| This
page is meant to be a complete guide to the names of the
Sailor Senshi. I'm not an expert in Japanese-- heck, I
only speak English and haven't tried to learn anything
else-- but I know my way around my translation software
^_^ I've tried to provide accurate translations of the
names as well as facts you might not know about, and some
interesting tidbits that I hope will amuse you. A note about kanji: sometimes a
kanji can be pronounced different ways and have different
meanings. When I get into the different words the kanji
appears in, it may not be the same pronounciation used in
the character's name.
All names are listed in
last name-first name order, which is how they are written
in Japan. Yes, the Three Lights all share the same first
name, not last name, so they are not related.
Some background
Minako, Ami, Mamoru, and the
Starlights write their first names with kanji. Rei writes
hers with katakana. All the other Senshi use hiragana.
The kanji "no" used in the Inner Senshi's last
names is a connector that means "of, in, for,"
etc, depending on the usage.
Tsukino Usagi
- Sailormoon
The way
Usagi writes her name is just a feminine name. A kanji,
also pronounced Usagi, means "rabbit, hare,
cony." The kanji "tsuki" in her last name
is "moon" and is used in words relating to the
moon and months, but is also used in "jellyfish,
match-maker, soba with egg, fussy/noisy," and the
phrase "like the difference between heaven and
hell." Her full name is "Rabbit of the
moon."
Chiba Mamoru - Tuxedo Kamen
The
"Kamen" in Tuxedo Kamen translates to
"mask" or "disguise" (Somehow, Tuxedo
Disguise doesn't sound right.) It's used in
"masque," "masquerade," and
"camembert." Mamoru means "guard" or
"protect" and is used in related words, as well
as words relating to satellites and health. Chiba is two
kanji, chi meaning "earth" and ba refers to a
location/place. His full name is "Protector of the
earth."
Chibi-Usa - Sailorchibimoon
The way Chibi-Usa writes her name
is not a word. It combines "chibi," meaning
"little, runt, dwarf, midget" and
"usa," which is meant to be a shortened form of
"usagi" or "rabbit," her real name.
No last name is specified.
Mizuno Ami - Sailormercury
The way Ami writes her name is
just a feminine name. It combines "mi" or
"beauty" with a character used in words
relating to Asia. The character "mizu" in her
last name means "water" and is seen in words
relating to different types of water (such as drinking
water, floods, drainage, submarine, things relating to
toilets) as well as seemingly unrelated (or at least
obscurely related) words (nasal mucus, feng shui,
carbohydrate, polka dots, aborted fetus,
state-of-the-art, amethyst, chicken pox) and happens to
be used in "column of mercury" and "light
blue" [her favorite color is aquamarine.] Her full
name is "Asian beauty of water."
Hino Rei - Sailormars
The way Rei writes her name is not
found in my dictionary. However, there is a kanji for
"rei" meaning "spirit, soul, ghost"
and is used in related words like "poltergeist,
exorcism, the holy ghost, cemetery," and strangely
enough, "sacred mountain" and
"primates." The kanji "hi" in her
last name means "fire" and is used in words
related to fire, both the type that burns and firearms,
fireflies, volcanoes, and war, as well as some stranger
things (to start a conversation, see stars,
Zoroastrianism, and salamandar.) Her full name is
"Spirit of fire."
Kino Makoto - Sailorjupiter
The way Makoto writes her name is
just a feminine name. There are two characters, both
pronounced Makoto, that can mean "truth, fidelity,
sincerity," and both being found in words dealing
with truth and trust, and sometimes communication. The
kanji "ki" in her last name means
"tree" or "wood" and is used in many
words that relate to wood, including
"woodpecker," "squirrel," and
"wooden sword." Her full name is
"Sincerity of a tree."
Aino Minako - Sailorvenus
Unlike the other Senshi, the first
character in Minako's last name is not the same as the
first in her planet name. Minako is a feminine name and
uses the kanji "beauty" and "child"
plus one I can't find. The kanji "ai" in her
last name means "love" and is used in words
related to love (romantic, friendly, familial, love of
your country, etc.) favorites, romance, and sex. Her full
name is "Beautiful child of love."
The Outer Senshi
The character "Ou" found
in the three main Outer Senshi's last names is used in
words related to rulership, such as Pope, Brahma the
Creator, and terms of royalty (king, queen, princess...)
and also "Caesarean section." I use the term
"Ruler" because it isn't gender specific but
still implies royalty.
Meiou Setsuna - Sailorpluto
The way Setsuna writes her name is
not a word. When written as two different kanji, it's
"moment, instant, juncture." The first kanji
used is "temple." The two together are used in
"ephemeral, transitory." The kanji
"mei" in her last name is used in words
relating to darkness, Hades, and in "luck,"
"favor," "stubborness,"
"meditation," and when doubled,
"invisible; divine." Her full name is
"Momentary Dark Ruler."
Ten'ou Haruka - Sailoruranus
The way Haruka writes her name is
a feminine name that can also be written in a few dozen
combinations of kana and kanji. Using a kanji and the
hiragana "ka," you have "far away,
distant, remote," etc. The kanji by itself is the
feminine name "Haruka." Put it twice, and
you're getting really far away. The kanji "ten"
in her last name means "heaven/sky" and is used
in words related to heaven(ly) [firmament, God, goddess,
Benten], imperial things, air, weather, astronomy, and
the sky, as well as loosely words (ecstasy,
optimism, to be infuriated, which all deal with elevated
states) and pretty much unrelated words (overbearing
wife, oven, waffle iron, talcum powder, temper,
long-horned beetle, unprecendented, genius, guinea pig,
natural beauty, color photo, velvet, and catnip.) Her
full name is "Distant Heaven Ruler."
