Sailor Moon began in the 90s as a manga series before its popularity exploded into anime. Movies, video games, a live action series, stage musicals, and a new anime followed. In all of those, there is a major commonality other than the Sailor Senshi saving the day. While their civilian forms live in Japan, their past lives (and their future ones) resided in the Moon Kingdom.
Primarily set on Earth’s moon, the Kingdom was led by Queen Serenity and her daughter. Advanced technology and alien beings lived there before recorded human history, but the kingdom crumbled when the princess fell in love. Much of what fans know about the Moon Kingdom is the result of flashbacks and stories told by characters in-universe.
How Did The Kingdom Have An Earth-Friendly Atmosphere
Science fiction fans will find it strange that a group of people who could easily survive on the surface of the moon could also survive on Earth - with no special suits or help. In the case of the Moon Kingdom, Sailor Moon creator Naoko Takeuchi had a plan in place.
The manga creator actually drew the center of the Moon Kingdom with a special dome around it on the page. That dome helped contain the artificial atmosphere, and was even replicated in some versions of the anime. The atmosphere had to be fairly similar to that of Earth since the Sailor Senshi and Princess Serenity were able to visit Earth and still breathe the air.
What Is The Silver Millennium
The terms “Moon Kingdom” and “Silver Millennium” are thrown around a lot when it comes to talking about the past lives of the Sailor Senshi. For some fans, it might not be clear whether the terms actually refer to the same thing.
Technically, the Silver Millennium should be the time period in which the Moon Kingdom reigned since a millennium references 1,000 years. That’s not the case since flashbacks demonstrate that the residents of the Moon Kingdom also used the term while living in it. It’s interchangeable with “Moon Kingdom” to reference the kingdom itself, which is a nice reference to all of the silver associated with the Moon Princess, like the Silver Crystal and Queen Serenity’s silver hair.
Do All Members Of The Moon Kingdom Have The Crescent Moon Marking
The crescent moon that appears on Usagi Tsukino’s forehead when she discovers she’s Sailor Moon appears again and again in the franchise. It’s a mark of sorts for the kingdom.
The crescent, however, does not appear on everyone born into the Moon Kingdom. Instead, it only appears on those in the royal family. Princess and Queen Serenity both have the mark, as does Chibiusa when she activates her Sailor Senshi abilities. The only ones who have the symbol who aren’t royal are Artemis, Luna, and Diana, but they do act as royal advisers. Sailor Venus only has the symbol when she uses her disguise abilities to impersonate the princess.
Why Were Relationships Between The Moon Kingdom And Earth Forbidden
During the Silver Millennium, Earth had its own “kingdom” with its own royal family. Citizens of the Moon Kingdom were forbidden to travel to Earth and engage with the people of the planet. Princess Serenity falling for the Earth’s Prince Endymion is exactly what kickstarted the fall of the kingdom.
Just why members of the Moon Kingdom are forbidden from Earth is never made clear in the manga or the anime. What is made clear is that one of the responsibilities of the Moon Kingdom is to protect the Earth, making it part of the Moon Kingdom’s domain. It’s possible that Queen Serenity was in her own negotiations with Earth’s royal family for peace when everything fell apart, but Sailor Moon fans may never know the real answer to this question.
How Is Crystal Tokyo Important To The Moon Kingdom
Crystal Tokyo becomes an important place during the “Black Moon” arc of the franchise. It’s a new city in the future of Japan.
Crystal Tokyo gets its name for the silver crystal’s prevalence in it, and the fact that there are literal crystal formations all over the place. It also sits where the civilian forms of the Sailor Senshi lived in Japan in the 90s, becoming the new centerpiece of the Moon Kingdom. Considering Usagi Tsukino officially becomes Neo-Queen Serenity at 22, and rules in Crystal Tokyo, that means the city, and eventually the kingdom, is founded in the year 2000.
Was Queen Beryl From The Moon Kingdom
Though not every adaptation of Sailor Moon gives Queen Beryl’s background, the manga and Sailor Moon Crystal do. She brings destruction to the Moon Kingdom, but she wasn’t originally from there.
Before she was considered royalty, Beryl was a woman on Earth in love with Prince Endymion. When she discovered he had fallen in love with Princess Serenity, her love became an obsession that Metalia (or Metaria, depending on the translation) exploited. Queen Beryl was born, leading the people of Earth to revolt against the Moon Kingdom. Like the Sailor Senshi, she returned in the modern day, on Earth, to resume her battle.
Did The Moon Kingdom Really Originate On The Moon
This is an interesting topic of debate since the Sailor Senshis' past lives are all tied to the Moon Kingdom, but nothing is ever mentioned about their people traveling to it. There is, however, plenty of evidence to suggest that the moon was not the original home of the kingdom.
One major bit of evidence is the dome around the kingdom on the moon. It was necessary in order for the people to survive. They weren’t acclimated to the moon’s atmosphere. Likewise, royal advisers Luna and Artemis were not from the moon. Instead, they were from a far away planet, Mau. Fan speculation says that Queen Serenity and Metalia were actually from the same place as two sides of a ruling coin - Serenity representing silver and Metalia gold - and that Serenity’s development of the Moon Kingdom was intended to keep Metalia in check.
Was The Moon Kingdom Design Inspired By A Real Place
Much of the behind the scenes information for the development of Sailor Moon is courtesy of Naoko Takeuchi herself. The writer and artist published art books of early sketches and designs for characters. With all of that artwork came a lot of extra information.
According to the second art book released, Takeuchi wasn’t just inspired by Greek and Roman myths when it came to the Moon Kingdom. She was also inspired by Palmyra, an ancient city in Syria. Much of the ruins of Palmyra served as inspiration for the original architecture of the Moon Kingdom.
How Far Does The Moon Kingdom Reach
Though the kingdom itself is often thought of solely being on Earth’s moon, that’s not exactly the case. Instead, at the very least, it encompasses all of Earth’s solar system - as well as the fictional tenth planet.
We know this because of the reveal in the manga that each of the Sailor Senshi responsible for protecting the Moon Kingdom were stationed on their own planets at one point - and were even considered princesses of their respective planets. The farthest out was Sailor Neptune as Sailor Pluto resided within the palace on the moon to guard the space-time door. We also know, however, that Queen Serenity banished banished Death Phantom to Nemesis, the farthest planet in her reach. That’s where the Black Moon Clan called home after rebelling against the Moon Kingdom. The planet was termed “off base” to the rest of her subjects, but it’s not clear just how far away it is from the moon.
What Sits At The Center Of The Kingdom
Whether discussing the ancient Moon Kingdom, or the future one, they have one major thing in common: both have an important centerpiece.
The magical silver crystal that appears to grant Sailor Moon her powers, and provides the Moon Kingdom inhabitants with their very long lives, sits at the center. The kingdom itself expands outward from the crystal’s protection. It sits in the middle of the royal family’s palace, which is why the future version of Queen Serenity is able to protect it so well.