Another season of Super Sentai has come and gone and another one is days away from premiering. A few years ago, I started to rank the seasons of both Kamen Rider and Super Sentai I have watched so far. And wow! I’ve now watched 16 seasons of Sentai. And it’s been almost 16 years since I watched my first one in Shinkenger!

One thing when it comes to Sentai for me is that I actually have enjoyed most of the seasons. Which is why several seasons are bunched up in the middle of my list. Seasons that I liked and enjoyed a lot, but not enough to be my absolute favorites. And certainly no anywhere near as regretful as those on the bottom of my list.

So with Boonboomger having wrapped up its run and Gozyuger coming up, it’s time to update that list. So here we go!

(*note* Yasuko Kobayashi GOAT appreciation ahead!)

1. Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters

Amazing. It featured a strong, dramatic, emotional storyline, but didn’t forget to have a little fun to help put things into perspective. It had legitimate and truly surprising twists that kept things exciting. The tweaked formula helped the season feel fresh at the time and it has now since become the norm.

It had a large group of likeable characters (human and not) and a deliciously crafty and slick villain. It had a great, talented cast. But maybe, most importantly, Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters started a journey and satisfyingly concluded it. And that conclusion couldn’t have worked without having plenty of heart and emotional connection.

1. Ressha Sentai ToQger

ToQger has many similar qualities. Which is probably why it’s tied for my #1. I absolutely love the idea of childhood friends “growing up” to become superheroes. The ToQgers embarking on a journey to find their home gave the season a sort of nostalgic feel. And that helped me feel connected to the story faster than any other Sentai or PR season ever did. I was immediately invested in the ToQgers regaining their memories and finding their hometown. They are fun and likeable characters. And like other toku seasons, it is a big win if you can balance a generally darker story or undercurrent through the season while still being bright and fun. It has an incredibly charming ensemble cast. The villains have some of the best story and character development I’ve ever seen on any toku show. And the amount of heart that helps make those emotional climaxes effective really resonated with me.

3. Samurai Sentai Shinkenger

My first full Sentai season. And I loved it. There are lots of twists and turns through the 49 episodes, like any genre show, with an intricately woven mythology. We see the relationships between the Shinkengers develop, relationships between the villains, and even get to see some very good backstory on both our heroes and the villains. Shinkenger has a great cast, very likable, and made their characters people you’d want to spend time with. It was very refreshing watching Shinkenger, almost like a reboot of Power Rangers itself for me personally. A little more exciting, a little deeper, a little more action than your typical Power Rangers. Like I credit Wild Force with bringing me back to Power Rangers after so many years, Shinkenger will now always hold a special place in my TV heart as the series that brought me into the world of Super Sentai.

4. Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger

Perhaps it’s partly because the season was a return to a more traditional execution of a Sentai season after three years of creatively different approaches. But the most basic things I look for in a Sentai season, Boonboomger delivered and then some. Endearing characters, a talented cast, engaging plots, relatable and sincere stories, and creative action sequences accompanied one of the most well-paced stories I’ve seen on any toku series.

Deep character-driven narratives will be something I will always be drawn to. And with this season’s solid focus on each character, heroes and villains alike, it was able to convey its core message of taking control of your handle/wheel and being able to confidently drive toward your future. While of course welcoming others on the ride along the way.

When a season can leave a smile on my face (or welcome tears in my eyes) week after week for an entire year, it’s easily secured a spot near the top of my list.

5. Uchu Sentai Kyuranger

For me, the mark of a good season is when it can make a grown man like myself cry like a baby. Kyuranger did that numerous times. The season almost immediately captured my attention and there was never a time during the course of the season that I doubted my early proclamation of love. Maybe some times when I felt like they could’ve done things differently. But the season featured a great cast (both the face actors, the voice actors and the suit actors as well). The story progressed at a steady pace. And the clear endgame allowed for a lot of great character moments. Perhaps not the amount of depth I would have wanted to see, but still great episodes that helped to make each character distinct. And that’s a big accomplishment when this was such a huge cast.

I just really love this season. It is by no means perfect. But it had everything I look for in a toku show, or any show in general. And I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

5. Avataro Sentai Donbrothers

Recency bias has Donbrothers high on this list. But I do keep it in line with the rest of my #5s. That is, they all have really strong aspects that aren’t hurt too much by whatever missteps or shortcomings they might respectively have.

Donbrothers is simply a fun season. The goodwill they were able to foster early on help to set the tone for the rest of the season. An overall lighthearted approach to the usual Sentai format allowed for endearing characters and a charming cast to really just have fun. And that in turn allowed the audience to have fun as well. Soaking in the random, amusing and wacky shenanigans week after week while being treated to some legitimately emotional and sweet moments; Donbrothers really had a lot to like and enjoy.

