Sailor Pluto
Sailor Pluto | |
---|---|
Publication information | |
Publisher | Kodansha |
First appearance | Nakayoshi |
Created by | Naoko Takeuchi |
In-story information | |
Alter ego | Setsuna Meioh |
Team affiliations | Sailor Senshi, None |
Notable aliases | Trista Meioh (English, Sailor Pluto, Princess Pluto, Puu (By ChibiUsa) |
Abilities | Can control and manipulate the flow of time. |
Setsuna Meioh (冥王 せつな, Meiō Setsuna) is a fictional character in the anime Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon. As a Sailor Senshi, she is Sailor Pluto. She is known in the English dub as Trista Meioh. It should be noted that Setsuna Meioh is not her real name, but rather the alias she has assumed.
Biography
She is the oldest of the Senshi, either around her late teens or much much older, depending on the adaptation. Her eternal duty is somewhat vaguely defined as "to guard the gates of time" and "guardian of the underworld". Sailor Pluto was not introduced until late in the Sailor Moon R series.
After the events of the Sailor Moon S saga, she leaves the gates of time to temporarially live as a human being, and hangs out with the rest of the "Outer Senshi", and becomes a scientist. Her personality is cold, impersonal, and secretly lonely. She exists only to do her duty. The only person who feels for her, and she feels for, is Chibi-Usa/"Small Lady". When she reincarnates, she gets a bit less cold, but is still not very emotional. She also cares for Hotaru along with Michiru and Haruka.
Sailor Pluto's precise abilities and knowledge of the past and present are only vaguely defined, although a common theory is a form of omniscience, possibly due to her portrayal in the anime. For example, she was presumably aware of the two sailor soldiers carrying the mystical objects they were hunting for, but did not inform them and allowed various people to be attacked. (Note: This differs greatly from the manga, and may be a simple continuity error rather than bad writing. Another possibility is that she was simply forbidden/unable to leave the time gates until the first two artifacts were activated., or some other thing.) This omniscience is represented as being able to watch through the gates of time, and such.
Sailor Pluto was the Senshi that Chibiusa contacted through her Luna-P. Sailor Pluto was very fond of Chibiusa, and referred to her by her "princess name," which is "Small Lady."
Sailor Pluto appears in just a few TV episodes, and observations show that she really has only one true attack, "Dead Scream"; unlike the other Senshi's attack phases, "Dead Scream" is whispered rather than shouted. (In the English dub it is known as "Pluto Deadly Scream", and it is yelled out like the others.) Sailor Pluto wields a weapon, a long key-shaped staff with a garnet jewel at its top, called her Garnet Rod, through which she focuses her power. The jewel that rests on top of the Garnet Rod (the Garnet Orb) is the third mystic talisman that forms the Holy Grail. Pluto's staff helps her control time as well as activate her attack; the Garnet Rod always protects those with good hearts.
Another power Sailor Pluto possesses is the ability to stop time, though it has been forbidden due to its potential for negative consequences. However, like the other rules set upon her position (never to leave the time gate and never use it to transport others), it was broken. While Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus are in the front compartment of a helicopter going to the "Mugen Gakuen" establishment, the demons that have surrounded the school attack the helicopter, immobilizing its rotors. As the helicopter was almost about to explode, Sailor Pluto used her time stopping magic to save the other passengers. While Neptune and Uranus were safely teleported onto the building, Pluto was thrown into a dimensional rift, and didn't re-emerge until much later (skipping an entire season in the anime version). It is uncertain if she wound up in the rift due to the nature of the power or as a punishment for using it.
Interestingly enough, Sailor Pluto has other less cited influences and spheres of dominion in her manga incarnation, influences that are vaguely suggested in the anime, but never made explicit. Sailor Pluto is much darker in her initial form in the manga, identified as the "Guardian of the Underworld" with very dark skin and a black sailor uniform. She is a ruthless soldier who follows rather exacting laws, executing any intruders who dare violate the underworld in search of the Gates of Time. She even goes so far as to nearly kill Sailor Moon herself in the Black Moon Saga, stating that the series' heroine has "broken the taboo" and must be sentenced to death. Had not Chibiusa come to defend her, Pluto more than likely would have terminated Sailor Moon. Luna also states to the others than no one is to even know that she (Pluto) exists, due to her dominion and nature.
