For more than three decades, the Sailor Moon franchise has captivated audiences with its stellar cast of Pretty Guardians and their spectacularly bright, shining adventures. In that time, fans have watched on as the Sailor Scouts have fought against the forces of Evil on Earth and among the stars, and even across time itself on more than one occasion.
Unsurprisingly, this has led to more than a few Sailor Moon storylines that haven't aged particularly well, not to mention those that were questionable from the very start. In fact, several of the franchise's most indelible tales are prime examples of ideas that would have been better executed with a little more forethought. Whether it be unsettling relationships, uncharacteristically cruel heroes, or unexpected dinosaur friends, some Sailor Moon stories simply don't stand up to the rest of the franchise, even at its blandest.
10 Sailor Moon's Dinosaurs Started Weak and Went Nowhere Fast
Sailor Moon "The Beach, the Island and a Vacation: The Guardians' Break" (1993)
1993's second season episode "The Beach, the Island and a Vacation: The Guardians' Break" was far from what fans of Sailor Moon were used to in just about every way imaginable. Rather than seeing the Sailor Guardians get caught up in some harrowing set of circumstances or face off against a new alien menace, the episode dropped the series' heroes in the middle of an idyllic beach vacation. As a whole, there is nothing that audiences would find particularly objectionable, although that doesn't mean the episode isn't questionable regarding its content.
When the young Chibiusa goes missing, the rest of the Sailor Guardians are quick to grow concerned over her whereabouts. Fortunately, Chibiusa didn't fall into the clutches of any evildoers. Instead, she made what could have been the discovery of a lifetime by coming across a small family of plesiosaurs who had made a home for themselves within a secluded cave. This discovery could have changed the course of Chibiusa's entire life, not to mention the entirety of human history, as dinosaurs living in the modern era in secret has been the crux of countless stories across various other properties throughout the years. By the time the episode was over, however, the plesiosaurs were relegated to a footnote in the wider scope of Sailor Moon history, while "The Beach, the Island and a Vacation: The Guardians' Break" was unofficially banned by being cut from air schedules and absent from English dubbed home video collections for nearly two decades for no reason other than how lackluster it was compared to the rest of the series.
9 Sailor Pluto's Tragic Sacrifice Doesn't Mean Much
Sailor Moon S (1994)
In one of the most shocking moments of the franchise, Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune are caught in a helicopter explosion set off when a roving pack of Daimons attacks their aircraft. To save her friends, Sailor Pluto called upon one of her most powerful abilities: the Time Stop. Thanks to her mastery over time itself, Sailor Pluto had no problem stopping the universe itself at that moment. While this allowed her to get the others to safety, it wasn't enough for Sailor Pluto to save herself, as she was caught in the ensuing explosion as soon as the normal passage of time resumed.
Despite the shocking loss under such extreme circumstances, Sailor Pluto's apparent demise wasn't the big surprise it seemed to be. While that was due in part to the specifics of the situation itself, it also had everything to do with the purportedly lethal cost of Sailor Pluto's Time Stop as explained by Queen Serenity herself. All things considered, Sailor Pluto's loss was a powerful moment for the series in any iteration of the story, but the version of it that played out on Sailor Moon S was by far the most devastating. However, Sailor Pluto returned later on, with specific appearances landing her in the middle of events that she should never have been present for, and all without any real way to explain them besides general convenience for the story at hand.
8 Sailor Moon Nearly Let an Innocent Woman Die for the Pettiest Reason of All
Sailor Moon Season One - "Sailor Venus' Past: Minako's Tragic Love" (1993)
Usagi Tsukino might be Sailor Moon, but being the franchise's namesake hero doesn't mean she is the epitome of heroism. Usagi herself is one of the most grating characters in the entire franchise, with her teenage exploits and frequently unhinged personality serving as the crux of their own issues. This was never more apparent than it was in the 1993 episode "Sailor Venus' Past: Minako's Tragic Love," which saw Usagi's penchant for pettiness very nearly cost an innocent woman her life.
