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When it comes to manga and anime series in the 1990s, few have the popularity and staying power as Sailor Moon. One of the groundbreaking series showed that action and romance could coexist nicely. In addition, the characters within the series could appeal to all genders. This is seen in our Sailor Moon characters guide.
The long-running series is still going strong today with its various remakes and reboots. The Sailor Moon character’s guide is more important now than ever before. With new and old fans alike enjoying the series, it is crucial to know about the large cast. With so many Sailor Guardians and friends in this series, here is everyone that you need to know about.
Bottom Line Up Front
Sailor Moon is a massive series with many manga chapters and hundreds of anime episodes. Within this series, there is, understandably, a large cast that it focuses on. The vast majority of the characters in the series are Sailor Guardians. These are the protectors of Earth who can transform into magical forms. The Sailor Guardians are led by Usagi Tsukino, or Sailor Moon, the titular hero of the series. There are also many villains and supporting characters as well. Here are all of the characters that we will cover in this guide in-depth:
- Usagi/Sailor Moon
- Luna
- Tuxedo Mask
- Sailor Mercury
- Sailor Mars
- Sailor Jupiter
- Sailor Venus
- Artemis
- Chibiusa
- Diana
- Sailor Pluto
- Sailor Uranus
- Sailor Neptune
- Sailor Saturn
- Dark Kingdom/Queen Beryl
- Black Moon Clan
- Death Busters
- Dead Moon Circus
- Shadow Galactica
- Sailor Galaxia
- Chaos
- Usagi’s Family
- Naru Osaka
- Sailor Starlights
All Sailor Moon Characters
Sailor Moon is such a long-running franchise with multiple adaptations and remakes. This is even the case for the manga with several editions to it, some of which remove some fluff and filler. Since its creation in 1991, the Sailor Moon series has seen lots of characters in its pages.
For the most part, the most significant portion of the cast is the Sailor Guardians. They are the protectors of Earth and the mostly schoolgirls who can somehow transform into magical versions of themselves. Most of them also represent a specific planet (or moon) in the solar system.
Besides the primary Sailor Guardians, others help in the fight. The handsome and charming Tuxedo Mask, the three talking cat companions, family, and friends. This makes the main cast of the series a large one, and it continuously grows as the story arcs go on.
Of course, Sailor Moon is a series that is also dripping with action and romance alike. With an emphasis on action, there are a lot of main villains that the Sailor Guardians face. Altogether, this makes the cast of the series quite large. We will break down the main ones that you need to know about with details about each character.
Main Characters
For starters, we have the main characters in Sailor Moon. This is by far the biggest group of characters in the series. This is because the Sailor Guardians are almost always increasing in number in the series. Nearly every story arc, someone is joining the group.
Be it a member of the Sailor Guardians or a talking cat; there are many different main characters in the series. What you should keep in mind, though, is that this technically spoils some of the later characters. If you want to go into the series fresh without knowing who joins, you should avoid this list. However, the knowledge of these characters is not too surprising overall.
Usagi/Sailor Moon
This list begins with the only person you could start with, Sailor Moon herself. Usagi Tsukino, or Serena if you watched the original English dub, is the star of the series. She is a 14-year-old student at the beginning of the series when she encounters the talking cat, Luna.
Usagi is one of the most frustrating protagonists in the series, acting spoiled and like a brat at times. However, that is the point of her character. After all, we get to see her develop and grow into a more mature person as the series goes on.
At the start of the series, she is found by Luna and given the powers to transform into Sailor Moon. With this magical transformation, she can fight bad guys and keep Earth safe from evildoers. However, that is far from the only secret that she keeps safe.
This is light spoilers for the first story arc in the series. Sailor Moon is also the reincarnation of Princess Serenity. She was the princess of the Moon Kingdom long ago and was one of the few survivors. When the Moon Kingdom was destroyed, she was destined to return in the future. As such, she is reincarnated in the body of Usagi.
This is also why she can turn into Sailor Moon. Usagi is the main character in the series and the leader of the Sailor Guardians. With this, she is directly connected to all of the other main characters in this list.
Tuxedo Mask
One of the other main characters introduced early on is Tuxedo Mask. His real name would be Mamoru Chiba or Darien Shields if you watched the 1990s/2000s dub. He is also a young student but appears to be someone a few years older than Usagi is.
Mamoru is an orphan who lost his parents in a car accident. In that accident, he lost his memories and is a new person. That said, he has an instant pull towards Usagi, who he wishes to get closer to. In this way, he dons the identity of Tuxedo Mask, a crime-fighting hero.
He fights alongside Sailor Moon many times and gets to know her more. Here are some other light spoilers! He is the reincarnation of Prince Endymion from the past. He was from Earth and had a star-crossed lovers relationship with Usagi. This eventually leads to a romantic relationship in the present day, too.
Luna
Luna is a black cat who appears at the start of the series. She is a talking, magical cat who approaches Usagi one day. She can give powers to Usagi to allow her to turn into Sailor Moon. Luna acts as the first partner and companion to Usagi at the beginning of the series.
