by Naoko Takeuchi Sailor Moon is a magical girl series that places a lot of emphasis on its antagonists, while also trying to spare them when possible, especially in the anime. Many episodes of the original 90s anime follow a standard monster-of-the-week format, where Usagi and her growing cast of Sailor Senshi friends fight off whatever evil threatens innocent civilians this time around. Unless it's an absolute necessity, though, Usagi takes a more pacifist approach, preferring instead to purify or heal his enemies rather than kill them.
This is also true when Usagi fights against major antagonists, such as Queen Beryl. Usagi will always reach for any magical object or force that controls her opponent or gives them power, as seen when she destroys Queen Beryl's power necklace instead of destroying her directly. Many objects in Sailor Moon that are capable of destroying enemies, such as the Eternal Tiare, Cutie Moon Rod, and Moon Stick, are also capable of healing corrupted enemies. Destruction is never the primary goal unless there is no other choice, which makes a weapon like Sailor Saturn's Silence Glaive stand out even more.
Sailor Moon's weapons generally do not prioritize destruction.
The anime in particular pushes a message of forgiveness over violence.
Although this is not always the case in the original Sailor Moon manga, the anime pushes a message of forgiveness for one's enemies rather than destroying them. Many of the weapons Sailor Moon uses in particular reinforce this message, as while they are capable of destroying enemies if necessary, they are also healing tools that can purify and cleanse corruption. The iconic Moon Tiara used by Sailor Moon usually cuts her enemies in half using the power of moonlight, but can also heal civilians who have been afflicted by dark magic. Her Moon Stick constantly purifies enemies who have been corrupted by dark magic, and when civilians are used for nefarious purposes, they are usually alive and well by the end of the episode.
Weapons that originally killed enemies in the manga or Sailor Moon Crystal, Like the Cutie Moon Rod, they are modified to be less destructive in the anime and still have a positive impact through healing. There are only a few weapons that are used only for destructive purposes, and even then they prove beneficial to their owner, such as the Garnet Rod that would consciously choose to protect Sailor Pluto. The Silver Crystal Sword ceases to be associated only with tragedy in Sailor Moon Crystal, where Usagi uses it to destroy Beryl's necklace instead of killing her outright. All of which is to say that, in a series where even the darkest and most destructive weapons can also be used for good, Sailor Saturn's Silence Glaive stands out as a particularly dark weapon.
Sailor Saturn's Silence Glaive can wipe out entire planets
The Sword of Silence can even kill its user, at full power.
- First Appearance: Episode #125, “A Bright Shooting Star! Saturn and the Messiah”
The Sword of Silence first appears in Sailor Moon by third season, and is shown with the same Sailor Saturn at the time of its introduction. This scythe-like weapon is a reference to the Roman deity Saturn, known as the god of wealth and harvest, who was typically depicted with a long scythe. With this scythe, he would destroy current crops but also make room for future growth, linking him to the concepts of destruction and rebirth. Similarly, Sailor Moon by Sailor Saturn wields the Silence Glaive, a scythe capable of destroying entire planets in an instant. If Sailor Saturn uses this power to its fullest, she too will die, but when this happens in the series, Usagi uses her powers as Super Sailor Moon to save her, tying Sailor Saturn into the same themes of rebirth and destruction.
The Silence Glaive doesn't just stand out for its combat abilities. Visually, it's strikingly different from any other Sailor Moon by other weapons, which fall into a more typical and cute magical girl style. Many of the weapons and transformation items in Sailor Moon resemble cosmetic pens and pins, with pink or pastel-colored palettes and hearts, stars, and ribbons for decoration. They are also usually small or medium-sized, which draws more attention to Sailor Saturn's Silence Glaive. Sharp, dark in color, and longer than Sailor Saturn herself, the Silence Glaive is Sailor Moon by the most beautiful and striking weapon. Similar to the scythe usually associated with the reaper, the Silence Glaive is Sailor Saturn's sole weapon, and can completely wipe out a civilization's progress in a single instant.
This focus on destruction makes more sense for a series like Sailor Moon than it seems at first glance. The concept of death is not only about the destruction and suppression of life, but also focuses on the rebirth and regrowth of life after death. When all of Sailor Moon's allies give their lives to support her just before Queen Metaria's rebirth, everyone who dies is technically “reborn” thanks to the Silver Crystal, which sends Usagi back to a point in time prior to the series' timeline where everyone is alive and well again. Sailor Moon begins because Queen Serenity chooses for Usagi and the others to be reborn on Earth, where they have the chance to grow and train to fight against the evils that threaten their world. Sailor Saturn has the power to wipe out entire planets, but there is still a chance for regrowth from the ashes – and when she uses this ability, Super Sailor Moon reincarnates her, reaffirming the idea that death is not the end.
Sailor Saturn still tries to use such destructive power to save others
Initially intent on destroying the Earth, Sailor Saturn uses her power to try to save it.
The other Outer Guardians are initially terrified of Sailor Saturn's potential for good reason: Sailor Saturn destroyed what remained of the Silver Millennium, with the sole goal of bringing it back to life on Earth. This required that Earth as Usagi and her friends knew it be destroyed, which was Sailor Saturn's original goal, but she hesitates and ultimately changes her plan after being influenced by Usagi like the other Sailor Senshi. Instead of using her Silence Glaive to destroy Earth along with Pharaoh 90 and rebuild the remains for the Silver Millennium, as originally planned, Sailor Saturn sacrifices herself to trap Pharaoh 90 and ensure he cannot harm anyone else. Sailor Saturn finds a beautiful and heartbreaking way to use a power that the other Outer Guardians had targeted her for, and in turn, drives Usagi to nearly sacrifice her own life to bring Sailor Saturn back to life as a newborn Hotaru.
In Sailor Moon by season four, after being brought back to life, Hotaru is initially an innocent child who retains no memory of her previous incarnation as Sailor Saturn. However, it does not take long for her to awaken and her powers are so great that she ages rapidly until she reaches roughly the same point as Chibi-Usagi. Sailor Saturn's purpose changes and her powers are no longer meant for destruction. Instead, Sailor Saturn plays a key role in uniting the hearts of the other Outer Guardians. She becomes a protector of the current Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion, so that Crystal Tokyo can be properly rebuilt. Her transition from being a feared Guardian of Destruction in season three to a protector and rebuilder in season four also reinforces the idea that Sailor Saturn's main theme is not destruction itself, but the constant cycle of destruction and rebirth.
Sailor Saturn is one of the Sailor Moon by deeper and more interesting characters, and her Silence Glaive is one of the coolest and most powerful weapons in the entire series. She is targeted purely because of the nature of her powers, even before she awakens, and it would have been understandable if Sailor Saturn had chosen to fully represent destruction and revenge on the Earth and its protectors who sought to destroy her. With a single movement he could have destroyed the Sailor Moon the world as a wholebut instead chooses to trust that the world and its inhabitants will be able to recover from the consequences of her sacrifice to defeat Pharaoh 90. In doing so, Usagi risks everything to revive her as Hotaru, giving her another chance to grow in the world she chose to spare. Sailor Saturn and her Silence Glaive represent the hope that lies in destruction and the cycle of rebirth that is closely tied to death.