The Super Sentai Rule Of Not Escalating A Fight Except When Villains Do So

There are times when superhero shows can be full of strange logic. Yet, I still want to make sense of the rule, "Never escalate a fight unless the villain forces you to." The rule has somewhat been given in a lot of superhero team shows. Maybe, I might've missed a comic book issue of The Avengers or The Justice League. Maybe, Toei Ltd. was reading some comics before they created the superheroes. There's also the sense of honor and protocol in real-life military defense. With Super Sentai literally meaning Super Taskforce - it's no surprise that there's this really old but useful code of honor given way before Himitsu Sentai Goranger.

Super Sentai had carried out that rule in some way. Kosoku Sentai Turboranger managed to play Zordon's threefold rule before Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers came to be. There are some Super Sentai teams (and Power Rangers teams in extension) that didn't follow the third rule which was not to let anyone know they're the costumed weirdos fighting to keep the Earth (or rather, their city) safe. Some of them were pretty much public knowledge like how Kyukyu Sentai GoGoFive and Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue tried to copy elements from the Rescue Polic Trilogy. However, the first two rules Zordon spelled out in plain sight such as not using one's power and not escalating a fight unless (insert villain) forces the rangers to. Now, it's time to really think about why that rule happens. Barza may have been somewhat senile but we can assume he told the Zyurangers the first two rules. Barza had some reasons why the Zyurangers didn't follow the secret identity code unlike many of their predecessors and their successors.

I've seen almost every older Super Sentai as well as almost every newer series. There are times I criticize the idiotic decisions of the villains. Why don't the villains come up with better plans for most of the time? I guess it was always more entertaining when villains acted with their Bond Villain Stupidity which Dr. Evil from Austin Powers managed to embody from similar villains before him. The Black Cross Army would create some utterly complicated schemes to dominate the world. Later series failed to maximize its resources. There's even that idiocy where they only start to get serious when they're near defeat. Is it just plain plot convenience that the rangers aren't allowed to escalate a fight unless the villains escalate the situation? I'd like to say it's a no since it's practically similar to some police or military code of honor. 

One could say that Super Sentai was really based on the military. Come on, Goranger was practically a military Super Sentai series. I guess that's why Turboranger never got popular at first because the ideas of teenagers fighting an ancient foe wasn't so well-received. Fortunately, Denji Sentai Megaranger came in and it did also address Zordon's threefold rule though only rule one was explicitly stated. If you do some study on police (and Toei gave us the Rescue Police Trilogy during the 1990s) and the military - you can find that there are really those rules. The special provisions of law enforcement would totally explain rule number two in plain sight:

Special provisions

9. Law enforcement officials shall not use firearms against persons except in self-defence or defence of others against the imminent threat of death or serious injury, to prevent the perpetration of a particularly serious crime involving grave threat to life, to arrest a person presenting such a danger and resisting their authority, or to prevent his or her escape, and only when less extreme means are insufficient to achieve these objectives. In any event, intentional lethal use of firearms may only be made when strictly unavoidable in order to protect life.

10. In the circumstances provided for under principle 9, law enforcement officials shall identify themselves as such and give a clear warning of their intent to use firearms, with sufficient time for the warning to be observed, unless to do so would unduly place the law enforcement officials at risk or would create a risk of death or serious harm to other persons, or would be clearly inappropriate or pointless in the circumstances of the incident.

11. Rules and regulations on the use of firearms by law enforcement officials should include guidelines that:

(a) Specify the circumstances under which law enforcement officials are authorized to carry firearms and prescribe the types of firearms and ammunition permitted;

(b) Ensure that firearms are used only in appropriate circumstances and in a manner likely to decrease the risk of unnecessary harm;

(c) Prohibit the use of those firearms and ammunition that cause unwarranted injury or present an unwarranted risk;

(d) Regulate the control, storage and issuing of firearms, including procedures for ensuring that law enforcement officials are accountable for the firearms and ammunition issued to them;

(e) Provide for warnings to be given, if appropriate, when firearms are to be discharged;

(f) Provide for a system of reporting whenever law enforcement officials use firearms in the performance of their duty.

Think about the amount of power that Super Sentai teams have. Their weapons are bound to be more powerful than real-life law enforcement weapons. That's why we've got suitless fight scenes against standard Mooks. We have the scenes where the rangers finally morph because the MOTW would pose too much of a challenge. Some rangers did manage to beat a MOTW suitless but it's usually Plot Convenience. Sometimes, doing so had drastic consequences or was only done because the plot needed it. The rangers would hardly use their special abilities when fighting the Mooks. The Zords weren't summoned unless they had to deal with enemy military vehicles. The Megazord wasn't used until a giant monster showed up. Additional combinations were usually done when the enemy was far too strong.

In short, the Super Sentai teams per season are simply operating on the universal rule of law enforcement. Megazord battles do cause a lot of battle damage every time they happen. Using a Megazord to stomp the MOTW would get innocent civilians caught. Some Super Sentai teams have blatant evacuation protocols or take their enemy out to fight in a more open area. The rangers help captives escape before concluding the fight. Seasons based on military or police even emphasize to Up to Eleven at times. Kyukyu Sentai GoGoFive also had an episode where Go Yellow accidentally hurt a child. I think the episode was meant to make a point about why the rule is given. 

There's a statement that says, "With great power comes great responsibility." It's a very classic quote I believe came even before Spider-Man was conceived. Speaking of Spider-Man - it's also the Japanese adaptation's 45th anniversary this year. Superhero teams are always told to use their powers RESPONSIBLY. As a superhero show - Super Sentai is no exception to the rule. Zordon's blatantly stating the second rule can be pretty much like what Uncle Ben told Peter Parker. It's pretty much what parents would tell their children. Super Sentai would be giving out that message too.