List of Sailor Moon characters

The Sailor Moon manga series features an extensive cast of characters created by Naoko Takeuchi. The series takes place in Tokyo, Japan, where the Sailor Soldiers (セーラー戦士, Sērā Senshi), a group of ten magical girls, are reincarnated to combat an assortment of antagonists attempting to take over Tokyo, the Earth and eventually, the Milky Way galaxy. Each Soldier has a transformation sequence which grants her a uniform in her own theme-colors and her own kind of elemental power;^[1] these powers come from an object called a "Sailor Crystal" said to be within each of them.^[2] The ten Soldiers are named after planets of the Solar System, with the exception of Earth. While many of the characters are humans with superhuman strength and/or magical abilities, the cast also includes anthropomorphic animals and later, extraterrestrial lifeforms.

The series follows the adventures of the titular protagonist, Sailor Moon, her lover Tuxedo Mask, and her guardians: Sailors Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus. They are later joined by Sailor Chibimoon (Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask's daughter from the future) and four more Soldiers: Sailors Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Saturn, who defend the Solar System from external threats. The series antagonists include the Dark Kingdom, the Black Moon Clan, the Death Busters, the Dead Moon Circus, and Shadow Galactica.

Takeuchi's initial vision was a story called Codename: Sailor V, in which Sailor Venus discovers her magical powers and protects the people of Earth. After Codename: Sailor V was proposed for an anime adaptation, Takeuchi changed the concept to include five female superheroes who defend the galaxy. The manga's anime and live-action adaptations feature some original characters not created by Takeuchi, but by the animation staff.

Creation and conception

Naoko Takeuchi initially wrote Codename: Sailor V, a one-shot manga which focused on Sailor Venus. When Sailor V was proposed for an anime adaptation by Toei Animation, Takeuchi changed the concept to include Sailor Venus as a part of a "sentai" (team of five) and created the characters of Sailors Moon, Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter.^[3] The name "Sailor Soldier" comes from sailor fuku, a type of Japanese school uniform, and the Japanese word senshi, which can mean "soldier", "warrior", "guardian", or "fighter". Takeuchi named the term by fusing English and Japanese elements. The DIC Entertainment/Cloverway English adaptation of the anime changed it to "Sailor Scout" for most of its run. According to Takeuchi, only females can be Sailor Soldiers,^[3] although the series features at least one male character with a Sailor Crystal (Tuxedo Mask). In the anime's fifth season, the Sailor Starlights are depicted as men transforming into women when changing from their civilian forms into Sailor Soldiers (rather than just being women merely disguising as men as they appear in the manga), which strongly displeased Takeuchi as she felt this undermined her rule that only girls could be Sailor Soldiers.^[4]

Takeuchi desired to create a series about girls in outer space; Her editor, Fumio Osano, suggested that Takeuchi add the "sailor suit" motif in the uniform worn by the Sailor Soldiers.^[5] Originally, each of the Soldiers were intended to have their own unique outfit;^[6] however, it was later determined that they would wear uniforms based on a single theme, and Sailor Moon's costume concept was the closest to that which would eventually be used for all the girls.^[7] The first uniform of the Soldiers allowed some differences (shoe style, sleeves, gloves),^[8] while in later stages of character design Takeuchi settled on a more unified appearance.^[9] Within the Sailor Team, only the outfit worn by Sailor Venus during her time as Sailor V varies significantly from the others;^[10] however, Sailor Moon, whatever form she takes, always has a more elaborate costume than any of the others, and gains minor, individual power-ups more frequently than any other character. Sailor Soldiers originating from outside the Solar System generally have very different and widely varying outfits, but one single feature, the sailor collar, connects them all. The uniforms of the Sailor Soldiers not only show their femininity, they "perform it excessively in frilly, girly fashion".^[11]

Most of the villains in the series have names that are related to minerals and gemstones, including Queen Beryl and her Four Kings of Heaven, the Black Moon Clan, Kaolinite and the Witches 5, Zirconia, her pet Zircon, the Amazon Trio, and Xenotime and Zeolite. Members of the Amazoness Quartet are named after the first four asteroids to be discovered. The Sailor Animamates have the prefix "Sailor" (despite not being true Sailor Soldiers in the manga),^[12] followed by the name of a metal and the name of an animal.

Protagonists

Sailor Moon

Usagi Tsukino (月野 うさぎ, Tsukino Usagi, called Serena Tsukino in the original English dub) is the main protagonist of the series and leader of the Sailor Soldiers. Usagi is a careless young girl with an enormous capacity for love, compassion, and understanding. Usagi transforms into the heroine called Sailor Moon, Soldier of Love and Justice. At the beginning of the series, she is fourteen years old and portrayed as an immature crybaby who resents fighting evil and wants nothing more than to be a normal girl. As she progresses, however, she embraces the chance to use her power to protect those she cares about.^[13][14]

Tuxedo Mask

Mamoru Chiba (地場 衛, Chiba Mamoru, called Darien Shields in the original English dub) is a student somewhat older than Usagi. As a young child he was in a car accident that killed his parents and erased his own memories.^[15] During the series it is revealed he has a special psychic rapport with Usagi and can sense when she is in danger,^[16][17] which inspires him to take on the guise of Tuxedo Mask and fight alongside the Sailor Soldiers when needed. After an initially confrontational relationship,^[18] he and Usagi remember their past lives together and fall in love again.

Sailor Mercury

Ami Mizuno (水野 亜美, Mizuno Ami, called Amy Mizuno in the original English dub) is the second Sailor Soldier to be introduced in the series. Ami is a quiet but intelligent fourteen-year-old bookworm in Usagi's class with a rumored IQ of 300,^[19] she can transform into Sailor Mercury, Soldier of Water and Wisdom. Ami's shy exterior masks a passion for knowledge and taking care of the people around her.^[1] She hopes to become a doctor one day, like her mother, and tends to be the practical one in the group. Secretly, she is also a fan of pop culture and romance novels, and becomes embarrassed whenever this is pointed out. Ami would also be considered the "tech girl" and the "brain" of the group by using her mini data computer, which is capable of scanning and detecting virtually anything she needs.

Sailor Mars

Rei Hino (火野 レイ, Hino Rei, called Raye Hino in the original English dub) is the third Sailor Soldier to be introduced. Rei is an elegant, fourteen-year-old miko (shrine maiden). Because of her work as a Shinto priestess, Rei has limited precognition and can dispel/nullify evil using special Shinto scrolls, even in her civilian form.^[20] She transforms into Sailor Mars, Soldier of Fire and Passion. She is very serious and focused, although she easily gets annoyed by Usagi Tsukino's laziness - although she cares about her very much. Rei is portrayed as boy-crazy in the anime adaptation^[20] and short-tempered throughout, but is uninterested in romance and self-controlled in both the manga and live-action series.^[21] She attends a private, Catholic school separate from the other girls.

