Summary
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers set the bar high for the franchise, establishing the foundation with its unique concept and iconic characters.
- The best Power Rangers series find a balance in appealing to kids and adults, offering zany villains, dramatic storylines, and powerful fights.
- Throughout its history, Power Rangers has made changes in ownership, storylines, and character lineups, catering to different parts of society at different times.
The Power Rangers franchise has played a special role in many childhoods across multiple generations, but the best Power Rangers series stand out among the 30 years of the franchise. When it first arrived, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was a brand-new concept in the U.S. television market, and for years, those responsible had a tough time convincing their bosses that it was a good investment. No one believed that the show based on the Japanese franchise Super Sentai would skyrocket into success, but with millions of dollars in revenue coming in from merchandise alone, they decided to keep the ball rolling.
Over the years, with changes in ownership and adapting new storylines, not all series did well. The best Power Rangers series seem to find the sweet spot in appealing to kids with zany villains and big fight sequences, while still appealing to adults with serial stories and dramatic storyline shifts. These shows often made different changes, including adding dinos, going into space, and changing the lineup multiple times. The Power Rangers were teens who gained the powers to save the world, while also coming to terms with who they were as young adults. This helped each series mean something to different parts of society at different times throughout its history.
20 Most Powerful Power Rangers, Ranked
Who are some of the most powerful Power Rangers of all-time? You won’t be seeing all red with this list.
22 Power Rangers: Megaforce (2013 – 2014)
For the twentieth anniversary of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Power Rangers: Megaforce pulled out all the stops. It adapts a Sentai series that allows the new team of Power Rangers to draw on the powers of every other Power Rangers series, and even those that don’t exist yet in in the timeline of the show, which should make them the most powerful ever.
Even with all of that power, the team is still outmatched by the villains of the season, which creates the occasion for the biggest team-up in history, bringing back members of tons of previous teams for appearances in a massive battle. That final battle was great, but the lead-up to it is what falls flat, which is why it’s rare for anyone to call Megaforce the best Power Rangers series.
21 Power Rangers Samurai (2011 – 2012)
Every Power Rangers series sees Rangers chosen for the job by a mentor or the power of fate. Power Rangers Samurai sees the characters at the center of the story inherit their abilities from their ancestors. While it’s still fate for them to fight bad guys, their samurai skills and weapons are family heirlooms.
The two seasons made a poor decision when the Red Ranger lost his position. That’s a big sticking point for fans, and while his sister Lauren comes out of hiding to lead the team, it pushes Jayden’s growth aside. The audience has spent the season getting to know Jayden, not Lauren. The good point was Lauren is the first female Red Ranger, but the story let her down since she didn’t know her team at all and only had a few episodes with them.
20 Power Rangers Ninja Steel (2017 – 2018)
In a bit of a meta move, the Power Rangers become the focus of a broadcast throughout space in Power Rangers Ninja Steel. That’s because the evil alien being intent on getting their power (in this case, ninja stars), runs an intergalactic game show that involves monster battles. The game show provided a fresh angle for Power Rangers, but, for some reason, the series just didn’t land the same way as the best Power Rangers series did.
There’s even an attempt to serialize the story more with a family at the center of the team instead of relying solely on the monster-of-the-week format. Kids and adults alike didn’t seem to connect with the characters in this iteration as well despite all of the separate aspects the season had going for it.
19 Power Rangers Operation Overdrive (2007)
Indiana Jones meets Power Rangers sounds like a good idea on paper. Unfortunately, in execution, it didn’t work out compared to the best Power Rangers series. The match didn’t entirely fit as well as expected.
This version of the team is put together by a man making sure ancient relics are kept out of the hands of the bad guys. Each member has a unique skill set they bring, but their big personalities also cause a lot of friction. There are also nonsensical aspects of the series like one of them discovering they are an android instead of a human and a tragic alien love story playing out in the background. There was a lot going on, even by the standard of every Power Rangers series, and it was a lot to keep track of.
