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Death Busters
Death Busters
from Wikipedia
Death Busters
The Death Busters. Left column, top to bottom: Mistress 9, Germatoid, Master Pharaoh 90. Center column: Professor Tomoe, Kaolinite. Right column, in both magical and civilian forms: Mimete, Eudial, Viluy, Tellu. Bottom: Cyprine and Ptilol.
Publication information
PublisherKodansha
First appearanceSailor Moon chapter #27: Infinity 1 – Premonition (July 1994)
Created byNaoko Takeuchi
In-story information
Base(s)Mugen Academy
Leader(s)Professor Tomoe
Master Pharaoh 90
Member(s)Kaolinite
Mistress 9
Witches 5
Daimons

The Death Busters (Japanese: デスバスターズ, Hepburn: Desu Basutāzu) are a group of fictional characters in the Sailor Moon manga series written by Naoko Takeuchi. This group comprises the villains of the third major story arc, which is called the Infinity in the manga, Sailor Moon S in the original anime adaptation, and Death Busters in Sailor Moon Crystal. They are first introduced in chapter #27 "Infinity 1 – Premonition", originally published in Japan on July 7, 1994.[1] In the Cloverway English adaptation, they are called the "Heart Snatchers".

Originally from the "Tau Ceti Star System" in another dimension, the Death Busters acquire human host bodies to act through with Kaolinite and Professor Tomoe as acting leaders. Based in Mugen Academy (無限学園, Mugen Gakuen; Literally "Infinity Academy"), an elite high school built in the middle of Tokyo's Sankakusu District (三角州区, Sankakusu-ku; Literally "Delta District"), the Death Busters work to gather human souls which would prolong their dying homeworld. Their ultimate goal is the revival of their commander Mistress 9 so they can bring their master Pharaoh 90 to Earth and terraform it into a new home at the cost of the current life forms.

Key figures

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Professor Tomoe

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Professor Souichi Tomoe (土萠 創一 教授, Tomoe Sōichi Kyōju) is the leader of the Death Busters and Hotaru Tomoe's father. A genetic scientist forced out of the scientific community for his unethical experiments, he sold his findings to companies and bought the entire Sankakusu District to continue his research to create "Super Beings". But a fire occurs in Tomoe's apartment that killed his wife Keiko and gravely wounded his daughter Hotaru. Tomoe saves his daughter by outfitting her body with cybernetic limbs during a freak storm that brought the Death Busters to Earth, the aliens apparently attracted to his darkness. Witnessing his assistant be reborn as Kaolinite, Tomoe sold his soul to Pharaoh 90 and willfully discarded his humanity by ingesting a Daimon Egg to become a hybrid as he began to build Mugen Academy while working to perfect the stability of Daimon/human hybrids. When Super Sailor Moon and the Outer Guardians arrive at his lab and dispatch his Daimon test subjects, Tomoe changes into his Daimon form Germatoid (ゲルマトイド, Gerumatoido). Sailor Moon is forced to kill him with her Rainbow Moon Heart Ache, Hotaru has briefly seen saying goodbye to her father while accepting that he died a long time ago after her mother's death.

In the original anime, Hotaru's injury and the Death Busters' arrival occur at the same time. Professor Tomoe's story is the same with the exception that he was forcefully possessed by Germatoid. Tomoe also survives the ordeal as Germatoid leaves his body and is destroyed by Sailor Uranus and Neptune, attempting to reach Hotaru. Following the final battle, Tomoe loses his memories as he is entrusted with his reborn daughter's care until the season premiere of Sailor Stars, when Setsuna Meioh comes to retrieve her, and after that, he is not seen again in the series.

Professor Tomoe appears in several musicals. In the Last Dracul arc, his body is possessed by an alchemist known as Dreadful Berserk (アンデッド・ベルセルク, Andeddo Beruseruku). Using Tomoe's laboratory, Berserk tries to create perfect homunculi in order to replace human beings; however, his first homunculi, the Death Mannetjes, turned out to be flawed creatures. Although Tomoe is possessed by Berserk, the latter shows concern for Hotaru. In Kessen / Transylvania no Mori (Kaiteiban) - Saikyou no Kataki Dark Cain no Nazo, the Amazoness Quartet, known as "Samael Quartet" in this revision, are homunculi created by Tomoe from Chibiusa's star seed.

Professor Tomoe is voiced by Akira Kamiya in Sailor Moon S and by Takuya Kirimoto in Crystal. In the Cloverway Inc. English adaptation produced in association with Optimum Productions, he is voiced by Jeff Lumby, and the Germatoid creatures are voiced by a range of actors including Tony Daniels, David Fraser, and Steven Bednarski. In the Viz Media English adaptation, he is voiced by Keith Silverstein. In the musicals, he has been portrayed by Shunsaku Yajima, Ryuuji Kasahara, Kaname Aoki, and Yuuki Kaon.

Kaolinite

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Kaolinite (カオリナイト, Kaorinaito) is the Commander of the Witches 5 with the title of Magus (秘術師 / マグス, Magusu), named after the mineral of the same name. Originally Kaori Kuromine (黒峰カオリ, Kuromine Kaori), she was Tomoe's assistant before being infected with a Daimon Egg that consumes her humanity while pledging her loyalty to Pharaoh 90. Serving as Pharaoh 90's emissary, with access to Tairon Crystal, Kaolinite convinces Tomoe to offer himself and Hotaru to the Death Busters. Despite no longer being human, Kaolinite retained some of her former self like her infatuation with Tomoe. Posing as Mugen Academy's headmistress, communicating with Pharaoh 90 to relay his orders, Kaolinite directs the Witches 5 to deal with the Sailor Guardians and eventually take the Legendary Silver Crystal while also making attempts to prevent the awakening of Sailor Saturn whom she deemed a threat to her group. After the Witches 5 have all been killed and Mistress 9 had awakened, Kaolinite is given the task to kill the Sailor Guardians herself before the Outer Guardians intervene. This forces Kaolinite to assume her Daimon form prior to being destroyed by Super Sailor Moon's Rainbow Moon Heartache attack.

In the original anime adaptation, her role is changed to oversee the initial Death Buster attacks, Kaolinite seeks out the three Talismans to obtain the Legendary Holy Grail. Her Daimons having attacked Sailor Mars, Sailor Mercury, and Sailor Jupiter prior, Kaolinite targets Sailor Moon while deducing her identity and ends up appearing to fall to death from Tokyo Tower in the resulting battle. But Kaolinite survived, though she lost her memory and Tomoe placed her Hotaru's guardian.[2] Kaolinite eventually regains her memories, stealing Chibiusa's Pure Heart to offer to Mistress 9 so she can win Tomoe's love. But Kaolinite, after Tomoe congratulated her, is killed off when she is thrown into an electrified wall by Mistress 9 for "having served her purpose".

The stage musicals follow the manga version, though no mention of what was occurring at the time of the lightning strike is made, and the event is not shown, only mentioned. The musicals imply Kaori to be her original name, as she is always addressed as Kaori-Kun in Hotaru's presence by Professor Tomoe who states she has been helping them out since, at least, his wife's death. In Usagi Ai no Senshi e no Michi, she leads another set of minions, the Death Nightmares.

In Sailor Moon S, she is voiced by Noriko Uemura. In Crystal, she is voiced by Hikari Yono. In the Cloverway Inc. English adaptation, her name is changed to Kaorinite (though she retains her original name in her second incarnation) and is voiced by Kirsten Bishop. In the Viz Media English adaptation, she is voiced by Tara Platt. In the musicals, Kaolinite is played by Keiko Hanayama, Mutsumi Fukuma, and Miki Kawasaki.