Sailor Jupiter

Makoto Kino (木野 まこと, Kino Makoto, called Lita Kino in the original English dub) is the fourth Sailor Soldier to be introduced. Makoto is a fourteen-year-old tomboy who is a student in Usagi Tsukino's class and has immense physical strength and in fact was rumoured to have been kicked out of her previous school for fighting. Unusually tall and strong for a Japanese schoolgirl,^[22] she transforms into Sailor Jupiter, Soldier of Thunder and Strength. Both Makoto's parents died in a plane crash years ago, so she lives alone and takes care of herself. She cultivates her physical strength as well as more domestic interests, including housekeeping, cooking, and gardening. Makoto is also good at hand-to-hand combat. She wants to marry young and to own a flower-and-cake shop.^[23]

Sailor Venus

Minako Aino (愛野 美奈子, Aino Minako, called Mina Aino in the original English dub) is the fifth Sailor Soldier to be introduced. A fourteen-year-old perky dreamer, Minako first appears as the main protagonist of Codename: Sailor V.^[24][25] She has a companion cat called Artemis who works alongside Luna in guiding the Sailor Soldiers. Minako transforms into Sailor Venus, Soldier of Love and Beauty, and leads Sailor Moon's four inner soldiers, while acting as Sailor Moon's closest bodyguard-decoy because of their near-identical looks. She also dreams of becoming a famous singer and idol; she attends auditions whenever she can.^[26] In contrast, in the live-action series, she is a successful J-Pop singer (of whom Usagi, Ami, and Makoto are fans) and has a poor health condition (due to anemia), choosing to separate herself from the other Guardians as a result.^[27]

Sailor Chibi Moon

Chibiusa (ちびうさ, Chibiusa, called Rini in the original English dub) is the sixth Sailor Soldier to be introduced. The future daughter of Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion in the 30th century, she later trains with Sailor Moon to become a Sailor Soldier in her own right,^[28] and learns to transform into Sailor Chibi Moon (or Sailor Mini Moon in the English series). At times she has an adversarial relationship with her mother in the 20th century,^[29] as she is more mature than Usagi. But as the series progresses they develop a deep bond. Chibiusa wants to grow up to become a lady like her mother.^[30]

Sailor Pluto

Setsuna Meioh (冥王 せつな, Meiō Setsuna, called Trista Meioh in the original English dub) is the seventh Sailor Soldier to be introduced. A mysterious woman who appears first as Sailor Pluto, the Soldier of Time and Space, who has the duty of guarding the time corridor from unauthorized travelers. Only later does she appear on Earth, living as a college student. She has a distant personality and can be very stern, but can also be quite friendly and helps the Sailor Soldiers when she can.^[31] After so long at the Gate of Time she carries a deep sense of loneliness, although she is close friends with Chibiusa. Sailor Pluto's talisman is her Garnet Rod, which aids her with her power to freeze time and attacks.

Sailor Uranus

Haruka Tenoh (天王 はるか, Ten'ō Haruka, called Amara Tenoh in the original English dub) is the eighth Sailor Soldier to be introduced. Haruka is a good-natured, masculine-acting girl who is a year older than most of the other Sailor Soldiers. She is able to transform into Sailor Uranus, Soldier of the Sky and of Fury. Before becoming a Sailor Soldier, she dreamt of becoming a racer, and she has excellent driving skills.^[32] She tends to dress and, in the anime, speak like a man. When it comes to fighting the enemy she distrusts outside help and prefers to work solely with her girlfriend Sailor Neptune and, later, Pluto and Saturn. Sailor Uranus's talisman, known as the Space Sword, aids her with her fighting and attacks.

Sailor Neptune

Michiru Kaioh (海王 みちる, Kaiō Michiru, called Michelle Kaioh in the original English dub) is the ninth Sailor Soldier to be introduced. She is an elegant and talented violinist and painter with family money of an age with her partner and lover, Haruka Tenoh. She is able to transform into Sailor Neptune, Soldier of the Ocean and Embrace. She worked alone for some time before finding her partner, Sailor Uranus.^[33] Neptune has ultimately given up her own dreams for the life of a Soldier. She is fully devoted to this duty and willing to make any sacrifice for it. Sailor Neptune's talisman is her Deep Aqua Mirror, which aids her with her intuition and revealing cloaked evil.

Sailor Saturn

Hotaru Tomoe (土萠 ほたる, Tomoe Hotaru) is the last of the Sailor Soldiers to be introduced. A sweet, lonely young girl, she is the daughter of Soichi Tomoe, a mad scientist. A terrible laboratory accident in her youth significantly compromised her health in the anime adaptation and destroyed a large portion of her body (which was later rebuilt with electronic components by her father) in the manga. After overcoming the darkness that has surrounded her family, Hotaru is able to become the Soldier of Death and Rebirth, Sailor Saturn.^[28] She is often pensive, and as a human has the inexplicable power to heal others. Sailor Saturn's weapon is her Silence Glaive, which aids her with her power to generate barriers and the power to destroy a planet. However, when she uses that power, she kills herself but is reborn afterwards.

Antagonists

Dark Kingdom

The Dark Kingdom (ダーク・キングダム, Dāku Kingudamu, called Negaverse in the original English dub) are the main antagonists in the first arc of the manga and anime, as well as the entirety of the live-action series. Serving under its ruler Queen Beryl, members of the Dark Kingdom attempt to both gather human energy and find the Silver Crystal in order to reawaken Queen Metaria, the evil entity responsible for the destruction of the Silver Millennium.

Makaiju

The Makaiju (魔界樹, Makai Ju, called Doom Tree Aliens in the original English dub) are minor antagonists appearing only in the first thirteen episodes of Sailor Moon R. They are two aliens named Ail and An, who supply the eponymous Makaiju ("Hell Tree") with human energy in order to revive it so that it can, in turn, continue giving them energy to survive.

Black Moon Clan

The Black Moon Clan (ブラック・ムーン一族, Burakku Mūn Ichizoku, called Negamoon Family in the original English dub) are the main antagonists in the Black Moon arc of the manga and in the majority of Sailor Moon R. Members of the Black Moon Clan come from Planet Nemesis, a fictional tenth planet of the Solar System, and have the distinction of having black, upside-down crescents on their foreheads. They are led by Prince Diamond, who has been manipulated by the Wiseman so that he and the Black Moon Clan members gather power for him.

Death Busters

The Death Busters (デス・バスターズ, Desu Basutāzu, called Bureau of Bad Behavior in the original English dub) are the main antagonists in the Infinity arc of the manga and in Sailor Moon S. Led by Professor Tomoe, the Death Busters have as main goal the resurrection of Mistress 9, who in turn would bring the alien creature Pharaoh 90 to Earth to destroy it in an event known as "Silence".

Dead Moon Circus

The Dead Moon Circus (デッド・ムーン・サーカス, Deddo Mūn Sākasu, called Dark Moon Circus in the original English dub) are the main antagonists in the Dream arc of the manga and in Sailor Moon SuperS. Led by Zirconia, members of the Dead Moon Circus are looking for the Golden Crystal, which will allow their Queen Nehelenia to break free of her entrapment within a mirror and take over the Earth.

Shadow Galactica

Shadow Galactica (シャドウ・ギャラクティカ, Shadō Gyarakutika) are the main antagonists in the Stars arc of the manga and most of Sailor Stars. Shadow Galactica is an organization of corrupted Sailor Soldiers led by Sailor Galaxia, who devote themselves to stealing Silver Crystals, the essence of sentient life, from all in the Milky Way. Their final goal is that of reorganizing the universe in the image that Chaos, the primary antagonist of the series, desires.

Other characters

Luna, Artemis, and Diana

The series includes three different cat characters who act as advisors to their respective owners. Each has the power of speech, and bears a crescent moon symbol on his or her forehead. The two older cats, Luna and Artemis, lived millennia before the main plot in the Moon Kingdom and acted as advisors to Queen Serenity—the third, Diana, is much younger and was born on Earth. Because of this close association with the Moon, they are each named after Greek and Roman gods. The cats serve as mentors and confidantes, as well as a source of information and new tools. They are able to advise the Sailor Soldiers on their duties, on the history of the Moon Kingdom, and on ancient legends which illuminate the best course of action. In addition, they are able to produce special items that allow the Soldiers to awaken, or that strengthen their powers. The feline characters are featured less prominently as the series progresses, but increased emphasis is placed on them as more than counselors. They are shown to have additional physical forms, a deeper backstory, and even an unrequited love or two.

