Princess Serenity

Lore & Background

Princess Serenity is the reincarnated past life of Usagi Tsukino, the carefree Japanese schoolgirl who transforms into Sailor Moon. Usagi initially meets Luna, a magical talking black cat who is searching for the Moon Princess. Luna reveals that Usagi is destined to save Earth from the forces of evil and gives her a brooch to transform into Sailor Moon. She asks Usagi to locate the other reincarnated Sailor Guardians, find the princess and protect the "Silver Crystal", an item of immense power. After locating her comrades, Usagi later discovers that she is the reincarnation of the Moon Princess, Princess Serenity, and that her former lover, Prince Endymion of Earth has also been reincarnated in the present as the mysterious hero, Tuxedo Mask. As Usagi matures, she becomes a powerful warrior and protects her adopted home planet, Earth, from villains who wish to harm it.

In Their Own Story

Usagi Tsukino is introduced in chapter No. 1 of the manga, "Usagi – Sailor Moon" (originally published in Japan's Nakayoshi magazine on December 28, 1991), as a carefree Japanese schoolgirl who can transform into the magical "Guardian of Love and Justice", Sailor Moon. One day, Usagi initially meets Luna, a magical talking black cat who is searching for the Moon Princess. Luna reveals that Usagi is destined to save Earth from the forces of evil and gives her a brooch to transform into Sailor Moon. She asks Usagi to locate the other reincarnated Sailor Guardians, find the princess and protect the "Silver Crystal", an item of immense power. After locating her comrades, Usagi later discovers that she is the reincarnation of the Moon Princess, Princess Serenity, and that her former lover, Prince Endymion of Earth has also been reincarnated in the present as the mysterious hero, Tuxedo Mask. As Usagi matures, she becomes a powerful warrior and protects her adopted home planet, Earth, from villains who wish to harm it.

Reader's Guide

Princess Serenity is the reincarnated past life of Usagi Tsukino, the titular protagonist of the Sailor Moon franchise. Usagi is depicted as usually carefree and cheerful, but with immature tendencies that show themselves when things do not go her way. She appears in every episode, film, video game, and television special of the anime adaptations, Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon Crystal; as well as the live action adaptation, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, with her trademark twin buns with twin pigtails. She also cameos in the sister series Codename: Sailor V. Usagi's critical reception has been largely positive and she is recognized as one of the most important and popular female superheroes of all time, and a cultural symbol of Japan.

Did You Know?

• Princess Serenity is the reincarnated past life of Usagi Tsukino, who is introduced in chapter No. 1 of the manga, 'Usagi – Sailor Moon', published on December 28, 1991.
• Usagi's name is structured as a pun: 'Tsukino' means 'of the Moon', and 'Usagi' means 'rabbit', so her name can be understood as 'Rabbit of the Moon'.
• The Mixx/Tokyopop English-language manga gives Usagi the nickname 'Bunny' to partially preserve the rabbit pun from her Japanese name.
• Usagi's signature hairstyle was based on a 'good luck charm' Naoko Takeuchi used during her university studies, putting her hair up in odango before difficult classes or exams.
• In initial sketches, Sailor Moon had pink hair; by intermediate stages, Takeuchi planned for her hair to be blonde in civilian form and silver when transformed.