Mistress 9

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Mistress 9 (ミストレス9, Misutoresu Nain) is a malevolent extraterrestrial entity who is Pharaoh 90's main partner, sent to oversee her master's arrival to Earth with Tomoe implanting her Daimon Egg in the comatose body of Hotaru. But Mistress 9 did not fully awaken despite Hotaru having seizures while in the presence of a Taioron Crystal fragment, though Mistress 9 slowly becomes more active when exposed to the light of the Legendary Silver Crystal. After the Witches 5 have all been killed, her influence overwhelmed Hotaru as she force-grows her vessel into a woman with long hair. Mistress 9 steals Chibiusa's soul and Legendary Silver Crystal while using the latter as a replacement power source when she conducts the ritual to summon Pharaoh 90 to Earth. As Pharaoh 90 begins to manifest, Mistress 9 attempts to rip herself out of Hotaru's body to assume her true form. But Mistress 9 is surprised to find that Hotaru's soul still exists and is inhibiting the entity from leaving her body, managing to thwart her by forcing her to be paralyzed on the ground, so Hotaru has enough time to restore the souls of the Inner Guardians and Chibiusa to their bodies. Mistress 9, who turned into her true Daimon form and broke free of Hotaru's force, attempts to steal Sailor Moon's Silver Crystal before Sailor Chibi Moon arrives, Sailor Moon and Chibi Moon assume their Super forms to overwhelm Mistress 9. But when Pharaoh 90 fully manifests, Mistress 9 allows herself to be assimilated into her master with Sailor Saturn's spirit possessing Hotaru by later manifesting from what remained of Mistress 9.

In the original anime's third season, Mistress 9 (commonly mistaken for Sailor Saturn herself) makes her presence known early as she occasionally controls Hotaru to communicate with the other Death Busters, making Hotaru's eyes glow red and emit a red aura of pure evil, in contest to Sailor Saturn's light purplish one. But Mistress 9 fully awakens once obtaining Chibiusa's Pure Heart Crystal, killing Kaolinite for serving her purpose in her full revival. Mistress 9 attempts to use a large machine to guide Pharaoh 90 to Earth so that he may destroy it. Sailor Moon tries to stop her and Tomoe, now freed from Germatoid, attempts to reach her, still seeing her as Hotaru, and the vessel of Sailor Saturn; a fellow Sailor Guardian. She attacks both of them but is seriously injured by energy emanating from the machine. Professor Tomoe takes her in his arms and Hotaru's consciousness begins to respond. Mistress 9 attempts to subdue her once again but Hotaru's memories of both her father and of Chibiusa prove to be overpowering. It results in Hotaru awakening by merging with the spirit of Sailor Saturn within her, their combined strength destroying Mistress 9's dark essence for good.

In Sailor Moon S, Mistress 9's voice is provided by Yuko Minaguchi and Yukiyo Fujii provides her voice in Crystal. In the CWI English dub, she is voiced by Susan Aceron. In the Viz Media English dub, she is voiced by Christine Marie Cabanos. In the musicals, two actresses have played her: Tomoko Inami and Chinatsu Akiyama.

Master Pharaoh 90

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Master Pharaoh 90 ((マスター)ファラオ90(ナインティ), Masutā Farao Nainti) is a malevolent interdimensional being from "Tau Ceti Star System", an amorphous being who is both the mastermind of the Death Busters and the originator of the Daimons. He is Mistress 9's partner. As the Taioron Crystal that he uses for substance is nearly spent with his domain on the verge of collapse, Pharaoh 90 uses the spatial distortions in Tokyo's Sankakusu district to send an advance guard of Daimon Eggs to make preparations for his coming. Pharaoh 90's goal is to assimilate Earth and terraform it into a new home for himself and his Daimon spawn. As his right-hand Mistress 9 was inactive at the time, Pharaoh 90 communicated with Kaolinite at the top of Mugen Academy as he senses both the Legendary Silver Crystal and an unawakened Sailor Saturn whom he expresses dread towards.

Mistress 9 retrieved Chibiusa's future Silver Crystal with Pharaoh deeming it as a replacement for the obsolete Taioron Crystal as he is brought to Earth via an established portal. Once on Earth, Sailor Moon describing his form as that of "black lava reeking of death", Pharaoh absorbs Mistress 9 while beginning to cover the entire Earth despite the Outer Guardians' attempts to contain him within Sankakusu.[3] With Pharaoh 90 able to absorb their attacks, Sailor Moon attempted to sacrifice herself by unleashing the powers of the Legendary Holy Grail and the Silver Crystal while within the entity. But the gambit caused the Outer Guardians' Talismans to resonate and awaken Sailor Saturn, who uses her "Death Reborn Revolution" to weaken Pharaoh 90 but stayed her hand from killing him when Sailor Moon emerged unharmed. The dying Pharaoh 90 attempts to flee back into the Tau System as Saturn gives chase, having Sailor Pluto use her "Dark Dome Close" to seal the dimensional distortion and trap Pharaoh 90 within his dying world to destroy for good. Like all of the head villains in the manga, Pharaoh 90 is later revealed to be an incarnation of Chaos, the ultimate enemy of the series.[4]: Act 59 

In Sailor Moon S, Pharaoh 90 appears as a huge, black eyeball-like sphere with tentacles who are simply acting on an impulse to destroy Earth and recruited Tomoe by providing him with Mistress 9's Daimon Egg. When a portal is opened by Mistress 9, Pharaoh 90 begins to surface before being destroyed by Super Sailor Moon (empowered by the other Guardians) and the newly awakened Sailor Saturn.

Pharaoh 90 is voiced by Takaya Hashi in Crystal, with Michael Sorich (in his first two appearances) and John Eric Bentley voicing him in the English version. Tony Daniels provides vocal effects in the Cloverway Inc. English adaptation.

Witches 5

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The Witches 5 (ウィッチーズ5, Witchīzu Faibu) is a subset of the Death Busters led by Kaolinite. They are artificial human/Daimon hybrids created by Tomoe. The Witches 5 pose as Mugen Academy prefects while given the task to gather souls, or "Hostes," of the student body to both prolong the Tau Ceti Star System and provide vessels for Daimon Eggs. They are seen as either being equal to or stronger than the main Sailor Guardians, whom they target for their interference with the promise of being promoted to Magus level. Kaolinite would later revive the Witches 5 as Mugen Academy's first line of defense when the Sailor Guardians storm the school.

In the anime, the Witches 5 are led by Professor Tomoe while being at odds with Kaolinite. They work as researchers in an underground lab and compete amongst themselves for the professor's approval. They are first given the task to search for the Talismans until Eudial's death; the other members of the group are later instructed by Mistress 9 to find "pure hearts" instead. After a member of the group dies, her successor alters the "Witches 5" sign on the lab's door to reflect the number of remaining members. In the Cloverway English adaptation, the name of the group is changed to the "Bureau of Bad Behavior".[a]

Eudial

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Eudial (ユージアル, Yūjiaru), named for the mineral Eudialyte, is the first member of the Witches 5 to appear. She is a red-haired humanoid with a rank of Level 78 and is able to use the "Fire Buster" flame torrent attack. Under the alias of Yuko Arimura (有村ゆうこ, Arimura Yūko), she is the Etiquette class prefect in charge of Mugen Academy's Philosophy division. Eudial uses her position to bring newly enrolled students to a mountain retreat on "Mount M" for an orientation that doubles as a ritual to extract their Hostes. While retaining her human form in Crystal, Eudial assumes her medusa-like Daimon form to overwhelm Sailors Mars and Jupiter when they interfere before being killed by Sailor Moon. When Kaolinite revives the Witches 5 for her curse against the Sailor Guardians, Eudial targets Mars's insecurities and later attacks Sailor Moon before destroyed by the Outer Guardians.

In the anime, Eudial seems to be the oldest of the group and is much resented by the others; particularly Mimete, because Professor Tomoe seems to favor her. She is referred to as Chief by the other members. Eudial is generally fairly even-tempered and level-headed; however, she is also portrayed as a reckless driver. A brilliant inventor, she is able to construct and jury rig weaponry and computer technology through the use of everyday items, like her deadly shoulder-mounted flamethrower, the Fire Buster, and later in the series booby-traps the under-construction Marine Cathedral. Eudial actually succeeds in getting two of the Talismans but loses them to Sailor Pluto. She uses the Fire Buster to try to attack Super Sailor Moon, but she deflects it back to her. Furious, she escapes in her car, only to find that Mimete has torn out its brakes and filled it with snails. The car crashes through a barrier into the sea below, killing her.

Voice actor Maria Kawamura provides her voice for the original Japanese production and Chiaki Takahashi voices her in Crystal. Canadian actress Loretta Jafelice does her voice for the Cloverway English adaptation, in which her name is changed to "Eugeal". In the Viz Media English adaptation, she is voiced by Erin Fitzgerald. In the musicals, she is played by Hitomi Tsumura and Saya Chinen.

