10 best anime to watch if you like Sailor Moon

Sailor Moon is one of the most iconic and influential anime series of all time. First airing in 1992, this magical girl anime tells the story of Usagi Tsukino, a clumsy middle school student who is given the power to transform into the guardian of love and justice, Sailor Moon.

Along with her fellow Sailor Guardians, Sailor Moon fights evil forces and protects planet Earth time and time again. With its themes of friendship, love, and girl power, as well as its colorful visuals and catchy music, Sailor Moon paved the way for the magical girl genre as we know it today.

If you’re a fan of Sailor Moon and looking for similar anime series to enjoy, you’ve come to the right place. Here are 10 amazing anime like Sailor Moon that any fan is sure to love.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the writer's opinion and is not ranked in any order.

10 best anime for fans of Sailor Moon

1) Cardcaptor Sakura

Cardcaptor Sakura follows Sakura Kinomoto, an elementary school student who discovers a magical book containing a set of magical cards called Clow Cards. When she opens the book, the Clow Cards are all scattered.

Appointed by the winged guardian beast of the seal, Keroberos, as Cardcaptor, it’s Sakura’s responsibility to retrieve all the cards before disaster strikes. Cardcaptor Sakura has similar themes to Sailor Moon, with a young female protagonist taking on magical responsibilities with the help of creature companions.

Cardcaptor Sakura features gorgeously drawn characters and backgrounds, comedy and romance elements, and especially heartfelt relationships between Sakura and other characters like her brother Touya.

2) Tokyo Mew Mew

Tokyo Mew Mew (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Tokyo Mew Mew follows five adolescent girls—Ichigo, Mint, Lettuce, Pudding, and Zakuro—who gain mysterious powers and the ability to transform into “Mew Mews,” cat-like protectors charged with defending the planet from aliens.

Like Sailor Moon, Tokyo Mew Mew features a team of magical girls in frilly outfits battling evil forces that threaten the Earth. It’s a lighter, comedy, and romance-focused take on the genre, with engaging characters, quirky humor, and a little action mixed in.

3) Magic Knight Rayearth

Magic Knight Rayearth (Image via Tokyo Movie Shinsha)

When three junior high school girls—Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu—are transported from Tokyo Tower during a school trip to the mystical land of Cephiro, they’re immediately tasked with rescuing Princess Emeraude, the Pillar responsible for keeping Cephiro peaceful.

Gifted with powerful magic and mecha armor, the trio set off on a grand fantasy adventure in the roles of the Legendary Magic Knights. Like the Sailor Soldiers, the Magic Knights are a tightly-knit team of young women who draw strength from their friendship.

Magic Knight Rayearth focuses heavily on worldbuilding and has darker, more serious emotional tones than Sailor Moon, but still retains plenty of humor and heart.

4) Revolutionary Girl Utena

Revolutionary Girl Utena (Image via J.C.Staff)

After meeting a wandering prince who gives her a special rose signet ring in childhood, teenage Utena Tenjou strives to become a prince herself.

She enrolls at the unconventional Ohtori Academy, where she crosses paths with the mysterious Anthy Himemiya, the Rose Bride, and becomes embroiled in cryptic duels over her possession.

Like Sailor Moon, Revolutionary Girl Utena features elegant costume designs and romantic fairy tale visuals, pitched alongside darker psychological themes and mysterious fantasy elements tied intrinsically to the coming-of-age narrative.

5) Fushigi Yuugi

Fushigi Yuugi (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Miaka Yūki and Yui Hongo are transported into the Universe of the Four Gods inside an ancient Chinese book in the library. Within the book’s pages, the best friends choose opposing sides of a blooming civil war in the kingdom of Kōnan.

Fushigi Yuugi matches Sailor Moon’s central themes of friendship between girls while expanding the anime fantasy with an ancient Chinese aesthetic and epic political intrigue. This historical fantasy anime has plenty of romance and compelling drama.

6) Ojamajo Doremi

Ojamajo Doremi (Image via Toei Animation)

Ojamajo Doremi tells the story of clumsy third grade school student Doremi Harukaze, who discovers that the owner of the local magic shop, Majo Rika, is actually a witch. When Doremi accidentally turns Majo Rika into a witch frog, Majo Rika only agrees to change back if Doremi herself studies to become a fully-fledged witch.

Like Sailor Moon, Ojamajo Doremi follows an “unskilled” yet golden-hearted girl who acquires magical abilities. This more lighthearted series aimed at young girls has four successive seasons chronicling Doremi’s coming-of-age while learning magic.

7) Shugo Chara!

Amu Hinamori is a student at Seiyo Elementary with a perceived "cool and spicy" outward persona that contrasts sharply with her introverted true personality. One morning, Amu finds her bed home to three strange eggs—each containing a Guardian Character that represents who she desires to be.

Like Sailor Moon’s Usagi, Amu handles newfound magical responsibilities on top of daily middle school life. Shugo Chara! focuses heavily on themes of self-acceptance and change against the backdrop of urban fantasy.

8) Yona of the Dawn

The shoujo fantasy series Yona of the Dawn follows sixteen-year-old Princess Yona, whose life is turned upside down when political upheaval tears her kingdom apart. After being chased out of the kingdom, she embarks on a journey with her bodyguard Hak and later assembles a group of legendary dragon warriors to help her reclaim her kingdom.

With striking visuals and big stakes, Yona of the Dawn will appeal to Sailor Moon fans who love a strong, determined heroine taking on an epic journey and finding romance along the way. As Yona becomes a skilled archer and warrior, the show has great character development and themes of girl power that are reminiscent of Usagi’s growth into Sailor Moon.

9) Prétear

After her father remarries into the wealthy Awayuki family, headed by a widowed mother of two daughters, Himeno struggles with her new life and stepfamily. When she encounters the Leafe Knights, young men with magical powers who need her help combating evil, she steps into the role of Prétear to work at their side.

Like Sailor Moon, Prétear focuses on themes of adjusting to change and embracing maturity and strength through trusting friendships. Set in a magical fantasy backdrop with elements of comedy and romance, Prétear is perfect for fans of supernatural high school drama.

10) Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Puella Magi Madoka Magica (Image via Shaft)

Madoka Kaname is a gentle 14-year-old girl who loves her family and friends. One fateful day, she and her friend, Sayaka Miki, have a surreal dream encounter with a cat-like creature named Kyubey, who offers them the chance to gain magical powers if they agree to make a contract and become a Puella Magi.

Though on the surface, Puella Magi Madoka Magica seems like a typical magical girl anime aimed at young viewers, its dark and twisted narrative progresses into psychological thriller territory as Madoka discovers the sinister true nature behind Kyubey’s contracts.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica subverts the magical girl genre by putting innocuous middle school heroines through complex, gut-wrenching challenges that push selflessness and utilitarian ethics to their limits.

Conclusion

Whether you’re looking for more fantastic magical girl teams, school-life comedy and romance, or darker, epic fantasy storylines, you’re sure to find another anime to fall in love with from this list.

These 10 anime all carry on Sailor Moon’s spirit and legacy, featuring unforgettable characters in imaginative worlds who discover powers and purposes far greater than they first realized. If you adore Sailor Moon for its giant monsters, frilly outfits and accessories, sweet friendships, or star-crossed romances, you owe it to yourself to give these animes a watch.