About the Pairing

In the beginning of the series, we first see hints of Zoisite and Minako when Zoisite is still under Beryl's control, trying to find Sailor V, the princess, and kill her. The looks they share give hints to something they may have had in the Past Life. In Act 35, Zoisite is no longer working for Beryl, fully remembering the Past Life and his true Master, Endymion. He and Minako share a common goal: they wish to keep the Prince and Princess apart so that tragedy does not strike their world once again. In this episode, they seem to resonate with one another on so many levels; they are duty-bound but they also each genuinely care about their respective Masters. Both are headstrong and believe that the lessons of the Past Life are what matters most, but they also have caring sides, each nurturing members of their own team. These two clearly have something much deeper than anyone is letting on.

Key Acts

Act 8
Act 12
Act 35
Act 44

Evidence

Why Zoisite and Venus?--Submitted by Shari

A lot of people just dismiss this pairing as they have few acts where we see real hints that possibly, in the past life, there was something more between them. Let's look at the facts:

1. Zoisite was *obsessed* with Sailor V. Okay, you could argue that his mission was to kill her when she was supposedly the Princess and that he was just carrying out orders, but Zoisite never obeyed Beryl. He did exactly what he liked, even when he was under her influence, and he never appeared before her when he was brainwashed. Instead opting to tell Nephrite things that Beryl would want to hear, because he knew that Nephrite would repeat exactly what he said to the Queen. Why was he obsessed with V? Because he recalled something of a past that they might have shared together, perhaps?

2. Venus killed Zoisite in Act 12. Yes, I consider this evidence that there was something more between them. Think about it. Zoisite was pretty much defenceless when she zapped him with her 'crescent beam' attack. The appereance of Tuxedo Kamen had wrong-footed him so really she had no reason to kill him (as she would know that, after remembering the past life he would pose little threat to her or the other Senshi), except that she might have recalled something about their past together and killed him because the feelings that he envoked in her frightened her.

3. Act Thirty Five. Zoisite confronted Venus in the parking lot of the hospital after she was having treatment because she tried to follow Mamoru. They fought briefly and their battle ended when Zoisite teleported behind her and pressed his sword to her throat, whilst holding onto her. Okay, Venus looked scared, but she didn't seem as terrified as she should have been. Perhaps she knew that he wouldn't hurt her? Also, Zoisite's sword hand is shaking slightly in one shot, indicating that he didn't really want to hurt her.

4. Again, in Thirty Five, there is a real empathy between them when they are talking about the past life. Judging from the looks they give each other, there had to, at sometime, been something more between them and they definetly seemed to connect on a level that went beyond protecting their respective leaders.

5. The music box. In order to make Usagi forget about Mamoru, Zoisite gave Venus a music box that, when listened to, would make a person forget about the person they loved. Venus would have to be the one to play the music to Usagi as it would not work when the heart was guarded. In return, Venus promised to help Zoisite protect Endymion. When Kuroki Mio made her move to capture Endymion, Venus had opened the music box and, upon hearing that Mamoru was in danger, Usagi tried to go after him. Forced to choose Venus abandoned Zoisite in favour of running after the Princess. The look that passed between them before Zoisite's hologram disappeared was too meaningful to just be passed off as a look of disappointment or even hatred. I think, that in the past life, any relationship they might have had always came second in favour of their duties towards Endymion and Serenity. It's really kind of sad when you think about it and both of them are so loyal that they had to put aside their own feelings concerning each other. Possibly this had ended a relationship before. Venus betrayed Zoisite so why didn't he go after her with a desire for revenge? Because his feelings for her stopped him? Or perhaps he was too hurt by her betrayal?

6. Act 44. Zoisite's final Act. There was no Venus/Zoisite interaction in this Act, but there is still strong evidence of a relationship between the two. Why? When Zoisite was fatally wounded by the Metallia Youma, Venus had one of her spells and collapsed at exactly the same moment. Coincidence? I think not. No matter what sort of relationship they had once had, in those precious seconds they appeared to have a Psychic Connection. I'm a big believer in Psychic Connections (owing to having a few myself!) and what are the chances of both of them collapsing at the same time? Venus must have, subconsciously, felt that something had happened, despite, in later Acts, never referring to his death. And why would she? Venus isn't exactly the 'wearing my heart on my sleeve' type and neither is Zoisite, which was why they didn't get together in the series. Someone really ought to have banged those two's heads together, ne?

I would like to add to Shari's awesome evidence.

7. In Act 44, Metallia's spike youma killed Zoisite, and then, when Minako finally awakened to her true powers in Act 46, she killed the youma with her new powers.

