The is a group of fictional characters in the ''

Sailor Moon is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi. It was originally serialized in Kodansha's ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''Nakayoshi'' from 1991 to 1997; the 52 individual chapters were published in 18 volumes. The se ...

'' manga series by

Naoko Takeuchi is a Japanese manga artist. She is best known as the author of ''Sailor Moon'', one of the most popular manga series of all time. She has won several awards, including the 1993 Kodansha Manga Award for ''Sailor Moon''. Takeuchi is married to ...

. They are the chief villains of the first story arc in every version of the series, and were first introduced in the first chapter of the manga, "Usagi – Sailor Moon", originally published in Japan's ''

Nakayoshi is a monthly ''shōjo'' manga magazine published by Kodansha in Japan. First issued in December 1954, it is a long-running magazine with over 60 years of manga publication history. Notable titles serialized in Nakayoshi include '' Princess Kni ...

'' on 28 December 1991. In some English adaptations, the Dark Kingdom's title was changed to Negaverse. In each variation of the series, the characters—led by

Queen Beryl The is a group of fictional characters in the '' Sailor Moon'' manga series by Naoko Takeuchi. They are the chief villains of the first story arc in every version of the series, and were first introduced in the first chapter of the manga, "Usag ...

—attempt to steal

life energy Vitalism is a belief that starts from the premise that "living organisms are fundamentally different from non-living entities because they contain some non-physical element or are governed by different principles than are inanimate things." Wher ...

from humans and the

Silver Crystal Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical cond ...

so they can release the evil Queen Metaria, who was imprisoned by

Queen Serenity The ''Sailor Moon'' manga series features an extensive cast of characters created by Naoko Takeuchi. The series takes place in Tokyo, Japan, where the , a group of ten magical girls, are formed to combat an assortment of antagonists attempting ...

during the destruction of the Moon Kingdom during the Silver Millennium period.

Creation and conception

The Dark Kingdom is first referenced in

's '' Codename: Sailor V'', which features

Sailor Venus , better known as , is a fictional character in the ''Sailor Moon'' and '' Codename: Sailor V'' manga series written by Naoko Takeuchi. Minako is her sailor form's alternative human identity as part of the Sailor Soldiers, female supernatural fig ...

as the main character, who confronts a group of villains called the Dark Agency. In the final volume of ''Codename: Sailor V'', the Dark Agency is revealed to be a subset of the Dark Kingdom, which leads to the beginning of ''Sailor Moon''. Takeuchi developed the ''Sailor Moon'' series and the Dark Kingdom when ''Codename: Sailor V'' was first proposed for an anime adaptation. The idea was ultimately dropped, but Sailor Venus became part of a new group alongside Sailors Moon, Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter, and instead of fighting the Dark Agency, they fought the Dark Kingdom. The names of Queen Beryl and the Four Kings of Heaven are derived from minerals:

beryl Beryl ( ) is a mineral composed of beryllium aluminium silicate with the chemical formula Be3Al2Si6O18. Well-known varieties of beryl include emerald and aquamarine. Naturally occurring, hexagonal crystals of beryl can be up to several ...

jadeite Jadeite is a pyroxene mineral with composition Na Al Si2 O6. It is hard (Mohs hardness of about 6.5 to 7.0), very tough, and dense, with a specific gravity of about 3.4. It is found in a wide range of colors, but is most often found in shades ...

, nephrite,

zoisite Zoisite, first known as saualpite, after its type locality, is a calcium aluminium hydroxy sorosilicate belonging to the epidote group of minerals. Its chemical formula is Ca2 Al3( Si O4)(Si2O7)O(O H). Zoisite occurs as prismatic, orthorho ...

, and

kunzite Spodumene is a pyroxene mineral consisting of lithium aluminium inosilicate, Li Al( Si O3)2, and is a source of lithium. It occurs as colorless to yellowish, purplish, or lilac kunzite (see below), yellowish-green or emerald-green hiddenite, pri ...

.In Act 11, when the brainwashed Endymion meets Reika Nishimura, he identifies the four gemstones in her book. In some English adaptations, Kunzite's name is changed to

Malachite Malachite is a copper carbonate hydroxide mineral, with the formula Cu2CO3(OH)2. This opaque, green-banded mineral crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system, and most often forms botryoidal, fibrous, or stalagmitic masses, in fracture ...

. Several villains from subsequent arcs follow this pattern of using minerals as namesakes. The Four Kings of Heaven is speculated to be based on the Buddhist gods, The Four Heavenly Kings. In the

DIC Entertainment DIC Entertainment Corporation (; also known as DIC Audiovisuel, DIC Enterprises, DIC Animation City, DIC Entertainment, L.P., and DIC Productions), branded as The Incredible World of DIC, was an international film and television production com ...

English adaptation, the Dark Kingdom's name is changed to the "''Negaverse''", a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of words

Key figures

Queen Beryl

, named after the mineral

, is the first main antagonist in the ''

'' series. Beryl has immense magical power and uses it to channel the

harvested by her servants into the entity

Queen Metaria The is a group of fictional characters in the '' Sailor Moon'' manga series by Naoko Takeuchi. They are the chief villains of the first story arc in every version of the series, and were first introduced in the first chapter of the manga, "Usag ...

. In most versions of the story, Beryl has the ability to corrupt others into her service.In the manga, it is revealed that the Four Kings of Heaven were once the bodyguards of Prince Endymion, and in most versions of the story, Beryl is able to use her powers to sway Endymion himself into her service. Before the events of ''Sailor Moon'', Beryl is a young girl on Earth during the age of the Silver Millennium. Beryl is in love with Prince Endymion, but her love is unrequited. After discovering Endymion's relationship with Princess Serenity, she sides with Queen Metaria and is corrupted. Beryl mobilizes the Earth in a war against the Moon Kingdom, killing Endymion while he is protecting Serenity, leading to the princess' own suicide. Though killed by Sailor Venus with the Holy Moon Sword, Beryl is reborn in the 20th century, regaining the memories of her past life upon finding Queen Metaria while traveling to D-Point in the Arctic. She becomes Queen of the Dark Kingdom, communicating with Metaria while recruiting her reincarnated generals

Jadeite Jadeite is a pyroxene mineral with composition Na Al Si2 O6. It is hard (Mohs hardness of about 6.5 to 7.0), very tough, and dense, with a specific gravity of about 3.4. It is found in a wide range of colors, but is most often found in shades ...

, Nephrite,

Zoisite Zoisite, first known as saualpite, after its type locality, is a calcium aluminium hydroxy sorosilicate belonging to the epidote group of minerals. Its chemical formula is Ca2 Al3( Si O4)(Si2O7)O(O H). Zoisite occurs as prismatic, orthorho ...

