How To Watch The Power Rangers Movies And TV Shows In Order

Ever since the Power Rangers first hit television screens in the early 1990s, the franchise has been one of the most consistent in live-action children's entertainment. These "teenagers with attitude" burst onto the scene in the original "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" in 1993, but that was only the beginning for this colorful band of heroes. For 30 years, the franchise ran strong before ending in 2023 with "Power Rangers Cosmic Fury," effectively closing a canon that consists of 30 seasons of television. But whether your preferred Rangers were the original five (or six, if you include Jason David Frank's Tommy Oliver) or one of the other various incarnations that came afterwards, the truth is that, with so many shows to consider, trying to narrow down the best way to watch Power Rangers is a daunting task.

Certainly the simplest (and arguably the most effective) way is by watching the entire franchise in release order. This way, as the universe grows, expands, and changes, each version builds on one another. Otherwise, trying to keep everything in check, from alternate timelines and whole seasons set in the future, can be a bit cumbersome. For the most effective way to watch Power Rangers in its entirety (including feature-length installments and one-off specials), give the initial release order a try as follows:

• "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" (1993-1995)
• "Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers" (1996)
• "Power Rangers Zeo" (1996)
• "Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie" (1997)
• "Power Rangers Turbo" (1997)
• "Power Rangers in Space" (1998)
• "Power Rangers Lost Galaxy" (1999)
• "Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue "(2000)
• "Power Rangers Time Force" (2001)
• "Power Rangers Wild Force" (2002)
• "Power Rangers Ninja Storm" (2003)
• "Power Rangers Dino Thunder" (2004)
• "Power Rangers S.P.D." (2005)
• "Power Rangers Mystic Force" (2006)
• "Power Rangers Operation Overdrive"(2007)
• "Power Rangers Jungle Fury" (2008)
• "Power Rangers R.P.M." (2009)
• "Power Rangers Samurai" (2011)
• "Power Rangers Samurai: Clash of the Red Rangers" (2011)
• "Power Rangers Super Samurai" (2012)
• "Power Ranger Megaforce" (2013)
• "Power Rangers Super Megaforce"(2014)
• "Power Rangers Dino Charge" (2015)
• "Power Rangers Dino Super Charge" (2016)
• "Power Rangers Ninja Steel" (2017)
• "Power Rangers HyperForce" (2017)
• "Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel"(2018)
• "Power Rangers: Beast Morphers" (2019-2020)
• "Power Rangers Dino Fury" (2021-2022)
• "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always" (2023)
• "Power Rangers Cosmic Fury" (2023)

By starting with "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" and going from there, Power Rangers grows with its audience. Well, from a narrative point of view, anyway; the tone of the whole franchise remains largely the same. At first, only the original five (and later six) Rangers have the power bestowed upon them by their mentor Zordon. As they battle the forces of evil, some move on and are replaced while others continue with the series for several years, sometimes in supporting roles rather than as full-on Rangers. "MMPR" has three seasons total, with "Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers" acting as an interlude that leads directly into "Power Rangers Zeo."

In fact, the first five Power Rangers shows, "MMPR" through "Power Rangers in Space," including "Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie" (which falls between "Zeo" and "Power Rangers Turbo"), directly build on one another. This is called the Zordon Era, in which the characters and the overall narrative are generally consistent throughout, connected largely through Zordon. It's one big story from "MMPR" to the two-part "in Space" finale, "Countdown to Destruction." While the following season, "Power Rangers Lost Galaxy," follows up on several "in Space" plot threads, the franchise's initial overarching story concludes here.

After that, most Power Rangers shows tackle one-and-done season-long arcs that feature occasional crossovers with previous Power Ranger groups. A great example of this is "Forever Red" during "Power Rangers Wild Force," as well as the "Power Rangers Samurai" special "Clash of the Red Rangers," which crosses over with "Power Rangers RPM." This is partially why release order offers the best viewing experience, as the return of old Rangers is best understood in the context of their respective seasons.

Despite that, some Power Rangers shows take place in the future or in alternate timelines, while others take place in contemporary times. "Power Rangers S.P.D.," for instance, was released in 2005 but was set 20 years later in 2025. However, the "futuristic" setting doesn't change the fact that you should watch "S.P.D." between the present-day set "Power Rangers Dino Thunder" and "Power Rangers Mystic Force." Likewise, "Power Rangers RPM" is set in an alternate dimension (and thus technically outside the main continuity), but because the series interacts later with "Samurai" and its plot is followed-up on in "Power Rangers Beast Morphers," it's an important to watch it beforehand.

That's part of the beauty of Power Rangers. Just because something takes place chronologically before something else, doesn't mean you have to wait until later to watch it. While many of the show's early installments (the "Zordon Era") are necessary viewing to build details on top of each other, most of the later Power Rangers shows — especially during the Disney Era that ran from 2002 to 2009 and the neo-Saban Era of 2011 to 2018 — are one-and-done, self-contained stories with main casts that are constantly changing. They can be enjoyed solely on their own, so if you prefer to just watch, say, "Power Rangers Dino Thunder" by itself, you absolutely could.

There are five main eras of Power Rangers that can help you divide and conquer. With these distinctions in mind, it may help make your Power Rangers viewing a bit more manageable. Here are the five eras below:

• Saban's Zordon Era (1993-1998)
• Saban's Post-Zordon Era (1999-2001)
• Disney Era (2002-2009)
• Neo-Saban Era (2011-2018)
• Hasbro Era (2019-2023)

If you've been paying close attention to our list of complete Power Rangers material to view, then you noticed that while we included specials like "Clash of the Red Rangers" and "Once & Always," we omitted the two most popular Power Rangers feature films entirely from the viewing order. That's because both 1995's "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie" and 2017's "Power Rangers" exist outside of the main timeline and continuity of the overall franchise, with little-to-no crossover at all.

Despite the similar name, "MMPR: The Movie" directly contradicts the events of the yet-to-air third season of "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers." Sure, many of the original "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" cast members return for the film, but it's set outside of the main timeline, which confused many of us upon its initial release. It's a real shame too, because Ivan Ooze (Paul Freeman) is an amazing antagonist.

Likewise, 2017's "Power Rangers" film takes the same characters that we were originally introduced to in 1993 and completely rebrands (and recasts) them. As a reboot, it begins anew the conflict between Zordon (Bryan Cranston) and Rita Repulsa (Elizabeth Banks), putting these updated "teenagers with attitude" into the spotlight. Just don't be fooled by the ending. There was never a sequel, meaning it offers yet another superhero post-credits scene that doesn't pay off. Still, if you're looking for some fun one-and-done Power Rangers material that doesn't consist of 20-to-40-something episodes to binge through, then both "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie" and 2017's "Power Rangers" will be right up your alley.