Different Versions Of Santa Claus Disprove Having A Super Sentai Timeline

Santa Claus: Look kid, there's no Super Sentai timeline, okay?

I guess the debate will NEVER end whether or not there's a Super Sentai timeline, right? Well, maybe. This week's Donbrothers' episode does give us another view of Santa Claus. Interestingly, Ichiro Mizuki died on December 6 -- the traditional feast day of Saint Nicholas aka the real Santa Claus. Here, we're talking about a fictionalized non-existent Santa Claus who either lives at the North Pole or in some strange dimension. The portrayal of the jolly old man in a right red suit really differs. I even believe Santa Claus isn't established to be real in other Super Sentai seasons. 

Let's look at how Santa Claus gets portrayed all too differently...

Our first portrayal of Santa Claus explored

Ninja Sentai Kakuranger introduced us to a very different reimagining of Santa Claus. Scientifically, one man can't deliver gifts all in one night. Santa Claus movies do some explaining. Anybody who saw the cult classic (and initially box office bomb) Santa Claus: The Movie should pay attention to the dialogue. The Ancient One (acted by the late Burgess Meredith) informs Claus (acted by the late David Huddleston) that time will travel with the latter. Santa Claus is given the ability to do so but only on Christmas Eve. 

Kakuranger fixes this problem by making a LEGION OF SANTAS. Here, Santa Claus is played by the late Ulk Otsuki who was also Devil Mask Boma in Kosoku Sentai Turboranger. Turboranger didn't have a Christmas episode in contrast to Gekisou Sentai Carrangerl The legion of Santa Clauses do all the delivery. Meanwhile, the actual Santa Claus simply acts like some kind of CEO to make sure everybody does their job. The Youkai did plan to ruin Christmas with mind-controlling centipedes.

Quite interestingly, Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers Season 3 did have a Christmas episode as well. Lord Zedd also wanted to use a mind-control device to make the children of the world naughty. I think the centipedes would be too inappropriate for a children's show huh?

Years later, we had Gougou Sentai Boukenger with a female Santa Claus named Eve (acted by Rina Akiyama). Some might want to argue that Eve's existence might prove there's a Super Sentai timeline. However, Eve NEVER mentioned to have met the Kakurangers either. 

The next appearance of Santa Claus wasn't too good IMHO

It's safe to assume that Santa Claus may not exist in the other shows. 1994 to 2008 would be a total of 14 years. There wasn't another version of Santa Claus even in a franchise filled with too many scientific impossibilities. Carranger NEVER mentioned him at all. It could've been a great opportunity to at least turn Dappu into a personal friend of Santa Claus. Instead, Santa Claus returned in Engine Sentai Go-onger - a show I disliked because of Carranger. 

Go-onger may have been viewed as low by some fans. It probably didn't help that Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters felt like a loose sequel to Power Rangers RPM. Though, the Christmas episodes of Go-onger are pretty much decent episodes. Santa Claus here has a different incarnation. Seeing the Go-ongers recover Santa Claus' magical sack so he can make his annual delivery was nice.

In this version, Kinzo Sakura plays Santa Claus. Instead of living in the North Pole like in Kakuranger - this Santa Claus doesn't. Instead, we have Christmas World as a Braneworld. What I found upsetting though was that Santa Claus never made a cameo in Samurai Sentai Shinkenger vs. Engine Sentai Go-onger even to assist the stranded rangers. 

Santa Claus in Donbrothers became a Hitotsuki 

This latest incarnation (and an easter egg was dropped with a Kakuranger transformation) is portrayed by Yukijiro Hotaru. This one does try to get into the lore by making him a personal friend of Donbrothers Kaito. I feel the disheartened Santa Claus here almost is a reference to the 2006 remake of the Rankin/Bass short The Year Without a Santa Claus. The 2006 remake had Santa Claus not-so-happy Santa Claus hating materialism. We see this incarnation of Santa Claus seeing children ungrateful for whatever he had given them.

Momoi is the second red ranger to have encountered Santa Claus. The first was Sosuke in Go-onger. Here, Momoi personally saw Santa Claus and donated some of his stuff for other children. This Santa Claus couldn't be the same Santa Claus from Go-onger who carried a sack that could give you anything within the rules. There's no mention of Sosuke at all or the Kakurangers. The Ninja Black transformation would've popped into his memory. Instead, it didn't and all it did was restore Santa Claus to his normal self.

Interestingly, Santa Claus' becoming a hobo might reference the comedy movie Bad Santa. Was it really intentional? The get-up felt like the Bad Santa movie get-up. It was probably just a coincidence in contrast to the more obvious references. Still, it was refreshing not to have Donbrothers Santa say, "Wait, I remember now!" to Ninja Black reference. Instead, Donbrothers Santa Claus is neither Kakuranger Santa Claus nor Go-onger Santa Claus.

Boonboomger Santa asks the Boonboomgers to deliver presents 

The most recent Christmas special had me wondering why King-Ohger never had a Christmas special. I mean there was Toys R Us promo in NOVEMBER 2023. It should be strange that King-Ohger could've brought Santa Claus in. Instead, the December 24 episode wasn't a Christmas special. Toei has some explaining to do since Christmas specials became more and more expected since the 2000s. Santa Claus could've been integrated into King-Ohger and explain Dugdead's existence. Instead, blah blah blah Santa Claus wasn't given any possible role. Boonboomger decided to create a Santa Claus that's different from the one in Go-Onger but might be in the same Universe with ToQGer.

This one made an appearance towards the end of the episode. Most Santa Claus incarnations were more or less active. Why Boonboomger Santa Claus showed up only at the end of the episode is kinda upsetting. I liked it better when writers made Santa Claus a more active plot-driver. Wairudo Spindo also plans to kidnap Santa Claus but to no avail. Not even ISA could detect Santa Claus. The episode ends with the Boonboomgers helping Santa Claus do deliveries. Here, Santa Claus puts the presents near the bedside rather than underneath the Christmas tree. 

What's weird is that Itasha did get a present -- shouldn't she get a bucket of coal for her villainy? I guess it's because Itasha might be hinted to get a redemption later. There may also be a deleted scene of Wairudo getting coal too. However, Gokaiger is confirmed to show up next week. That might actually explain each continuity may have their own Santa Claus or none in that specified continuity. 

Updated: December 22, 2024