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Does Mamoru Die in Sailor Moon?


Does Mamoru Die in Sailor Moon
Credit: Toei Animation

One of the reasons why Sailor Moon is popular is the factor of nostalgia; for many millennials, it's the first anime they remember watching. As such, Mamoru might be one of the first anime crushes for some fans. But those who watched the anime many years ago and got lost amidst many fillers may only vaguely remember Mamoru's fate. So, does Mamoru die in Sailor Moon?

About Mamoru Chiba / Tuxedo Mask

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Toei Animation

Mamoru Chiba is the regular human identity of Tuxedo Mask, who often saves the day when Usagi finds herself in trouble.

While their relationship is rocky at best, and it takes a while to figure out his identity, he eventually ends up being Usagi's love interest.

This makes more sense if you know the full Sailor Moon lore, as Mamoru is the reincarnation of Prince Endymion and Usagi is the reincarnation of Princess Serenity, who were also lovers.

In the narrative's present, Mamoru has no memories of his early life after being involved in an accident that killed his parents.

In his dreams, he would often be visited by a mysterious girl who urged him to find the Silver Crystal - which led him to adopt the alias of Tuxedo mask in search of it.

Related: Where to Watch Sailor Moon Online: Original Series, Movies and More

Does Mamoru Die in Sailor Moon?

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Credit: Toei Animation

If you have memories of Mamoru dying at some point in Sailor Moon, you are correct; at some point, Mamoru and the Sailor Senshi get killed by Galaxia, one of the series' main antagonists.

Thankfully for fans, Mamoru and the Sailor Senshi are brought back to life by episode 200.

This choice might seem a bit strange or too easy to modern audiences, but Sailor Moon is not as gritty as later magical girl anime became, and Usagi and Mamoru are presented as destined for this other, so this choice makes more sense in-universe.

Conversely, Mamoru is the character that gets kidnapped or brainwashed the most throughout the series. This choice subverts the trope of a male character rescuing a damsel in distress - which was much more common a few decades ago.

Related: Sailor Moon Season 1 Filler Guide

Having Mamoru be in trouble more often than the series female characters was a way to keep the show female-driven.

Today, it usually takes more than gender-swapping stereotypes to create a feminist work, but, at the time of Sailor Moon's original run, this was an interesting story that rendered the shoujo anime one of the most iconic female-driven works of its time.

For more articles like this, take a look at our Anime and Sailor Moon page.