In the anime, it is never suggested that the cats are anything but cats, and only Luna ever transforms into a human. In Act 41 of the manga, however, Sailor Moon's power causes her companions to revert to their true forms. The Sailor Soldiers become princesses, and the three cats are teleported to Sailor Moon's location, where they take on human forms. Luna's shape is the same as she had acquired previously, Artemis gets reverted to the form he had taken earlier in the arc to save Minako, while Diana is shown this way for the first time. (Both Luna and Diana have odango incorporated into their hairstyles, probably modelled after Usagi.)

The reason for their transformation is not discussed until Act 46 of the manga, in which the three are attacked by Sailor Tin Nyanko. She calls them traitors, using her power to change them once again into humans, and then chasing them and trying to kill them. When she introduces herself to Sailor Moon, Luna realizes who she really is—a false Soldier from their original planet, Mau (named after the real cat species the Egyptian Mau), which had once been protected by Sailor Mau. Artemis terms it a peace-loving world, but Tin Nyanko informs him that after he and Luna "abandoned" it, its people were wiped out by Sailor Galaxia. At this point, Diana, also in human form, arrives from the future and tries to intervene, but Tin Nyanko hits all three of them with blasts from her bracelets, and they shift to ordinary cats, unable to speak. Later, as they care for the badly injured cats, Princess Kakyuu tells Usagi that the three of them have powerful starseeds, as brilliant as Sailor Crystals. In Act 47, it is revealed that their inability to speak is a result of injuries to the crescent moon symbols on the cats' foreheads, and before leaving to fight Galaxia, Usagi leaves them in the care of her mother. In the next Act, they are brought to the River Lethe and killed by Sailor Lethe. They are reincarnated at the end of the series with everyone else.

Although Luna takes the largest role of the three, technically Artemis was the first; he figures prominently in Codename: Sailor V, the manga series which preceded Sailor Moon.

In the Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon series, Luna and Artemis are portrayed as stuffed toys rather than real cats. Usually they are represented by a puppet, though CGI effects are used for complicated scenes.

Grigsby considers the cat characters to blend pre-modern ideas about feminine mystery and modern ideas such as the lucky cat.^[34]

Luna

Luna (ルナ, Runa) is a black cat who is a devoted servant to Princess Serenity and advisor to her mother, Queen Serenity. When the kingdom falls, she and Artemis are put into a long sleep and sent down to Earth to look after the Sailor Soldiers, who are to be reborn there. Part of Luna's memory becomes suppressed, so that she must find the Sailor Soldiers.^[35] She first encounters Usagi Tsukino and teaches her to become Sailor Moon, unaware that it is actually the reincarnated Princess Serenity. Luna also provides the Soldiers with many of their special items.

Over the course of the series, Luna develops a close bond with Usagi, though early on it is on uneasy terms, as Luna often upsets Usagi by giving her unsolicited advice. She also becomes good friends with Ami Mizuno. She and Artemis have an implied romantic relationship, which is confirmed when they meet Diana, who is their daughter from the future. In the anime adaptation of Sailor Stars, Luna also develops a crush on Kou Yaten, one of the Three Lights.

In "The Lover of Princess Kaguya," a side-story of the manga, she falls in love with a human named Kakeru. This story was adapted in Sailor Moon S: The Movie, and features Luna's first transformation into a human. She gets a cold and tries to find her way home despite Artemis' plea to go with her. She ends up lying in the street until she is rescued by Kakeru from roadkill.

In the first official Sailor Moon character popularity poll, Luna was the eighth most popular character out of thirty eight choices.^[36] One year later, now with fifty choices, Luna was the twenty-second most popular character.^[37]

In both the anime series and Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Luna is originally voiced by Keiko Han.^[38] Ryō Hirohashi voiced her from Crystal onwards.

In the DIC/Cloverway English adaptation, she is voiced by Jill Frappier, who portrayed the character with an English accent,^[39] described as "fairly old, not to mention cranky and British".^[40] Her role in the series has been compared to Rupert Giles' in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.^[39] In the Viz Media English adaptation, her voice is supplied by Michelle Ruff.

Sailor Luna

In Act 27 of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Luna gains the ability to turn into a young human girl, going by the name Luna Tsukino while able, to become a Sailor Guardian. Her personality as a human girl is essentially identical to her normal self, except that she has a mild obsession with sweet foods and easily is overwhelmed by her feline nature, fearful of dogs and is easily distracted by toys. She also has heightened hearing and cat-like quickness. Luna involuntarily transforms back into a plushie under certain circumstances such as sneezing, taking a direct attack from an enemy, or falling unconscious.

By dialing 6-7-2 on her Lunatia S (a special cell phone) and shouting "Luna Prism Power, Make up!" she can transform into Sailor Luna, the "Guardian of Love and Small Things."^[41] In this form she uses a special attack called "Luna Sucre Candy" which bombards an enemy in exploding sweets. Her main weapon is a "candy" wand, which looks similar to Sailor Moon's "Moon Stick" and which she can transform into various other objects, such as a paper fan or a butterfly net.

In the Special Act epilogue, Luna is the only one of the Sailor Guardians who is still able to transform without outside assistance. She is also shown living mainly as a human with Usagi's family, with whom she gets along quite well, though she still takes on her cat form when necessary. She is also shown to have taken on some of the personality traits of Usagi and her mother, such as acting in the same melodramatic manner when waking up in the morning.

Takeuchi designed the character of Sailor Luna. One of the only times she appears in an outfit other than those Takeuchi designed—her Sailor suit or her purple shirt and yellow skirt—is in the Special Act, where she serves as the flower girl at Usagi and Mamoru's wedding. Luna's human form is portrayed by Rina Koike, who thought that she was going to play Chibiusa until she went in for a costume fitting.^[42]

Artemis

Artemis (アルテミス, Arutemisu) is the white cat companion to Minako Aino, the leader of the Sailor Soldiers—he trains her to become Sailor V, and remains by her side when she takes on her proper role as Sailor Venus.

He first guides Usagi Tsukino through the Sailor V video game at the Crown Game Center arcade, but not revealing his true identity. When a technical problem reveals him, Luna is greatly annoyed to learn that he has been the one guiding her all along.^[43] Later, he fills in the details of her true mission.^[35]

Artemis is more easygoing than Luna, and has a "big brother" relationship with Minako, although his attraction to her is sometimes implied.^[44] He also cares very deeply about Luna, often comforting her when she is distressed and stating his admiration of her. In addition, he is a good father to Diana as evidenced by her affection for him.

In the Sailor V manga and Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Artemis gives special items to the Soldiers, although unlike Luna he does not seem to produce them himself. He never does this in the Sailor Moon manga or the anime. He also does not seem to mind the fact that he is named after a female goddess, even when teased about it by Minako.^[45]

In the first official Sailor Moon character popularity poll, Artemis was the seventeenth most popular character out of thirty eight choices.^[36] One year later, now with fifty choices, Artemis was the twenty-sixth most popular character.^[37]

In the original Japanese series, Artemis is voiced by Yasuhiro Takato in the first series^[38] and by Yōhei Ōbayashi in Crystal. In Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, he is voiced by Kappei Yamaguchi. He appears in the first Sailor Moon musical, played by a cat-suited Keiji Himeno. In the DIC/Cloverway English adaptation, he is voiced by Ron Rubin. In the Viz Media English adaptation, his voice is supplied by Johnny Yong Bosch.