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We rank all of the Yellow Rangers in the Power Rangers franchise, from Trini in the Mighty Morphin days to Calvin in the latest Ninja Steel series.
18 Power Rangers Dino Charge (2015 – 2016)
Dinosaurs are always a popular theme when it comes to the best Power Rangers seasons, likely because that’s how the franchise got its start in the U.S. This season not only called back to that with dinosaurs as guardians of the powerful Energems, but it also made a Power Rangers villain responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs on Earth in the first place.
This incarnation didn’t fit in with the already established continuity of the franchise, and it also featured a fascinating villain. Sledge wasn’t working for an evil empire like so many villains before him. Instead, he was a bounty hunter who became obsessed with the Energems himself, which led to him targeting Earth. While the series is certainly a good Power Rangers show, it just didn’t have the same punch the best seasons did.
17 Power Rangers Wild Force (2002 – 2003)
While the best Power Rangers seasons strive to be different from the others, this team had a unique twist in that the Rangers were actually chosen by the animals that acted as their zords. They also, for the first time in the franchise, could call on the power of multiple zords, something that would become prevalent in later seasons of the show.
The season went heavy on mythology as the group of Rangers trained and saved the world from the Animarium, a floating island hidden from outsiders. It also went heavy on drama as the villain of the series was responsible for the deaths of the Red Ranger’s parents. The season had a great mix of character development, mythology, and drama all around, but for some children, the more soap opera aspects of the show weren’t as interesting for them.
16 Power Rangers Jungle Fury (2008)
Power Rangers Jungle Fury was inspired by the animal spirits used to model fighting styles in different forms of martial arts. Each character had their own distinct fighting style inspired by their own “animal spirit” as a result, though they could call on others as well. While every season of the franchise has had a distinct look, the fighting style also gave this season a distinctly different way of fighting.
That wasn’t the only change-up to the series though. One change for the better, and one that definitely made the show more fun, was that the mentor was someone who fought alongside the team, and he was a laid-back manager of a pizza place. RJ is one of the best mentors the franchise has ever had. It made the show have a completely different feel, which might be part of what made it so enjoyable.
15 Power Rangers Beast Morphers (2019 – 2020)
Power Rangers Beast Morphers is the first series produced by the entertainment company owned by Hasbro, Inc. In the near future of the current timeline in the franchise, Carol Harbor used the Morphin Grid to develop a substance, Morph-X, that provided clean energy to the city. To protect the city, scientists then combined Morph-X with animal DNA to create Beast Morphers Power Rangers.
The season used the idea of virtual reality as well as classic Power Rangers elements to create a unique story. It also featured one of the most anticipated crossovers in Power Rangers, a link back to the darkest season: Power Rangers R.P.M. and its Venjix virus. It’s once that link is revealed that the series really gets interesting. The best Power Rangers seasons, after all, are not those that stand completely alone, but those that link up to the legacy of the franchise.
Every Blue Power Ranger, Ranked Worst To Best
See how every Blue Power Ranger ever ranks, from Mighty Morphin Billy to Ninja Steel Preston, and everyone in between.
14 Power Rangers Ninja Storm (2003)
Power Rangers Ninja Storm was the first full-length season produced when Disney acquired the franchise. Production moved to New Zealand, making for great scenery for the series. The story followed a group of students at a Ninja Academy who ended up becoming Power Rangers because they were the only students left after everyone else was kidnapped. That’s a unique concept for the show because the series had always chosen the Rangers instead of the Rangers being a matter of convenience.
Of course, this group proved themselves over and over again. At the time, Power Rangers seasons weren’t shying away from dark topics or life lessons, while still making the story fun for kids. Ninja Storm was lighter with its humor, incorporating even more misunderstandings between characters. It created a bit of a shift for the series.
13 Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue (2000)
Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue premiered in 1997 and took on a very different spin from the Power Rangers series that came before it. In this show, the team made their roles as Rangers public knowledge. These roles were also their jobs, not something the Rangers did in addition to their everyday lives.
