Sailor Moon is one of the most beloved and iconic animes ever to exist. It has spawned several dubs, new series, movies, a musical, toys, and more. It was a saga to rock a generation.
One of the most iconic parts of Sailor Moon is the ultimate pairing of Sailor Moon herself and Tuxedo Mask, her prince and partner in love and heroism. Beyond their alter egos, these characters are known as Usagi and Mamoru in the versions from Japan, and Serena and Darien in the English versions. They are a power couple for the ages.
Relationships in general are a very important part of the series, exemplifying the bonds between people and what they will do for love. Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask are the epicenter, but they are not the only ones.
Before Usagi and Mamoru, there was another relationship that the tall man partook in. Mamoru once was paired off with a different Sailor Scout: Sailor Mars (Rei Hino).
Rei and Mamoru had a lesser known and shorter-lived relationship. However, the relationship was still an important part of the Sailor Moon story.
Here are the 20 Things Only True Fans Know About Sailor Mars and Tuxedo Mask's Relationship.
20. Rei Broke Up With Mamoru For Usagi
The Sailor Scout and mysterious hero began dating before everyone in the anime got their memories back. The second everyone started to their pasts, Rei was faced with a dilemma.
Mamoru was her boyfriend, but he was the love of Usagi's life. Ultimately, Rei stepped back from her blossoming relationship.
Though she and Usagi bickered often, she did not want to get in the way of Usagi and Mamoru's destinies.
She had extreme respect for and loyalty to Sailor Moon, despite their combating personalities.
Rei cared for Mamoru, truly, but she knew that what he and Usagi had was stronger.
Since their relationship was already imperfect, Rei swiftly called it quits after the reveal. Mamoru and Usagi got together almost immediately and became the iconic Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon coupling.
3. Mamoru Wasn't That Into Her
When Mamoru and Rei dated, he became someone Rei quite liked. He was smart, rich, and fun to be with. Sailor Mars enjoyed her time with him and he was an ideal possible future husband. Rei cared a lot for their relationship.
Mamoru, however, was less interested.
While he liked Rei and appreciated her company, he was generally aloof. He cared most about school, not girls.
It's also understandable when he has a confusing alter ego that erases parts of his memory and he thinks that pieces of himself are missing.
However, it's heartbreaking to watch him switch so easily to loving Usagi with all of his heart.
Rei's just left to pick up the pieces of their doomed relationship.
5. Their Meet-Cute Went Completely Wrong
The pragmatic genius she is, Rei meticulously planned Mamoru meeting her in a cute, charming way. She figured out his walking schedule and planned to walk into him after turning a corner.
This way she could be adorable and startled and he could be convinced to go on a date with her.
This went a little astray, though, when Rei turned the corner and fell on her face.
Then Mamoru stepped on her head. He apologized but then kept on walking.
The embarrassing mistake didn't stop Rei, though. She walked back up to him and invited him to tea, saying he owed her for stepping on her head.
Mamoru agreed and their relationship grew from there. Rei's fiery spirit was what got them together, even if their meet-cute went horribly wrong.
19. They Never Dated in the Manga
In the original manga, the coupling of Rei and Mamoru never saw the light of day. Not only that, but Rei was an infamous man-hater.
She was fiercely logical and didn't place much faith in men. This stemmed from her difficult relationship with her father.
In the manga, she only ever showed interest in one man: her father's assistant, Kaidou. Her father was always distant and unreliable. Kaidou was the only person who was consistently kind to her.
When he announces another woman as his fiancé, she's devastated. In the original manga, this is the only romance she ever has.
Later, she even commits to a life of chastity. She dreams of being a priestess, after all.
The anime is the only place we see the paired Rei and Mamoru.
18. Their Relationship Never Had a Real Chance
Sailor Moon often deals in fate, destiny, past, and future. This is no different in the relationships that the anime builds.
While Rei and Mamoru enjoyed each other well enough, they were up against the destinies of Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion.
