Editing Sailor Venus (section)

==Aspects and forms==
As a character with different incarnations, special powers, transformations, and a long lifetime virtually spanned between the Silver Millennium era and the 30th century, Minako gains multiple aspects and aliases as the series progresses.

===Sailor Venus===
Minako's primary Sailor Guardian identity is that of Sailor Venus. Sailor Venus wears a [[sailor fuku|sailor suit]] colored in orange (choker, collar, center of front bow, elbow fittings on her gloves, skirt, earrings, and a matching set of orange ankle-strap heels), [[navy blue]] (front bow) and yellow (tiara gem and back bow), and retains the red bow she wears as a civilian. In the live-action series, this bow appears only when she is in one of her Guardian forms, and has a gem in the center. In the manga, live-action series, and ''[[Sailor Moon Crystal]]'', she wears an item called the Wink Chain around her waist, which she sometimes uses as a weapon. She is given specific titles throughout the various series, including Guardian of Love,<ref>{{cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | title= Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon vol. 7 |chapter= Act 23 |publisher= [[Kodansha]] |date= July 6, 1994 |isbn= 4-06-178781-0}}</ref> Guardian of Love and Hope,<ref>Super Revue Musical Show in 2001</ref> and Guardian of Light and Beauty.<ref>Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Act 17</ref> Her personality is no different from when she is a civilian, although she must be Sailor Venus to access her celestial powers.<ref name="Challenge to Hollywood"/>

In Japanese, the name for the planet Venus is {{nihongo|''Kinsei''|金星}}, the first kanji indicating a metal, especially [[gold]], and the second indicating a [[Astronomical object|celestial object]]. Unlike the other Sailor Guardians, her special abilities are not derived from the element in her planet's name but are instead based on the concept of love, a reference to the Roman goddess of love, [[Venus (mythology)|Venus]], and the Mesopotamian goddess of love and war, [[Inanna]], who has also deemed the personification of the planet Venus.<ref name="Drazenname"/> Metal does appear in her use of a special chain as a weapon, and she also has a few attacks with "crescent" in their names, mainly acquired during her time as Sailor V.

Sailor Venus is the ''[[de jure]]'' leader of the Sailor Guardians in their mission to protect Princess Serenity.<ref name="materials"/> In the manga, as the leader, she is entrusted with the poisonous sword used to kill [[Dark Kingdom#Queen Beryl|Queen Beryl]], which turns the stone blade into a sword made of [[Silver Crystal]].<ref>{{cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | title= Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon vol. 3 |chapter= Act 12 |publisher= [[Kodansha]] |date= April 6, 1993 |isbn= 4-06-178744-6}}</ref>

In the live-action series only, upon her introduction, Sailor Venus's sailor suit is slightly different, in order to represent her disguise as the Moon Princess. She bears the crescent moon symbol on her forehead in place of a tiara (just as she did when she was Sailor V) and wears a crown with a fake Silver Crystal on it.<ref name="PGSM12"/> The latter disappears after the gem is revealed to be a fake,<ref>'' Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon'' Act 20</ref> and she gains a normal tiara when Usagi is revealed as the real princess.<ref>''[[Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon]]'' Act 25</ref> Other characters refer to her in this form as '''Princess Sailor Venus'''. In the manga, she does not have a different title or a crown, but she does retain the crescent moon on her forehead until Usagi is revealed as the princess.<ref>{{cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | title= Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon vol. |chapter= Act 9 |publisher= [[Kodansha]] |date= September 6, 1992|isbn= 4-06-178731-4}}</ref>

As she grows stronger, Sailor Venus gains additional powers, and at key points her uniform changes to reflect this. The first takes place in Act 43 of the manga when she obtains the Venus Crystal and her outfit becomes similar to that of Super Sailor Moon. She is not given a new title.<ref name="Act43">{{cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | title= Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon vol. 13 |chapter= Act 43 |year= 1994 |publisher= [[Kodansha]] |isbn= 4-06-178820-5 }}</ref> A similar event is divided between Episodes 143 and 154 of the anime, and she is given the name Super Sailor Venus.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usagi.org/doi/smoon/episodes/smss154.html|title=Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Supers Episode 154|author=Doi, Hitoshi|access-date=2009-09-24|archive-date=2008-12-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205042131/http://www.usagi.org/doi/smoon/episodes/smss154.html|url-status=live}}</ref> A third form appears in Act 49 of the manga, unnamed but similar to [[Eternal Sailor Moon]] (without wings).<ref>{{cite book|last=Takeuchi|first=Naoko|author-link=Naoko Takeuchi|title=Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon|volume=15|chapter=Act 42|publisher=[[Kodansha]]|date=July 5, 1996|isbn= 4-06-178835-3}}</ref> In the official visual book for [[Sailor Moon Eternal]], this form was named "Eternal Sailor Venus".<ref>{{cite book|publisher=[[Kodansha]]|title=Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie (Crystal Season IV)|script-title=ja:『劇場版「美少女戦士セーラームーンEternal」公式ビジュアルBOOK』|trans-title="Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie" Official Visual Book|date=2021-02-27|isbn=978-4-06-522736-7}}</ref>