A government organization called Lightspeed Rescue taps into the Morphin Grid to develop Power Ranger morphers and powers. They recruit four civilians with different areas of expertise (and the Captain’s daughter) to protect Mariner Bay from demons. The show had a very different feel since this was the first season that saw being a Power Ranger as a job instead of a potential heroic calling and secret life. The team wasn’t chosen by an alien being or fate, but instead by the government.
12 Power Rangers Mystic Force (2006)
The 2006 incarnation of the show, Power Rangers Mystic Force, has a divide between those who praised the series and others who didn’t care for its theme. The series still continued to be an adaptation of the original Japanese version, but it took a different direction and focused on a magical element.
In this Power Rangers season, evil breaks free from its prison in a magical realm. A sorceress looks for five warriors of legend to become the Mystic Force Rangers. The series did a good job at balancing the comedic elements with the dramatic, but some aspects of the show, like lost memories and recovered villains, felt too heavy-handed like a soap opera, much like the Wild Force season. The characters were likable though, which helped to save the series from being one of the worst.
5 Reasons Why Power Rangers In Space Is The Best Power Rangers Series (& 5 Reasons It’s Lost Galaxy)
Although Mighty Morphin is the most well-known iteration of Power Rangers, it’s not the best. But is it In Space or Lost Galaxy that take first place?
11 Power Rangers Dino Fury (2021 – 2022)
In Power Rangers Dino Fury, powers inspired by dinosaurs are used to fight an alien threat to Earth. It’s definitely a call-back to the first season of the show while still making the concept feel fresh. The series had a lot of exciting firsts before it even began airing and was the first time the Green Ranger has been female in a live-action storyline.
It’s also the first time the show streamed exclusively on Netflix, as the contract with Nickelodeon ended, giving an even larger audience access to the episodes right away. Dino Fury even marked the first time one of the Power Rangers would canonically be in a same-gender relationship and the first time a social media star was cast in a lead role for Power Rangers. All of this added up to a landmark series for the franchise that appeals to both kids and adults, making it one of the best modern Power Rangers series.
10 Power Rangers Time Force (2001)
In the year 3000, Time Force is a police agency that monitors and arrests mutants for their crimes. An evil mutant named Ransik escapes and travels back in time to take over the world. In the process, he kills the Red Time Force Ranger. The Time Force team breaks protocol and goes after Ransik to the year 2001, where they meet a doppelgänger of the Red Ranger.
While Ransik is the main villain, the show made a case for redeeming even the cruelest of bad guys. Ransik and his daughter both found their way back to the side of good, and the season featured one of the most underrated Power Rangers villains in Frax. Adults who grew up watching the franchise will often mention Power Rangers Time Force as one of the best Power Rangers teams and remember Pink Ranger Jen Scott as one of the first female leaders, even if she didn’t wear the red uniform.
9 Power Rangers Turbo (1997 – 1998)
Turbo debuted at a time when the original series fans were aging out of the franchise – as were the cast members. As a result, a much younger actor was brought in to be the new Blue Ranger. In addition to the young Blue Ranger, the show replaced the entire team shortly into the series. This was to bring in a younger audience, but it was hard to accept as the previous characters were fan favorites.
Many of them returned for the story arcs, but they were no longer Power Rangers outside the occasional team-up in later seasons. The movie, with a big adventure to gain new power, is widely considered better than the series itself. The final episodes of the Turbo season are also better than much of the season, featuring the new characters as they hugely raised the stakes for fans and encouraged them to tune in for the next version of the show, Power Rangers In Space.
8 Power Rangers S.P.D. (2005)
Power Rangers S.P.D. has the Rangers as an elite defense group, part of the city’s police force, S.P.D. Only a select few have the capabilities to make it as Power Rangers and this series puts prospective Rangers through their paces before awarding them the ability to morph.