, and

Kunzite Spodumene is a pyroxene mineral consisting of lithium aluminium inosilicate, Li Al( Si O3)2, and is a source of lithium. It occurs as colorless to yellowish, purplish, or lilac kunzite (see below), yellowish-green or emerald-green hiddenite, pri ...

, to find the Silver Crystal. Beryl is able to summon the reincarnated Prince Endymion, Mamoru Chiba, to her side, as a lifeless thrall after he dies and is revived with a fragment of the Silver Crystal inside him. Beryl fails in her attempt to get the Silver Crystal and is killed by Sailor Venus with the Holy Moon Sword. In ''

Sailor Moon Crystal ''Sailor Moon Crystal'', known in Japan as , is a 2014 original net animation adaptation of the ''shōjo'' manga series '' Sailor Moon'' written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi, produced in commemoration of the original series' 20th ann ...

'', Beryl's demise was altered to have her necklace, which maintained her existence, shattered by the Holy Moon Sword wielded by Sailor Moon. In the first anime adaptation, Beryl attacks

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...

while Usagi Tsukino and the other Sailor Guardians are searching for the Moon Princess. She also kidnaps and brainwashes Mamoru to love her and to kill Usagi. But he breaks free of her control and fatally wounds Beryl. Having lost everything, Beryl begs Metaria for more power, which results in Metaria possessing Beryl's body, transforming her into an enormous being. Usagi confronts the Beryl/Metaria being as Princess Serenity and a battle ensues in which Usagi obliterates Beryl along with Metaria, destroying the two for good. In the live-action series, Jadeite and Nephrite are rivals for her affections; Zoisite is more loyal to Endymion than to her, and Kunzite sets his sights on taking Metaria's power for himself. At one point, Beryl creates a shadow of herself, Mio Kuroki, who sets out to ruin Usagi's reputation while being Beryl's eyes and ears. When she learns that Mamoru Chiba was Prince Endymion, Beryl forces him to come with her by showing him that she can easily kill the Four Kings of Heaven with Nephrite as an example. Once she has the object of her desire under her services, Beryl has Jadeite implant an item in Mamoru's body that will shorten his life when he is with Usagi. However, Mamoru still risks his life for Usagi and Beryl loses control over Metaria's actions due to the overuse of the Silver Crystal. She is killed when her castle crumbles under the stress of a distraught Princess using the Silver Crystal to destroy Earth. However, for all her sadness, she is not alone, as Jadeite stays by her side after she removes her mind-control spell on him, saying that Beryl is his master by choice. Beryl appears in the first musical, ''Gaiden Dark Kingdom Fukkatsu Hen'', and its revision, in a similar plot to the series' first story arc. She is then revived in the semi-original musical ''Eien Densetsu'' and its revision by

Sailor Galaxia are a group of fictional characters in the ''Sailor Moon'' manga series created by Naoko Takeuchi. They are the villains of the series' fifth and final story arc, called ''Stars'' in the manga, '' Sailor Moon Sailor Stars'' in the first anime ad ...

, who merely uses her as a puppet to awaken

Sailor Saturn is a fictional character in the ''Sailor Moon'' manga series created by Naoko Takeuchi. Her spirit resides deep within , a twelve-year-old Japanese schoolgirl who is her lookalike reincarnation, which makes Sailor Saturn her Alter ego, alter ego; ...

. Beryl dies while protecting Sailor Moon from a stab by the evil Tuxedo Mask mud puppet, her last statement being "This time I die for passion". Similarly, in ''Shin Densetsu Kourin'', Beryl kills the evil King Endymion mud puppet to give Sailor Moon a fighting chance against Galaxia. Several times in the musical, Beryl and

Sailor Pluto is a fictional character in the ''Sailor Moon'' manga series written by Naoko Takeuchi. The alternate identity of , she is a member of the Sailor Guardians, female supernatural fighters who protect the Solar System from evil. She is unique amo ...

share the song ''Onna no Ronsou'', which explains why betrayal by Endymion in the past killed Beryl's emotion of love. Each time this song is played, Sailor Pluto would always begin with "Because we are the same" or a similar phrase. In the anime series, her voice actress is

Keiko Han is a Japanese actress, voice actress and western astrologer. She sang the theme songs in productions such as '' Story of the Alps: My Annette'' and '' Kazoku Robinson Hyōryūki Fushigi na Shima no Furōne''. Han is a fortune teller of western ...

. During recording, this contrast resulted in occasional fits of giggles among the cast when Han would change from

Luna Luna commonly refers to: * Earth's Moon, named "Luna" in Latin * Luna (goddess), the ancient Roman personification of the Moon Luna may also refer to: Places Philippines * Luna, Apayao * Luna, Isabela * Luna, La Union * Luna, San Jose Roma ...

's cute, catlike voice to the deep, evil tones of Beryl. Sometimes, she would accidentally play Beryl with Luna's voice. In ''Sailor Moon Crystal'', she is voiced by Misa Watanabe. In the DIC English adaptation, she is voiced by Naz Edwards, with

Jill Frappier Jill Frappier (born October 7, 1944) is a British-Canadian voice actress. Frappier was born in Lord Louis Mountbatten's stately home, Broadlands, in Romsey, England. She moved to Canada in 1967 to work as a British hostess at the British pav ...

as a

stand-in A stand-in for film and television is a person who substitutes for the actor before filming, for technical purposes such as lighting and camera setup. Stand-ins are helpful in the initial processes of film and television production. Stand-ins ...

. In the

Viz Media VIZ Media LLC is an American manga publisher, anime distributor and entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ M ...

English adaptation, her voice is supplied by

Cindy Robinson Cindy Robinson is an American voice actress who voices in animations and video games. Some of her major roles are Makoto Nanaya and Gii from the ''Blazblue'' series, Betty Boop in commercials, Queen Beryl in ''Sailor Moon'', Chitose Nanbu in '' ...

. In the stage musicals, Beryl has been played by two actresses: Yuri Nishina and Akiko Miyazawa (who previously played Sailor Venus). In the live-action series, she is portrayed by adult J-pop idol

Aya Sugimoto is a Japanese TV personality, actress, dancer, author, gravure idol and singer born in Kyoto. She also had a J-pop career in the late 1980s to the early 1990s. Career Early life Aya Sugimoto grew up in Kyoto under a "strict" upbringing, making ...

Queen Metaria

is a malignant, amorphous energy being, and the true mastermind of the Dark Kingdom. She was born as a result of an abnormality in the Sun. Like all arch-villains in the ''Sailor Moon'' manga, she is an incarnation of the final arch-villain,

Chaos Chaos or CHAOS may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional elements * Chaos (''Kinnikuman'') * Chaos (''Sailor Moon'') * Chaos (''Sesame Park'') * Chaos (''Warhammer'') * Chaos, in ''Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy'' * Cha ...

