Chouriki Sentai Ohranger

Lore & Background

The series is set in the year 1999, when the Machine Empire of Baranoia, led by Emperor Bacchushund, invades Earth. Chief of Staff Miura revives super energies from the lost civilization of Pangaea and assembles a stone plate to reveal the secrets of Chouriki. He enlists five elite pilots from the U.A.O.H. to transform into the Ohrangers and stop the invasion. The team includes Goro Hoshino (Oh Red), Shouhei Yokkaichi (Oh Green), Yuji Mita (Oh Blue), Juri Nijou (Oh Yellow), and Momo Maruo (Oh Pink). They are later joined by Riki, an immortal youthful ancient hero who fights as King Ranger.

Reader's Guide

Chouriki Sentai Ohranger holds significance as the 20th anniversary entry in the Super Sentai franchise, marking a milestone for the long-running metaseries. Its ancient civilization theme, drawing from Pangaea, distinguishes it from other installments. The series introduced the concept of Chouriki energy and the U.A.O.H. organization. Its footage was adapted for Power Rangers Zeo, expanding its international reach. In North America, Shout! Factory released the complete series on DVD in November 2016, making it the fourth Super Sentai set released in the region. The series also connects to later Super Sentai works: Goro Hoshino appears in Gaoranger vs. Super Sentai and Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger, where he grants the Greater Power to the Gokaigers. Momo Maruo also appears in Gokaiger, using a ruse to keep the Gokaigers distracted. The legacy of Ohranger includes its influence on subsequent anniversary celebrations and its role in introducing Super Sentai to a wider audience through DVD releases and streaming.

Did You Know?

• The closing credits of Power Rangers Zeo referred to Ohranger as 'O Rangers'.
• Shout! Factory released the complete series on DVD in North America on November 1, 2016.
• Goro Hoshino (Oh Red) appeared in Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger, but he was not kidnapped by Basco; that plot involved other characters.

Franchise Milestone & Production Context

Chouriki Sentai Ohranger occupies a singular position in the Super Sentai lineage as the nineteenth entry in the long-running metaseries, a milestone that coincided with the franchise marking two decades of continuous production. Airing from early March 1995 through late February 1996, it filled the slot between Ninja Sentai Kakuranger and Gekisou Sentai Carranger. The series also carried a thematic echo of an earlier entry, Dai Sentai Goggle-V, as the second Super Sentai to draw its mythology from an ancient lost civilization. Beyond Japan, Ohranger left a lasting imprint on Western audiences: its footage was repurposed for the American adaptation Power Rangers Zeo, where the closing credits credited the source material as "O Rangers." This cross-border reuse helped introduce the show's visual language to a new generation of viewers who may never have encountered the original Japanese broadcast.

The Baranoia Threat & Chouriki's Origins

The narrative of Ohranger is set in the year 1999 and centers on a full-scale invasion by the Machine Empire of Baranoia, an army of mechanical forces commanded by Emperor Bacchushund whose ultimate goal is the total eradication of humanity and the imposition of machine dominion over Earth. Standing against this threat is Chief of Staff Miura, who discovers that a fragment of a stone plate—uncovered three years prior—holds the key to Chouriki, a form of super energy originating from the lost civilization of Pangaea, the era when all continents were one landmass. By assembling the plate's pieces and constructing a pyramid that channels Tetrahedron power, Miura enables five elite officers of the U.A.O.H (United Airforce Overtech Hardware) to undergo a slight alteration of their body chemistry, granting them the ability to transform into the Ohrangers and mount a defense against Baranoia's relentless assault.

The Five Ohrangers & Their Combat Arsenal

The core team consists of five U.A.O.H officers—Goro Hoshino as Oh Red, Shouhei Yokkaichi as Oh Green, Yuji Mita as Oh Blue, Juri Nijou as Oh Yellow, and Momo Maruo as Oh Pink—each of whom transforms via two-piece Power Braces (or a King Brace for the King Ranger) and wields a personal weapon alongside a shared King Blaster and Battle Stick that combine into the King Smasher rifle. Their signature group finisher is the Chouriki Dynamite Attack. For mobility, each member rides a color-coded Jetter Machine motorcycle. Against human-sized Machine Beasts, the team assembles the Big Bang Buster by combining their individual weapons with a King Smasher. As the series progresses, they gain access to heavier ordnance in the form of the Giant Roller wheel and the Olé Bazooka. Each Ranger also possesses a unique special attack: Goro's Star Riser sword unleashes the Super-Power Riser, Shouhei's twin Square Crusher hatchets deliver the Super-Power Crusher, Yuji's Delta Tonfa produce the Super-Power Tonfa, Juri's Twin Baton nunchaku trigger the Choriki Baton, and Momo's sanda and aikido background inform her own combat style.

Legacy, Crossovers & North American Release

Ohranger's influence extends well beyond its original 1995–1996 run. Goro Hoshino, as Oh Red, appeared in the crossover film Gaoranger vs. Super Sentai alongside fellow Red Rangers spanning from Akarenger to Time Red. Years later, both Goro and Momo Maruo featured in Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger, where Goro attempted to negotiate with the antagonist Basco to locate the Zangyack army, was briefly kidnapped, and ultimately granted the Gokaigers the Greater Power that enabled them to create the Gokai Galleon Buster. Momo, meanwhile, led the Gokaigers on a series of errands under the pretense of possessing the Greater Power. On the home-video front, Shout! Factory announced the complete series in May 2016 and released it on DVD in North America on November 1, 2016, making Ohranger the fourth Super Sentai title to receive an official North American disc release. The following year, on September 8, 2017, Shout! made the entire series available for streaming on their website, broadening access for fans who had long awaited an official English-market edition.