Every Saban Season of Power Rangers, Ranked

Of Power Rangers‘ four eras, two have been produced by Saban. The first era of Power Rangers, the Saban Era, begins with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Season 1 and ends with Power Rangers Time Force. The Neo-Saban Era, meanwhile, is the third era of the franchise, and runs from Power Rangers Samurai through Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel.

Both the Saban and Neo-Saban Eras of Powers Rangers are mixed bags. Both contain seasons which are heavily flawed, and fan-favorites that are viewed as all-time greats. The best seasons have superb casts, stories, and action, while the weakest seasons don’t aim to be anything more than an acceptable television series for young kids.

13 Power Rangers Megaforce is a Disappointing Anniversary Season

Power Rangers Megaforce and Power Rangers Super Megaforce are widely viewed as the weakest seasons in the entire franchise. Taking the series back to high school, these seasons only offer bland characters, a flat story, weak attempts at appealing to nostalgia, and an extreme excess of fight scenes. Super Megaforce, in particular, fails to live up to the hype around it as the 20th anniversary season and the much-anticipated adaptation of Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger.

Power Rangers Megaforce
and
Power Rangers Super Megaforce
Celebrate
Power Rangers’
20th Anniversary.

Several of the season’s actors clearly give it their all, but it isn’t enough to save the dull material they’re working with. The two Sixth Rangers, Robo Knight and Orion, are given more meaty storylines than the rest of the characters, but they’re also far less prominent than the other Rangers. The season’s biggest disappointment is easily its finale, which brings back several past Rangers, including Tommy Oliver, but doesn’t give them anything to do.

12 Power Rangers Ninja Steel is the Final Neo-Saban Era Season

The Neo-Saban era fails to end on a high note with Power Rangers Ninja Steel and Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel. While it has some neat concepts, like Galaxy Warriors and having two of its Rangers already dating from the start, and some enjoyable characters, such as Sarah, Mick, and Levi Weston, these elements fail to make up for the seasons’ weaker aspects. Ninja Steel has the weakest writing of any Power Rangers season and is infamous for its reliance on fart jokes in every episode.

Power Rangers Ninja Steel
and
Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel
Celebrate
Power Rangers’
25th Anniversary.

It’s easy to see how Ninja Steel could have been great. Its Red Ranger, Brody, has a potentially fascinating backstory and a modern high school season could have explored newly relevant themes, but it never even attempts to give any of its stories depth. The one high point of the season is “Dimensions in Danger.” While still not a great anniversary special, it’s a wonderful final outing for Tommy Oliver, and the introduction of his Master Morpher is awesome.

11 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Season 1 is Heavily Formulaic

There will always be an unmatched charm to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Season 1. The first season of the franchise, it’s easy to turn on any individual episode and have a good time. However, with how formulaic and how long the season is, watching the entire thing is distinctly less entertaining.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Season 1 is the longest season in the franchise, with 60 episodes.

The ’90s cheesiness of MMPR Season 1 is glorious, and it still has many of the best monsters in the franchise. The season is at its best when it’s taking steps toward more dramatic storytelling. Episodes like “Green with Evil,” “The Green Candle,” and “Doomsday” start to show what the series would eventually become.

10 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Season 2 Improves on its Predecessor

While there were glimmers of ambition in Season 1, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Season 2 is the first true evolution of the series from its roots. This season introduces Lord Zedd as the new main villain, it says goodbye to Jason, Zack, and Trini, and replaces them with Rocky, Adam, and Aisha, and it begins Tommy’s long legacy of adopting new Ranger powers. The excitement from these changes, as well as the surplus of multipart episodes, help to make up for the standard formula of Season 1 still being in place.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Season 2 changes many aspects of Season 1.

The best episodes of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Season 2 include “The Mutiny” and “Missing Green.” While the Rangers remain as two-dimensional as they were in Season 1, these episodes do what they can to spice things up, giving Tommy a long-term story arc, and exploring Jason’s character more than any other episode, respectively. Apart from the season’s often repetitive nature, its biggest flaw is the clunkiness surrounding the exits of the original Red, Black, and Yellow Rangers.

