Original Zord Footage

While it’s common for new footage to be filmed of the Rangers and villains for Power Rangers, it’s rare for the producers to film new footage of the Zords. For one thing, the mecha footage from Super Sentai usually doesn’t have any signs that it’s supposed to take place in either Japan or California. Coupled with the fact that the Zord footage costs more than Ranger footage (much harder to remake a mecha suit, more expensive to send the suits Toei used, dressing the suit actor, filming on a special set), it doesn’t make sense to have the crew film new Zord footage.

That is why it bares pointing out the few episodes that do feature U.S. filmed Zord footage, done mainly because either the writers and producers wanted to tell a story that couldn’t be told by editing the Sentai footage, or they were trying to tell the same story as Sentai told but there were elements that didn’t fit with their version.

This page is not meant to list times when non-Zords grow giant (ie. Goldar and Ninjor in Changing of the Zords or King Mondo and the Zeo Rangers in Good As Gold (while it’s still new footage, the characters involved are usually featured in U.S. footage on their own and the only difference is that they’re on a miniature set). Cockpit shots will also not be listed. Finally, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie and Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie are not listed as both were made completely without Sentai footage anyway.

Precursor
The mecha fights in Zyu2 footage can be considered a precursor to U.S. filmed Zord footage. While it was filmed by Toei (the company behind Super Sentai), none of this footage was featured in the original Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger and was made solely for use by Saban for ‘’Power Rangers’’. A closer analogue would be when Zyu2 footage of the giant monsters was edited with footage of Dairen'oh from Gosei Sentai Dairanger in Season 2.

The Power Stealer
In the very first episode to feature U.S. Zord footage, there are three quick shots. One is of the Thunder Megazord’s (the counterpart of Dairen'oh) punch hitting Octophantom and two shots of Octophantom’s punch hitting the Thunder Megazord.

Best Man for the Job
This episode featured a battle between the Thunder Megazord and the White Tigerzord with only a few solo shots of each Zord from Dairanger. While Dairanger did have footage of Dairen'oh fighting Won Tiger, it was a very short fight in Dairanger and not enough for the fight scene as shown in this episode.

A Friend In Need Part 3
The Thunder Megazord and White Tigerzord fight Repellator. While Repellator is a reuse of the suit for Silver Horns, whose counterpart did fight Dairen’oh and Won Tiger in Dairanger, Repellator involved painting the Silver Horns suit a bright green (Silver Horns was a dark blue) and adding a tongue, necessitating a new Zord battle.

Ninja Quest Part 1
This episode featured a fight with Rito Revolto and four previously destroyed monsters (including Octophantom) against the Thunder Megazord and White Tigerzord, a fight that results in the Zords’ destruction. The fight did use footage from Zyu 2, Dairanger, and Ninja Sentai Kakuranger but it was mostly footage shot by Saban as Dairen’oh and Won Tiger never went up against Rito’s counterpart Gashadokuro and were never depicted being destroyed in Dairanger.

Final Face-Off
This episode featured the return of Titanus to make the Ninja Ultrazord. King Brachion was never part of the Kakurangers’ arsenal. The Ninja Ultrazord was made by combining the toys of Titanus and the Ninja Megazord (although Zyuranger and Kakuranger footage was used up until the two appeared together) and never appeared in the same frame as Face Stealer (portrayed by his counterpart Nuppefuhofu).

Changing of the Zords
This episode featured U.S. shots of the Shogunzords towering over the villains and Power Rangers since, at this point, most of the Rangers and villains were still based off Zyuranger (KibaRanger never appeared in Kakuranger and Gashadokuro never stood next to the Giant Beast Generals while human sized).

A Chimp in Charge
Sinister Simian battles against the Shogunzords. The Kakuranger episode that featured Sinister Simian’s counterpart had him fighting the Beast General Fighters. Considering that the Alien Rangers would be introduced in only a few episodes, the writers and producers likely already knew the Beast General Fighters would become the Battle Borgs of the Alien Rangers and reshot the Zord fight to avoid showing the Battle Borgs too early and being used by the wrong Rangers.

The Sound of Dischordia
Like Final Face-Off before it, this episode featured Titanus combining with a Megazord from Kakuranger, this time with the Shogun Megazord, making the Shogun Ultrazord. Like the Ninja Ultrazord, the Shogun Ultrazord was made with toys and did not appear in the same frame as Dischordia, portrayed by her counterpart Yama-uba. In a goof, the white Shogunzord (Megazord’s left arm) goes from white to pink as the toy was recolored as such, giving an accidental glimpse of what Kakuranger would’ve looked like with a “Ninja Pink”.

