Despite some roadblocks along with the way, the Power Rangers franchise has essentially been going non-stop since its premiere in 1993. From meteoric, literally-highway-stopping popularity to middling-out, descending close to cancelation and then returning to the brink, the multicolored superhero teams of the Power Rangers universe continue to scratch the itch of martial arts, explosions, people in rubber monster suits and giant, combining robots for fans of all ages.
With so many rangers to choose from, the question of which team would reign supreme occurs to fans all the time. This particular ranking takes everything into consideration: their civilian skillets, powers, tactics, arsenals, and what they’re up against. For the sake of clarity, multi-season shows are being combined into one entry, meaning that Mighty Morphin’s three seasons or the “Super” variants of Samurai, Megaforce, and beyond will all be considered one.
Updated on January 23rd, 2023 by Amanda Bruce: Since the first Power Rangers series debuted, there has been a new team of colorfully clad heroes almost every year. The first few seasons of the franchise kept the same team relatively intact, but more often than not, each season is a whole new team with a whole new set of abilities. The villains, the powers, and the dangers are not all created equal, which can make for an unbalanced look at figuring out the true strength of the teams over time. Some of the newer teams, for example, who have the benefit of the knowledge of the Rangers before them, are arguably much weaker than some of those original teams. The most recent team, Power Rangers Dino Fury, has a respectable set of skills and abilities in their team, so it’s no wonder they’re going the same route as the Zordon Era and retaining the team, but with all new suits and powers in their new season, Power Rangers Cosmic Fury, in 2023.
Dino Charge
Taking the bottom spot, Dino Charge and its “Super” extension are arguably the weakest of the bunch for a variety of reasons, namely the difficulty in defeating their rather dull foes. Despite the Rangers’ powers stemming from the “greatest power in the universe,” the Energems, fans would be hard-pressed to believe that was the case. This is because their main adversaries are Sledge, a bounty hunter with a ship full of criminals, and Heckyl, a rather wily criminal from the same gang.
Where other Ranger teams found themselves up against impossible odds, legions of demons, or intergalactic sorcerers, the Dino Charge Rangers have trouble with law-breakers, bounty hunters, and criminals. In what’s clearly a case of a bark being worse than a bite, the so-called “greatest power in the universe” must not be that great after all.
Ninja Steel
The Ninja Steel Rangers are tasked with protecting the Ninja Nexus Prism, which contains the “legendary Ninja Power Stars.” These Power Stars are not the ones with eyeballs from Super Mario 64, but rather the source of the Ninja Steel team’s powers. Not unlike the so-called “greatest power in the universe” that the Dino Charge Rangers wielded, this team of ninja are quite low on the ranking of Power Rangers teams since their powers generally don’t overwhelm any of their peers.
In terms of villainy, the team is forced to participate against contestants from an intergalactic, combat-focused game show, and then Madame Odius upon her return. However, these foes are just regular bad guys from across the cosmos. Despite this, these villains still manage to give the Ninja Steel rangers trouble.
Operation Overdrive
Operation Overdrive, aside from its fairly well-liked anniversary episode, “Once A Ranger”, is not exactly beloved among fans, thanks to shoddy acting, writing and execution. Despite this, the ranger designs, the weapons and the Zords are actually quite cool. It’s a shame then, that their powers and purpose are considerably weak when looked at objectively.
Operation Overdrive has a great collection of varied villains, such as evil brothers and treasure hunters, but the extent of their power levels is suspect.
While the Rangers do save the day, the threat of the villains on their own (without the aid of the powerful crown and jewels McGuffins) are fairly harmless yet still manage to give these well-armed rangers a run for their money, which is an embarrassing display.
Jungle Fury
Jungle Fury is one of the stranger series in the Power Rangers stable: it features sunglasses being used as morphers, lots of pizza, and a little fly referee that acts as an announcer during Megazord battles. Those aren’t reasons that Jungle Fury is so low on the power scale, though.
