The Galaxy Cauldron is the most important, and mysterious, entity in the entire Sailor Moon universe. It’s an integral and named part of the plot in the epic series’ final story arc, the Stars Arc. While the Galaxy Cauldron is a crucial part of the Sailor Moon lore and an enormous part of the series finale, the entity isn’t really featured in the ’90s original anime adaptation finale, perhaps because of its esoteric nature.
The original manga by Naoko Takeuchi, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, and the more manga-loyal anime reboot, Sailor Moon Crystal, feature the Galaxy Cauldron in detail. Specifically, the Galaxy Cauldron appears in the finale Sailor Moon Crystal movie, Sailor Moon Cosmos. Understanding the Galaxy Cauldron, how it works, and where the seeds of it originated in folklore, is integral to understanding the lore and cosmology in Sailor Moon.
The Galaxy Cauldron Is the Center of All Creation in Sailor Moon Lore
Naoko Takecuhi Always Planned to Have the Series Begin & End With the Cauldron
The Galaxy Cauldron is the crucible of all creation in the Sailor Moon universe. It’s the greatest and most basic primordial entity in all existence, and it manifests in the form of a star, right in the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, Sagittarius Zero Star. Not so coincidentally, the Milky Way Galaxy is the home to the Serenity line of the Moon Kingdom, the Inner and Outer Sailor Guardians, and Sailor Galaxia: the most powerful celestial guardians of the universe.
All Star Seeds come from the Galaxy Cauldron, which is the place where everything in the universe, from star to blade of grass, is created and destroyed and reborn. Star Seeds are the crystals which reside in all life forms, including humans, animals, plants, and planets. Essentially, they are soul crystals. A Sailor Guardian’s Sailor Crystal is a special kind of Star Seed, including Tuxedo Mask’s Golden Crystal. The Galaxy Cauldron is an ancient, powerful, and ever-renewable source with no beginning or end.
Naoko Takeuchi didn’t have her entire series written when the anime adaptation began, but she did know from the very beginning that the epic series would end with the Galaxy Cauldron. The Galaxy Cauldron is not good, nor is it bad. It is the source of everything in the world, similar to the concept of the Greek myth, Pandora’s Box. The Galaxy Cauldron merely creates and regenerates, creating both avaricious and cruel beings like Chaos and heroes like the Sailor Guardians and the Serenity queens of the Moon Kingdom. It is possible to go inside the Cauldron, but once a person is inside it, it’s nearly impossible not to fuse with the life force inside.
Sailor Moon Goes Into the Galaxy Cauldron in the Finale of the Stars Arc
Sailor Moon Must Destroy the Cauldron to Stop Chaos
The major of the antagonist of the Stars arc is Galaxia. Galaxia was an outcast child until Chaos found her in the form of Wiseman. Several of the most powerful Sailor Moon villains are incarnations of Chaos in disguise, and Wiseman is the most duplicitous version of Chaos. He convinces Galaxia she is a chosen one, destined for greatness. It’s Galaxia’s plan, and Sailor Moon’s destiny all along, to end up in the very center of the Milky Way Galaxy, at the Galaxy Cauldron. Galaxia says it will be Sailor Moon’s grave.
Galaxia sets up her base in the Galaxy Cauldron, Shadow Galactica. She describes it as the Stars’ Holy Land and Sailor Moon agrees, calling it a sacred place. Galaxia’s plan was to pit Sailor Moon against Chaos, hoping they would be strong enough to destroy each other so she would be left to do the unthinkable: take over the Galaxy Cauldron. If there was one entity in the universe strong enough to take over the Galaxy Cauldron, it would be one of those three figures: Sailor Moon, Galaxia, or Chaos.
In the Stars arc, Chaos does temporarily take over the Galaxy Cauldron for a short time, and controlling the Cauldron means controlling life and death itself. Galaxia has also killed off all the Sailor Guardians and Tuxedo Mask, leaving Sailor Moon in total grief, questioning whether she should destroy the Cauldron to destroy Chaos. That would mean, theoretically, leaving the galaxy as a total void. She would destroy all the pain in the universe, but that would mean there would be nothing else left in the universe.
Stopping Chaos’ path and «destroying» the Galaxy Cauldron is a great act of courage — an act which Sailor Moon has failed to do in previous timelines. The present Sailor Moon doesn’t fail; she embraces the Cauldron, leaping inside it and confronting what’s within, effectively resetting it. By throwing away her power and embracing Chaos, she releases everything within it, triggering a rebirth with her sacrifice.