The episode introduced Katarina, an Interpol officer whose work brought her into contact with Minako Aino, aka Sailor Venus, with whom she became close friends. Over the next few months, Katarina joined Minako on numerous outings, frequently in the company of Alan, a man whom Minako was secretly in love with. Because Minako never revealed her feelings to Katarina or Alan, the two didn't think it would be an issue that they embarked on a romantic relationship with each other. For whatever reason, Usagi decided this was reason enough to leave Katarina trapped in the form of a monstrous Youma when she was transformed by the villainous Kunzite. Usagi was fully prepared to let a woman she barely knew die a horrific death, all because her friend was romantically inconvenienced with neither malice nor intent. Thankfully, Usagi eventually relented and saved Katarina, though that hardly makes up for her initial cruelty.
7 Sailor Saturn is Reborn as a Literal Baby
Sailor Moon S (1994-1995)
The Sailor Moon franchise has always leaned into the concepts of rebirth and resurrection, but how those concepts have been utilized haven't always sat especially well with fans. One of the more questionable uses of these motifs involved Hotaru Tomoe, aka Sailor Saturn, the last of the Outer Sailor Guardians to awaken in the modern day. As the most timid of the Sailor Guardians, Hotaru was often treated with a soft hand by her contemporaries, yet that was never more true than when she was reborn as a literal infant for them to raise as their own.
When it was revealed that Hotaru was the living host for Mistress 9, it was only a matter of time before it meant the end of one of them. Tragically, it was Hotaru who lost her life upon Mistress 9's emergence. That didn't keep Hotaru from being a mainstay of the series, however, as she was reborn following the final battle against Mistress 9 and the malevolent Pharaoh 90. When Sailor Neptune recognized the infant as the reincarnation of the Guardian of Silence, she took it upon herself to raise the baby Hotaru alongside Sailor Uranus and Sailor Pluto, creating a confusing and fantastical family dynamic that convoluted the interpersonal relationships of the series' main cast beyond what some fans could make sense of.
6 The Ending of "Death Busters" Turns Sailor Moon Into a Planetary Regent
Sailor Moon "Death Busters" Story Arc
Sailor Moon's third major story arc, "Death Busters" ("Infinity" in the manga), revolved around the threat posed by the eponymous group of villains who included Mistress 9 and Pharaoh 90. Throughout the storyline, the Death Busters harvested and gathered unwitting human souls in a desperate bid to stave off the destruction of their dying homeworld. This storyline has been adapted numerous times throughout the years, and each time the stakes were as grave as the last, yet it wasn't until the Sailor Moon Crystal adaptation that fans began widely questioning its resolution.
Apart from all the revelations regarding Hotaru's death and rebirth, the "Death Busters" story arc included quite possibly the biggest leap that Usagi has ever made in terms of power or character development. Although Usagi's future self as the Neo-Queen Serenity and regent of the Earth and Moon had been seen in flashbacks prior, it wasn't until the final episodes of the story arc that she stepped into the action for herself. And, while her presence was greatly appreciated by everyone involved, it also created plenty of opportunities for fans to wonder about the intricacies and nuances of someone in their early twenties being given seemingly divine rule over the entire world in Sailor Moon's thirtieth century.
5 Sailor Moon's Most Iconic Queer Couple Were Made Incestuous Via Censorship
Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon American Dub
Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus are famous among Sailor Moon fans and casual observers alike not just for their astonishing powers, but for the fact that they are the franchise's most prominent queer couple. The pair also happen to be among the most healthy depictions of loving relationships that the Sailor Moon franchise has to offer, as the two consistently have each other's backs and communicate openly about their issues. They also happen to be one of — if not the prime — examples of censors making matters worse, which probably accounts for their fame more so than anything else.
When Sailor Moon made its way onto television sets in North America in the form of English dubs of the classic anime, Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus' lesbian relationship was entirely written out of the show. Or rather, any overt reference to it was written out, whereas all the subtle subtext and even many overt instances of displayed affection were left well intact. As a result, American producers ended up airing episodes wherein Haruka and Michiru constantly reminded audiences that they were cousins without ever considering that they should have cut scenes of the two kissing each other to avoid these changes becoming incestuous.
4 Chibiusa and Mamoru's Relationship Created a Dynamic Some Fans Couldn't Handle
Sailor Moon R (1993-1994)
Chibiusa is a contentious character among fans, and has been ever since her debut back in 1993's Sailor Moon Chapter 14: "Conclusion, Commencement, Petit Étrangere." Born in the thirtieth century, Chibiusa travels back in time to join the Sailor Guardians in their fight against the forces of evil, all in the hopes of training to become a great hero herself along the way. She also just so happens to be the daughter of Usagi and Mamoru, leading to some bewildering interactions between them as Chibiusa's story progresses.
