Sailor Moon remains one of the most beloved and enduring anime franchises of all time, with multiple adaptations from the 1990s anime to the Sailor Moon Crystal reboot. There have also been plenty of movies and even musicals. The series introduced countless characters fans have come to know and love, over the years. Unfortunately, several of them were underserved by the story and suffered from plotlines that went absolutely nowhere.
Whether it was due to pacing issues, shifting tones, or just production constraints, there were many intriguing parts of Sailor Moon‘s story that were dropped without much resolution or glossed over vaguely and not given much thought. Whether it’s Tuxedo Mask’s fascinating past or the vast future where Chibiusa awakens her own protectors, Sailor Moon had plenty of rich mythology in its universe, and many of these abandoned stories had real narrative potential and deserved better.
10 The Sailor Quartet Were Chibiusa's Destined Guardians
The Villains from Sailor Moon SuperS Didn't Last Long
Initially introduced as the wicked Amazoness Quartet in Sailor Moon SuperS, the Sailor Quartet were later revealed in the manga to be Chibiusa’s bodyguards from the future. This huge twist in the story wasn’t even explored in the anime. Sadly, even the manga ends before these fascinating characters could properly step into their roles.
Many parts of Chibiusa’s life and powers in Sailor Moon aren’t explored to the full extent, but the Sailor Quartet is one of the most underrated parts of her life in the whole franchise. These characters helped Chibiusa’s adventures to mirror Usagi’s own journey, while they still felt whimsical and unique, just like Chibiusa herself.
9 Mamoru Was Once the Prince of Earth
Tuxedo Mask's Past Life Offers Beautiful Backstory
While Usagi’s life as Princess Serenity is one of the key parts of Sailor Moon‘s story, an equally important storyline that doesn’t get properly explored is Mamoru’s identity as the former prince of Earth. His past, potential powers, and role as Earth’s protector during the Silver Millennium aren’t explored beyond the very basics. Sadly, it’s all relative to Princess Serenity’s story.
It makes sense that Sailor Moon focuses on its main protagonist and her reincarnation into Usagi Tsukino, but Mamoru is an integral part of her love story. Getting to see more about Prince Endymion beyond his devotion to Princess Serenity would have helped the character to feel more realistic, making the stakes of the intense war that was waged against the Moon Kingdom even more devastating. Luckily, the manga gives the character more love, but the 90s anime largely leaves things at the surface level, meaning an entire generation of fans missed out.
8 Sailor Cosmos Hints at a Final Future War
The Climactic Sailor Moon Character is Devastatingly Underserved
Sailor Cosmos is one of the series’ most mysterious characters of all time. Introduced in the manga’s final arc as a future form of Sailor Moon who fled a devastating war against a revived Sailor Chaos, her presence throws the entire series’ established narrative regarding time, identity and destiny into flux.
While Usagi does help Sailor Cosmos regain her faith and will to fight, the character ultimately disappears without much elaboration, and the future war is never shown. The 90s anime doesn’t even include this character at all, but considering how many questions she raised from her brief appearance in the manga and Crystal‘s timeline, fans are clearly curious about what happens well beyond Usagi’s happy ending.
7 Rei's Spiritual Powers Become Underutilized
Sailor Mars Has Incredible Powers the Series Doesn't Use
Rei Hino is one of the first allies Usagi Tsukino meets during her adventures in the 90s Sailor Moon adaptation. As Sailor Mars, she is shown to have supernatural senses and psychic powers, and she can make full use of these to predict events in the near future with surprising accuracy.
Despite her precognition and sixth sense that can detect evil presences, Rei’s gifts aren’t explored very much past the early parts of Sailor Moon. As Usagi becomes more powerful, she takes center stage, and Rei’s spiritual abilities don’t really evolve into something greater (or even get shown much at all.)
6 Fans Don't See Hotaru's Growth After Saturn Awakens
Sailor Moon's Story Largely Ignores Hotaru After Her Rebirth
Sailor Saturn is by far one of the most feared and devastating of all the Sailor Guardians in the universe. With even her own allies worried about her awakening and destroying all life, her arrival in the series was one that changed the story forever. After she makes her grand entrance, Sailor Saturn disappears just as quickly in the anime, leaving plenty of unresolved tension in her wake.