. While the first official English release of the manga in English spelled her name as "Metalia", it was a translation error; reprints of the manga in English as well as multiple reprints in Japanese consistently depicted the character's name spelled as "Metaria" in Latin letters. Being responsible for the fall of the Silver Millennium, Metaria used her power to corrupt the majority of Earth's population, including Beryl, whose affections towards Endymion was exploited into attacking the Moon Kingdom as Prince Endymion and Princess Serenity were to wed. The battle came to an end when Metaria was sealed away by Queen Serenity in the area of the North Pole known as D-Point. In the 20th century, Metaria summons a reborn Beryl back into her service to obtain the Silver Crystal and take its power as her own. After Endymion's reincarnated form is captured, Metaria turns the youth into a thrall to retrieve the then powerless Silver Crystal while sacrificing Beryl in the process. When Sailor Moon's attempted murder-suicide of Endymion restores the Silver Crystal, Metaria makes her move and absorbs the crystal while wiping out all life on Earth. But after Sailor Moon and Mamoru escape with the crystal thanks to the Sailor Guardians' sacrifice, the form eventually destroys Metaria by targeting the star mark on her forehead and then uses the Silver Crystal's power to restore everyone to life. In the first anime adaptation, Metaria is much the same, with a few exceptions. She eventually becomes powerful enough to resurrect on her own and takes possession of the dying Beryl, transforming into a towering

goddess A goddess is a female deity. In many known cultures, goddesses are often linked with literal or metaphorical pregnancy or imagined feminine roles associated with how women and girls are perceived or expected to behave. This includes themes ...

-like creature who is eventually destroyed by Princess Serenity. In the live-action series, Beryl originally intends to use the Silver Crystal to control Metaria, but later learns that the gem's power only makes Metaria stronger due to Usagi's rage being transmitted through it. This escalates to the point where Beryl can no longer control the actions of her own Monsters and fears that Metaria may destroy everything. Metaria later transfers her will into the strongest Monster in its service. In a vain attempt to stop Metaria, Endymion takes the creature into his own body with the intent of committing suicide in order to take it with him. Instead, Metaria takes control of Endymion and uses him in an attempt to force Sailor Moon to use the Silver Crystal's power. Metaria's plan succeeds, but only after Sailor Moon is forced to kill Endymion and Metaria with him. Sailor Moon revives Mamoru with the Silver Crystal's power, with Metaria gone for good. In the anime series, her voice actresses are

Noriko Uemura is a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator who works for Aoni Production. She is married to Toei Animation producer Iriya Azuma. Her hometown is Fukuoka, Japan. Biography Filmography Anime television series *''Captain Tsubasa'' (198 ...

in the first series and

Yōko Matsuoka is a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator from Tokyo. She is affiliated with 81 Produce. Filmography Television animation ;1970's *'' The Adventures of Hutch the Honeybee'' (1974) (Denta) *''Wakakusa no Charlotte'' (1977) (Jim) *''Ann ...

in ''Sailor Moon Crystal''. In the DIC English adaptation, she is voiced by

Maria Vacratsis Maria Vacratsis (born July 28, 1955) is a Canadian actress. She has been featured in several Canadian television series, including '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'', ''Little Mosque on the Prairie'', '' Tactical Girls'', and ''Rent-a-Goalie''. In ...

. In the Viz Media English adaptation, her voice is supplied by

Mary Elizabeth McGlynn Mary Elizabeth McGlynn Blum (born October 16, 1966)Birthday references: * * is an American voice actress, ADR director and singer best known for her involvement in music production in multiple games from the ''Silent Hill'' series, and her ex ...

. In the live-action series, she possesses Mamoru, portrayed by

Jouji Shibue is a Japanese actor and model. His first major acting role was as Mamoru Chiba (Tuxedo Kamen/Prince Endymion) in the live action ''Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon''. After finishing PGSM, Shibue has appeared in ''Kamen Rider Hibiki'' as Ibuki (Kamen ...

Four Kings of Heaven

The are the

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

s of the Dark Kingdom working directly under Queen Beryl. They provide the major

antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the chief foe of the protagonist. Etymology The English word antagonist comes from the Greek ἀνταγωνιστής – ''antagonistēs'', "opponent, competitor, villain, enemy, ri ...

ic force for the beginning of every version of the series. Before the events of the series, the Four Kings of Heaven originally functioned as the four guardians of Earth's crown prince

Endymion Endymion primarily refers to: * Endymion (mythology), an Ancient Greek shepherd * ''Endymion'' (poem), by John Keats Endymion may also refer to: Fictional characters * Prince Endymion, a character in the ''Sailor Moon'' anime franchise * Raul ...

. They were led astray during the time of the Silver Millennium, selling their souls to the Dark Kingdom and becoming Beryl's servants. When reincarnated in the 20th century, they again fall prey to her and obey her every command, but retain a sense that they need to seek out their real master and aid him. The Sailor Guardians fight and kill the four of them, one at a time. However, they are all briefly revived near the end of the "Dark Kingdom" arc and are able to remember the Golden Kingdom and their time as Prince Endymion's guardians before being turned into the stone from which their names are derived. The stones are kept by Mamoru Chiba (Endymion's reincarnation in the present day), who uses them to call upon the spirits of the Four Kings of Heaven for advice. In the first anime adaptation, the Four Kings of Heaven serve as Beryl's servants but have no connection to Mamoru. Once they are killed, the four only appear in flashbacks afterward. In the DIC English adaptation, the Four Kings of Heaven served as human-like beings from the Negaverse, an alternate dimension of evil, and had only a vague understanding of human ways. The Four Kings of Heaven appeared in several musicals. In many of them, they are paired with the Sailor Guardians. In musical adaptations of the last arc, the Four Kings are revived by

to work under her service, but in some versions, they betray her. The musical ''Kakyuu-Ouhi Kourin'' had a group that which called themselves the Neo-Four Kings of Heaven (''Neo-Shiten'ō''). The members of the Neo-Four Kings of Heaven were Kunzite, Hematite, Hiddenite, and Kalunite. Hematite, Hiddenite, and Kalunite looked identical to Zoisite, Nephrite, and Jadeite respectively. In ''La Reconquista'', the Four Kings of Heaven disguise themselves as a boy band known as Pandemic 4. The group consisted of Kunza, Jed, Nephra, and Zoi. The band appeared in the Pandemic Love game, in which they used the game to drain energy for Beryl, and had one song, . In the live-action series, their past becomes more frequently seen. In the '' Sailor Moon: Another Story'' video game, the Four Kings of Heaven appear as ghosts who help four of the Sailor Guardians get the respective gems of each of the Four Kings of Heaven when Mamoru ends up injured by the Opposito Guardians. In ''Sailor Moon Crystal'', the "Four Heavenly Kings" are kept alive beyond their deaths in the manga. They rediscover their past lives but are once again brainwashed by Beryl. During the final battle, Venus reveals that the Sailor Guardians and the Four Heavenly Kings were originally lovers much like Serenity and Endymion respectively. When the Sailor Guardians manage to reach the Four Kings during the former group's assault on D-Point, they regain their full memories before being obliterated by Queen Metaria for outliving their usefulness.

