Fans of the Sailor Moon franchise know that Sailor Mars is one of the most changed characters in the original anime series. While the manga and the Sailor Moon Crystal reboots see her as someone calm, collected, and completely committed to the Sailor Senshi's cause, that's not the case in the 1990s anime.
There, Sailor Mars is a bit of a hothead. She and Sailor Moon come into conflict over almost everything. Sailor Mars is also pretty quick to insult others when she doesn't agree with them. The very different versions of the character mean that she also has a large variety of different kinds of lines in both anime, from quippy one-liners to words of wisdom.
Sailor Mars Is Always Herself
"Nothing good comes out of mimicking other people. What's important is being yourself."
Whether it's the '90s version or the Crystal version, there's one true thing about Rei Hino: she is always authentic. The version of the character might change as a result of the writers in charge, but Rei never pretends to be someone she's not.
In the manga, and in Crystal, that means that she's often seen as an outsider by those who don't know her as well. She's a shrine maiden who lives with her grandfather, she has prophetic visions, and she rarely speaks to anyone outside of the Sailor Senshi. Despite not having many friends, Rei doesn't understand why anyone would want to be someone they're not.
Sailor Mars Is A Feminist
"Only old men think men are better than women these days."
Even in the '90s anime, busy arguing with Usagi at the drop of a hat, Rei is a strong female hero in anime. She cannot stand it when the men around her assume that women can't be on equal footing with them.
Rei's line feminist is actually aimed at a villain of the week. But fans know she would totally say it to anyone who might seem like they think otherwise.
Sailor Mars Has Some Punny Introductions
"When the heat is on, you can bet the heat is gonna be on you."
Thanks to Sailor Mars' power being rooted in fire, she's got quite a few lines in the '90s anime about bringing the heat, the fire of love, and more puns for the audience to enjoy. These often come when she's introducing herself to the villain — as if they don't already know who she is.
Her sheer number of puns shows that she's incredibly witty, even if her friends don't always think so.
Rei Hino Is The Epitome Of Decorum
"I'm not insulting you. I'm just describing you."
In her civilian life, outside of her close friends, Rei is always able to maintain a perfect image of decorum. She's especially good at goading Usagi into an emotional reaction without blowing up in public herself.
This is perfectly exemplified when Usagi gets angry at Rei insulting her, but Rei maintains that she's just listing traits associated with Usagi, and that it's not an insult if the descriptions are true. Rei looks completely innocent to outsiders while Usagi loses her temper.
Rei Had Her Own Catchphrase In The '90s
"What year, month, and day did that happen?"
While the dubs into English certainly changed the dialogue, Japanese fans of the series will know that Rei developed her own catchphrase over the course of the anime. Any time she wanted clarification on something she didn't believe, Rei asked this particular question.
Funnily enough, her catchphrase started off as a genuine question instead of it being her way of telling someone she didn't believe them. The first time she asks this particular question is when it's revealed that Chibiusa is actually the child of Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask from the future. The writers probably didn't realize they were going to end up using the phrase so much.
Rei Believes In Love
"I won't let anyone destroy a person's, no, even a kitty's chance at romance. I am Sailor Mars, champion of the lovelorn. Leave those cats alone."
Rei isn't exactly lucky when it comes to romance, but that doesn't mean she thinks it isn't worthwhile. In fact, she believes so firmly in love that she's willing to fight to make sure everyone — even a pair of cats — gets their chance at it.
It's a little surprising that she's so vehement when she resolves to place duty before love, and also because she tends to make fun of her friends when they develop crushes on others.
Rei Makes Some Creative Comparisons
"...you've been acting like a granola bar."
When Rei wants to insult someone in the '90s anime, she tends to compare people to food. It's never made clear why, but she does it quite often.
One of her most interesting insults is when she's confused by her grandfather's behavior. She tells him that he's been acting like a "granola bar," but never clarifies exactly what that means. It should be confusing for the audience, but instead, it makes them laugh.
Sailor Mars Offers Up A Reprimand
"In the name of Mars, I'll chastise you."
Fans know that Usagi's Sailor Moon always promises to "punish" people on behalf of the moon. Each of the Sailor Senshi has a similar version of her speech, but the phrasing changes depending on the situation.
In Sailor Moon Crystal, Sailor Moon doesn't offer up punishment on behalf of the planet known for its passion. Instead, she promises to "chastise" those who have done wrong. It sounds more like she's going to teach their enemies a lesson instead of outright destroy them, and that's appropriate for the show since the Senshi often try to reason before fighting.
Rei Puts Her Duties And Her Friends First
"I don't need love right now. I have friends with the same purpose as me. I have all of you."
Though the stories throughout the Sailor Moon narrative see all of the Sailor Senshi experience different crushes or relationships, ultimately, their personal lives take a backseat to their duties as a Sailor Senshi. When Rei is asked about her love life, she doesn't hesitate to assure her friends she's perfectly fine without romance.
Sailor Senshi Rei and Minako, have one of the best Sailor Moon friendships because they have this in common. The two even make a pact in the manga to make sure their duties come first because they know how important their roles are in saving the world.
The Sailor Senshi Embrace Their Fashion Sense
"I'll punish you in high heels!"
One thing that's made clear in magical girl anime is that teenage girls don't have to sacrifice their emotions or femininity in order to be heroes. That's especially true in Sailor Moon where pieces of jewelry hold power and the heroes save the day in flawless outfits.
When Rei is insulted for being a young woman in a fight, she doesn't hesitate to comment on her own feminine look — she's one of the Senshi whose uniform includes high heels. Femininity is seen as an asset in Sailor Moon, not a hindrance.