After 30 seasons, the Power Rangers show that I want to see the most is one that might never happen. Apart from the Power Rangers movies and a couple of other exceptions like Netflix’s Power Rangers: Once & Always, Power Rangers has used the same format ever since its inception in 1993. Every Power Rangers season has a Super Sentai counterpart, even the ones that include a lot of original footage like Cosmic Fury. The end of Cosmic Fury left the future of the saga up in the air, and it’s now unclear what Power Rangers’ future will look like.

Netflix’s Power Rangers reboot is reportedly no longer happening, with the project now being reworked as Hasbro Entertainment looks for a new creative partner (via TV Line). Although I was very excited for a Power Rangers reboot series, this was not the project I wanted to see the most. Power Rangers does need a fresh start, perhaps with an original series not based on Sentai and aimed at more mature audiences. However, in addition to a live-action reboot, I would love to see an animated Power Rangers – which is something the saga is still missing.

An Animated Power Rangers Show Is Long Overdue

Power Rangers still doesn’t have an animated show

More than three decades after Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, I believe the animated Power Rangers show is long overdue. Although there have been attempts at releasing an animated series based on Power Rangers, nothing ever came to fruition. So far, every Power Rangers movie or TV has been in live-action. There has never been an animated Super Sentai series or film either. Considering that Power Rangers has been mainly based on Sentai since 1993, it is no surprise that it never got an animated show. Interestingly, other Tokusatsu properties have received the animation treatment.

For example, Ultraman received a CG-animated series and a CG-animated movie. More recently, Fuuto PI introduced Kamen Rider to a new generation, now in anime form. Although Tokusatsu is by definition associated with live-action shows, there is more than enough room to reinvent beloved properties like Super Sentai and Power Rangers as animated shows. Power Rangers has explored other media, including video games and comic books. Still, the saga is limited by what previous seasons and the Sentai franchise have done. For Power Rangers to have an animated show, it would have to abandon its formula.

Why A Power Rangers Animated Show Would Be Incredible

Animated Power Rangers could do things live-action never did

One of my favorite things about Power Rangers is how it combines fantasy, science fiction, and all the tropes from Super Sentai in a fun way. Power Rangers may be a very formulaic show, but after hundreds of episodes across 30 seasons, the show got to tell great stories in a lot of different settings. Some Power Rangers seasons are mature, while others are more lighthearted. Regardless, the vastness of the Power Rangers universe means it can work in basically any genre or format. This is why an animated series would suit the franchise perfectly.

Super Sentai and Power Rangers can only do so much in terms of action sequences and set pieces due to the budget. While recent Power Rangers seasons look much better than the ones from the 1990s and early 2000s, the show still has a lot of limitations. An animated Power Rangers show would not have to deal with said limitations, meaning it would get to do things the live-action series never did. Power Rangers’ lore is richer than what the show can keep up with regarding visuals, which is why I’ve always wanted to see the franchise try different approaches.

The fact that some of the best Power Rangers stories ever told came from the comic books is not a coincidence. The comics do not have to worry if there will be enough budget for five Megazords to combine into one, or if the stories will be suitable for a very young audience. Considering that Power Rangers has been slowly moving away from Super Sentai, now it would be the perfect time to test new formats. I believe an animated Power Rangers series could elevate the franchise and change it forever.

Recent Superhero & Sci-Fi Shows Prove A Power Rangers Animated Series Would Work

Some of the best shows of recent years have been animated

There have been some fantastic animated shows based on famous IPs recently, especially for streaming. For example, Invincible brought Image Comics’ famous superhero to the screen with a big-budget animated series featuring a stellar cast. Despite the long wait between seasons 1 and 2, Invincible has been among the most popular shows of the last few years. Another great example of an animated show that should inspire Power Rangers is X-Men ‘97, which I believe to be one of the best Marvel projects ever put to screen. Other recent animated hits include Arcane, Castlevania, and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.

What I like about Arcane and X-Men ‘97 is that they serve as a reminder that animated series are not necessarily synonymous with kid’s shows. They have explored themes that live-action movies never did. If Power Rangers ever wants to have a show aimed at a slightly more mature audience compared to the traditional seasons, the animation media would work just fine. It would be interesting to have a couple of Power Rangers animated shows running at the same time – one aimed at the series’ main target audience, and one for older fans.

An Animated Power Rangers Show Could Bring The Comics To Screen

The Power Rangers comics deserve a screen adaptation

BOOM! Studios’ Power Rangers comics have helped reignite the franchise with amazing stories that go beyond anything the show ever did while honoring the original Mighty Morphin series. From original characters like the Ranger Slayer and Lord Drakkon to events like Shattered Grid and Darkest Hour, the comics have shown how much potential the Power Rangers universe has. That said, given the scope and the scale of those stories, they would only work in live-action in a big-budget production that would rival superhero blockbusters. In animation, however, things would be relatively easier.

I believe the best way of bringing the Power Rangers comics to the screen for the first time would be with an animated show. Invincible and X-Men ’97 both followed their respective source materials quite closely while adding something new to them, which is exactly how I would want the Power Rangers comics to be adapted. Power Rangers’ future remains unclear following the reported cancellation of the Netflix reboot, but the saga still has a lot of new ground to cover and exciting possibilities to explore. Hopefully, a Power Rangers animated show will happen eventually.

Sources: TV Line