“Original Power Rangers” comes to an end after 50 years of weekly episodes

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After airing every week for fifty years, the long-running Japanese TV series Super Sentai has finished its broadcast.

After airing its last episode on February 8, 2026, the popular superhero series went on an indefinite break, according to announcements from Toei and TV Asahi. The final episode, titled “We Are, No.1 Sentai Gozyuger!”, marked the end of a show that had been running weekly since April 5, 1975.

Super Sentai has a total of 2,457 episodes over 49 seasons. Although the series celebrated its 50th anniversary, a break in production in 1978 meant it didn’t quite reach 50 seasons. Toei, the production company, explained that falling sales of merchandise and increasing costs were the main reasons for temporarily stopping weekly episodes.

戦い続けた色とりどりの戦士たちと
ずっと一緒に走り続けてくれたみんな

ひとりひとりすべてのカラー【個性】に
敬意をこめて#50年間スーパーありがとう#スーパー戦隊 シリーズ

— スーパー戦隊オフィシャル (@sentai_official) February 8, 2026

A Super Sentai sendoff

The series concluded recently, bringing an end to one of Japan’s longest-running and most popular TV shows. Just before the final episode aired, Super Sentai received an official record for having the most transforming heroes in any live-action special effects production, with over 300 heroes appearing throughout its run.

The popular Super Sentai series will soon have a replacement. Starting February 15, 2026, Toei will introduce a new, connected franchise called Project R.E.D. (Records of Extraordinary Dimensions).

Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity brings back the popular Metal Hero series with a fresh, updated look, including a striking red metallic suit. Toei calls the overall project, R.E.D., a shared universe similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, meaning stories will connect across different shows and planets, with plans for characters and storylines to eventually cross over.

Although company leaders haven’t ruled out bringing back Super Sentai in a big way, there aren’t any current plans for a full-scale revival – just occasional manga or standalone movies.

Okay, so I’m super hyped! Next week, February 15th, the first episode of Chou Uchuu Keiji Gavan Infinity* – “The Red Gavan” – is finally dropping! I’ll be watching as Reiji Nogi, an investigator from the Data Division, jumps across dimensions to save Earth from a crisis. Seriously, you DO NOT want to miss the ‘Jokou’ – that special coating – on the Red Gavan. It looks amazing! Get ready for #Chou Gavan and #GAVAN!

— 超宇宙刑事ギャバン インフィニティ【東映公式】／PROJECT R.E.D.シリーズ (@ProjectRED_Toei) February 8, 2026

The conclusion of Super Sentai marks the end of an important piece of Western pop culture history. It served as the original source for the Power Rangers series, which began in 1993 by using footage from Japan. For many years, American producers created new scenes and combined them with action, monster fights, and robot battles from Super Sentai, allowing them to create impressive shows without huge costs.

The Power Rangers franchise started with the Japanese series Himitsu Sentai Gorenger. The first Power Rangers season, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, used footage from Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger. Although they shared costumes and robots, the storylines often changed, and the original Japanese series, Super Sentai, tended to tackle more serious and complex topics.

Now that the latest Super Sentai season has finished, Power Rangers is starting a new chapter. For the first time in over 30 years, the show will rely completely on original filming and creative designs, moving away from its long-standing production method.

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2026-02-08 20:49