Sailor Venus

Sailor Venus
Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon and Codename: Sailor V character
Minako in her Super Sailor Venus form as seen in Sailor Moon SuperS.
First appearance	Codename: Sailor V: "Sailor V Arrives! - [Channel 44] Pandora's Ambition" (August 3, 1991)
Created by	Naoko Takeuchi
Voiced by	Japanese: Rika Fukami Shizuka Itō (Sailor Moon Crystal) English: Stephanie Morgenstern (DiC dub) Emilie-Claire Barlow (CWi dub) Cherami Leigh (Viz Media dub)
Portrayed by	Ayaka Komatsu (PGSM)
In-universe information
Full name	Minako Aino
Alias	Sailor V Princess Venus Princess Sailor Venus (PGSM)
Nickname	Mina
Weapon	Love-Me Chain Holy Sword (manga and Sailor Moon Crystal)
Relatives	Mr. Aino (father) Mrs. Aino (mother) Mina Aino (daughter; "Parallel Sailor Moon" only)
Nationality	Japanese
Affiliations	Sailor Guardians Shadow Galactica (manga and Sailor Moon Crystal)
Powers and abilities	Light manipulation

Minako Aino (愛野 美奈子, Aino Minako, renamed "Mina Aino" in some English adaptations), better known as Sailor Venus (セーラーヴィーナス, Sērā Vīnasu), is a fictional character in the Sailor Moon and Codename: Sailor V manga series written by Naoko Takeuchi. Minako is her sailor form's alternative human identity as part of the Sailor Guardians (of which she is their leader), female supernatural fighters who protect the Solar System from evil.

Minako is the fourth Sailor Guardian to be discovered by Usagi Tsukino, although she was the first Sailor Guardian to awaken her powers, even before Usagi did. She possesses powers associated with love and beauty, light, and golden material metal. In the manga and anime series, she dreams of becoming a famous idol, but in the live-action series, her character is already a well-known celebrity.

Minako is introduced as the protagonist of Naoko Takeuchi's much-shorter manga series Codename: Sailor V, the predecessor to Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon. In it (and the early part of Sailor Moon), she goes by the pseudonym Sailor V (セーラーＶ, Sērā V), short for "Venus", and is given a personal backstory. The plot lines of Sailor V are generally compatible with the latter series, but are usually considered separate. Later, she co-stars with Rei Hino in a special short story titled Rei and Minako's Girls School Battle.