Setsuna Meiou (冥王 せつな, Meiou Setsuna) is the civilian identity and present-day incarnation of Sailor Pluto (セーラープルート, Seera Puruuto).
Nomenclature & Etymology
Etymology
Setsuna: Even though her name is written in hiragana and is not inherent, Setsuna can mean "moment", relating to her powers over time, or "sorrow".
Meiou: The kanji for Mei means "dark" while the kanji for ou means "king", based on the Japanese name of the planet Pluto (冥王星 Meiohsei "Nether King Star", the given title of Pluto, the Roman god of the underworld).
Combined her name could be read as "Momentary Dark King" or "Sorrowful Dark King".
Appearance
Civilian
Setsuna is a young adult woman who has knee-length dark green hair partly tied up in a high bun and the rest hanging down freely and red eyes. In comparison to the other Sailor Senshi, her skin is darker.
Some depictions give her lighter skin and change her eye color from red to purple.
Sailor Senshi
Sailor Pluto's uniform consisted of a white sleeveless leotard with a maroon chest bow and a bright red circular brooch affixed to it. Her stripeless sailor collar was black, she wore a gold tiara with a garnet red gem, her thick red earrings were in the shape of arrows, and she wore a black choker with a red bauble. She also wore white elbow-length gloves with black padding, her skirt was black with a maroon bow at the back, and her footwear consisted of black knee-high heeled boots with white triangular arches.
As Super Sailor Pluto, her choker featured a star in the center with a bright red gem embedded in the center. Her sailor collar had one single white stripe on it. Her brooch was now heart-shaped. Shoulder pads similar to the other Sailor Guardians were added to her outfit but with the bottom being wing-like and translucent. The ribbons from her back bow were now larger and lengthed.
Eternal Sailor Pluto's outfit is the outfit that underwent the most changes. The gem in the center of her tiara is star-shaped. Her earrings consist of black stars dangling from gold studs. Her choker is v shaped with a yellow star in the center. Her sailor collar has a single gold stripe on it. Her brooch is star-shaped. Replacing her shoulder pads are short solid light black bubble-like sleeves with black bands at the end. Her gloves are heightened to be just below her bubble sleeves. Her skirt is attached to her leotard with a black and light-black belt. A yellow star is in the center of both belts when they center. Her skirt is in two layers, the top being black and bottom being light black. her back bow is reverted to the one from her original form but this time its light-black with narrow black ribbons extending from it reaching her knees. Her boots are now knee length with black v-shaped borders with a yellow star in the center.
Personality
Setsuna Meiou is a college student while the others are still in middle or high school. Despite being the oldest of all the Senshi, Setsuna never assumes any type of official leadership role. Even among the Outer Sailor Senshi, she frequently defers to Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune. She has a special relationship with Chibiusa.
Information
Sailor Pluto was the Princess of Pluto and the daughter of Chronos, the God of Time. One day when she was a child, Queen Serenity assigned her to the Space-Time Door to guard it and instructed on the three taboos she must never break: She must never leave her post, she must not allow anyone to travel through time, and she must never use her powers to disrupt the flow of time in any way. Breaking the last taboo would mean the end of her life.
However, after the Silver Millennium was attacked by the Dark Kingdom, she and the other two Outer Sailor Senshi were drawn together and her Garnet Orb along with Sailor Uranus' Space Sword, and Sailor Neptune's Deep Aqua Mirror, had resonated that caused Sailor Saturn to Awaken. It was then that she watched in horror as Sailor Saturn swung down her Silence Glaive and obliterated all that was left of the Moon Kingdom. Sailor Pluto was reborn and continued her mission to protect the Time Door.
One day during the era of the second Silver Millennium, Sailor Pluto met Princess Usagi Small Lady Serenity after she had wandered down a forbidden corridor and went through the Door of Space-Time. She and the princess soon became friends, with Pluto assuring her that she and her mother were very alike and that she would one day grow to be as strong as her.
After Crystal Tokyo is attacked by the Black Moon, Chibiusa stole one of Sailor Pluto's time keys and traveled to the 20th Century.
