. Saionji is intimidating, with a tall, slim swordsman's build, and just as deadly. He challenges Utena to a duel, and she accepts. Little does Saionji know what importance that day in the duelling arena will hold for the future of Ohtori Academy and his own life.

As Vice President of the Ohtori Student Council, Saionji also receives letters from the "End of the World," or Akio. He does not seem to be very close with anyone else in the council except for his supposed "best friend," Kiryuu Touga, who is president. Everyone else seems to (wisely) keep out of his way as much as possible.

As a very eligible bachelor at the Academy, Saionji is rather popular with the girls, but he prefers to spend time ridiculing those brave enough to even make a pass at him. As a duellist, he treats Anthy badly during their engagement, insulting and abusing her.

The only thing Saionji seems to find any remote joy in is his kendo. As captain of the Academy Kendo club (which Touga is also a part of), he is understandably a very good swordsman. The kendo also gives a general explanation of why Saionji is addressed by his last name, a common practice in the art.

Throughout the series, Saionji uses "boku" for the pronoun to refer to himself. This is uncommon among high school males, who usually prefer the tougher "ore" as a first-person pronoun. This is probably meant to play second fiddle to Touga's "ore," as he is the only prominent male figure in the Ohtori student body to refer to himself as such.

Saionji's given name of Kyouichi is unremarkable. The ending "ichi" signifies a common second kanji given to firstborn sons of a Japanese family - therefore why you see so many Japanese men named "Junichi," "Kunichi," "Shuuichi" etc etc. The last name of Saionji, however, is fairly uncommon. The most famous bearer of this surname is of Saionji Kinmochi, a Japanese statesman and two-time prime minister on the eve of World War II. Like all other characters of Utena, Saionji carries a reference to plantlife in his name, which is the first kanji of "Kyouichi," meaning "pod."

The following name analysis comes from Kabalarians.com and, in my opinion, describes Saionji's character very well. I have used his last name instead of his given name Kyouichi, since he uses his last name as a form of address rather than his first:

"The name of Saionji has given you sensitivity and appreciation for the finer and deeper things in life. You can enjoy reading, study, and contemplation about many different subjects. When your interests or curiosity are aroused, you work intensely at new undertakings, but your interests often wane when you encounter drudgery and monotony, with the result that you leave many things unfinished. Your name has taken you into many bitter experiences. The greatest lack in your life is stability and peace of mind. A peaceful and quiet environment, especially out in nature, is one of your greatest desires, but you are constantly taken into chaotic conditions. Because you have high ideals and are a principled person, you have been disillusioned and disappointed in people on many occasions and have experienced much aloneness. You are fond of outdoor sports, where you can find an outlet for your nervous energy. Impulsiveness could bring frequent accidents and unfortunate happenings into your life. You do not like to be restricted or to have your freedom curtailed in any way. You find it difficult to control your thoughts and could swing in moods from one extreme to the other. Your speech can become very critical and sarcastic when you are frustrated or crossed. This name creates a weakness in the heart, lungs, and bronchial organs, and could cause heart trouble, pneumonia, asthma, or tuberculosis. It also creates tension in the nervous system, particularly the solar plexus and stomach, causing nervous indigestion and relative conditions."