guardian

My entire body hurts..I'm in pain. Artemis! You were always with me. You were my other half!¹

Mysterious Talking Tomcat

Artemis is Minako's guardian and the one responsible for awakening and preparing her for her duty as a Sailor Soldier. His normal appearance is that of a white tomcat with green eyes and a yellow crescent moon on his forehead. However, Artemis is no normal cat as he can talk and possesses the cognitive ability of a human being. Artemis is also well-versed in the use and invention of advanced techonology and is responsible for the creation of some of Sailor V's items and the Sailor V game. As the series progresses, we learn that Artemis is actually a civilian of the Planet Mau, a planet of peace-loving cat people, and that during the Silver Millennium, Artemis and Luna were chosen by Queen Serenity to be her Ambassadors and royal court advisors. Artemis also has a human form which he only transforms into during dire situations. His human appearance is that of a handsome, slim young man (around his mid to late-20s) with long, white hair and green eyes. Throughout the series, it is obvious that Artemis has a crush on Luna. Luna is hesitant at first, but the two do eventually become a couple and have a daugher together, named Diana. Artemis's namesake is the Greek Goddess of the Moon, Artemis, and is a clear reference to his connection to the Moon Kingdom.

Partners(?) in Crime

After being reborn on Earth, Artemis is charged with the important task of finding and training Sailor Venus, the leader of the Guardian Soldiers. When he first finds Minako, he becomes concerned at what he sees. Minako is barely keeping up with her grades and is getting scolded all the time for not paying attention in class. He comments to "Boss" that "she's got lots of problems. Makes me a little nervous about the future."² Artemis was right to worry as Minako does not take him seriously and is always tests the limits of his patience, especially during her days as Sailor V. Minako drives Artemis crazy with her irresponsible and unrespectful ways as Minako ignores him, neglects him, bullies him, and basically, never treat him as an equal. However, despite their many differences and arguments, their bond is strong and grows to the point that Artemis becomes an irreplacable confidant and Minako's dearest companion.

An Unbreakable Bond Artemis knows all of Minako's flaws, but has an even better understanding of all her strengths. Artemis is her number one supporter and never doubts her ability as a Sailor Soldier. For example, in the manga, when Minako becomes the only one in the Guardian team unable to transform, he vehemently comes to her defense: It's no rush. They were just saying they had trouble transforming at one time or another too. It's just that your body is in the midst of building up power inside of you. This is a special transformation. Something will happen soon! After all you are the leader of the Sailor Soldiers! You'll be able to transform in no time. It's just a matter of time.3

He would later tail her, knowing that her frustration could lead her to do something reckless, and saves her from falling to her death. This incident makes Minako realize that Artemis is her "other half"⁴ and from their strengthened bond, Minako receives her new transformation and regains her Sailor powers. As shown in the example above, Artemis is always the first to know when something is bothering Minako and he is also always the first one to advise her or try to cheer her up. For example, in Episode 100: She wants quit being a Sailor Soldier?! Mina's worries, Artemis, knowing that Minako has been feeling down, surprises her with a bouquet of roses and reenacts her ideal date invitation (One interesting tidbit: In the classic anime series, Artemis is the only one that addresses Minako as 'Mina'). The connection the two of them share is very special and so intimate that some fans question the exact nature of their relationship. It is obvious that Artemis finds Minako attractive as he once gets caught peeking at her in the shower by Luna. This causes Diana to note that Artemis often looks at Minako with the eyes of a "long lost lover."⁵ However, with Minako being the reincarnation of Aphrodite, how can he not admire her? In regards to an attraction on Minako's side, Minako does seem a little disappointed when Artemis returns to his original cat form instead of staying human after rescuing her. Besides these few incidents, the relationship between the two can only be described as being mostly platonic but they do share a bond that is a little more intimate than friendship.