The truth is, despite their kung-fu training, the adversary the Rangers are forced to deal with, Dai Shi, while aesthetically intimidating, isn’t exactly a threat to the world. His goal of ruling the Earth with an army of beasts is similar to other villains, but he is defeated by a team of up-and-coming rangers being trained by someone who might just be a stoner.
Ninja Storm
While Power Rangers Ninja Storm is a popular series with some great humor and action, these Power Rangers themselves are rather weak when compared to others in the series’ long history. One bright spot is that the Rangers were actually trained to be ninja, bringing their basic combat abilities above many of their peers. This is only amplified by the power of their morphers and Zords but, like the Dino Charge rangers, their foes are really nothing to bat an eyelash at.
Sure, the exiled ninja Lothor is deliciously entertaining, but he’s not an underworld god or apocalyptic computer virus. Also, the Rangers still had a tremendously difficult time dealing with him and his gang. Again, this is a great season, and it’s not being knocked for quality, but the “wind rangers” just don’t measure up to their peers in terms of power – except for Tori as she takes over for her teammates when they’re in danger multiple times, and becomes the best Blue Ranger in Power Rangers.
Alien Rangers
The Alien Rangers are a bit of a strange bunch since they were the first real hint at the scope of the show’s universe, and since the concept of “Power Rangers” wasn’t something native to just a single planet or person. During the third season of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, these Aquitians filled in for Earth’s original team when they were turned into children, and, in terms of power, they appeared to at least be equal to Zordon’s team.
With a unique selection of powers and Zords, this team was able to adequately fill in the gap left by Earth’s out-of-commission forces, proving that they were exceptional in their right, and a team to be reckoned with, particularly when considering how dangerous Rita, Zedd and Master Vile were. The only trouble is that the Aquitians had a huge weakness when it came to fighting on Earth. The group needed large amounts of water to survive. Even a small battle against weaker opponents could drain them of their energy and leave them needing to recuperate for a few days.
Dino Thunder
Dino Thunder is one of the best seasons of the franchise, and it even brought back the fan-favorite Tommy Oliver as a mentor (and Ranger) to a new group of teenagers who found themselves becoming the multi-colored superheroes due to twist of fate and the meteor that killed the dinosaurs. Likewise, this season’s villain is also incredibly well-liked. Mesogog, a bio-tech mutant who wants to revert the world to the age of the dinosaurs, goes so far as to fight the Rangers personally.
The Rangers themselves are formidable enough (including civilian super-powers), but they barely had enough of an arsenal (or adequate training) to save the planet without sacrificing the very core of their powers, and they never display a strength that proves they’d be able to go toe-to-toe with the best of the best.
Megaforce
The horribly named “Super Megaforce” Rangers are the absolute worst in terms of Power Rangers’ quality. Universally reviled by fans due to non-actors being asked to deliver some of the worst writing in the entire franchise, there is also the matter of misusing the powers that many fans looked forward to – The Ranger Keys.
The Keys allowed the team to use the powers of any past ranger from the franchise, acquiring their weapons and costumes. Despite this wealth of extraordinary potential, the rangers squandered most of these abilities against the overwhelming forces of the invading “Armada.”
Armada is a threat that needed the entirety of the Power Rangers franchise to help them defeat, despite already having all of their powers at their fingertips. Their lack of skill should make them one of the worst Power Rangers teams, but the potential of accessing every Ranger power elevates them.
Samurai
What elevates Power Rangers Samurai (and its “Super” follow-up) from its Neo-Saban peers is that this generation of Power Rangers is up against a deadly force of demonic entities and spirits in a war that has literally lasted for generations. They’ve been bred and trained to handle this feud should it rear its ugly head, and have dutifully prepared for it.
When the time does come, and the enemies of old re-emerge from the underworld, the Samurai rangers are ready and willing to stop the threat. While their impressive tech and training, along with their otherworldly foes, have earned them this relatively-middling place, make no mistake that Power Rangers Samurai is, unfortunately, one of the worst seasons in the franchise.
SPD
SPD may take place in the future, and may have given excellent training to each one of its members, along with the most advanced technology of its time, but the audience never gets a real chance to gauge what most of this means in a meaningful context.
