The Lightning Collection continues on, and with more positive reactions despite some of the minor QC gripes here and there. I personally love to collect the line but also hope to not run into distribution problems or lack of characters/teams. I know Hasbro wants to milk MMPR to an extent, but I need completed teams and uncommon Rangers, too. I'm won't mind if Hasbro makes metallic MMPR, Ninjetti versions, Bandai-toy-accurate-coin-on-chest-and-odd-proportion-detail versions, and the color swap take or 1969 versions of the team from Boom Studios, but only if we get more team members from series that are already represented and ones that have yet to appear. I also hope that MMPR-related females aren't the only girls we get, because I'm sure Zoey, Z, Sydney, Kat, Jen, Katie, and pretty much every Pink Ranger from In Space and Lost Galaxy deserve attention, too. Anyways, there's still lots to love about the Lightning Collection regardless of the issues it has. This new wave of Rangers consist of Mighty Morphin Red, Dino Charge Gold, Beast Morphers Blue, and Lord Drakkon; it may seem like a "Greatest Hits" wave with the character and team selection, but does that mean it's a bad thing? Let's find out in my review!
Here we have Mighty Morphin Red in-hand, and he's got all the standard MMPR aspects for this suit design. MMPR Red's one of the most, if not the most, commonly done Power Ranger of all time in toy-form, and it's nice to see all the elements carried over nicely in this form. Maybe some of the details aren't quite as done well as I'd like, such as the diamonds connected to the butterfly joints, but they do the part. I appreciate seeing a collector's figure of the Red Ranger from MMPR that looks like a living, breathing human being rather than the cliche muscular approach that Bandai loves to make. I also love seeing things we wouldn't get, like the creases in the suit, as well as the holster being a permanent part of the belt rather than an accessory like with the Bandai Legacy versions. So he's visually been-there, done that, but he looks the part and adds things his own way. The Morpher does have some nice paint applied to it, though I do feel it's smaller than it would be. Maybe it's a little too small, but it doesn't make the belt bulkier than it would be like on the Legacy Morpher belt buckles.
Helmet looks good for the most part, though there have been a few complaints put towards it: one being the shape of the helmet, which does look a little less round but still maintains the standard details without straying too far away. The second is the incomplete visor outline. Some found the visor a little inaccurate, but what is bad is how the middle portions of the visor don't have any paint to separate it from the black, which is becoming an annoying trend amongst recent MMPR Reds. As for the articulation, it's the standard norm for the line, which consists of the great double-jointed elbows and knees as well as a diaphragm joint for the upper torso and an ab crunch for the lower torso. Almost every Lightning Collection figure has the same amount of points and range depending on the character's design.
The accessories of the Red Ranger include his lightning effect piece, a nicely painted Power Sword, the civilian Jason head, a Blade Blaster, and two weapon-holding hands.
The display options for the Red Ranger are pretty much what one would need from an MMPR figure, whether it's the helmetless shot MMPR loves to make, posing the Ranger with their Blade Blaster, or giving them their signature weapon. The articulation combined with the nice paint applied to the weapons both make for a great action figure to display, even if it's the commonly done Mighty Morphin' Red Ranger. I will say that fans were critical of the Blade Blaster for being in their gun modes while they're in the holster...seriously, the same fans that bitched about the holstered Blade Blasters from Bandai are mad that Hasbro's MMPR team doesn't have folded up Blade Blasters. Make it make sense.
This is not the only version of the Red Ranger that got to be made in the Lightning Collection. This is the SDCC version of the Red Ranger, which came in a two-pack with the Gold Ranger. Aside from coming with the Dragon Shield, an extra holster for the Dragon Dagger, and a different version of his headsculpt, he also comes with the folded up Blade Blaster and the other weapons of the team, which not only combine but are also painted beautifully. This set is one that fans should get if they want to complete this young toyline, but those without the money can at least be happy that the Lightning Collection is releasing the MMPR team slowly.
