WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Sailor Moon.
Summary
- The Sailor Moon manga explores dark themes such as suicide and abuse, setting it apart from typical magical girl series.
- Sailor Moon characters face tragic deaths and make complicated choices, showing their flaws and complexity.
- The series pushes the boundaries with disturbing scenes of abuse and non-consent, adding depth and realism to the characters.
On the surface, Sailor Moon It seems like the usual magical girl series, but it's actually much more than that. The anime touches on dark themes in some places, but it's the manga that takes a lot of steps forward. Naoko Takeuchi's masterpiece Sailor Moon it is full of scenes involving loss, sacrifice and tragedy.
In addition to defeating the forces of evil, explorer sailors are often faced with extremely difficult situations and are forced to make impossible choices. Each version and adaptation of the series has its cute and comedic moments, but there are also many terrifying and dark elements that often get overlooked.
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In the Sailor Moon manga, we see many story arcs, such as Dark Kingdom, Black Moon, and Infinity, that explore dark themes. The magical girl anime, full of colorful transformations and cute poses, takes on a dark turn as it progresses. Sailor Moon is very different from other titles in the same genre in that it isn't afraid to show how flawed the characters are.
None of the protagonists we see are portrayed as typical heroes. Guardian sailors make mistakes and are faced with complicated choices, which is what sets Sailor Moon apart. This is especially evident in the manga, where Naoko Takeuchi doesn't shy away from exploring themes such as suicide, incest, and abuse.

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Themes of death and suicide
In the Sailor Moon manga, death is particularly omnipresent. Perhaps the most heartbreaking moment was in the Dark Kingdom story arc, where Sailor Moon's past self, Princess Serenity, and Mamoru's past self, Prince Endymion, tragically die. Prince Endymion is stabbed to death after Queen Metalia influences Queen Beryl. The Moon Kingdom falls after the invasion of the people of Earth and, witnessing all this, Princess Serenity is heartbroken and ends up taking her own life by falling with a sword.
In the name of the moon I will punish you: Sailor Moon
In the Black Moon story arc, we see more death and destruction. The Black Moon Clan is a rebel group led by Prince Demande against the White Moon Kingdom and Neo Queen Serenity. With the help and influence of another villain called the Wise, this clan causes irreparable chaos and destruction in both the past and the future. One of the most important members of this clan were the four Ayakashi sisters.
They arrive in the present timeline from the future to ensure the rule of the Black Moon through destruction. The youngest of them, Koan, with her ability to spread fire, attacks a group of nuns, burning them alive. This was just one of the many cruel actions of the Black Moon Clan that resulted in the loss of thousands of lives.
The anime also featured some tragic deaths, including the sacrifice of Sailor Saturn. Hotaru Tomoe, Sailor Saturn, is considered one of the most powerful sailor guardians and in the anime Sailor Moon S, she is revealed to be a vessel of Mistress 9, who is working with Pharaoh 90 to destroy Earth. Later, he sacrifices himself to stop Pharaoh 90 using all the power his weapon, the Silence Glaive, produces. Hotaru is reborn as a child after Sailor Moon uses the silver crystal, but her sacrifice remains one of Sailor Moon's most painful moments.
You have meatballs on the sides of your head to match the spaghetti inside! – Sailor Mercury
We also see the tragic deaths of the Inner Sailor Senshi Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Venus, who are killed one after the other by the Doom And Gloom Girls in the Dark Kingdom story arc. Each of their deaths was painful to watch as they joyfully accepted their tragic fate to protect Sailor Moon. Thankfully, they were resurrected after Beryl's defeat.

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Abuse and incest
Takeuchi is not afraid to push boundaries
In the Infinity Arc we are introduced to Souichi Tomoe, the father of Sailor Saturn, Hotaru Tomoe. The esteemed scientist, although brilliant in his profession, failed as a father. His cruel experiments on his daughter were extremely disturbing to watch. Hotaru was treated as nothing less than a mere vessel for Mistress 9 by her father, which led to more emotional turmoil for Sailor Saturn.
My father is hurting me… but I can't escape him. He says it's for my own good: Sailor Saturn
Next, we have Chibi-Usa and her Electra complex, which was present throughout the show but was toned down as a running joke in the anime. But in the manga it's actually much more intense. One particular scene where an evil version of Chibi-Usa and a brainwashed Mamoru share a kiss that sparked a lot of controversy. This happened when the Sage corrupted Chibi Usa, turning her into a black woman. Bearing in mind that Mamoru is his future father, this scene is perhaps the creepiest part of the entire series. The black woman's act of kissing Mamoru to torment Usagi was very questionable indeed. This is a testament to the fact that Sailor Moon pushes the boundaries outside of the magical girl genre like no other 90s anime does.

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The depiction of non-consensual scenes
Things get much worse, like in the Black Moon arc, where the clan's leader, Prince Demande, is obsessed with Neo Queen Serenity. This infatuation with New Queen Serenity and Usagi's resemblance to her leads Prince Demande to kidnap her and force himself on her, kissing her without consent. This was certainly a very triggering scene for the audience and the show has been criticized for romanticizing sexual violence.
You are what I want. You are my future, my queen. I will make you mine – Prince Demande
Another similar scene is seen in Sailor Moon Crystal season 3 episode 3. This is when Sailor Uranus kisses Sailor Moon at the end of the episode without her consent. Although Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune are considered LGBT icons, this scene was not liked by the public.
The dark themes that lie in the depths of Sailor Moon they're what set it apart, as it's not afraid to give us characters that feel more human than ever, given their complicated personalities and the decisions they make. In addition to the dark tones, we also find inspiration and hope in the battles that the sailor guardians face and how they persist against the forces of evil, even if it means sacrificing themselves.

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