Super Sentai, Power Rangers, And Differences In The Zord Naming Scheme

Last year, I wrote a random rant admitting that I'm okay with Power Rangers fans using THEIR terminologies. It's actually easier to talk about Super Sentai with a Power Rangers fan using terms like rangers (which is acceptable), morph over henshin (both are synonyms), and I'm okay if someone still calls Kamen Rider with its now discontinued international name Masked Rider. The term "Zord" is also used to refer to any mecha. However, Super Sentai uses the Japanese term Mecha instead. 

The term Zord has been used in Power Rangers. I may not like Power Rangers but watching The Toys That Made Us is still enlightening. The international market has no one-size-fits-all arrangement. Different countries may require different types of localization. Power Rangers is STILL an adaptation based on the BUSINESS TERM localization. The term mecha wouldn't hit. Instead, it was said that the word "Zord" was derived from the word sword or from the title Zoids. Zoids is another Japanese product where a dub was all it took. Super Sentai's cultural difference wouldn't immediately work. Funny how the Tega Sword stands up on top of the Megazords!

IGN's article on five areas where Power Rangers is supposedly better (for the AMERICAN audience) also writes this:

It is not a Super Sentai series without giant combining robots dealing the finishing blow at the end of every episode. It is a part of the franchise’s DNA, with each yearly mecha being something fans look forward to.

These mecha are not however divided into classes, as Power Rangers does with Zords, Megazords, Ultrazords and the like. Weirdly enough, this uniform classification of their robotic arsenal adds a great sense of power scaling with each fight, since depending on the type of Zord used, fans get a sense of how powerful an enemy can be.

Is the naming something to do with the American culture or what? I confess memorizing Super Sentai mecha combinations CAN be very confusing. IGN talks about the combination classification for each fight. I'd like to talk about some naming differences. The naming scheme is pretty much different for the two shows.

We could talk about the Zord naming differences between the two shows

I have no problem when someone calls the Guardian Beasts "sentient Zords" or "Zords of mystical origin". We can discuss how each combination was called. The Megazord is the combination of the primary Zords or the main robot. We can call Battle Fever J's robot as the first Megazord for Super Sentai. The Megazords would later combine with other Zords. One can say Chojuu Sentai Liveman was the first show to have the Megazord combined with the secondary Zord.

Let's talk about the various ways combinations happen. I'd pick Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger's Zord naming combinations vs. that of the Americanized Mighty Morphin'. Dino Megazord was once simply called Megazord -- but was later referred to as Dino Megazord because it was combined from the Dinozords. The Dino Megazord would combine with the Dragonzord to form the Dino Mega Dragonzord. The other mecha combined with the Dragonzord to form the Dragonzord Battle Mode. The Dinozords all combined with Titanus (referred to as a Carrier Zord) to form the Dino Ultrazord. The Ultrazord is the strongest combination unleashed.

Super Sentai gave a different approach to naming the Zords and their combinations For example, the first Megazord was called Battle Fever Robo. Zyuranger's primary combination was called Daizyujin (Great Beast God). Dragon Caesar was used to either form Gouryujin (Mighty Dragon God) and Zyutei Daizyujin (Beast Emperor Great Beast God)). These titles are pretty long. It CAN be difficult to memorize compared to the Power Rangers' naming scheme. It would be easier to recall Dino Megazord + Dragonzord equals Mega Dragonzord. It can be difficult to recall Daizyujin + Dragon Caesar equals Zyutei Daizyujin. The ultimate combination is called Kyukyuku Daizyujin or Ultimate Beast God. 

It can get awkward when secondary Megazords arrive. Ninja Sentai Kakuranger gave two Megazords in the show. Choriki Sentai Ohranger had a merchandise overload. Power Rangers Zeo called the Ohblocker as Super Zeo Megazord. However, the prefix "Super" and added to the Megazord name was used in Super Sentai's different combinations. Liveman named the combination of Live Robo and Live Boxer into Super Live Robo -- not Live Boxer Robo. Kosoku Sentai Turboranger named the combination of Turbo Robo and Turbo Rugger into Super Turbo Robo -- not Turbo Rugger Robo. Turboranger brought in the first Ultrazord and called it Super Turbo Builder. Ohranger called its Ultrazord as King Pyramider Battle Formation. The naming scheme could be difficult to recall for some huh? The name Pyramidas Battle Mode may not ring a bell as much as Zeo Ultrazord.