Mimete

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Mimete (ミメット, Mimetto) is the yellow-haired[b] member of the Witches 5 who is named after the mineral mimetite. She has a rank of Level 40 and is able to use the "Charm Buster" attack.[c] Under the alias of Mimi Hanyu (羽生美々, Hanyū Mimi), she is a pop idol who is prefect of Mugen Academy's Arts Division. She uses her cover to hold a concert for Mugen Academy students to take their Hostes, having not expected Sailor Venus to be attending under the guise of a Mugen student. When the other Sailor Guardians arrive, Mimete is forced to fight them with support from Daimons created by some of the students. Despite her efforts, she ends up being killed by Sailor Uranus. When Kaolinite revives the Witches 5 for her curse against the Sailor Guardians, Mimete targets Venus through her fantasy and later attacks Sailor Moon before destroyed by the Outer Guardians.

In the anime adaptation, while ditzy and targeting celebrities, Mimete is assigned to collect Pure Heart Crystals after she orchestrated Eudial's death. Out of all the Witches 5, she is the least organized and the most easily distracted. She can launch mirages in the shape of stars at her opponents and induces severe vertigo and disorientation, capable of rendering someone unconscious in seconds. After several failed attempts at collecting hearts, she tries to use one of Eudial's abandoned inventions, the Witches Electric Warp, but Tellu exploits a design flaw in the machine to mercilessly imprison Mimete inside it.

In the '90s anime, she is voiced by Mika Kanai and in Crystal, she is voiced by Yuki Nagaku. Catherine Disher provides her voice in the Cloverway Inc. English adaptation, in which her name is spelled "Mimet". In the Viz Media English adaptation, she is voiced by Kira Buckland. In the musicals, she is played by Shiori Honda and Aki Kudou.

Viluy

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Viluy (ビリユイ, Biriyui) is the white-haired member of the Witches 5 who is named after the mineral viluite. She has a rank of Level 202 and is able to use nano-machines to completely obliterate her enemy in her "Mosaic Buster" attack. She acts under the alias of Yui Bidoh (美堂ゆい, Bidō Yui), Mugen Academy's top student and prefect of the Computer Club who uses her nanomachines to turn computers into Hoste-sucking machines for the Mugen Prep School held in Mugen Academy. Viluy attempts to take Mercury's soul but ends up being killed by Sailor Uranus. When Kaolinite revives the Witches 5 for her curse against the Sailor Guardians, Viluy targets Mercury's insecurities and later attacks Sailor Moon before destroyed by the Outer Guardians.

In the anime, Viluy is handed the task of gathering pure hearts after Tellu's death. She collects the pure hearts from the students using a supercomputer, controlled by her wristband. She overpowers Sailors Mercury, Uranus, and Neptune using nanomachines controlled by her wristband. Sailor Moon damages Viluy's wristband and the Witch ends up being consumed when her Mosaic Buster rebounded on her.

Viluy also appears in the stage musicals. She is voiced by Yoshino Takamori in the original anime and by Rina Honnizumi in Crystal. In the Cloverway Inc. English adaptation, her names were changed to "Byruit" and "Julie Bidoh" and is voiced by Kim Bubbs. In the Viz Media English adaptation, she is voiced by Julie Ann Taylor (credited as Cricket Brown). In the musicals, she is played by Nao Futatsugi, Yuka Kuwahara, and Yui Hasegawa.

Tellu

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Tellu (テルル, Teruru) is the green-haired member of the Witches 5 who is named after the mineral tellurite. She has a rank of Level 404 and is able to use the "Mandragora Buster" attack. She acts under the alias of Lulu Teruno (照野留々, Teruno Ruru) and is prefect of Mugen Academy's Physical Education class and Botanical Garden, providing a number of her artificial Telluns plants to the populace to absorb Hostes from their victims. Though her scheme is found out by the Sailor Guardians as they confront her, Tellu overpowers the Sailor Guardians before assuming her Daimon form to finish them off. But Tellu ends up being killed by a newly re-awakened Sailor Pluto. When Kaolinite revives the Witches 5 for her curse against the Sailor Guardians, Tellu targets Jupiter's insecurities and later attacks Sailor Moon before destroyed by the Outer Guardians.

In the original anime, after deposing of Mimete, Tellu's role is slightly different as she opens a flower shop to sale her Telluns before being confronted by Sailor Moon, Sailor Chibi Moon, Sailor Pluto, and Tuxedo Mask. When her Telluns being destroyed, Tellu mutates the last into a Hyper-Tellun to kill the group. But Tuxedo Mask hurls one of his roses at Tellu and causes her to lose the Pure Heart Crystals she gathered, resulting in her being attacked by her own creation. Tellu electrocutes the Hyper-Tellun in an attempt to break free, but it self-destructs and she is consumed in the explosion.

She was voiced by Chieko Honda until episodes 30 and 31 of Sailor Moon S. In Crystal, she is voiced by Naomi Ōzora. In the Cloverway Inc. English adaptation, her name is changed to "Telulu" and her silhouette appearance was played by Julie Lemieux. In the Viz Media English adaptation, she is voiced by Laura Post. In the musicals, she is played by Mio Nunokawa, Akiko Iwasaki and Momoko Sadachi.

Cyprine and Ptilol

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Cyprine (シプリン, Shipurin) and Ptilol (プチロル, Puchiroru) are collectively the final members of the Witches 5 who are named after the minerals cyprine and clinoptilolite. They have a rank of Level 999 and are able to use the "Ribbon Buster" attack. In the Materials Collection, author Naoko Takeuchi states that Ptilol is an extension of Cyprine who normally resides within Cyprine's body until they split into two separate beings. The two are mirror-imaged with Cyprine having blue hair and eyes with a braid with a bun on top on the right side of her head and dresses in blue, while Ptilol has red hair and eyes, a braid with a bun on top on the left side of her head and dresses in red.

As prefect of Mugen Academy's business division and sorcery class, Cyprine is tasked by Kaolinite specifically to take care of Haruka and Michiru after the two revealed their true colors. While caught off guard that her quarry are Sailors, Cyprine uses her power to have all the Sailor Guardians save Sailor Moon turn on each other. While she and Ptilol split to dodge her initial attack on them, Sailor Moon manages to kill the twin witches after transforming into Super Sailor Moon and using her "Rainbow Moon Heartache" attack on them. When Kaolinite revives the Witches 5, Cyprine and Ptilol oversee the Sailor Guardians' ensnarement in their trap. After their teammates dealt with the other Sailor Guardians, the twins join the other Witches 5 in overwhelming Sailor Moon before they are all destroyed by the Outer Guardians.

In the anime, while still the last of the Witches 5, Cyprine's story is altered to have her make a final attempt of gathering Pure Hearts for Mistress 9's revival. When the Sailor Guardians interfere, she and Ptilol split and overwhelm the group with one twin blocking an attack aimed at the other and using the absorbed energy to counter while increasing their power. But the Sailors formulate a counter-strategy with Sailor Mercury using her Bubble spray to obscure the area so they can force Cyprine and Ptilol apart, tricking the two into blasting each other as both are killed when their staves are overloaded by the excess energy.

In Sailor Moon S, Yuriko Fuchizaki did the voice of Cyprine and Rumi Kasahara did the voice of Ptilol. In Crystal, they are both voiced by Umeka Shōji. In the Cloverway Inc. English version, their names are changed to "Cyprin" and "Petirol". They are voiced by Naomi Emmerson and Sara Sahr. In the Viz Media English adaptations, they are both voiced by Dorothy Elias-Fahn. In the musicals, only Cyprine has made an appearance, and she is played by Michiho Matsumoto, Saeri Amano, and Maana.

Servants

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Death Mannetjes

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The Death Mannetjes (デス・マネッチャーズ, Desu Manecchāzu) are servants of Professor Tomoe in the musicals Usagi Ai no Senshi e no Michi, Henshin - Super Senshi e no Michi, and its revision. They are four men portrayed as thinking highly of themselves and as masters of disguise. The Mannetjes are tasked with finding the talismans and are rivals of Kaolinite's own set of minions: the Death Nightmares. They are killed by the Sailor Guardians but are revived by Sailor Moon at the end of the musical. Their leader is Death Ra, and other members include Death Ri, Death Ru, and Death Debu Re. They are respectively played by Ryuuji Kasahara, Masakazu Idono, Masayuki Ozaki, and Kouhei Kowada.

