Top 10 Power Rangers Series

So there's a certain movie coming out quite soon that has to do with 90s nostalgia as well as people taking a novel concept from Japan and contorting it to fit their American needs. Yeah. Ghost in the Shell is happening, kids, and boy...I can wait for that movie. Oh, and Power Rangers or something. Meh.
Power Rangers has been going on for twenty-four years now and nearly as many series. From five teenagers with attitude to one bland teenager, a new kid, a magician, and two teenagers with attitude, Power Rangers has seen so many iterations and cast members that it still astounds me that many people consider Power Rangers as just Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers and just disregard all of the other series that came after.

With the new movie coming out, and the ever-dimming hope that maybe one of those other series will get a film adaptation as well, I figure it's best to examine my Top 10 Power Rangers series. Not to mention that Power Rangers is totally on the map again. The film is being marketed like crazy. I hope Saban isn't blowing the budget for the show on it (if they are, it certainly shows), but that stuff probably falls more on Lionsgate.

But no, really. Got to any Target or toy-store and there are tons of action figures for the movie. The Rangers, the Megazord, the Power Sword (that apparently is being used by not just the Red Ranger?) are up for sale. My local movie theatre served popcorn in a Power Rangers back. Where the heck was this in the early 2000s? I mean, Ninja Steel has its fair share of toys but not nearly as many as the movie, which isn't even out yet. That's something about toys I don't get but that's meant for another discussion.

One thing I will note is that while this is a subjective list (oh, it's very subjective), I do still live by the motto that "favorite" does not equal "best." Star Wars: Episode IV is my favorite movie of all time, but Empire Strikes Back is clearly the better movie. With that in mind, and with no honorable mentions because I particularly care for the series not on the list, let's jump in with #10.

10. RPM

Power Rangers RPM gets so low on the list if only because I haven't watched it all the way through, but was pretty enthralled with what I saw. The action was intense, the actors very genuine, and the atmosphere was quite believable. I'm partial to the uniforms and impartial to the theme song, but the idea of placing Power Rangers in a post-apocalyptic atmosphere not unlike Mad Max is ballsy and pretty dang fun, from what I've seen.

9. Dino Charge

Our most recent completed Power Rangers series, Dino Charge started off incredibly strong and super fun, hearkening back to some of the series of the early 2000s, before quickly devolving at around the halfway point of Dino Super Charge and just falling flat on it's face with the final few episodes. Still, that early stuff was good. It took a risk with the first three episodes as it focused more on the Rangers as people and less as Power Rangers, but it showed each member of the team, as well as some future members, as very capable and worthy to take up the mantle of a Power Ranger. There wasn't a member of the team, all 10 Rangers, that I disliked and some even had genuine arcs by the end of the series. It's clearly the best of the Neo-Saban era and one of the best that the show has produced. Despite a lackluster back-half, it does show that there is promise for future series. 

8. Lightspeed Rescue

Lightspeed Rescue is just cheesy fun, it's Power Rangers at basically it's most simple form. Plus it feels like an actual superhero show. The heroes aren't teenagers or younger adults, they're real adults that could probably be some of the kids' watching parents doing heroic things. Saving people from burning buildings, performing great stunts, working in an underground water base...you know, parent stuff! These were action heroes for kids to look up. The villains might not have been strong but the Rangers themselves were all a tight-knit group of believable superheroes. Not to mention that this features the first American-exclusive Ranger, Ryan, who has a pretty cool backstory. 

7. Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers

Oof. Is it me or did it just get a little...awkward...in here? 

My problem with Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers essentially just comes down to length. People praise the show for the epic Green Ranger Saga, the Green Candle Saga, the arrival of the White Ranger, and the finale. But those are scattered across a show of 160 episodes that are essentially all the same thing and while it has some charm, it can be a bit much to get through. Sometimes it's just a slog. There's heart, yes, and it's endearing, but I like the shows with only a few actual filler episodes and where it isn't really the same thing every time because they don't have the time to really repeat the same thing over and over. I won't harp on the characters being characitures because it's a kids show and that's fine, it's part of the charm. Are the epic moments in the series really that great? Oh heck yeah. I love Tommy and a big part of his character is about still overcoming his treacherous attacks against his friends as the Green Ranger. It's good stuff, just not my favorite. 

6. Lost Galaxy

Heh. Man the rest of this list really will be awkward for the die-hard MMPR fans out there. But I really like Lost Galaxy. I like the suit designs, I like the story, I like the characters, AND it features the return of one of my favorite villain groups ever: the Psycho Rangers! Plus, "To the Tenth Power" is one of the best Power Rangers episodes ever, featuring one of the coolest battles ever. Leo is one of my favorite Power Rangers and I just dig the overall premise of the show: a colony travelling to a new world through space. It's neat and they explore it pretty well. Trakeena is also a really fun villain, evolving as the Rangers do in terms of power to try and keep up with them. As the first series to really separate away from the "Zordon-Era" as it were, Lost Galaxy does a pretty good job to pave the way for what would come 20 years later. 

5. Wild Force

Check out my review of the series here! 

DUDE. The theme song for this series ROCKS. 

Anyway. 

Wild Force is a controversial part of Power Rangers history not only for how the show was produced, but also in terms of the quality of the series. Some feel that there's an overt "nature is good, humanity is evil-ish" message, some feel that the acting isn't handled well, some think that Disney meddled with production too much...and I say, who cares! Tarzan-boy is the Red Ranger! Cole is awesome! So is the rest of the team. Marik is an average sixth Ranger, but his Ranger suit is my favorite of the show's history. Plus, you can't overlook arguably the three best Power Rangers episodes ever with the two part "Reinforcements from the Future" and the classic "Forever Red" crossover. Power Rangers Wild Force just works for me, I don't know why. I rewatched it recently and found that it, clearly, still holds up compared to other entries in the series. It's a fun time with a pretty interesting story, with parallels calling back all the way to Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. The finale is sheer epicness, too. 

