Manga: He is the second Dark General out on the field. He uses shadows to help his objective of gathering energy, and more often than not is seen with an angry expression on his frustrated face. He comes across as "arrogant and hot-headed". Naoko even states that he is "emotion and intense. Will likely get himself killed right away..." In the manga he is often making fun of Jadeite's latest scheme, but when Jadeite dies he vows his revenge--so even when he's arrogant, he still cares for his companions. He attacks with his Shadow twice, and each time the shadow takes on a female form. He meets his end when our Lightning Goddess first transforms and destroys him with a lightning bolt.

Anime: Here he still carries the arrogant streak, and enjoys showing off. Mostly he's making fun of Zoisite, since Jadeite didn't last very long. Nephrite enjoys humanity more than the other generals, as he is the only one to establish a dwelling in the city. He drives around in expensive cars, dresses sharply and drinks brandy on the porch. In the anime, Nephrite has a connection with the stars and uses them as a form of divination to help further his plots. He finds himself becoming attached to Naru and seems to be willing to stop being evil, but meets an untimely end from the jealous Zoisite and his youma.

PGSM: Once again we meet a very angry Nephrite! He is desperate to prove himself to Beryl, and does not want to accept anyone's help. Nephrite seems to get overly frustrated at the fact that even though Jadeite messes up just as much as he does, Jadeite gets more opportunities to redeem himself. He finds himself drawn to Dark Sailor Mercury, who, even in her evil state, doesn't like to see someone completely helpless against their situation. Nephrite spends so much of his time being angry he has trouble understanding the simple kindness Ami shows him. He is killed by Beryl in her attempt to get Endymion to come to her, but somehow is revived as a complete human without any special powers (for light or dark). More anger ensues, but Motoki takes him in as a new employee at the Crown Kareoke. The series ends with him starting to get his powers back and learning to control his anger in an attempt to impress Ami.

Game Cannon: The generals return and ask the senshi to find their "Hi" (light) stones to awaken the power of the barazuishou and save Endymion. Nephrite's stone is located in Canada. In the game, the girls help/are helped by guys that look suspiciously like the reincarnations of the shitennou...In Canada, Makoto meets George. George is in love with Mary, who lives in the town over. Everyone in his hometown love him though, and is constantly saying how good he is and how he takes care of the village. Later, they discover that Mary is actually George's cousin. There goes George's wedding plans...and in rides Jupiter, with a promise to come back and visit someday. He is ever so grateful for all her help.

Fanfic Cannon: Everyone has a slightly different idea of how to portray Nephrite, but generally he gets shown as a ladies-man. He's eloquent in his speech, he's slightly clairvoyant, and is a tactician like Zoisite usually is. Often he's got a prankster streak running through him like Jadeite, but he gets away with it more often than Jade because he can talk better. Sadly, he faces the same problem most people have in writing Makoto-- he doesn't fit into any specific position in the group of four, and is often overlooked because of it.

Manga: We seen an interesting dichotomy in Makoto's personality that is different from any we see in other other senshi. The first impression anyone gets of Mako is her violent nature. She's very imposing, towering high above the principal of the school and being to tall for the standard uniform. Rumors fly that she was kicked out of her old school for fighting. She first meets Usagi when the poor bunny was lost in thought about Tuxedo Kamen and nearly got hit by a car. Makoto pushes her out of the way, showing a protective side that seems to contradict her violent ways. Usagi meets her again as curiosity gets the better of her, and discovers that there's another side to Makoto that is overlooked. Makoto likes to cook, clean and tend to plants. She spends so much time being the Tomboy, but buried underneath that is the desire to be seen as a pure woman. How she is perceived is greatly dependent on how one meets her--mood and situation considered. She has a quick temper, but is a kindred soul. She's perceptive, and very protective. In fact, in her planetary speech she names herself Senshi of Protection. It's part of what makes her strong, and gives her courage both as Makoto and as Sailor Jupiter. She will always find the strength to protect those around her, be they friends or strangers.

Anime: Makoto seems to fade into the background in the anime. She's certainly the strongest fighter among the Inner Senshi, but she always manages to die first or second (depending on when Mercury dies). People most often associate her with the phrases "my old boyfriend" or "sempai", which consequently seems to write her off as being a flighty romantic. While it's true that Makoto has a romantic, sensitive side, it by no means encompasses her personality. She still retains her quick temper and violent protection of those she cares about, but her story is lost in the broader arc the anime provides.

