Top Twenty Super Sentai Series

Since this has basically become a Sentai blog over the past two years, I've decided to go all-in and write my most ambitious Sentai piece yet.  Earlier this month I finished my twentieth Sentai series to completion, and today I'm ranking all of them. 

If this exercise feels familiar to you, it's probably because I posted a top ten list around a year and a half ago.  You can find that blog post here:

Sollosi's Top Ten Favorite Super Sentai Series (July 2016)

My new list is my official update.  Between that list's completion and me finishing Kyuranger and one backlogged series last week, I've watched ten additional Super Sentai shows.  I've been watching Sentai for about three years now, and here I stand with over 1,000 episodes and 50 movies watched.  Yikes.

Before we get to the real list though, let me explain why certain series are excluded:

With Apologies to Old School Fans

The Entire 1980s

I've seen only a handful of Sentai from the 80s, and none beyond three episodes.  I don't have a great reason for this, as I thought several of those early episodes were really good; Liveman in particular has one of the best first episodes of any Sentai.  I didn't move forward with any 80s shows because I think my Sentai fandom and design sensibilities are more rooted in the 90s and 2000s.  Older shows seemed too different from what I'm used to (and that goes double for the Sentai shows of the 70s).  When I inevitably binge on old Sentai series again later, I'll give the 1980s another look. 

At Least I Tried

Chouriki Sentai Ohranger

Kyukyu Sentai GoGoFive
Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger (pictured)
Ninpuu Sentai Hurricanger
Engine Sentai Go-Onger
Tensou Sentai Goseiger
Shuriken Sentai Ninninger

These seven shows all 1) aired after 1990; and 2) aren't showing up in the list below, despite my giving each of them a try.  I either had difficulty finding quality subtitled versions of these (basically just Hurricanger) or wasn't terribly impressed with their first five episodes (all the others). I may yet go back to some of these when my other tokusatsu options are exhausted.  GoGoFive would probably be the first one I'd revisit, as I thought its first five episodes were decent and maybe just a little generic.  Honestly I have some regrets about watching the show that finished 20th in the list below instead of continuing with GoGoFive.  Anyhow, enough talking about Sentai I haven't watched.  Let's do the real list:

Sollosi's Top Twenty Favorite Super Sentai Series

Honorable Mention

Hikounin Sentai Akibaranger

I've only seen the first season of Akibaranger, but I have season 2 on deck and I'm eager to continue.  In a Toei-sponsored "unofficial" Sentai show starring three delusional fans and a café owner enabling their delusions, the world is flipped upside-down when the Akibarangers' superhero delusions enter the real world.  If it weren't already obvious, Akibaranger is a comedy aimed at adult fans.  Sometimes it feels like the tone of Akibaranger punches down on the Sentai fandom, but really it's more celebratory than mocking, and is chock-full of Sentai cameos and fun references.  Akibaranger toes the line between hilarious and cringeworthy expertly, and I recommend it to anyone who likes Super Sentai and can take a joke at Sentai's expense.  

Number Twenty

Zyuden Sentai Kyouryuuger

Probably the most frustrating tokusatsu I've ever watched.  Kyouryuuger has good ideas, but truly awful writing and characters.  Good suit action and some cool combat out of suit (yes!), gaudy dinosaur mecha (which I can take or leave), a bunch of goofball Wizard of Oz villains (an extremely mixed bag), and unique gimmicks of gun morphers, collectible dinosaur batteries (?), and Brazilian samba dancing (!?).  That's not so bad.  The cast is a little bloated at 10 rangers, but made worse by having 5 or 6 of them as one-note or forgettable alongside one of the worst Reds ever.  Kyouryuu Red has irritating mannerisms and no meaningful character flaws (he's literally good at everything and that's his defining trait), and stars in one of the most Red-centric Sentai shows I've ever seen.  Most of Kyouryuuger's plot isn't bad, but I couldn't get behind the heroes at all.  Each time Kyouryuuger had a good episode or character moment that made me reconsider its spot on this list, Kyouryuu Red would open his stupid mouth and it was back down to 20th.  

