Sailor Moon (1992–1993)
Set in Tokyo in the 1990s, a 14-year-old underachieving young schoolgirl named Usagi Tsukino meets a magical talking cat named Luna. Luna gives Usagi the ability to transform into a magical alter ego—Sailor Moon—tasked with locating the moon princess and battling the superhero magical girl evil forces of the Dark Kingdom. When Usagi transforms for the first time into her magical sailor suit with Luna's help, she overreacts and reluctantly accepts her fate, not sure what has happened to her. At the time she does not know the enemies she will face, the friends she will make, or the experiences ahead of her.[5][6][7] As she moves forward, she accepts her destiny, and realizes the importance of fighting evil.[8]
The Dark Kingdom—led by Queen Beryl—summons various monsters called Youma in order to sap energy from humans and feed it to an evil entity and supreme ruler known as Queen Metaria. They also seek the Silver Crystal (｢幻の銀水晶｣), a gem capable of limitless power. As Usagi battles against the Dark Kingdom, she is joined by other girls also awakening as Sailor Soldiers: the timid but intelligent Ami Mizuno (Sailor Mercury), the hot-headed miko Rei Hino (Sailor Mars), the tomboyish but romantic Makoto Kino (Sailor Jupiter), and the aspiring idol Minako Aino (Sailor Venus). Minako is joined by Artemis, her feline advisor and Luna's partner. The Sailor Soldiers are often supported by the mysterious Tuxedo Mask whose civilian form is Mamoru Chiba, a college student with whom Usagi eventually becomes romantically involved.
After continually thwarting the Dark Kingdom and defeating several of its generals, Usagi awakens as the moon princess—Princess Serenity—and acquires the Silver Crystal. However, Mamoru is captured by the Dark Kingdom and brainwashed into working for them. The Sailor Soldiers learn of their past lives on Silver Millennium, an ancient kingdom on the moon. There, they served as Serenity's friends and bodyguards, and Serenity was in love with a prince from Earth named Endymion (Mamoru's past identity). However, the Dark Kingdom attacked and destroyed Silver Millennium, resulting in the deaths of Serenity, Endymion, and the Sailor Soldiers. Serenity's mother—Queen Serenity—used the power of the Silver Crystal to vanquish Queen Metaria and end the war. She also used the crystal to send the fallen Sailor Soldiers into the future to be reborn on Earth, hoping to give them a second chance at peace.
The Sailor Soldiers eventually pinpoint the location of the Dark Kingdom at the North Pole and travel there. However, Usagi's friends are killed trying to protect her from Queen Beryl's most powerful monsters, the DD Girls. Usagi faces the brainwashed Mamoru alone and frees him from Queen Beryl's control. However, Mamoru is killed protecting Usagi while also striking down Queen Beryl. Using the Silver Crystal, she then faces Queen Beryl (who has fused with Queen Metaria) as Princess Serenity, defeating her with the help of the fallen Sailor Soldiers' spirits and the Silver Crystal's power. Usagi dies afterwards, but she is able to use the last of the Silver Crystal's power to resurrect herself, the Sailor Soldiers and Mamoru with one wish that they all get to live normal lives again. Everything on Earth is returned to normal, and no one but Artemis and Luna retain any memories of these events.
Sailor Moon R (1993–1994)
Sometime later, a pair of extraterrestrials named Ail and An descend onto Earth with the Makai Tree, which feeds on human energy. Ail and An summon monsters from cards—called Cardians—to prey on humans. In order to defend against these attacks, Luna restores the Sailor Soldiers' memories. Eventually, Ail and An are defeated, see the error of their ways, and return to space with the Makai Tree. During these events, Mamoru is able to reclaim his lost memories and begins a romantic relationship with Usagi.
Shortly after these events, a pink-haired girl named Chibiusa falls from the sky, revealing that she traveled from the future in order to find the Silver Crystal and use it to save her parents. She is followed by the Black Moon Clan, an enemy from the future that is trying to kill her and alter the past to further their goals. Eventually, the Sailor Soldiers and Tuxedo Mask travel with Chibiusa to the future where Usagi rules Crystal Tokyo as Neo-Queen Serenity. They learn that Chibiusa is actually Usagi and Mamoru's future daughter, and they also meet Sailor Pluto who guards the Door of Space-Time. Eventually, the Sailor Soldiers battle against Death Phantom, who manipulated the Black Moon Clan with the goal of destroying Earth. Death Phantom manipulates Chibiusa into becoming his minion, Black Lady, but the Sailor Soldiers eventually manage to free her of his control. Chibiusa is able to summon the Silver Crystal of the future and aids in the destruction of Death Phantom. Afterwards, Chibiusa returns to her own time, now freed from the Black Moon Clan's corruption.
Sailor Moon S (1994–1995)
Some time later, the Sailor Soldiers encounter the Death Busters, an evil organization based in the prestigious Mugen Academy that is summoning monsters called Daimons to steal Heart Crystals from humans. Their intention is to locate three specific Pure Heart Crystals that contain special Talismans. Joining the Sailor Soldiers are Haruka Tenoh and Michiru Kaioh, who operate as Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune respectively. The two are also seeking the Talismans for different purposes and come into conflict with the other Sailor Soldiers. Sailor Pluto returns to the present day as Setsuna Meioh; Chibiusa also returns, now donning her own magical girl identity of Sailor Chibi Moon.
