Every anime fan will tell you that Sailor Moon is a series full of amazing characters. These young women were bestowed with ancient tools and magic beyond their years, and it's with these things they save the world over and over from evildoers. But which Sailor Guardian is the strongest? The weakest? Every fan has their favorites. Yet, if one wants to find out who's the most powerful Sailor Guardian, they have to remain neutral in their assessments.

To keep this succinct, we'll only look at the prominent Sailor Guardians as opposed to every single one in the universe (e.g., Sailor Galaxia). Without further ado, let's rank the Sailor Guardians by power.

Updated March 16, 2024 by Jennifer Roy: Sailor Moon continues to be one of the most beloved anime franchises, in part due to the series' main heroes. This list has been updated to fit CBR's new formatting standards.

12 Sailor Mercury's Strength Is Her Intelligence

Although Sailor Mercury is the smartest member of the Sailor Team, she is considered the weakest in strength. What she lacks in muscle, Mercury makes up for in resourcefulness. Her most basic ability in the 90s anime—a blast of mist-producing bubbles—wasn't offensive, but Mercury's ingenuity allowed her to use it in creative ways.

For instance, she once protected herself from lava by sealing herself in a giant bubble. And, later, Mercury could generate mist so cold it formed ice around enemies. So, while she is a genius who utilizes her limited resources, Mercury doesn't cause much damage in comparison to her peers.

11 Sailor Venus Is a Less Lethal Leader in the Sailor Moon Anime

Sailor Venus comes in second despite being the Inner Guardians' leader because of how she was adapted in the two anime. Her notable kills in the manga (Queen Beryl, Zoisite) were removed from the second anime, whereas, in the first, she never defeated a major enemy on her own. However, her seniority gives her an edge over Mercury. Yet, she's less lethal than Mars or Jupiter.

10 Sailor Jupiter Is a Sailor Scouts' Powerhouse

Fans have wondered why Sailor Jupiter is part of the Inner Guardians when Jupiter is beyond the asteroid belt that separates the "inner" and "outer" planets. The reason why is debatable, but, without Jupiter, the Inner Scouts would lack a powerhouse. She exhibits an inordinate amount of physical strength that gives her an advantage in hand-to-hand.

She's also defeated enemies by herself in every adaptation of the manga. So, why is she comparatively so low here? We have to remember that while Jupiter is the physically strongest of the Inner Scouts, Uranus is even more so. Jupiter happens to just have more fervor when she fights.

9 Sailor Mars Is a Fiery, Fierce Fighter

Not everyone is a fan of Sailor Mars' depiction in the classic anime, but they can't deny what a fierce fighter she was. Despite how adept she is in the manga, that Mars is missing the crucial component that makes her anime counterpart so enthralling. There, she perfectly conveys her element of fire, and both the '90s anime and 2003 live-action drama underline this.

When her loved ones are in danger, Mars gets heated. For instance, we can't forget how Mars set both an enemy and herself on fire just to protect Sailor Moon. She most definitely earns her title of the Guardian of Fire and Passion.

8 The Sailor Starlights Are Resilient Fighters

The three Sailor Starlights—Star Fighter, Star Maker, and Star Healer—are from Kinmoku, a planet outside our Solar System. So, they are not Earth-based Sailor Guardians. In the anime, they fight Sailor Galaxia and live to tell the tale. Whereas, in the manga, they weren't so lucky.

Nonetheless, the anime version of the Starlights was able to injure Galaxia. No other Sailor Guardian other than Sailor Moon could do that. In less dire situations, the Starlights have been shown to neutralize phages with one blast. In the end, the manga Starlights didn't last as long against the enemy, but their animated incarnations were more intrepid and resilient.

7 Sailor Neptune Is Underestimated Due to Her Elegance

In part because of her sheer elegance, Sailor Neptune is underestimated as a warrior. Yet she's proven she is just as formidable as her partner Sailor Uranus. In the first anime adaptation, Neptune awakened as a Sailor Guardian before Uranus. She may have even been active when Sailor Moon and the other Guardians were coming into their own powers. Neptune's slight seniority gives her a small advantage, but it's her confidence that really makes her so threatening. On top of that, Neptune has natural psychic abilities augmented by her Deep Aqua Mirror.

