HIGHEST RANK: NUMBER ONE IN SAILORMOONFANFICTION ♥️
*COMPLETED*
A collection of interesting and intriguing theories over Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon ☾
*PS: All credit is given to the original creators of the theories and the original links are post...
From Sailor V to King Endymion, masks play an iconic role in the world of Sailor Moon. And while sometimes they make sense to be there (Tuxedo Mask, for example), sometimes a masked character may raise a few questions.
Today I want to take a look at the masks in Sailor Moon and offer a few theories about their purposes.
When you think of Sailor V, you may automatically think of that bright, bold mask she sports that really pulls the whole ensemble together. At least, in my opinion. If we go back to my previous posts on the subject as far as what the senshi look like vs. their normal selves, it may be confusing as to why she would need a mask if she looks different from her regular self.
This is my personal theory on the Sailor V mask: She was not ready to be identified as Sailor Venus, and needed an alter-alter ego.
What does this mean? In the Codename Sailor V manga, she had not fully awakened as a Sailor Guardian. She was undergoing training and had not fully developed into Venus at that point. It probably served to keep her Sailor V identity separate from Sailor Venus. It's true that once she became Sailor Venus, she admitted to being Sailor V. But it was still a separate identity at the time.
Tuxedo Mask: Pretty self-explanatory, especially in the manga and PGSM. Mamoru was basically breaking-and-entering and needed an alter-ego to keep his identity a secret. A mask was a good way to hide who he was when he was committing crimes. After he (left a life of crime?) started having a more active role in Sailor Moon's life, it made sense to keep up appearances as Tuxedo Mask, since the girls had their own alter-egos.
Side note on Tuxedo Mask: In the anime, it appears that the outfit came from the masquerade party on the Moon when he had to hide his identity in Silver Millenium. As that was one of his last memories with Princess Serenity, maybe that somehow stuck in his mind and he subconsciously based Tuxedo Mask off of this encounter with her.
Sailor Moon: Originally, Sailor Moon wears a mask in the first few volumes of the manga. But it's considered to be more of "goggles" than a mask. She's able to see Naru in danger and goes to her aid right away. These goggles were probably meant to be more useful as time went on, but it was phased out fairly quickly in the early volumes. Sailor Moon even starts tossing them aside right after she transforms or appears.
King Endymion: Here's where things get interesting. Or, confusing. Is there really a reason for the King of Earth to be wearing a mask? I guess if he wanted his identity as Mamoru to be a secret, it would make sense. But it doesn't seem like he goes around as Mamoru anymore. Neo Queen Serenity also doesn't have a mask or anything. So why DOES he still wear a mask? Time for some theories!
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Theory 1: Perhaps it is a type of enhanced eyewear, like glasses. With the technology of the 30th century, and the healing powers of the Silver Crystal, glasses are probably obsolete. We do know that Mamoru wears glasses from time to time as a high school student, so maybe he already had some eye problems. (Ami wore them sometimes too, and it's entirely possible that they were just reading glasses to help with eye strain, but it could still be a clue.) So instead of traditional glasses, what if it's more like the visor that Sailor Mercury wears? Maybe he can see charts in them, or read data, etc. It would be really cool if this was some technological device.
Theory 2: It really is a mask to hide his identity. The anime gives us a clue in Sailor Moon R when Chibi-Usa is having flashbacks of her parents. She's hanging out with them outside of the castle, their faces are blurred, and they're not wearing their king and queen attire. Maybe from time to time, they wore different clothes and took Chibi-Usa on outings as normal people. (I'm having trouble believing this is the reason for the mask, however. There's no mention of this in the manga, and there's still the question of Neo Queen Serenity's identity.)
Theory 3: He really liked being Tuxedo Mask. I know this is weird, but hear me out on this one. Mamoru is always talking about how he wants to support Usagi, or be more helpful. Now, she'll say it doesn't matter, just his presence is enough. But not to Mamoru. He enjoys being supportive and lending his abilities whenever possible. Maybe he feels a sort of connection to being Tuxedo Mask as more helpful than just being Mamoru/Endymion. Or it could just be symbolic of his time as Tuxedo Mask where he was able to lend aid to her. I actually think this might be our best bet as to why he is portrayed in a mask. He still wears a suit (why, oh why is it lavender, though?) so that part also resembles his Tuxedo Mask role.
So there you go! A few ideas on why King Endymion might wear a mask. What do you think? I'd love for it to be useful, like a piece of technology, but really there's no evidence to support this theory. It would just be a cool idea if that were the case.