For a comparison with the other Red Ranger offerings out there, here he is with the Bandai Legacy Collection Red Ranger, the regular Action Hero Red Ranger from Super Megaforce, the S.H Figuarts version (also known as Tyrannoranger), the 6.5-inch Armored Red Ranger from Megaforce, and the 15th anniversary Red Ranger made between Mystic Force and Operation Overdrive. My Legacy Collection Red Ranger is the metallic version that came out during 2017, though I found copies of it near the end of 2018, so...anyways, let's talk proportions. We already mentioned that the Lightning Collection figure's proportions look the part, but what about everyone else? Well, the Legacy figure does have the muscles present from Bandai's beefcake fetishes, but the thing I don't like about them is how the arms look; the way the shoulders are molded like a carryover from Ninja Storm makes the arms look like they almost come from a different toy. His Morpher's a little too big, but at least has some nice details as well. His paint apps do look better applied than the Hasbro figure, but the helmet is more inaccurate than Hasbro's, even with the complete outline. The 5-inch action hero figure may be blocker than the others, but he looks decent, and his Morpher scales with his body the best, I'd say. His visor does look a little funny, and he can't put his hands on his hips.
Now let's go over the ones I don't have. The S.H. Figuarts version may be seen as the best version of the Red Ranger, but even with all the accessories (if you get the first version), I don't like the way the proportions look as well as how weird his Morpher is. The Megaforce 6.5 inch version of MMPR Red is pretty muscular and has an underpainted Morpher, but for what it is, it's a pretty decent take on the Red Ranger despite his beefcake body. The 15th-anniversary version looks like a more refined version of the 8-inch figure, let's be real. He's pretty dated, has the wrist and boot cuffs that aren't part of his suit, and is recommended for fans that want to get him as part of the history of Bandai's many Power Rangers.
Back to the ones I do own, and I gotta say that the Lightning Collection Blade Blaster looks the best with its paint and the fact that it's a gun. Before then, it was either being a gun with no holster and barely staying on the belt or having a holster but remaining in holster mode. For the others I don't have, Figuarts Red has all 3 modes, Armored Red from Megaforce comes with an oversized Blade Blaster but doesn't come with a holster, and I don't know if the 15th Ann Red Ranger comes with any accessories aside from probably a gray sword.
Curiously, the Legacy version's Blade Blaster does fit nicely with Hasbro's Red Ranger and even scales with the one he comes with. What are the chances Hasbro used this accessory for their SDCC Red Ranger?
As for the Power Swords, Bandai's is longer than Hasbro's, but Hasbro's is more rigid in material and is less likely to flex while including a black handle that annoyingly gets its paint chipped off. My 5 inch Red Ranger has a poor attempt at being painted for its sword, so that's why it looks bad. Figuarts Red comes with a sword that looks on par with the others while Megaforce Red has a sword that mainly has a silver blade and a red handle.
The effect piece adds to this Red Ranger's sword, though I will have to warn you that it'll likely make the paint come off if it's left on there for too long. Anyways, Mighty Morphin Red's not the most exciting version of the character outside of it being a more accessible version of the character, but he ticks the list for what an MMPR Red needs; even if you own the SDCC version, I think this figure's still recommended, but get him on clearance unless you don't mind getting this commonly done character or never owned a Red Ranger. Still don't like the incomplete visor outline.
Before we move on, here is the Red Ranger next to the Pink Ranger, the White Ranger, and the Black Ranger with the Dragon Shield. Probably an alternate universe where Zack got the Green Ranger's Power Coin, eh?
Here he is next to Goldar, one of his recurring rivals. If you can take some wicked images with these effect pieces, then you certainly are a better photographer than mine. Still, I like this Red Ranger as much as I like this Goldar, even if they have some minor issues.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Next up is the Dino Charge Gold Ranger! Our second member of the third Neo-Saban team to join the Lightning Collection, and let's just say there's a bit of debate regarding how the gold turned out for this figure. Hasbro did paint their Beast Morphers Gold Ranger figures in both lines with some nice gold paint, yet Dino Charge Gold does not get the same sheen as those. It's thankfully not so much of a full0-on yellow color, nor is it the pale AF suit from the American footage (which makes a glaring return in Beast Morphers), but it is odd that the hips have a different shade of gold compared to the rest of the toy. Perhaps those were meant to be used for the toy's color, but Hasbro's then decided to use it only for the plastic that works as the joints of a toy. I agree with fans that the lack of a white neck and the missing silver paint on the gloves make the figure look pretty inaccurate. Some may find the arms a little distracting, but they're part of the suit anyways. I also like how his suit captures his specific design cues rather than that of a normal Dino Charge Ranger, as the torso doesn't use the "teeth" look and instead uses the black and silver to mimic his lightning motif, and the inclusion of silver, as well as the blue lines, make for a nicely done color palette. The shoulder pads and the Ptera wings on him are both nice touches.
