Super Sentai


The Super Sentai Series is a Japanese superhero team media franchise consisting of multiple television series and films produced by Toei Company and aired by TV Asahi. The shows are of the tokusatsu genre, featuring live action characters and colorful special effects. Super Sentai airs alongside the Kamen Rider series in the Super Hero Time programming block on Sunday mornings on TV Asahi. In North America, the Super Sentai series is best known as the source material for the Power Rangers series.
The series is set to go on hiatus following the conclusion of the 49th season, No.1 Sentai Gozyuger, with a new Toei tokusatsu franchise, Project R.E.D., set to take its timeslot in 2026.

Series overview

In every Super Sentai series, the protagonists are a team of people who – using either wrist-worn or hand-held devices – transform into superheroes and gain superpowers – color-coded uniforms, signature weapons, sidearms, and fighting skills – to battle a group of otherworldly supervillains that threaten to take over the Earth. In a typical episode, the heroes thwart the enemies' plans and defeat an army of enemy soldiers and the monster of the week before an enlarged version of the monster confronts them, only to be defeated once again when the heroes fight it with their mecha. Each Super Sentai is set within its own fictional universe; various TV, video, and film specials feature a team-up among two or more teams.
It is common for teams to announce their names and titles both prior to and after transforming, often referred to as a "roll call". This is inspired by Shiranami Gonin Otoko, a kabuki play first performed in 1862. Elements of kabuki were carried over into 20th century television with the jidaigeki genre. Kazutoshi Takahashi, a stunt coordinator of Himitsu Sentai Gorenger, is credited with introducing the roll call to the first Super Sentai.

Production

The first two Super Sentai series were created by Shotaro Ishinomori, then known for the 1971–1973 Kamen Rider TV series and the long-running manga Cyborg 009. He developed Himitsu Sentai Gorenger, which ran from 1975 to 1977, and J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai, which released in 1977. Toei put the franchise on hiatus in 1978, collaborating with Marvel Comics to produce a live-action Spider-Man series, which is regarded as the introduction of giant robots to tokusatsu hero shows. This concept was carried over to Toei and Marvel's next co-produced series, Battle Fever J in 1979, which was originally developed as a series based around Captain America. The next two series, Denshi Sentai Denjiman and Taiyo Sentai Sun Vulcan, were also considered co-productions, with the remainder of the series has been solely produced by Toei Company.
One of the earliest uses of the name Super Sentai to refer to the franchise was published in the Super Sentai Zukan, a series encyclopedia published by Tokuma Shoten in 1981 during the airing of Taiyo Sentai Sun Vulcan. Whilst the first episode of Kousoku Sentai Turboranger, which celebrated the alleged first ten teams, excluded the original two Ishinomori series and recognised Battle Fever J as the first, earlier releases such as the 1981 Super Sentai Zukan included them. Several early Super Sentai releases such as guidebooks and soundtrack collections have also included Ninja Captor, Kikaider, Daitetsujin 17, Space Sheriff Gavan, and others despite having no established links to Super Sentai. In 1993, the name Super Century All Sentai was introduced during the airing of Gosei Sentai Dairanger, recognising the two Ishinomori series and the Super Sentai series under one banner. During the airing of Mirai Sentai Timeranger in 2000, the franchise was officially rebranded as Super Sentai Series, with Himitsu Sentai Gorenger and J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai being formally classified under Super Sentai.
Spin-off series using familiar elements and concepts from Super Sentai have also been produced by Toei. Unofficial Sentai Akibaranger, a parody series produced by Toei and airing on BS Asahi, ran for two seasons between 2012 and 2013. In 2021, The High School Heroes mini-series aired on TV Asahi, starring Johnny's Entertainment unit Bishounen. Both productions are set in worlds where Super Sentai exists as a television series, with the protagonists being fans who become heroes themselves.
On 23 November 2025, TV Asahi announced that Super Sentai would go on hiatus after the finale of No.1 Sentai Gozyuger. A new tokusatsu franchise, Project R.E.D., was announced to be taking its place in the Super Hero Time schedule starting in February 2026.

Releases

Main series

The following is a list of the Super Sentai series and their years of broadcast:

Theatrical releases

V-Cinema releases

Extras

  • 2010: Super Sentai Versus Series Theater
  • 2012-2013: Unofficial Sentai Akibaranger
  • 2019: 4 Week Continuous Special Super Sentai Strongest Battle!!
  • 2021: ''The High School Heroes''

Others

Distribution and overseas adaptations

Although the Super Sentai series originated in Japan, various Sentai series have been imported and dubbed in other languages for broadcast in several different countries.

United States

After Honolulu's KIKU-TV had success with Android Kikaider and Kamen Rider V3 in the 1970s, multiple Super Sentai series, including Himitsu Sentai Gorenger and Battle Fever J, were brought to the Hawaiian market, broadcast in Japanese with English subtitles by JN Productions. In 1985, Marvel Comics produced a pilot for an American adaptation of Super Sentai, but the show was rejected by the major American TV networks. In 1986, Saban Productions produced a pilot for an American adaptation of Choudenshi Bioman titled Bio Man. In 1987, some episodes of Kagaku Sentai Dynaman were dubbed and aired as a parody on the USA Network television show Night Flight.
In 1993, American production company Saban Entertainment adapted 1992's Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger into Mighty Morphin Power Rangers for the Fox Kids programming block, combining the original Japanese action footage with new footage featuring American actors for the story sequences. Since then, nearly every Super Sentai series that followed became a new season of Power Rangers. In 2002, Saban sold the Power Rangers franchise to Disney's Buena Vista division, who owned it until 2010, broadcasting Power Rangers on ABC Kids, ABC Family, Jetix, and Toon Disney. On 12 May 2010, Saban bought the franchise back from Disney, moving the show to the Nickelodeon network for 2011 with Power Rangers Samurai.
On 25 July 2014, Shout! Factory announced that they would release Zyuranger on DVD in the United States. They have since been the official distributor of Super Sentai in North America, and as of 2024 have released all subsequent series up to Dekaranger, plus Jetman and Fiveman. Shout! also provides episodes on demand via Shout! TV since 2016. Super Sentai episodes are also available to watch on the free streaming service, Tubi.
On 1 May 2018, toy company Hasbro announced they had acquired the Power Rangers franchise from Saban Capital Group for $522 million. In 2023, Power Rangers Cosmic Fury was released on Netflix, and was the first Power Rangers series to not be a direct adaptation of a Super Sentai series. Instead, the production used mostly original costumes that were adapted from Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger, the basis of its previous season, Power Rangers Dino Fury.
On April 2, 2025, Toei Company president and CEO Fumio Yoshimura revealed that Toei Company would not be involved in the production of an upcoming live-action Power Rangers reboot series being produced by Hasbro and 20th Century Television.

