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Power Rangers: Ranking Every Anniversary Special (And Why Number 1 May Never Be Topped)
The Power Rangers franchise is set to kick off a new era on Disney+, but while we wait for more details on what that relaunch is actually going to look like, it’s a perfect time to revisit some of the franchise’s most epic moments, and quite a few took place during Power Rangers‘ anniversary specials. To date, the franchise has had 5 different anniversary episodes throughout its history with Disney, Neo-Saban, Hasbro, and Netflix. We’re ranking all 5 of the big-time anniversary celebrations, as well as breaking down why number 1 might never be topped.
5. Once A Ranger (15th Anniversary)
Once A Ranger took place during the franchise’s 15th season, which was known as 2007’s Operation Overdrive, and it was a special episode celebrating the show’s 15th anniversary.
Not going to lie, having Once A Ranger this low on the list shocks me too, as a while back I would have counted this as among my favorites. It’s important to note that for this list, I went and rewatched all five specials back to back, and while nostalgia is still strong, the cracks really started to show this time around.
The episode had a few things going for it, including a dynamite team of Legendary Rangers that included Mighty Morphin’s Adam Park (Black Ranger), Dino Thunder’s Kira Ford (Yellow), S.P.D’s Bridge Carson (Red), Mystic Force’s Xander Bly (Green), and Ninja Storm’s Tori Hanson (Blue). That Retro Rangers lineup was actually the biggest positive, as they instantly steal the show as both individuals and as Rangers throughout.
That’s tied to the episode’s biggest weakness as well, which is the actual Operation Overdrive team. Over the course of Parts 1 and 2, the issues with the current Ranger team can’t help but stand out when compared to the legends. The Overdrive team comes off as whiny and without much in terms of heart or conviction, giving up being Rangers at the first sign of things getting tough (aside from Mack that is). While the rest of the team does come around, it’s hard to put the toothpaste back in the bottle, and coupled with some dated effects and a villain that never delivers on their potential, it comes in at the 5 spot.
4. Dimensions in Danger (25th Anniversary)
Next up is the Dimensions in Danger anniversary episode, which celebrated the franchise’s 25th anniversary and took place during 2018’s Super Ninja Steel. Dimensions in Danger has a lot going for it, as not only does it bring back 10 Legendary Rangers, but it also takes direct cues from an all-time Power Rangers comics event in Shattered Grid. Unfortunately, the time crunch of a single episode hinders this from reaching its full potential, as do the arbitrary changes made to keep it separate from the comics.
What is great is the inclusion of Jason David Frank as Tommy, as he is responsible for some of the episode’s best sequences. This episode rules based on the Master Morpher fight alone, but it also features an epic final sequence that further taps into that and feels fittingly grand. There are also more meta moments for longtime fans, like seeing the Sudarso brothers get to share the screen as their Ranger characters, and I actually really enjoyed the Ninja Steel cast anyway, so having them in the mix is fun.
Unfortunately the Ninja Steel team mostly feels like side characters throughout the episode, and this is definitely a Tommy-led episode through and through. Given the scale of everything else happening and having to define it in the same episode, the main villain suffers, and there’s also the glaring choice that the episode essentially did the Shattered Grid storyline and went full Lord Drakkon without actually doing that, so it feels like an imitation and a tale of what could have been.
Also, Ninja Steel’s theme hits and does not get enough love. That didn’t really have anything to do with the episode, mind you, but it’s just worth mentioning anyway.
3. Legendary Battle (20th Anniversary)
This might surprise some folks, and honestly, it kind of surprised me too. Now, to be clear, I’m basing this off of the original Legendary Battle episode that aired as part of Super Megaforce in 2014 for the franchise’s 20th Anniversary and not the extended episode that contained the two-part season finale. That’s because you don’t actually need both parts to get the effect of the anniversary special, and it’s honestly impressive how much they managed to get across in one episode’s runtime.
Legendary Battle gets a lot of hate, especially in regard to what could have been, but taking the episode on its own merits, I was actually surprised at how it accomplishes almost everything I look for in a special Power Rangers episode. Not only is this epic in scope, involving a grand takeover that encompasses legions of units in the air and on the ground, but it also weaves in the Legends of the franchise without removing the show’s current team from the equation.