Many fans who find these interactions uncomfortable point towards Chibiusa's continued declarations of wanting to marry Mamoru when she grows up as prime examples of problematic content. That being said, small children saying they want to marry their parents is common, especially for kids who don't understand what that means besides getting to be with another person for the rest of their lives. At the same time, Sailor Moon has pushed their relationship into decidedly uncomfortable territory previously, particularly with Chibiusa's transformation into the villainous Dark Lady who then passionately kisses a mind-controlled Mamoru to absolutely no one's delight but her own.
3 Usagi and Mamoru's Relationship was Extra Problematic in the Original Sailor Moon Anime
Sailor Moon, Sailor Moon R, Sailor Moon S, Sailor Moon SuperS, Sailor Moon Sailor Stars
As bad as the Dark Lady/Mamoru situation was on its own, it was just another example of questionable choices made regarding the latter's trajectory. As Tuxedo Mask, Mamoru has always been derided by fans as a relatively useless if ultimately necessary part of the series and Usagi's journey. As a college student in the original anime, however, he probably wasn't someone whom the much younger Usagi should have been embarking upon a relationship with.
To date, Mamoru's actual age has shifted more than once across the various iterations of the Sailor Moon franchise. He has remained consistently older than Usagi, which alone isn't anything to worry about, but there have certainly been times when that age gap is questionable, to say the least. Of course, there is always the matter of their love being foretold throughout eons and their present selves just being the latest versions of themselves as reincarnated yet again, though it is hard to say that pointing toward prophecy makes the idea of a college student pining for a teenager any more palatable.
2 Nephrite and Naru's Entire Relationship is Problematic for Multiple Reasons
Sailor Moon Season One (1992-1993)
Whereas Usagi and Mamoru's relationship can be glossed over by many as another strange aspect of the series' fantastical tale, the same cannot be done for the relationship between Naru Osaka and Nephrite. Naru was an ordinary teenage girl who somehow always seemed to end up in the middle of attacks carried out by the Dark Kingdom and its legions. Nephrite, on the other hand, was a part of that very same Dark Kingdom for himself, not to mention a fully grown adult who had no business taking up an overtly romantic relationship with a fourteen-year-old.
When Nephrite first began preying upon Naru, he did so under the belief that she was Sailor Moon. Even after discovering she wasn't, Nephrite continued to prey upon Naru due to both the unusual amount of energy that could be harvested from her and the fact that she was easy to take advantage of, thanks to her affection for his alter ego as Masato Sanjoin. Eventually, Nephrite was freed from Queen Beryl's influence, allowing him to fight alongside the Sailor Guardians rather than against them. It also gave him a chance to develop a genuine affection of his own for Naru, who comforted him in his dying moments. For any other pair of characters, this would have been a heartbreaking end, but for Nephrite and Naru, it was further evidence that something was horribly amiss regarding their relationship.
1 Sailor Moon's Unnecessary Sacrifice Forces Everyone Else to Give Up Their Lives
Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon Act 13: Final Battle - Reincarnation
Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon "Act 13: Final Battle - Reincarnation" was the penultimate episode in the series' "Dark Kingdom" story arc, and has become a favorite among fans of the franchise across nearly every single rendition. Though fans of the anime may remember it best as a dazzling, action-packed spectacle, for fans of the original manga it is a less idealized moment, mostly because of the group suicide Usagi effectively forces everyone else to take part in.
In a convoluted plot, Usagi uses the Sword of the Silver Crystal to stab herself through the abdomen during the battle with the evil Queen Metalia. Rather than ending things there and then, a blinding light merges together Usagi, the Silver Crystal, and Mamoru before being consumed by Queen Metalia, who then spreads her evil across the globe. In the end, it is only through the sacrifice of the other Sailor Guardians' Transformation Pens, and ultimately their lives, that Usagi is brought back to purge Queen Metalia's evil and save the world. The esoteric nature of the story does account for some of how this series of events pan out, yet nothing could make up for the fact that so little of it makes sense at face value, especially from the perspective of Usagi's friends and allies.