His helmet's pretty accurate, and I appreciate that the paint apps are applied on nicely for the most part (though there is an annoying discrepancy in this shot). I'm happy that nothing feels left out from this figure's helmet, not even the red eyes. The articulation is the same as always, but the shoulder pads do slightly hinder the movement. Also, the diaphragm torso clicks a little more than I'd like when I rotate it, which almost makes it sound a little tight.
The accessories included with this figure are the civilian head for Sir Ivan of Zandar, his Gold Ptera Saber, the Gold Ptera Morpher, two accessory holding hands, and the effect piece.
Much like MMPR Red, I like how you can display this figure with these accessories, and the added articulation helps in posing the toy on one leg like in the second image. I even like how the Ptera Charge Morpher can be held on his left hand, though you do have to remove the hand first.
Here is something that's neat: the sword opens up to reveal three empty slots for any hypothetical Dino Chargers. Obviously, Hasbro doesn't have to include any because they'd be easy to lose, but it's a neat touch that you can display your figure as he's about to add his Chargers before he unleashes an attack.
Here he is next to the S.H Figuart version and the Action Hero version from Bandai America. Many will say that the Figuart is the better of the two when it comes to the accuracy, and while the helmet may look a bit more accurate and the shade of gold is nicer, the most accurate version of the character is actually in-between these two, as the Gold Ranger suit in the Kyoryuger footage isn't as shiny or chrome as the likes of the Solaris Knight, Ranger Operator Series Gold, and Samurai Gold. Thankfully, the suit doesn't have that American footage pale gold, which is what the Action Hero version is reminiscent of. He's pretty pale and sickly in comparison.
Here he is next to Tyler, the Dino Charge Red Ranger from the same team. These two look pretty good, even if it sucks that the Gold Ranger doesn't have a white neck or the silver parts for his gloves. I also love the fact that their suit designs look different at the torso, while the shoulder pads are more prominent for the Gold Ranger than Red's one shoulder pad.
This Gold Ranger has a few problems that fans are right to complain about, but he's still better than I originally thought. I can't wait to get the rest of the team, especially the other four members. Who should be next? Pink? Blue? Black? Green? I don't know, but it'll be great to own amazing versions of the Dino Charge Rangers and I guess Aqua, Purple, Graphite, and Silver. I'd rather get the Talon/Dark Ranger before those extra 4.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Up next is Beast Morphers Blue. This guy's about the same as Wave 2's Red Ranger. Same great recreation of the suit, same great molding details for the creases, same great use of paint apps, and the proportions fitting the Blue Ranger better than the basic figure. Looks great all-around but does have about the same things you expect from Red aside from the helmet and color.
His helmet sculpt looks the best when it comes to capturing the look it has in the show. It's not as slim as the basic figure or the SH Figuarts version. Of course articulation is outstanding, and like with the Red Ranger I glued the chest straps because they were pretty loose on the torso.
Here are his accessories. They consist of the effects piece, the Ravi Shaw head, the punching effect piece, the Beast X Saber, and two weapon holding hands.
While the helmet and weapon shots need no explaining, the ground punch pose is based. I'd love to see this used on the Omega Ranger since he has no signature weapons.
Here he is next to the basic figure from the mainline as well as the Figuarts version. it's nice to see Hasbro make the basic figure just as nice as a lightning collection version. obviously it's got a few details missing and the articulation is not as great, but it's nice to see both figures get nice treatment all around (compared to the Star Wars lines). Blue Buster's got the most amount of articulation and accessories, but I don't like his proportions. The figure feels pretty skinny and the helmet doesn't have exact look for the proportions from the show. Still, it's got all the things you need for a Figuart, but Hasbro's two offerings remain triumphant for the price and the quality regarding the LC one.
While they do both come with swords, LC Blue doesn't come with a Beast-X Cannon. I'm guessing the punch effect piece replace that Cannon.
You can use the accessories of the basic guy with the LC figure figure, and it fits like a glove as they share the same scale. I remember seeing PowerRangerTube post a video of the Bandai Legacy figures holding the 5 inch versions, but those look more like adults wielding the old toy weapons; this cannon scales nicely with either toy.
Here he is with the other Lightning Collection Beast Morphers team members. We're hopefully a few waves away from completing the team, as we need the Yellow and Silver Rangers to at least give us the core five, but it's nice to see the current team get some spotlight.