The Death Busters eventually discover that Haruka and Michiru hold two of the Talismans and acquire them at the cost of their lives, but Setsuna—who holds the third—revives them. The Talismans create the Holy Grail, allowing Usagi to acquire a more powerful form: Super Sailor Moon. The Death Busters's intentions then change to harvesting Pure Heart Crystals en masse to resurrect the malevolent entity known as Mistress 9, while Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto now seek the true Messiah, who can effectively wield the Holy Grail to stop the Death Busters. Chibiusa also befriends a sickly girl named Hotaru, unaware that she is the daughter of the Death Busters's leader, Professor Tomoe. Unknown to her, Hotaru is also Sailor Saturn, a Sailor Soldier capable of destroying entire planets. Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna fear that Saturn's awakening will result in Earth's destruction and plead for Usagi to kill her, but she refuses.
Mistress 9 is revealed to have been residing within Hotaru's body and awakens upon stealing Chibiusa's Pure Heart Crystal. The Sailor Soldiers go to Mugen Academy to stop the Death Busters and save Chibiusa, Hotaru, and the world. Mistress 9 prevents all but Sailor Moon from entering the academy, though Pluto sacrifices her life to help Uranus and Neptune secretly infiltrate the academy as well.
Sailor Moon SuperS (1995–1996)
Chibiusa meets an winged unicorn named Pegasus who hides in dreams and forms a secret relationship with her. Pegasus also aids the Sailor Soldiers by upgrading them to permanent Super forms and lending his power when summoned by Chibiusa. The new powers are used to combat the Dead Moon Circus, a mysterious circus troupe that targets humans with beautiful dreams. They are led by Zirconia and her minions, the Amazon Trio, who are tasked with looking into humans' Dream Mirrors, hoping to find Pegasus, believing Pegasus possesses the Golden Crystal. With this crystal, the Dead Moon Circus's ruler—Queen Nehelenia—can be freed from the mirror she was sealed in.
It is revealed that Queen Nehelenia was once a queen of her own kingdom who was absorbed by vanity. In fear of losing her beauty, she consumed the dreams of her subjects to stay young. She sought the Golden Crystal in the possession of a priest named Helios (Pegasus's true form) and was sealed within a mirror by Queen Serenity as a result. Queen Nehelenia formed the Dead Moon Circus with the purpose of tracking Pegasus down. Although she obtains the Golden Crystal, she is betrayed by her minions, the Amazoness Quartet who give the crystal to Chibiusa. Using the crystal, Queen Nehelenia is defeated and begins to wither with age, forcing her back into the mirror she was once sealed within. Helios returns to his home realm of Elysion.
Uranus and Neptune are featured in an episode special that indicates that they are aware of the threat of Dead Moon Circus, but determine that the others are able to handle it on their own without their intervention. Unlike the manga, the Outer Sailor Soldiers are not otherwise mentioned or involved in the anime's adaptation of the story arc until the following season.
Sailor Moon Sailor Stars (1996–1997)
The Dead Moon Circus arc concludes when Queen Nehelenia returns after Sailor Galaxia frees her and encourages her to seek revenge against the Sailor Soldiers, especially Sailor Moon. The Outer Sailor Soldiers—Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Saturn—return, now with their more powerful Super forms to assist the others. Queen Nehelenia places a curse on all mirrors throughout the city, which entrances the civilian population. She then captures Mamoru, who is under her curse, threatening the future and risking erasing Chibiusa from existence. The Sailor Soldiers enter Queen Nehelenia's nightmare dimension to stop her. Usagi eventually comes to pity Queen Nehelenia's plight and is able to purify her by activating her extremely powerful final form, Eternal Sailor Moon.
Shortly after these events, Mamoru leaves for the United States to study abroad while Usagi and her friends enter high school. Chibiusa also returns to her own time. A group of enemies called the Sailor Animamates—led by Sailor Galaxia—begin targeting humans for their Star Seeds (which serve as a human's life force). Usagi is also aided by the Sailor Starlights—Kou Seiya (Sailor Star Fighter), Kou Taiki (Sailor Star Maker), and Kou Yaten (Sailor Star Healer)—who disguise themselves as an idol group named the Three Lights. The Starlights are searching for their ruler, Princess Kakyuu. A young girl—nicknamed Chibi Chibi because of her limited vocabulary that usually involves the word "chibi"—also appears and begins living with Usagi.
Sailor Galaxia's past is eventually revealed: she once ended the Sailor Wars by sealing Chaos—the source of all malice—within her body. Unable to resist Chaos's influence, she separated her Star Seed from her body, and it took the form of Chibi Chibi. Sailor Galaxia steals the Star Seeds of Princess Kakyuu and all Usagi's companions, resulting in their deaths. This also includes Mamoru who was targeted and killed before he arrived in the United States.
