Sailor Moonis the ultimatemagical girl series, featuring a cast of richly-drawn characters steeped in astrology and mythology, decked out in glamorous outfits and fighting for love and justice. Among them are the 10 Sailor Guardians who serve as the protagonists of the series, each essentially a goddess of a different celestial body in the Solar System. Althoughthe Sailor Guardians are all unique and valuable in their own ways,they have vastly different power sets, weapons, and attitudes towards combat.
Naoko Takeuchi’s manga,Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon,debuted in 1991 and remains popular today thanks to multiple anime adaptations, feature-length films, stage musicals, video games,fashion collaborations, and more. Many people are familiar with the iconic 90s anime adaptation due to its inclusion in Cartoon Network’s “Toonami” programming block, and 2014’s reboot,Sailor Moon Crystal, which follows the manga more faithfully. BothSailor MoonandSailor MoonCrystalstand on their own meritsand provide ample evidence of just how powerful each Sailor Guardian is.
10Sailor Mercury
Ami Mizuno
Ami Mizuno is the first Sailor Guardian to be awakened after Sailor Moon, butSailor Mercury’s tenure on the team does not equate to prowess on the battlefield.Ami is a quiet, unassuming teenage girl who likes to study and read books. Intelligence is whatSailor Mercurybrings to the battlefield, and with her Mercury Visor, a transparent head-mounted supercomputer, she identifies enemies' weak points and formulates effective plans of attack.
Episode 5
“Infinity 4 Haruka & Michiru, Sailor Uranus & Sailor Neptune”
Sailor Mercury’s water and ice-based attacks are useful in battle, but she’s the weakest physically.Many of Ami’s conflicts are solved through critical thinkingor appealing to the enemy’s humanity. From Crane Game Joe to the Black Moon Clan’s Berthier, and Witches 5’s Viluy, Ami has compensated for her lack of power with an overabundance of compassion.
9Sailor Jupiter
Makoto Kino
Makoto Kino is the most physically imposing of the Inner Sailor Guardians, and the variety of her attacks as Sailor Jupiter make her a force to be reckoned with. Reflective of her Roman mythology inspiration, Sailor Jupiter controls electricity and plant life, trouncing her enemies with attacks like “Supreme Thunder” and “Jupiter Oak Evolution.” Though she is tomboyish and has a penchant for fighting, Mako is a romantic at heart and has an affinity for domestic work like cooking and gardening.
“Jupiter, the Powerful Girl in Love”
Season 4 (SuperS)
Episode 1
“Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal Pt. 1”
Sailor Jupiter is a heavy hitter early in the series, engaging in hand-to-hand combat with many adversaries, but takes a backseat when the Outer Guardians join the team. In the first part ofSailor Moon Cosmos,Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Mercury are the first Sailor Guardians to die and lose their Sailor Crystals,to one of the Sailor Animamates, no less.
8Sailor Chibi Moon
Chibiusa Tsukino
Chibiusa is Usagi’s daughter with Mamoru, who travels back in time from the 30th century to serve as Guardian-in-training, Sailor Chibi Moon. She protects the future moon just like her mother, and will one day fully inherit the awesome power of the Silver Crystal. While Chibiusa is already much more mature and confident than Usagi,she’s still a child with a lot to learn about life and being Sailor Chibi Moon.
Episode 2
“Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal Pt. 2”
Sailor Chibi Moon shines inSailor Moon Eternal, the fourth entry in theCrystalreboot. A Pegasus named Helios enlists Chibiusa’s help in protecting his kingdom from Queen Nehellenia’s Dead Moon Circus. Not only does Sailor Chibi Moon help Sailor Moon seal the Dead Moon Queen away for good, butshe also frees the brainwashed Amazon Quartet, who become Chibiusa’s own team of Sailor Guardians.
7Sailor Mars
Rei Hino
Sailor Mars' fiery attacks aren’t the only powers Rei Hino possesses,she can also tap into spiritual powers like clairvoyance and curses. These abilities often alert the Guardians of impending danger or help them see through the enemy’s illusions. Rei even has two protective handmaidens, Phobos and Deimos, who’ve taken the form of crows and guard the Hino Family Shrine that Rei dreams of running one day.
“The Snow, the Mountains, Friendship and Monsters”
InSailor MoonEternal’s first half, Rei stumbles into the Dead Moon Circus’ hall of mirrors, where Tiger’s Eye taunts her with her deepest insecurities. Suddenly, Phobos and Deimos break in and attack Rei’s tormentor. Tiger’s Eye retreats into the mirrors, creating decoys in every direction, but Sailor Mars identifies the correct mirror her enemy is hiding behind and shatters it with her “Flame Sniper” attack.
6Sailor Venus
Minako Aino
Minako Aino is not only Sailor Venus but also the leader of the Sailor Guardians. Mina is charismatic, outgoing, and guided by a strong moral compass.Of all the Sailor Guardians, Sailor Venus is the most experienced, having fought crime as Sailor V before the events ofSailor Moon. She’s also assisted by Artemis, a guardian cat like Luna is to Usagi, distinguishing her from the other Sailor Guardians.
“Clash of Dreams: Minako and Makoto’s Broken Friendship”
Sailor Venus breaks from the Inner Guardians' elemental powers, insteadharnessing love and beauty into radiant energy attacks, or using her special chain of red gems. However, inSailor Moon R: The Movie,the first full-length feature film in the 90s anime continuity, Sailor Venus puts on a dazzling display of power, using her “Crescent Beam” as a laser cannon to destroy dozens of Xenian flower drones.