After transforming into Sailor Saturn, Hotaru ultimately is reborn into a child and goes on to be raised by Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna. Sailor Moon did a great job at foreshadowing Hotaru’s awakening and showcasing her early years when it mattered to the plot, but after her rebirth this fascinating character is sadly discarded, only to appear again later when her chaotic return is warranted for the plot.
5 The Sailor Guardians' Past Lives Deserved More Exploration
Sailor Moon's Protectors Were Reincarnated, Too
Whether it’s the 90s anime, the manga, or Sailor Moon Crystal, reincarnation is a key theme in all adaptations of Sailor Moon‘s iconic story. The series frequently references the Sailor Guardians’ past lives as protectors of Princess Serenity during the Silver Millennium, but details are always vague, and the series never properly explores this interesting time in its universe’s history.
Meaningful flashbacks or personal stories from the Inner Senshi’s past lives all offer a rich storytelling opportunity for Sailor Moon, but the franchise never capitalizes on it properly. Instead, the Inner Senshi’s past lives remain nothing more than a mere fact in the narrative, albeit one that could have greatly enhanced the story as a whole if given more time to shine.
4 Haruka and Michiru's Civilian Lives Go Nowhere
The Outer Senshi's Lives are Left Vague and Mysterious
Haruka and Michiru’s arrival in Sailor Moon was full of mystery and excitement. These two new figures played a major part in the story and were even shown to have their own civilian lives. Scenes hinted at who they really were, but ultimately gave little insight into their identities beyond being Sailor Guardians.
Haruka’s racing career is briefly touched on, but overall, there’s very little time spent on their daily existence or how they handle having a normal life with their cosmic duties. This very balance is what defines much of Usagi and the Inner Sailor Guardians’ adventures, but Haruka and Michiru unfortunately feel left out at times.
3 Sailor Pluto's Space-Time Door Duty Gets Neglected
Setsuna's Time Powers Are an Important Part of the Story
When Sailor Pluto is introduced, Sailor Moon‘s story changes for the better, with her character serving as a lonely but dutiful protector of the Door of Space and Time. She has watched over the Moon Kingdom since the era of the first Silver Millennium, keeping out extradimensional threats and rogue time travelers.
While the story makes it clear there are heavy consequences of Sailor Pluto abandoning her post or breaking the rules, she ultimately sacrifices herself in order to save Chibiusa from Wiseman’s grip. However, in the Infinity Arc, she is shown to be reincarnated in the 20th century as Setsuna, essentially leaving one of the most important gates in Sailor Moon‘s universe left completely unguarded.
2 The Shitennou Were Connected to the Inner Guardians
Endymion's Protectors Were Given a Tragic Rebirth in Sailor Moon
The Shitennou were shown to be the four loyal bodyguards of Prince Endymion in the Silver Millennium. They were later possessed by Metalia’s negative energy and became evil, serving Queen Beryl and the Dark Kingdom. Fans of the 90s anime know them as Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite and Kunzite. The original Sailor Moon anime adaptation changes many aspects of the Shitennou characters, giving no reference to their past lives as servants of Prince Endymion.
While the manga explores their past lives in more depth, it has its own detail that painfully goes absolutely nowhere. At the conclusion of the series, Sailor Moon author Naoko Takeuchi included a picture of each Shitennou posing with one of the Inner Sailor Guardians, revealing that there was a possible romance between the Shitennou and Senshi in their past lives.
1 Sailor Moon Abandons Naru & The Outside World
Usagi's Best Friend Vanishes After the Early Seasons
When it comes to both the manga and the 90s anime adaptation of Sailor Moon, the character of Naru Osaka starts out playing an important role: Usagi’s best friend. In the anime, she is often caught in the crosshairs of Sailor Moon’s enemies, and Usagi must put herself in danger to save her friend from danger.
As the series continues and Usagi’s magical battles escalate in power and scale, Naru sadly fades into the background. The story stops exploring the outside world altogether, largely abandoning Usagi’s double life or how being a Sailor Guardian impacts her friends and family. It’s a huge oversight, considering how much of Sailor Moon‘s early premise centered on her balancing the two sides of her life.