She helps to teach her and guide Usagi through becoming a hero. Luna is a spoiler, actually from the long-lost Moon Kingdom. She is on Earth to help guide the Sailor Guardians. She has a romantic relationship later in the series with a fellow talking cat, Artemis.
Sailor Mercury
One of the first Sailor Guardians is Sailor Mercury. Ami Mizuno is one of the brightest students in her school. She is considered a genius, and she has a quiet and thoughtful personality. She mostly keeps to herself but has her hidden hobbies.
Sailor Mercury is the information gatherer of the group and one of the smartest. She hopes to be a doctor someday and helps the group accordingly. She is a favorite in the series due to her intelligent nature and early appearance in the series.
Sailor Mars
Another fan favorite in the series is Rei Hino or Sailor Mars. My favorite member of the Sailor Guardians, she is a shrine maiden. As someone who works with spirits at the local shrine, she is already well-versed in otherworldly powers.
Early in the series, she is given the ability to transform into Sailor Mars. She has a fiery personality that matches her red outfit. She has a more mature nature than someone like Usagi and the two often bicker with one another.
Sailor Jupiter
Sailor Jupiter goes by the real name Makoto Kino. She is an exceptionally tall girl, especially a Japanese student. As such, there are a lot of unfair rumors about her that go around town. These include the hearsay that she is a troublemaker who will pick fights with just about anyone, including boys.
In reality, Sailor Jupiter is a fairly normal Japanese schoolgirl. She can take care of herself and is rather independent. She has fairly normal dreams and cares about her friends. As Sailor Jupiter, she embodies the idea of courage and is one of the stronger members of the group.
Sailor Venus
The final member of the original group in the first story arc of the series is Sailor Venus. Known as Minako Aino, Sailor Venus is the epitome of love and beauty. She is also one of the most unique characters in the series since she was the original protagonist of it all.
Sailor Moon the series began as a one-off manga known as Codename Sailor V. Sailor V was Venus and she was the hero of that series. However, Sailor Moon starred Usagi, instead. This was shown in the series with the fact that Sailor Venus is an existing hero before joining the group.
This is because she is helped by her talking cat companion, Artemis. Appearance-wise, she looks quite a lot like Usagi. There is an understandable rivalry between the two girls with their status as leaders of the group.
Artemis
Artemis is the second talking cat to appear in the series. He is a white cat and the visual opposite of Luna. This is to emphasize the fact that he is the magical partner of Sailor Venus. He helps Venus to become a Sailor Guardian before she ever joins the rest of the gang.
He is another supporting member of the group, helping the heroes as one of the few male characters. Spoilers for the series, he also develops a relationship with fellow cat, Luna. Together, they eventually find out that they are to marry and have Diana as their child.
Chibiusa
One of the most infamous characters in the Sailor Moon series is Chibiusa. She is a young kid with a brash personality. When she joins the group, she is accompanied by the talking cat Diana. Much of the story surrounding Chibiusa is shrouded in mystery and spoilers.
Therefore, here is your spoiler warning again. Chibiusa comes from the future and is the daughter of Usagi and Mamoru. She is also able to learn how to be a Sailor Guardian and eventually becomes Sailor Chibi Moon. Her relationship with her future parents is a bit tricky in the modern-day.
Diana
Diana is the final talking cat companion. She is the partner to Chibiusa and also comes from the far future of the 30th century. She helps to guide Chibiusa as a member of the Sailor Guardians, much like what Luna and Artemis do before her.
Spoiler warning, she is also connected to Luna and Artemis in another way. She is the future daughter of the two cat companions.
Sailor Pluto
A later member of the group is Sailor Pluto. Her real name is Setsuna Meioh who is in change of space and time. Her first appearance is as the guardian of the door that leads to space and time itself. She is an older and more serious member of the group.
She is a lonely person, having spent much of her lifeguarding the door and having little interaction with others. As such, she creates a deep friendship with Chibiusa upon joining the gang.
Sailor Uranus
Sailor Uranus is known as Haruka Tenoh. She has short hair and acts a bit more masculine than some of the other characters. This is to the point where some characters and fans have mistaken her for a man. However, that is not the case at all.
Sailor Uranus is a girl and is in a romantic relationship with Sailor Neptune. This confirmed lesbian romance has been the target of controversy from the series’ beginnings. From those who wished to hide this fact to the rampant censorship problems, this has been a controversial part.
Sailor Neptune
Sailor Neptune, or Michiru Kaioh, is the other half of the couple. She is a creative and beautiful person who is in love with Sailor Uranus. She is one of the later members of the group but helps fight evil. At times, she is mostly a fighting companion with Uranus but does help Saturn and Pluto at times, too.
Sailor Saturn
The final main member of the Sailor Guardians as Sailor Saturn. Her real name is Hotaru Tomoe and she is one of the most powerful Guardians. She has the power of destruction and rebirth, allowing her to harness both sides.
