Sailor Mercury is often deemed the weakest Sailor Guardian in Sailor Moon. But, the truth is, Mercury is an underrated character. Not only is she a literal genius, she has power over water and ice.
As easy as it is to dismiss Sailor Mercury as a warrior, this list's goal is to prove her powers are not useless or weak; they are more nuanced than anyone else's attacks in the series. Being as smart as she is, Mercury knows her powers better than the other Guardians do with their own.
This list will look at two versions of Sailor Mercury: the 1990s anime and Sailor Moon Crystal.
10 Created Mist
Fans tend to discount Sailor Mercury's ability to generate a temporary veil of mist. This was her main power in the first seasons of both anime adaptations. However, without Sailor Mercury's mist, the other Sailor Guardians may not have the opportunity to attack.
On many occasions, Sailor Mercury's Bubble Spray (1990s anime) or Mercury Aqua Mist (Crystal) disrupted the enemy's field of vision long enough to where Sailor Moon could deliver the finishing blow.
9 Sedated Feral Creatures
In episode 14 of the '90s anime, Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury confronted Nephrite's yōma, Petasos. This monster had power over animals and could attack with plant tendrils.
When Petasos sicced a park's creatures — birds, moths, and squirrels — Sailor Mercury calms them with a blast of Bubble Spray. Immediately, the beasts are soothed. Why? More than likely, Mercury changed the temperature of her mist enough to where the creatures were too cold to continue attacking. This seems like a precursor to her Bubble Spray Freezing technique in Sailor Moon R.
8 Diffused Explosives
In episode 24 of the '90s anime, one of Zoisite's three yōma, Hōsenka, came after Nephrite and Naru. Her ability was to throw a volley of red marble-like explosives that detonated upon impact.
Nephrite had no way of stopping Hōsenka's bombs, but Sailor Mercury did. She diffused them in mid-air with Bubble Spray, somehow neutralizing their combustibility.
7 Extinguished A Fireball
In Act 27 of Sailor Moon Crystal, Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter were unable to stop Eudial. Even Sailor Mars' new Mars Snake Fire was no match for the Witch 5 member's Fire Buster technique.
Just as Eudial unleashed another powerful fireball, Sailor Mercury swooped in with Mercury Aqua Mist. This instantly extinguished the flames; Sailor Moon handled the rest.
6 Turned Mist into a Torrent
In Act 32 of Sailor Moon Crystal, Cyprine turned the two teams of Sailor Guardians against each other. Sailor Moon could only watch helplessly as her four friends fought Sailors Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.
Sailor Uranus lashed out with her Space Sword, but she was caught off guard by Sailors Mercury, Mars, and Venus. The three respectively attacked with Mercury Aqua Mist, Burning Mandala, and Venus Love-Me Chain. Mercury concentrated the moisture of her mist to create a raging torrent. If not for Sailor Neptune intervening, Uranus would have been hit by a very strong stream of water.
Mercury did something similar in the first season, Act 6, when the Guardians battled Zoisite. This time, she converted droplets of water into a full-on wave that nearly overpowered the Shitennō.
5 Created a Wall of Ice
In episode 79 of the '90s anime, Esmeraude's droid Dogba took control of a pet shelter called Animal Kingdom. Luna and Artemis tried to stop her on their own, but Dogba had placed all the dogs and other pets under her control.
Knowing the animals weren't to blame for their deviant behavior, Sailor Mercury took the initiative to protect them from the waging battle. She used Shine Aqua Illusion to corral them with a tall barrier of ice until Dogba's spell could be broken.
4 Used Bubbles to Make Ice
Before receiving her "Star Power" upgrade in R, Sailor Mercury was able to evolve her Bubble Spray. It all happened when a cardian, Amaderasu, attacked the city's babies and children. The monster hit several nursery schools and drained the little ones' life forces.
When Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury came to the other Sailor Guardians' rescue, Mercury was so angry at the cardian that she powered up her first attack. The mist's temperature was cold enough to form ice around Mercury's target.
3 Defeated An Enemy Single-Handedly
In the SuperS-era OVA Ami's First Love, Ami became obsessed with someone, nicknamed "Mercurius," who outscored her on exams. In time, Ami came to think a genius loci named Bonnûn was Mercurius. This wasn't the case, but Super Sailor Mercury treated them as one and the same.
Mercury unveiled a new attack called Mercury Aqua Mirage, which destroyed Bonnûn. This was the only time in the '90s anime where Mercury defeated a major enemy all on her own.
2 Strengthened Jupiter's Attack
Although Sailor Mercury added her bubbles or water to Sailor Mars' fiery techniques, her addition of bubbles to Sailor Jupiter's electricity was the most effective.
Water on its own is a weak conductor of electricity; the minerals in water are better. Whenever Sailor Jupiter used Supreme Thunder, Mercury lent her bubbles for a more devastating shock.
1 Sealed Herself Inside a Giant Bubble
In episode 45, the remaining D.D. Girls came after Sailor Mercury after killing Sailor Jupiter. They sent molten lava her way before Mercury put it out with her bubbles. They then delivered a gigantic fireball.
In response, Sailor Mercury created a bubble large enough to envelop her. The fireball consumed her, but she was protected from the heat, for the meantime.