As the saying goes, a hero is only as good as his or her villain. When it comes to Sailor Moon, this billion dollar franchise has one of the most complex and devious rogues' galleries in fiction. This list counts down the ten greatest enemies Sailor Moon and her allies has faced off against over the years across all versions.
10. Vampir (Musicals)
As the primary antagonist in the 2000 Sailor Moon musical Transylvania no Mori, Vampir was the daughter of the famed vampire Dracula. After the death of her father at the hands of Sailor Moon and her allies, Vampir joins forces with a group of demons to exact her revenge on her father's killer.
Portrayed by fan-favourite Hikari Ono, Vampir was a layered character whose character arc revealed her to be more of an antihero than a straight-up villain. Combined with Ono's flawless performance in the role, Vampir has proven to be one of the most memorable creations from the musicals.
09. Nephrite (Anime)
In the 1992 anime Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon, Nephrite was Queen Beryl's second flunky in charge of collecting energy for the Dark Kingdom. Though he was initially just as manipulative and dangerous as his predecessor, Nephrite fell in love with Sailor Moon's best friend Naru and turned his back on his evil ways.
While Queen Beryl's henchmen were little more than cannon fodder in the manga at the time, Nephrite was an early example of how the anime fleshed out its villains in a creative and interesting way. His evolution from bad guy to good guy marked him as the very first reformed antagonist of the series. Additionally, his death scene goes down as one of the most gut-wrenching moments from the anime.
While Queen Beryl's henchmen were little more than cannon fodder in the manga at the time, Nephrite was an early example of how the anime fleshed out its villains in a creative and interesting way. His evolution from bad guy to good guy marked him as the very first reformed antagonist of the series. Additionally, his death scene goes down as one of the most gut-wrenching moments from the anime.
08. Fisheye (Anime)
As one third of the villainous Amazon Trio in Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon SuperS, Fisheye was a flamboyant cross-dresser who took on female disguises to ensnare his victims. Despite being quite flighty, Fisheye eventually uncovered Sailor Moon's identity and subsequently betrayed the Dead Moon Circus to protect her.
Much like Nephrite, Fisheye is a villain made sympathetic by his reformation. His complexity as a character is to be commended, especially given his status as one of the many queer characters in the series. Whether he's strictly considered a gay man who enjoys dressing in drag or whether he's an early example of a transgender character, Fisheye adds a bit of diversity to an already diversified cast of villains.
07. Zoisite (Anime)
As Queen Beryl's third general, Zoisite is renowned for his narcissism and deceptiveness. Over the course of Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon, Zoisite plotted the demise of Nephrite and was responsible for nearly killing Tuxedo Mask.
Zoisite had all the makings of the perfect love-to-hate character. From his catty remarks to his manipulative streak, this was one character no one wanted to cross. However, there was a soft side to this thorny villain. His loving relationship with Kunzite was an early example of the anime's groundbreaking inclusion of positive queer relationships.
06. Eudial (Anime)
The feisty Eudial made her debut in Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon S as one of the Witches 5. Intelligent and enterprising, Eudial created a variety of weapons to aid her in her quest to find the owners of the mythical Talismans. Unlike most henchmen, Eudial succeeded in her task and proved herself as being more than just a bumbling foot soldier.
There is a lot to love about Eudial. She's smart and sassy, but also quiet tragic. Eudial is alienated by her peers and her loneliness serves as a reminder that villains are not above having their feelings hurt. Due to her clear superiority to the other members of Witches 5, Eudial was singled out and was subsequently killed by the manipulative Mimete to prevent her from completing her mission before the others got the chance to act.
05. Kuroki Mio (Live Action)
As a student and part-time pop idol, Kuroki Mio was a full-time pain in the ass for Sailor Moon in the 2003 live-action television series Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. Whether it meant lying, cheating or deceiving, she made it her personal mission to do everything it took to destroy the plucky superheroine.
No villain has ever been quite as mean as Kuroki Mio. While most villain were content to duke it out with Sailor Moon on the battlefield, Mio made it personal by nearly destroying Usagi's life outside of her identity as Sailor Moon. Mio was a sociopath through-and-through and was rarely punished for her evil deeds, which just makes her all the more dangerous.
04. Black Lady (Manga)
During the second arc of Naoko Takeuchi's manga, Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask's future daughter is transformed into the twisted femme fatale known as Black Lady. Since she is so filled with hate and resentment towards Sailor Moon, Black Lady uses the full extent of her dark powers to hurt her.
While Black Lady's characterization is fairly similar across all adaptations, her actions are far more disturbing in its original narrative. Of course, it is also how she transforms back into her former self that makes the character so compelling. Beyond that, Black Lady sets a precedent in the franchise for good girls turned bad. We'd later see this in the musicals and live-action with Sailor Mercury, as well as with Hotaru Tomoe being turned into Mistress 9.
03. Queen Nehellenia (Manga)
Queen Nehellenia was once the self-proclaimed ruler of the dark side of the moon. She was the dark counterpoint to the benevolent Queen Serenity and her resentment towards the people of the Silver Millennium led her to curse them. Though she was sealed away for her deeds, Queen Nehellenia escaped her prison and used her powers to invade the dimension of Elysion before setting her sights on destroying Sailor Moon.
While Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon SuperS is typically viewed as the anime's weakest season, its equivalent arc in the manga is arguably the strongest. Based partly off of Charles Perrault's Sleeping Beauty fairytale, Queen Nehellenia played the role of the evil fairy whose resentment towards those in power led her to curse a young princess. Her actions in the manga are despicable and she's easily one of the most evil villains Naoko Takeuchi had ever written. It's also worth mentioning that it is Queen Nehellenia who is truly responsible for the Silver Millennium's downfall due to her curse. Maleficent eat your heart out!
02. Sailor Galaxia (Musicals)
As the leader of Shadow Galactica, Sailor Galaxia's goal was to defeat the Sailor Guardians and become the ruler of all. Manipulative and ruthless, Galaxia picked off Sailor Moon's friends one by one and turned them against her. Noted for being the first person Sailor Moon ever truly hated, this flaxen-haired diva proved herself to be a truly formidable foe.
Galaxia appears in a total of seven musicals, making her one of the most frequently adapted foes in this medium. While her characterization remains similar to that of the anime, it is her brilliant mind and innovative schemes that mark her as being at her most interesting. Though she's nowhere near as evil as she is in the manga, Galaxia makes history by resurrecting Sailor Moon's past foes to help her in her mission for universal domination. If that weren't enough, she perfects gloating and mocking as well as rocking out to some of the most badass songs ever from the musicals.
01. Queen Beryl (All Versions)
Thousands of years ago, Queen Beryl was a peasant girl who fell in love with Earth's Prince Endymion. When he began seeing Princess Serenity, she turned to witchcraft to mend her broken heart. She would subsequently join forces with the dark entity known as Metallia to destroy the Silver Millennium. Years later, a resurrected Queen Beryl would return to wreak havoc on those who survived the destruction and became Sailor Moon's very first Big Bad.
Classics never truly go out of style and that really couldn't be more true in Queen Beryl's case. As the most frequently adapted Sailor Moon villain, this evil witch has been a continued thorn in Sailor Moon's side and has proven herself to be the most iconic antagonist from the series. Each version has offered something special and different, so it's difficult to really single out one as being better than the others. Truthfully, Queen Beryl is a boss ass bitch whether she's sitting on her twisted throne or singing duets with Sailor Pluto.
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