There have been 30 seasons ofPower Rangersand 22 different iterations of the show, and while each one of them made their mark on the franchise, some are just too good and deserve to be considered masterpieces. ThePower Rangersuniversevaries drastically in tone and quality, ranging from sillier, more children-oriented seasons to slightly darker series that pushed the limits of what the show could do.
Thesuccess ofMighty MorphinPower Rangersin the 1990sestablished many of the tropes that the franchise would continue to use for decades. From the comic relief duo to every episode having a life lesson at the end, it was rare forPower Rangersto break out of its formula. ButwheneverPower Rangerstried something different, we got some amazing episodes and seasons.This includes 1990s classics such asIn SpaceandLost Galaxy,as well as 2000s hits such asTime ForceandS.P.D.
The culmination of the Zordon Era,Power Rangersin Spacewas a game-changing season that not only saved the show in terms of ratings but also elevated the franchiseby introducing three-dimensional heroes and villains. Andros was unlike any other Power Ranger we had seen before – a lone warrior on a quest to find his mentor, and who had to learn how to work with a team again. Astronema was a fantastic, if tragic, villain, and even the monsters of the week were a lot of fun.
Some ofPower Rangers' greatest ’90s moments come fromIn Space, including but not limited to the introduction of the Psycho Rangers and, on the other side of the spectrum, the crossover with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.In Spacealso had what I consider to be the greatest season finale of the show, “Countdown to Destruction.“It’s arguably the best season of the Zordon Era, and perhaps the greatest season of the entire show.
Lost Galaxywas a season of transition. On the one hand, we were still seeing elements from the Zordon Era, including Angel Grove, the Astro Megaship, and Karone. On the other hand,Power Rangerswas officially moving away from theMighty Morphin-related stories, giving us instead a brand-new set of characters with no ties to the likes of Tommy or Jason.Lost Galaxywas a risky season, but it worked. A well-written series with high stakes and one of thebestPower Rangersteamsof all time,Lost Galaxyis as good as it gets.
Mike
Magna Defender
Power Rangersalways had a bit of sci-fi, yetLost Galaxywas the season that truly embraced it.TheStar Trek: The Next Generationinfluences are easy to notice, and while there is a bit of tonal whiplash after the Rangers reach the “Lost Galaxy,” the show is perfect throughout. Leo is one of the most fascinating Red Rangers in the franchise, accidentally becoming a Power Ranger but eventually earning his place among the galaxy’s greatest heroes.Lost Galaxyalso handled delicate moments pretty well and included the first Ranger death scene in the franchise.
Power Rangersand sci-fi are a perfect match, andTime Forceis a good example of it. Similar to its predecessor,Lightspeed Rescue,Time Forcewas about a team of adults working for an organization instead of teenagers working for a space wizard. The Time Force Rangers were essentially time cops from the year 3000, a premise that made the season stand out from the previous ones right from the start. More than an interesting premise,Time Forcehad amazing characters and some of the boldest storylines in the show.
While much of it comes fromTimeranger,Time Forcedid a great job of adapting the original stories to the American show. The Red Ranger’s death at the start of episode 1 set the tone for the series, which would then see the Pink Ranger as the leader. Wes, our new Red Ranger, was a rookie who had to constantly prove himself.Time Forcealso had great supporting characters, such as Wes' father andthe Quantum Ranger, as well as one of the best-written villains of the show – Ransik.
The Disney Era gave us some of thebestPower Rangersseasons, and whileNinja Stormwas a great start,Dino Thunderis when everything came together. Although I enjoyed the standalone approach of the Disney seasons,having Jason David Frank back as Tommy Oliver elevatedDino Thunderand made it into a legacy sequel toMighty Morphin. This was my favorite version of Tommy – an older Ranger with years of experience who was there to guide the next generation.
Tommy Oliver is the character with the most appearances inPower Rangers.
Bringing Tommy back could have overshadowed the rest of the characters, but that was not the case. Connor, Ethan, and Kira made for a great trio, and the show got even better after Trent, the White Ranger, was introduced.TheAbarangercostumes were perfect, and it was always a delight to see the Dino Thunder Rangers in action. Whether you had been a fan of the show sinceMMPRor had just gotten intoPower Rangers,Dino Thunderwas a fantastic season for everyone.
Power RangersS.P.D.was just as good as its predecessor, if not better, continuing Disney’s impressive streak of seasons. The Power Rangers were once again law enforcement, which had previously worked forTime Force. But rather than experienced characters, this was a team of not-so-great cadets from the B-Squad who were not even supposed to become Power Rangers. As a result, we got to see each of those Rangers grow as people as the season progressed.
S.P.D.may no longer be set in the future – we’re 20 aways from when it debuted – but it remains aPower Rangersmasterpiece.
S.P.D.episodes would often have moral dilemmas or, at the very least, characters having to learn from their mistakes to move forward. The action and the villains were fun, but the best part ofS.P.D.was the character development each of the Rangers was given. Jack and Sky, in particular, became better versions of themselves throughout the show.S.P.D.may no longer be set in the future – we’re 20 aways from when it debuted – but it remains aPower Rangersmasterpiece.
The last of the Disney seasons and a hidden gem from thePower Rangersuniverse,R.P.M.is an amazing show that deserves more love.Between Disney clearly not having a lot of interest in the franchise and a lot of older fans having moved on from the show by that point,R.P.M.was nowhere near as big as it deserved to be. The series was set in an alternate future that had been taken over by an evil AI. The Rangers were not only superheroes but also survivors trying to defend Corinth, the last human city.
Everything seemed bleak and hopeless inPower RangersR.P.M., which was very different from what we were used to. The post-apocalyptic setting made the show darker by default, butR.P.M.was still fun and had compelling main characters.
R.P.M.was such a unique season that, for it to work within the largerPower Rangerscontinuity, it had to be retconned into being an alternate timeline. The fact thatR.P.M.had no ties to previous series and was set in a distant future gave it a lot of freedom, and the result was one of the greatestPower Rangersseasons of all time.
