Since the first cave-dwellers imagined the first stories about incredible people, others interrupted to ask, “But who would win in a fight? Grobb the Mammoth Hunter, or Gornk the Saber-tooth Tiger Wrangler ?” It was a futile question then, but fast-forward to the present day, and the gifts of modern comics, television, and movies have arrived at a truly important dilemma: would the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles beat the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers in a fight?
If fans were to take the original five teenagers with attitude, and pitted them in battle against the heroes in a half-shell, who would be victorious? First off, there are a few things to consider. Both Power Rangers and the Ninja Turtles are massive franchises that span decades, and have wildly different versions all over the world. In Japan, the Power Rangers are known under the franchise name Super Sentai, and new variations of the show have been coming out since the 1970s. The franchise achieved global popularity when they entered North America as The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers in the 1990s. Meanwhile, the Ninja Turtles sprang forth from the minds of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird in the 80s as a gritty parody of Marvel’s Daredevil comics. The oddball premise took off immediately, leading to a massively successful toy line, a legendary animated series, and a lucrative film franchise. The turtles have been a staple of pop-culture ever since.
So if this debate is going to be fair, then the various media in which the characters have appeared must be taken into consideration. It’s impossible to cover every possible version of the two teams, but that’s what the comments section is for (as long as we keep the debate friendly). So without further ado, let’s begin.
Rangers vs. Turtles – in The Comics
At first, it might be easy to assume this category would be a simple win for the teenage mutants, since this is where they got their start. But there’s some important factors that shouldn’t be overlooked. First of all, the two teams just met in BOOM! Studios’ epic crossover mini series. If you think that would settle this part of the debate, you’d be wrong. Like all great superhero meet-ups, first they had to fight before they could get along. Which begs the question: what would happen if the two martial arts crazed teen groups decided to actually throw down?
The Power Rangers have melee weapons that can combine to fire lasers — and they get giant dinosaur robots. Not to mention that in the comics, the Rangers have crossed paths with several different future Ranger teams, so if they ever needed backup in a fight there’s an endless supply of colorful fighters to call upon. However, don’t count out the bodacious ninja teens just yet. The turtles themselves are no strangers to alternate universes and battling hordes of enemies from Dimension X. The Ninja Turtles have gone up against cosmic and supernatural threats many times in the pages of their comics, and walked away victorious. The mythology surrounding Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael is as vast and complex as Game of Thrones or Star Wars. With all that limitless potential on both sides in the comics, the fight is as close to a draw as it gets.
The TV Rangers Beat The Turtles
There have been almost 20 different variations of Ranger TV shows in America alone, pitting the teen superheroes against a skyscraper-sized, armor-plated ape warrior in their very first fight. That’s a lot of pressure to put on five kids that Zordon had only recruited just minutes prior to the battle. When it comes to their tech, just like in the comics, each ranger team member gets their own personal weapon and giant robot that combine together to form an even bigger Megazord. Since each episode of each show is basically about the Rangers fighting a 20-story monster in order to avoid the apocalypse, the TV versions of the characters would be hard for anyone to take down.
While the classic Ninja Turtles from the ’80s animated series had to fight the likes of Shredder and Krang, they only had to contend with the devastating might of the Technodrome a handful of times. The fate of the world itself wasn’t always at stake and the Turtles would be fighting to protect the city from whatever goofy plan Shredder came up with (like putting alien eggs on pizzas, or trying to steal a Maltese hamster from a mob boss). More often than not, Shredder and Krang would fail so hard that it really didn’t matter if the Turtles showed up to fight or not. The two franchises did cross over in live action, but the results were… weird. But keeping the competition between the two most iconic versions of the teams, the original morphinominal rangers versus the animated reptilian ninjas leaves no question. Rangers take it.
The Movie Ninja Turtles Beat The Rangers
For this last entry, the focus is on the original 1990 Ninja Turtles feature film, and the 2017 version of Power Rangers. Why? Because the 1990 Turtles’ film is still considered by many to be the best film version of the mean green fighting machines, and the ’17 Rangers film is the one that actually stands on its own (as opposed to an extension of the TV show). The Turtles in their first movie were more grounded, and (at least visually) much darker than any other film in the franchise. There’s also a greater focus on characters: Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey feel more real in the first movie, largely thanks to the incredible work of the Jim Henson Company. And no doubt limited by the suits and technology of the time, the martial arts feels more improvisational and again more realistic.
The 2017 Power Rangers feels very much in the same vein. The movie takes away some of the silly glossiness of the TV shows and gives a more relatable introduction to Jason, Kimberly, Zach, Billy, and Trini. The martial arts feels a little less grounded… but that’s to be expected when giving kids actual superpowers, uniforms or not. In a film where the Turtles and Rangers met, then the Turtles would have an advantage from the start. The ninja brothers already fight like a team and work together because, well, they’re brothers. So in a feature film setting, you have to give it up to the Ninja Turtles.
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So there you have it! The debate is scientifically settled and there’s no way to poke any holes in our conclusion. Who would win in a fight between the Ninja Turtles and the Power Rangers? Both! Depending on which medium the fight happens in, of course. That’s a satisfying answer if we ever heard one. Look, at the end of the day the real answer to this question is, “It depends.” It depends on who’s writing it, what medium it’s in, and so on. Fans love this kind of debate because ultimately it’s just fun to think about. As more comics, movies, and TV shows come out, there’s always more to think about. So keep reading, keep imagining, and keep having fun.
This feature was inspired by BOOM! Studio’s epic crossover mini-series, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and issue #2 is available now!