The Death Mannetjes appear in the Last Dracul musical. They are homunculi created by Undead Berserk while he takes over Tomoe's body and laboratory. They have no relation to the Death Busters in this version. The Mannetjes have different names in this continuity: Death Pa, Death Pi, Death Pu, and Death Pe. They are respectively portrayed by Jun Kanzaki, Seiko Takuma, Takashi Kashiwagi, and Yoshiya Yukimura.

Death Nightmares

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The Death Nightmares (デス・ナイトメア, Desu Naitomea) are nameless servants of Kaolinite in the musical Usagi Ai no Senshi e no Michi. They are portrayed as beautiful, seductive women with silver hair, and have a rivalry with the Death Mannetjes in the heart snatching. They use a Daimon named Gondola to steal Chibiusa's pure crystal heart, but they are stopped by Sailors Uranus and Neptune, and later killed by the Guardians, only to be revived by Sailor Moon at the end of the musical. They are played by Kaori Ishikawa, Ado Endou, Yuuko Matsumoto, Eri Ikemoto, Hisako Doubayashi, Yoshiko Nakahara, and Junko Oyama.

In the Last Dracul musical, they are female dream demons, appearing again as beautiful and seductive women but with dark hair. Some of them are named in this arc: Olam Tiphareth, Roi Malkuth, and Elyon Yesod; however, there are other unnamed members. They have no relation to the Death Busters in this version; since Kaolinite does not appear in this musical, their leader is Undead Berserk's right-hand woman, Death Lamia (デス・ラミアー, Desu Ramia). The Last Dracul Death Nightmares are portrayed by Miki Kawasaki, Ado Endou, Noriko Yamakawa, Junko Yamauchi, and Izumi Ogino.

Daimons

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Daimons (ダイモーン, Daimōn) are amorphous monsters deployed by the Death Busters to carry out several tasks, normally used as their enforcers. Being a form of life native to the Tau System, the Daimons that manifest on Earth as special pods called Daimon Eggs which need to assimilate host bodies in a process called Vesselization to survive the planet's conditions, both Kaolinite and a willing Tomoe being such examples of the hybridization. But when Tomoe attempted to replicate the process he used to create the Witches 5, a process that combines genetic manipulation and cybernetic modification, the result is malformed Atavized worm creatures which the others called failed experiments despite Tomoe's opinion of the monsters. When defeated, humans recently turned into Daimons revert to their original state while the Daimon Egg shatters upon being ejected.

In the original anime, the Daimons serve as monsters-of-the-day. Appearing as red feminine liquid humanoids in their natural state, the Daimons are artificially created by Tomoe and Vesselize objects to assume personalized form. The first batch of Daimon Eggs used by Kaolinite was allowed to randomly enter objects on their whim and possess a Death Buster mark somewhere on their bodies that allows them to extract a Heart Crystal from their target. When Eudial takes over search for the Talismans, Tomoe built a specialized oven to create fixed Vesselizations with the resulting Daimons created as bodyguards for the witch. The final batch of Daimons, combining the roles of the previous two with the task to revive Mistress 9, are created by Tomoe to aid Mimete and are modified with cormorant traits so they can suck out a Heart Crystal by simply kissing their prey. When defeated, the object reverts to its original state with the Daimon Egg destroyed in the process releasing the bird-formed evil spirits and in most cases, the Heart Crystal returns to its rightful owner. After the remaining Witches 5 have all been killed, the remaining Daimon Eggs all hatched and serve as a barrier to prevent the Sailor Guardians from entering Mugen Academy. After the final battle, one Daimon survived and Vesselized with the oven to become Renji, who acts on her instincts as a Daimon to gather Hearts and attacks the city until the Sailor Guardians stop her, destroying both her and the oven. In the video games Sailor Moon S: Quiz Taiketsu! Sailor Power Ketsushuu and Sailor Moon S - Kotaete Moon Call, Tomoe creates a Daimon named Quiz (クイーズ, Kuīzu), who resurrects Monsters, Droids, and Daimons from the first three seasons of the anime. In the former video game, the player must beat five quizzes in order to defeat these enemies and to make it to the final challenge to confront Quiz.

The musicals also portray them as using human hosts but have more in common in appearance with the anime version.

Reception

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Writer Rebecca Silverman reviewed the first part of the Sailor Moon S English dubbed blu-ray for Anime News Network and considered that Keith Silverstein seemed to have fun while dubbing Professor Tomoe and thought he found "a very good balance between insane and evil." Silverman also noted the increased sexuality of Kaolinite's Daimons.[5] On a later review of the second part, Silverman regrets the producers did not devote enough time to develop Tellu, Viluy, Cyprine, and Ptilol, as they spent too much time on Mimete. However, she praised Kira Buckland's voice acting as Mimete, and positively compared her to Mika Kanai.[6]

In his review of the third-season finale of Sailor Moon Crystal in Den of Geek, writer Michael S. Mammano noted that Master Pharaoh 90 is the first of the major antagonists to beg for his life: "We've seen rage, denial, despair, but never begging. I'm not sure if that makes Pharaoh 90 pathetic or Pluto and Saturn just that much cooler. Perhaps both?"[7]

In the third official Sailor Moon popularity poll, out of fifty-one choices, Mistress 9 was ranked the twenty-third most popular character in the series, Professor Tomoe was thirty-fourth, Kaolinite was thirty-sixth, and Pharaoh 90 was forty-eighth. The poll listed the magical and civilian forms of the Witches 5 as separate entities. Mimete was the twenty-eighth most popular character, Mimi Hanyu was thirty-first, Eudial was thirty-second, Cyprine was thirty-fifth, Yui Bidoh was thirty-seventh, Lulu Teruno was thirty-eighth, Viluy was fortieth, Yuko Arimura was forty-second, Tellu was forty-third, and Ptilol was forty-fourth.[8]

Notes

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References

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from Grokipedia
The Death Busters (デス・バスターズ, Desu Basutāzu) are a fictional antagonistic organization in the franchise, serving as the primary villains in the third story arc, known as the Infinity Arc or Death Busters Arc, adapted from Naoko Takeuchi's . This alien group originates from the Tau Nebula and aims to invade as a new home for their dying world by extracting pure heart crystals—sources of human vitality—from innocent people, ultimately to facilitate the arrival of their ruler, Pharaoh 90, and merge the two planets in destruction. Their operations involve creating monstrous entities to possess and target victims, posing a dire threat to global peace. On Earth, the Death Busters operate covertly through Mugen Academy, an elite private school led by the deranged Professor Souichi Tomoe, who conducts experiments to harvest the crystals and advance their conquest. Key operatives include the Witches 5—a of scientists comprising Eudial, Mimete, Tellu, Viluy, and the twins Cyprine and Ptilol—who execute missions to collect the hearts, alongside high-ranking figures like Mistress 9, who embodies Pharaoh 90's influence through possession. Pharaoh 90 itself is depicted as an immense, otherworldly entity capable of planetary devastation, driving the group's apocalyptic agenda. The Death Busters arc marks a darker turn in the series, introducing outer Sailor Guardians such as and , who independently pursue the talismans hidden within the pure heart crystals to avert prophecy of doom, while also revealing Sailor Pluto's ongoing guardianship role and Sailor Saturn's sacrificial power. In adaptations, they feature prominently in the original 's Sailor Moon S season (1994–1995, 38 episodes) and Sailor Moon Crystal season 3 (2016, episodes 27–39), where the heroes' battles culminate in efforts to expel Pharaoh 90 and purify the corrupted souls. This storyline emphasizes themes of purity, sacrifice, and protection against existential threats, solidifying the arc's status as a pivotal and popular installment in the franchise.