When Pluto first introduces herself in the Infinity Saga in the manga, and in her initial episodes in the Super Series in the anime, Pluto claims she is from the "star of the underworld" (meikai no hoshi). Her attack "Dead Scream" has nothing to do with time whatsoever, but recalls Pluto's associations with death, darkness, and the underworld, all attributes which define Sailor Pluto's identity as a senshi just as much as time.
A small quirk occurs in continuity between the manga and anime. Pluto (temporarily) expires in both, but at different times; Pluto's death in the manga occurs much earlier and reawakens the good side of the possessed Chibiusa. However, for all intents and purposes, in the manga the technicality of Pluto existing outside time means she is able to be reincarnated as a normal woman while still existing back at her post at the Time Gate.
According to executive producer Janice Sonski, the final dub name chosen for Pluto, Trista, was chosen on account of the meaning of the name Setsuna. Setsuna can mean moment, but can also be a derivative of 'setsunai' meaning sadness. In the same vein, Trista, which derives from Latin's triste, also means sadness. An early dub by Dic may have rendered her name as Susanna. The packaging of Irwin dolls released in Canada in 1998 called Setsuna "Celia".
Statistics
- Japanese Name: Setsuna Meioh
- North American Name: Trista Meioh
- Senshi Alias: Sailor Pluto
- Royal Alias: Princess Pluto
- Guardian Planet: Pluto
- Home Castle (Manga): Charon Castle
- Element: Time
- Birthday: October 29th
- Age (at the beginning of the series) : 18
- Astrological Sign: Scorpio
- Blood Type: A
- Favorite Colors: Dark red, Green
- Hobbies: Shopping, Sewing
- Favorite Food: Green Tea
- Least Favorite food: Eggplant
- Favorite Subject: Physics
- Least favorite Subject: Music
- Character Traits: Wise, brave, calm, mysterious
- Wishes to be: A designer
- Weaknesses: cockroaches
- Planetary Talisman: Garnet Orb
Magical powers
Transformations
- Pluto Planet Power, Make-Up! - Used to transform into Sailor Pluto. In the English anime, Trista does not say Make-up.
- Pluto Crystal Power, Make-Up! - (Manga only) Used to transform into Super Sailor Pluto, and later, Sailor StarPluto (similar to Eternal Sailor Moon's form).
- Pluto Star Power! - This is only used in the English anime.
Sailor Pluto's transformation sequence involves her creating a wind/fog circle which encloses around her, forming her outfit.
Attacks
- Jikan yo Tomore - Sailor Pluto stops time. This ability is forbidden and Sailor Pluto can only use it at the sacrifice of her life.
- Dead Scream - Sailor Pluto sends a blast of energy at her opponent. In the English anime, this attack is called Pluto Deadly Scream.
- Chronos Typhoon - Sailor Pluto sends a gust of wind from her staff. This attack is used act 31, volume 09.
- Garnet Ball - Sailor Pluto uses her Garnet Orb to create a barrier around her general area. This attack is used in act 32, volume 09.
- Dark Dome Close - In the manga, Sailor Pluto uses this magic spell to forever close the Door of Space-Time after Sailor Saturn uses her "Death Reborn Revolution" ability.
- Galactica Cannon - In the manga, Sailor Pluto and Sailor Saturn use this attack against Sailor Moon when they are controlled by Sailor Galaxia.
Actresses
- In the Japanese anime, she is voiced by Chiyoko Kawashima.
- In the early DiC version and the English-dubbed movies, she is voiced by Sabrina Grdevich, and in the later part of the series, she is voiced by Susan Aceron.
- In the Latin-American Spanish dub, Setsuna is played by Anabel Méndez.
- In the musical version, Setsuna has been played by 8 actresses: Miwa Hosoki (Hosoki Miwa), Rei Saitou (Saitou Rei), Yuki Kamiya (Kamiya Yuki), Seiko Nakazawa (Nakazawa Seiko), Teruyo Watanabe (Watanabe Teruyo), Yuko Hosaka (Hosaka Yuko), Yukiko Nakae (Nakae Yukiko) and Miho Yokoi (Yokoi Miho).
External links
- Sweet Clover Setsuna Meioh~ sailor Pluto's shrine
- Temporal Solitaire - Fanlisting
- Her Sorrow - Detailed information on the character.