The show takes place a few years in the future. Several different alien races and humans co-exist on Earth until the Troobian Empire seeks destruction against the planet. It feels like an entirely new world for the Power Rangers franchise, which is part of what makes it so fun. Some of the recruits for the team are criminals instead of squeaky clean kids, and one of the most intriguing storylines is a group of Rangers actually choosing to work for the bad guys.
7 Power Rangers R.P.M. (2009)
Power Rangers R.P.M. isn’t set in an idyllic town. It takes place in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. The world has been taken over by the Venjix virus that adapted to create its own monsters. The Power Rangers, also created by the Venjix virus, are the last hope to stop it. It’s a unique season in that allies of the Rangers die, the team isn’t fully formed at the start, and the possibility always exists that people with cybernetic implants can be infected by Venjix and set against the Rangers.
It also has one of the most compelling villain stories since Astronema as Tenaya-7 slowly uncovers the truth about her own past even while she’s focused on destroying the Rangers for Venjix. It’s one of the best Power Rangers series, with the highest stakes, the most adrenaline, and the most compelling storylines.
6 Power Rangers: Cosmic Fury (2023)
Power Rangers: Cosmic Fury is the last entry in the Power Rangers franchise as fans know it, but the series does a great job of connecting to the very beginning of the franchise and leaving the door open for the future if a new iteration of the show is created. It really brings the show full circle by keeping the Dino Fury team intact, heading to space, utilizing characters from other seasons of the show, and demonstrating that the legacy of the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series is still alive.
The cast is charming, the stakes are higher than ever, and the shortened season creates one continuous story. It’s one of the best modern seasons of Power Rangers that manages to appeal to the target audience of children the series is made for while still showing love to the adults who watched the show 30 years ago.
5 Power Rangers Lost Galaxy (1999)
Power Rangers Lost Galaxy took the Rangers to outer space. Four young adults from Angel Grove travel on Terra Venture to seek a new world. They soon meet the remaining two that will complete the Ranger group as they’re destined to wield the Quasar Sabers, which are encased in stone on a faraway planet they would never have seen without being on space station.
Though Power Rangers R.P.M. has a reputation for being the darkest series, Lost Galaxy might as well have been a test run for it. It featured the first Ranger death, a reformed villain becoming a team member, and began the first true departure from the Zordon Era of the franchise. It’s the true turning point for the Power Rangers franchise, which is why it’s easily one of the best Power Rangers shows of all time.
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Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is a beloved series that is full of valuable lessons for kids of all ages. Here are a few of the most important lessons.
4 Power Rangers In Space (1998)
In the aftermath of Power Rangers Turbo, Zordon is captured by the evil Dark Specter. The Red Space Ranger, Andros is on a mission to rescue him. He can’t do it alone as the remaining Turbo Rangers travel to space to rescue Zordon but have no powers. The show has the Rangers balance their life in space with their life on Earth, which adds a whole new layer of conflict to the group.
It also acts as the culmination of all the previous seasons as Andros is forced to destroy Zordon himself for the greater good. The love for this season is strong, and it’s maintained its top ranking among the best Power Rangers series for years. It’s one of the best Power Rangers shows to balance the more dramatic storylines with the elements that make the children’s program such an enduring franchise.
3 Power Rangers Dino Thunder (2004)
What happens when a soccer player, a computer expert, an artist, and a teacher are forced to band together to save the Earth? Power Rangers Dino Thunder. The famed original White Ranger/Green Ranger Tommy Oliver makes his return as a high school teacher. Fans got to see him back in action as the Black Dino Ranger helping the other Power Rangers fight the villain Mesogog. It added some depth to his character, seeing just how much he learned from his days as a Ranger.
The series also marked the first time a Power Ranger was partially responsible for the creation of the season’s villain, which was a great turn for the show. It’s such a beloved part of the franchise because it combines the new era of the shows with the classic era of the shows flawlessly. It doesn’t seem strange that Tommy would work with a new generation of Power Rangers, though some might not have thought the concept would work just a season or two prior.