Jadeite

is the first of the Four Kings of Heaven to appear. In her ''Materials Collection'',

describes him as 'a typical beautiful person' and a ruthless, serious type. He is about 18 years old in appearance, making him the second-youngest, while in the live-action series he is the youngest. He is the head of the Dark Kingdom's far-eastern division and is named after the mineral

. Jadeite's mission is to track down the Silver Crystal but eventually changes to gathering life energy to awaken Metaria. He has very little interaction with the other Four Kings of Heaven. He expresses an attraction to

Sailor Mars , better known as , is a fictional character in the ''Sailor Moon'' manga series written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi. In the series, Rei is her sailor form's alternative human identity as part of the Sailor Soldiers, female supernatural fi ...

and is the first one killed when Rei uses her ''Akuryo Taisan'' technique. After Jadeite's death, Nephrite vows to exact revenge as he preserves Jadeite's skeleton in a glass coffin. In the later side story ''Casablanca Memories'', Zoisite also tries to avenge Jadeite. In the first anime adaptation, hunting energy is Jadeite's primary mission. After failing numerous times, Beryl sentences Jadeite to Eternal Sleep and Nephrite succeeds him. In the live-action series, Jadeite is totally subservient to Beryl, for which she rewards him with her favor, sending him on missions that range from gathering energy to spying on his fellow warriors to attacking the Sailor Guardians directly. He disappears early in the series, reverting to crystalline form due to an injury from one of his battles, but is revived by Metaria. Firmly loyal to Beryl, he rejects Endymion as his true master until the series finale, where he stays with Beryl as the castle collapses around her. In ''Sailor Moon Crystal'', Jadeite survives the battle against Sailor Mars, but Beryl sends Nephrite to fulfill their mission. In his past life, he was the love interest of Sailor Mars. He is killed by Metaria along with the other Kings of Heaven in Episode 12. In the original Japanese series, he is voiced by

Masaya Onosaka is a Japanese voice actor who works for Aoni Production. In 2010 he won the "Best Personality" Seiyu Award. Onosaka was born in Osaka. He is known for his Kansai accent in some of his roles. He also the known voicing actor as Zhao Yun and Zhu ...

. In ''Crystal'', he is voiced by

Daisuke Kishio is a Japanese voice actor, singer and narrator from Matsusaka, Mie. He changed his given name from 大輔 to だいすけ on June 1, 2007 with the pronunciation and romanization remaining the same. He joined Aoni Production on April 1, 2014. H ...

. In the DIC English adaptation, his name was changed to Jedite and is voiced by

Tony Daniels Tony Daniels is a Canadian voice actor. He is well known for providing the voices of Uncle Flippy in ''JoJo's Circus'', as well as Jedite and Wiseman in the original English dub of ''Sailor Moon''. He is also known for providing the voice of ...

. In the

English adaptation, his voice is supplied by

Todd Haberkorn Todd Haberkorn is an American voice actor and director, who has dubbed in anime, films, and video games. Career While Haberkorn was working in theater, he joined Funimation as a voice actor, with minor roles in ''One Piece'', ''Black Cat'', a ...

. In the live-action series, he was portrayed by Jun Masuo and was portrayed in the musicals by Susumu Futabashi and Yuhka Asami.

Nephrite

is the second of the Four Kings of Heaven to appear. Takeuchi describes him as cocky and emotional, writing in her concept notes he will probably get himself killed right off. He is the second-oldest, estimated at 19 years old, and is in charge of the Dark Kingdom's

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and th ...

n division. He is named after the mineral nephrite. Nephrite's primary goal is to locate the Silver Crystal, but he also takes vows to exact revenge for the death of Jadeite. He uses a female "shadow" of himself to attack his victims, simultaneously taking control over their bodies and draining their energy. Sailor Jupiter kills him with her ''Jupiter Thunderbolt'' technique before any harm is done. In the first anime adaptation, Beryl appoints Nephrite to continue the energy hunting job after freezing Jadeite. Nephrite hypothesizes that more energy can be taken by concentrating on a single human. Establishing himself in an abandoned church, he uses intonation with the stars to detect the "energy potential" of individual people before attacking them when he implants the essence of one of his Monsters into a specific person's object. Nephrite's only disguise is , a wealthy businessman and socialite. Over the course of his missions, Nephrite inadvertently attracts the attention and affections of Usagi's best friend,

Naru Osaka The ''Sailor Moon'' manga series features an extensive cast of characters created by Naoko Takeuchi. The series takes place in Tokyo, Japan, where the , a group of ten magical girls, are formed to combat an assortment of antagonists attempting t ...

, which interferes with his progress. When Nephrite discovers that Tuxedo Mask is Sailor Moon's weakness, Beryl orders Nephrite to destroy Sailor Moon. Despite being unable to destroy Sailor Moon, he siphons some energy from Naru to Beryl. The Dark Crystal he crafts to detect the Silver Crystal reacts instead to Naru's love for him. Eventually, he comes to return her love and chooses to rescue her from Zoisite at the cost of his own life. In the live-action series, Nephrite is Jadeite's main rival for the attention of Beryl, who considers him useless. His physical appearance is drastically changed, and he is portrayed as hot-headed and violent. Repeatedly humiliated by the Sailor Guardians, and mocked by the other Kings of Heaven, he strives to win Beryl's favor, but she kills her as a demonstration of her power. He is then reborn in Tokyo as a normal human being with all his memories intact, getting a job at the karaoke parlor and forging a tenuous friendship with

Ami Mizuno is a fictional character in the ''Sailor Moon'' manga series created by Naoko Takeuchi. She is the alternate identity of , a teenage Japanese schoolgirl, and a member of the Sailor Guardians, supernatural female fighters who protect the Solar Sys ...

, who was compassionate toward him when she was

Dark Mercury is a fictional character in the ''Sailor Moon'' manga series created by Naoko Takeuchi. She is the alternate identity of , a teenage Japanese schoolgirl, and a member of the Sailor Guardians, supernatural female fighters who protect the Solar Sys ...

. At the end of the series, he is re-established with the other Kings of Heaven as one of Prince Endymion's guardians. In ''Sailor Moon Crystal'', Nephrite attempts to appeal to Beryl to take Jadeite's place only for Zoisite to intervene. Later, when his Soul Shadow is destroyed by Usagi, Nephrite rejoins the other Kings of Heaven to threaten the Sailor Guardians. He attempts to find the Silver Crystal by using a Monster who resembles a bride. However, he is attacked by Sailor Jupiter and is forced to flee. In his past life, he was the love interest of Sailor Jupiter. He is killed by Metaria. In the Japanese series, he is voiced by

Katsuji Mori is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Tokyo. He is most known for the roles of Go Mifune ('' Mach GoGoGo''), Joe Shimamura/009 (''Cyborg 009'' 960s, Ken the Eagle (''Science Ninja Team Gatchaman''), Jouji Minami ('' Tekkaman: The ...

in the first series and in ''Crystal'' by

Kōsuke Toriumi is a Japanese voice actor affiliated to Arts Vision. Biography He is a member of and . To commemorate twenty years of his debut, a book entitled released on May 16, 2016. He created his YouTube channel on March 19, 2020. Filmography Anime t ...