Number Nineteen

Seijuu Sentai Gingaman

Gingaman reminds me of Zyuranger, since its heroes are rooted in a fantasy culture (in this case a secret forest village that's been protecting Earth for thousands of years), then have their lives flip-turned-upside-down and end up in modern Tokyo.  Unlike Zyuranger, Gingaman has some of the worst mecha designs in Sentai history.  Its ugly rubber-suited "star beasts" turn into mecha that look like worse versions of at 2 or 3 other Sentai mecha.  The suit action is also below par, with weird crouching poses, no distinct weapons (all five rangers have the same arsenal), and bad fight choreography.  Still, Gingaman's not a disaster.  The main characters are a little Sentai-typical, but are well-acted and a few of them have fun subplots.  The story has a nice build to it, and the late-joining hero character's arc is good melodrama.  I really like the space pirate villains, and almost made them an honorable mention in my Top Super Sentai villains article from a few months ago.  But having among the worst action and designs I've seen in Super Sentai drove Gingaman down from being an OK Sentai to near the bottom of the list.  

Number Eighteen

GoGo Sentai Boukenger

You'll notice a trend here, where most of the Sentai shows near the bottom of my rankings have flaws outweighing their strengths.  Boukenger ranked last on my 2016 list, and my feelings on it haven't changed.  Boukenger has an okay main cast, decent writing, and action scenes and mecha designs that are at Sentai replacement level.  The villains aren't bad individually, but the problem is that there are FOUR FACTIONS of them and none of them develop into interesting groups or credible threats until the final handful of episodes.  As a result, the story feels directionless, despite having several strong episodes.  Even though Boukenger has its moments and one of the coolest Sentai gimmicks (adventurers searching for treasures from myth and legend), it's just okay at best and disappointing at the end. 

Number Seventeen

Mahou Sentai Magiranger

Magiranger's Harry Potter-inspired magic theme (a new magic spell nearly every episode, everyone wearing wizard robes around the house) informs the show's distinct style and action.  It's mostly well-done, especially the dope MagiDragon and MagiKing mecha, which I preferred to the sometimes-gimmicky spells used in fights. Unfortunately, the Magirangers themselves aren't a very likeable group of main characters, and in early episodes I was ready to quit on them.  While I don't love the cast as individuals, Magiranger's secondary theme of a family supporting one another redeems the cast somewhat with some very sweet family-centric scenes.  Also, Magiranger's collection of villains start out decent, and end up downright excellent.  The villains of Magiranger's third act in particular raised the plot stakes and brought out the best in the heroes.  Magiranger has a weak start and a below-average cast, but good design elements and a strong finish to the story.  

Number Sixteen

Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger

It was hard watching Zyuranger without separating myself from Power Rangers nostalgia, but even in a vacuum I think those suit and mecha designs are timeless.  The diamond pattern, belt buckle morphers, and dinosaur mecha all look fantastic, especially since the mecha fights use so many practical effects.  The monster designs look great, too.  Sadly, where Zyuranger falters is the script.  The heroes and villains are have good acting performances (they're prehistoric humans awakened in 1992 from a long slumber and not teenagers with attitudes), but the huge majority of Zyuranger episode plots are rescuing spunky Japanese children, and the Zyurangers themselves have boring personalities.  The Zyuranger story isn't bad per se, and its final episodes are pretty good, but the excess of filler episodes and weak writing overall make Zyuranger just an average Sentai.  

Number Fifteen

Ressha Sentai ToQger

ToQger's chief visual themes are trains and rainbows, and its chief story themes are imagination and childhood innocence giving way to darkness.  Whoa.  ToQger's individual episode plots are among the silliest in all of Sentai, but the jokes give way to some grim story beats in later episodes.  I like the trains gimmick, but it doesn't really translate to cool suits or mecha - ToQger's strengths are its comedic action scenes balancing out dark plot points in the final third of the series.  The ToQgers themselves are quite annoying early on, but get much more tolerable when the story takes shape.  What ToQger lacks in its characters, action, or designs is made up by an impressive Sentai story that goes a few unexpected places.  

