Harbro has managed to do what Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd’s combined might never could—destroy the Power Rangers.
They say intellectual property (IP) is the most valuable asset a company can own—an idea, a concept, a story, character designs….it’s why we don’t yet see Mickey Mouse engaging in twisted adventures alongside Rick and Morty.
Rick and Morty from Rick and Morty – YouTube, Adult Swim
Sadly, most IP sits dormant, and when it is used, the results are often disastrous (looking at you, Tron…).
A company failing to capitalize on its IP isn’t new or particularly newsworthy. But managing to tank an IP so thoroughly that it not only dies but also inflicts financial damage on two unrelated companies—leading to the destruction of a 50-year-old franchise? Now THAT’s genuinely impressive.
So, what am I talking about? The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers of course. You’ll be forgiven if the name doesn’t ring a bell; their media and merchandise presence has essentially vanished. Yet there was a time—long before many of today’s fans were born—when they were hotter than sliced bread (or toast).
Zack the Black Ranger morphs in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers – YouTube, Power Rangers Official
First, a recap: In 1975, Japan pioneered a new genre of superhero television show called Super Sentai, featuring teams of brightly colored, spandex-clad heroes battling rubbery monsters. Each episode introduced new gadgets, including giant robots that conveniently appeared in stores for sale shortly afterward. The model proved so successful that Bandai, the company behind it, refreshed the team (and the toy line) every year for half a century.
In 1993, American executive Haim Saban adapted the concept for U.S. audiences. Using fight footage from the dinosaur-themed Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger, he replaced the Japanese actors with newly shot scenes featuring “five American teens with attitude.” The result—Mighty Morphin Power Rangers—became a global phenomenon. For years, Bandai released a new Sentai series in Japan, and Saban concurrently followed with an American adaptation using the same battle footage spliced with original U.S. scenes.
Thuy Trang as Trini the yellow ranger in Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers – YouTube, Power Rangers Official
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That cycle continued until Disney acquired the franchise in 2003 and promptly drove it off a cliff, to the point Saban was later able to buy it back for pennies on the dollar.
In 2018, Hasbro entered the picture, purchasing the brand for $522 million in cash and stock after securing a toy-licensing deal the previous year. Up to that point, Bandai’s U.S. subsidiary had handled all Power Rangers toys and merchandise. As a toy company itself, Hasbro believed it could manage the line in-house while producing its own television content.
It was wrong.
Robo Rita Repulsa in Power Rangers Once & Always on Netflix – YouTube, Netflix
In a display of corporate missteps that likely left even Disney executives breathless, Hasbro fumbled so badly that it ultimately had to cancel its shiny new toy in 2023. Worse, it outsourced the toy line to Playmates Toys, whose products were widely regarded as inferior to what Hasbro had produced (and don’t get me started on the ridiculousness of that situation).
But the damage didn’t stop there. With no new official Power Rangers content airing (after a Netflix special and series flopped), Playmates turned to the popular YouTube channel Ninja Kidz TV—run by a family of young performers and athletes with over 24 million subscribers—for promotion. The channel had produced fan-made Power Rangers skits for years and was eagerly creating a quasi-official web series, complete with custom suits, zords, sets, and effects—all funded by Playmates, with zero contribution from Hasbro.
The Power Rangers team in the rebooted Lionsgate Film Saban’s Power Rangers – YouTube, Lionsgate Movies
Starved for new content, fans embraced the project with unprecedented excitement. Momentum was building… until Hasbro abruptly shut it down. The stated reason involved the use of AI in special effects (though Hasbro never officially confirmed this). Whatever the true cause, Hasbro managed to alienate fans, derail the project, and damage relationships with both Playmates and Ninja Kidz in one move.
But Hasbro wasn’t done…..
After 50 continuous years, Bandai recently announced the cancellation of Super Sentai following the conclusion of the current series, unfortunately titled “Number 1 Sentai Gozyuger”. Japanese fans—and the global community—were stunned. Super Sentai is a cultural institution; ending it felt as unthinkable as canceling Doctor Who.
Bandai cited declining toy sales as the reason, claiming the show could no longer turn a profit. Fans were baffled, as sales had appeared stable. Then Bandai revealed a critical detail: non-compete clauses in Hasbro’s 2018 purchase barred Bandai from selling Sentai-branded products in North America and other key international markets.
That restriction, apparently, dealt a significant blow to Bandai’s overall toy revenue—enough to tip the scales toward cancellation (and likely getting the entire team of Japanese lawyers who worked on that contract fired with prejudice).
The result? Hasbro didn’t just kill its own 30-year-old adaptation; it indirectly contributed to the end of the 50-year-old Japanese franchise that birthed it, while also torpedoing a promising fan-adjacent production.
Rumors persist that Power Rangers isn’t truly dead and that Hasbro is planning a reboot, reportedly destined for Disney+. However, given Disney’s recent track record of obliterating long-running franchises, any optimism should be tempered. For now, though, the end result is that the Power Rangers have—astonishingly—been powered down across the entire globe for the first time in decades.
Do you think this is the end of the Power Rangers? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
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