Sailor Venus

Lore & Background

Minako Aino first appeared in Naoko Takeuchi's one-shot manga Codename: Sailor V, published on August 8, 1991, which featured Sailor Venus as the main protagonist. When Codename: Sailor V was proposed for adaptation into an anime by Toei Animation, Takeuchi redeveloped the concept so Sailor Venus became a member of a team. Codename: Sailor V would continue to run parallel to Sailor Moon as a serial, now recontextualized as an origin story for Sailor Venus.

In Their Own Story

Minako Aino is a young aspiring idol who had awakened as Sailor Venus a few months earlier than the other Inner Guardians, accompanied by her talking feline companion Artemis. She joins Usagi Tsukino, Ami Mizuno, Rei Hino, and Makoto Kino as they set out on their adventures to protect the Earth and the Moon from destruction by malevolent forces.

Reader's Guide

Minako Aino is a young aspiring idol who awakens as Sailor Venus, accompanied by her talking feline companion Artemis. She is one of the Sailor Guardians who protect the Earth and the Moon from destruction by malevolent forces. Her origin story is told in the parallel manga Codename: Sailor V, which was published from August 8, 1991.

Did You Know?

• Minako Aino first appeared as the main protagonist of Naoko Takeuchi's one-shot manga Codename: Sailor V, published on August 8, 1991.
• When Codename: Sailor V was proposed for adaptation into an anime by Toei Animation, Takeuchi redeveloped the concept so Sailor Venus became a member of a team.
• Codename: Sailor V continued to run parallel to Sailor Moon as a serial, recontextualized as an origin story for Sailor Venus.
• Minako is accompanied by a talking feline companion named Artemis.
• She awakened as Sailor Venus a few months before the other Inner Guardians.