The Outer soldiers each command an "eternal power of nature": (birth-death, sea-sound, wind-earth, time-space). Such elements exist uninhibited in the universe, possible meaning endless power for those who can control them. Nevertheless, no human can tame nature without consequences ... and that burden is set upon the Outer soldier.
Saturn's powers deal exclusively with the flow of nature: silence, then destruction to usher in rebirth. We all know that all things born must die; so, any use of her powers can cause massive changes in not just the world, but the galaxy. Saturn draws her true strength from the flow of destiny and its course. Her "Silent Wall" ability negates/deflects attacks, defining the power of "silence."
To usher in a new beginning, Saturn must drop her silence glaive to bring about the silence and destruction. Galaxia warns the Animamates to stop Saturn from "letting her glaive touch the ground' in the seramyu musicals. "Death Reborn Revolution" is neither the move to destroy or create; Saturn does not have the power of rebirth (those she is closely associated with it).[1] As stated earlier, her powers beckon the presentation of rebirth (as in Act 33 when Sailormoon's crystal saves the world).
But having domain over such unreasonable power cannot be fully handled by humans. Saturn lies dormant after using her powers and reverts to infancy after completing her greatest task.
The oldest elements belong to Pluto, making her the oldest and most experienced soldier (in terms of wisdom and foresight). Time itself is a deadly power which influences all nature and its flow (birth and death). One could argue that Pluto is stronger than Saturn because without time, nothing would be born and nothing would die. Her "Time Stop" ability and her dominion over the Time Gates appear to connect her directly to the time-space continum. A human cannot simply harness this massive amount of energy and thus extinguishes under such stress. That may be the reason Pluto's power lie under taboo.
Space is not as easy to define. Pluto seems not the exhibit any dominion over the stars, the planets, or even comets; so, space must mean something very different. Perhaps Takeuchi related space with souls and spirits - both unknown to mankind. Attacks such as "Chronos Typhoon" and "Dead Scream" appear to utilize the spiritual realm as a source. In the anime, the atmosphere of her "Dead Scream" attack is misty and spooky, evoking a sense of the underworld. Perhaps her connection with the underworld always her access to the supernatural (Dead Scream is made from the sounds of the dead??).
It's strange, though, that such an imporant and effective powers have only been tampered with by the Black Moon Family. During the Black Moon Arc, they were able to cross through time and follow Small Lady to the past. What does this say about the effects of Pluto's duty on her body? Most likely, she rests to maintain some balance between the massive power flowing through her body and her humanity. I wonder: how many times can she physically die before she her soul stays trapped in death?
Uranus is given control over two spontaneous powers and given the physical strength to wield them. Her powers somewhat define her as a person: strong and rough. The wind and the earth are very unpredictable and catastrophic. Wind can blow at unbelieveable speed to destroy whole areas of land through tornadoes and hurricanes. The earth erupts lava from its core and shakes down cities and buildings with great force. "World Shaking" appears to mix the two elements together.
Ironically, they both act as vital assets to our lives. The wind brings us a breeze, helps us travel, and carrys offspring to create variety in our world. The earth births us the food we need to survive and provides us with protection from the molten core and the force of gravity. We can also harness the power of both for technological purposes and "green" methods of maintaining our current lives.
Jupiter's powers are very similar to Uranus's but they deal with aspects of the sky and the earth. Thunder and lightning are signals of an approaching storm; flowers and plants grow only on fertile ground above the earth. Uranus has dominion over the entirety of the sky and earth, drawing power from the sources. It makes sense since Jupiter is technically an "outer" planet.
The sea covers all the earth and is the basis for all life, animal and plant alike. Water provides nourishment and can "wash away" the impurities. Many men associate the flow of the waves with the locks of a beautiful woman's hair. But the sea is not as "comforting" as it usually appears to be. An accumulation of the waters may result in tsunami, floods, and tidal waves which devasate life.
Neptune's "Deep Submerge" is similar to a tidal wave and evokes the dangerous powers of the sea. It is a devastating attack on the same level as "World Shaking." But she also handles the purifying power of water. Her "Submarine Reflection" can reveal the "truth" behind covers. The Aqua Mirror itself can unveil the pure character inside a person even behind facades and disguises.
Many fans neglect the importance, or even relevance, of sound and music in nature. It may seem as though man created music, but "man-music" is a result of nature's melodies. Have not you heard the song of the birds, the flow of the wind over the earth, or the flow of the waves? Music is everywhere all the time! Neptune can enchant the waves with her sound and use the vibrations to create her powerful "Violin Tide" attack. I believe domain over sound is also exemplified by her musical talents.
Are these powers curses or blessings? Even though they are extremely powerful, they come with deadly costs to the user, the world, and the galaxy. It's no wonder that the Outers were never destined to meet; nothing could handle the combination of these raw elements without chaos. Power is a double-edged sword.
1 Debunking the Death Reborn Revolution. Dies Gaudii.