Black Moon arc
When Sailor Moon, Sailor Venus, Tuxedo Mask, and Chibiusa travel to the Time Gate, Sailor Pluto attacks, trying to prevent them from using the gate until she sees Chibiusa and allows them to travel to the 30th century.
When Prince Demande tried to connect the Silver Crystal of the past and future to end everything, Sailor Pluto stopped time, knowing it would cost her her life. Her death broke Wiseman's hold on Chibiusa and she became Sailor Chibi Moon.
Infinity arc
In the Infinity arc, Setsuna is introduced at the end of Act 30, as a student at K.O. University studying physics, who becomes friends with Reika Nishimura. Due to the previous events at the end of the Black Moon arc, she has no memory of being Sailor Pluto. At the beginning of Act 31, she and her professor are discussing strange distortions around the Sankakusu.
Later, Setsuna falls victim to Tellu's Tellun plant, and collapses on the ground, with Haruka and Michiru sensing that someone close to them is in danger. Setsuna calls for help, and a voice inside her commands for her to awaken, causing the symbol of Pluto to appear on her forehead. This also causes the symbols of Uranus and Neptune to appear on Haruka's and Michiru's foreheads, and the three appear in the same room together. In effect, she becomes Sailor Pluto again.
Dream arc
After the events of Mugen Academy, Setsuna, Michiru, and Haruka live together to help raise baby Hotaru. While at the observatory, she witnesses the eclipse and felt the dark force of the Dead Moon Circus coming from it. When she tried to transform, it failed. After Hotaru recreated a projection of the solar system, she sees that the solar eclipse unleashed the forces of the new moon onto the Earth and Moon, however, the outer Senshi believe that they are not needed because they cannot transform. After Hotaru reawakens as Sailor Saturn, she presents all three with their Sailor Crystals, they transform into Senshi and join the fight.
Stars arc
As Eternal Sailor Pluto, she is now in her final Sailor form. She, again, fights alongside the other nine Eternal Sailor Guardians' to battle the evil Galaxia, and stop her from dominating the entire Milky Way Galaxy and beyond by stealing the Sailor Crystals of every Sailor Senshi in existence.
She eventually returns to her world to defend Charon Castle with Sailor Saturn from Galaxia's imminent attack. Ultimately, both Pluto's and Saturn's Sailor Crystals were taken and both fade away and were revived as Sailor Galaxia's mind-controlled servants. After her controlled form is destroyed by Eternal Sailor Moon's Silver Moon Crystal Power Therapy Kiss attack, Sailor Moon defeats Chaos and Sailor Pluto, along with the other Sailor Senshi, are restored to life.
Powers
Setsuna can transform into Sailor Pluto by saying Pluto Planet Power, Make Up! Her attacks possess space-time continuum and underworld attributes.
Phrases
Weapons and Items
Attacks
- Dead Scream
- Time Stop
- Chronos Typhoon
- Garnet Ball
- Dark Dome Close
- Galactica Cannon
- Galactica Planet Attack
Development
In the concept art in the Materials Collection, there is a sketch where Sailor Pluto has gray skin. Her belt and hair were also different and she appeared physically younger. In another sketch that more closely resembled her final depiction, she is lacking her chain belt. The Garnet Rod also looked different.
Gallery
Trivia
- She is the tallest among the Solar System Sailor Senshi standing at a height of 5'10" (about 178 cm), but ironically, her guardian planet is the smallest.
- Setsuna is the only Sailor Senshi who did not have concept art in the Materials Collection. Sailor Pluto did, however.
- Setsuna's apartment number in the Infinity arc in "1209". Switching the "2" and the "0" around will reveal "1029", the numbers of her birthday.
- In the reprints of the manga, Naoko Takeuchi noted that one of the logistical troubles with the manga was Setsuna having a different skin color than everyone else.
- In the manga, Sailor Pluto also made several references to being the daughter of Chronos, and in Act 20, King Endymion told Sailor Venus that Pluto "carries the blood of the god in charge of time, Chronos." In the sera myu musicals, the song "Forbidden Hades" also mentioned that she had the blood of Chronos.
- It's ironic because in Roman mythology, Pluto is the God of the underworld and Setsuna is the guardian of the underworld.