Overview

Concept and Role in the Series

The Death Busters serve as the primary antagonistic collective in the third major storyline of the Sailor Moon franchise, known as the Infinity arc. Originating from the Tau Star System, they represent an interdimensional threat intent on invading and terraforming to revive their perishing world. Their narrative purpose centers on exploiting sources, specifically pure hearts extracted from individuals, to fuel this conquest and summon their ultimate leader, Master Pharaoh 90, whose arrival would engulf the planet in silence and destruction. Introduced in the manga with Act 27, "Infinity 1 Premonition," serialized in Nakayoshi magazine on February 3, 1994, the Death Busters establish their presence through mysterious attacks and the emergence of new Sailor Guardians. In the anime adaptation, they debut in Sailor Moon S episode 90, "Premonition of the Apocalypse: The Mysterious New Guardians Appear," which aired on March 19, 1994. This arc shifts the series' focus from previous earthly and temporal conflicts to cosmic invasion, pitting the Inner and Outer Sailor Guardians against the Death Busters' relentless pursuit of domination. Throughout the storyline, the Death Busters orchestrate operations centered at Mugen Academy, where they target promising students and civilians alike to amass the necessary energy. The conflict escalates into intense confrontations, particularly involving the Outer Senshi—Sailor Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Saturn—who embody the arc's protective role against existential threats. Culminating in a desperate battle to prevent Pharaoh 90's full manifestation, the narrative underscores the Guardians' resolve to safeguard Earth's vitality against oblivion. Thematically, the Death Busters embody motifs of and rebirth, reflecting their desperate bid for renewal through destruction, as well as the perils of interdimensional incursions that challenge the boundaries of worlds. Driven by key figures such as Professor Tomoe and Master 90, they utilize agents like the Witches 5 and Daimons to execute their soul-harvesting scheme.

Organization and Goals

The Death Busters operate as a originating from the Tau Star System, an alien dimension outside 's solar system, with Master 90 serving as the supreme interdimensional leader whose full manifestation on Earth is central to their plans. On Earth, human collaborators such as Professor Tomoe direct operations from Mugen Academy, coordinating through subordinates like and the Witches 5 to execute their agenda. This structure blends scientific expertise with supernatural elements, forming a loose alliance of researchers, witches, and monstrous entities united by loyalty to 90, though internal rivalries—particularly among the Witches 5 vying for favor—occasionally undermine cohesion. The primary objective of the Death Busters is to terraform Earth into a habitable environment for their species by extracting pure hearts from s, which serve as energy sources to facilitate Pharaoh 90's complete arrival and subsequent assimilation of the planet. These pure hearts are harvested via Daimons, parasitic minions deployed as the organization's frontline agents. Secondary pursuits include scientific experimentation on human subjects, such as genetic fusions with alien elements to produce hybrids, which advance their invasive capabilities and support the creation of enhanced minions. Through these efforts, the group aims to eradicate Earth's native life forms and establish dominance under Pharaoh 90's rule.

Base and Operations

Mugen Academy

Mugen Academy is an elite private school located in Tokyo's Sankakusu District, established as the central headquarters for the Death Busters' covert operations. Founded by Professor Souichi Tomoe, it operates as an escalator institution from preschool through graduate levels, drawing in high-achieving students with its emphasis on advanced sciences and arts education while secretly serving as a recruitment ground for individuals with pure hearts suitable for the organization's experiments. The academy's architecture reflects its dual nature as a prestigious educational facility and a hidden , featuring a sprawling 60-floor with specialized classrooms for subjects like , , and . Concealed within and behind the main structure are clandestine laboratories, including the Area—an unstable dimensional rift saturated with dark, alien energy that enhances the Death Busters' influence and enables their otherworldly pursuits. Strategically, Mugen Academy functions as the primary hub for soul harvesting, where the Death Busters deploy Daimons to possess students and extract pure heart crystals essential to their plans. This location embodies the thematic corruption of youth and innocence, as the Witches 5 members briefly pose as instructors or pupils to execute targeted schemes amid the school's everyday academic environment. The site hosts pivotal narrative events, including intense battles between the Sailor Guardians and Death Busters forces, the possession of student Hotaru Tomoe leading to the emergence of Mistress 9, and 's near-invasion through the , which ultimately results in the academy's complete destruction.

Daimon Creation and Deployment

The Daimon eggs, essential to the Death Busters' strategy, are developed by Professor Tomoe within the specialized laboratories at Mugen Academy. These eggs are infused with energy derived from the Tau Nebula, the interdimensional origin of the Death Busters, which empowers them to initiate possession and transformation. In the anime, deployment tactics center on launching the eggs via vehicles operated by Death Busters members, such as Eudial's Fire Buster, which propels them toward selected targets to implant into humans or objects. The eggs specifically seek out pure-hearted individuals, transforming them into tasked with extracting Heart Crystals or souls to fuel the organization's objectives. The possession process involves the egg hatching upon activation, resulting in a genetic fusion between the human host and the alien matter from the Tau Nebula, thereby creating a hybrid entity. This method reflects Professor Tomoe's scientific expertise, combining advanced genetic manipulation with interdimensional energy to produce effective combatants. Over time, the creation and deployment evolved from broad, indiscriminate possessions to more precise operations targeting the Sailor Guardians, as the Death Busters adapted to counter their interference. Failures typically lead to the Guardians purifying the host, thereby neutralizing the and recovering any extracted Heart Crystals. The Witches 5 occasionally oversee or assist in these egg launches to ensure operational success.

Leadership

Professor Tomoe

Professor Souichi is a renowned specializing in unethical gene manipulation experiments, who founded and directed Mugen Academy after being expelled from academic circles for his controversial research. As the father of Hotaru Tomoe, his life changed dramatically during a laboratory accident caused by a , which killed his wife Keiko and severely injured Hotaru, leaving her in a coma. Overcome by , Tomoe allied with the alien 90, allowing the parasitic Germatoid to possess him in exchange for experimental technology to save his daughter, implanting a egg into her body to sustain her life. Following the possession, underwent a profound transformation, merging with Germatoid to become a human-alien hybrid that enhanced his intellect and granted him dark powers, such as energy manipulation and the ability to create monstrous entities, while fragments of his original humanity persisted, particularly in his paternal devotion to Hotaru. In this altered state, he appeared with white hair, hollow dark pupils, round glasses, and a signature white lab coat, often silhouetted in shadow to emphasize his eerie presence. Approximately 35 years old, Tomoe retained a refined demeanor but became increasingly unhinged under Germatoid's influence. As the human leader of the Death Busters, oversaw all organizational operations from Mugen Academy, inventing the creation technology that involved extracting Pure Heart Crystals to fuel the invasion and developing cybernetic enhancements for the Witches 5. He collaborated closely with his assistant to deploy these minions and manipulated events to facilitate the awakening of Mistress 9 within Hotaru, driven ultimately by his desperate goal to cure his daughter's illness through the entity's power. His scientific prowess in , , and enabled the production of "super beings" aligned with the Death Busters' objectives. Tomoe's fate diverges between adaptations: in the manga, he fully transforms into the monstrous Germatoid during the final confrontation and is destroyed by Super Sailor Moon's Rainbow Moon Heartache attack (Act 42). In the anime, he survives the battle with Pharaoh 90 severely injured, suffering amnesia that erases his memories of the Death Busters, and later lives peacefully, entrusting infant Hotaru to Setsuna Meioh in Sailor Stars (episode 167). He is voiced by Akira Kamiya in the original Sailor Moon S anime and Takuya Kirimoto in Sailor Moon Crystal, with Keith Silverstein providing the English voice in the Viz Media dubs of both.

Kaolinite

Kaolinite serves as Professor Tomoe's assistant and acts as a high-ranking member of the Death Busters in service to 90. She appears as a tall woman with long red hair, pale skin, and grey eyes. As a powerful sorceress, Kaolinite commands the Witches 5 in their missions to extract pure heart crystals from victims at Mugen Academy, while performing rituals as the Magus to facilitate 90's arrival on Earth. Her abilities include to manipulate objects and foes, generation of destructive energy blasts, , , and the extension of her hair as a weapon to ensnare or choke opponents. demonstrates unwavering loyalty to the Death Busters' goal of planetary conquest through pure heart harvesting, personally intervening in hunts when subordinates fail and overseeing operations from the Tomoe household and Mugen Academy. Over time, she develops unrequited romantic feelings toward Professor Tomoe, often expressing admiration for his scientific genius amid their collaborative experiments. In key confrontations, directly battles the Guardians, deploying s and attempting to seize the talismans needed for Pharaoh 90's summoning, though her efforts are repeatedly thwarted. Her fate diverges between adaptations: in the , she transforms into a full form and is swiftly destroyed by Moon's attack; in the , after a fall from , she is revived by but ultimately perishes in a final confrontation with the Guardians. Kaolinite is voiced by Noriko Uemura in the original anime series, Hikari Yono in , and in the English dub.

