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Last updated: 10 November 2026

Quick Answer

Sailor Moon is Toei Animation's 1992 anime of Naoko Takeuchi's manga, running 200 episodes over five seasons to 1997. Schoolgirl Usagi Tsukino becomes Sailor Moon and leads a team of Guardians against enemies who threaten Earth, guided by memories of a lost Moon Kingdom. People watch it because it built the magical girl team format, mixes funny school life with real emotional stakes, and lets its heroine win through kindness as much as power. The closer to the manga Crystal retelling is covered in the watch order below.

About Sailor Moon

Tokyo schoolgirl Usagi Tsukino is chosen by the cat Luna to become Sailor Moon, leader of the Sailor Guardians. With Sailor Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Venus beside her, and Tuxedo Mask never far away, she defends Earth season after season while slowly uncovering her past life as Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom. It is the magical girl series that set the template: daily school life, close friendships, romance across lifetimes, and villains who often deserve a second chance.

Sailor Moon is a TV anime from 1992, first released in Spring 1992. It belongs to the Fantasy and Romance and Action genres and is listed as a completed series. The summary above is written by the AnimeYug team in our own words.

Official Trailer

Story & Plot

Usagi Tsukino is an ordinary Tokyo schoolgirl who would rather eat, sleep and play games than study. Then a talking cat named Luna tells her she is Sailor Moon, a Guardian with the power to fight the Dark Kingdom, an enemy stealing energy from humans. Usagi is clumsy and cries easily, which makes her an unlikely hero. What she does have is a huge heart, and one by one she finds her teammates: clever Ami, fiery Rei, strong Makoto and cheerful Minako, plus the mysterious Tuxedo Mask who keeps showing up at the right moment.

As the team grows, the story turns into something bigger than monster of the week battles. Usagi learns she is the reborn Princess Serenity of an ancient Moon Kingdom, and Mamoru, the boy she keeps arguing with, was her love in that past life. Each season brings a new threat with a human face: visitors from a dark future, scientists hunting pure hearts, a circus that feeds on dreams, and finally Galaxia, a Guardian turned conqueror. The enemies are rarely pure evil, and Usagi keeps trying to save people everyone else has given up on.

The 90s series takes its time. At 200 episodes it adds school stories, romances and comedy that the manga never had room for, which is exactly why many fans love it. Sailor Moon Crystal tells the same arcs in a fraction of the episodes, following the manga closely, and finishes the story with the Eternal and Cosmos films.

However you watch it, the heart of the series stays the same. Usagi never becomes a perfect hero. She stays soft, stubborn and loving, and the show argues that those qualities are the strength, not a weakness to grow out of.

Story Arcs & Episode Guide

The Sailor Moon anime is split into story sagas. Here is every saga in order, with its episodes and years.

ArcEpisodesYearsAbout
Sailor Moon (Season 1)Episodes 1-461992-1993Usagi becomes Sailor Moon, gathers the Inner Guardians and faces the Dark Kingdom.
Sailor Moon REpisodes 47-891993-1994Chibiusa arrives from the future and the Black Moon Clan attacks, after the short Makai Tree story.
Sailor Moon SEpisodes 90-1271994-1995Sailor Uranus and Neptune appear as the Guardians race the Death Busters for the Holy Grail.
Sailor Moon SuperSEpisodes 128-1661995-1996Pegasus hides in Chibiusa's dreams while the Dead Moon Circus hunts for him.
Sailor Moon Sailor StarsEpisodes 167-2001996-1997The Sailor Starlights arrive and Galaxia threatens the whole galaxy in the final season.

Why Watch Sailor Moon

  • The series that defined the magical girl team formula
  • A lead who grows from crybaby to leader across 200 episodes
  • Friendship and kindness treated as real strengths, not weaknesses
  • Moonlight Densetsu, one of the most recognisable openings in anime
  • Two complete ways to watch: the 90s classic or the Crystal retelling

Who Is It For?

Made for children and young teens, and easy for families. There is cartoon fantasy violence and some sad, intense episodes near season finales. Crystal and the later films feel a little more serious.

Main Characters

View all characters →

Voice Actors

The Japanese voices behind the main characters of Sailor Moon.

