The Sailor Moon manga series features an extensive cast of characters created by Naoko Takeuchi. The series takes place in Tokyo, Japan, where the Sailor Soldiers (セーラー戦士 Sērā Senshi), a group of ten magical girls, are formed to combat an assortment of antagonists attempting to take over the Earth, the Solar System and/or the Milky Way galaxy. Each Soldier has a transformation item which grants her a uniform in her own theme colors and her own kind of elemental power. The ten Sailor Soldiers are named after the planets of the Solar System, with the exception of Earth. While many of the characters are humans with superhuman strength and/or magical abilities, the cast also includes anthropomorphic animals and later, extraterrestrial lifeforms.
The series follows the adventures of the titular protagonist, Sailor Moon, her lover Tuxedo Mask, and her guardians: Sailors Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus. They are later joined by Chibiusa (Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask's daughter from the future) and four more Soldiers: Sailors Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Saturn, who defend the Solar System from external threats. The series' antagonists include the Dark Kingdom, the Black Moon Clan, the Death Busters, the Dead Moon Circus, and Shadow Galactica.