Number Fourteen

Uchuu Sentai Kyuranger

Kyuranger (which translates to "nine-ranger") ends up as a team of twelve, and I can't help but worry if that large team is to the show's detriment.  Kyuranger tries to give story attention to its entire cast, but a few of them feel left behind by the show's end.  Kyuranger's plot isn't bad, and the heroes and villains are (mostly) interesting and likeable, but the show feels inconsistent and incomplete.  Kyuranger lingered too long in some parts of the plot and raced through others that needed time to make sense.  The result is a flashy, fun Sentai with great suit designs, a few excellent character moments, the second-best collectibles in Sentai history (Kyu Globes are cute little toys), and a plot that's totally bonkers.  I really liked Kyuranger, but it needed to calm the fuck down on occasion.  

Number Thirteen

Gekisou Sentai Carranger

The only Super Sentai show that completely accepts self-parody and comedy in nearly every episode, Carranger is a total delight for most of its run.  There are episodes where the Carrangers are baked into a giant pizza and wrangle a sentient space-traveling Chevy Camaro.  The monsters turn into giants by eating a specific brand of potato pastry.  And the evil organization's motivation for destroying Earth is that the group's leader wants to impress his sexy girlfriend (who's in love with Red Racer).  Carranger is openly silly, and also has a few moments of real poignancy and drama mixed in.  I won't defend Carranger's action, story, or characters as among the best in Super Sentai, but it's entertaining start to finish and nearly every episode has a good laugh.   

Number Twelve

Ninja Sentai Kakuranger

All of Kakuranger's monsters come directly from Japanese folktales, and a storyteller character often pauses the action to explain the monster-of-the-week's background in myth (I loved these segments).  However, Kakuranger has tonal issues.  Some fights are punctuated by comic book onomatopoeia splashes (BAM!) and silly ninja gimmicks, while others are expertly-paced brutal affairs as good as any fight in Dairanger.  The level of levity in Kakuranger episode plots ranges from trash can monsters running monster nightclubs to families watching their children turn to stone.  It's unnerving sometimes, and made more confusing because the Kakurangers themselves are often portrayed as buffoons (especially Blue and Yellow).  I dug the suits, mecha, and action in Kakuranger, but the script and character work and were all over the place and the ending was unsatisfying.  Sometimes I really liked Kakuranger's story, and sometimes it was total nonsense.  My uncertain opinion on Kakuranger, without hating any of it outright, had it land near the middle of my list.  

Number Eleven

Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger

I think I rate Zyuohger higher than many Sentai fans do, mostly because I got quite attached to its cast.  All six main characters are likeable and relatively unique; the multicolored Zyuoh The World is especially remarkable, as a Sentai warrior who suffers from mental illness (in my estimation).  Zyuohger also has very good suit action and a bunch of great episodes - the Sentai 2000th episode special around Zyuohger's midpoint was a highlight. Conversely, the Zyuohger designs are on the wack side (the suits are okay, the cube mecha are less okay). Worse, the Deathgaliens are bland villains for 80% of the show and the final few episodes are uninspiring. Zyuohger is an average Sentai story with above-average main characters, but those characters elevated the show for me.   

Number Ten

Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters

One of the most unique Sentai shows, Go-Busters has pleather suits instead of spandex (but they look great!) and even borrows a few terms from Power Rangers - the Go-Busters' transforming phrase is "It's Morphin Time!"  Go-Busters also has great action scenes in both suits and mecha, with the mecha fights being framed as particularly epic.  The script is successful for the most part, doing a fair job of creating a story with a serious tone that builds to an exciting finale, but with room for Sentai fun; the main villain is a sentient computer virus trapped in an alternate dimension.  So why isn't Go-Busters ranked higher on my list?  Toei didn't cast the most likeable or charismatic actors for the main rangers (I thought the villains were more entertaining than the heroes, by a large margin), and the story conclusion was disappointing.  Go-Busters has a somewhat tragic ending, but it's a puzzling tragedy instead of a beautiful one.  But story and characters aside, Go-Busters is a very cool Sentai concept that mostly works.   

