In the original Sailor Moon story, a few of the main characters had guardian animals that associated with them and helped them in their missions. Usagi/Sailor Moon was guided and helped by her cat Luna. Minako/Sailor Venus had the feline companionship of Artemis. As for Rei/Sailor Mars, her guardians Phobos and Deimos took the form of two crows that protected her from above. In each case, the animal guardians had human forms disguised by their animal façade. In turn, many otaku senshi creators choose to have a Guardian for their own characters to help guide them as they grow and develop their powers.
Screen capture curtesy of The Oracle <3
There are traditional ways to create Guardians, but there is also lots of opportunity to venture out into fantasy and even the metaphysical. The first thing to decide if you would like a Guardian for your senshi is what type of creature will work for them. A feline companion for Sailor Moon was suitable and useful because a cat can follow a junior high school girl without anything seemly unordinary. Similarly, two crows flying around a temple grounds wouldn't cause suspicion. Consider your character's usual environment and activities and try to come up with some logical associations if your character's guardian will accompany them. On the other hand, it's also possible to guard from a distance.
Origins of a Guardian
Traditional Guardians are usually from a distant planet where the inhabitants have the ability to morph into and out of animal and human form. If you are thinking of having an Earth animal for a Guardian, this route could be a good path for you. For example, cat guardians in Sailor Moon were from the planet Mau. We know that the crows that guarded Sailor Mars were from the planet Cronis. In this vein of thought, it would be logical to suggest a dog Guardian might be from a planet called Canis, or even the planet Woof. In theory, all the inhabitants of that planet would have the ability to change from dog to human form.
Non-traditional Guardians can come from any other origins. To give some examples, a senshi with a guardian sentient object would have a very different relationship than a senshi with an animal Guardian. There's also the option of mythical or fantasy creatures which could be from other realms of existence or other dimensions. A Guardian could also easily be another person as well with no alternative form. Guardians could be purely spiritual, with no physical form. They could also be part of the senshi, some entity within them either as a coexisting spirit or a symbiotic entity. There's really no limit to it, and each type of guardian would bring a different aspect of creation to your story.
History and Connection
Once you have determined what type of Guardian you have and where they from, you can start thinking about how they are connected to your Senshi. This is the history of your Guardian as to how they met your senshi and what links the characters have.
There are various ways the Guardian and the senshi could interact. For example, it is possible they fight together physically, or the Guardian physically will defend your Senshi. Maybe they share a spiritual bond from a past life that causes your Senshi's powers to be enhanced when their Guardian is near. It's also possible that your Guardian just stands by and cheers for your Senshi on in a battle. Either way, they purpose of a Guardian is generally to train and guide your Senshi, so try to determine the type of relationship that would best fit their circumstances.
It might also help your character's development to consider how the Guardian and Senshi met. Did they know each other in past lives? Was the Guardian assigned to the Senshi? Does the Guardian serve willingly, or are the forced to protect the Senshi? How often do the Guardian and Senshi have contact? You can think about what originally put them in contact with one another. They might have met accidentally, or it could've been arranged. How and when they met might strongly impact how they relate to one another. There's also room for you to elaborate on the relationship to include conflict.
Some Guardians have special powers that can assist their charge. For example, Luna and Artemis can speak. Can your guardian speak in all forms? Perhaps they have a spiritual or mental connection that could allow them to communicate across time or space, or simply without words. If they don't speak, how do they communicate? Writing, singing?
Do they have any magical powers or physical attacks they can use to help your Senshi or fight in a battle? Do they have any weapons or items? Luna also has the ability to store items in some kind of subspace. Does your character's Guardian have access to other realms?
Are there any other skills that your Guardian possesses which helps them do their job? Perhaps they have an innate ability to detect power levels, or teleport out of danger. A Guardian can be as powerful or as weak as you need them to be to support, or hinder, your senshi. As with all characters, do your best to balance their strengths with their weaknesses.
Names for Guardians can range as wide as character names. You may elect to have a mystical name for a unicorn guardian like Alidrian, but you might also just call him Jack. It depends on what feeling you want to portray with the name. When naming your Guardian, sometimes it's good to consider his connection to your senshi and his powers. If he is related to her powers, he might have an elemental name. Creators will also sometimes take into account the meaning of the name, in which case the links on the Name page might be helpful.
The meaning and symbolism of animals varies across cultures and mythologies. Below are some great resources for learning about what animals symbolize all over the world:
- Animal Totems & Animal Symbols
- Animal Symbolism - Many Cultures
- Celtic Animal Symbols
- Animals, Birds, Insects, Reptiles and Their Meanings
Below is a basic template for your Guardian character. Include only the stats that are applicable to the character. This information could be included in your Senshi's profile near their Sailor History, but might fit better on its own section if the Senshi Profile is already lengthy.
Appearance: (if the character has two or more forms, include a description for each appearance)
If you want further develop your guardian, you could also include any of the other stats normally include for Sailor Senshi such as likes and dislikes, hobbies, etc.