4. Jungle Fury

Check out my review of the series here! 

It really bugs me that so few people have actually watched Jungle Fury. It's the only series in the history of Power Rangers without a proper crossover. Even Mystic Force had a Ranger appear in Operation Overdrive. Boo. The Rangers in Jungle Fury are great, not your average teenagers. They struggle with fears and anxieties that everyone does and they find down-to-Earth solutions through either RJ or each other. Jungle Fury might have one of the tightest-knit Ranger teams by the series finale, and Casey has some of the best growth as both a leader, a person, and a Power Ranger by the time he has his final showdown with Dai-Shi, in the form of a friend. Plus this sees the show return to more martial-arts based combat, which it'd ditched since Ninja Storm. I also love the suits and RJ's is just so cool, a really great starting point for future Purple Rangers. I could gush some more about Jungle Fury but I already did a whole review of the series. 

3. Dino Thunder

If this were a "favorites" list, I would've swapped Jungle Fury with Dino Thunder. I just think Jungle Fury is more fun, but Dino Thunder is without a doubt the better series. These next few entries, for most people that have watched beyond MMPR, often make it to the top of the lists, too, so you know that, objectively, it's a pretty solid show. Dino Thunder is in many ways a spiritual successor to MMPR but it deals with things better than the original, with the exception of the "Ranger turning good" thing. Tommy's character gets development, the Rangers have genuine personalities, the villain is incredibly intimidating, and the school setting works to establish the Rangers' lives outside of their monster-fighting. The "Thunderstorm" crossover was okay, but nothing great. Dino Thunder feels like quintessential Power Rangers if you took it and shaved off the fluff. There are filler episodes, but they do actually lead to character development. I recall after Kira has a little stunt with popularity she becomes a bit more down-to-Earth and opens up a lot more to the team. Tommy as a mentor is also a brilliant idea and it was so well-executed. The fan-service of him as a Power Ranger again is cool, wears off, and then gets cool again when you find out he has a rival with the villains. Dino Thunder pays respect to the series in ways that other entries simply could not, and it shows. 

2. Time Force

Yeah baby, time for Time Force. Power Rangers Time Force isn't just my favorite Power Rangers shows, it's also one of my favorite all-time TV shows. It's GREAT. The acting is great. The music is so well-done. The action takes the popular tropes at the time and uses them well. All of the Rangers are fun and likable. Ransik, Frax, and Nadira are all awesome villains in their own right. Not to mention that the story of the show is pretty awesome, with multiple subplots being juggled all at once with pretty much masterful ease. When a big thing happens, there is definite build-up to said event. Frax created his giant metallic Zord has precedence. There are stakes in the series. When it's just down to Wes and Ransik to fix a problem and they're forced to compromise their ideals for the sake of others, it really shows and the actors do a great job of it. 

Plus there are themes that would be absolutely ludicrous to put in a kids' show like Power Rangers that they managed to fit in. Free will versus fate? Can we really change the future in the past? How much of the time line can we actually alter? What does it mean to be human? How do you define "humanity?" Racism is covered in the show, as humans and mutants come to learn to respect one another's existence, exemplified through Ransik's absolute disdain for human kind. The finale for the series is heart-pounding, gut-wrenching, and incredibly satisfying. It brings so many characters to resolution and sees two of the best Red Rangers ever to center stage, including my favorite Power Ranger of all time, Wes Collins. It's just so darn good and if you're looking for a good Power Rangers series without needing much backstory, look here. 

But, it is still only #2. It is my favorite, but I know when to concede the truth. 

#1 In Space

Power Rangers In Space saved Power Rangers and set it on a course that would only be altered by Disney purchasing the company, otherwise I think we would have had shows that just kept getting better and better. The stakes had never been higher, the Rangers were at their lowest point, and yet they kept fighting. This series took Power Rangers and spun it on it's head. You want an epic space opera? You got it. You want the main heroes to finally face THE source of evil in the universe? You got it. You want a team of evil Power Rangers? YOU GOT IT. 

Part of the reason In Space works so well is in conjunction with all the other elements outside of the Power Rangers. Bulk and Skull get a major moment in "Countdown to Destruction." Astronema is an awesome villain and is a great foil for Andros, the Red Ranger. I'll save my thoughts on the Psycho Rangers for a moment, but then you have Dark Specter, who has been Rita, Zedd, Mondo, and Astronema's boss all along. Zordon is missing and they have to get him back. The Rangers are in completely unknown territory most of the time and they're still working through being teenagers with problems and anxieties. There's returns and homages to previous seasons. 

And the stars of the show are the Psycho Rangers, giving the Rangers probably their hardest test to date. They have the best villain introduction, the sleekest design, and the baddest of moves. They are the complete opposite of the Power Rangers and if this were to truly be the final season, I'd be happy knowing that they waited to play this hand until the very end. You have to keep in mind that this is still a fresh team. Sure the former Turbo Rangers are tough, but they're still back-ups. Just fill-ins for the previous Turbo team and whatever team Andros and Zane had beforehand. The fact that the Psychos beat them at every turn and the Power Rangers still come out on top show just how truly capable they are. 

"Countdown to Destruction" is also one of the best episodes of the series, effectively bringing everything beforehand to a close as all the villains are turned good (and Rita eventually becomes a sorceress of light?) . It's a great conclusion to the best that Power Rangers has to offer. 

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