Number Nine

Bakuryu Sentai Abaranger

My vote for the best of the three dinosaur Sentai, Abaranger balances a serious story with some truly absurd individual episodes (right up there with ToQger and Kakuranger), but pulls it off better than either.  The five rangers each have at least one good subplot, and the evil white ranger AbareKiller is one of the best antiheroes in tokusatsu history.  The suit and mecha combat are both excellent as well, both in style and action; the abundant spikes and gashes communicate savagery in a way I enjoyed very much.  Abaranger's big weakness is the villain designs - the overdesigned Tri-Noid monsters and bizarre alien artist characters rarely seem powerful or dangerous, and many villain plots without AbareKiller playing a major role fall short of feeling threatening.  Abarranger also has the dumbest-looking minions in the world of Sentai, which is saying something considering the weirdo mooks in Carranger and Dairanger.  Strange monsters aside, Abaranger is a great Sentai that delivers on both action and drama.  

Number Eight

Denji Sentai Megaranger

Megaranger has great heroes, great villains, and solid action and story.  The five main rangers (high school students recruited by a secret organization) become closer as friends and grow as people as the show progresses, and it really works.  The technology gimmick is quite amusing to watch 20+ years after the fact, as digital tech circa 1997 hasn't exactly aged gracefully.  The themes of space exploration and high school also remind me strongly of Kamen Rider Fourze, which is a fun coincidence.  As much as I liked Megaranger, it doesn't do anything spectacularly well other than perhaps mecha combat (which was excellent).  The Megaranger story is pretty good, but I'd say all seven shows ranked higher on this list have better writing and characters.   

Number Seven

Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger

With elements borrowed from Japanese crime procedural shows and a plot framework similar to Men In Black, Dekaranger's space police Sentai is a confluence of great gimmicks.  Individual episodes are often two-parters (like many Kamen Rider shows of the 2000s) and have police investigation and stakeout scenes auxiliary to the tokusatsu action.  Dekaranger's cast is an entertaining bunch, and the action scenes are solid (although I liked the mecha fights more than the suit fights in general).  Dekaranger's plot takes awhile to build, as the connecting villain isn't a noticeable presence for much of the show, but the episode plots are very well-written and there are a ton of memorable scenes.  And its fans have been spoiled over the years, as Dekaranger has more cameos and crossover movies than any other Sentai, including two 2017 movies and a Kyuranger episode cameo.  At least Toei picked a good one to keep reviving.  

Number Six

Samurai Sentai Shinkenger

Shinkenger was the first Sentai I watched to completion, and as such I may overrate it.  Regardless, I think that the suit action, mecha designs, monster designs, and cast interactions of Shinkenger are excellent.  The samurai swordplay is dope, the hellish river-dwelling yokai monsters are elaborate and cool, and the six Shinkengers (who don't get along at first) are all likeable characters.  I like the robe designs and color balances on the suits, but the kanji visors are admittedly a little weird.  Shinkenger has a great start up through the introduction of Shinken Gold and an excellent final run of episodes, but the show drags in the middle act when the show's main villain lies dormant for awhile.  I think I chose well in making Shinkenger my first Sentai, because it's a well-executed, mostly-traditional Sentai with good characters.  It was a fine initial benchmark to set.  

Number Five

Mirai Sentai Timeranger

Decent action (I love the swords that look like clock hands), nice suit and mecha designs, and some of the best music tracks of any Sentai show.  Those elements alone would make Timeranger a solid Sentai, but it's also one of the best-written Sentai shows, full stop.  The overall story is a little disjointed, but all six heroes have interesting subplots, the villains are a solid group of bad guys that undergo unexpected turns, and the individual episodes are good indeed.  The two romance subplots are basically perfect.  I would rank Timeranger higher if the final conflict was foreshadowed earlier or seemed less abrupt (or if fights used fewer blur effects), but as it stands Timeranger is excellent, and my favorite Sentai I've watched since writing that 2016 top ten list. 