9 Power Rangers Zeo Changed the Franchise Forever

At the time of its release, Power Rangers Zeo was a massive gamble. The first season to abandon the Mighty Morphin branding, Zeo begins the tradition of every season giving the Rangers a new set of powers. However, while its aesthetic is brand new, its content is largely similar to that of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Seasons 1 and 2.

Power Rangers Zeo
is the final Saban season to star members of the original
Mighty Morphin
cast.

Nearly every episode of Power Ranger Zeo is standard monster of the week fair, and even its few story arcs are forgettable. This makes it an unfortunate regression after the most dynamic third season of MMPR. Zeo still has plenty to offer within its limited range, though, like the stupendous return of Jason and “Graduation Blues,” one of the strongest episodes of the Zordon Era.

8 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Season 3 Embraces Serialized Storytelling

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Season 3 barely resembles the seasons that precede it. While there are still standalone episodes, primarily towards the start of the season, the majority of the season focuses on various story arcs. In particular, Kimberly’s ten-part departure from the series stands out as the biggest highlight of Mighty Morphin.

Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers
is a part of
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Season 3.

The season is bookended by massive events. It starts with a backdoor pilot for Masked Rider, and it ends with the ten-part Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers miniseries. In between, along with the brilliant Pink Ranger Saga, there’s the introduction of Ninjor and the Ninja Powers, the first appearances of Rito Revolto and Master Vile, and consistently solid filler episodes.

7 Power Rangers Turbo Has Been Heavily Re-Evaluated

Old-school Power Rangers fans will remember a time when Power Rangers Turbo was universally seen as the worst in the franchise. As many seasons deemed to be weaker have come out, however, this reputation has changed. While still not viewed especially highly, especially regarding its first half, most can now agree that Turbo is an enjoyable season with plenty of great elements.

Power Rangers Turbo
is an adaptation of
Gekisou Sentai Carranger
, a parody season of
Super Sentai
.

There is little that can be said to defend the first half of Power Rangers Turbo. Its plots are repetitive, the energy is low, there’s little going on, and the attempts to tell more mature stories as the Rangers graduate high school fall flat. The second half of Turbo, after the new cast is introduced, however, is a completely different beast. TJ, Cassie, Ashley, and Carlos rejuvenate the franchise, and with them comes the dramatic Phantom Ranger Saga, and many of the most memorably ridiculous and hilarious episodes in the franchise.

6 Power Rangers Samurai Revived the Franchise

Discourse around Power Rangers Samurai often presents a heavy generational divide. Older fans tend to view it with disdain, while younger fans who grew up with the season absolutely adore it. Regardless of where someone stands on its quality, there’s no denying the impact it had, with the heavy marketing push behind it restoring the series to a level of popularity it hadn’t seen in many years.

Power Rangers Samurai
and
Power Rangers Super Samurai
began the Neo-Saban Era.

Power Rangers Samurai and Power Rangers Super Samurai tell a single story and, with it being almost a one-to-one adaptation of Samurai Sentai Shinkenger, it’s a strong one. There are notable flaws in its execution, most notably its failure to adapt certain aspects strongly tied to Japanese culture, and weaker acting than is standard for the series, but the most important parts of the series still work. Jayden and Deker’s rivalry and fights are consistently exciting, Antonio is a lovable Sixth Ranger, Dayu’s tragedy makes her surprisingly complex, and Lauren steals the show in the little time she’s given as the first female Red Ranger.

5 Power Rangers Dino Charge is the Peak of the Neo-Saban Era

With Judd Lynn returning to the showrunner’s chair after sitting out Samurai and Megaforce, Power Rangers Dino Charge has the freshest energy of any Neo-Saban season. Its large cast of characters is extremely charming and likable, it’s consistently funny, and it nails most of its dramatic moments. The pace of each episode, and the season as a whole, is also perfect, never feeling too fast or too slow.

