The Japanese superhero series that inspired the beloved Power Rangers franchise, a ’90s kid staple, is reportedly hanging up its helmets after decades of martial arts action. Somewhere, a generation of grown-ups deep into their 30s just whispered, “It’s morphin’ time” through tears.
Videos by Suggest
Japanese reports state that Super Sentai is ending due to insufficient merchandise and event sales to cover production costs.
Premiering in 1975, the show’s formula—five teens morphing into colorful, masked fighters to take on aliens—not only set the stage for Power Rangers in the US but also became the secret sauce for superhero shows across Asia.
Like Power Rangers, the Super Sentai superhero team consists of three men and two women, led by a fighter in a red suit. The rest of the team is color-coded, with green or black for the second-in-command, followed by blue, yellow, and pink.
Each episode stuck to a tried-and-true formula: start with some martial arts and swordplay, and cap it off with a giant robot-vs-alien showdown. A huge part of its charm came from the wonderfully unpolished, man-in-a-rubber-suit monster battles that defined 80s and 90s action.
The ‘Power Rangers’ Incorporated Footage From ‘Super Sentai’
Meanwhile, the original Power Rangers series powered its way onto US screens from 1993 to 1996, sparking a legacy of spin-offs. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers cleverly mashed up Japanese Super Sentai action with new scenes of American teens saving Angel Grove from Rita Repulsa’s monster-of-the-week.
And what a success it was. Toys, clothes, movies, video games—you name it, it got the Mighty Morphin treatment. In fact, Power Rangers became the gateway for Japanese tokusatsu shows in the West, paving the way for series like VR Troopers and Big Bad Beetleborgs.
Decades later, the original Power Rangers series is still a cultural touchstone. With a constant stream of movies and video games keeping the OG series alive—from 2017’s Power Rangers film to 2024’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind—it’s safe to say the show truly shook things up back in 1993.
Of course, with Super Sentai wrapping up, millennial Power Rangers fans might feel the urge to take a stroll down memory lane. Good news for those nostalgic softies—episodes are now streaming on YouTube.