5Sailor Pluto
Setsuna Meiou
Setsuna Meiou is Sailor Pluto and guards the Door of Space-Time, preventing unauthorized travel and maintaining order within the timeline. Due to the overlapping release schedules of the manga and the 90s anime,Sailor Pluto’s role is diminished in the original series, as the writers didn’t fully understand her importance in Takeuchi’s story.Sailor Moon Crystalcorrects that and restores Setsuna’s role as mentor to Chibiusa, and increases her screen time.
“Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos Pt. 2”
With the ability to stop time, and open and close dimensional rifts, Sailor Pluto is one of the most powerful Sailor Guardians, but also burdened with responsibility. She is forbidden to use her most powerful abilities, paying with her life if she does, like at the end ofCrystal’s second season when she stops time to save Usagi from Prince Demande. She suffers the same fate when she stops time to allow Uranus and Neptune to escape an exploding helicopter.
4Sailor Saturn
Hotaru Tomoe
Hotaru Tomoe is the Guardian of Destruction, Sailor Saturn,capable of destroying and resetting the entire universe. She’s the one who resets the timeline when Princess Serenity, heartbroken over Endymion’s death at the hands of Queen Beryl, takes her own life during the Silver Millennium.Much like Sailor Pluto, Saturn’s powers are too great to use recklesslyand require discipline to wield them responsibly.
“The Shining Shooting Star: Saturn and the Messiah”
“Ruler of the Galaxy: The Menace of Galaxia”
Another similarity with Pluto is that the creators of the 90s anime did not know what to do with her character beyond her initial appearance. Luckily,Crystalnails Hotaru’s awakening at the climax of its third seasonand brings her back inEternalandCosmos. In the latter movies, she’s seen constructing protective force fields, fighting with her Silence Glaive, and is strong enough to counter some of Sailor Galaxia’s attacks
3Sailor Neptune
Michiru Kaiou
Michiru Kaiou is the Guardian of the sea, Sailor Neptune. Her power never reaches the heights of stopping time or annihilating the entire galaxy, but Neptune’s partnership with Sailor Uranus maximizes her abilities and gives her the fortitude to face any challenge.Contrary to Saturn and Pluto, her power is unrestrained, and she’s very calculated in using it to meet her goals. Much like Rei Hino’s spiritual abilities, Michiru has precognition and can sense when danger approaches.
Episode 9
“Infinity 6 Three Guardians”
Michiru’s talisman is the Deep Aqua Mirror, a golden hand mirror that allows Sailor Neptune to use “Submarine Reflection” to deflect incoming attacks. InSailor Moon Crystal, season 3, episode #7, “Infinity 6 Three Guardians,” the Sailor Guardians are under the spell of the Witches 5 and forced to fight one another. The Inner Sailor Guardians each send their most powerful attacks Sailor Neptune’s way, andshe effortlessly nullifies their combined strike with the simple wave of her Deep Aqua Mirror.
2Sailor Uranus
Haruka Tenou
Haruka Tenou lives life on the edge as a race car driver by day, and Sailor Uranus by night. She’s the tallest Sailor Guardian, the fiercest physical combatant, andwields the Space Sword talisman, which grants her incredible energy attacks. Serious and determined, Haruka believes that she and Sailor Neptune are best suited for defeating the enemy, and the other Sailor Guardians will only get in their way.
“Dying Stars: Uranus and Neptune’s Last Stand”
Sailor Uranus will do anything to stop the forces of evil, including mutiny. InSailor Moon S,episode #37, “A New Life: Parting of the Stars of Destiny,“Sailor Uranus challenges Sailor Moon for the Silver Crystal, claiming that Usagi is too weak and idealisticto possess such a coveted treasure. The sheer boldness of this move shows Haruka’s dauntless commitment to her mission, but it also provides an opportunity for Usagi to prove herself.
1Sailor Moon
Usagi Tsukino
Usagi Tsukino is many things: the unlikely hero, Sailor Moon, the reincarnation of the gracious Princess Serenity, andthe most powerful being in the galaxy. Sailor Moon’s journey from an awkward solo act to the leader of one of the most iconic anime ensembles is remarkable. She’s not the toughest fighter, nor is she strategic, or fearless, but Usagi inspires those around her and serves as a constant reminder of the power of love, hope, and justice.
Season 2 (R)
Episode 42
“The Final Battle Between Light and Dark: Pledge of Love to the Future”
“Conclusion and Commencement -Petite Étrangère-”
Sailor Moon Cosmosfinally captures the awesome power of Sailor Moon better than any other adaptation before it. Much ofSailor Moon’s appeal is the cast of beautiful Guardians that defend Usagi, but those allies are all stripped away and turned against her during the events ofCosmos.Sailor Moon endures their attacks and defeats the brainwashed Sailor Guardians, then leads Sailor Galaxia on a high-flying chase around the Shadow Galactica palace before defeating Chaos.
Sailor Moon
Sailor Moonis a magical girl franchise created by Naoko Takeuchi. It began as a manga in 1991 and was adapted into an anime series in 1992. The story follows Usagi Tsukino, a middle school girl who transforms into Sailor Moon to protect Earth from evil forces. The franchise spans five original anime seasons, films, musicals, video games, and a reboot series,Sailor Moon Crystal. Its global impact has made it a cultural icon and one of the most successful shōjo franchises in history.