8. In Act 36, when Beryl makes the Shittennou hold their own swords to their throats, Rei and Makoto look surprised, Ami looks upset (I think because of Nephrite and what happened in Act 28) and Minako looks like she's been punched in the gut. If she felt nothing for Zoisite I could see her being surprised, but the tough as nails Guardian honestly would not have been so distraught if she shared nothing with one of Beryl's servants. It's not in her personality to react that way, unless she loved Zoisite, and was truly afraid for his life.

9. As Shari said above, the music box. In Act 35, Minako told Usagi when the music box was playing, "I also know what it's like to forget," and seemed very sad. I honestly think she is talking about Zoisite. Even though she has feelings for him, she has to forget them because, like Serenity and Endymion, she believes it is doomed to fail. Then, when Usagi sheds tears as she whispers that, Minako's eyes widen and she lets the music box drop to the floor, shattering. I honestly believe that Minako finally let them be together because she knew, from personal experience, how awful it is to be apart from the one you love, and to make yourself forget him.

10. Why did Zoisite know about/have a music box that specifically makes you forget the one you love, unless "the heart is guarded"--? That must have deeper meaning. Lisa expanded on both of these theories in her awesome fanfic. Go read it. Then cry.

11. When Minako hit Zoisite with her Crescent Beam, he remembered his Past Life. When he and Tuxedo Mask faced off before, he'd felt a strange familiarity, but Minako is the one who made him remember. She broke Beryl's control, at least part of it. When he returns later, he is no longer serving Beryl, but remembers the Past Life completely, and wants to help his Master. This did not happen when Sailor Mars and Jupiter took out Jadeite in Act 8, because when he returned he remembered nothing of the past life. I think it is very significant that Minako is the one who brought that out in Zoisite.

12. The chemistry! It's no secret that Ayaka Komatsu, Minako's actress, found Yoshito Endo quite handsome, and even said in an interview that her favorite boy on the show was "Zoi-Zoi." Yoshito was also said to have found Ayaka attractive, and you can see Minako and Zoisite flirting in the Kirari Super Live Stage Show, when Minako says that Zoisite is looking "kind of cute." Oh, the adorable-ness!

13. As a fun fact, if anyone has read the manga they will see the similarities between Manga Kunzite and PGSM Zoisite. They gave Zoisite long white hair in PGSM, but they also seemed to have given him the personality of Kunzite from the manga. Kunzite was the one in the manga who remembered that his true master was Endymion, and regained his Past Life memories. In the manga (and even more in Sailor Moon Crystal!) Kunzite and Sailor Venus shared a romance in the Past Life. Since they gave Zoisite Kunzite's looks and personality, they obviously wanted to give him the romance with Sailor Venus as well.

The Future for Zoisite and Minako

And as Lisa explains, quite eloquently, the Shittennou did not give Mamoru their life forces in the Final Act, they gave him the painting. This was also clearly, like Princess Serenity appearing to Usagi in the exact same scene, their past life forms saying goodbye, not the current Shittennou, which is pretty obvious by the fact that Jadeite is calling Mamoru "Master," which he never did in the series, because he never fully awakened his Past Life memories, and never seemed to want to.

Since the Guardians and Mamoru were reborn on Earth as humans before the series started, it is obvious that the Shittennou were as well, and that Berly found them and placed them under her curse to help her carry out her goals, much like she did in the Past Life. How else would you explain Shin, who was living on Earth as a human? Yes, he was having memory problems and his name was not really Shin, but that was just Beryl's curse beginning to take effect. He had his current life, his Past Life, Beryl's curse from the Past Life, and her new spell vying for his soul all at once. "But!" You may ask. "Why did Nephrite not remember who he was before he was a Shittennou when he became human from Act 37 on?" Well, I think that Beryl's curse is a lot stronger than that. She is the one who stripped him of his powers and sent him there, and he was clearly still under her spell, because while he was no longer following her blindly, he had no idea who he really was, even in the Past Life, since all he could think about was getting revenge on Beryl, 'til a certain girl named Ami made him realize his situation wasn't so bad...

The same can be said for Zoisite. When we first see him, he is under Beryl's control, and remembers nothing of his Past Life. Somehow, when Minako zaps him with her Crescent Beam, that brings back his Past Life memories, but he doesn't remember anything of his human life. I personally think that Beryl's curse is complicated. It wiped out their human memories and replaced them with only their Shittennou forms, and then she placed a spell to keep them under her control. In the case of Zoisite and Kunzite, that wasn't as effective as she would have liked.

So, I truly believe that when the planet is reborn in the Final Act, and when everyone (Minako, Mamoru, Usagi, etc) are brought back, so are the Shittennou, reborn in their human forms, back to their ordinary lives. Since they don't require the Silver Crystal for their powers, I am sure they can still call upon their powers, if they are so inclined.

If anyone has any more evidence/theories to share, feel free to e-mail me and I will add it!