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Mamoru Chiba (Tuxedo Mask)

Mamoru Chiba (地場衛, Chiba Mamoru) is the modern-day reincarnation of Prince Endymion and the civilian persona of Tuxedo Mask (タキシード仮面, Takishiido Kamen) in the  Sailor Moon 90s anime.

The rose has thorns! Be careful whom you prick!
— Tuxedo Mask

Appearance

Civilian Look
Mamoru has short black hair and striking blue eyes. His usual attire includes a black turtleneck, neatly tucked into indigo pants secured by a light brown belt with a silver buckle. He completes the look with a green jacket, white socks, and a pair of dark brown and white shoes.


Sultan Abdulmejid (left) with Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Emperor Napoleon III of France

Mamoru as Tuxedo Mask.

As Tuxedo Mask
When transforming into Tuxedo Mask, Mamoru dons a classic black tuxedo adorned with golden buttons and a cape with a red lining. He also wears a white mask and a formal black top hat, along with white gloves. His signature accessories include a black cane and a single red rose, which he famously throws at his foes. Each time he steps in to protect Sailor Moon from attacks, his mask and hat often get knocked off, revealing his identity.

When Mamoru transforms into Tuxedo Mask, he carries a red rose, a detail that symbolizes his protective nature. In his encounter with the Outer Senshi duringSailor Moon S, he transforms swiftly, surrounded by swirling dead leaves in a powerful gust of wind.


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Personality

Mamoru’s personality is rooted in his protective nature; he consistently puts himself in harm’s way to shield those he loves. His history is marked by loss and isolation, stemming from the traumatic death of his parents, which also caused him to lose his memories. This trauma left him feeling isolated and often made him appear reserved or even distant to others, with few close friends and a straightforward demeanor that occasionally came off as blunt, sometimes unintentionally offending those around him.

Beneath his serious exterior, however, Mamoru possesses a kind heart. Though his words may seem harsh at times, they are often meant to motivate others, encouraging them to improve and face challenges with resilience. His intentions align with his strong sense of duty and the underlying goal to inspire growth in those he cares about.

Mamoru’s devotion to Usagi and the Sailor Senshi is unwavering; he has repeatedly put his life on the line to protect Usagi, motivated purely by his love for her. This devotion is clear in moments likeTrue Love Awakens: The Makai Tree’s Secret, where, despite not yet remembering their shared past, he instinctively shields her from harm.

In the early series, Mamoru’s determination manifests in his quest for the Silver Crystal, often taking advantage of any opportunity that arises, including retrieving Sailor Moon’s Rainbow Crystal if it might help. His actions during this time are driven not by malice but by a deep-rooted need to recover his forgotten memories, highlighting his willingness to take risks to rediscover his past.

Information

Mamoru was the only child in his family, living with his parents until a tragic accident on his sixth birthday. The family was involved in a car crash, where Mamoru was the sole survivor. This accident left him with retrograde amnesia, erasing any memories of his life before the crash, including his own name. He began experiencing recurring dreams of a mysterious girl urging him to seek the “Silver Crystal,” which he believed might hold the key to recovering his lost memories. Driven by this conviction, Mamoru adopted the persona “Tuxedo Mask” in his quest for the crystal.

Role in Sailor Moon

Mamoru makes his debut in the very first episode, where he meets Usagi and, much to her irritation, starts calling her “Bunhead” every time they cross paths. From that point onward, he often appears in his Tuxedo Mask guise to assist Sailor Moon in her battles.

Usagi is immediately captivated by Tuxedo Mask’s charm, though she is less fond of Mamoru’s civilian identity, particularly due to the teasing nickname he insists on using. Despite Usagi’s attraction to Tuxedo Mask, she is unaware of his true identity. During the early part of the series, Mamoru even briefly dates Rei Hino, though his interest doesn’t match her enthusiasm.

Throughout the first season, Mamoru is also on a personal mission to rediscover his past. At night, he dreams of a woman known as the Moon Princess, who encourages him to find the Silver Crystal. During this search, Mamoru discovers that collecting the Rainbow Crystals may lead him to the Silver Crystal, leading him to compete with the Sailor Senshi over these fragments.

Once the Silver Crystal is finally restored, it also restores Mamoru’s memories, along with those of the Sailor Senshi, revealing that he was once Prince Endymion, beloved of Princess Serenity. However, shortly after this revelation, Mamoru is captured and brainwashed by the Dark Kingdom. He is forced to fight against the Sailor Senshi alongside Kunzite, though he continually resists harming Sailor Moon. Near the end of the season, Mamoru regains his memories through Usagi’s emotional plea. Although he dies protecting her from Queen Beryl, Mamoru and the Sailor Senshi are resurrected, though without memories of the events of the first season.

Sailor Moon R (Makai Tree Arc)

After losing his memories again, Mamoru returns to an ordinary life, though part of him continues to feel connected to Usagi. This longing manifests as a new persona, Moonlight Knight, who appears to protect Usagi in Tuxedo Mask’s place. During this time, Usagi tries to rekindle Mamoru’s memory and affection, though he remains distant. Eventually, Mamoru’s memories are fully restored when Moonlight Knight reunites with him, ending the arc with Mamoru free to pursue his feelings for Usagi.

Sailor Moon R (Black Moon Arc)

With his memories intact, Mamoru and Usagi become an official couple, though their relationship is soon tested by the arrival of the Black Moon Clan and Chibiusa. This season, Mamoru begins experiencing dreams warning him that his relationship with Usagi could bring disaster. Troubled by this, he briefly distances himself from Usagi, though he continues to assist her in battles. Usagi is heartbroken by the separation, especially since she suspects Chibiusa may be the cause. Eventually, Mamoru’s dreams are explained when the Sailor Senshi encounter King Endymion in 30th Century Crystal Tokyo, who reveals that he sent these visions to test Mamoru and Usagi’s bond, which would be essential to their future.

