Unique Power Rangers: Exploring Those Without Super Sentai Origins

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For a significant part of its history, it predominantly borrowed action scenes from the extended series known as Super Sentai. Consequently, each Ranger was modeled on one from their respective Sentai equivalent, regardless of any new footage or American-exclusive power enhancements. However, this tradition ended following Power Rangers Lost Galaxy.

Many Power Rangers share counterparts in Super Sentai, but some Rangers are entirely unique. This pattern started with the Titanium Ranger in Lightspeed Rescue and continued throughout the series. Besides the BOOM! Studios comics, which feature numerous Rangers without Super Sentai counterparts, these unique Rangers are scarce, making each one that does exist an enjoyable novelty.

The Titanium Ranger Was the First Power Ranger Without a Sentai Counterpart

Before the creation of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, which is an adaptation of Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger, it wasn’t typical for Super Sentai series to introduce Sixth Rangers or other non-Ranger heroes. The concept was still evolving even after Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGoFive, as this show chose to stick with its original five Ranger team throughout its run. However, the immense popularity of Sixth Rangers in Power Rangers led to the creation of a brand-new Ranger character who served as the Sixth Ranger for Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue, the counterpart of GoGoFive.

Making its appearance in Episode 11 titled “Deep in the Shadows,” the Titanium Ranger distinguishes itself as the initial Power Ranger not modeled after a previous Super Sentai character. Sporting a silver and gold suit reminiscent of the GoGoFive attire, and a transformable ax-turned-blaster, the Titanium Ranger, whose real identity is Ryan Mitchell, initially takes on the role as an adversary, joining forces with the demons. As the story unfolds, it’s disclosed that he is the son of the Lightspeed Rangers’ guide, Captain Mitchell, and the brother of the Lightspeed Pink Ranger, Dana Mitchell. His alliance with Queen Bansheera stems from his father abandoning him to the demons as a child, in an effort to save him from falling off a cliff to certain death.

In simpler terms, Ryan’s role as a villain didn’t last long in the series and he was mostly absent until the end, making brief appearances without any special effects. Saban might have wanted a new character to attract kids, but producing fresh Ranger footage was still costly. Interestingly, the Titanium Ranger’s Megazord, known as the Max Solarzord in this series, does have a counterpart from the original Japanese show, the Max Liner, which is why it remains even after Ryan leaves on his mission to lock away evil spirits.

The SPD A-Squad Rangers Were Their World’s Main Team of Power Rangers

As a seasoned movie critic, I must say that the SPD A-Squad from “Power Rangers SPD” stands out as an intriguing ensemble within the vast landscape of villainous Power Ranger teams, devoid of their Super Sentai counterparts. Typically, these original Rangers are overlooked by fans due to their fleeting appearances, minimal impact on the narrative, and roles as merely darker versions of their adversaries. However, the SPD A-Squad bucks this trend, offering a compelling exception to the rule.

In the series Power Rangers SPD, while their costumes were cobbled together from leftover helmets and armor from previous shows like Power Rangers in Space and Power Rangers Lost Galaxy, the A-Squad plays a significant role. Headed by Charlie, the groundbreaking first female Red Ranger, the A-Squad initially serves as the primary team of Rangers, earning global admiration. However, their absence doesn’t last long, as they are dispatched on a mission off Earth, leading to them being believed dead. This vacuum paves the way for the B-Squad to take center stage.

In the concluding episodes of SPD, it’s revealed that the A-Squad Rangers, who were thought to be dead, are actually alive. Initially, the B-Squad believes this means they’ll be demoted, but things don’t go as expected. Instead, it’s uncovered that the A-Squad willingly joined forces with Emperor Gruumm. This makes the A-Squad a significant obstacle for the B-Squad to surmount. However, instead of being demoted, this situation presents an opportunity for the B-Squad to demonstrate their worth as Earth’s protectors.

