Gorgeous and extended transformations are a cornerstone of magical girl anime. The heroine shouts out a key phrase like a spell and normally holds out a magical artifact, triggering their transformation. In Sailor Moon, fluttering pink ribbons wrap around Usagi Tsukino that then solidify into her Sailor Senshi bodice, skirt, gloves, and boots.
For the other magical girl characters in Sailor Moon, elements related to their planet themes cover them and transform them into their uniform pieces. For instance, bursts of fire flutter around Sailor Mars' torso and ankles, and wisps of water flow around Sailor Mercury and Sailor Neptune because they both have aquatic themes. There's even a rare magical boy transformation in Sailor Moon.
10 Sailor Chibi Moon's Villain Transformation
Most of the time, magical transformations are left only for the heroes, but when a hero like Sailor Chibi Moon falls into villainy, their transformation is particularly rare and fabulous. Normally, Chibiusa is surrounded by pink light as she transforms. When she becomes Wicked Lady, dark spirals envelop her grimacing face.
The darkness literally and figuratively smothers Sailor Chibi Moon. Rather than her usual sparkling glitter sounds, lightning cracks and solidifies the new elements of her transformation. Sailor Chibi Moon becomes an evil, grownup version of herself, draped in a haute couture black gown, a flowing red scarf, and a black, inverted crescent moon on her forehead.
9 Sailor Mars' Ring of Fire Transformation
Rei Hino already has fire affinities and the gift of prophetic scrying before she meets up with the other Sailor Senshi — Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury. Planet Mars and the Moon cat, Luna, call Rei to her true duties as Sailor Mars, guardian of fire and protector of love and justice. Sailor Mars' planet is named after the god of warfare and prophecy.
When Sailor Mars calls out "Mars Power," a spiral of orange and black flames spiral out from her red transformation pen and encircle her. Sailor Mars takes a power stance as the fire separates into rings and forms into her red heels, red skirt, and white and purple bodice. Sailor Mars is shocked by her transformation but she takes to being a Sailor Senshi swiftly, especially since she's been using an echo of her powers long before meeting the other Senshi.
8 Sailor Mercury's Icy, Bubbly Transformation
Ami Mizuno is a very serious, genius-level student with dark teal hair and a sweet, patient disposition. A youma attack reveals her Sailor Senshi mark, and Luna jumps into action, giving Ami her Mercury Transformation Pen. Sailor Mercury is a huge Sailor Moon fan favorite, partly for her personality and partly her cohesive blue aesthetic and water-based powers.
Sailor Mercury's transformation is the first element-based Sailor Senshi transformation. Streamers of sparkling water and bubbles surround Ami as she twists and turns. The water solidifies into an icy base that turns into her tall blue Sailor Senshi boots, fluttering blue skirt, and white bodice.
7 Sailor Cosmos Has a Celestial Transformation
Sailor Cosmos is a complicated character in Sailor Moon. She's Chibi Chibi Moon's surprise transformation. Chibi Chibi Moon is a small child with bright pink hair and a Sailor Senshi uniform; she looks like she could be related to Sailor Chibi Moon.
Chibi Chibi Moon is both the physical manifestation of Galaxia's Star Seed and an aspect of Sailor Moon in her most powerful state. Sailor Moon recognizes Chibi Chibi Moon, and a kiss transforms Chibi Chibi Moon into her winged Cosmos form. Her final Sailor Senshi transformation is soft and angelic, paired with Sailor Moon, and veiled in a celestial light.
6 Sailor Moon & Tuxedo Mask Have a Romantic Dual-Transformation
Sailor Moon R: The Movie, The Promise of the Rose isn't the first time Sailor Moon transforms into Princess Serenity, but the movie has one of the more romantic dual-transformations in the series. Sailor Moon transforms into Princess Serenity as she wields her Silver Crystal and throws all her powers, trying to arrest a comet hurtling toward Earth's atmosphere.
