The Sailor Moon universe is rich with powerful characters, each wielding unique abilities. While the focus often lands on Sailor Moon herself, her fellow Inner Sailor Guardians and the enigmatic Tuxedo Mask possess impressive powers that are crucial to their battles against evil. This article delves into the top 10 abilities of these iconic characters, exploring their strengths and tactical importance.
Inner Senshi: The Core Protectors
The Inner Sailor Guardians—Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Venus—form the core of the team, each drawing power from their respective planets. They demonstrate a wide array of skills, from elemental attacks to strategic intellect.
1. Sailor Mercury’s Strategic Intellect and Aqua-Based Attacks
Sailor Mercury, the brains of the group, isn’t just about raw power. Her intelligence and analytical skills are paramount. Equipped with her Mercury Visor, a transparent head-mounted supercomputer, she can quickly identify enemy weaknesses and formulate effective plans. While her offensive abilities might not be the most destructive, her water-based attacks, such as “Mercury Aqua Rhapsody,” are crucial for weakening and disorienting opponents. Her strategic prowess and data analysis make her a key asset in any battle. Her role is not primarily offensive; instead, she gathers information, identifies enemy weaknesses, and relays that intel to her teammates.
2. Sailor Mars’ Fire-Based Offense and Spiritual Insight
Sailor Mars embodies fiery passion and spiritual insight. Her attacks, such as “Mars Flame Sniper,” are potent offensive strikes, utilizing her connection to fire. Beyond her offensive capabilities, her psychic abilities and spiritual senses allow her to detect danger and uncover hidden truths, providing vital information to the team. These psychic abilities, combined with her fire-based attacks, make her a powerful force both offensively and strategically. Her spiritual insight is an important addition to the team’s ability to sense danger.
3. Sailor Jupiter’s Raw Power and Electrical Offense
Sailor Jupiter, the physically strongest of the Inner Guardians, is a force to be reckoned with. Her attacks, like “Jupiter Oak Evolution” and “Supreme Thunder,” demonstrate her control over electricity and plant life, making her a formidable offensive powerhouse. She is known for her brute strength, and her attacks are capable of hitting multiple targets at once. Her raw power and variety of attacks make her an exceptional close-quarters combatant, and she’s often at the forefront of battles. Despite her physical prowess, she is a romantic at heart, enjoying domestic activities like cooking and gardening.
4. Sailor Venus’ Love and Light-Based Attacks, Leadership
Sailor Venus is the leader of the Inner Guardians, displaying a versatile range of abilities. Her attacks, such as “Love and Beauty Shock“, utilize radiant energy, often taking the form of light and love-based strikes. She is the first Sailor Guardian to awaken. She is adept at hand-to-hand combat, and her leadership skills are instrumental in coordinating the team. She is also known for her courage and ability to stand in for the Moon Princess when needed. She can also use Mars’ ofuda at times, highlighting her versatility. Her role as a leader and her ability to execute a range of attacks make her an invaluable member of the team.
Tuxedo Mask: The Enigmatic Protector
Tuxedo Mask, the alter ego of Mamoru Chiba, is not a typical Sailor Guardian, yet he is a crucial figure in the series. He is the guardian and protector of Earth, thus making him a member of the Sailor Guardians. His abilities, while often more subtle, play a critical role in supporting the Sailor Guardians.
5. Tuxedo Mask’s Psychic Abilities: Psychometry and Healing
In the manga, Tuxedo Mask is depicted with significant psychic powers. He can use psychometry to gain information from objects by touching them, and he also possesses healing abilities. These powers grow and evolve throughout the manga. While the anime does not explore these abilities as deeply, they are still present to a lesser extent. His ability to sense when Sailor Moon is in danger, often arriving just in time, is also a crucial part of his protective role. These psychic powers and his healing touch make him more than just a romantic interest; he is a strategic asset.
6. Tuxedo Mask’s Rose Throw and Tactical Interventions
Tuxedo Mask is known for his dramatic entrances and his signature rose throw. While this might seem like a simple gesture, it often serves as a distraction or an effective way to interrupt enemy attacks. He also has the ability to deflect attacks with a single rose. His tactical interventions, combined with his ability to sense danger, are vital in supporting the Sailor Guardians, often shifting the tide of a battle. Though he tends to stay on the sidelines, he offers crucial support when needed.
7. Tuxedo Mask’s Energy Blasts and Combination Attacks
In the manga, Tuxedo Mask can unleash energy blasts from his hand, using the attack “Tuxedo La Smoking Bomber!” He also has a powerful combination attack with Sailor Chibi Moon, “Pink Sugar Tuxedo Attack,” which is also featured in the musicals and the second anime. These attacks show that he can be more than just a support character. His capacity to launch energy-based attacks, especially in combination with Sailor Chibi Moon, adds another layer to his combat abilities. In the manga he uses the Golden Crystal in combination with Sailor Moon’s Silver Crystal.
Special Mentions: Additional Abilities
Beyond the main powers, certain unique abilities are worth mentioning:
8. Teamwork and Combined Attacks
The Sailor Guardians often combine their powers for more potent attacks. Their ability to work as a team is one of their greatest strengths. Each member brings a unique skill set that complements the others, making them a formidable unit. Their teamwork, as much as individual powers, defines their effectiveness.
9. Inner Senshi’s “Garlic Breath”
This unusual and humorous ability is seen only once in the series. During the Sailor Moon Super S Special, the Inner Senshi used their garlic breath to defeat a vampire-like monster. While not a regular attack, it highlights their adaptability and willingness to use unorthodox methods. It shows the sillier side of the series.
10. Sailor Mercury’s Ice Sword
In the live-action series Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury demonstrates the ability to create a sword from water or ice. This ability, while not in the anime or manga, showcases her capacity to adapt her powers in different contexts. Her creativity and adaptability with water and ice-based attacks adds depth to her character and skills.
Conclusion
The Inner Sailor Guardians and Tuxedo Mask are powerful characters in the Sailor Moon universe, each possessing abilities that are essential to their battles against evil. From Sailor Mercury’s intellect to Sailor Jupiter’s brute strength, each guardian contributes unique skills to the team. Tuxedo Mask’s psychic abilities, tactical interventions, and surprising attacks further highlight his significance. These characters are not just powerful individuals, but also represent the importance of teamwork, strategy, and adaptability. Their combined abilities make them formidable protectors of the Earth and the Solar System.