. In the DIC English adaptation, his name was changed to "Nephlite" and Maxfield Stanton, and he is voiced by Kevin Lund. In the

English adaptation, his voice is supplied by

Liam O'Brien Liam Christopher O'Brien (born May 28, 1976) is an American voice actor, writer, and director. He is a regular cast member of the '' Dungeons & Dragons'' actual play series '' Critical Role,'' playing Vax'ildan ("Vax"), Caleb Widogast, and Ory ...

. In the live-action series he was portrayed by Hiroyuki Matsumoto, and was portrayed in the stage musicals by Toshikazu Seike and Karen Yoda.

Zoisite

is the third of the Four Kings of Heaven. Of the four, his character has undergone the most drastic changes from version to version of the story. He is the youngest, at about 16–17 years of age, described by Takeuchi as the least mature and most effeminate. He manages the Dark Kingdom's

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

an Division and is named after the mineral

. Zoisite first mocks Nephrite after Jadeite is killed, and then cries out in anguish after Nephrite is also killed. However, he also works closely with Kunzite, sharing concerns and strategies as he works. Seeking the Silver Crystal, he uses news reports and press releases to make the population of Tokyo help with his search, then resorts to taking their energy when they fail. He is killed by Sailor Venus's Crescent Boomerang. In the first anime adaptation, Zoisite is Kunzite's lover. He is introduced along with Nephrite, mocking him in each episode. Later, he orders the Plant Sisters to kidnap Naru and kill Nephrite. After Metaria's awakening, Beryl appoints Zoisite to find the Rainbow Crystals, fragments of the Silver Crystal sealed within the "Seven Great Monsters". He obtains the seven crystals. Mamoru saves Usagi from certain death by intercepting Zoisite's attack. The two are then revealed to be Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion. Infuriated that Zoisite has injured Endymion, Beryl fatally wounds Zoisite, who dies in Kunzite's arms. The DIC English adaptation of the

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

changed Zoisite's gender to female in order to make his relationship with Kunzite more socially acceptable for the 1990s when very few homosexual couples were portrayed in the media. This censorship has led to a great amount of criticism since then, with some pointing out that the changes were made to force the series into a heteronormative perspective. In the live-action series, Zoisite is a pianist, using magical songs to hunt for the hidden Moon Princess. In addition to his own "Requiem for a Princess", he plays such compositions as the "

Fantaisie-Impromptu Frédéric Chopin's ''Fantaisie-Impromptu'' ( pl, Fantazja-Impromptu) in C minor, Op. posth. 66, WN 46 is a solo piano composition. It was composed in 1834 and published posthumously in 1855 despite Chopin's instruction that none ...

" and the "

Moonlight Sonata The Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, marked ''Quasi una fantasia'', Op. 27, No. 2, is a piano sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven. It was completed in 1801 and dedicated in 1802 to his pupil Countess Giulietta Guicciardi. The popular name ''M ...

". He cares very little for Beryl and comes to recognize Prince Endymion as his master long before the others. After being killed by Sailor Venus and later revived by the power of Metaria, he ignores Beryl and uses his music to attempt to reach out to Endymion and to restore the memories of their collective past life to his fellow Kings of Heaven. His loyalty to Endymion is such that he offers his own life in exchange for the Prince's, and when Beryl asks for Usagi's life instead, Zoisite sets out to kill her. Diverted from this course of action by Endymion, he dies protecting Sailor Moon instead. In ''Sailor Moon Crystal'', Zoisite is wounded by Usagi's ''Moon Healing Escalation'' technique. However, Beryl nurses him back to health. He attempts to kill both Mamoru and Usagi, only for Minako and Artemis to seriously wound him again and cause him to flee. In his past life, he was the love interest of Sailor Mercury. He is killed by Metaria in Episode 12. In the original anime series, Zoisite is voiced by

Keiichi Nanba is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator currently affiliated with Fujiga Office Inc. He is married to fellow voice actress Mayumi Shō. Filmography Anime * ''Persia, the Magic Fairy'' (1984) (Gaku Muroi) * ''Alpen Rose'' (1985) (Lundi Co ...

, with

Masaya Matsukaze is a Japanese actor, voice actor and radio personality. He was formerly affiliated with Big Apple, Radix Mobanimation Multicye Division and Varoque Works, and is currently affiliated with Aoni Production. He was born in Fukushima Prefecture and ...

taking over the role for ''Crystal''. In the DIC English adaptation, his name is spelled as Zoycite, and he is voiced by Kirsten Bishop as part of being depicted as a female character. In the Viz Media English adaptation, his name is spelled as Zoisite and his voice is supplied by

Lucien Dodge Lucien Dodge (born June 24, 1984) is an American voice actor who does work in animation, anime and video games. He is mostly known for his characters in anime such as Waver Velvet in '' Fate/Zero'', Maron and Chili in ''Pokémon'', K1-B0 in '' Da ...

. In the live-action series he is portrayed by Yoshito Endou, and in the musicals, he is portrayed by Toshitaka Akita, Misao Idono, Akira Tomemori, and Kaname Aoki.

Kunzite

is the fourth and final member of the Four Kings of Heaven. He carries a

shortsword The English language terminology used in the classification of swords is imprecise and has varied widely over time. There is no historical dictionary for the universal names, classification or terminology of swords; a sword was simply a double e ...