Kaiou Michiru - Sailorneptune
The way Michiru writes her name is
just a feminine name. A kanji in place of "mi"
makes it "to be full, to rise (tide), to mature, to
expire," and there is another kanji that can be used
and have the same meaning. That second kanji is used in
words dealing with the tide, ebb and flow, and words
relating to maturity, completeness (such as full moon,
full tank, full year, satisfaction), and pregnancy. The
kanji "kai" in her last name means
"sea/ocean" and is used in words related to the
seas and as well as their names; this includes land that
might reach into the sea/ocean, animals living in them,
plants dwelling in them, and food from them. Her full
name is "Mature Ocean Ruler."
Tomoe Hotaru - Sailorsaturn
The way Hotaru writes her name is
just a feminine name. A kanji, also pronounced Hotaru,
means "firefly." This character is also used in
"Auld Lang Syne," "fluorescence,"
"fluorite" [which is her favorite gemstone,]
and "Keiko" [which is her late mother's name.]
The kanji "to" in her last name means
"earth" and is found in words related to the
earth like clay, sand, and soil, as well as
"Hades" and "souvenir." The kanji
"moe" is found in two words meaning
"sprout, germination, bud, shoots," but does
not seem to have its own separate meaning. Her full name
is "Firefly, sprout of the earth."
Some interesting facts
All the Inner Senshi's last names
are real Japanese surnames.
The first kanji of the Inner Senshi's last names is the
first in their planet names [Minako being the exception],
but they are not pronounced the same.
The three main Outer Senshi's full last names with
"sei" added are the names of their planets.
Saturn is "Dosei," however ["Do" is
the same kanji as "To"]
Seiya Kou - Sailorstarfighter
Seiya uses the same
"sei" as the planet names use, meaning
"star." The kanji "ya" is the same as
the "no" in the Inner Senshi's names. It means
"field" when pronounced "no." It's
used in many words related to fields.
His first name, "Kou," means light and is used
in related words. His full name is "Star field
light."
Taiki Kou - Sailorstarmaker
Taiki uses two kanji that, when
combined, means, "atmosphere." Attempting to
look up the first kanji makes my program crash! The
second means "spirit/mood" and is used in words
related to air, electricity, rain, danger/comfort, moods,
like/dislike, fate, and "greasiness/oiliness,"
[perhaps explaining the huge forehead?] plus many other
types of words. His first name, "Kou," means
light and is used in related words. His full name is
"Atmosphere light."
Yaten Kou - Sailorstarhealer
Yaten uses two kanji, the
"ya" meaning "night" and the same
"ten" as "Ten'ou," meaning
"sky." "Ya" is used in words relating
to the night and crashes the program when I try to look
for more -_-;; His first name, "Kou," means
light and is used in related words. His full name is
"Night sky light."
Princess Kakyuu - Sailorkakyuu
For "Kakyuu," the
hiragana listed for the children is "Kakiyuu."
The character "Ka" is the same as the
"Hi" in Rei's name, which means
"fire." Kakyuu is not the word for fireball,
however. Fireball is "hinotama" or
"hidama;" "hi" is the kanji,
"no" is a hiragana, "tama" is a kanji
meaning "ball" or "sphere" and
"dama" is "coin." The
"kiyuu" character in Kakyuu is for
"globe" or "sphere." Strange, isn't
it? So if you combined her name, it really is "Fire
sphere" or "Fire globe."
Kinmokusei - The
Starlights' not-a-planet homeworld
The word "Kinmokusei"
literally means "fragrant olive." However, it is written with katakana in
the manga, not as the "fragrant olive" version.
The "fragant olive" version is written with the
characters "gold," "wood," and ...
"rhinoceros," what?! Not really; if you take
the last kanji, it can be pronounced "sai,"
meaning "rhinoceros." But still, it's the same
kanji! And I saw another website that mentioned this
interesting little thing as well o.O
Silly name combinations
If you take the kanji
"Mei" and "To" [as in Meiou and
Tomoe; it's "do" in "Saturn" though],
you get "Hades" (Meido.)
The kanji used in "Ten" and "Kai" can
be combined together to make a few surnames. (Awww, how
cute!)
If you take the kanji "Ten" and
"Kiyuu" [as in Ten'ou and Kakyuu], you get
"celestial sphere," a real word, actually.
If you take the kanji "hi/ka" and
"kou," you get "firelight." [Hmmm,
you can make a word with the Starlights' first name and
the first kanji of their princess', weird...]
Planet names
The names of the planets
["sei" means "star"]:
Mercury - Suisei / Water star
Venus - Kinsei / Gold star
Earth - Chikyuu
Moon - Tsuki
Mars - Kasei / Fire star
Jupiter - Mokusei / Tree star or wood star
Saturn - Dosei / Soil star
Uranus - Tenousei / Heaven ruler star
Neptune - Kaiousei / Ocean ruler star
Pluto - Meiousei / Dark ruler star
Well, that's it! Hope
y'all learned something!

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