Create Your Own Otaku Senshi: A Sailor Moon Fan-Character Help Site
Introduction
The Basics
Additional Forms
Sometimes information about alternate forms of your characters can be listed in the main profile. Other times, the alternative forms are so different from one another that seperate profiles might be required. If you add in too much information in one profile, it could become burdensome and overwhelming to the reader. Review the following information to determine what the case is for your character.If your character has multiple forms but her basic stats and personality remain the same, you might want to include a brief description of her alternative form(s) in the main profile.
Princess Form
A common form of otaku senshi is a princess form. All of the canon senshi have princess forms which they appear in at some point in the manga story. For Sailor Moon in the anime, her princess form is a more powerful form which she obtains to fight in serious battles. Each sailor senshi has a dress that is specific to their princess form. If your character is or was a member of a royal family at some point in her life, it might make sense to design a princess form for her.
Canon princess dresses incorporate the senshi's main colors and are formal, floor length gowns. Feel free to make your senshi's princess form fit into their home's culture and climate and let it express something about her as well.
Upgraded Outfit/Name Form
Depending on your characters story, they may or may not have upgrades to their sailor outfit which include additional titles to their Sailor Name. In canon, the Sailor Senshi went through various upgrades to their outfits, most notably being Sailor Moon's evolution from her regular form, to her Super Sailor Moon form, and finally her Eternal Sailor Moon form. Usually each new form brought new powers and abilities for each of the Sailor Senshi.
If you have a Solar Senshi (a senshi that is from the same Solar System as the canon senshi) then it's likely they are eligible for these form upgrades. It is not likely that you would need a whole new profile for such a small change. However if there are large, drastic changes to the character from form to form that require a lot of description, it might be helpful to make separate profiles for them. Usually though, you would just include a short summary of the attire for each power level they obtain in the Outfit stat of the profile.
In addition to that, when you list your senshi's attacks, you could indicate in which form each attack becomes available if they do get power upgrades with their new forms.
There are also some otaku senshi creators who feel their characters do not fit into the classic forms of Sailor Senshi seen in canon. Sometimes, they have characters that are not from Sol, so their upgrades are different in style, name or both. For example, we don't know what a second form of a Sailor Starlight might be called (or even if the form we see is their first!). Also, some people create senshi that go beyond the canon forms into higher levels. These fan created forms usually come with new costumes as well. Some common names that have been used for fan forms both Sol and non-Sol are: Cosmic, Celestial, Imperial, Star, Galactic, Goddess, and Princess (though, technically speaking, Princess sailor forms are now cannon via PGSM ;P)
Dark Form
A dark form, or an evil form, of otaku senshi has become a common theme. For some, it's already become cliché. Still, there is something about a dark side to a character which draws people's creativity. Whether it's the concept of Sailor Wars or just the conflict of a good character gone bad, evil forms of senshi can be a fun way to explore your character's dark side.
There are a few things to consider when making a dark side for your character. First, how does your character turn evil? This decision can really make or break a dark senshi. The story behind the character's demise effects not only how they might be brought back, but also how and why they act the way they do. Was she brainwashed, and if so, by whom and with what motive? Perhaps she turned dark on her own free will. What made her choose that path and how did she make the switch? Many of the motivations and back stories for villains which are elaborated in The Bad Guys section might help with reasons for your character to become evil.
Another thing to consider is just how dark your character will go. There are some senshi who might play the villain but they aren't actually motivated or controlled by an evil force. Often times, a character that lives on the chaotic side of life with her personal motivations and inspirations might be more exciting than a character that is just possessed or brainwashed.
There are a few cliché when it comes to dark senshi. A 'dark moon' is a pretty commonly seen theme for dark sailor senshi. Also, there are frequent dark versions of the canon senshi that crop up in the fandom either as individuals, as groups or as parallel universe characters.
Most likely a dark version of your character will require a completely separate profile from her normal form due to the changes that likely occur both in and out of senshi form.
A common form of otaku senshi is a princess form. All of the canon senshi have princess forms which they appear in at some point in the manga story. For Sailor Moon in the anime, her princess form is a more powerful form which she obtains to fight in serious battles. Each sailor senshi has a dress that is specific to their princess form. If your character is or was a member of a royal family at some point in her life, it might make sense to design a princess form for her.
Canon princess dresses incorporate the senshi's main colors and are formal, floor length gowns. Feel free to make your senshi's princess form fit into their home's culture and climate and let it express something about her as well.
Upgraded Outfit/Name Form
Depending on your characters story, they may or may not have upgrades to their sailor outfit which include additional titles to their Sailor Name. In canon, the Sailor Senshi went through various upgrades to their outfits, most notably being Sailor Moon's evolution from her regular form, to her Super Sailor Moon form, and finally her Eternal Sailor Moon form. Usually each new form brought new powers and abilities for each of the Sailor Senshi.
If you have a Solar Senshi (a senshi that is from the same Solar System as the canon senshi) then it's likely they are eligible for these form upgrades. It is not likely that you would need a whole new profile for such a small change. However if there are large, drastic changes to the character from form to form that require a lot of description, it might be helpful to make separate profiles for them. Usually though, you would just include a short summary of the attire for each power level they obtain in the Outfit stat of the profile.
In addition to that, when you list your senshi's attacks, you could indicate in which form each attack becomes available if they do get power upgrades with their new forms.
There are also some otaku senshi creators who feel their characters do not fit into the classic forms of Sailor Senshi seen in canon. Sometimes, they have characters that are not from Sol, so their upgrades are different in style, name or both. For example, we don't know what a second form of a Sailor Starlight might be called (or even if the form we see is their first!). Also, some people create senshi that go beyond the canon forms into higher levels. These fan created forms usually come with new costumes as well. Some common names that have been used for fan forms both Sol and non-Sol are: Cosmic, Celestial, Imperial, Star, Galactic, Goddess, and Princess (though, technically speaking, Princess sailor forms are now cannon via PGSM ;P)
Dark Form
A dark form, or an evil form, of otaku senshi has become a common theme. For some, it's already become cliché. Still, there is something about a dark side to a character which draws people's creativity. Whether it's the concept of Sailor Wars or just the conflict of a good character gone bad, evil forms of senshi can be a fun way to explore your character's dark side.
There are a few things to consider when making a dark side for your character. First, how does your character turn evil? This decision can really make or break a dark senshi. The story behind the character's demise effects not only how they might be brought back, but also how and why they act the way they do. Was she brainwashed, and if so, by whom and with what motive? Perhaps she turned dark on her own free will. What made her choose that path and how did she make the switch? Many of the motivations and back stories for villains which are elaborated in The Bad Guys section might help with reasons for your character to become evil.
Another thing to consider is just how dark your character will go. There are some senshi who might play the villain but they aren't actually motivated or controlled by an evil force. Often times, a character that lives on the chaotic side of life with her personal motivations and inspirations might be more exciting than a character that is just possessed or brainwashed.
There are a few cliché when it comes to dark senshi. A 'dark moon' is a pretty commonly seen theme for dark sailor senshi. Also, there are frequent dark versions of the canon senshi that crop up in the fandom either as individuals, as groups or as parallel universe characters.
Most likely a dark version of your character will require a completely separate profile from her normal form due to the changes that likely occur both in and out of senshi form.