===Princess Venus===
In Silver Millennium, Sailor Venus was also the Princess of her home planet. She was the leader of those who protected [[Sailor Moon (character)#Princess Serenity|Princess Serenity]] of the Moon Kingdom. As [[Sailor Princesses|Princess Venus]], she dwelt in Magellan Castle and wore a yellow gown—she appears in this form in the original manga, as well as in supplementary art.<ref>{{cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | author-link = Naoko Takeuchi | title= Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon vol. 15 |chapter= Act 48 |publisher= [[Kodansha]] |date= July 5, 1996 |isbn= 4-06-178835-3 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | author-link = Naoko Takeuchi | title= Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon Volume IV Original Picture Collection |publisher= [[Kodansha]] |date=September 1996 |isbn= 4-06-324519-5}}</ref> In ''Codename: Sailor V'', it is shown that she was loved by Adonis, a foot soldier in her army, who was later under the command of Endymion. His love went unnoticed by her, and he became a villain working for the Dark Agency after he was reborn.<ref name="A New Journey Begins"/>

Takeuchi once drew her in the arms of [[Dark Kingdom#Kunzite|Kunzite]], leader of the Four Kings of Heaven. In the ''Original Picture Collection Vol. I'', Takeuchi expresses a desire to explore the possibility of such relationships;<ref>{{cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | author-link = Naoko Takeuchi | title= Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon Volume I Original Picture Collection |publisher= [[Kodansha]] |date=August 1994 |isbn= 4-06-324507-1}}, Naoko Takeuchi quote about it from the artbook: "This is the [[title page]] for the conclusion of the first series of ''Sailor Moon''. It had a great deal of impact on the first series. Probably because the four couplings on the right side were very unexpected. I was thinking of love stories of the previous lives of these couples. I'd like to be able to draw that someday..."</ref> unlike the other characters, with Venus and Kunzite this is explored within the series. In one flashback, Minako blushes and seems flustered around Kunzite after a conversation about love,<ref>{{cite book |last= Takeuchi |first= Naoko | title= Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon vol. 4 |chapter= Act 13 |publisher= [[Kodansha]] |date= July 6, 1993 |isbn= 4-06-178753-5 }}</ref> and in the last chapter of ''[[Codename: Sailor V]]'', Princess Venus is shown as having had an infatuation with Kunzite.<ref name="A New Journey Begins"/> In ''Sailor Moon Crystal'' it is established that Sailor Venus and Kunzite were in love at the time of the Moon Kingdom.<ref>''Sailor Moon Crystal act #12 "Enemy –Queen Metalia"</ref> This is also stated in the [[Sailor Moon musicals|stage musicals]],<ref>Described by [[Luna (Sailor Moon)|Luna]] and [[List of Sailor Moon characters#Artemis|Artemis]] in ''Gaiden Dark Kingdom Fukkatsu Hen'', the first musical.</ref> as well as in the ''[[Sailor Moon: Another Story|Another Story]]'' video game.<ref>{{cite video game| title = Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon: Another Story| developer = Angel| publisher = Angel| date = September 22, 1995| platform = Super Famicom| language = ja}}</ref>

===Sailor V===
{{Main|Codename: Sailor V}}
A preliminary form, under which Minako fought alone before the other Sailor Guardians were awakened. She was used to distract the enemy into thinking she was the Moon Princess while trying to find the real one. She wore a different uniform under this name, most notably a red [[mask]], and her appearance and powers incorporated the use of a [[crescent]] motif. In the early storyline of ''Sailor Moon'', she is something of a celebrity figure, of whom [[Sailor Moon (character)|Usagi Tsukino]] is a great fan. She called herself the Guardian of Justice.<ref name="sailorv1"/><ref>{{cite book|last=Takeuchi|first=Naoko| others=Translated and adapted by William Flanagan|title=Codename: Sailor V 1|year=2011|page=34|chapter=Vol. 1 The Birth of Sailor V!|publisher=Kodansha Comics|isbn=978-1-935429-77-7}}</ref>  The V was short for Venus, and she would sometimes introduce herself as such, though no other character refers to this form as such.<ref>Minako: Codename: Sailor V! Sailor Venus has arrived! Volume 6, among others.</ref> The form makes a return in two of Chibiusa's Picture Diary side stories, namely the first and third, set during the second and fourth story arcs. The former was likely chosen due to her knowing one of the people she was rescuing was a Sailor V fan, the use of it in the latter is entirely without explanation.

Because Minako's creation predates the ''Sailor Moon'' [[metaseries]], some aspects of her character are slightly incompatible with the other Sailor Guardians.<ref name=Drazenname/> For example, her magical attacks lack the strict elemental rules: [[Venus]] is typically associated with [[metal (wuxing)|metal]] in [[Chinese astrology]], but her attacks are mostly light or love related. The incorporation of the "love element" comes from the [[Roman mythology|Roman goddess]] [[Venus (mythology)|Venus]].<ref name=Drazenname/>

Sailor V's sailor suit is mostly blue and red and includes shoulder armor, quarter-length sleeves, and broad stripes of color. She wears a shirt rather than a [[leotard]], as well as her characteristic red mask. Some of the details vary from version to version; in the manga and live-action series the shirt had sleeves and smooth gloves, but in the anime, it was sleeveless with ring-topped gloves. Occasionally in the manga, tiny, ornamental crescent moon charms were visible on the straps of the indigo high-heeled shoes accompanying this outfit, albeit the presence of these charms often varied from illustration to illustration. The anime added a second layer to her shoulder guards, omitted the crescent Moon that is normally visible on her forehead, and added a second stripe to her collar.<ref name="materials"/> In the live-action series, the bow on Sailor V's chest was made [[pink|dark pink]], like the red parts of Sailor Moon's costume, but her mask and hair bow are red.