Summary
- The main characters of Sailor Moon have abilities inspired by Roman mythology, with Sailor Venus representing love and riches, Sailor Mercury utilizing deceit, Sailor Mars embodying aggression and mystique, and Sailor Jupiter displaying brute force.
- Usagi Tsukino, the leader of the gang, takes inspiration from the legend of the Rabbit on the Moon, with her name literally meaning "rabbit on the moon" and her personality resembling that of a rabbit.
- Naoko Takeuchi meticulously crafted the characters and lore of Sailor Moon, drawing on different mythologies to create well-rounded and interesting characters. Roman mythology adds an intriguing layer to the story.
We all know and love Usagi Tsukino, the legendary Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. She fights for love and justice in the name of the moon. Surrounded by her friends, she's the Moon Princess destined to protect the solar system from all evil.
Though our lovable main character may be one with the moon, her allies have abilities of their own, to assist Usagi in her journey. The solar system plays a large role in the designs of the main characters of Sailor Moon, but did you know they also took inspiration from Roman mythology? That might explain why Sailor Venus is as flirty as she is.
Sailor Venus
Minako Aino (or Mina Aino) is the charismatic older sister-figure of the group. Being based off Venus from Roman mythology, her powers mostly correlate with love, passion, and in the 2014 remake of Sailor Moon, she even has a chain belt that she wears around her waist. In all iterations of Sailor Venus in the franchise, her chain belt (titled, "love me") is used in all her attacks.
However, in addition to the theme of "love", her elemental material is gold. In Japanese, the word for Venus is 金星 ("kinsei"), meaning "metal star" - and gold is a metallic. Venus is also the goddess of love and riches in Roman mythology - so what's more fitting than to incorporate that into her design?
Sailor Mercury
Ami Mizuno (or Amy Anderson) is kind, quiet, and intelligent. Similar to the Mercury of Roman mythology, her powers heavily rely on deceit. Most of her primary attacks utilize mist to distract and trap her enemies, while Sailor Moon deals the finishing blow. Interestingly, Mercury is one of the closest planets to the sun, meaning that it's very high in temperature and far from an icy climate, unlike Sailor Mercury's powers. This could be because her design took a heavier influence from the god Mercury. He was also known as the mediator between the heavens and Earth, alluding to Ami's position as the "messenger" guardian.
Sailor Mars
Rei Hino (or Raye Hino) is a psychic and miko of her family's temple. Unlike the other girls, Sailor Mars has a heavier Japanese influence, as her powers include the use of ofuda and prayer. Additionally, she can also use her powers when she isn't transformed. In Roman mythology, Mars is the god of war, which would explain why Rei's attacks are so aggressive. She also has an aloof and disciplined personality, further emphasizing her conservative influence and the god, Mars' mysterious personality.
Sailor Jupiter
Makoto Kino (or Lita Kino) is assertive, strong, but kindhearted. Being the tallest of the group, her resemblances to the god, Jupiter is mostly in appearance. Believed to be the god of thunder, who came from the sky, Jupiter is often portrayed with lightning and displays of brute force, which is a major character trait of Makoto's. Sailor Jupiter's primary attack is using her tiara as a conductor to attract lightning, which she then channels into electric bolts to shock and deal damage to her enemy. Similar to Sailor Mars, her attacks are more aggressive.
Sailor Moon
Usagi Tsukino (or Serena Tsukino) is the leader of the gang, but interestingly enough, she doesn't take a lot of inspiration from the Moon god in Roman mythology. This is simple, because there isn't one. The closest thing we have to a god for the Moon is Luna, who is a divine protector. In Sailor Moon, Usagi's sidekick already fits that criteria. Sailor Moon herself takes inspiration from the Rabbit on the Moon legend. In East Asian and indigenous American legend, there is a rabbit on the moon's surface, characterized by a particular shape. In Japanese, it's referred to as 月のうさぎ ("tsukinousagi"), meaning "rabbit on the moon", which is quite literally Usagi Tsukino's name. Additionally, she has a "rabbit-like" personality, implying that she is very sensitive and anxious to take risks, which we know at the beginning of the story, our lovable main character finds her world flipped upside down.
It's very clear Naoko Takeuchi took care in her creation of Sailor Moon, so much so that even down to the tiniest detail, we can appreciate how well-rounded she wrote both the characters and the lore. Who knew Roman mythology could be so interesting?
Sources: British Museum, Kei Kung Fu