Though Sailor Moon saved the day over and over again in her self-titled manga and anime series, she couldn’t have done it without the loyalty of her Sailor Senshi. Ranked just below Sailor Venus in command was Sailor Mars.
Rei Hino in her civilian life, Sailor Mars was a serious young woman. She upheld tradition and worked as a shrine priestess. While the '90s anime made her a hothead, her passion was a little different in the manga. Rei was mostly level-headed, but was always the first to jump into a fight. Though she and Sailor Moon didn’t always see eye to eye, Sailor Mars put her life on the line for the Moon Princess without anyone ever asking her to. For the fans who want to get to know her a little better, we’ve got plenty of answers to their questions.
Why Does Sailor Mars Favor A Pair Of Crows?
Anime fans won’t remember Sailor Mars befriending a pair of crows, but manga fans certainly will. When Rei was a young girl, she claimed that two crows told her their names. Talking animals aren’t out of the ordinary in the world of Sailor Moon, and these crows were from another planet just like Artemis and Luna.
Phobos and Deimos, named for the two moons of the planet Mars, were actually women from the planet Coronis during the reign of the Moon Kingdom. They were sent to stay with Princess Mars in her castle to protect her. Transformed in their new lives, they still kept an eye on her in the modern world.
When Did She Use Daggers?
The Sailor Senshi rarely relied on physical weapons in battle. Instead, most of their weapons came from the energy within. They redirected energy at their weapons in the form of their specialized attacks. Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, however, went a different route.
In the live-action series, all of the Sailor Senshi had tambourines that could be used as weapons —or transform into them. In the case of Sailor Mars, hers transformed into a dagger. It could be paired with that of Sailor Venus. Both Sailor Senshi took turns using the pair of daggers throughout the series.
Did She Have Any Single-Use Abilities?
One thing fans noticed about the Sailor Senshi is that when they “level up,” their previous abilities go out the window. A lot of the Senshi actually had abilities they even only used once in the manga and anime, and when a new method of power came their way, they used that instead.
Sailor Mars is unique among the Sailor Senshi. She is the only one not to have one of those single-use powers that are never seen again. Yes, she does have certain abilities she favors over others, but she never completely abandons a specialized power after its first use.
Does She Really Hate Men?
Sailor Mars has a bit of a reputation among long-time fans for hating the male species. That’s not entirely true, but her relationships with men (romantic or otherwise) aren’t all that great.
Rei and her father aren’t particularly close because he’s a politician who doesn’t see her much in the manga. The one member of his staff she develops feelings for marries someone else. In the anime, she only becomes interested in Mamoru to make Usagi jealous. For the manga, however, there is a deeper reason for her not taking interest in many men.
In the Moon Kingdom, she made a vow of chastity to Princess Serenity. The vow was a show of allegiance to the princess, and it’s one that carries through into her next life.
Is She A Fan Of Buffy The Vampire Slayer?
Though Rei’s interests lean toward the old-fashioned, she does enjoy reading manga. In the original Japanese version of Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon, Rei reveals she enjoys reading the manga Devilman. When the series was translated into English, however, that wasn’t the case.
Perhaps translators worried that English speaking readers wouldn’t be as familiar with the Japanese series. In English volumes, Rei referenced Buffy the Vampire Slayer instead. So, yes, Sailor Mars was a Buffy fan, but she was really just a fan of someone battling demons.
Is Sailor Mars Immune To Her Own Power?
All of the Sailor Senshi have some serious firepower. It’s a bit up in the air as to whether they can be harmed by the energy they channel or not in the manga. They never seem to injure themselves, just exhaust their energy supply. That’s not so for the '90s anime.
When the original story arc of the anime nears its end, Sailor Moon and her Sailor Senshi face off against the DD girls on their way to battle Queen Beryl. Each member of the team takes on the DD girls alone so that Sailor Moon can keep going. When Sailor Mars does so, she traps herself with them and uses her power, taking herself out with her enemies. So, at least in the anime, Sailor Mars is not immune to her own fire.
Was She Supposed To Be A Sailor V Character?
It’s no secret that before Sailor Moon became the central character of a manga and anime series, creator Naoko Takeuchi had a different main character in mind. She initially outlined and created characters for Sailor V instead.
While Rei wasn’t in those early plans, according to the Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon Original Picture Collection, there was a very similar character among the sketches. Her name was Miyabi Yoruno, and she was a shrine priestess just like Rei. It’s likely the Sailor V character informed some of Rei’s traits.
Where Is Her Mother?
The anime only focuses on Rei’s relationship with her grandfather. In the manga and the live action series, fans learn about Rei’s father. Her mother, however, is a bit of a mystery.
While we don’t know exactly what happened to her, she mother died when Rei was still a little girl. Despite the loss, her father maintained his political career, only returning to visit Rei on her birthday.
Why Does Sailor Mars Wear High Heels?
If fans pay attention to the designs of the Sailor Senshi uniforms, they can easily spot the slight differences between them. Most of the Senshi wear variations of boots. There are only a couple of exceptions. For Sailor Neptune and Venus, their heels still comes with ties or straps to keep their shoes in place. Sailor Mars is the only Sailor Senshi to wear high heels without the aid of something to keep her shoes on her feet.
The shoe design is a holdover from the early designs for the characters. In addition to revealing information about the early Sailor V concepts, Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon Original Picture Collection also has the early designs for the Sailor Moon characters. While a lot has changed about the characters, Sailor Mars’ footwear remained.
What Does Her Name Mean?
A lot of manga writers enjoy giving special meaning to the names of their characters. Like Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto characters, Takeuchi’s Sailor Moon characters frequently have names that have to do with their abilities or personalities.
Rei’s name is an interesting one because it provides a pun for readers who would understand it. Her full name is Rei Hino. The kanji used to spell out her family name translates to "fire" in some circumstances (and contains the kanji also included in the Japanese name for Mars), but "civilian" in others. Interestingly, her first name is spelled using the katakana, an alphabet used to write foreign words incorporated into the Japanese language. It’s use makes her name literally “ray of fire” when translations are applied. Fitting for the Sailor Senshi who controls fire.