Seconds after Sailor Moon transforms into Princess Serenity, an injured Tuxedo Mask stands up and bows his head. Magical energy flutters as he seamlessly changes into his former self and Princess Serenity's counterpart, Prince Endymion. Tuxedo Mask doesn't have many powers, but he uses this movie's Prince Endymion transformation to bolster Princess Serenity's powers with his own strength. The transformation is simple but has a huge magical and emotional impact.
5 Tuxedo Mask Gets His Own Magical Boy Transformation
Tuxedo Mask has a pretty mysterious transformation; he tends to just show up fully formed whenever and wherever Sailor Moon really needs him. Even he doesn't fully understand how or why he transforms — only that he feels he must. An early Season One episode gives a brief glimpse into Tuxedo Mask's transformation, and it's overwhelming to him, though still surrounded with technicolor beauty.
The end of Sailor Moon's first season has a more extended and elegant version of Tuxedo Mask's transformation. Instead of a Transformation Pen, Mamoru fittingly uses a glowing rose he keeps in his lapel, which makes it seem like there are times when he can control his transformation, like the Sailor Senshi. Soft pink light surrounds him as a black cape surrounds him and a fashionable black hat tops his head.
4 Sailor Neptune's Elegant, Aquatic Transformation
Sailor Neptune commands the seas to craft her beautiful magical girl transformation. Her full transformation is revealed in bits and pieces throughout the third Sailor Moon season. Michiru's transformation stands out because it's gorgeous both in the original Sailor Moon anime and in Sailor Moon Crystal.
Sailor Moon Crystal has the more clunky transformation sequences, comparatively speaking, so the fact that Sailor Neptune's oceanic transformation is beautiful in both really says something. Sailor Neptune uses the most ballet-like poses of the Sailor Senshi in her transformation. She pairs her ballet positions with powerful aquatic displays, using a huge pillar of ocean water as her dressing room curtain.
3 Sailor Moon's Disguise Pen
The magical girl transformations don't stop at the Sailor Senshi's uniform and power-up transformations in Sailor Moon. In Season One, Luna gives Sailor Moon a Disguise Pen. The pen is topped with a red, rose-cut jewel, and she can use it to turn into any disguise she needs for any given mission.
Sailor Moon uses it to dress up as a photographer, a bride, a princess, and beyond. The Disguise Pen does more than give her useful and rapid outfit changes. It can also change her hair color, height, and age. All she has to do is say, "Disguise Power! Turn me into a..." before stating what she'd like to turn into.
2 Princess Serenity Makes an Appearance at Crucial Moments
Audiences know from flashbacks early on what Princess Serenity looks like, but Luna, Tuxedo Mask, Sailor Moon, and the rest of the Sailor Senshi don't know exactly who the reborn Princess Serenity is. When Sailor Moon realizes how much she loves Tuxedo Mask, her true self comes out, and she transforms into Princess Serenity. Her Serenity form is intertwined with her heart's strongest feelings and her love for others.
Sailor Moon's first transformation into Princess Serenity is really dramatic and heartrending because she's wracked with heartache. She transforms into Princess Serenity many more times throughout the series. Serenity comes out when Sailor Moon needs to tap into her greatest strength and power.
1 Sailor Moon's First Transformation Is a Classic
Sailor Moon's very first transformation may not be as powerful as her other power-up transformations, but it truly set the tone for the series and other magical girl anime to follow. Usagi Tsukino thinks she's just a regular schoolgirl until she meets Luna. Luna insists that Usagi is the Guardian of Love and Justice, Sailor Moon.
When Naru is in terrible danger, Usagi gathers her courage and uses the pink Transformation Brooch Luna gave her to transform into Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon is temporarily transported from her bedroom to a world of color and sparkle. Bright ribbons wrap around her and chime as they form into her bodice, skirt, boots, and Moon Tiara. Later in Season One, Usagi reveals her true self to Mamoru (Tuxedo Mask) by transforming into Sailor Moon in front of him.