Diana

Diana (ダイアナ, Daiana) is the future daughter of Luna and Artemis. She first appears when the Sailor Soldiers travel to the 30th century. After defeating Death Phantom, the Sailor Soldiers return to the 20th century and Diana joins them. In the anime only, she appears out of the bushes and meets Artemis to Luna's initial dismay. Only later it is revealed that Diana has come from the future and that her mother is Luna.

Just as Luna and Artemis guide Usagi and Minako, Diana acts as a guardian to Chibiusa. She is very curious, eager to help, and deeply polite, always addressing Usagi and Mamoru with the Japanese honorific "-sama" and calling Chibiusa by her formal title, Small Lady. She is also able to help the Sailor Soldiers on occasion, despite her youth, and often because of the knowledge she has gained in the future. In Act 46 of manga, having returned to the future along with Chibiusa, she is able to sense the danger her parents are in and go back in time to save them from being killed.

In the second official Sailor Moon character popularity poll, Diana was the sixteenth most popular character out of fifty choices.^[37]

She is voiced by Kumiko Nishihara in the first series.^[38] In Crystal, she is voiced by Shoko Nakagawa. In the Cloverway English adaptation, she is voiced by Loretta Jafelice in the series, and by Naomi Emmerson in Sailor Moon Super S: The Movie.

Tsukino family

Ikuko/Mama

Ikuko Tsukino (月野 育子, Tsukino Ikuko) is the Earth mother of Usagi Tsukino (Sailor Moon). She cares for Chibiusa when she is present, whom she believes to be her niece, but who in truth is her future granddaughter. She also cares for Chibichibi, whom she believes to be her second daughter. Ikuko's name and design are modeled after Takeuchi's mother. She is often seen cooking and lecturing Usagi for her grades in school; still, they're shown to be pretty close, since she gives Usagi advice on relationships of all kinds from time to time, and eagerly accepts her relationship with Mamoru. Unlike most of the minor cast, Ikuko is one of the few human characters to appear in Sailor Stars. In the anime adaptation when ChibiChibi arrives, and in the original manga she cares for the injured cats when Usagi leaves to fight Galaxia.

In the live-action series, Ikuko is portrayed as an extremely outgoing, quirky, and determined person. She changes her hairstyle almost every day, is constantly trying out new (and questionable) omelette recipes, and loves nothing more than being in the spotlight. She is even high school friends with Minako's manager, and it is said the two of them were big participants in their school's theater program.

In the original Japanese series, Ikuko is voiced by Sanae Takagi in the first anime and by Yuko Mizutani in Crystal.^[46] In the DIC and Cloverway English adaptation, she is voiced by Barbara Radecki. In the Viz Media English adaptation, her voice is supplied by Tara Platt. Kaori Moriwaka portrays Ikuko in Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon.

Kenji/Papa

Kenji Tsukino (月野 謙之, Tsukino Kenji) is Usagi's Earth father. Kenji, like his wife Ikuko, is totally clueless about Usagi's real identity. A stereotypical well-meaning Japanese salaryman, he works as a magazine reporter^[47] and later as an editor-in-chief.^[48] Kenji is quite affectionate with his wife. Early on, he becomes jealous when he sees Usagi with Mamoru Chiba, thinking that Umino is a better candidate.

Kenji is the only member of his family who notices the similarities between Sailor Moon and Usagi. He senses a maturity in his daughter that comes when she is finally aware of her status as Princess Serenity, and notes that at times her beauty seems serene. Kenji appears less frequently after the anime adaptation's second season. In Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, he never appears in the main body of the series, which is explained by his always being away on business trips. His wife teasingly complains to him about this over the phone, but laughs it away and seems genuinely proud of and happy with him. He does appear briefly in the direct-to-DVD Special Act however, crying at Usagi's wedding.

In the anime series, Kenji is voiced by Yuji Machi in the first series and by Mitsuaki Madono in Crystal. In the DIC/Cloverway English adaptation, he is voiced by David Huband. In the Viz Media English adaptation, he is voiced by Keith Silverstein. In the Special Act of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, he is portrayed by series director Ryuta Tasaki.

Shingo

Shingo Tsukino (月野 進悟, Tsukino Shingo) is the younger brother of Usagi Tsukino, making her the only Sailor Soldiers with any known siblings. His influence in her life is alternately helpful and mocking; he considers her well-meaning, but a crybaby and accident-prone. Though unaware of his sister's true identity, Shingo is impressed by the media-hyped urban legends of Sailor Moon and Sailor V. He is a particularly enthusiastic fan of Sailor Moon, because she rescued him from Dark Kingdom forces fairly early on in her career.^[49] He enjoys video games, and is a studious student. In the anime, Shingo appears in several episodes of the first season, but is less frequently seen afterwards. In Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Shingo dislikes much of what his sister and mother do, and seems to not care about much of life in general.

In the video game Another Story, Shingo is temporarily granted a large role, as he is kidnapped by the villains as ransom in an attempt to force his big sister Usagi (a.k.a. Sailor Moon) to hand over the Silver Crystal. In a conversation with one of the villains, the Opposito Senshi Sin, Shingo confesses that sometimes Usagi can be irritating, stealing his food and using his games, but also worries about him when he's sick or hurt. When Sin calls Usagi a bad sister, Shingo angrily tells her not to badmouth his sister, and is subsequently put to sleep through a spell. He is still asleep when the Sailor Soldiers arrive and successfully rescue him.

Shingo's favorite book is listed as Shonen J*mp (a reference to the manga anthology Weekly Shōnen Jump), and he likes to play games on the Famicom.^[50] In the original Japanese series, Shingo is voiced by Chiyoko Kawashima until her retirement, with Seria Ryū taking over the role afterward in Crystal.^[46] In the DIC/Cloverway English adaptation, his name is changed to Sammy Tsukino and he is voiced by Julie Lemieux. In the Viz Media English adaptation, his voice is supplied by Nicolas Roye. In Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, he is portrayed by Naoki Takeshi.

Other humans

Naru Osaka

Naru Osaka (大阪 なる, Ōsaka Naru) is Usagi's best friend and schoolmate at the start of the series. Patrick Drazen describes her characterization as "self-sacrificing" and "compassionate".^[51]

Naru and her mother are the very first victims of a monster attack, and Naru hero-worships Sailor Moon for saving them. Throughout the early series she continues to be a frequent target of monsters. In a "memorable subplot" of the anime adaptation,^[51] Naru falls in love with Nephrite, who eventually returns her feelings and attempts to atone for his misdeeds. His death while protecting Naru devastates her throughout the first season. Kotono Mitsuishi was particularly touched by this sequence.^[52] She is seen less frequently after the first arc.

Naru plays a much more important role in Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, even learning most of the truth about the Sailor Guardians. She is an also more confident and outgoing person. For a short while, she and Ami share a conflicted relationship as both seem to be jealous of the other's closeness with Usagi. However, they later resolve their differences and become good friends themselves. In the anime only, Naru ends up dating Gurio Umino and they win a "Love Contest", fighting against other couples, including Haruka and Michiru (who were on course to win themselves, but withdrew), to see who was most in love. Naru's final appearance in the anime is in the Ami's First Love Special, and in the manga she makes a brief cameo in act 45 of the Stars act, having lunch with Usagi right after the deaths of Sailor Mercury and Sailor Jupiter.

Naru's younger sister, Naruru, features in a short side story in the Stars manga, although it is stated in the anime that she is an only child. Naruru at first makes an official cameo with Haruka, Michiru, and Usagi at the high school and is shown getting along with them. She only has lines in the Stars manga short side story.