Rei was the one brave enough to approach Mamoru. She was the one going on dates with him and spending time with him one-on-one. However, fate plays a vital role in this anime, and even more, memories can be hard to forget.
The second Mamoru and Usagi ed their past together, how they fell in love, and who they once were, poor Rei didn't stand a chance.
She was up against everything: fate, destiny, their pasts. All it amounted to was that her future was not by Mamoru's side-- he was destined to be by Usagi's.
17. Rei's Interest in Mamoru Was Superficial, But Practical
Of all of the Sailor Scouts, Sailor Mars had a huge temper, but also a logical side. She was pragmatic about her interests in Mamoru.
He was smart, reliable, and his family was well off. When looking for a good husband to tick all the boxes, Mamoru was a perfect choice.
Rei found him attractive, but it was only one part of her draw to him.
Because of her calculated reasons to be interested, Rei quickly made a move on Mamoru, which is why they began dating. Mamoru also interested Usagi, but she was too nervous to do anything.
Despite her superficial reasons, Rei did care for Mamoru and did enjoy his company. They both went on several dates and had conversations about their lives.
Her intentions were formed from selfishness, but they grew into true affection.
16. Mamoru Was Rei's First Date Ever
Mamoru was pursued by Rei, but she wasn't skilled in the ways of dating. Rei had never even had a boyfriend before. Her first date with him was her first date ever.
Rei is inspired to ask a boy on a date because of a beautiful park nearby is being torn down soon. She intends to have a romantic date there before it's gone.
However, their first date started at a tea shop right after they meet. They later end up taking the date to the park before going on a boat ride.
In true Sailor Moon fashion, though, the appearance of enemies ruins the date. Mamoru pulls away, citing a headache, in order to turn into Tuxedo Mask and Rei leaves to her team.
The date was unorthodox, but it was just right for a Sailor Scout.
15. Tuxedo Mask Dated Sailor Mars Before Sailor Moon
Mamoru is only known to have dated two women, both powerful Sailor Scouts. However, he dated the fiery Sailor Mars before Usagi was ever on his mind.
Usagi also had a crush on Mamoru when Rei asked him out. However, Usagi was nervous and sturggled with approaching him that way. Becuase of her boldness, Rei got the upper hand and the two started dating.
Though Usagi and Mamoru are Sailor Moon's "power couple," Rei was the one brave enough to treat Mamoru as a romantic interest.
Usagi, on the other hand, continued her in-person snark wars with him, him calling her bun-head, and her keeping her feelings hidden.
This led Usagi to be very jealous when it came to Rei and Mamoru, even after their relationship ended.
14. They Dated For 23 Episodes
Rei and Mamoru didn't date for very long. It was a short-lived relationship with only a few dates. However, it is less short-lived than one might expect.
The Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Mars coupling lasted 23 episodes, which is longer than most anime subplots. Subplots normally either only last a few episodes or are building to a grand finale. Unfortunately, Rei and Mamoru's cute relationship was neither.
Each season of Sailor Moon roughly correlates to about a year, as fans have speculated. Rei and Mamoru dated 23/46 episodes.
This means that, very roughly, Sailor Mars and Tuxedo Mask casually dated for up to six months.
That's a bit more substantial than a quick, meaningless relationship.
13. Rei's Desire to Compete With Usagi Factored Into The Relationship
From the first episode of the anime, Rei and Usagi began competing. Their friendship, however loyal, was often combative.
Usagi is often dramatic and obsessive, which frustrates the fiery and straightforward Rei. Meanwhile, Rei's brutal honesty annoys the wild Usagi. Then, of course, the girls like to compete, so they feed off one another to try to one up the other.
Usagi, from very early on, makes her crush on Mamoru obvious. Rei does find him attractive and interesting, but her competitive relationship with Usagi also drives her.
Usagi wants a boyfriend, so Rei contemplates it, too-- and who would be a better boyfriend than Usagi's attractive, intelligent crush?
Rei and Usagi bicker and compete all throughout the anime, but this is one of the heights of their competitiveness.