Mamoru, in his Tuxedo Mask form, helps the Sailor Senshi in their fight against the Black Moon Clan until they ultimately achieve victory.

Sailor Moon S

While Usagi is preparing for her high school entrance exams, Mamoru encourages her to focus, even suggesting they postpone dates until she improves her grades, leaving her disappointed. After Usagi briefly loses her ability to transform, Mamoru shows his support by taking her to an abandoned house full of stray cats to lift her spirits. During a later battle, their combined strength generates the Spiral Heart Moon Rod, symbolizing their unity. On Usagi’s birthday, Mamoru buys her a pair of glass shoes she had been admiring, though they are cursed by Kaolinite, and he must defend her from the resulting enemy.

Sailor Moon SuperS

Throughout this series, Mamoru becomes increasingly preoccupied with his college thesis but still finds time to aid Usagi in her mission. As Queen Nehelenia’s darkness spreads, Mamoru suffers physical pain due to his spiritual link to Earth. This arc reveals his heritage as Prince Endymion, ruler of the Golden Kingdom near Elysion, where he entrusted Helios with the Golden Crystal.

Sailor Moon Sailor Stars

In the final season, Mamoru becomes haunted by visions of Queen Nehelenia after being struck by glass shards from her broken mirror. The fragments cause him immense pain, influencing his behavior and straining his relationship with Usagi. As he becomes entranced by mirrors, Usagi grows concerned, but their bond ultimately helps break the curse. After Nehelenia is defeated, Mamoru leaves for Harvard, though he promises to return to Usagi. However, during his flight, he is mysteriously attacked and teleported to Galaxia’s domain, where he fights valiantly before having his Star Seed taken. In his final words, he vows that the Sailor Senshi will prevail.

Mamoru is revived in the series’ final episode, reuniting with Usagi, as they face a hopeful future together.

Powers and Abilities

Premonitions
Mamoru possesses the ability to glimpse future events through dreams, often foreseeing situations involving danger or important developments in his life and the lives of those he cares about.

Transformation
Mamoru transforms into Tuxedo Mask throughout the anime, though his transformation is unique in that it doesn’t involve any spoken incantation. His first transformation scene appears in episode 19, where he unexpectedly shifts into Tuxedo Mask without even intending to. At this point, his transformation is involuntary, and he has no memory of his life as Tuxedo Mask. Later, in episode 34, the anime features an extended transformation sequence—this is the only time such a scene appears. To transform, he uses a rose-like object that is partially in bloom; when activated, the petals turn sky blue and crystallize. His black cape then sweeps in front of him, revealing him in full Tuxedo Mask attire, though his hat isn’t initially present. Afterward, he tosses his top hat into the air, where it spins before finally landing on his head.

During a scene with Setsuna, Haruka, and Michiru, as they transform into their respective Sailor Senshi forms, Mamoru transforms into Tuxedo Mask in an instant, a leaf passing by as a subtle cue to his transformation.

In the episode “Restore Naru’s Smile: Usagi’s Friendship,” Tuxedo Mask holds one of the Rainbow Crystals, causing a light to emerge that reverts him back to Mamoru. It’s during this event that he fully realizes his identity as Tuxedo Mask.

Attacks and Techniques

  • Rose Throwing: Tuxedo Mask’s iconic attack involves throwing roses with remarkable accuracy to disrupt or distract his enemies, often buying time for Sailor Moon and the other Sailor Senshi.

  • Cane Attack: Wielding a black cane, Tuxedo Mask uses it to fend off foes with both defensive and offensive strikes, showing skilled agility and precision.

  • Dreidel Attack(fromSailor Moon S: The Movie): In episode 101, Tuxedo Mask uses an inventive technique by throwing a series of roses in a circle around the enemy Cenicienta, creating a barrier of rose petals that either harms or momentarily halts her advance. This unique move is unnamed and only used once in the series.

Trivia

    • In theSailor Moon manga, Mamoru is introduced as a 16-year-old high school student, while in the 90s anime, he’s established as a 17-year-old university freshman. This age discrepancy is also confirmed in the anime’s drama CDs. Typically, Japanese university students are around 18, implying Mamoru likely skipped a grade.

    • Mamoru’s rose-throwing changes with his persona. As Tuxedo Mask, he uses red roses; as the Moonlight Knight, he throws white roses; and under the Dark Kingdom’s influence, he wields black roses.

    • Mamoru is frequently captured and brainwashed throughout the series, possibly due to his significance to Usagi. Notable instances include:

      • In Season 1, he is abducted and brainwashed by the Dark Kingdom from episodes 35 to 46.
      • In Season 3, he is briefly captured by Kaolinite in episodes 101-102.
      • In Season 5, he falls under Queen Nehelenia’s control from episodes 167 to 172 and is later taken by Galaxia from episode 173 through the end of the series.
      • He is also kidnapped by Fiore in theSailor Moon Rmovie.
    • Mamoru is seen driving a red Alfa Romeo SZ, adding a touch of luxury to his civilian persona.

    • In some of the early anime episodes, Tuxedo Mask occasionally appears without gloves when he saves Sailor Moon, such as in episode 2.

    • In the original DiC English dub, Mamoru’s name was changed to “Darien Shields,” though the surname only appears in the Mixx manga adaptation. Early promotional material for the English dub even referred to him as “Mark.”