In the official Sailor Moon character popularity polls, she was ranked 19th in the third volume of Sailor Moon,^[36] and 23rd in the seventh volume.^[37]

She is voiced by Shino Kakinuma in the original series and by Satomi Satō in Crystal.^[46] In the DIC/Cloverway English adaptation, her name is changed to Molly Baker and is voiced Mary Long.^[1] In the Viz Media English adaptation, her voice is supplied by Danielle Judovits. Chieko Kawabe portrays her in Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon.

Gurio Umino

Gurio Umino (海野 ぐりお, Umino Gurio) is a student in Usagi's class at school. He is given a rather nerdy voice in the dub. He is usually called simply Umino, and begins with a severe infatuation with Usagi.

His defining characteristic is his glasses, which have odd swirls in them, denoting their thickness. He is a know-it-all, and he keeps Usagi informed on current events, new students, gossip, and any other information she might appreciate. In the anime, he eventually ends up dating Naru, and like her, his importance gradually decreases after the first anime series. He made his final appearance in the SuperS anime special Ami's First Love.

Umino is commonly portrayed as "nerdy" and "weird," although to be fair, this is usually because the viewers are seeing him as Usagi does, and Usagi sometimes considers him an annoyance (although at other times she considers him a good friend; she is willing and eager, for instance, to help him out when he tells her he loves Naru; this results in a "Tuxedo Umino Mask" spectacle that embarrasses Naru). He is characterized by over-enthusiasm (he once attempted to defeat one of Zoisite's youmas using only fried shrimp in order to ensure the monster wouldn't hurt Naru), an eager devotion to his studies, and sincerity and honesty sometimes to the point of bluntness. It is this sincerity, however, that enables both him and Naru to win a "Love Contest" in the Sailor Moon S season due to Umino's passionate, honest and genuine love confession. He enjoys drinking milkshakes, and in an episode where he believed Naru had fallen in love with Tiger's Eye, he drowned his sorrows with them.

In the manga, Umino is implied (and later confirmed by Naoko Takeuchi) to be incredibly handsome when he takes his glasses off, a joke riffing on his ordinarily nerdy appearance. This trait is shared with the one-off character Princess D.

The kanji in Umino's surname represent a pun meaning either "ocean field" or "of ocean"; as such, it is constructed in the same way as Usagi's and those of all four Guardian Senshi. His first name, Gurio, is given in hiragana and so its meaning is unclear.

In the Japanese series, his voice actor is Keiichi Nanba in Sailor Moon and Daiki Yamashita in Crystal.^[46] In the DIC/Cloverway English adaptation, his name is changed to Melvin Butlers and is voiced by Roland Parliament. In the Viz Media English adaptation, his voice is supplied by Ben Diskin.

Haruna Sakurada

Haruna Sakurada (桜田 春菜, Sakurada Haruna) is a junior high school teacher who often lectures Usagi Tsukino for her laziness. Haruna also intends to find a husband, which makes her an easy target for the Dark Kingdom during the first arc. She often engages in seemingly childish things in this regard as well. She appears less frequently as the series progresses. In Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Haruna will assign pop quizzes and clean-up duty when needed. She has an extremely eccentric personality, and is very friendly and motherly towards her students, even Usagi.

The kanji in her name mean "cherry blossom" (sakura), "rice field" (da), "spring" (haru), and "vegetables" (na). The "spring" part of her name becomes a pun in the context of other works by Takeuchi: Haruna appears very briefly in one earlier series, The Cherry Project, which features her sister Fuyuna in one of its side stories. Two other characters with similar names appear in Takeuchi works: Natsuna in Codename: Sailor V and Akina in PQ Angels. The Japanese words fuyu, natsu, and aki mean "winter," "summer," and "autumn" respectively.

In the Japanese series, Haruna is originally voiced by Chiyoko Kawashima in Sailor Moon until her retirement in 2001. Akemi Kanda voices her from Crystal onwards.^[46] In the DIC/Cloverway English adaptation, her name is changed to Patricia Haruna and is voiced by Nadine Rabinovitch. In the Viz Media English adaptation, her voice is supplied by Julie Ann Taylor. She is played by Tomoko Otakara in Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon In the musicals, she is portrayed at various points by Kasumi Hyuuga and Kiho Seishi.

Motoki Furuhata

Motoki Furuhata (古幡 元基, Furuhata Motoki) works at the Crown Game Center, a video arcade Usagi frequently visits. In A Scout is Born,^[53] an adaptation of the first anime three episodes by Stuart J. Levy, he is called Andrew Foreman. Motoki also holds a job at the Crown Fruit Parlor and is a KO University student along with Mamoru Chiba. After he recognizes the Sailor Soldiers and learns their true identities, Motoki vows not to tell anyone. His girlfriend is Reika Nishimura, a wonderful science student. Later throughout the series, it is revealed that he and Reika knew Setsuna while she was studying at their university.

In the anime adaptation, Usagi calls him "Big Brother" Motoki (元基お兄さん, Motoki-oniisan) and has a crush on him in the beginning of the series. Motoki and Mamoru also attend the Azabu Institute of Technology. He is pretty naive, and says that he views the girls as younger sisters, oblivious to the fact that they have crushes on him. He has a little sister, Unazuki Furuhata, who is also friends with Usagi and the others.

In Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, the Crown Center is a karaoke parlor, and Motoki spends much of his time with his pet turtle, Kamekichi. He initially goes on a triple-date with Usagi, Rei, Makoto, and his two friends from college, one of which is Mamoru. He and Usagi become separated in a maze, but he suffers from a claustrophobic faint and is rescued by Makoto Kino. After Makoto gives him a scarf that she had knitted for a school project, there is a recurring flirtatious relationship between the two. Makoto and Motoki's relationship eventually becomes a bit more serious. They eventually go out on a date, but Makoto pushes him away from her, stating that she must always be alone because it is her destiny. Eventually there is a situation where youma are attacking the city and Makoto has to transform into Sailor Jupiter in front of Motoki, revealing her secret identity to him. Their connection grows stronger from this, and he buys her a small turtle, a good luck charm to protect her while she's fighting.

During the special act, which takes place four years after the series finale, Makoto owns a floral shop and Motoki is shown helping her out. The two seem to be dating, and at the end, Motoki catches the bouquet at Usagi and Mamoru's wedding and proposes to Makoto, who accepts.

In the Japanese series, Motoki is voiced by Hiroyuki Satō in Sailor Moon and by Hiroshi Okamoto in Crystal.^[46] In the DIC/Cloverway English adaptations, his name is changed to Andrew Furuhata and is voiced by Colin O'Meara, then Steven Bednarski. In the Viz Media English adaptation, his voice is supplied by Lucien Dodge. He is portrayed by Masaya Kikawada in Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon.

Reika Nishimura

Reika Nishimura (西村 レイカ, Nishimura Reika) is Motoki Furuhata's girlfriend and fellow student at KO University. She later befriends Setsuna Meioh there. In the anime only, she the reincarnation of the Great Youma Rikokeidā. After leaving Japan twice to study abroad, she eventually leaves the country for 10 years, but Motoki is still willing to wait for her. She is voiced by Rica Fukami in the original series and by Mai Nakahara in Crystal. In the DIC/Cloverway English adaptation, her name is changed to Rita Blake and was voiced by Katherine Trowell, Wendy Lyon, and Daniela Olivieri in her three appearances in that order respectively. In the Viz Media English adaptation, she is voiced by Erica Mendez.

