Having ran from early 1992 to early 1997, the original run of Sailor Moon is packed full of memorable episodes that fans can't help but come back to. Usagi and her friends grow exponentially throughout the course of the series, each grappling with their own insecurities that they confront and learn to deal with over time, and many of the episodes that focus on this growth are still powerful fan-favorites to this day.
Aside from its powerful character growth, Sailor Moon is also known for its emotional moments, big reveals, and climactic face-offs. The original 90s anime also has a lot of filler and sillier episodes thrown in amidst the seriousness, and both types of episodes can be found among the most rewatchable that Sailor Moon has to offer.
10 Jupiter, The Powerful Girl In Love
Season 1, Episode 25
In the twenty-fifth episode of Sailor Moon's first season, Sailor Jupiter – also known as Makoto Kino – is introduced. Being a tomboy who got kicked out of her previous school, most of Usagi's classmates avoid and spread rumors about Makoto, but good-natured Usagi isn't bothered by this and befriends her anyway.
As Makoto awakens into Sailor Jupiter and attacks this episodes' villain, Luna tells her and Usagi it'd be immoral to kill him. This is in stark contrast to Sailor Jupiter's introduction in the manga, where she awakens while fighting against Nephrite and actually does kill him. This episode also marks the ending of Sailor Moon's opening arc, as Usagi has now found all the Inner Guardians, and their primary objective switches to finding and protecting the Moon Princess.
9 A Night Alone Together: Usagi In Danger
Season 5, Episode 18
The eighteenth episode of Sailor Moon's fifth season is much more lighthearted than other highly rewatchable episodes. It's also a filler episode that doesn't exist within the Sailor Moon manga. Seiya keeps an alone Usagi company after a thief becomes active in her neighborhood, and it doesn't take long before the Sailor Starlights and the other Sailor Guardians arrive as well.
Chaos and hilarity ensue as the group fights evil inside Usagi's house, trying to keep their magical identities a secret from one another. When Usagi finally does find a safe spot to transform into Eternal Sailor Moon, the sound of breaking dishes is heard in the background as the Tsukino household is too small to properly support her transformation. Instead of using her typical tiara to perform Moon Tiara Action, Usagi uses a pizza, and this episode is good, lighthearted fun even on rewatches.
8 The Shining Shooting Star: Saturn And The Messiah
Season 3, Episode 36
Hotaru awakens as Sailor Saturn in the thirty-sixth episode of Sailor Moon's third season. Fueled by the happy memories of both her father and her close friendship with Chibi-Usagi, Hotaru destroys Mistress 9 and fully awakens as Sailor Saturn. Left with no other choice, Sailor Saturn is forced to make the ultimate sacrifice immediately after awakening in an effort to stop Pharaoh 90.
With the help of the other Sailor Guardians, Usagi musters up the strength to become Super Sailor Moon for the last time. Not only is she able to use this power to destroy Pharaoh 90 for good, Super Sailor Moon emerges with a newborn child in her arms – Hotaru. This episode is packed with heavy-hitting reveals and emotional moments that make it worth a revisit.
7 The Shining Silver Crystal: The Moon Princess Appears
Season 1, Episode 34
In the thirty-fourth episode of Sailor Moon's first season, the Moon Princess the Sailor Guardians have been tirelessly searching for is revealed to be Usagi herself. Usagi and Mamoru learn each others' true identities as Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask, as Usagi transforms in front of Mamoru to protect him.
Zoisite promises Mamoru the two will have a fair fight, before promptly betraying Mamoru and stabbing him through the back. The original Sailor Moon dub actually shortens this scene, with concerns that Mamoru's stabbing is too graphic for younger audiences. This moves Usagi to tears, with her tears forming the Legendary Silver Crystal and transforming her into Princess Serenity for the first time. This episode is worth revisiting for its big reveals and dramatic action scenes.
6 Enter Venus, The Last Sailor Guardian
Season 1, Episode 33
Sailor Venus finally reveals herself to the other Sailor Guardians in Sailor Moon's thirty-third episode. Unlike the other Guardians introduced thus far, Minako's introduction is special as she's the only Guardian to already have awakened to her powers by the time she meets Usagi.