Power Rangers still uses the standard naming "Zords, Megazords, etc." for EVERY SEASON

It's often assumed (but NEVER confirmed) that the word Zord came from Zordon. It becomes awkward to keep calling everything a ZORD because it was what Power Rangers started with. However, there could be some storytelling problems, especially with connecting everything to a Morphin' Grid. Yes, that name almost got the Power Rangers franchise banned in Malaysia -- during the earlier days! Thankfully, that was resolved but that's one incredibly dumb event there!

Power Rangers had its long Zordon Arc -- something I felt could ruin storytelling. I'm glad that I could watch Denji Sentai Megaranger without having to check out Gekisou Sentai Carranger first. It's because Super Sentai usually tries to ignore continuity. Even if one day Toei retcons that idea -- the storytelling style doesn't fall heavily dependent on the previous season! The Zordon era finally ended with Power Rangers in Space. However, every season still had the standard naming of using Zord, Megazord, Ultrazord, and the like. Why did the naming stay as such? I can't really be sure. It could've still ben called Zord but there may be creative ways to name Zords.

Power Rangers Lost Galaxy renamed the Gingabeasts into the Galactabeasts. Why was the combination still called Galaxy Megazord? IMHO it could've been named Galactabeast King or Lost Galaxy King. IMHO the producers BADLY NEED to get out of the traditional Zord naming scheme. Trying to connect every Power Rangers show to that singular Morphin' Grid can create more storytelling problems than intended. Different Zords have different creators or different power sources. Every show still uses (insert name) Megazord instead of trying to go beyond the Megazord or Zord suffix. Was it done to keep the fans still to familiar or what? Toei doesn't mind as long as it gets paid royalties!

Super Sentai took the name Zord twice. The name G-Zord was found in Mirai Sentai Timeranger. Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters didn't only use the iconic catchphrase "It's Morphin' Time" but also the term Zords. Every giant robot was called a Megazord -- whether they be from the good guys or the bad guys! Another Zord was called a Buddyzord. However, the naming combination still followed Super Sentai's way of naming robots. Giving more or less unique names. Go-Busters called its Megazord as the Go-Buster Oh. Beast Morphers called theirs Beast-X Megazord.

I disagree with what IGN said about the Power Rangers naming scheme. I could go back to Turboranger for an example. It's still divided into classes but maybe not as easy -- that's until Power Rangers came into the picture. We have the Turbo Robo which was soon easily defeated by an enlarged Zimba. The Turborangers would later need to form the Super Turbo Robo to defeat the immensely powerful Chomajin Boma. The Turborangers would go from Turbo Builder to Super Turbo Builder to defeat a momentarily overthrown Ragorn. It still shows how powerful the enemy can be by the naming. Zyuranger's power scaling would still show that if Daizyijin wasn't enough -- they needed other combinations. The Kyukyoku Daizyujin literally translates into Ultimate Great BeastGod - meaning the FINAL combination in desperate situations. Dai Satan (Lokar) was such a powerful foe that Ultimate Great Beast God was needed. Several Dora Monsters (made from more powerful clay) had to be destroyed by the Kyukyoku Daizyujin.

Is the naming scheme for Zords in Power Rangers meant to keep familiarity? Probably yes, probably not. However, the second Saban era and Hasbro dealt with Power Rangers is staying with the Mighty Morphin' hype. The 1990s comfort zone? That's why I rewatched Go-Busters after finishing Beast Morphers. Maybe, that's why the naming scheme still remained the same -- using the word Zord and Megazord. However, it's no longer the 1990s and there could be other ways to start naming Zords IMHO. Why the Power Rangers franchise kept naming Zords well... Zords... might be to keep everything connected as intended! 

However, the naming scheme in Power Rangers probably helped discussions with the Western fanbase. One could use the terms Megazord, secondary Megazord, auxiliary Zords, Carrier Zords, and Ultrazord. One could say the Heavy Armor Chi Palace from Gosei Sentai Dairanger is the strangest Ultrazord. One could say that earlier Super Sentai used Carrier Zords to transport the main Zords. One can say that the Great Five robot in Hikari Sentai Maskman is the first five-piece Megazord. One could say Carranger brought back the Carrier Zord with the Victory Trailer. I don't like Power Rangers BUT whatever. Power Rangers exists because of cultural differences between East and West!

I really get nitpicky (it's a guilty pleasure) and this post proves it! So yeah, I wrote this nitpicky post because of the Megazord graveyard in No. 1 Sentai Gozyuger!