Rei's grandfather

Rei's grandfather (レイのおじいさん, Rei no ojiisan) is the perverted grandfather of Rei Hino and a Shinto priest that lives at the Hikawa Shrine. In the anime, he has a different physical appearance and he plays a more prominent role appearing as one of the holders of the Rainbow Crystals that make up the Silver Crystal. He often hits on anyone regardless of gender.^[54]

In the original Japanese series, his voice actor is Tomomichi Nishimura in the first anime. In the DIC/Cloverway English adaptation, he is voiced by David Fraser, except in Sailor Moon S episode 99 where he was voiced by John Stocker as a stand-in. In the Viz Media English adaptation, his voice is supplied by Michael Sorich.

Yūichirō Kumada

Yūichirō Kumada (熊田 雄一郎, Kumada Yūichirō) is an anime-only character appearing in the first three seasons of Sailor Moon. He is ragged-looking young man who helps out at the Hikawa Shrine. His family is very rich and even has a lodge in the mountains. He takes Rei Hino and her friends to his parents' lodge, where they go skiing. After falling in love with Rei, Yūichirō decides to stay at the Hikawa Shrine so he could always be near her. Even though she does not reciprocate his love, he remains faithful and tries to protect her. She warms up to his personality considerably over time.

In the first Japanese anime series, he is voiced by Bin Shimada. In the DIC/Cloverway English adaptation, his name is changed to "Chad" and is voiced by Steven Bednarski. In the Viz Media English adaption, he is voiced by Yuri Lowenthal.

Unazuki Furuhata

Unazuki Furuhata (古幡 宇奈月, Furuhata Unazuki) is the younger sister of Motoki Furuhata who works as a waitress at the Crown Fruit Parlor, where the Sailor Soldiers spend much of their free time in the latter parts of the anime. During the SuperS arc of the anime, this restaurant replaces the arcade and Rei's shrine as the usual location of gatherings between the main characters. The parlor is in the same building as the arcade, ablit on the upper floor. Both are owned by her and Motoki's family. Unazuki attends T*A Private Girls School with Rei Hino.

She first appears sporadically, with her first appearance in R as a mistaken love rival for Mamoru Chiba, as well as dreaming of her first kiss in S (which results in being targeted by the Death Busters). Unazuki appears more frequently in SuperS as a major supporting character and is usually among Usagi's group.

She is voiced by Miyako Endou in the first series, with Eriko Hara as a stand in. In the DIC/Cloverway English adaptation, her name is changed to Elizabeth "Lizzie" Furuhata and is first voiced by Sabrina Grdevich and later by Catherine Disher.

In the second Sailor Moon popularity poll, she was ranked the twenty-ninth most popular character, out of fifty choices.^[37]

Momoko Momohara

Momoko Momohara (桃原 桃子, Momohara Momoko) appears in the anime adaptation as an elementary school student who befriends Chibiusa. She is first caught up in a fight with Chiral and Achiral, two Black Moon Droids, and badly injured as a result causing Chibiusa to go into a fit and unleash her latent powers at the monsters. Later, Momoko becomes the first target of the Amazoness Quartet. When she goes to see the first performance of the Dead Moon Circus with Chibiusa and Kyūsuke, she falls victim to a spell cast by Flower Magician CereCere. In a hypnotic trance, she leaves her seat and is attacked by the Amazoness Quartet. Once her dream mirror is revealed and not the Golden Dream Mirror sought by Queen Nehellennia, the quartet summon a Lemures to devour Momoko's mirror. She is saved by Sailor Chibi Moon and Sailor Moon.

She is voiced by Taeko Kawata. In the DIC/Cloverway English adaptation, her name is changed to Melissa and later Melanie, and her voice is supplied by Mary Long and Tanya Donato at various points.

In the second Sailor Moon popularity poll, she was ranked the twenty-fifth most popular character, out of fifty choices.^[37]

Kyūsuke Sarashina

Kyūsuke Sarashina (更科 九助, Sarashina Kyūsuke, called Kelly in the English dub) attends elementary school with Chibiusa. He is targeted by the Amazoness Quartet in Episode 155. He is a friend of Chibiusa and known to be very athletic, but also sarcastic. In the episode he is targeted by Amazoness JunJun, he is attempting to overcome his fear of the vault, the only portion of the athletic relay he has trouble with. JunJun, in order to see his dream mirror, scares him into leaping over the vault, effectively giving Kyūsuke the confidence to continue in the athletic competition (after Sailor Moon and Sailor Chibi Moon save him from JunJun).

He also plays a significant role in a later episode, when Chibiusa befriends a boy named Hiroki, who is trying to build a flying machine. While Kyūsuke initially seems resentful of Hiroki and how impressed Chibiusa is with Hiroki's dream, Kyūsuke ends up being the one to encourage Hiroki continue building the flying machine after multiple failed attempts. He tells Hiroki that some dreams must be achieved with the help of another person and that a dream is no less beautiful as a result. With Kyūsuke's help, Hiroki completes the flying machine when he realizes that alone he lacked the power and endurance to keep the machine in the air, but with Kyūsuke helping him pedal, it would take flight.

Kyūsuke has an older sister, Kotono Sarashina, who attends T*A Private Girls School with Rei Hino.

He is voiced by Daisuke Sakaguchi.

Nonhumans

Queen Serenity

Queen Serenity (クィーン・セレニティ, Kuīn Sereniti) is the mother of Princess Serenity (Sailor Moon). As the Queen of the Moon, she reigns during the Silver Millennium. Queen Serenity occasionally appears as a guide to help the Sailor Soldiers remember who they are through Luna. She states in the manga that the ancients knew her as the goddess Selene,^[55] and because of this her name is sometimes romanized as "Queen Selenity". She has the same hairstyle as her daughter. She is portrayed as having been a "good ruler".^[56]

Queen Serenity first appears as a hologram, and specifically mentions having saved her spirit within the computer in order to preserve her will.^[55] She tells the Sailor Soldiers of their past lives, which they begin to remember as she describes them, and tells them that they must find Metaria, who has escaped the seal placed on her and gone into hiding on Earth. Early on, Queen Serenity's spirit appears in the reconstructed Silver Millennium, telling her daughter to find happiness with the one she loves.^[57] She appears four times more, all in flashbacks: once in Sailor Pluto's memories;^[58] after the birth of Princess Serenity, confronted by Queen Nehelenia;^[59] comforting her daughter after the defeat of Nehelenia;^[59] and finally in the Galaxy Cauldron, described as a "shining star" that arrived to the Cauldron carrying a small star's shell long ago.^[60] In the anime only, Queen Serenity appears when the Sailor Soldiers travel to the moon. (In the English dub, some footage of her talking with Artemis is shown at the beginning of the first episode.)^[61] Having sacrificed her own life years earlier, she appears as a spirit telling the Soldiers about their past lives, and about the history of Silver Millennium. She only appears in flashbacks soon after. She also appears in the "Special Act" of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon.

She is voiced by Mika Doi in the first anime series, with Mami Koyama taking over the role for Crystal. In the DIC/Cloverway English adaptation, she is voiced by Barbara Radecki and Wendy Lyon. In the Viz Media English adaptation, she is voiced by Wendee Lee. In Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Miyuu Sawai portrays Queen Serenity, which her voice dubbed over by Yoko Soumi.

Phobos and Deimos

Phobos (フォボス, Fobosu) and Deimos (ディモス, Dimosu) are Rei's pet crows that live at the shrine, which she named after the two moons of Mars. They have the ability to sense evil, and sometimes even attack enemies.^[62] It is revealed that when Rei was a child, they "told" her their names. Eventually, they reveal themselves as the Power Guardians—small, humanoid sprites, in charge of guarding Sailor Mars. They save Sailor Mars from being killed by Tiger's Eye and give her new Sailor Crystal to her. They are later revealed to be from the planet Coronis when they encounter Sailor Lead Crow, who also happens to be from Coronis. Sailor Lead Crow steals Phobos and Deimos' star seeds, killing them. The two of them have star-seeds on a level near or equal to a Sailor Crystal.

In Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Rei's crows appear only in the third episode. In the Another Story video game, they go with her on the search for Jadeite's stone. A fake Deimos and Phobos appear in crow form in the musical Sailor Moon S - Usagi - Ai no Senshi e no Michi. They were portrayed by male actors. Like Luna and Artemis before them, they are portrayed as adult actors in animal costumes.^[63]

Helios/Pegasus

Pegasus (一角天馬(ペガサス), Pegasasu)^[50] is an alicorn and a close friend of Small Lady. In his human form, he is known as Priest Helios (祭司エリオス, Saiji Eriosu), the priest and guardian of Elysion, which is the sacred land that protects the planet Earth from within and the place where the Golden Kingdom used to be in the times of the Silver Millennium. The Golden Kingdom was also the place where Mamoru Chiba lived in his past life as the Prince of Earth, Endymion. Helios and Endymion never met, though they were aware of each other and the fact that they shared the same wish of protecting Earth. When Elysion is invaded by the Dead Moon Circus, Helios is sealed in the body of a horse, Pegasus, and placed inside a cage. Remembering a woman he had seen in a vision, he sends out his spirit in the form of Pegasus to seek her help. He asks Sailor Moon and Sailor Chibi Moon for aid, giving them information and new weapons and, once, calling upon Elysion itself to protect the city. He and Chibiusa become close, and he eventually discovers that her adult version is the woman he had seen. In the end, when the enemy is defeated and he has departed on the back of the "real" Pegasus, Chibiusa thinks to herself that when she has grown up, he will become her "prince."^[64]

In the anime adaptation, Helios guards the Golden Crystal that protects the dreams of Earth's people. He is directly attacked by the Dead Moon Circus for this reason, and leaves his own body to flee with the crystal. Taking the form of Pegasus, he places the crystal on his forehead as a horn and goes into hiding in the dreams of Chibiusa. There, he not only asks for her help but also grants power to her and to her allies using several special items. Though he does not trust Chibiusa at first, they gradually develop a connection, and in the end he tells her his secrets.

Takeuchi stated that she was dissatisfied with Helios' clothing design, having created his outfit in a hurry because it was easy to draw and she was pressed for time. She describes the result as "ugly" and "a disaster," also commenting that the character inherited his "irresponsible ways" from herself.^[65]

In the anime series, he is voiced by Taiki Matsuno in Sailor Moon. In the Cloverway English adaptation, he is voiced by Robert Bockstael. In the musicals, Pegasus is voiced by Yuuta Enomoto.^[66]

Sailor Starlights

The Sailor Starlights are a team of three Sailor Soldiers: Sailor Star Fighter, Sailor Star Maker, and Sailor Star Healer. They come from Kinmoku, a fictional planet outside of the solar system, after it has been wiped out in an attack by Sailor Galaxia. On Earth, they take on the guise of a male pop band, the Three Lights, and use their music as a signal beacon for their leader, Princess Kakyuu. In this form they take on the names Kou Seiya, Kou Taiki, and Kou Yaten. In the manga, they are always female and merely dress as males; in the anime, they physically transform into young men and are much more major characters. In both cases, Seiya develops romantic feelings for Usagi.

Princess Kakyuu

Princess Kakyuu (火球皇女(プリンセス), Kakyū Purinsesu), commonly subtitled as Fireball Princess (プリンセス火球, Purinsesu Kakkyū)^[67] is the princess of Kinmoku, a fictional planet outside of the solar system. She is said to smell like the flowers of the sweet osmanthus, which are a recurring motif in her character design. The name of her planet is a pun on the name of these fragrant blossoms, which are called kinmokusei in Japanese—the suffix sei, when added to Kinmoku, means "planet" or "star." When Kakyuu first introduces herself, she calls her specific kingdom Tankei, a homonym of another word which also means the Sweet Osmanthus shrub. Kinmoku is also the home of the Sailor Starlights, who are Kakyuu's protectors and spend much of the story searching for her.

When Kinmoku is attacked and destroyed by Sailor Galaxia, Kakyuu and ChibiChibi flee to Earth. Having lost contact with her, the Sailor Starlights pursue her. Kakyuu is injured in the battle with Galaxia, and cannot reveal herself until her wounds are healed. She travels to Earth because she senses the birth of the Silver Moon Crystal. She has her own soldier form, Sailor Kakyuu, and later reveals to Sailor Moon that her own lover had died in the war against Sailor Galaxia. She eventually accompanies Sailor Moon to Zero Star Sagittarius to confront Galaxia, but is mortally wounded by Sailor Chi. She dies in Sailor Moon's arms, saying that she wants to be reborn, maybe in a world without war, but at the very least to be with everyone again.

In the anime adaptation, Kakyuu goes to Earth for the "Light of Hope" and hide from Galaxia. During her time under Chibichibi's care, she is aware of the Sailor Starlights searching for her, but cannot reveal herself too soon. She eventually saves Sailor Moon and the others from a black hole and resumes leadership of the Starlights. However, after Kakyuu is found, Galaxia steals Princess Kakyuu's star seed, killing her. After Sailor Moon defeats Chaos, Princess Kakyuu is revived. She and her Starlights return to their home to rebuild and start over.

In the original Japanese series, her voice actress is Sakiko Tamagawa.^[68] In the musical version, Princess Kakyuu is portrayed by Sakoto Yoshioka and Ai Toyama.

Chibichibi

Chibichibi (ちびちび) first appears in Act 44 of the manga and Episode 182 of the anime. She appears to be about two years old, and cannot really talk yet: she imitates the ends of others' sentences, and mostly says "chibi". Her red-pink hair is always up in two heart shaped odango with little ringlets sticking out the sides, echoing Usagi's hairstyle. Chibichibi's name is a doubling of the Japanese term meaning "small person" or "small child" and is used both for that reason and because of Chibichibi's similarity to Chibiusa. It is also a pun, as the word Chibichibi also means "making something last".^[69]

Chibichibi's first appearance echoes that of Chibiusa. She is first is shown floating down to Earth with an umbrella in her hand, and then simply shows up at the door of the Tsukino house. When Usagi's mother expresses surprise, asking "Chibiusa?" the little girl repeats "Chibi chibi?" and receives her nickname. In the anime only, she meets Usagi in the park one afternoon and starts to follow her around, saying only "chibi chibi" (without having been prompted). Chibichibi immediately attaches herself to Usagi's family, whose memories are modified so that they believe her to be the youngest child—almost exactly what Chibiusa had done on her first appearance.^[70] The Sailor Soldiers theorize that she might in fact be Usagi's sister, or perhaps a second daughter, or even Chibiusa's daughter.^[71] In the anime, Setsuna states that Usagi herself only has one child,^[72] and in the manga, any Queen of the Moon Kingdom line will have only one daughter. When Chibiusa meets Chibichibi (in the manga only), she feels very strongly that Chibichibi is not hers.^[73]

Chibichibi is the caretaker of a small, ornate censer that releases a scent of osmanthus, which the Sailor Starlights gradually recognize as a symbol of Princess Kakyuu. They threaten Chibichibi and try to take it away from her, and Kakyuu herself is revealed to have been resting inside it, hidden from the evil Sailor Galaxia.^[74][75]

Chibichibi eventually transforms, under her own power, into a Sailor Soldier, called Sailor Chibichibi. Although the reprint of the manga continues to omit the word 'moon', it is added to her name on a sticker included with Volume 12. In the manga, Chibichibi transforms into a Sailor Soldier by shouting the words "Chibichibi Crystal Power! Make Up!"^[76] This transition is never shown on screen in the anime. In this Sailor Soldier form, she carries a heart scepter with what looks like a planetary ring and uses it to defend herself and Sailor Moon. She is not shown using any attacks of her own, but she does increase Sailor Moon's power.

