The full Sailor Moon watch order, including movies and Crystal
Sailor Moon is an enduring favorite, but it’s a tough series to get into. That’s because it’s really tough to figure out what order to watch the Sailor Moon series in.
While series like One Piece have a relatively linear path, that’s not the case with Sailor Moon. The original series technically has five different names and has been released multiple times in some markets. On top of that, there are multiple series that cover the same events.
While it all might sound complicated, the good news is that it’s easy to head down the proper path with a bit of direction. Here’s how to approach the Sailor Moon series.
Complete Sailor Moon watch order with movies
Officially, there are two separate Sailor Moon anime series. Both of them also include a number of movies accompanying them. Making matters more complicated is that there have been two separate dubs and releases for the original series, which has each season operating under a different name.
It’s tough to figure out the actual order to watch the Sailor Moon series without some help. That’s what we’re here for, though.
Sailor Moon (1992)
The first Sailor Moon anime started in 1992 with the simple title “Sailor Moon.” It boasted a total of 46 episodes and moved at a brisk pace. It shows the Dark Kingdom arc of the manga with a number of pit stops along the way.
Sailor Moon R (1993)
Despite having a different name, Sailor Moon R is effectively just a second season. It has 43 episodes and takes place following the events of the Dark Kingdom arc. It encompasses both the Makai Tree arc and Black Moon Clan arc of the manga.
Sailor Moon R: The Movie (1993)
Sailor Moon R: The Movie takes place at an unspecified time during the final stages of Sailor Moon R. The movie features an alien named Fiore landing on earth and crossing paths with Tuxedo Mask. This puts them at odds with Usagi in more ways than one.
Sailor Moon S (1994)
Sailor Moon S adapts the Infinity arc of the manga into a 38-episode season. The Infinity arc centers around a group of aliens called the Death Busters. Though much of the series up to this point was upbeat and fun, things get a bit more serious in Sailor Moon S.
Sailor Moon S: The Movie (1994)
The movie follow-up to Sailor Moon S is an adaptation to Sailor Moon Short Stories tale The Lover of Princess Kaguya. An alien named Princess Snow Kaguya attacks earth looking to freeze the entire planet. The movie centers around the titular character but also focuses heavily on Luna.
Sailor Moon SuperS
The 39-episode series Sailor Moon SuperS mostly revolves around the Dream arc of the manga, but with plenty of other content on the side. Sailor Moon SuperS focuses on a group of villains called the Dead Moon Circus. The group is looking to summon Queen Nehelenia, who is trapped inside a mirror, in order to have her take over the world.
Sailor Moon SuperS: The Movie
Sailor Moon SuperS: The Movie starts in ominous fashion with a Pied Piper figure named Poupelin kidnapping children by hypnotizing them with a flute. It’s revealed he is doing this at the behest of Queen Badiane who feeds off the energy of dreams. Naturally, the team is tasked with stopping her and saving all the hypnotized children.
Sailor Moon Sailor Stars
Queen Nehelenia returns at the start of Sailor Moon Sailor Stars, setting up the final act of the Sailor Moon anime. Based on the Stars arc of the manga, Sailor Moon needs to take on Sailor Galaxia in a dramatic battle that closes out the series.
How many episodes of Sailor Moon are there?
The Sailor Moon series had 200 episodes and three movies. The original dubs for the series all cut out certain episodes, though Viz Media released a re-licensed and re-dubbed version that includes all 200 episodes in 2014.
The series is technically divided up into five series, with each season having its own name. Despite the separate billing, the Sailor Moon series has a clear order that fans should watch them in. Three of the seasons also had a movie spin-off that was largely separated from the events of the actual anime.
In 2014, Sailor Moon was rebooted with the Sailor Moon Crystal series which is set to contain 39 episodes and two films, both of which are divided into two parts. Both the original series and Sailor Moon Crystal follow the story beats of the original manga series, but Crystal follows it much more closely and has a comparatively serious tone.
What is Sailor Moon Crystal?
Sailor Moon Crystal is an anime reboot released in 2014 that more rigidly follows the story beats of the original Sailor Moon manga.
It has a much shorter run time as a result. While the original series needed a total of 127 episodes to reach the end of the Infinity arc, Sailor Moon Crystal does it in just 39. While this may appeal to some, the series has been criticized as being too fast-paced. Alongside this are sweeping criticisms regarding the series’ style and animation, with many saying that the sharper characters lack the cuteness of the original.
Sailor Moon Crystal watch order including Sailor Moon Eternal, Cosmos movies
While the watch order for the original Sailor Moon is difficult to figure out given the unique names for each season, that’s not the case with Crystal. The series has Crystal goes in a straight line, with three seasons followed by a series of movies. Here’s the order you should watch them in.
Sailor Moon Crystal (2014)
Sailor Moon Crystal includes 39 episodes across three seasons. Instead of having a completely different name for each season as the original did, it just has three seasons. The first two seasons received mixed reviews. but the final season received sweeping praise for improved animation and pacing relative to the first two.
Sailor Moon Eternal (2021)
Following the end of Sailor Moon Crystal, the series received a proper sequel with Sailor Moon Eternal. Eternal was a two-part film, with both parts having a runtime of 80 minutes. It covers the events of the Dream arc, which was initially covered in Sailor Moon SuperS. Both parts of the film were released in 2021.
Sailor Moon Cosmos (2023)
Sailor Moon Crystal is set to return in 2023 with Sailor Moon Cosmos. Once again, the film will be released in two parts and will cover the final stages of the Sailor Moon series. It encompasses the Stars arc, which was originally adapted in the Sailor Moon Sailor Stars series. Odds are that Sailor Moon Cosmos will be the final part of Sailor Moon Crystal.
Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.
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