Though the season might have been lighter on the explosive action, the season still had just enough toku magic to support the more character-focused narrative.

Its slice of life style is something I accepted early on. And ultimately, I think that is what allowed me to fully enjoy this fun season.

5. Mashin Sentai Kiramager

I think both ToQger and Kiramager share so many great qualities. (Mr. Toei! I’m still waiting for that colorful crossover!) A charming, totally likeable and talented cast. Full, multi-dimensional characters. (Both the heroes and villains.) An engaging story. Being able to balance both the silly and some heavier, dramatic stories. And the ultimate lesson of friendship, family and bonds. Kiramager really delivered in all aspects that I look for in a season I end up enjoying.

The show was able to give us characters that we could truly care about. In stories that are actually set on solid foundations. And to help compliment that, the season had one of the best musical scores in a long time. That background music would add so much to each scene, especially in the most dramatic moments.

As this was a season produced during the start of COVID, it faced some hurdles. But they were able to successfully and safely complete production. And not only that, but they were still able to deliver one of the most satisfying, complete and enjoyable seasons in years.

A wonderful, positive, fun escape that had so much heart, warmth and sincerity. Mashin Sentai Kiramager was indeed a bright, shining light during that challenging time.

5. Tensou Sentai Goseiger

Distance makes the heart grow fonder. That’s absolutely the case with Goseiger for me. Back then, the response from fans was quite tepid. And for me, it was my #5 ranked season out of the six I had watched at the time. But looking back, I’ve developed a stronger appreciation for the season. Especially since it was the second Sentai season I ever watched. And for this 2025 update, I’ve nudge it up my list, even as it still ties with its fellow #5s.

One of the biggest accomplishments of Goseiger is how it handled the balance of its outright slapstick goofiness and the heavier, legitimately more dramatic story turns. The way the season was divided amongst villain factions may have seemed odd at the time. But by the end, everything came together in the most shocking and satisfying way. Goseiger is a completely satisfying and fun experience. A great story, a likeable cast, fun characters, and epic villains. (I even think one of the best villains in all 16 seasons I’ve watched.) Goseiger is secure at this spot on my list.

5. Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger

Ryusoulger is a fascinating season. It seemed vague at first, but much more obvious as the season progressed. The season was shining an interesting and important light on mental health. There was a direct reference to the infamous Aokigahara in the premiere. And in the first few episodes, one of the supporting characters attempted suicide.

But the Ryusoulgers were positive people and through them, we learned the importance of friends, family and bonds. Being able to reach out to someone when you need help and to reach out when you see someone who might need help. An excellent and surprising theme, but a welcome one to have.

Ryusoulger was fun and enjoyable. When they did goofy stuff, it was fun. When they delved into more serious matters, they hit the marks as well. Certainly some missed potential here and there. But overall an enjoyable season with strong characters, good action and successfully touching on heavier subjects not usually seen on toku shows.

5. Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger

Gokaiger is pure fun, but with just enough substance and more than a touch of sentimentality to appeal to anyone from longtime fans to the uninitiated new fan (like myself at the time). Whether it’s the action, the characters, or the nostalgia, you’ll find at least one thing, if not all of ‘em, to keep you entertained for 25 minutes every week. Its great, charismatic cast carried all season. But the writing and story did its part as well. When you can effectively deliver anniversary season antics while allowing the current team to be able to stand on their own even without it, you’ve got a winner.

11. Shuriken Sentai Ninninger

Ninninger is definitely not a favorite amongst the fans. But as I’ve mentioned many times over the years, I don’t care. I don’t form my opinions on things based on what everyone else thinks or what the “cool” viewpoint is to have. If I like something, then I’ll like it. If you don’t, then good for you.

But for me I really enjoyed Ninninger. It might be ranked #11 on my list, but I enjoyed it. And the main reason is that I firmly believe the season’s theme was about family. The Ninningers were family and they served as the contrast to what became of the Kibaonis. When I had doubts about the direction of the main story or while Grandpa was being all sketchy, the familial bond between the cousins (Kinji included and sometimes Father when he was around) helped carry the show through. Many episodes either reinforced that familial bond or used the family ties to deliver some fun adventures. Family is definitely very important to me, so seeing family play out here on Super Sentai was great. And the finale was able to bring all of it together in a very satisfying way.

11. Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger

Tied for #11 might seem very low for King-Ohger to many people. But I have really enjoyed most of the Sentai seasons I’ve watched so far. (Except for one or two as you see below.) Like I mentioned in my Season Wrap-up, this season did a lot of things very well. The few nitpicks I might have of the season did not keep me from enjoying and being entertained by the season overall. The season offered refreshing new approaches to familiar themes. It was of course visually different from any Sentai season we’ve seen yet.