6 Sailor Uranus Is Confident and Powerful

Sailor Uranus ranks higher than her partner Sailor Neptune for a few reasons. As confident as Neptune is, Uranus is more so—maybe borderline arrogant. She has little if any doubts about her abilities as a Sailor Guardian. At least when it comes to fighting.

In addition, Haruka is a top-tier athlete. She is bar-none the fastest Guardian, and she's trained in martial arts. She's bested Makoto physically in the manga and both anime, too. As an Outer Guardian, Uranus is imbued with stronger abilities so that she can protect the Solar System from invaders. And she executes said powers with swift ferocity.

5 Sailor Chibi-Moon Is the Heir to Sailor Moon's Dynasty

It might be surprising to see Sailor Chibi-Moon rank higher than others, but one has to remember she is an heir to the Silver Millennium. In most other versions of the story that aren't the first anime, Chibi-Moon is not weak. In the manga and Crystal, Chibi-Moon subdues Mistress 9 with one blast of Pink Sugar Heart Attack. The combined efforts of five older Sailor Guardians couldn't even do that.

To boot, Chibi-Moon can wield the future Legendary Silver Crystal. And, in the first anime, the Golden Crystal as well. So, Chibi-Moon's potential to be powerful is what rates her so highly.

4 Sailor Pluto Wields the Power of Time

Being the Guardian of Time and Space, Sailor Pluto is the oldest and most experienced. She's unassuming, but she's not passive either. She exhibited her cold brutality in the manga when she killed Tellu in one hit. Other than one moment in Sailor Moon S, the first anime glossed over Pluto's ability to control time. It's not something Pluto freely does; she only uses it in grave situations.

Something else she can do is open and close the Space-Time Door. This was how she helped defeat Pharaoh 90. Despite her many powers, Sailor Pluto presumably can't do anything without her Garnet Rod. This dependence puts her at a huge disadvantage.

3 Sailor Chibi-Chibi-Moon's Different Backstories Add to Her Power

Chibi-Chibi has two different origins. In both the manga and first anime, Chibi-Chibi transforms into a Sailor Guardian. Chibi-Chibi is really Sailor Cosmos in the manga, someone from a dark future ravaged by Sailor Chaos. Meanwhile, anime Chibi-Chibi is Galaxia's Star Seed that found its way to Usagi. In the manga, Chibi-Chibi is presumably very powerful because she is Cosmos, someone who guided Sailor Moon as she determined whether or not she'd destroy the Galaxy Cauldron.

In the anime, Chibi-Chibi upgrades Sailor Moon's special attack, becomes a sword for fighting Galaxia, and she guides Mamoru back to Usagi. She's a mysterious source of awesome power in either form.

2 Sailor Saturn's Glaive Wields Powers of Destruction and Ruin

As the Guardian of Ruin, Sailor Saturn appears when doom is on the horizon. Her mere presence is a portent. After the Silver Millennium was devastated by the Dark Kingdom long ago, Sailor Saturn destroyed the remnants so that everyone could be reborn in the present time.

Following her awakening in the modern age, Sailor Saturn defeated Pharaoh 90 to prevent the world's end. In only the first anime, Saturn took it upon herself to eliminate Queen Nehallenia to protect the future. Her attempt to do so was interrupted, but even a small exertion of her destructive power rattled her enemy. Nonetheless, Saturn is like Pluto. Meaning without her weapon—the Silence Glaive—Saturn is unable to use her techniques.

1 Sailor Moon's Compassion Is Her Greatest Superpower

To no one's surprise, the title character is the most powerful Sailor Guardian. Not only because she owns the Legendary Silver Crystal, but also because of Sailor Moon's overwhelming capacity to love. Through that love, her power exclusively becomes one of healing. She restores what has been broken or tainted.

Interestingly, Usagi succumbs to a dark aspect of her subconscious in the live-action drama. Think of it as Sailor Moon's own Dark Phoenix plot. In the past, Princess Serenity's anguish over a loved one's death led to the end of all life. Usagi eventually reversed what she had done (again) after history repeated itself. Suffice it to say, Sailor Moon deserves the top spot. Sailor Saturn can decimate worlds, but Sailor Moon can rebuild them.