Throughout almost thirty years, we have seen so many different types of Power Rangers teams. However, there are some heroes in spandex that we don’t see in our American adaptations of the various Super Sentai series. What are the reasons these teams will quite possibly never be seen on television? Let’s discuss these peculiar instances.
5. HANARANGERS
Let’s start off with the most unique team on this list. These are the Hanarangers, the villain Ranger team from Ninja Sentai Kakuranger. They were the minions for Gashadokuro, who we would know in Power Rangers as Rito Revolto. Based on flowers and cats, it is the first-ever team that is comprised of all girls, as well as the first team to not have a Red Ranger, with their colors and names being inspired by flowers like orchids and cherry blossoms.
The ninjas of Kakuranger had a hard time beating them, as they were one of the most powerful warriors the villains had, having survived until near the end of the series, managing to take the good guys down any chance they get.
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This team never appeared in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers simply because of how the series was being adapted. During season 3, they were in the middle of adapting Ninja Sentai Kakuranger, while only using the villains and Zords from the Japanese show, while leaving the suits to be properly introduced during the Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers mini-series. As the Hanarangers were seen fighting the Kakurangers in their main ninja suits, their storyline was simply discarded, as the mini-series following season 3 would focus more on the Zeo Crystal and less on the Alien Rangers’ battles against evil.
4. POWER RANGERS DINO FORCE BRAVE
The Dino Force Brave team, otherwise known as the Kyoryuger Brave team, are the successors of the Power Rangers Dino Force team. You read that right, not Dino Charge, but Dino Force, as this team is from the Korean series Power Rangers Dino Force Brave. This team of Rangers was bought by the Dino Force mentor Torin in the wake of the arrival of the Neo-Deboth Army.
This new team has a lot of similarities with the Dino Force or Kyoryuger team of the past, with new white add-ons around their suits. With the use of Dinocells, as well as their changer, the GabuGaburivolver, and their mecha the Brave TyrannoKing, this new dino team just had one too many similarities.
We never managed to see this team as they had only appeared for twelve episodes in this South Korean show, which even though it’s called Power Rangers, it’s actually the sequel to Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger, which was known as Power Rangers Dino Force in Korea. The show was actually later dubbed into Japanese as well as airing in Japan as Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger Brave, but no adaptation for the United States was ever made, even if I knew a lot of people in the fandom wanted it to exist. However, as it’s a short series, and considering the reception of the second season Dino Charge, it possibly didn’t make it so worthy of a sequel, especially a short one.
3. DŌBUTSU SENTAI GO-BUSTERS
You may know about the Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters, the spy-themed series that was made into Power Rangers Beast Morphers almost seven years after its initial airing, however, there was another version of the Go-Busters, one that was more animal-themed. This team is from a parallel universe, where the Go-Busters are high schoolers who are tasked to save the world from enslavement.
While using the same morphers and mecha, the suit design is slightly different, adding a new more animal-like visor. They also have different colored members not seen in the Tokumei version, such as the Sixth Ranger, being the Green Hippopotamus, along with two new Rangers, the Pink Cat, and the Black Puma.
This team only showed up in the Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters Returns vs. Dōbutsu Sentai Go-Busters direct-to-DVD film, and if the Power Rangers history can tell us anything, is that they’re less likely to adapt movies into episodes for the show. There simply wouldn’t have been any room to fit this into Beast Morphers, especially with how hefty and story-driven the show’s second season turned out to be. However, this would be something nice to explore in the comics.
2. AKIBARANGERS
The Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger are three citizens of the Akihabara district of Tokyo and composed of a Super Sentai super fan, a cosplayer, and a closeted anime fan. In their series, we see them fight a mysterious villain that swore to take over the planet with gadgets. They exist in a universe where Super Sentai and Power Rangers exist as a television series, kind of like the universe we exist in. However, they are an actual team of Rangers, who used the powers of various Super Sentai teams to destroy the villain, kind of like the anniversary season aired prior to this show, Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger.
As one may figure out, these Rangers are from the series Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger, which ran alongside both Go-Busters and Kyoryuger in the years 2012 and 2013, with these seasons being aimed more towards teenagers and otaku rather than young children like the main Sentai series. So, it’s no wonder why they didn’t make a Power Rangers adaptation of this series.
With an anime girl as a Battilizer-type armor, and their main mech being a Toyota Prius, this series is a parody in some ways, being meant for the original audience of the Super Sentai series, and not something to be made into a Power Rangers season, even if they made a joke about it.
1. DAIRANGERS
Now, a lot of you may know this team from its appearance in the 2014 season Power Rangers Super Megaforce. However, even though we saw the Megaforce Rangers transform into them, the Squadron Rangers (the Power Rangers name for the Dairangers) never had their origin shown in the show or the comics as of yet.
The Gosei Sentai Dairanger is comprised of five descendants of the Dai Tribe who use Qi powers to fight the evil Gorma Tribe. Even though we did have the KibaRanger as our White Tiger Ranger in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, as well as the Mythical Qi Beasts as our Thunder Zords, the main team’s suits were nowhere to be found.
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We have never been given an explanation of the team’s histories and their similarities with Tommy’s White Ranger form or the Thunder Zords. The reason behind this is primarily due to season two of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers not using the footage seen in Gosei Sentai Dairanger when it included the main five Rangers in their suits. With all this in mind, it meant that we missed out on a majority of the Dairanger weapons and vehicles, as well as the well-choreographed footage of these suits in action.
Nevertheless, the fans have not forgotten, even if the show had already done so years ago.
What was your favorite unused team from the list? How would you want to see Hasbro implement these teams into future Power Rangers media? Let us know on social media, or in the comments below, and check out my video for more info on these teams and keep following The Illuminerdi for more Power Rangers content.