, and Takeuchi describes him as having the majesty of an

Arabian The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plat ...

king. He is about 25–26 years old, leads the Dark Kingdom's Mid-Eastern division, and is named after the mineral

. Unlike the others, he wears a white cape in addition to his uniform, with his tunic partially opened. Before the beginning of the series, Kunzite is a military officer of Prince Endymion before joining Beryl and dying in the battle against the Silver Millennium. He is then revived by Beryl. Introduced as Zoisite's advisor, Kunzite becomes Beryl's henchman after the death of the other Kings of Heaven. He defeats the Sailor Guardians at Tokyo Tower and nearly kills Usagi, but Mamoru takes the injury for her, and they are revealed to be Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion. Remembering that Endymion is his former master, Kunzite becomes uncertain about his loyalties causing Beryl to plant a crystal in his forehead that reduces him to little more than a mindless slave. During that time, Kunzite tells Mamoru where Metaria's weakness is. In the first anime adaptation, Kunzite and Zoisite are lovers as well as allies. After Metaria's reawakening, Kunzite assists Zoisite in obtaining the Rainbow Crystals. After losing the Rainbow Crystals, Kunzite is spared when Zoisite is killed at the hands of Beryl. She forewarns Kunzite that if he harms Prince Endymion, she will kill him. He resents being forced to work with the brainwashed Prince Endymion, feeling responsible for Zoisite's death, and Beryl favoring him. Following Zoisite's death, Kunzite plans to exact revenge on the Sailor Guardians and turns humans into Monsters to help him. Eventually, he captures all of the Sailor Guardians except for Sailor Moon. Kunzite is killed when Usagi reflects his own energy blade back at him. In the live-action series, Kunzite is first introduced in the form of an

amnesia Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or disease,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be caused temporarily by the use ...

c man named Shin, whom Usagi attempts to befriend. His memories are restored by Beryl, causing him to be a ruthless and powerful warrior. His efforts to reawaken Metaria are largely motivated by a desire for personal gain, and he is dismissive to Beryl, sometimes to the point of insubordination. He mostly works with her toward their shared goals, and he also transforms Sailor Mercury into Dark Mercury. Kunzite is awakened early on to the memory that Endymion was his master in his previous life, but he feels extreme contempt for the prince, believing he betrayed the Four Kings of Heaven in ages past and left them for dead. Eventually, at the cost of his life, he saves Endymion from an attack by Jadeite and professes his loyalty to the prince. In ''Sailor Moon Crystal'', Kunzite turns off Tokyo's power to provoke Minako into attacking him. However, he flees with Mamoru and is rejoined by the other Four Kings of Heaven. In his past life, he was the love interest of Sailor Venus, a fact which Venus desperately tries to remind him of each time they face off. In his last moment prior to being killed by Metaria, he manages to briefly acknowledge that he returns Venus's love. In the original Japanese series, he is voiced by

Kazuyuki Sogabe Kazuyuki Sogabe ( (formerly ) ''Sogabe Kazuyuki'', April 16, 1948 – September 17, 2006) was a Japanese actor, voice actor, musician and narrator. During his life, he has been attached to Theatre Echo; he was attached to Aoni Production at the ...

until episode 44 of ''Sailor Moon'', and by

Eiji Takemoto is a Japanese voice actor. His name is sometimes mistranslated and also sometimes credited as being . Takemoto's nickname is Takepon. Takemoto works at Aoni Production, and enjoys watching Japanese found footage films. Filmography Television ...

in all media following ''Sailor Moon Crystal''. In the DIC English adaptation, his name was changed to "

" and he is voiced by

Denis Akiyama Denis Van Akiyama (May 28, 1952 – June 28, 2018) was a Canadian actor, best known as providing the voice of Iceman/Bobby Drake, Silver Samurai/Kenuichio Harada and Sunfire in ''X-Men'' and Malachite in the original English version of ''Sailor ...

, with John Stocker as a

. In the Viz Media English adaptation, his voice is supplied by

Patrick Seitz David Patrick Seitz (born March 17, 1978) is an American voice actor, ADR director and script writer known for his work for Funimation, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, NYAV Post, Studiopolis, Viz Media, Disney/Pixar, New Generation Pictures and Rio ...

. In the live-action series he is portrayed by Akira Kubodera (1977-2020), and he was portrayed in the stage musicals by

Yūta Mochizuki is a former Japanese actor and voice actor. He is best known for playing Geki/TyrannoRanger in ''Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger'' and the titular character of ''Kamen Rider J''. He also voiced Keisuke Harukaze in the ''Ojamajo Doremi'' franchise, Thie ...

, Ryuji Kasahara, Hideka Asano, and Miki Kawasaki.

Servants

Prince Endymion

In the manga, the first anime adaptation, and ''Sailor Moon Crystal'', Beryl discovers that Mamoru Chiba is the reincarnated Prince Endymion after being revived by a fragment of the Silver Crystal that entered his body. Beryl uses her magic to turn him into a thrall of the Dark Kingdom and has him assume the identity of Endou to aid her in her scheme to locate the Sailor Guardians' base and steal the Silver Crystal. Sailor Moon manages to break Beryl's hold over Mamoru in the final battle. In the live-action series, Endymion willingly takes Queen Metaria into his body in order to kill himself and finish her, but she takes control of his body until Sailor Moon kills him, defeating Metaria for good and reviving Endymion afterward.

Dark Mercury

In the live-action series, Kunzite attempts an experiment in which he turns one of the Sailor Guardians evil. In Act 20, he kidnaps

, who at the time is the loneliest and most vulnerable member of the team, and exposes her to Queen Metaria's energies, changing her into an evil alter ego called Dark Mercury. A black motif is added to her uniform, and she uses "dark" powers and an

icicle An icicle is a spike of ice formed when water falling from an object freezes. Formation and dynamics Icicles can form during bright, sunny, but subfreezing weather, when ice or snow melted by sunlight or some other heat source (such a ...

sword. Kunzite keeps her fairly close, being careful to withdraw her whenever Sailor Moon attempts healing but takes advantage of her newly-sadistic personality by allowing her to attend school and antagonize Usagi. While a part of the Dark Kingdom, Mercury is as arrogant as her allies but extends a small amount of kindness to Nephrite. In the end, Dark Mercury almost kills Sailor Moon, but the knowledge that she has injured her friend reverts Ami back to her true form.

Mio Kuroki

is a minor villain appearing only in the live-action series. On the outside, she was a new teen idol whose signature song, "Change of Pace", had a following comparable to that of Minako Aino's "C'est la Vie." Also like Minako, she was good at volleyball and claimed to be a good friend of Usagi's. The truth, however, was much more sinister. Mio was a "shadow" of Beryl, created by her and Jadeite sometime between Act 25 and Act 28. Her objectives in life were to be Beryl's eyes and ears in the human world, to give Mamoru Chiba to Beryl, and to generally make the lives of the Sailor Guardians as miserable as possible—especially Usagi's. Mio was the principal player in getting Mamoru Chiba into Beryl's grasp; she also generally watched Mamoru during his time in the Dark Kingdom and mocked him and Rei about the fact that Princess Serenity will use her powers to destroy everything again. However, Mio's treatment of Mamoru inadvertently came back to haunt her when Prince Endymion was possessed by Queen Metaria, who seemingly blasted her out of existence. However, it turned out that the attack did not completely destroy her, and it took her four years to completely recover without Beryl's power to help her. She returned in the Special Act and attempted to recreate the Dark Kingdom. with her as its queen and Mamoru as the king. After realizing that Mamoru would always love Usagi even when brainwashed, she transformed into her true form: a terrifying, giant black flower with sharp vines. She was finally destroyed when the Sailor Guardians, sans Mars (whom she had managed to defeat earlier on, rendering her incapacitated) performed the Sailor Planet Attack. She was played by Alisa Yuriko Durbrow.