Mistress 9

Mistress 9 serves as the herald and destined partner of Master 90, originating as a powerful female entity spawned from his essence within the Tau Nebula of the Tau Star System. She was implanted into the body of Hotaru Tomoe by her father, Professor Souichi Tomoe, through the use of a egg as part of his experiments to facilitate the Death Busters' invasion. Known as the Messiah of Silence or Sovereign of Silence, Mistress 9 embodies the destructive silence that precedes 90's assimilation of worlds, acting as his primary messenger and vessel on . Her manifestation occurs when the collected pure heart crystals reach a , awakening the entity within Hotaru's body and transforming it into an adult-like form resembling a tall woman in her thirties, with long straight black hair, dark purple eyes that occasionally glow red, and attire featuring a sleeveless dark purple top with decorative elements. This possession overrides Hotaru's physical form but initially faces resistance due to the girl's innate spiritual strength and light-based essence, creating an internal conflict that Mistress 9 views as confining. The awakening depends on Professor Tomoe's daimon-based rituals but ultimately subordinates her fully to Pharaoh 90's will. Mistress 9 possesses immense dark energy manipulation, allowing her to project bolts of , engage in telepathic communication across distances, and warp reality to open portals for Pharaoh 90's arrival, all while contrasting sharply with the purifying light inherent in Hotaru's soul. Her signature ability involves extending her extraordinarily long black hair as a prehensile to strangle, entangle, or extract souls from victims, demonstrating her role in harvesting energy to accelerate the invasion. These powers enable her to command lesser Death Busters and manipulate events at Mugen Academy, prioritizing the acquisition of artifacts like the to complete the gateway. In the manga adaptation by , Mistress 9 is ultimately assimilated into Pharaoh 90 as he merges with her form to fully manifest on , fulfilling her purpose as his vessel. By contrast, in the series, she is destroyed by the awakening power of within Hotaru, expelling the entity and preventing full assimilation. She is voiced by Yūko Minaguchi in the original , Yukiyo Fujii in , and in the English dub.

Master Pharaoh 90

Master Pharaoh 90 is an interdimensional parasitic entity originating from the Tau Nebula, depicted as a colossal, amorphous being capable of devouring entire worlds and symbolizing ultimate silence and total annihilation. This alien force serves as the supreme leader and ultimate authority of the Death Busters, providing the source of their power and creating the Daimons that enable their operations on Earth. Its primary ambition is to assimilate the planet, engulfing it in darkness to transform Earth into a new domain for its kind, partnering with Mistress 9 as a vessel to facilitate its manifestation in the physical world. Pharaoh 90 possesses immense abilities on a planetary scale, including the capacity for total assimilation of matter and energy, powerful energy projection that can corrupt and consume environments, and the absorption of human souls to fuel its expansion. It communicates telepathically with its subordinates, exerting manipulative control over agents such as Professor Tomoe to advance its invasion plans. In the manga, Pharaoh 90 is driven back to the Tau Nebula by and subsequently sealed there by using her Dark Dome Close technique, preventing any return to Earth. In the original adaptation (), it is destroyed through the combined powers of Super Sailor Moon and . In , Pharaoh 90 is driven back to the Tau Nebula by and sealed there by . Pharaoh 90 is voiced by Takaya Hashi in the Japanese version of . In the English dub, it is voiced by .

Witches 5

Eudial

Eudial serves as the first member of the Witches 5, the elite group of antagonists aligned with the Death Busters in the series. As the fire-element witch, she infiltrates Mugen Academy by posing as a staff member, using the institution as a cover for her operations. Her primary motivation stems from a fierce ambition to demonstrate her superiority over her fellow witches, pushing her to take aggressive actions in pursuit of the Death Busters' goals. In her role, Eudial spearheads the early soul-hunting efforts, deploying her customized Fire Buster —a high-tech equipped to launch Daimon eggs at targets to extract pure hearts and souls. She relies heavily on technology in combat, employing fire-based attacks like her signature and an array of gadgets to target the Sailor Guardians. Under the supervision of , her missions mark the initial phase of the Death Busters' campaign, though she suffers repeated failures against the heroes. Mimete succeeds her following her demise. Eudial's personality is defined by her hot-tempered nature and intense competitiveness with the other Witches 5 members, often leading to impulsive decisions in battle. Despite her technological prowess and bold tactics, she ultimately meets her end when killed by in both the manga and adaptations. In the original , she is voiced by ; in , by Chiaki Takahashi; and in the Viz Media English dub, by .

Mimete

Mimete serves as the second member of the Witches 5 within the Death Busters organization, assuming the role after Eudial's demise under orders from . Posing as the celebrity idol singer Mimi Hanyu, she leverages her public persona to infiltrate Mugen Academy's division while harboring an intense obsession with achieving fame and securing Tomoe's admiration. In her capacity as a witch, Mimete employs the Charm Buster, a signature attack launched from her staff that projects star-shaped sound waves capable of hypnotizing or disorienting victims, often turning them into unwitting captives. She deploys these abilities alongside Daimons to extract Pure Heart Crystals, frequently targeting her adoring fans and the Sailor Guardians through deceptive psychological tactics rooted in her idol facade, such as staging concerts to lure victims. Characterized by jealousy and a penchant for , Mimete actively undermines her peers to advance her status, exemplified by her intense rivalry with Eudial, whom she pranks and sabotages in a bid to prove her superiority. The adaptation deepens her portrayal beyond the manga's more straightforward villainy, revealing layers through her unrequited infatuation with , which humanizes her desperation and adds emotional complexity to her scheming nature. Following a string of unsuccessful Pure Heart extractions, Mimete attempts to seize the . In the anime, she is ultimately absorbed into Germatoid—Professor Tomoe's alter ego—resulting in her demise and a fate of eternal entrapment. In the , she is initially defeated by and , briefly revived by along with other Witches 5, and ultimately destroyed by Sailor Neptune's Submarine Reflection attack. Mimete is voiced by Mika Kanai in the original Sailor Moon S anime, Yuki Nagaku in Sailor Moon Crystal, and Kira Buckland in the Viz Media English dub of both series.

Viluy

Viluy is the fourth member of the Witches 5 in the anime adaptation of Sailor Moon S and the third in the manga's Infinity arc, serving as the group's analytical witch with an affinity for ice-based powers. Posing as Yui Bidou, the top student and leader of the science class at Mugen Academy, she is a genius inventor who dismisses emotions as inherent weaknesses, prioritizing cold logic and scientific precision in all her endeavors. Succeeding Mimete in the Witches 5 hierarchy, Viluy leverages Mugen Academy's laboratories to engineer advanced technology, deploying clouds of through her Mosaic Buster attack for surveillance, data analysis, and direct assaults on foes. This weapon releases microscopic robots capable of infiltrating bodies or systems to extract Pure Heart Crystals or exploit vulnerabilities, allowing her to methodically assess and target the Sailor Guardians' weaknesses—particularly those of , her intellectual counterpart. Her ice manipulation complements these technological assaults, freezing targets to immobilize them during analysis. Characterized by her detached, calculating demeanor, Viluy briefly collaborates with Tellu and the remaining Witches 5, merging her data-processing abilities with their collective powers to create a robotic shield aimed at ensnaring and eliminating Sailor Moon. This alliance underscores her strategic mindset, yet her profound underestimation of human emotional bonds—dismissing friendship and empathy as illogical flaws—blinds her to the Guardians' resilience. Viluy meets her end in both the manga and anime during confrontations at Mugen Academy. In the manga, after deploying nanobots into Sailor Mercury's body, she is slain by Sailor Uranus's Space Sword Blaster, which disrupts her systems. In the anime, Sailor Moon's Rainbow Moon Heart Ache shatters her nanocuff gauntlet, causing the uncontrolled nanotechnology to consume and dissolve her entirely, leaving no trace. Her spirit is later briefly revived by Kaolinite in the manga for a final assault but is ultimately destroyed by the Outer Guardians. She is voiced by Yoshino Takamori in Sailor Moon S and Rina Hon'izumi in Sailor Moon Crystal. In the English dub, provides her voice across both series.