The main adversaries of Space Patrol Delta are alien criminals and their mechs. While they’re powerful in their own right, SPD is a police force and is never exactly pushed to the breaking point in either skill or technology. The most powerful test of their abilities wasn’t even against the series’ main villain, but rather the A-Squad, a team of traitorous rangers wielding SPD-designed heavy armor and weapons. So while it’s unquestionable that their available tech and training make the SPD rangers superior to a large chunk of teams, fans have never seen them reach their true potential.
Wild Force
Wild Force is a rather surreal experience with bizarre acting, writing, and antics. Simultaneously, it has one of the best, most relatable villains in the form of the Orgs and their ruler, Master Org. Borne from the poisons humanity pours into the Earth, the Orgs and the once-human Master Org attempt to punish the world for their sins, with the Wild Force rangers being the only team able to stop them. Master Org is extremely powerful, and isn’t afraid to prove it directly to the rangers. Thankfully, the Wild Force team is well-prepared for the threat with a mystical, animal-based source of power.
While they don’t do anything out of the ordinary in terms of training, their animal-like tactics are impressive. They were able to overcome the threat of the Orgs and their Master, proving that the Wild Force rangers are a force to be reckoned with.
Turbo
Turbo is an oddity. According to Zordon and the rangers, the Turbo powers are greater than those of the Zeo Crystal, but when fans observe what the Turbo Rangers are up against, and how they deal with it, a lot of questions come to mind.
Divatox doesn’t seem like she rivals Rita, Zedd, or the Machine Empire, nor does she seem to have the resources to wage a large-scale war, with most of her forces posing little to no threat to the Rangers. If the powers were as advanced as claimed, shouldn’t she have been swiftly defeated?
To top things off, the Rangers suffered their worst defeat in history, the destruction of the Power Chamber, while wielding these powers so, while certainly comparable to Zeo, they obviously aren’t as great as they were hyped up to be.
Dino Fury
Dinosaurs are a tried and true theme in the Power Rangers universe, and this time, they’re used to expand the mythology of the franchise and give this particular team a power boost. The Dino Fury team ends up with their connection to the Morphing Grid thanks to other Rangers who came to Earth 65 million years ago. Those Rangers battled an infectious alien species known as the Sporix and left their Red Ranger in stasis on the planet with their keys hidden to help the next generation that would have to battle the Sporix if they returned.
The Dino Fury Rangers are an interesting group because they don’t just have a connection to the Morphing Grid, but also a database full of information about the legacy of the Power Rangers who came before them, and also guidance from Morphing Masters. The group has a lot more help than most of the teams have gotten from a single mentor, giving them an edge. They’re also not all teenagers, so they don’t treat being a Ranger like an after-school club. Most of the team also has some sort of training in martial arts before they ever don a suit, much like the original Mighty Morphin lineup. It makes this one formidable group of fighters.
It’s a good thing they are too because they don’t just have to deal with villains infected or created by the Sporix. They also have to deal with villains Scrozzle and Lord Zedd from previous seasons, two of the craftiest of Power Rangers villains in history.
Beast Morphers
Though a lot of the Beast Morphers action takes place in a virtual reality like landscape, that doesn’t mean the events are any less dangerous for its team of heroes. In fact, fans could argue that this is one of the most dangerous seasons of all since the Rangers are defending a city that has tapped into the Morphing Grid to create a clean energy source for humanity, and they’re battling the same computer virus from the RPM dimension that nearly ended the world. The Rangers have their work cut out for them.
Luckily, their bonding with animal DNA gives them unique abilities, and their willingness to team up with outside forces means that they get assistance in the fight from Mighty Morphin, RPM, and Dino Charge team members.
What’s most interesting about this team is that they aren’t all even originally chosen for the team, but end up as Power Rangers when the original choices are incapacitated and influenced by the season’s villain Evox. The Rangers choose to protect others from danger instead of evacuating, which means this group of Rangers are willing to do whatever it takes to save the day, no matter how dangerous circumstances become.
