Aino Minako (愛野 美奈子, Aino Minako; known simply as Mina Aino in the english adaptations) better known as Sailor Venus she is Usagi's friend. Her name means 'Beautiful Little Child of Love', and her attacks are based around love, with the exception of Crescent Beam and Crescent Beam Shower.
Minako, AKA Eternal Sailor Venus, as shown in the manga.
Minako in the manga
Minako starred in her own series before Sailor Moon. This manga series was called Codename: Sailor V and detailed her adventures as Sailor V. Sailor V is featured throughout the beginning of the Sailor Moon Manga, Live action and Anime as a hero to Usagi.We discover later on that Minako used the Sailor V games to train Usagi for the battles to come.
When Sailor Venus appeared to the soldiers, she announced herself as their Princess. It is revealed later that she is, in fact, not the moon princess but the leader of her Inner Senshi. She said she was the moon princess to act as a decoy and protect Usagi.
In the anime
Originally, Sailor Venus was Sailor V in England. She fought the Dark Agency there in England. She had two assistants, Alan and Katarina. Minako fell in love with Alan. Minako discovered that Alan had fallen in love with Katrina so she decided to let them believe she was dead and return home to Japan. There she meets up with the other sailor senshi saving them from one of Kunzites traps. She first appears in episode 33. Later on in the anime Katrina returns being used by Kunzite as a youma to get to Sailor V who he thinks must know who the sailor scouts are. She is restored by Sailor Moon and Minako and Katrina reunite and become friends again.
In the anime Minako is very ditzy, almost as much as Usagi and is very idealistic. She often makes references to old proverbs or sayings but quotes them wrong. She hates studying and wants to become an idol. Her hobbies include chasing idols, singing and Volleyball.
In this form she wears an outfit similar to the Sailor Suit, with a blue collar, red cap sleeves with blue cuffs, shoulder guards, gloves with orange elbow pads, a red bow, armor, an exposed midriff, a blue skirt with a red line along the bottom and blue high heels. She also wears a red and white mask which looks like a pair of red glasses. She has a crescent moon on her forehead (similar to Princess Serenity's) and a white choker with a crescent moon.
Sailor Venus
In this form, Sailor Venus can perform many attacks including "Cresent Beam", "Crescent Beam Shower" which she gets in episode 52 (46 in the dub) in the R series and "Venus Love-Me Chain" which she gets in episode 65. Her sailor suit has a orange collar, orange skirt, blue front bow, yellow back bow, orange high heels and an orange-stoned tiara. In the manga and the live action, there is a chain around her waist which she uses to perform her attacks.
Super Sailor Venus
In this form, Sailor Venus can use the attack "Venus Love and Beauty Shock". There are no very apparent changes to her uniform, but her yellow back bow grows longer, and her brooch turns into a heart-shape.
Sailor Venus (manga-only)
After the last upgrade in the Stars arc, her choker was V-shaped and the center of her front bow was an orange five-pointed star. Her shoulder pads were large yellow puffs with two patches of orange fabric attached to the bottom. Her gloves became longer, reaching to her upper arms. In artbook illustrations, she had orange V-shaped wristbands with golden five-pointed stars on them, but they were not present in the manga. Her belt consisted of two ribbons - one orange and one yellow, with two long, thin back ribbons, clipped together by a golden five-pointed star. Her back bow was yellow. Her skirt became two-layered, the top layer being orange and the bottom layer yellow. Her boots were knee-length and white, and each had an orange V-shaped border with a five-pointed star at the top. Her tiara gem was an orange five-pointed star and her earrings were orange, dangling five-pointed stars.
Princess Venus
In the past during the Silver Millennium, she was Princess Venus, ruler of the planet Venus. As Sailor Venus, she is the leader of the Sailor Scouts, guardians of Princess Serenity, and soldier of Love and Beauty. She dwelt in Magellan castle and wore a yellow-gown.
Transformations
Crescent Power: Using the Crescent Moon Broach, she transforms into heroine, Sailor V.
Venus Power, Make Up!: Using her transformation pen, Minako transformed into the 1st form of Sailor Venus. Used from Sailor Moon Classic through to the Sailor Moon R Pt.2.
Venus Star Power, Make Up!: Using her 2nd Star Transformation Power Stick to transform into the 2nd form of Sailor Venus, with stronger powers. Used from Sailor Moon R Pt. 2 to the middle of Sailor Moon SuperS.
Venus Crystal Power, Make Up!: Using her 3rd Crystal and Rod given to her by Pegasus she transforms into Super Sailor Venus the 3rd and final form of Venus in the anime.
Venus Eternal Power, Make Up!: Her very last transformation that was only shown in the manga, no one knows why it wasn't in the anime.
Powers
Venus Crescent Beam Smash: Creating a powerful light beam. (Crescent Beam in the Japanese Anime)
Venus Crescent Beam Shower: A more powerful form of her crescent beam, she blasts multipile beams.(Crescent Beam Shower in the Japanese Anime)
Venus Chain Encircle : Creating a heart shaped chain that can harness, attack, and be used as a whip. ( Venus Love-me Chain in the Japanese Anime)
Venus Love & Beauty Shock: Creating a multiple heart shaped lights that combine into one powerful attack. (same name in the Japanese anime)
Trivia
Minako was the only Senshi of this Solar System whose civilian family name did not begin with the Japanese kanji character(s) directly denoting the corresponding celestial object. However, her family name began with the character meaning "love" (愛), which still indirectly represented the planet of Venus, as Venus was the goddess of love in Western mythology.
Her last name is a pun on a phrase meaning "of love," making her name sound like "Minako of Love."
Her sailor-style school uniform during her junior high period was the most classic or orthodox among those of the Sailor Team. Such style reflected the Japanese militarized schooling system of the past, which could be traced back to the Meiji (明治) Period. However, it actually originated in Europe, where it was also worn by school boys and was not exclusively for girls as in Japan.
Minako's membership number in the Three Lights Fan Club was 278.
In the manga and live-action series, Sailor Venus wore her chain around her waist. The mythological Aphrodite, the Greek equivalent of the Roman goddess Venus, wore a golden gridle which had the power to make anyone fall desperately in love with its wearer.
before in the english Dub aired her fales english name was Carrie