Number Four

Choujin Sentai Jetman

Very strong character stuff, with maybe the best internal team conflict in Sentai history (the love triangle between Red, Black, and White), and an extremely memorable final episode showing its conclusion.  Great overall plot, good story pace, and excellent individual episodes.  Jetman's villains are a complex, layered bunch that are both entertaining and threatening, about as good as it gets in Sentai or Rider.  The Jetman suit and mecha designs are great, but the action is a little dated and lacking overall compared to other 90s Sentai.  Jetman is the oldest Sentai I've watched to completion, but it's one of the most popular and its lofty reputation is well-earned. 

Number Three

Gosei Sentai Dairanger

In the only adjustment from my 2016 list order, Dairanger moved one spot ahead of Jetman due to hindsight.  Dairanger has some of the best martial arts and stunt work, among the best suit and mecha designs, and one of the most likable main casts in Sentai history.  Each hero has a genuine character arc, and Dairanger's narrative has some pretty interesting lore and entertaining late twists, even if the overall plot isn't as strong as that of Jetman.  The only weak spot in Dairanger is the White Ranger, who has a great subplot but is an annoying presence a lot of the time.  Really though, the reason Dairanger pulled ahead of Jetman is because two years after watching them I remember Dairanger more fondly and have rewatched more Dairanger episodes than Jetman episodes.  That's what broke the tie.    

Number Two

Juken Sentai Gekiranger

Drawing inspiration from Hong Kong and Chinese martial arts films, Gekiranger has excellent, inventive martial arts and suit combat, and mecha combat that's almost as good.  I love the animal designs for the heroes and villains, even if the Gekiranger suits look a little too much like pajamas.  Self-improvement are one of Gekiranger's major themes, so many episodes and a few important arcs are dedicated to the Gekirangers discovering new ways to train or gaining new powers; even better, the main villains of Gekiranger (the badass lion warrior Rio and delightful chameleon girl Mele) embrace the training theme as well, and improve their kung fu at a rate to match our heroes.  Gekiranger has a slow start with quite a few filler episodes and the loud, childlike Geki Red isn't always the coolest main character, but once the plot gets going Gekiranger is an excellent Sentai story backed up with excellent action.    

Number One

Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger

Gokaiger is at once a celebration and a subversion of everything Super Sentai.  The Gokaigers aren't heroes determined to defend Earth, at least not at first.  They're space pirates in search of a legendary treasure, and pirated the powers of the first 34 Super Sentai teams for use in battle.  The result is a team that's more roguish than any other Sentai, and a show that has more Sentai references, cameos, and lore than any other in history.  And it's pulled off spectacularly!  The Gokaigers themselves are fun and likeable, and seeing 35+ years of Sentai suits was like watching a tokusatsu fashion show.  The main villains of Gokaiger aren't very interesting and the mecha combat is far too reliant on gimmicky moves and excessive CGI, but those are the worst complaints I have.  Gokaiger is a masterpiece and one of the best children's shows I have ever seen.   

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I did it!  Two hundred blog posts!  Honestly, I should've hit that count a few years ago, but here I am and I'm proud that this big Sentai spectacular ended up being post number 200.  

I've planned and written this piece over the course of about two months, and I think I have it to my satisfaction.  The middle of the list (let's say spots 9 through 13) were the most challenging to order.  Anyhow, I'm glad I managed to finish and publish this post just before the 42nd Super Sentai series begins airing.  The subtitled version of Lupinranger Vs Patoranger should be available later today or Monday, and I'm pumped to check it out.  

And I'm also pumped to be working on this blog again.  2015, 2016, and 2017 were increasingly bad years for me writing in this space, and I want to rememdy that.  I want to publish at least fifteen full-length posts on this blog by the end of 2018.  Why fifteen?  That's an average of 1.25 a month (which seemed reasonable) and also one more than my 14 posts in 2015.  Hell, I'm already halfway to my 2017 total.