Her tragic past allows her to use the powers of destruction and healing. Her immense strength means that she can decimate foes in an instant. But, at the same time, she can heal the injuries of her companions. Though one of the final members, she is one of the most important as well.
Main Villains
Sailor Moon and her companions would not have much of a mission to protect Earth if there was no one to fight. That is where the main villains in the Sailor Moon series come into play. There are several different story arcs in the manga and anime series. Each of these arcs contains a different set of villains that are trying to succeed in their evil deeds.
Again, there are going to be some spoilers for some of the villains in the later arcs. We especially warn you about the final group of villains in this list. They spoil some of the major plot points that happen towards the end of the series, including some possibly surprising antagonists. That said, here are all of the main villains in the Sailor Moon franchise.
Dark Kingdom
The Dark Kingdom story arc is the first major one in the series. The members of the Dark Kingdom are the original villains that the Sailor Guardians must fight. There are several members of this group but they each have the same goal.
Their mission is to find the Silver Crystal that will allow them to bring back Queen Metaria. She is the villain who completely decimated the Moon Kingdom in the distant past. The Dark Kingdom’s goal is to bring about that destruction once more.
Queen Beryl
The Dark Kingdom is led by Queen Beryl. She has brainwashed her followers into helping her with this task. This even includes some familiar faces that she employs as one of her leaders. She is the first main antagonist that Usagi and the rest of the group have to contend with. It is also through this that they learn about their pasts.
Black Moon Clan
The Black Moon Clan is the second major villainous organization, besides anime filler content. During this second major story arc, the Sailor Guardians travel to the 30th century. There, they help to stop the evil clan who have the Black Crystal.
With it, they hope to take down the Kingdom of the 30th century and rule it. They are led by the main villain Prince Demand. It is during this time that the Sailor Guardians meet future members of the team.
Death Busters
The Death Busters are the villains of the Infinity arc in the manga and anime series. They are a strange group of alien and human hybrid beings. Their goal is to bring about the transformation of Earth through the alien creature, Pharaoh 90. They are led by Professor Souichi Tomoe and Kaolinite.
Dead Moon Circus
In the Dream arc, the main villains are the Dead Moon Circus. Like some of the past villains, they have their own goals in mind for Earth. To do so, Zirconia, leader of the group, and her team hope to obtain the Golden Crystal. With this particular item, they wish to bring back Queen Nehelenia and rule over the planet.
Shadow Galactica
The final villainous group in the Sailor Moon series is the Shadow Galactica. They are some of the most personal and difficult enemies for the Sailor Guardians to fight. This is because, unlike past enemies, they are Sailor Guardians just like themselves.
They have become corrupted and their new mission is to take the Star Seeds. This group is powerful and an even match for the Sailor Guardians due to their similar powers.
Sailor Galaxia
The team of Shadow Galactica is led by Sailor Galaxia. She is from a distant planet and is an alien herself. She is the direct foil to Sailor Moon and a Guardian, too. She goes to various planets in the galaxy to defeat the other Sailor Guardians that are there.
Chaos
This is spoilers for the series but the final villain, in the end, is Chaos. He is the overarching villain in the franchise and the one behind the main villains of the previous arcs. He is also behind the Shadow Galactica group and is the ultimate enemy for the team.
Other Characters
The Sailor Moon cast is large enough on its own with the main characters. But some supporting characters are worth mentioning, too. Most of the other characters have only minor appearances in the series. However, these next few characters on this list show up frequently enough. Or at least have a decent enough impact on the story and main characters.
Usagi’s Family
At the start of the series, we get to see Usagi’s family. Her family includes her dad, Kenji, mom, Ikuko, and younger brother, Shingo. Not all of them are featured too often in the series but they are important parts of Usagi’s life nonetheless. This is especially true for Ikuko who builds a relationship with Chibiusa.
Naru Osaka
The best friend of Usagi is Naru Osaka. Her appearance is a running joke in the series as the victim of many attacks from villains. That said, she always has her best friend, Sailor Moon, to rescue her.
Sailor Starlights
The Sailor Starlights are a trio of Sailor Guardians from another planet. They include Sailor Star Fighter, Sailor Star Healer, and Sailor Star Maker. The manga and anime differ considerably when it comes to handling them. The manga sees the trio as women who disguise themselves as men in human form while the anime is the opposite. They also play a much larger role in the anime adaptation where they assist the main Sailor Guardians in the final arc.
Conclusion
The Sailor Moon characters guide included the main cast members that you should know about in the series. The team of the Sailor Guardians is massive and only grows more and more as time goes on. It can make the entire group overwhelming when it comes to keeping up with all of them.
However, hopefully, this guide helped to get you ushered into the series. Be it that you are a newcomer to Sailor Moon or a longtime fan, we hope it helped you get to know the cast. For more on Sailor Moon, we also made a general history and overview guide to the series. It should help anyone who is looking to break into the series. And if you want to check out the anime, we also broke down which version to watch.