PGSM: Here we meet a new type of Makoto--focused more on her tomboy side than her feminine side. Oh it's true she still cooks and cleans, but she'd rather be out playing basketball. She's also played as somewhat of a fangirl; she gets excited about the latest Aino Minako album release, and waits in lines for tickets to concerts, throwing disappointed fits when she gets there just a few minutes too late. Her stubborn temper makes her butt heads with Rei on more than one occasion, and she has a firm belief until the very end that she is meant to be alone. It's quite sad actually, because it's hard to be alone and still have so many people to love and protect. Of course she realizes this in the end, and allows herself to fall for Motoki, who had developed a great interest in her after she gave him a scarf for Valentine's Day. She, like the rest of the senshi, is firmly attached to Usagi, and when Usagi has any troubled thoughts about Mamoru Makoto is the first to jump on the problem and try to help. She wavers back and forth between believing that their past lives dictate their futures and hoping that she can change the course of fate.

Game Cannon: In "Sailor Moon - Another Story" Makoto and Minako are together in romance-blues. Makoto keeps her eyes open for romance, but still is the confidant for special secrets in the group ("You can tell me what you're doing with Urawa-kun, Ami-chan") And she respects her friends' personal space and refuses to spy in on the usual gossip. In her daydreams, she goes out with her sempai, who is taller than her and is quick to start fights. I don't know why this is important, but apparently that's her desire...

Fanfic Cannon: Again we meet the problem where Mako doesn't fit into any category nicely, and ends up being a flat character who is angry and violent. She rushes into battles, but sits back and pines for lost or forgotten love. She's a strong-minded woman, but a tender friend. She speaks her mind freely and fiercely, but enjoys quiet moments out of the garden or in the kitchen. Makoto is a woman constantly pulled in two directions, but they fit so well into her complexity we can't help but fall in love with her (and neither can Nephrite, apparently ^_~)

Evidence

Sadly there is no evidence outside of the art book picture to support this coupling. The only couples that have any sort of implication are Venus/Kunzite (seen more in the Sailor V manga) and Rei/Jade (the infamous line from Jadeite when he first sees her, and the fact that he looks suspiciously like Kaidou, one of Rei's romances). I do find it rather ironic that nearly every man is killed by his respective lover. Rei kills Jadeite upon awakening, Mako kills Nephrite upon awakening, and Kunzite is killed by Venus and the planetary attack.

Also in the game "Sailor Moon: Another Story" the senshi go off to find the respective "hi" (light) stones for the shitennou. When Mako goes off the search for Nephrite's "Hi" (light) stone, she meets George, who "reminds me of my old boyfriend". She falls in love with him and makes a comment about how he looks a lot like Nephrite. George unfortunately is in love with Mary, but Jupiter agrees to help get them together for the sake of love. Later it is discovered that Mary is in fact George's cousin. Jupiter comes and promises to visit someday, and George admits to enjoying her company immensely and hoping to see her again soon. I'd say since each senshi runs a similar story, it's pretty strong evidence that there's a connection for all of them. ^^

I'd also like to vouch that Nephrite simply got confused when he saw Naru's green eyes and auburn curls, because when you're brainwashed it's easy to make mistakes...^_~

But even if there isn't evidence to support the pair, the picture is enough for many of us. It certain is enough for me.

Why They Work

Quite often we see this couple thrown together because they're the only ones left; Ami/Zoi works because they're both smart, Rei/Jade works because they've got dynamic personalities, Mina/Kunz works because they're the leaders, and Mako/Neph...well, they're the last ones, they must go together. But there's more to it than that.

Personally (and feel free to disagree) I look at Makoto as a woman seeking the perfect fairy-tale romance. She wants to be wooed, and to be constantly told how much she is loved. But she still wants to be strong and not have to rely on a man for support. Nephrite is perfect for her, because he's quick-minded enough to keep her on her toes, but will woo and pander to her and make her feel like a woman instead of a tomboy. When she gets quick-tempered, he would be the one to talk rationally to her until she settled back down.

Nephrite, in my mind, gets tired of easy women who flutter about and have no strength to them. But he still loves the power words can give him over female emotions. Mako is perfect for him, because she's strong and will keep him guessing, but when he woos she melts like any "proper woman". And when his temper flares and he gets sharp, she's strong-willed enough to give him a smack upside the head and keep him from doing something stupid.