The very first Power Rangers entry was released in 1993, and ever since then, it's been an era-defining franchise that shaped entire generations. Power Rangers took over the world of television, toys, video games, comics, and books. The series has 28 seasons, and there are three movies based on the beloved heroes.
In this enormous franchise based on the five heroes, countless villains appeared to make an end of the heroic characters. Little girls and boys everywhere chose which hero they'd be, and together fought the biggest and baddest villains of the franchise. Here are the best Power Rangers villains that the heroes had to face.
Updated on June 21, 2023 by Ben Painter: Power Rangers first came to screens back in 1993 and still remains a much-loved show to this date. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers still holds a place in many 90s kids' hearts; the costumes, weapons, and of course, zords all made Power Rangers the perfect show to watch after school. Another part of what made Power Rangers so iconic was the villains, Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd are perhaps some of the best villains in all television history. But there are so many more in the franchise, including some that are exclusive to the Power Rangers comics.
18 King Mondo In Zeo
King Mondo made his bow in the second series of Power Rangers, Zeo. After Rita and Zedd were repelled from the moon, King Mondo and his Machine Empire saw Earth as an easy target, but the Zeo Rangers had other plans. The design has such a very 90s quality to it which deserves placement on this list, even if he is last.
Being the next big bad of the series, Mondo had big boots to fill, and he didn't quite replace them in turns of icon status, but this takes nothing away from King Mondo being one of the best villains in Power Rangers. Even after his destruction in Zeo, Mondo popped up in Turbo, and In Space, and had references in a couple of other future series.
17 Lothor In Ninja Storm
The main villain of Power Rangers Ninja Storm, Lothor, was a fearsome baddie with the goal to conquer Earth and wipe out the ninja academies to become the one true ultimate dark ninja master. Although he is a frightening foe, not many people remember him, but it doesn't take away the fact he is one of the best villains in Power Rangers.
Lothor was just evil, with his drive being revenge for being expelled from the ninja academy before the series began. Not many villains have had quite an impact like Lothor, whose goal is completely personal. Despite his defeat in Ninja Storm, Lothor became an ally of Mesogog in Dino Thunder and again fought the Rangers.
16 Emperor Gruumm In SPD
Emperor Gruumm's design is absolutely terrifying, SPD got it right with the villain of this series. As the leader of the Troobians, an evil alien empire who, you guessed it, plan to take over the Earth. But the SPD Rangers put a stop to him.
Able to shape-shift into a human, this only made him more terrifying as he could blend in and plot his evil schemes right under the Power Rangers' noses. A sworn enemy of the Shadow Ranger, Anubis 'Doggie' Cruger, the two have an interesting dynamic throughout the series, which made for a more compelling villain in Gruumm.
15 Thrax In Operation Overdrive
Though Thrax may slip under the radar even for devoted Power Rangers fans, he has a few qualities that elevate him above more run-of-the-mill franchise villains. The first and most obvious is his incredible visual design. Simply put, Thrax looks more interesting and threatening than most villains in the franchise. With a headpiece combining bone, metal, and leather, he looks like a fusion of a great Diablo villain and a renegade superhero.
Thrax also has a better origin story than almost any other villain in the franchise. Rather than appear from more or less nowhere, Thrax has a good reason to show up on a mission to destroy the Power Rangers: he’s the son of Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa. In Power Rangers, the villains rarely get away with it. At least Thrax puts up a good fight.
14 Emperor Mavro In Super Megaforce
A villain doesn’t necessarily have to be strong to be great. Some villains are master schemers, using their wiles to compensate for their lack of personal strength or impressive armies. A great design, amazing performance, or cool gimmick can be enough to make a weak villain worth watching.
Emperor Mavro’s black and gold visual design makes him an eye-catching baddie, but it’s his power that truly sets him apart. Mavro is so strong that it takes the combined force of multiple Power Ranger teams just to challenge him. Even then, Mavro brushes off most of the Rangers’ attacks as if they were nothing, a testament to the power of one of the Power Rangers’ greatest foes.
13 Ivan Ooze In MMPR: The Movie
Yes, Ivan Ooze looks like a sorcerer who fell into a vat of purple food coloring. His aesthetic may not be for everyone, but Ivan has some fantastic qualities that make him worth paying attention to as a villain. Introduced in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, Ivan benefited from having a larger budget and more development time than many villains in the franchise received.
Ivan Ooze is stronger than most of his competition, which he quickly demonstrates by using his ooze to turn the earth's population into zombies. Though the Rangers are used to high-stakes conflicts, Ivan’s world-domination scheme goes further, faster than the Rangers are prepared to deal with, giving the heroes a true test of their abilities, friendships, and teamwork. His appearance in the most popular Power Rangers movie and his charismatic performance make him one of the best villains in the Power Rangers franchise.
12 Master Org In Wild Force
Master Org was the main villain in the tenth season of the series Power Rangers Wild Force. He was a constant antagonist through 25 episodes and the ruler of all Orgs. This villain was so epic that the creators chose to carry on his legacy through Dr. Viktor Adler, who consumed what was left of the Ancient Master Org and turned himself into a powerful villain.
Although both of these Org Leader villains were an awesome part of the series, all must come to an end when the Rangers come along. Neither of the Masters could hold their own against the five protagonists.
11 Koragg In Mystic Force
Koragg, The Knight Wolf, is an antagonist in Power Rangers Mystic Force. He was a fearsome warrior, but unlike his allies, he was an honorable fighter, refusing to fight against the defenseless. He was a fan-favorite antagonist because of this sort of relatable trait and because of the fact that he looked awesome.
He was the most feared antagonist in the season, and despite his honorable ways, he was still loyal to the bad guys and would do anything to prove his worth to The Master. The only one who was more powerful than him in the season was The Master himself.
10 Admiral Malkor In Megaforce
Admiral Malkor was the leader of Warstar, a mighty military organization, and the primary antagonist group of Power Rangers Megaforce, making him the mastermind behind the main antagonist. He was an Insectoid; his looks are based on moths. Unlike other villains in the series, Admiral Malkor doesn't let defeat make him angry; instead, he appreciates a worthy opponent.
When his efforts to bring his armada to Earth actually come to fruition, it's one of the biggest events in Power Rangers history, bringing together all classic Rangers for the epic battle. While he's not the most powerful villain, his final efforts are epic and will always be remembered.
9 The Master In Mystic Force
Octomus The Master was the main antagonist of the season Power Rangers Mystic Force. This season was full of formidable villains keeping the Rangers busy every minute. Starting from Koragg as the primary antagonist, there are a lot of surprises in the season, but one big bad wolf is lurking underneath the surface. Or more of an octopus than a wolf is The Master.
He's the demonic puppet master who's behind every villain in the season. Unlike other villains in the show, The Master doesn't just sit back letting his minions do all the dirty work. He's, in fact, trapped and is waiting for his freedom to take over the world once and for all. Once the audience finally sees this monster, it becomes clear that he's the most frightening villain the creators used so far. He's a demonic and gigantic octopus creature embodying everything that's evil. Still, he's no match for the Rangers.