Sailor Moon is one of the most beloved animes of all time. While it was far from being the first magical girl anime, since its debut in 1992, Sailor Moon has gone on to inspire many more magical girl works both in Japan and around the world.
The tale of the reincarnated moon princess and her planetary guardians manages to blend the lives of a diverse range of women’s experiences, making for a team of characters that many viewers can see themselves in. Thanks to its beloved status, there is a lot of Sailor Moon content out there, but watching it all in order can also be confusing for some, especially when each season has its own name. It also doesn’t help viewers that the anime was rebooted in 2014 and movies were added to the mix over the years.
For both the Sailor Moon original series and the reboot, there is an ideal viewing order. The original had some extra anime-only content and completed the manga’s story, while the reboot is yet to accomplish that. Both are packed with value and equally enjoyable, but there’s no obligation to watch the two versions; viewers can pick whichever one to suits their taste.
Sailor Moon (1992) viewing order
- Sailor Moon
- Sailor Moon R
- Sailor Moon R: The Movie
- Sailor Moon S
- Sailor Moon S: The Movie
- Sailor Moon SuperS
- Sailor Moon SuperS: The Movie
- Sailor Moon Sailor Stars
Sailor Moon Crystal (2014) viewing order
- Season one: Dark Kingdom
- Season two: Black Moon
- Season three: Death Busters
- Sailor Moon Eternal Part 1
- Sailor Moon Eternal Part 2
- Sailor Moon Cosmos Part 1
- Sailor Moon Cosmos Part 2
At the time of writing, the Sailor Moon Cosmos movies are yet to be released, but are scheduled to premiere in June 2023 in Japan. They will adapt the final arc of the manga, and therefore wrap up the reboot as well.