Tellu

Tellu is the fourth Witch 5 member introduced in the manga and the third in the anime adaptation, specializing in nature-based powers derived from manipulation. Operating under the alias Lulu Teruno, she manages the botanical garden and physical education at Mugen Academy, using her position to conduct experiments with hybrid flora designed to extract Pure Heart Crystals from victims. Her vengeful personality stems from frustration with the incompetence of prior Witches 5 members Eudial and Mimete, motivating her to outperform them and earn favor from Master Pharaoh 90. In , Tellu wields the Flower Buster, a weapon that summons electrified vines from her hands to ensnare enemies or deploy poisonous for attacks. She creates carnivorous Tellun flowers—genetically engineered blooms that latch onto hosts and drain their Pure Heart Crystals—distributing them through her flower shop to target promising individuals like athletes. Though elegant in demeanor, Tellu is ruthless, briefly allying with Viluy to amplify her botanical assaults with technological enhancements before their partnership sours. Tellu's schemes culminate in a confrontation at Mugen Academy's floral displays, where she unleashes a massive Hyper Tellun plant infused with multiple Pure Heart Crystals. Overpowered by Super Sailor Moon's Holy Grail-enhanced attack, the plant explodes, consuming Tellu in the blast and resulting in her death in both the and . She is voiced by Chieko Honda in the original Japanese , in , and in the English dub.

Cyprine and Ptilol

Cyprine and Ptilol are the highest-ranked members of the Witches 5, appearing as twin witches in the anime and manga, where they represent the culmination of the group's evolution toward perfection in serving 90. Cyprine is characterized by her blue attire and hair, while Ptilol features a red color scheme with matching eyes and a side ponytail , emphasizing their inseparable duality as a single entity split into two forms. As the strongest of the Witches 5, they operate in perfect synchronization, launching coordinated thunder and flame attacks through their signature Twin Buster technique, which combines energy from their staves to overwhelm opponents. Their abilities extend to manipulating environments and creating illusions in tandem, allowing them to ensnare multiple targets simultaneously, including all Sailor Guardians, following the failures of their predecessor witches. Inseparable and marked by arrogance, they embody the apex of the Witches 5's power, viewing themselves as flawless agents commanded by Professor Tomoe as the final line of defense. In both the anime and manga, Cyprine and Ptilol are ultimately defeated by Super Sailor Moon and during their confrontation at Mugen Academy. In the original anime, Cyprine is voiced by Yuriko Fuchizaki and Ptilol by Rumi Kasahara in Japanese, with Dorothy Fahn providing the English voice for both in the Viz Media dub. In , Umeka Shōji voices both characters in Japanese, again with Dorothy Fahn in the English dub.

Minions and Servants

Death Mannetjes

The Death Mannetjes are a group of four humanoid henchmen exclusive to the Sailor Moon musicals (Sera Myu), serving as auxiliary servants to Professor Tomoe within the Death Busters organization. Named Death Ra (leader), Death Ri, Death Ru, and Death Debu Re, they were created under Tomoe's direction in his laboratory at Mugen Academy, functioning as homunculi-like figures depicted as diminutive, doll-like males clad in formal attire or exaggerated costumes featuring shiny silver jumpsuits and unusual protrusions for a mix of comedic and eerie stage presence. In their role, the Death Mannetjes assist with laboratory experiments, guard the academy premises, and provide support to the Witches 5 during operations, often contributing to the villains' schemes through their specialized abilities in and . For instance, they create confusion by mimicking characters like or the Guardians' allies, such as one member disguising as Deimos to mislead Usagi and her friends. These expendable minions complement other Death Busters servants like the Daimons by handling menial and deceptive tasks, adding levity or tension to performances without engaging in direct combat. The group demonstrates basic physical strength and unwavering obedience but possesses no significant supernatural powers, emphasizing their utility as disposable aides rather than frontline threats. Their appearances are limited to non-anime media, with prominent roles in the Sailor Moon S stage productions, including Usagi Ai no Senshi e no Michi (1994) and its revisions up to 1995, where they aid in lab work and infiltration plots. They also feature in a minor capacity as laboratory assistants in Sailor Moon: Last Dracul Jokyoku (2000), imitating external Solar System Guardians to further the Death Busters' rituals.

Death Nightmares

The Death Nightmares are specialized female minions exclusive to the Sera Myu stage musicals of the franchise, originating as 's personal servants within the Death Busters organization. Depicted as ethereal and seductive figures enveloped in nightmare-inducing auras, they embody a haunting allure that distinguishes them from other antagonists in the performances. In their role, the Death Nightmares assist in conducting rituals aimed at soul seduction, thereby amplifying the mystical and ominous aspects of the Death Busters' overarching schemes to invade . Loyal to , they contribute to the broader invasion plot by subtly influencing victims through their enchanting presence during key scenes. Their abilities center on generating illusions and manipulating emotions to draw in and ensnare targets, often executed through synchronized, dance-like attacks that integrate seamlessly into the musical's and song sequences. These minions prominently appear in the 1994 production Sailor Moon S - Usagi Ai no Senshi e no Michi, where they engage in combat and seductive interludes before being defeated by the Guardians, and in subsequent similar stage adaptations such as revisioned versions of the S arc musicals. In these shows, they serve as symbols of dark temptation, heightening the theatrical tension through their graceful yet menacing performances.

Daimons

The Daimons are the primary monstrous army of the Death Busters, serving as disposable soldiers in their campaign to conquer by extracting Pure Heart Crystals from humans. These genderless, amorphous aliens originate from the and are deployed as parasitic entities that possess living hosts or everyday objects, transforming them into hybrid monsters with unique, thematic designs such as animalistic, plant-based, or mechanical forms. In the anime adaptation, typically emerge from eggs implanted into inanimate objects like a or a , resulting in bizarre, often comedic hybrids that retain elements of their host while gaining demonic features, such as tentacles or glowing eyes. Their core function is to target individuals with Pure Hearts, using energy blasts or host-specific attacks— for instance, a fused with a might employ feral claw strikes—to rip out the vital needed to power the Death Busters' invasion and summon Pharaoh 90. These creatures possess enhanced physical strength and regenerative abilities, making them formidable in battles against the Sailor Guardians, though they are ultimately purified and destroyed by attacks like Sailor Moon's Silver Moon Crystal Power Kiss, which restores the host and banishes the . The version portrays s differently, as grotesque, giant worm-like creatures with skull faces that possess and transform human hosts, often students at Mugen Academy, into monsters with a more uniform appearance in shades of purple, pink, and black rather than the anime's object-based variety. Unlike the intelligent Witches 5, Daimons operate as mindless tools, often deployed in swarms for mass assaults, emphasizing their role as in the Death Busters' hierarchy.