In Space
The In Space Power Rangers had the rawest deal of any team in the entire franchise: every villain in the cosmos allied themselves with the evil god, Dark Specter. Together, they kidnaped Zordon and launched a galaxy-wide attack in a bid to fully take over everything.
Despite this, the Space Rangers fought on. Not unlike the Alien Rangers, the Space Rangers seemed to be of equivalent power levels to their nearest peers, the Turbo and Zeo teams, but had far less equipment and support. They deserve tremendous credit for their resourcefulness, as they were able to lead successful guerrilla attacks against the combined forces of evil, but, if the audience is being objective, this does not make them the “most powerful.”
In truth, the only reason why they were able to achieve their goals was the help of other forces of good, and Zordon sacrificing himself to wipe out evil entirely.
Lost Galaxy
In Lost Galaxy, the major threat is that of a bug-like emperor, his daughter, and his associates, seeking legendary powers. While these villains managed to do some major damage by the end of the series, they’re fairly blase when compared with the pantheon of other Power Rangers villains. That doesn’t mean that the Rangers who stood against them are weak, however.
Considering that the source of their powers is ancient, sacred sabers, or that they have access to enormous, animal gods that can transform to Zords at will, or that they eventually use the ultra-powerful and legendary Lights of Orion to bolster their strength, it’s safe to say that, despite the somewhat underwhelming threat, the Lost Galaxy Rangers are a force to be reckoned with.
RPM
In Power Rangers RPM, the world has been ravaged by implied nuclear warfare, and the seemingly endless robotic forces of Venjix, a diabolical, artificially-intelligent super virus, who wages war against humanity’s last survivors in the city of Corinth. Despite the crushing odds against them, the RPM rangers defend Corinth diligently and successfully.
Using weapons and technology designed by Dr. K, the team is always preparing new methods to use against Venjix, both for defending the city and wiping out the virus once and for all. Perhaps most impressively, Venjix is equally adaptable, creating attack bots and servants that match whatever growth in power the RPM team manages to achieve. Because of the constant power struggle and bleak odds, with the eventual victory to follow, RPM safely has a spot in the upper ranks of teams, proving the power of a well-honed team coupled with human innovation.
Mystic Force
While many Power Ranger teams were borne of magic or featured magic melded with tech, the Mystic Force Rangers were easily the most magically charged of the franchise, even directly casting spells for various attacks and techniques. This alone is reason enough to make them one of the best Power Rangers teams, as the sheer options available to them along with the unknown limits of their magic make for a formidable force.
Perhaps an even better idea of just how formidable the team was can be gleaned from the villains of their series: the literal Forces of Darkness. Comprised of dangerously proficient magic users, fallen sorcerers, demons, and even something comparable to a god, for the Rangers to come out on top against odds like these, they must have been devastatingly powerful.
Lightspeed Rescue
The Lightspeed Rangers, as a team, were formed from real-life professionals (like pilots and firefighters) and given the best technology modern-day mankind had the ability to offer. Yet, instead of fighting a man-made threat, they were plunged into a war with ancient, supernatural demons and magic – and they still came out on top.
With a base filled to the brim with dedicated support personnel and scientists, the Lightspeed Rangers had their options and arsenals constantly upgraded to deal with a threat that was not easily predictable nor scientifically digestible. This team and their leaders require major respect for using human ingenuity and innovation to defend the planet from a threat no one could adequately prepare for. They did that with flying colors – and giant train Megazords.
Time Force
Sure, the Time Force only battles against powerful mutants, robots, and other criminals from the future, which isn’t that impressive when compared to other threat levels in the franchise, but what makes them such a powerful team is in their name: Time.
Hailing from the year 3000, their available technology almost assuredly outmatches any of the other man-made ranger powers in existence, as does their military-like training. However, most importantly, their ability to travel through time is what sets them apart.
Theoretically, if they broke their oath about ethical time travel, nearly any adversary they came up against could be thwarted before they ever rose to prominence. This would, obviously, threaten the time-space continuum, so it’s probably lucky that Time Force still has some morals to go with their advanced technology.