South Korea

Super Sentai has been broadcast in South Korea, dubbed in Korean. The first such series was Choushinsei Flashman which aired as Jigu Bangwidae Flash Man, released in video format in 1989 by the Daeyung Panda video company; this was followed by Hikari Sentai Maskman and Chodenshi Bioman. Throughout the 1990s, Dai Sentai Goggle Five, Dengeki Sentai Changeman, Choujyu Sentai Liveman, and Kousoku Sentai Turboranger were also released in video format. In the 2000s and early 2010s, Tooniverse, JEI-TV, Champ TV/Anione TV, Cartoon Network South Korea, and Nickelodeon South Korea have broadcast Super Sentai series a year following their original Japanese broadcast, but have changed the titles to "Power Rangers".

Vietnam

In Vietnam, the Super Sentai series were released with voice-over dubs for years. In 2003, Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger was the first Super Sentai season to be released in VCD and DVD, and became a hit in the country. Later Super Sentai seasons were broadcast on local and cable TV. Recently, the most recent Super Sentai seasons are subbed by fans and shared online.

Merchandise

, Bandai Namco has sold Super Sentai shape-changing model robots since 1979.
Fiscal periodNet salesNotes
to December 2005Bandai sales
to March 2007Toy sales
to March 2012
April 2002 to
to March 2013
to March 2014
to December 2020
April 2002 to December 2020

YearRetail sales
2003
2008
2010
2012
2013
2014
2003 to 2014+

YearRetail sales
1993 to 1999$6 billion
2005
2006$131 million
2012$300 million
2013$333 million
2014$326 million
2015$330 million
2016$361 million
2017$548 million
2018$281 million
1993 to 2018+

Parody and homage

The Super Sentai Series has been parodied and emulated in various ways throughout the world. The term "Sentai" is also occasionally used to describe shows with premises like the Super Sentai Series.

''Dai-Nippon''

produced a Japanese fan film called Patriotic Squadron Great Japan in 1982 as a homage to the Super Sentai franchise.

''Sport Ranger''

The Thai television series Sport Ranger, another homage to Super Sentai, aired in 2006.

''France Five''

Jushi Sentai France Five is a French online mini-series that was released in six instalments from 2000 to 2013.

''Legendary Armor Samurai Troopers''

Known as Ronin Warriors in the English dub, this anime involved five young warriors each in possession of mystical armor and weapons which allowed them to transform into more powerful forms, similar to Super Sentai.

''Sailor Moon''

used Super Sentai as inspiration for the creation of the Sailor Soldiers in Sailor Moon.

''Digimon Frontier''

The fourth entry of the Digimon anime involved five young kids to gain Digivices known as D-tectors which contained the spirits of ancient heroes known as the Ten Legendary Warriors that allowed them to transform into Digimon forms to fight off monsters in a manner reminiscent of Super Sentai.

''Jeanne d'Arc''

The Jeanne d'Arc PSP game made by Level 5 which depicts the title character in a fantasy universe based on the historical story has her and certain others with the power to transform into armored warriors akin to Super Sentai.

''Kingdom Hearts''

The PSP prequel entry to the Kingdom Hearts video game franchise made by Square-Enix involves the main characters transforming into magical armor akin to Super Sentai.

''Sparanger''

As part of the Omoikkiri Ii!! TV television program, a series of features was produced on various spas and onsen around Japan titled Bihada Sentai Sparanger. This featured tokusatsu and drama actors Takashi Hagino as Spa Red, Kento Handa as Spa Blue, Kengo Ohkuchi as Spa Green, Masashi Mikami as Spa Yellow, and Kohei Murakami as Spa Murasaki.

''EA's Rock''

In 2013, Gainax produced EA's Rock, a 13-episode miniseries of live-action shorts which parodied the Super Sentai Series. The series' characters are all former members of a fighting group called Sensation Warriors Gokan Five. EA's Rock is broadcast on the Tōmeihan Net 6 Japanese Association of Independent Television Stations as well as Nico Nico Douga.

''Love After World Domination''

The manga/anime series Love After World Domination is a satire on the tokusatsu genre, with a team of multi-colored heroes wear spandex suits to fight against an organization bent on world domination, similar to the various Super Sentai series.

''Dragon Ball''

was inspired to create the Ginyu Force for the Dragon Ball manga after seeing his children watch Super Sentai.

''The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World''

The manga/anime series The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World is about the leader of a team of heroes called Adhesive Squadron Kizuna Five, getting transported to another world after sacrificing himself in their final battle. Additionally, the series frequently flashbacks to Red's time leading the Kizuna Five, with veteran Sentai actors voicing the other members of the team in the anime.