Dark Agency

In '' Codename: Sailor V'', Minako Aino faces off with the Dark Agency, a group of villains posing as a talent and

idol Idol or Idols may refer to: Religion and philosophy * Cult image, a neutral term for a man-made object that is worshipped or venerated for the deity, spirit or demon that it embodies or represents * Murti, a point of focus for devotion or medit ...

agency. The Dark Agency manipulated idols into helping them gather energy for the Dark Kingdom. In the final volume of the manga, it is revealed that the Dark Agency was established by the Dark Kingdom. Their leader is , named after the mineral of the same name, whose real identity is Minako's love interest Phantom Ace. After Sailor V defeats him, the group dissolves and the Dark Kingdom begins to act directly, thus leading into the ''Sailor Moon'' series. They are never mentioned in the ''Sailor Moon'' manga or other continuities.

Monsters

The are the Dark Kingdom's army of minions in every version of the series, serving as the

villain of the week "Villain of the week" (or, depending on genre, "monster of the week", "freak of the week" or "alien of the week") is an antagonist that only appears in one episode of a multi-episode work of fiction. A villain of the week is commonly seen in Br ...

in every adaptation. In the manga, only Jadeite and Nephrite use monsters to assist them in their missions. In ''Sailor Moon Crystal'', which follows the manga more closely than its predecessor, one more monster appears as the mannequin bride, a disguise that Nephrite himself uses in the manga. In the first anime adaptation, Jadeite's, Nephrite's, and some of Zoisite's minions are real monsters, with some of them taking the form of human characters (such as Morga impersonating Naru Osaka's mother). These monsters are killed either by Sailor Moon using "Moon Tiara Action" or by other Sailor Guardians' attacks at the end of each episode. Halfway through the season, Zoisite's arc introduces the , the Dark Kingdom's most powerful monsters, reincarnated in the series' current timeline as six normal human beings and one cat, whose bodies contain the fragments of the Silver Crystal known as the seven . Zoisite uses Nephrite's Dark Crystal to transform the humans and the cat into the Seven Great Monsters. After this story arc, Kunzite also uses the crystal to transform random human characters into monsters to attack the Sailor Guardians. Monsters created from humans are returned to their human form by Sailor Moon using "Moon Healing Escalation", which restores the human while destroying the monster. In the DIC English adaptation, the Negaverse refers to the monsters as their "servants", while the Sailor Guardians and Tuxedo Mask call them "monsters" or sometimes "Negamonsters". In the live-action series, the monsters serve much the same purpose as in the first anime adaptation. The monsters are portrayed by human actors in suits while two of them are computer-generated. They never speak and are commanded by the Four Kings of Heaven. Swarms of monsters with black hooded robes begin to appear after Sailor Moon is revealed to be the Princess. These hooded-robed monsters are loyal to Metaria rather than Beryl and the Four Heavenly Kings, and their abilities include earth-swimming and fast movement. In Act 41, the remains of these hooded-robed monsters merge into a single, extremely strong monster. In Act 45, Queen Metaria turns the monster into her host in order to absorb every bit of energy in the world. However, Metaria is soon forced by Sailor Venus to leave her host, which is then destroyed by a group attack. This monster was capable of speech when Metaria was using it as a host. In the special act Mio Kuroki, under the alias of "Queen Mio", summons a group of clown-like monsters called Pierrot. In the musicals ''Gaiden Dark Kingdom Fukkatsu Hen'' and its revision, a new monster called is introduced. This monster disguises herself as Haruna Sakurada and acts as leader of other minor monsters. Manegin is portrayed by Kasumi Hyuug in the original musical and by Kiho Seishi in the revision. In ''La Reconquista'', monsters are replaced by Lemures; however, despite their name, they are not related to the minions of the Dead Moon Circus. The leader of these Lemures is , who acts under Beryl's direct command. The other Lemures are unnamed. In one scene, the Lemures organize a Game Show. Baba was portrayed by Mayumi Shintani, while the other unnamed Lemures were played by Ayumi Shimozono, Asuka Yoshidome, Kumiko Saitou, Shiho Tsukagoshi, Moka Kodama, and Miki Shirai. In the video games, several monsters from the anime make appearances as common enemies, while some of the Seven Great Monsters appear as bosses. Naoko Takeuchi herself designed some new monsters for the Super Famicom video game, named HiraHira, MuchiMuchi, and GoroGoro. Manegin from the musicals also appears in other video games.

DD Girls

The are a group of five high-ranking monsters introduced in the first anime adaptation in Episode 45. When Beryl asks her remaining monsters which of them would like to dispose of the Sailor Guardians (when they attempt to find their location) and earn their place in Dark Kingdom history, the DD Girls volunteer to kill the Sailor Guardians. They create illusions of people the Sailor Guardians care about (namely Tuxedo Mask for Usagi, Motoki Furuhata for Makoto, and Ryo Urawa for Ami) in danger or pain, to lure the Guardians into a trap. The Sailor Guardians destroy the DD Girls at the cost of their lives, ensuring that Sailor Moon reaches Beryl. In the DiC English adaptation their name is changed to the "Doom and Gloom Girls". Episodes 45 and 46 of the original Japanese version were merged into one single episode named "Day of Destiny", altering the storyline that the Doom and Gloom Girls only captured Sailor Moon's allies, and eliminating "some of the tentacle-filled violence of the original, along with most of its emotional impact." In the first anime series, their voice actresses are

Naoko Nakamura is a feminine Japanese given name which is occasionally spelled . Possible writings Naoko can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: *直子, "obedient, child" *尚子, "esteem, child" *奈緒子, "Nara, cord, child" *菜� ...

and Asako Satou. In the DIC English adaptation they are voiced by

Julie Lemieux Julie Lemieux (born December 4, 1962) is a Canadian voice actress. Career Lemieux has provided the voice for characters such as Sammy Tsukino in ''Sailor Moon'', young Darien Shields in '' Sailor Moon R: The Movie'', and Peruru in '' Sailor Moon ...

Nadine Rabinovitch Nadine may refer to: People * Nadine (given name) * Nadine, Countess of Shrewsbury (1913–2003), English opera soprano Film and TV * ''Nadine'' (1987 film), a 1987 film with Jeff Bridges and Kim Basinger * , a 2007 Dutch film with Monic Hendri ...

, and Alice Poon. In the Viz Media English adaptation, they are voiced by

Tara Platt Tara Platt (born June 18, 1978) is an American actress and author who has provided voices for dozens of English-language versions of Japanese anime films, television series and video games. Her notable roles in anime include Temari in ''Naruto' ...

and

Wendee Lee Wendee Lee is an American voice actress, writer, and director. Biography Lee studied dance and theater and later became a full-time dancer in her teens. According to her interview on the '' Magic Knight Rayearth'' DVDs, she started doing voices ...