Ultimately, this still feels like a Super Megaforce episode, with that team leading the charge and feeling critical to the episode’s ending. We also get an arc, with the team being at their lowest and yet choosing to continue the fight and eventually turning the tide in a really significant way. When the Legends do come in, it’s a good mix of Rangers, and seeing the way they come into play and go to war against the legions of villains feels appropriately thrilling. Some of the effects are very dated, especially when the Ranger helmets appear over the Rangers’ faces, but what the effect conveys and the idea behind it is sound. Overall, I ended up liking Legendary Battle far more this time around, and that’s why it comes in at number 3.
2. Once & Always (30th Anniversary)
Now we move on to the newest entry on this list, and that’s the 30th Anniversary special that took place in 2023 known as Once & Always. This was a different kind of episode though, as it was a full-hour one-off special episode on Netflix, and it featured core members of the original Mighty Morphin team like Walter Emanuel Jones and David Yost.
Within 10 minutes, it becomes crystal clear that Once & Always is willing to go to some darker and more emotional places, and that’s ultimately why the special sits in the number 2 spot. Power Rangers rarely brings real life into the mix, but Once & Always paid tribute to the real passing of Thuy Trang by building the story around the death of Trini and the legacy of the character moving forward in her daughter Minh. The fact that the show went there is unexpected enough, but perhaps more impressive is the willingness to actually explore those heavy topics more in-depth, resulting in some of the episode’s best moments.
One of the most biting points of dialogue is when Minh hits Billy with a truth bomb that can’t help but sting, and she even puts a little extra sauce on it before leaving. That would be interesting on its own, but then the show goes on to reveal the truth behind that comment, making that dialogue resonate even more, but also giving fans a window into what Billy’s currently dealing with and how he’s not so great at processing it. This is Power Rangers at the end of the day, and yet we’re dealing with death, grief, guilt, and legacy in the same space as an (admittedly awesome) RadBug sequence, so it’s truly a unique combination.
While these moments absolutely hit, some clunky dialogue keeps other moments from piercing through like they could have, and the overall fight sequences aren’t as strong as the number 1 on this list (or even Tommy’s Master Morpher fight). That said, the episode’s increased budget definitely helps hide some of that in the effects department, and overall, the more complex themes resonate enough to overshadow some of the episode’s bigger flaws.
1. Forever Red (10th Anniversary)
Alright, you probably knew this was number 1 when you started reading, and as much as I would like to come in here and throw a big twist at you, I simply can’t. Forever Red, which celebrated the franchise’s 10th Anniversary in 2002 during Wild Force, is at the top of the Power Rangers Anniversary Specials mountain, and frankly, I don’t know if it will ever be surpassed.
It’s important to note that, unlike Once & Always or even Once A Ranger, Forever Red is contained to one normal runtime episode, and yet the amount contained within that standard runtime is actually insane. Every Power Rangers special should take notes in terms of how this is laid out, as Forever Red is up and running regarding the main story in minutes, and it takes less than 8 minutes to get the rest of the team together and get moving towards the big action set pieces.
The episode simply glosses over any non-essential details on who is here and why, and before you know it, you’ve moved into classic Power Rangers action goodness with a blockbuster roster of Rangers. It helps that you have two of the most iconic Rangers of all time in the mix with Jason and Tommy, but those who adore things outside of Mighty Morphin will be on cloud nine as well with Rangers like Andros, Leo, Wesley, Carter, and more in the lineup.
When you get 10 Rangers of a single Ranger color together on the same screen, it just looks insanely cool, but representing so many seasons doesn’t keep the Rangers from feeling special either, and the banter between them makes for some of the episode’s most delightful moments. That includes a genuinely delightful ending that could have gone on even longer, and I wouldn’t have minded in the least.
The biggest key here though is that many times, less is more, and Forever Red lives by that creed. Sure, there are bigger set pieces and a variety of effects used, but the majority of the action sequences are just Red Rangers doing what they do best and teaming up to make it happen, and some of those sequences aren’t even while morphed. The effects on the grander moments towards the end are quite dated, but thanks to everything else clicking, it’s easy to ignore the moments that overshot the landing.
Between the streamlined plot, a classic lineup of Red Rangers, and stellar action sequences that made the most of what they had, it’s hard to see any special ever topping this one. That’s not to say something can’t, but it will be quite the challenge, though I hope we get to see a few more attempts down the line.
Alright, that’s my list, but let us know your ranking on the ComicBook forum!
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