But for me, it still misses that certain something that really would make me love the season more than I do. It’s tough when aside from my firm Top 3, I have other seasons that I love and enjoyed equally. For different reasons of course, but it’s hard for me to put one over the other. Heck even Ninninger is *thisclose* from tying them as well. Which would then mean King-Ohger joins the seasons all bunched up in the middle.

Again, having King-Ohger this low doesn’t mean it’s bad or I dislike it. It’s just I have other seasons for which I have stronger feelings for.

13. Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger

As light and enjoyable as the individual episodes might have been, as likeable as the characters can be, there’s still an unfulfilled feeling for me. The season either relied heavily on filler episodes and side adventures or built up stories and set up foundations to stories that went nowhere in the end. As nice as everything was, I left this season with that sense of being unsatisfied and unfulfilled. So much potential wasted and so many balls (gears?) being dropped.

14. Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger

I still haven’t watched all episodes of Kyoryuger. Strange, I know. But I honestly don’t have any urge to do so. I don’t really know why. I don’t hate or even dislike the season. But it’s not really a season I’d go and rewatch again. (Hello, you haven’t even finished it in the first place!) But really, I only care about Kyoryuger mainly because it gave me Power Rangers Dino Force Brave, the special Korean series that I absolutely love.

15. Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger VS Keisatsu Sentai Patranger

I honestly feel some sort of apathy to the season itself. I don’t hate it or dislike it, per se. But I found it truly hard to connect with any of the characters. And the biggest reason might be the imbalance in how the show treated the Lups vs the Pats. Then there’s the lack of a truly cohesive and well-developed story and weak foundation for what should’ve been a strong endgame. With LuPat, while there were some good things, even great things, during the course of the season, I arrived at the end of the season feeling apathetic and unsatisfied.

The VS concept is interesting on paper. But if you’re going to do a versus concept, there should be parity between the two teams. And the show didn’t seem interested in doing that. And I think that’s the biggest flaw of the season for me.

The only thing I really actually cared about during the season was Zamigo and Jingi Irie absolutely embodying the character for the fleeting moments we did get of him. But even the fact that he was wasted kind of docks even more points off for the season for me.

16. Doubustu Sentai Zyuohger

Honestly, I’d have LuPat and Zyuohger tied for last. But Zyuohger is absolutely my least favorite season solely because of the way they wrote the character of Misao. The way they treated him during the season was so horrible and actually quite offensive. (It’s been years and I still feel that way when I end up remembering it.)

Zyuohger opened with great promise. The visuals looked completely wacky and all over the place, but the story seemed very interesting. The promise of a “fish out of water” story with the Zyumans in the human world opened up lots of possibilities for things they could do during the season. On the villain side, Ginis’ deadly Blood Game definitely reminded me very much of the classic English class short story The Most Dangerous Game. But as the season went along, balls (cubes?) were being dropped left and right. Things that made the season actually charming and fun where tossed aside. And it was the introduction of Misao that really signaled that things were starting to go off the rails.

You can read a more detailed version of my views of the season here. But essentially, the Zyuohgers were assholes and treated Misao like crap. Not only that, the season turned his mental health issues and depression into the butt of jokes. Like, WTF is that?

Anyway, that was all very regrettable. And though the surprising Returns movie went a long way in trying to correct the series’ wrongs and Yamato returned to be a stud of a hero in Super Sentai Saikyo Battle, Zyuohger is firmly my least favorite season.

Special Mentions

Super Sentai Strongest Battle

I absolutely loved this four-episode miniseries. I wish we got more! They were able to fill in so much in the miniseries and still have a lot of material left for more potential episodes. The “Oddballs” were an unexpectedly fun, ragtag group of Sentai All-Stars. The miniseries drew upon each of those characters and their respective seasons and created a brand new, special story that ended up being enjoyable and emotional. Really wonderful.

Power Rangers Dino Force Brave

I was looking forward to seeing a Korean Power Rangers series. Having been fully riding the Korean Wave for years now, having a real Korean toku series, especially directly connected to Senai was a fun idea. And then the cast of familiar faces (to me) was announced and I was already sold. In the end it was a nice sequel to Kyoryuger and still was able to stand on its own. The plot and what little we did see of each character in the short 15-minute episode format really showed the potential of what a full series could have been like. Dino Force Brave was great fun. It was more than just an extra toy commercial for the Korean market. It was a well-done story in a unique format. Lots of creativity, especially with the mecha battles. It was refreshing and very enjoyable.