Differences in Adaptations

Manga vs. Anime Discrepancies

The portrayal of the Death Busters in Naoko Takeuchi's original manga, specifically the Infinity arc published in Nakayoshi from 1994 to 1995, diverges significantly from their depiction in the Sailor Moon S anime adaptation, which aired from 1994 to 1995 and expanded the story for television serialization. While both versions center on the antagonists' goal of summoning Pharaoh 90 from the Tau Nebula to consume Earth, the manga presents a more streamlined and ominous narrative, whereas the anime introduces additional subplots, character developments, and lighter elements to suit episodic formatting. A key discrepancy lies in the fates of the leadership figures. In the manga, Professor Souichi Tomoe, who willingly allies with the Death Busters after losing his wife and injuring his daughter Hotaru in a lab accident, transforms into the entity Germatoid and is killed by Super Sailor Moon during the confrontation at the lab, emphasizing irreversible corruption. Mistress 9 perishes later in the climactic battle through Sailor Saturn's intervention. 90 is ultimately sealed back into the Tau Nebula by Sailor Saturn's intervention, preventing its full manifestation on Earth but leaving its threat latent. In contrast, the anime portrays Tomoe as initially possessed and manipulated by the entity Germatoid; after the entity's defeat, Tomoe survives with amnesia, relocating to a peaceful life with the reborn infant Hotaru, allowing for themes of redemption and familial restoration.) 90 meets a more definitive end, destroyed by Super Sailor Moon's Silver Moon Crystal Power Kiss attack, underscoring the anime's preference for conclusive victories.) The arcs involving the Witches 5 also differ markedly in structure and execution. The revives all five members—Mimete, Eudial, Tellu, Viluy, and Cyprine/Ptilol—simultaneously through Kaolinite's ritual, leading to a condensed confrontation where the Outer Senshi systematically defeat them in rapid succession without prolonged individual backstories. This approach maintains a tight focus on their role as vessels for pure-hearted individuals transformed into "perfect form" .) The , however, unfolds their stories sequentially across multiple episodes, with each witch receiving dedicated arcs that highlight internal rivalries, such as Mimete's jealousy toward her predecessors, and filler battles to extend the season to 38 episodes.) Their human origins are emphasized without the manga's Daimon transformation, adding layers of tragic villainy through personal motivations and defeats by combined Inner and Outer Senshi efforts. Plot elements further illustrate the adaptations' contrasting scopes. The manga's narrative drives directly toward Hotaru's possession by Mistress 9 and the emergence of as the "Messiah of Silence," with minimal detours, culminating in a fatalistic battle at Infinity Academy. The anime expands this foundation by incorporating a quest for the three Talismans hidden within Pure Heart Crystals, requiring the Outer Senshi to locate them through targeted extractions from specific individuals, often in three-part episodes. Additional artifacts like the amplify Sailor Moon's powers, enabling confrontations with escalating Daimon threats and integrating more team dynamics among the Senshi.) Thematically, the manga adopts a darker, more fatalistic tone, portraying the Death Busters' invasion as an inexorable cosmic horror with heavy emphasis on loss, destiny, and the inevitability of destruction, reflected in Hotaru's isolated suffering and the Outers' willingness to sacrifice. The anime tempers this with humor—such as comedic Daimon extractions and Usagi's romantic subplots—alongside extended battles that build suspense and allow for character growth, romance between Senshi pairs, and moments of levity amid the science-fiction dread of Mugen Academy's experiments. These shifts accommodate the anime's weekly format while preserving the core antagonism at Mugen Academy.

Appearances in Other Media

The Death Busters appear in the third season of (2014–2016), which adapts the Infinity arc from volumes 5 and 6 of Naoko Takeuchi's with greater fidelity than the original 1990s , spanning 13 episodes that condense the storyline while emphasizing key events like the pursuit of Pure Heart Crystals and the awakening of . The season features updated animation under a new director and character designer, including redesigned transformation sequences and a more streamlined visual style that aligns closely with the manga's aesthetic. Pharaoh 90 is depicted as a shadowy entity with glowing eyes and extending shadow tendrils, portraying it as an otherworldly cosmic force from the Tau Nebula.) Hotaru Tomoe's arc, central to the conflict as the vessel for Mistress 9, is presented in a more compact form, focusing on her isolation, possession, and rebirth without the extended filler episodes of the original anime. Key voice cast includes as the Japanese voice of Mistress 9, bringing a chilling intensity to the entity's manipulative presence. In the Sera Myu stage musicals, produced from the 1990s through the 2010s, the Death Busters serve as primary antagonists in several productions adapting the storyline, such as the 1994 Summer Special Usagi - Ai no Senshi e no Michi and the 1995 Winter Special Henshin - Super Senshi e no Michi, where the Sailor Guardians battle the organization to prevent Pharaoh 90's invasion. These adaptations expand the group's roster with original elements like the Death Mannetjes (male minions who assist in rituals) and Death Nightmares (illusory beasts used in confrontations), adding layers of theatrical spectacle not present in the source material. Productions like Mugen Gakuen ~ Mistress Labyrinth (2000 revision) introduce narrative twists, such as a family fleeing a Death Buster-overrun planet, heightening the stakes through ensemble song-and-dance sequences that depict battles as choreographed performances emphasizing themes of silence and destruction. Professor Souichi Tomoe is often portrayed with nuanced depth, highlighting his tragic motivations as a grieving father, which lends a sympathetic undertone to his leadership of the group amid the high-energy musical numbers. The 2003–2004 live-action series Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon does not feature the Death Busters, as it adapts only the arc (Acts 1–25) and an original extension into a secondary storyline (Acts 26–49), concluding after 49 episodes without reaching the Infinity arc due to cancellation. While no direct equivalent appears, thematic influences from the Death Busters' motifs of possession and apocalypse subtly echo in later live-action specials and the 2021 Cosmos films, where outer Senshi dynamics draw from elements without explicit inclusion of the organization. The Death Busters are prominent in various Sailor Moon video games, particularly those tied to the Sailor Moon S era. In the 1994 SNES fighting game Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon S, members of the Witches 5 serve as playable characters and bosses, with battles against Eudial, Mimete, and others simulating Pure Heart extractions through one-on-one duels. The 1995 SNES RPG Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon: Another Story positions the Death Busters as central enemies, including boss encounters with the full Witches 5 lineup and Pharaoh 90, where players control teams of Senshi to thwart their plan across multiple chapters. Arcade titles like the 1995 Sailor Moon S feature side-scrolling levels culminating in fights against Death Buster minions and witches, emphasizing cooperative gameplay. Mobile games such as Sailor Moon Drops (2015–2021) include event stages recreating the arc, with puzzles involving defeats and core character designs preserved in modern . Merchandise lines, including figures and apparel from the reboot, maintain the Death Busters' iconic visuals with contemporary updates like metallic finishes on Pharaoh 90 models.

Reception and Legacy

Critical Reception

The Death Busters arc in has been widely praised by critics for introducing a darker, more mature tone to the series, emphasizing themes of sacrifice and moral ambiguity through the Outer Senshi's debut and their conflicts with the antagonists. Reviewers have highlighted how the villains serve as effective foils to these themes, with their quest for pure heart crystals creating high-stakes emotional drama that grounds the in human vulnerability rather than purely fantastical threats. This shift elevated the season's , making it more engaging for adult audiences while retaining appeal for younger viewers. Critics have commended the leadership figures within the Death Busters for their nuanced portrayals. Keith Silverstein's voice acting as Professor Tomoe in the English dub has been noted for its delightfully unhinged quality, adding depth to the character's tragic possession and mad-scientist persona. Similarly, Pharaoh 90's depiction as a begging, despairing entity in the finale marks an innovative departure from typical invincible overlords, humanizing the ultimate villain and underscoring the Senshi's resolve without relying on conventional power displays. The Witches 5 subgroup received mixed analysis, with Mimete often favored for her comedic flair and character growth from ditzy idol to a more sympathetic figure through expanded scenes that highlight her insecurities and humor. However, the group as a whole has been criticized for repetitive defeat patterns and pacing issues, where individual arcs feel rushed—particularly as Mimete's extended run overshadows others, limiting deeper development. Some reviewers have viewed the soul-harvesting plot as somewhat derivative of earlier invasion tropes, echoing resource-scarce alien threats in other media. Additionally, minor minions like the Daimons have faced critique for underdevelopment, appearing as generic, one-off monsters with inconsistent designs that fail to build lasting menace.

Popularity and Cultural Impact

The Death Busters arc from has garnered significant fan appreciation, with characters like Mistress 9, Professor Tomoe, and receiving notable rankings in official 1990s popularity surveys conducted by magazine, where Mistress 9 placed 23rd overall. Members of the Witches 5, particularly Mimete, have developed a for their exaggerated, campy villainy, often highlighted in fan discussions for blending humor with menace. The Death Busters' narrative of apocalyptic threats and world-ending invasion has influenced subsequent tropes, emphasizing high-stakes cosmic dangers that test the heroes' resolve, as seen in series like , which echoes themes of possession and existential peril in its of the . Themes of alien possession and interstellar conquest introduced by the Death Busters also resonate in broader , contributing to explorations of otherworldly corruption and human vulnerability in works like . Interest in the Death Busters revived with the 2014 launch of , which faithfully adapted their arc in its third season, drawing new audiences through updated animation and storytelling. The availability of English dubs on streaming platforms like and starting in 2017, and on for Crystal beginning in 2021, further boosted global accessibility, leading to increased viewership and discussions around the arc's darker tone. of Death Busters characters, such as the Witches 5, remains popular at major conventions like and Comic-Con, where fans recreate their distinctive, eclectic designs. Merchandise featuring the Death Busters includes collectible figures like the plush from Great Eastern Entertainment and soundtracks such as the Sailor Moon S Music Collection, which features tracks like "Death Busters' Ambition." Stage musical revivals in the 2020s, including productions of the Infinity arc in , underscore their enduring appeal, attracting both domestic and international audiences through live performances that emphasize the arc's dramatic confrontations.

References

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