The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers could always rely on their trusty Dinozords to get them out of a jam during the early episodes. Even when those failed, they could unite into the ultra powerful Megazord to take on Rita’s latest creation. When Lord Zedd came into the picture though, things changed, and it meant having to up the ante for the Rangers.
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Thanks to Zedd’s creation Pirantishead, control of the Dinozords and the Dragonzord were wrestled away from the Rangers. While they would need to reclaim them at some point, their power wasn’t going to be enough to overtake their enemy, so Zordon and Alpha 5 found a way to create more powerful Zords, and these would become known as the Thunderzords.
Using the power of thunder, the Dinozords were transformed, and with that transformation came all new designs and all new powers. The only outlier in this was Tommy, who was losing his Green Ranger powers over time. He wasn’t left out though, but the Dragonzord was, as Zordon and Alpha 5 helped him channel the powers of the White Ranger, receiving the Tigerzord instead.
The Rangers didn’t receive new costumes, but their Zords were certainly more powerful. They came together to form the Thunder Megazord but also had additional options if the need arose. They could also combine with the Tigerzord to form the Mega Tigerzord, which held the Firebird Thunderzord as a shield.
You can’t leave out Tor the Shuttlezord either, who could form with all five Zords plus the Tigerzord to form the Thunder Ultrazord.
So time to kick off this list with the weakest of the bunch, the Sabertooth Tiger Griffin Thunderzord.
There’s a great deal to like about the Sabertooth Tiger Griffin Thunderzord on paper. The yellow, black, and gold design is not too shabby, and who doesn’t love Griffins? The problem is that none of the Griffin elements really show up, aside from the facial features, and that’s giving it way more credit than it deserves.
Also, there is no mistaking that both the Griffin and Unicorn are essentially Zord Converse Sneakers. Seriously, they look like shoes even in full independent Zord form. You couldn’t give them a few transforming bits to shake up the design?
Hey, at least it shoots fire though, so that’s a plus.
Triceratops Unicorn Thunderzord.
Again, a great color design here, and arguably better than the Sabertooth Griffin. Still, it just looks like a sneaker for a giant robot, albeit a slick looking shoe.
It rises above the Griffin Thunderzord due to the addition Unicorn accents it received. For one the head actually appears close to a unicorn, and the symbol on the chest and wing shapes on the sides give off that general vibe.
As a bonus, the Unicorn Thunderzord could hurl boulders at monsters like a giant catapult. Even that can’t raise it above some of the others on this list, and it stems from the Zord’s central design choice. It’s just hard to see it anything else but fancy footwear.
Tor the Shuttlezord
Zordon is always coming up with some inventive ideas, and what was essentially a lab experiment turned into an indispensable ally.
Okay, maybe indispensably is a bit hyperbolic, but he did come in handy from time to time. That is none other than Tor the Shuttlezord, who came in as a replacement to the original Carrier Zord Titanus. Tor was created when Zordon combined a green crystal with a turtle.
Essentially he made his own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, it just came with less attitude and no love for pizza.
Tor actually looked like a turtle, both in warrior mode and shuttle mode. In shuttle mode, it could carry the Thunderzords and the Tigerzord as part of the Thunderzord Assault Team formation. It could also transform into battle mode, which gave it missile launching capabilities and the ability to reenergize the Red Dragon Thunderzord.
Not bad for an experiment.
Mastodon Lion Thunderzord
Aside from the Red Dragon Thunderzord, the Mastodon Lion Thunderzord is the most versatile Zord of the group.
It didn’t have any true offensive capabilities but offered heavy defense. Not only that, but when it was time to form the Megazord the Lion formed the torso, arms, and helmet for it. It also formed the shoulder pads and back for the Mega Tigerzord.
The defining feature has to be the visual design though. It doesn’t really look like a lion at first glance, but upon further inspection, the details really come together to form one of the slickest looking Zords ever created.
Oh, and it doesn’t look like a shoe, so there’s that.
Pterodactyl Firebird Thunderzord
This was a hard decision to make, as the Mastodon Lion Thunderzord could have easily overtaken the Pterodactyl Firebird Thunderzord. While the Lion offers more defense, the Firebird has offense to spare, giving it the edge.
It’s also not too shabby in the versatility department either. The Firebird Thunderzord breaks down to form the Red Dragon Thunderzord’s belt as well as a weapon for the Mega Tigerzord. It would form into a claw that the Mega Tigerzord could wield on his art arm, and could also be charged up with energy and launched during battles.
It was very formidable solo as well, sending out energy tornados while sporting a fantastic paint job. All in all, it is easy to see why the Firebird took the win here.
Tigerzord
There aren’t many Zords that can overcome the fantastic design and impressive power of the Tigerzord, and it doesn’t help that he had one of the most popular Rangers controlling him.
The remote control for the Zord even reeks of coolness, as it is summoned by Saba, a talking sword. It was deadly once it got on the battlefield too, both in Tiger mode and warrior mode. In Tiger mode it had heightened agility and a deadly sonic blast, while in warrior mode the Tigerzord fought with a sword and was capable of firing energy fireballs from its chest.
It would be very hard to overcome all that for the No. 1 spot, but there is one Zord that managed to do so.
Tyrannosaurus Red Dragon Thunderzord
The Tyrannosaurus Red Dragon Thunderzord takes the top spot for a variety of reasons, starting off with that stunning design.
Few things look cooler than a Red Dragon, and seeing the Zord flying in the sky towards its target was an amazing visual. In the Zord’s Dragon mode it could breathe fire on its enemies not to mention attacking at close range with its claws.
The Zord could also change into Warrior mode, where it essentially became a mini Megazord. It could engage in close range with its staff, which could be rotated at insane speeds, initiating a lethal finishing attack that could put way a monster on its own.
If it did have to call in help, it could actually ride the Tigerzord into battle, and also served as the foundation for the Thunder Megazord when all else fails.
It’s one of the few Zords that doesn’t require the other Zords to be effective, and coupled with a fantastic design easily takes the No. 1 spot.
Before You Go
The action-packed, coming of age feature film Saban‘s Power Rangers will morph onto Digital HD June 13 and on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (plus Blu-ray and Digital HD), Blu-ray Combo Pack (plus DVD and Digital HD), DVD and On Demand June 27 from Lionsgate. As part of the 24-year-old global phenomenon and based on the five Rangers from the original TV series, “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers,”, the reimagined movie features a modern generation of Rangers including Dacre Montgomery (TV’s “Stranger Things”) as Jason the Red Ranger, Naomi Scott (The 33) as Kimberly the Pink Ranger, RJ Cyler (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) as Billy the Blue Ranger, Ludi Lin (Monster Hunt) as Zack the Black Ranger, and Becky G. (Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising) as Trini the Yellow Ranger, as they attempt to stop the evil and unpredictable Rita Repulsa (played by Elizabeth Banks, The Hunger Games Franchise) from destroying their city…and ultimately the world. Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”) as Zordon, and Bill Hader (Finding Dory) as Alpha 5 train the Rangers to morph and master their powers as a united team.
The Saban’s Power Rangers DVD will include exclusive audio commentary with director Dean Israelite and writer John Gatins, and deleted/alternate/extended scenes and outtakes. Saban’s Power Rangers will be available on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, and DVD for the suggested retail price of $42.99, $39.99, and $29.95, respectively.
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