The Dark Kingdom, a great evil consisting of Queen Beryl, her generals, the Four Kings of Heaven, and an amorphous evil power named Queen Metaria attempt to steal energy so that Beryl can take over the world. Standing in their way are the Sailor Guardians, five middle-school-aged girls: perky Usagi Tsukino, genius Ami Mizuno, paranormally gifted shrine maiden Rei Hino, tomboyish Makoto Kino, and J-pop idol Minako Aino, who are sworn to protect the Princess of the Moon and defeat the Dark Kingdom. Two beings, that appear to be sentient stuffed toy cats, Luna and Artemis, serve as the girls' mentors. The Guardians also encounter Tuxedo Mask, a jewel thief in search of an immensely powerful, mystical Silver Crystal belonging to the Princess of the Moon. While searching for the Princess of the Moon and the Silver Crystal, the initially disparate girls develop a strong bond of friendship, while Usagi also struggles with her feelings for the irksome and mysterious Mamoru Chiba.