Staff & Production

Original Creator
Naoko Takeuchi
Animation Studio
Toei Animation
Director
Junichi Sato (Season 1), Kunihiko Ikuhara (R to SuperS), Takuya Igarashi (Sailor Stars)
Series Composition
Sukehiro Tomita, with Yoji Enokido and Ryota Yamaguchi on later seasons
Music
Takanori Arisawa (90s series), Yasuharu Takanashi (Crystal, Eternal, Cosmos)

Manga & Source Material

Naoko Takeuchi's manga ran in Nakayoshi from 1991 to 1997 and became one of the best known shojo series in the world. The anime started while the manga was young, which is why the two tell the same big story in different ways.

  • The manga ran in Kodansha's Nakayoshi magazine from 1991 to 1997.
  • The anime began only weeks after the manga, so the TV team added many original episodes and stories while the manga was still running.
  • Takeuchi first drew Sailor V, starring Minako, before expanding the idea into a team for Sailor Moon.
  • The Crystal anime, announced for the manga's 20th anniversary, follows the manga chapters much more closely.
  • Takeuchi personally approved the cast of the Viz English redub in 2014.

Music

Moonlight Densetsu is the sound of Sailor Moon for most fans. Crystal opened with Moon Pride by Momoiro Clover Z, and Cosmos brought Moonlight Densetsu back in a new recording by the Guardian voice cast. Takanori Arisawa scored the 90s series, while Yasuharu Takanashi scores Crystal and the later films.

Opening Themes

  • “Moonlight Densetsu”by DALIThe classic opening for the first two seasons, later recorded by Moon Lips for S and SuperS.
  • “Sailor Star Song”by Kae HanazawaThe Sailor Stars opening, with lyrics written by Naoko Takeuchi herself.
  • “Moon Pride”by Momoiro Clover ZThe Sailor Moon Crystal opening, used for its first two seasons.

Ending Themes

  • “Heart Moving”by Misae TakamatsuThe first ending theme, released on the same single as Moonlight Densetsu.

Series Timeline

  1. 1991-1997

    Naoko Takeuchi's manga runs in Nakayoshi magazine.

  2. 1992-1997

    Toei Animation's series airs 200 episodes in five seasons on TV Asahi.

  3. 1993-1995

    Three 90s films are released: R, S and SuperS.

  4. 2014-2016

    Sailor Moon Crystal retells the manga in 39 episodes.

  5. 2021

    Sailor Moon Eternal covers the Dream arc in two films.

  6. 2023

    Sailor Moon Cosmos covers the Stars arc in two films, completing Crystal.

Release Schedule

Premiere
7 March 1992 on TV Asahi
Broadcast
TV Asahi in Japan; the Viz dub first streamed in 2014 and reached US TV on Toonami Rewind in 2024
Streaming
Hulu and Tubi for the 90s series; Netflix for the Eternal and Cosmos films
Episodes
200 episodes (90s series); 39 episodes plus 4 films (Crystal storyline)

The 90s series and the Crystal storyline are both complete. Details as of 10 November 2026.

Quick Answers

Is Sailor Moon finished?

Yes. Sailor Moon has finished airing, so you can watch the complete story from start to end without waiting for new episodes.

What genre is Sailor Moon?

Sailor Moon is a Fantasy and Romance and Action anime. You can browse more titles like it on our Fantasy anime page.

When did Sailor Moon release?

Sailor Moon first released in Spring 1992. It is a TV series.

Where can I watch Sailor Moon?

The 90s series streams on Hulu in North America and free on Tubi in some regions, while the Crystal films Eternal and Cosmos are on Netflix. Crystal itself is on Crunchyroll and Hulu. Line ups differ by country.

How many episodes does Sailor Moon have, and is it finished?

The original series has 200 episodes over five seasons, plus three films, and it is complete. The Crystal version tells the same story in a tighter form: 39 episodes, then the two part Eternal and two part Cosmos films.

What is the Sailor Moon watch order?

For the classic run, watch seasons 1 to 5 in order: Sailor Moon, R, S, SuperS, then Sailor Stars, with the three films after their seasons. Or pick the Crystal path instead: Crystal seasons 1 to 3, then Eternal, then Cosmos. Do not mix the two halfway.

Is Sailor Moon Crystal a sequel or a remake?

There is no sequel after Sailor Stars. Sailor Moon Crystal (2014) is a remake that follows the manga more closely, finished by the Eternal (2021) and Cosmos (2023) films. It is a retelling, not a continuation of the 90s series.

Who voices Sailor Moon?

In Japanese, Kotono Mitsuishi voices Usagi in both the 90s series and Crystal. In the current Viz English dub, Stephanie Sheh voices Usagi, with Robbie Daymond as Mamoru Chiba.

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