The Galaxy Cauldron Had Great Thematic Significance in the Sailor Moon Saga
The Creator Star Represents the Cycle of Life, Death, Power, & Sacrifice
Rebirth and reincarnation are major themes in Sailor Moon. The first story arc, the Dark Kingdom arc, revolves around Sailor Moon’s first major reincarnation. Her first life was as Princess Serenity thousands of years ago during the Silver Millennium in the Moon Kingdom. She belongs to a powerful line of Moon Queens, destined to wield one of the strongest powers of the universe, the Silver Crystal.
Sailor Moon’s soul, and the souls of her Sailor Guardians and her lover, Prince Endymion of Earth, are sent to Earth to be reborn in their present-day forms. Her Sailor Guardians and the present-day Prince Endymion, Mamoru Chiba, die and are brought back to life several times over throughout the epic series. Sailor Moon also has other incarnations, like Sailor Cosmos.
Confronting the Galaxy Cauldron as the symbol of power and reincarnation is a symbolic way for Sailor Moon, the most powerful figure in the series, to confront herself and her own power. Another recurring storytelling convention in Sailor Moon is character foils; Sailor Moon often fights foil versions of herself throughout the series. Villains like Queen Nehelenia and Galaxia have many traits in common with Sailor Moon.
Queen Nehelenia shares Sailor Moon’s insecurities, and Galaxia shares a similar burden of great power and loneliness. These sympathetic villains represent what could happen if Sailor Moon makes the wrong decision. The Galaxy Cauldron puts Sailor Moon to the ultimate test. It weighs her soul, and sees whether she will become a Galaxia or a Queen Nehelenia. That’s why it’s key she gives up her power. No one person should want to hold on to absolute power, which Sailor Moon has access to.
Naoko Takeuchi Draws From Folkloric Concepts for Many Aspects of Sailor Moon
The Galaxy Cauldron Uses Holy Grail & Archetypal Womb Imagery
Naoko Takeuchi wove many elements of folklore from several different cultures into Sailor Moon‘s world-building. The most foundational part of Sailor Moon is perhaps Greek and Japanese mythology about the moon. Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion’s forbidden love story on the Moon Kingdom is inspired by the Greek moon goddess, Selene’s forbidden romance with the shepherd, Endymion. Usagi Tsukino takes her name from the Japanese rabbit who pounds mochi on the moon.
The Galaxy Cauldron is a creatrix, a womb, a chalice, a cup, which bears eternal life and infinite possibilities. This same imagery pops up in ancient legends all over the world. A few other folkloric examples include: the Arthurean Holy Grail which blesses its drinker with everlasting life, the Russian Baba Yaga with her cauldron and flying mortar and pestle, and the Irish Cauldron of Dagda which never runs empty. Many other fantasy authors still borrow from this ancient imagery today, including authors like Sarah J. Maas in her work, A Court of Thorns and Roses, who cites Sailor Moon as one of her favorite pieces of media in a few different interviews.
Folklore uses a lot of archetypal imagery, which is where most literary tropes stem from. The Galaxy Cauldron’s title, imagery, its function in the story, and the language the characters use to describe it evokes archetypal sacred womb imagery. In the manga, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Sailor Moon also calls the Galaxy Cauldron a «Mother Cauldron» which cyclically produces newborn seeds across the universe. The Stars arc introduces a Sailor Guardian ability which has a similar language: Sailor Star Maker’s Star Gentle Uterus ability. Another holy life-giving artifact with similar folkloric imagery in the series is the Holy Grail, used by Super Sailor Moon.
Sailor Moon
A tale of magic, friendship, and destiny unfolds as a clumsy teenage girl named Usagi Tsukino discovers her true identity as Sailor Moon, a guardian destined to protect Earth from dark forces. Alongside her fellow Sailor Guardians—each with their own unique powers and personalities—Usagi battles various enemies sent by the evil Queen Beryl and the Dark Kingdom. As they uncover secrets from their past lives and the legendary Silver Millennium, the team must unite to defend the world and find the elusive Silver Crystal.
Your Rating
Rate Now 0/10
Your comment has not been saved
Sailor Moon
TV-PG Action Drama Fantasy Romance 21
Cast
See All
Kotono Mitsuishi
Aya Hisakawa
A group of schoolgirls discover they are incarnations of super-powered alien princesses, and use their abilities to defend the earth.
Powered by
Expand Collapse
Your Rating
Rate Now 0/10
Your comment has not been saved
Sailor Moon Crystal
TV-14 Sci-Fi & Fantasy Drama Action Adventure Anime 10/10
Cast
See All
Kotono Mitsuishi Usagi Tsukino / Sailor Moon (voice)
Hisako Kanemoto Ami Mizuno / Sailor Mercury (voice)
Usagi Tsukino is chosen to be a guardian of justice and is sent on a quest to locate a Silver Crystal before the Dark Kingdom invades the Earth.
Powered by
Expand Collapse
