Usagi Tsukino, from the juggernaut of a franchise that is Sailor Moon, is not only one of the most well-known and recognizable characters from the magical girl genre but from all of anime. Even people who are unfamiliar with anime as a whole would probably recognize her--and that's pretty impressive when that honor is typically reserved for characters like Naruto and Goku.
While Usagi starts as someone who would rather run away from her responsibilities than face them, it's that relatability that gradually develops into realistic courage and self-confidence in her destiny that makes her so beloved. Combine this with an adorably unique design that still hasn't managed to be replicated anywhere to this day, then top it off with a personality brimming with dreamy idealism and unbreakable strength even after confronting the hard truths of reality. It's no wonder that such a character has a plethora of powerfully inspiring quotes behind her.
10 "I'd rather choose to fall in love and be hurt... There's always sadness in our lives. It's that sad feeling that keeps us going."
When people are hurt, it's easy for them to project all of the blame outward and vow that they'll never allow anyone or anything from the outside world to ever hurt them again. While it's understandable to want to protect oneself, it also tragically blocks them out from all of the good experiences they might have, as well.
Usagi shows an incredible amount of emotional maturity with this quote. She's aware that love can end painfully, but she'd rather subject herself to pain and sadness in order to gain her eventual happy ending.
9 "Without the bad times, we wouldn't appreciate the good times."
It's easy to either take life for granted or begin dreading the potential future downfalls when everything seems to be going well. Usagi is seen doing the latter throughout the beginning of the series, hesitant to give up video games, hanging out with friends, and daydreaming about boys to risk her life saving the universe.
However, she quickly sees past this mindset and is able to take both halves of life in stride. After all, it's much better to see negative events as things that make the good moments feel even sweeter, rather than as things to dread and fear or wish away.
8 "No matter how much you change, please don't forget the people who care for you."
When people go through drastic changes throughout their life, such as suddenly running into great success or fortune, it can be easy to put oneself up on a pedestal and forget the people who supported them before. This easily could have applied to someone like Usagi if she wasn't so kind and empathetic, as she did have unexplainably powerful power and responsibility thrust upon her.
However, she knows how to keep herself grounded and remain aware of everyone who loves her and supported her along the way. It's a great lesson to keep in mind in an era where finding oneself thrust into the seat of newfound fame and popularity overnight, potentially changing the person altogether, isn't an uncommon thing.
7 "The people of the world, all of them... tend to think only about what we cannot share. But our brains are all the same. We are the same people."
It's incredibly easy to get swept up in all of the differences that people find between each other. The quote goes on to state that "whether it's things like different race or different languages or lifestyle," people usually only think about what sets them apart.
Usagi is able to recognize that everyone should be treated as equals. This is a kindness that she extends even to the dastardly villains they fight on a regular basis, as she always focuses on healing or cleansing evil rather than killing it.
6 "I wasn't always fighting for love & justice. I was fighting for my friends & loved ones."
It's wholly unrealistic to expect a young teenager to be able to shoulder the burden of being responsible for humanity's continued protection by completing her assigned mission. However, when the goal itself seems far too daunting to motivate someone to fight, there's always something to help keep them going.
That's when it's vital to be able to draw on the strength and support of loved ones, the family members and friends closest to them. It's what inspired Usagi to fight at first, after all--saving her best friend, Naru.
5 "Nothing will come out of fighting. Fighting isn't the only way to solve things."
Most anime protagonists are known for not only being the most powerful character of their universe but also taking down a large number of foes. This typically includes using strength and brute force, and even if done by other methods, it usually ends in the hero having to kill or at least seriously fight the villain with the intent of harming and stopping them.
This is never the way that Usagi chooses to fight, and it's an incredibly inspirational road for her to take. All of her powers are based around healing or purifying the evil energy that takes over people, rather than destroying it outright with violence of her own.
4 "Girls have to be strong to protect the men they love."
It's an outdated idea--not even isolated to anime or animated forms of storytelling, but everywhere--for the man to protect the woman. It's far too common where the girls are just the cute, helpless love interests who have to be kept out of danger and protected at all costs.
However, Usagi champions the exact opposite idea. Aside from the early-goings when she needed Tuxedo Mask's encouragement to help keep her going, Usagi is capable of carrying herself and protecting those dearest to her, never using something like gender as an excuse.
3 "I'm going to be my own kind of princess."
When someone is thrust into a new, unknown role, it's easy to give up and say that they simply aren't suitable for the job. And while Usagi certainly had her dreams of being a princess before she became Sailor Moon, once she understood how much responsibility and importance there was behind being a princess, the idea seemed more intimidating.
However, she comes to terms with her overwhelming destiny in her own way, vowing that she'd be her own kind of princess. It's an inspiring message--even if someone feels like they aren't fit for a newfound role, they can still make it work in their own unique fashion.
2 "You can't judge how beautiful a girl really is by the way she looks."
For someone dubbed the "pretty guardian" who loves dressing up and looking beautiful, Usagi knows that true beauty lies elsewhere. That isn't to say that value still can't be placed in physical beauty, but if someone's beautiful with a rotten heart, it hardly means much. It's also a nice message for those who perhaps don't place as much value into looks or makeup, as there are other ways to show true beauty that will impact people even more than merely having a pretty face.
1 "You are my first love, my only love... Even if we're reborn in another life, we'll find each other, and then we'll fall in love again."
Usagi and Mamoru are quite the famously recognizable couple in anime, and for good reason. They support each other unconditionally, and even when the two run into problems, they'll work things out eventually. Not to mention the fact that their designs complement each other well.
Even when the two had to give up the memories of their true identities and be reborn on Earth, Usagi believed that their love would carry over. She turned out to be right in this regard as well because, despite their rocky beginnings, the two ended up intertangled and falling for each other after supporting one another from the shadows.