Power Rangers Dino Charge
and
Power Rangers Dino Super Charge
feature a team of ten Rangers.

Sadly, Power Rangers Dino Supercharge isn’t as good as what came before it. Its plots are sillier, sloppier, and less well-paced, and while Heckyl is a delightful villain, his original concept as a more intellectual and deceptive opponent is quickly abandoned. Even at its worst, however, none of the season is bad, and it all builds up to one of the most unforgettable finales in the series.

4 Power Rangers Lost Galaxy is a New Beginning

Power Rangers Lost Galaxy may not be a direct part of the Zordon Era, but as a sequel season to Power Rangers in Space, it may as well be. This season takes the drama and space opera aspects of the previous season and ramps them up to 11. While still featuring plenty of classic Power Rangers goofiness, Lost Galaxy consistently takes itself more seriously than almost any other season, and the result of this experiment is fantastic.

Power Rangers Lost Galaxy
is the first season to not be directly connected to the previous one.

Leo is one of the best Red Rangers of all time, growing from an insecure rookie who doesn’t feel worthy of his powers to a fearsome and confident leader who always looks awesome, ripping his shirt off. The Magna Defender Arc is shockingly dark, but not as dark as Kendrix’s death at the end of first, and arguably best, team-up episodes. Karone’s redemption arc following her time as the main villain of Power Rangers in Space works phenomenally well, and Lost Galaxy’s own antagonist, Trakeena, more than lives up to her predecessor.

3 Power Rangers Time Force Has Been a Fan-Favorite Since 2001

Power Rangers Time Force has seemingly everything going for it. Its cast includes many of the best actors in the series’ history, its characters are all extremely well written, it has the strongest overarching story in the franchise, its themes are complex, and it has some incredible action scenes. These aspects make Time Force one of the best seasons of all time, but it has some glaring problems underneath them.

Power Rangers Time Force
stars award-winning actors Vernon Wells and Edward Laurence Albert.

Endearing as they are, Trip, Katie, and Lucas are largely irrelevant, as the plot entirely focuses on Wes, Jen, and Eric. The filler episodes in the season also don’t come close to matching the quality of its story arcs. Neither of these issues has prevented Time Force from keeping a tight grip on older fans, leading it to recieve heavy focus in the Power Rangers comics, and a pseudo sequel in the form of Power Rangers Hyperforce.

2 Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue is an Underrated Gem

No season of Power Rangers is more underappreciated than Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue. While it may lack a complex story and interesting villains, it more than makes up for this with its outstanding team of Rangers, unique action scenes, and mature tone. Most recognition Lightspeed receives is just for the American-original Titanium Ranger, but it offers so much more than just that.

Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue
is the first entirely standalone season of the franchise.

Carter ranks among the coolest Red Rangers with his Captain America-esque personality, Joel’s character development throughout the season is subtle, and his antics are hilarious, and Chad and Kelsey have one of the cutest friendships in the series. It’s hard to care about the lack of plot when just spending time with these characters is so much fun. Their personal struggles are all taken seriously and are given the weight they deserve.

1 Power Rangers In Space is an Unquestioned Masterpiece

In nearly every respect, Power Rangers in Space is a perfect season. The sixth and final installment in the Zordon Era, In Space, aimed to be an epic ending for the series, but it instead saved it from cancelation by offering something completely different and superior to every season before it. The Rangers, the villains, the story, the tone, the music, and the action are all phenomenal, and even most of its relatively few filler episodes are fun or emotional.

Power Rangers in Space
is the grand finale to the Zordon Era
.

Andros is the franchise’s first truly complex hero, and the conflict between him and Astronema serves as a powerful emotional core for the series as the universe goes to war around the two siblings. The returning Rangers from Turbo are made even more likable than they were before thanks to in Space’s stronger writing, and the supporting villains like Ecliptor, Darkonda, and the Psycho Rangers are more engaging than the main villains of most seasons. To this day, despite many attempts to imitate it, “Countdown to Destruction” remains the best finale in the series, and the series’ best episodes overall.