. The DD Girls appear in the ''Another Story'' video game, where they are a reincarnated Beryl's last line of defense. They also appear as bosses in other video games. Three DD Girls appear in the first musical, ''Gaiden Dark Kingdom Fukkatsu Hen'', played by Hisako Doubayashi, Yuko Nishi, and Mayumi Maikuma, and in its revision, played by Yuriko Nishiyama, Kaori Ishikawa, and Ai Suzuki.

Reception

When analyzing the contrast between young heroines and evil older women in manga, Kathryn Hemmann noted that "Queen Beryl is in no way girlish" and that, while the Sailor Guardians have enormous eyes, Beryl's "are narrow and shaded." Mie Hiramoto also established a contrast between Beryl and the Sailor Guardians in an analysis of anime and intertextualities, explaining that while the Guardians use Japanese women's language, Beryl uses the more formal Standard Japanese more frequently than any other character, which is typical of villains in other anime series. The inclusion of Beryl as an evil character in a line of dolls for girls has been described as a "radical idea". While reviewing

shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shint ...

, feminism and anime, author Sarah Reeves considered that Beryl's overall misconduct and strategies are the result of a lack of husband and children. Author Patrick Drazen described DIC's name change for Nephrite's disguise, Maxfield Stanton, as "ridiculously soap-opera". However, Drazen later made a later review about Nephrite's death at the hands of Zoisite's monsters and stated that this scene must have been an unexpected development for viewers used to happy endings. Drazen also cited Nephrite's death in Naru's arms as a scene of redemption, saying that him smiling and laughing during his death "would have been beyond him in the past, but love is turning him human." Kotono Mitsuishi, the voice actress of Usagi Tsukino, said she was particularly touched by this sequence. Sara Roncero-Menendez from ''

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'' stated that the homosexual relationship between Zoisite and Kunzite in the first anime adaptation was censored in the English versions by changing Zoisite's gender from male to female. In her response to an academic essay on ''Sailor Moon'' by Mary Grigsby, author Emily Ravenwood compared Zoisite and Kunzite's relationship with that of

Sailor Neptune is a fictional lead character in the ''Sailor Moon'' media franchise. Her alternate identity is , a teenage Japanese schoolgirl. Michiru is a member of the Sailor Soldiers, female supernatural fighters who protect the Solar System from evil. ...

and

Sailor Uranus is a fictional lead character in the ''Sailor Moon'' media franchise. Sailor Uranus' alternate identity is , a teenage Japanese student. Haruka is a member of the Sailor Guardians, female supernatural fighters who protect the Solar System fro ...

' explaining that "in both cases, the feminine and masculine attributes are highlighted with a heavy hand (deliberate display of stereotypes)." According to her, Kunzite and Sailor Uranus are stoic and show no emotions, with Kunzite being hyper masculinized despite the long hair; while Zoisite "is the perfect limp-wristed gay boy." In her review of the DVD+Blu-ray combo pack of the English dub for

Anime News Network Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and ...

, writer Rebecca Silverman compared Zoisite and Kunzite to Jadeite and Nephrite, stating that the former are better strategists than the latter. In this version, Zoisite's dub is male, and Silverman described voice actor

's job as "convincingly androgynous, sounding more masculine when the character is angry, which works well." In his review of

season one Season One may refer to: Albums * ''Season One'' (Suburban Legends album), 2004 * ''Season One'' (All Sons & Daughters album), 2012 * ''Season One'' (Saukrates album), 2012 See also * * * Season 2 (disambiguation) Season 2 may refer to: ...

episode "Loved and Chased! Luna's Worst Day Ever", Michael Mammano from ''

Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a US and UK-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a bi-annual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ...

'' described Zoisite as "perfect", even with his flaws which are "always consistent and in character". The author went on by saying that Zoisite was, up to that point of the series, the most efficient of the Four Kings of Heaven, "but also the only one of them to be genuinely suited to comedy when the situation calls for it." IGN writer Meghan Sullivan reviewed most of the episodes of ''Sailor Moon Crystal'', and compared the first anime adaptation's DIC dub to the translation of ''Crystal'', stating "the new translation makes (Beryl's) motivation for gathering human energy much more clear, which in turn makes her look much more dangerous." However, she considered that Jadeite still looks weak in ''Crystal'', due to the failure of his monsters. Regarding Jadeite's demise, Sullivan hoped the writers devoted more time on the confrontation against him instead of the Sailor Guardians tracking him down, since he was supposed to be a formidable opponent. In the review of the next episode, the author described Nephrite as "a more formidable opponent than his predecessor." Regarding Beryl's flashback scenes in Act 7, Sullivan wrote that it "felt a little disjointed", since it did not fully explain what Beryl was doing in the North Pole and how she managed to open the portal that leads to the Dark Kingdom. Sullivan particularly enjoyed the battle between the Four Kings of Heaven and the four Sailor Guardians in Act 10, describing it as "intense." In contrast, the final showdown of these two groups in Act 12 left the author unsatisfied, since according to her most of the action happened off-screen, and finally describing their demise at Queen Metaria's hands as "frustrating." Sullivan liked the battle against Beryl more, and considered that "learning that she was in love with Endymion this whole time made her feel more like a person and less like a random super villain." The final battle against Metaria was labelled by the author as "everything a ''Sailor Moon'' fan could ask for," with the episode itself doing "a great job establishing just how powerful Metaria has become." In 1993, ''

Animage is a Japanese anime and entertainment magazine which Tokuma Shoten began publishing in July 1978. Hayao Miyazaki's internationally renowned manga, '' Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind'', was serialized in ''Animage'' from 1982 through 1994. ...

'' made a male anime character popularity poll, in which Zoisite was the tenth most popular, and Nephrite was the joint seventeenth, tying with a character from ''

Zettai Muteki Raijin-Oh is a 51 episode Japanese anime television series, and the first series produced for the Eldran franchise funded by Tomy and produced by Sunrise. It aired in Japan from April 3, 1991 to March 25, 1992. The story revolves around a group of ele ...

''. The first official ''Sailor Moon'' character popularity poll ranked Zoisite as the twentieth most popular character, Kunzite was the twenty third, Nephrite was twenty-fourth, Jadeite was twenty-sixth, Endou was twenty-ninth, Beryl was thirtieth and Metaria was thirty-fourth, out of thirty-eight choices. IGN placed Queen Beryl at No. 90 on their list of the 100 greatest villains of all time, noting that "when the iconic theme song sings about 'fighting evil by moonlight,' that evil is none other than Beryl".

Notes

References

External links

{{Sailor Moon Anime and manga characters who can teleport Anime and manga supervillains Arctic in fiction Comics characters introduced in 1991 Fictional characters with absorption or parasitic abilities Fictional murderers Fictional kidnappers Fictional kingdoms Fictional mass murderers LGBT characters in anime and manga LGBT supervillains Sailor Moon characters Video game bosses