Chibichibi's childlike form is really a disguise for Sailor Cosmos, an ultimately-powerful Sailor Soldier from the future. In the anime only, Chibichibi is the starseed of Sailor Galaxia, who had once been a great force for good. When Galaxia fought Chaos, she could see no way to defeat it except to seal it away inside her own body. In order to protect her starseed from being corrupted, she sent it away to Earth, where it finally becomes Chibichibi. Chibichibi is also referred to as the "light of hope" (kibō no hikari) by the Starlights; their one chance for defeating Galaxia. She is able to transport herself and the Sailors around Galaxia's domain freely, and in the end, transforms herself into a Sword of Sealing (fuuin no ken). This is the weapon Galaxia had used to seal away Chaos, and Chibichibi begs Sailor Moon to use it to defeat them. During the battle, Galaxia shatters the sword, killing Chibichibi. However, Chibichibi is revived along with all the other fallen Sailor Soldiers after Sailor Moon cleanses Galaxia of Chaos.

In the anime series, Chibichibi is voiced by Kotono Mitsuishi as well as Sailor Moon in a dual role.^[77] In the stage musicals, Chibichibi has been played by 4 actresses: Mao Kawasaki, Mikiko Asuke, Yuka Gouchou, and Mina Horita.^[78] Takeuchi praised Kawasaki's cuteness as Chibichibi.^[79] When she appears in the stage musicals, Chibichibi's backstory always follows the anime version. She is given her own song, "Mou ii no" (It's All Right), which she sings to announce that she has come to rejoin Galaxia.

Sailor Cosmos

Sailor Cosmos (セーラーコスモス, Sērā Kosumosu) is the ultimate form of Sailor Moon.^[80] She comes from a future which has been destroyed by the battle with Sailor Chaos; after ages of fighting, she despairs and flees to the past as the infant Chibichibi, to encourage Eternal Sailor Moon to defeat Chaos in the final battle of the series. At first, she wants Sailor Moon to destroy the Galaxy Cauldron altogether, ensuring Chaos' destruction, but Sailor Moon protests, realizing that if the Cauldron is destroyed no more stars will be born, leaving the Galaxy without a future. She chooses to sacrifice herself to the Cauldron and seal Chaos away, which Cosmos finally realizes to have been the right decision. Reminded of the strength and courage she herself needs to have, she returns to the future with new hope.^[81] After the end of Sailor Moon, Takeuchi later commented that she wished Sailor Cosmos had been in the anime adaptation.^[82]

Merchandise

Differences in character between the Sailor Soldiers mirror differences in their hairstyles, fashion, and magical items, which has translated well into doll lines.^[83] Sales of the Sailor Soldiers fashion dolls overtook those of Licca-chan in the 1990s. Mattel attributed this to the "fashion-action" blend of the Sailor Moon storyline; doll accessories included both fashion items and the Soldier's weapons.^[1] The first line of dolls included Queen Beryl, the first major antagonist of the series, a decision that was described as a "radical idea".^[84] The first dolls based on Chibiusa surprised Takeuchi because, at that time, the author had not even finalized the character's hairstyle, and explains that a watching the doll's head from various angles in a three-dimensional space was wonderful.^[85] Bandai introduced a line of little dolls that included the Amazoness Quartet and, according to Takeuchi, these were their favorite because "with their costumes and faithfulness to the originals, the dolls really excelled."^[86] When Takeuchi originally designed the Sailor Starlights, she did so without their ponytails, but Bandai explained to her that short-haired dolls were difficult to make. Describing herself as having a "soft spot for dolls", Takeuchi eventually added the ponytails.^[87]

Reception

Sailor Moon is described largely in terms of its characters—a sustained, 18-volume narrative about a group of young heroines who are simultaneously heroic and introspective, active and emotional, dutiful and ambitious.^[18][89] The combination proved extremely successful, and Sailor Moon became internationally popular in both manga and anime formats.^[89][90]

The function of the Sailor Soldiers themselves has been analyzed by critics, often in terms of feminist theory.^[91] Susan J. Napier describes the Sailor Soldiers as "powerful, yet childlike," suggesting that this is because Sailor Moon is aimed towards an audience of young girls. She states that the Sailor Soldiers readily accept their powers and destinies and do not agonize over them, which can be read as an expression of power and success.^[83] The Sailor Soldiers have also been described as merging male and female traits, being both desirable and powerful. As sexualized teen heroines, they are significantly different from the sexless representation of 1980s teen heroines such as Nausicaä.^[92] Anne Allison notes that the use of the sailor fuku as a costume makes it easy for girls to identify with the Sailor Soldiers, but also for older males to see them as sex symbols.^[89]

Mary Grigsby considers that the Sailor Soldiers blend ancient characteristics and symbols of femininity with modern ideas, reminding the audience of a pre-modern time when females were equal to males,^[18] but other critics draw parallels with the modern character type of the aggressive cyborg woman, pointing out that the Sailor Soldiers are augmented by their magical equipment.^[83][93][94]

Kazuko Minomiya has described the daily lives of the girls within the series as risoukyou, or "utopic". They are shown as enjoying many leisure activities such as shopping, visiting amusement parks, and hanging out at the Crown Arcade. According to Allison, Minomiya points out that the depiction of life is harder and more serious for male superheroes.^[89] The characters "double" as ordinary girls and as "celestially-empowered superheroes".^[1] The "highly stylized"^[1] transformation that the Sailor Soldiers go through has been said to "symbolically separate" the negative aspects of the characters (laziness, for example) and the positive aspects of the superheroine,^[93] and gives each girl her unique uniform and "a set of individual powers".^[1] Some commentators have read the transformation of the Sailor Soldiers as symbolic of puberty, as cosmetics appear on the Soldiers and their uniforms highlight cleavages, slim waists, and long legs,^[18][95] which "outright force the pun on heavenly bodies".^[96]

Much of the Sailor Soldiers' strength stems from their reliance and friendship with other girls rather than from men.^[97]

Unlike the female Power Rangers, who as the series go on become more unisex in both costume and poses, the Sailor Soldiers' costumes become frillier and more "feminine".^[11]

Jason Thompson sees the Sailor Moon anime as reinvigorating the magical girl genre by adding dynamic heroines and action-oriented plots. After its success, many 'magical girl' series, like Magic Knight Rayearth, Wedding Peach, Nurse Angel Ririka SOS, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Fushigi Yuugi and Pretty Cure, emerged.^[98]

References

Sailor Moon manga

Entire series

• Takeuchi, Naoko. 美少女戦士セーラームーン [Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon] (in Japanese). 18 vols. Tokyo: Kodansha, 1992–1997.
• Takeuchi, Naoko. Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. 12 vols. New York City: Kodansha Comics USA, 2011–2013.

Other sources

External links

Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi Characters Protagonists Sailor Moon Tuxedo Mask Sailor Mercury Sailor Mars Sailor Jupiter Sailor Venus Chibiusa Sailor Pluto Sailor Uranus Sailor Neptune Sailor Saturn Sailor Starlights Antagonists Dark Kingdom Black Moon Clan Death Busters Dead Moon Circus Shadow Galactica Manga Chapters Codename: Sailor V chapters Anime Episodes Sailor Moon R S SuperS Sailor Stars Crystal Films Sailor Moon R Sailor Moon S Sailor Moon SuperS Other media Musicals Video games Live-action series Soundtracks Collectible card game