In the manga, Minako introduces herself as Sailor V, but does so as Venus in the anime with Usagi piecing together her identity as Sailor V. There's also a plot thread in the manga about Sailor Venus pretending to be the Moon Princess that the anime also drops. Instead, Usagi asks Minako if she's the Moon Princess who laughs in response, and Usagi's revealed as the actual Moon Princess in the next episode.
5 Naru's Tears: Nephrite Dies For Love
Season 1, Episode 24
Since Nephrite isn't killed during Sailor Jupiter's introduction like in the manga, the twenty-fourth episode of Sailor Moon's first season handles his death instead. It's made more heartbreaking by the connection he forms with Naru before his death, falling for her and trying to reform.
Nephrite originally plans to use Naru and her closeness to Usagi in order to get his hands on the Silver Crystal, but ends up switching allegiance near the end, willing to both keep Sailor Moon's secret and die to protect Naru. Naru even refuses to heed Nephrite's warning to run away, instead desperately trying to save Nephrite's life in his final moments. This episode is heartbreaking, and the emotional weight hits just as hard the second time around.
4 A Handsome Boy? Haruka Tenoh's Secret
Season 3, Episode 3
In the third episode of Sailor Moon's third season, Haruka Tenoh and Michiru Kaiou make their first real appearances. They appeared previously in their Guardian forms, but they were only silhouettes and their identities couldn't be clearly made out. All the Guardians, except for Ami, confuse Haruka for an attractive guy, with both Usagi and Minako immediately developing small crushes on Haruka.
In-between Haruka's introduction and her true identity reveal, Usagi and Minako confuse Michiru for Haruka's girlfriend, and stalk the two in an attempt to find out the true nature of their relationship. Haruka does nothing to dissuade their assumptions about her gender, leading to a hilarious reveal at the end of the episode.
3 Saturn Awakens: The Ten Sailor Guardians Unite
Season 5, Episode 2
The second episode of Sailor Moon's fifth season marks a lot of firsts for the series. Most importantly, Hotaru, who had been living as a normal child up until that point, is reawakened into Sailor Saturn. While fans appreciate getting to see more of Sailor Saturn, this reawakening is also heartbreaking as it ruins Hotaru's chances of growing up as a normal child without the weight of the world on her shoulders.
This episode marks the first time all ten Sailor Senshi fight together, and is also the first appearance of Sailor Saturn's super form. While Usagi's Eternal Sailor Moon form was seen in a vision from a previous episode, this episode also contains her first transformation into said form.
2 A New Transformation: Usagi's Power-Up
Season 2, Episode 5
Usagi's transformation brooch is destroyed by a villain during the fifth episode of Sailor Moon's second season. Caught between her desire to be a normal girl and her wish to protect her friends and family, Usagi is unable to transform back into Sailor Moon, but her resolve solidifies by the end of the episode, and she receives a new transformation along with the Cutie Moon Rod.
Originally in the manga, the Cutie Moon Rod is created because of the love between Usagi and Mamoru, but Queen Serenity drops it to Usagi from the moon in the anime. Watching Usagi agree with Luna that her resolve's been faltering lately, only to gain it back in full with a newfound desire to protect her friends and planet, make this episode well worth revisiting.
1 The Arrival Of A Tiny Pretty Guardian
Season 3, Episode 14
Chibi-Usagi makes her re-appearance in the fourteenth episode of Sailor Moon's third season. While she only appears at the very end of the episode, Chibi-Usa's reintroduction is hilariously cute as her initial attack against the villains fails, and she tries to recover while hiding her embarrassment. Usagi and Rei are both shocked to see her, and all three come together to beat back the evil-of-the-week at the end.
This episode also features the Sailor Guardians at a festival, complete with an adorable scene of the girls going goldfish scooping together and Usagi becoming frustrated at her lack of success. Interestingly, the key animation for this episode was done by Hideaki Anno, who directed Neon Genesis Evangelion.