This guy may have the same sort of attributes that Red does, but I'm glad it doesn't feel like a color swap with a new helmet right after getting Red. I'm obviously happy that he has a new civilian head, but the inclusion of a punch effect piece helps make this guy feel a little more worthwhile. All in all, he's a little basic like Jason, but he still is a good figure nonetheless, especially if you get him for cheap like I did.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
And lastly, but by no means leastly, here we have Lord Drakkon. this guy was one fans dreamt of ever since Hasbro announced the lightning collection, and for the most part they've done a great job! the secret self captures the look are the characters suit design from the new chest gauntlets and Boots to the color scheme that combines elements of the green and white Rangers. of course it'd be easy for them to do since the basement is already there, but they've done a great job nonetheless. I think the gold might be a little too vibrant, on par with the band diversion but it's not a terrible shade. the green could be a bit more metallic, and I wish the belt didn't have a solid green look to it.
Helmet looks amazing apart from the obvious discrepancy with the gold on the crest and the face. I love the use of black and red to go along with the white and gold, though the one point on the right side of the helmet is a little bent. your situation is about the same but the only difference being the chest armor getting in the way.
His accessories include the same effects piece used on the White Ranger, the Dragon Dagger, the alternate head, and two weapon holding hands.
The Dragon Dagger looks beautifully painted in his hand, and it can be stored in his holster with no problem.
The effect piece goes on the dagger, but... there's a minor problem with accessories included that being the lack of a headless Saba. Normally I get a bit annoyed with fans criticizing a weapon that's missing or not done exactly as a Figuart would, but I do agree that the lack of a headless Saba is dumb on Hasbro's part. If anything, it's stupid that one is not included with this guy as it's an aspect of the character where he decapitated the tiger-themed sword. This is sadly not the only time a crucial Ranger accessory would be missing, I'm afraid.
Here he is with his only other action figure form, that being the Bandai Legacy Collection version. The Bandai figure was not terrible for what it was despite the loose ab crunch joint, but the price was far too much for an action figure that was bought by fans who did not go to the convention. Some fans got it for a cheaper price if they went to the convention, others probably got the throne, but I don't agree with Bandai that they would make a figure that's no more no less better than what we got with the main retail figures. At least he comes with a Saba, but it's still not worth the price.
Here he is next to the Lightning Collection White Ranger. it's great seeing how Tommy's combined green and white ranger forms would be already, but seeing acorrupted Tommy next to a pure Tommy is pretty neat, especially with the new assets meant for the Drakkon character being new parts instead of being repainted.
I like that the heads look different from each other; Lord Drakkon looks much older yet sinister with the hairstyle and the veins applied to him while Tommy looks much more noble and has his hair brought together for a ponytail look.
Sadly, Tommy refuses to give his Saba to Drakkon, but can you honestly blame him? Still, Drakkon makes for not just a great version of the character but one that's more readily accessible than the Bandai figure. He's got everything I hoped for aside from a Saba, and I heavily recommend getting him if you see him on shelves.
Final ranking: Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
And that covers my look at Wave 3 of the Lightning Collection! This wave may not be the most exciting in terms of MMPR Red and Beast Morphers Blue feeling "been there done that", but Dino Charge Gold manages to be better done than I expected while the fact of owning a version of Lord Drakkon that's readily available makes me happy. Even then, I'm happy to own versions of Red and Blue since I'm invested in the Lightning Collection.
The swappable heads make for a nice way to display these figures, and the best part is that all four Rangers come with a civilian head, which was something that didn't happen with Wave 1's Zedd (why would he anyway?) and Wave 2's Magna Defender (due to him being the original version). I also love that Jason and Drakkon don't have reused heads from the SDCC set of the former and the White Ranger incarnation of the latter.
I also dig the ability to display these figures with their smaller accessories, whether it's a Morpher, a blaster, a dagger, or an effect piece, especially when it comes to Jason finally having a proper Blade Blaster and Ravi's punching effect piece making up for his lack of a gun.
I also love seeing the swords of these Rangers come to life with their effect pieces, though I still question the lack of a Saba for Drakkon. That's why these three are about to eradicate this motherfucker once and for all. Seriously, this wave's got some minor nitpicks, but I still don't feel bad for owning any of these figures. I recommend getting Dino Charge Gold and Lord Drakkon first while searching for Mighty Morphin Red and Beast Morphers Blue on clearance (because I remember seeing BM Blue on clearance a few weeks after my Target had him readily available).
Overall ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25 out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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