Sailor MoonUsagi’s easygoing, cheerful personality and the large cast of characters that surround her create stiff competition for anyone who wants to be Usagi Tsukino’s best friend. The four Inner Guardians, Ami, Rei, Makoto, and Minako, all have their special connection to Usagi. Her classmate and frequent enemy target, Naru, also appears throughout the series. In the final arc, Usagi even gets close to Seya, who fills the void left by her unhappy lover, Mamoru. However, the tense relationship between Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars is the strongest and closest of alland essential to the overall plot.
Sailor Moon It portrays Usagi and Rei’s friendship differently between its various adaptations. In the manga and its faithful adaptation, Sailor Moon CrystalUsagi and Rei are close friends, but with little friction between the two. But in the anime and 1992 film trilogy Rei Hino is more aggressive and antagonistic towards Usagi, often deflating each other’s egos and providing absent comic relief Crystal. Although their rivalry ranges from friendly to bitter, Usagi and Rei’s friendship is a consistent emotional focal point and increases the risks of even the smallest conflict.
Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars fight like sisters
A bond strong enough to withstand constant fighting
Usagi and Rei often fight with each other, which doesn’t seem friendly, but anyone who has a sister knows that this kind of fighting is a very intimate form of communication. Usagi and Rei are comfortable expressing anger, jealousy, and disappointment with each other, which can be difficult emotions to address with people outside of the family. Their relationship mirrors the way Usagi and her brother, Shingo, interact, with teasing and, at times, outright disrespect. As scathing as they may be, they always rise above and leave their differences aside, and emerge stronger than ever.
The Guardian of Mars also serves as the Moon Princess’s romantic rival early in the series, fighting for the attention of Mamoru as Rei Hino, and Tuxedo Mask as Sailor Mars. From their first meeting in Season 1, Episode 11, “Usagi vs. Rei: Nightmare in Dreamland”, Rei and Mamoru hit it off, bonding over their mutual annoyance at Usagi’s childish behavior. Rei gets closer to Mamoru in the following episodes, but makes a point of provoking Usagi when she is with him, signaling that Rei’s motivations are more competition than romance.
Rei sacrifices herself for Usagi on several occasions
Rei’s death is more than the “Women in refrigerators” trope
From the budding rivalry in Dreamland to Sailor Moon cradling Sailor Mars’ corpse at the end of Sailor StarsRei and Usagi’s friendship is one of the most consistent dramatic beats in Sailor Moon. Such a strong emotional bond between friends motivates Usagi to keep fighting, but often at the cost of her friends’ lives. In the penultimate episode of the first season, each Sailor Guardian sacrifices themselves one by one to allow Sailor Moon to continue towards Queen Beryl’s castle. Rei’s final words to Usagi are a reassuring admission that she had fun arguing with her. all the time.
These sacrifices keep Usagi, unserious and carefree, grounded and committed in the face of danger. Sailor Moon is the least experienced Guardian, due to her high status as Princess Serenity in her previous life. Rei recognizes Usagi’s inexperience, but believes in her potential, and gives Usagi the tough love she needs to succeed. In season 5, episode 30, “Countdown to Destruction: The Sailor Guardians’ Last Battle”, Eternal Sailor Moon holds a dying Sailor Mars in her arms, whose last words are: “Don’t be such a baby, I know you’re better than this , Usagi.”
Usagi is funnier when she fights with Rei
Sailor Moon needs humor to balance the sadness
Although dramatic and tearful sacrifices happen from time to time, the 90s Sailor Moon uses Usagi’s relationship with Rei to provoke humor and bring tension to the group. The Inner Guardians do not always see eye to eye when it comes to investigating and confronting the enemy, with Rei and Usagi typically having opposing views. Many of the series’ funniest moments come from Usagi’s petulant and naive behavior, irritated by Rei’s pragmatic and suspicious nature. Embracing the comedy helps provide balance to Sailor Moonallowing for emotional moments to contrast with the sometimes heartbreaking nature of being a Sailor Guardian.
The reboot series lacks a lot of humor, Sailor Moon Crystalwhich is closer to the manga and its romantic and whimsical vibe. Usagi tells a rare joke at Rei’s expense in Sailor Moon Cosmo, about finally having a school uniform that matches her friends, except Rei, who still attends a Catholic school. Otherwise, the girls are less aggressive and combative, and Usagi admires Rei for how graceful she is, rather than being jealous of her. This small change drastically alters the group dynamic, and Sailor Moon Crystal ultimately suffers from a lack of friendly tension between Usagi and Rei.