The Spirit Rangers Only Appear in Power Rangers Jungle Fury

In the series Juken Sentai Gekiranger, just five rangers make up the core team, while two others take on the role of main antagonists. For Power Rangers Jungle Fury, Disney felt that having only five heroic rangers wasn’t sufficient. Instead, they introduced three new rangers – the Spirit Rangers.

As a devoted fan, I’d like to share some insights about the Power Rangers Jungle Fury. In this series, Master Finn, Master Swoop, and Master Phant are not your typical Rangers – they are the Blue, Black, and Green Spirit Rangers! Before their transformation into these mystical beings, each of them served as mentors to our core trio: Casey, Theo, and Lily.

Their journey to becoming Rangers is unique, unlike anything we’ve seen before. The Phantom Beasts, using the Crystal Eyes, extracted their shark, bat, and elephant animal spirits from these masters. This separation created a new entity for each master – the Spirit Ranger. Once they regained control over these entities, they could fight alongside them!

Among all the Ranger teams, none can match the aesthetic appeal of the Spirit Rangers, who lack any equivalent in Super Sentai. Their suits are meticulously crafted to embody the essence of the Gekiranger, while retaining a unique charm. They truly shine during action sequences.

The weapons wielded by each Spirit Ranger align logically with their respective masters. For instance, the Blue Spirit Ranger carries dual swords, the Black Spirit Ranger uses fans, and the Green Spirit Ranger brandishes a mace. This design choice echoes that of the Titanium Ranger before them.

However, due to their high production cost, the Spirit Rangers were seldom seen on screen, making appearances mostly during their initial story arc and in the final episodes.

Zayto is the Only Zenith Ranger

In the series of Power Rangers Dino Fury and Cosmic Fury, Zayto presents an exceptional situation. Initially, in Power Rangers Dino Fury, he was the Red Ranger, and his equivalent character from Super Sentai was Ryusoul Red (Koh) from Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger. However, when the transition to Cosmic Fury occurred, Zayto took on a new role as the Red Ranger, which left him without an equivalent character since Amelia served as a loose counterpart for Uchu Sentai Kyuranger’s Lucky. Unlike Amelia, who used footage from Kyuranger, but had original Ranger suits, Zayto found himself without a counterpart in the Cosmic Fury series.

Previously known as a Knight of Rafkon and believed to be one of the last Rafkonians, Zayto transforms into the golden Zenith Ranger in Power Rangers Cosmic Fury. Initially, Zayto assumes the role of the Red Dino Fury Zenith Ranger after being resurrected by the Morphin Masters, but later gains his Cosmic Fury powers and a new, unique appearance. Although fans criticized the design of the Cosmic Fury suits, including the Zenith Ranger suit, due to its cheap look, as it only appeared in five episodes, the criticism was minimal. In the final episode of the series, titled “The End,” Zayto relinquishes his powers and becomes a Morphin Master instead.

The Hyperforce Rangers are the Most Original Team of Power Rangers

Interestingly, despite one of its actors having been in Super Sentai, Power Rangers Hyperforce is connected solely to its own franchise. This online tabletop RPG series focuses on a fresh group of Rangers from the 31st Century, consisting of Time Force cadets Marvin Shih, Chloe Ashford, Eddie Banks, and Vesper Vasquez, police officer Jack Thomas, and veteran Ranger Joe Shih. Using Morphers designed by Time Force, they are known as the Red, Pink, Blue, Black, Yellow, and Green Hyperforce Rangers, with Joe having previously been the Silver Ranger from the original Time Force team.

Instead of the Time Force Rangers, the Hyperforce Rangers are based on different Titans from Greek mythology. Specifically, their colors correspond to Iapetus (Red), Hyperion (Pink), Oceanus (Blue), Coeus (Black), Crius (Yellow), and Rhea (Green). Each of them uses unique weapons: claws, a scythe, a trident, a shield, a hammer, and swords. Notably, Chloe is the sole Pink Ranger, the only female Ranger, and the only one without a Super Sentai counterpart to have a Battlizer form. As Hyperforce is a unique series, there are no official versions of the Hyperforce suits available beyond concept art and the BOOM Studios comics.

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2025-05-04 06:55