The Shitennou (四天王; meaning "Four Heavenly Kings) were the four generals and bodyguards of Prince Endymion and later, of Queen Beryl and The Dark Kingdom. They are Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite, and Kunzite. They were each named after a different stone.
History
Anime
The four shittenou in the anime
They are simply Beryl's generals, with no references to their pasts. They were often rivals and were discarded once they were no longer useful.
Manga
The four shitennou from the manga
They were originally the guardians of Prince Endymion. Suspicious of The Moon and its constant survailance of Earth, they often argued with their prince about it. Their suspicion led them to turn on the prince and turn to Beryl. Despite this, they still cared for their prince and were shocked by his death. They are still rivals but also care for each other and are shocked by each others' deaths. When the Silver Crystal appeared, it returned the dead Jadeite, Nephirite, and Zoisite to life and returned Kunzite's memories of the past. They then dissolved into stones bearing their name, as did Kunzite when he is later killed. They later speak to Mamoru through the stones, telling him how Metallia could be killed and to be happy. Mamoru kept these stones and called on their spirits throughout the manga.
Possible relationships with the Sailor Senshi
The coupling of the Shitennou and Sailor Senshi
Naoko Takeuchi drew a picture at the conclusion of the manga, showing each general posed with a Sailor Senshi: Zoisite with Ami, Jadeite with Rei, Nephrite with Makoto and Kunzite with Minako. Naoko claims she was thinking of the past lives of these lovers, which implies a possible love affair between the Sailor Senshi and Shitennou in the past. However, only Kunzite's relationship with Sailor Venus and Jadeite's with Sailor Mars have canonical support and the issue is debated by fandom.
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
Endymion and the Shitennou
The live-action series combined elements from the anime and manga: the Shitennou were still Mamoru's guardians, and were also evil and vying for Queen Beryl's attention. They could also come back after being killed, unlike in the other two continuities, so the relationships lasted longer and were more complicated. They were also closer to being human, with Nephrite being turned into one and Kunzite being turned from one. Their personalities were developed and their memories of the past life were much closer to the surface, which resulted in more tension with Mamoru. This was especially apparent with Kunzite, who blamed his master for what happened to the planet Earth. Their character designs were also completely redone.
Musicals
The Shitennou appeared in several of the musicals, with slightly different roles in each. In Sailor Moon - Gaiden Dark Kingdom Fukkatsu Hen, the Shitennou were romantically paired with the Inner Senshi, making the musicals the only version of the series in which those relationships were canon. In Starlights - Ryuusei Densetsu, they appeared again disguised as the "Jewel Metalias."
The musical Kakyuu-Ouhi Kourin introduced a group that called itself the "Neo Shitennou," and included three members who were not in the original group. The members of the Neo Shitennou were Kunzite, Hematite, Hiddenite, and Kalunite. No explanation was given for why they had different names, although Hematite, Hiddenite, and Kalunite strongly resembled Zoisite, Nephrite, and Jadeite, respectively. They worked with the reborn Queen Beryl under Sailor Galaxia, though the five of them were simultaneously plotting ways to get out from under the powerful Senshi's rule. As part of their plans, they had civilian guises as the "Jewel Managers."
Changes in the English Dub
- Jadeite- name changed to Jedite
- Nephrite- named changed to Nephlite
- Zoisite- changed into a woman, name changed to Zoycite
- Kunzite- name changed to Malachite
Changes between Manga and Anime
In the anime, their past as Endymion's guardians is wiped out completely, as is their care for one another, and refernces to any relationship with the Sailor Senshi. In addition, Kunzite and Zoisite's relationship is created, where as in the manga, they are more like brothers.