The game is set in the Greek mythological fantasy world Angel Land that is ruled by the goddess Palutena. Its story is detailed in the instruction booklet: Palutena has a nightmare, which a soothsayer interprets as a foreshadowing of an invasion by the demon Orcos and his minions. The goddess summons Pit – the leader of her army – and commands him to enter a special training that will give him the power to use Angel Land's three sacred treasures. To keep these safe from Orcos while Pit is on his mission, Palutena has them protected by three fortress guardians. After Pit has finished his training and defeated the guardians, the goddess equips him with the sacred treasures. Orcos appears and turns Palutena to stone, but Pit defeats him and saves her, restoring peace to Angel Land. In the ending, Pit soars into the sky. As in the Greek myth of Icarus, he flies too close to the sun and loses his wings.