Revelations of Gold
This featured Pyramidas flying to Earth, avoiding enemy fighters. It was shot with a combination of the toy and CGI, as King Pyramider was never seen in space in Chouriki Sentai Ohranger.

Shadow Rangers
This episode featured a quick shot of the Turbo Megazord blocking out the sun to destroy the U.S. exclusive Shadow Chromite (a monochrome Combatant Wumper.)

Built for Speed
This episode featured the Turbo Megazord saving two street racers from driving off a cliff, an action never performed by RV Robo.

Chase Into Space
There are brief shots of the Turbo Rangers escaping the damaged Turbo Megazord and also a few shots of the broken Megazord lying on the ground.

Power Rangers in Space
There are several shots throughout the season depicting the Astro Megaship traveling in space. These were shot in Saban’s goal of making a space series out of the non-spaced themed Denji Sentai Megaranger. Only the shot of it orbiting Earth is of Galaxy Mega.

Dark Specter's Revenge Pt. 1 and Pt. 2
An asteroid heading towards Earth is part of the two-parter’s storyline. All shots of the Astro Megazord, the Mega Winger, and the  Mega Voyager interacting with the asteroid are exclusive to Power Rangers.

Countdown to Destruction
The entire sequence, save a few shots, of the Mega Winger fighting off enemy aircraft was not from Megaranger.

Power Rangers Lost Galaxy
Throughout the season the Galactabeasts are seen interacting with the unmorphed Rangers, necessitating new footage. They are also introduced in the show being captured, something their counterparts didn’t face. Also, the Galaxy Rangers make use of the Astro Megaship, something never used by the Gingamen and once again doing more space travel than Galaxy Mega.

Loyax' Last Battle
Part of the fight between the Galaxy Megazord and Loyax were reshot with American footage. This deleted a story point in the original Gingaman episode, where energy from an asteroid was channeled through Degius (Loyax’s counterpart) to help revive Daitanix. Titanisaur, the counterpart of Daitanix, did not appear in the Power Ranger episode.

Power of Pink
The battle between Psycho Pink’s Monster form, the Galaxy Megazord, and the Astro Megazord was shot completely in the U.S., save for a few Megazord forming shots. The only times GingaiOh and Galaxy Mega appeared together were in Seijuu Sentai Gingaman vs. Megaranger and the 199 Heroes movie, neither of which NeziPink appeared in.

Escape the Lost Galaxy
The Defender Torozord holds open a wormhole to allow Terra Venture to go through.

Journey's End Pt. 3
The Galaxy Megazord pushes the remains of Terra Venture out of the path of the surviving colonists.

The Queen's Return
There is a quick shot of a Ranger jumping out of the Solarzord. Not only was the Solarzord’s counterpart, the Max Victory Robo not piloted by any Ranger in Kyukyu Sentai GoGoFive, the Ranger seen exiting the Zord was the U.S. exclusive Titanium Ranger.

The Fate of Lightspeed
The Lifeforce Megazord is attacking the Aquabase, while the Omega Megazord is setting up stones for a ceremony (not adapted from GoGoFive) that would release demons into the world.

Clash for Control
There are several shots of the Q-Rex that were not from Mirai Sentai Timeranger. This is mostly to extend the jungle forest footage of the V-Rex and also make a shot of it almost stomping Wes.

Quantum Secrets
Several shots showing the Q-Rex coming towards Eric and Conwig and later having the Q-Rex in Megazord mode chasing after Eric were filmed. The interesting thing regarding these new shots is that ‘’Quantum Secrets’’ is an almost shot-for-shot remake of Timeranger’s Targeted Power (save for the Battlizer fight at the end of Quantum Secrets against a giant Conwig). The two scenes containing the U.S. shots were identical to two scenes in Timeranger and were only reshot to replace Eric’s counterpart Naoto Takizawa/Time Fire with Eric. There are two more shots of the Q-Rex Megazord as it is attacked by a giant Conwig. One shot shows the Time Shadow Megazord already on the ground (due to an earlier Timeranger sourced Zord fight).

Forever Red
Serpentera was featured in this episode as something the Red Rangers must stop from being unearthed on the moon. Daijinryuu was never seen on the moon (although its origins from space never precluded it) and was never seen in ''Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger. ''Had an earlier draft been used, either all the Megazords or all the Red Rangers’ Zords would’ve also appeared.

The End of the Power Rangers Pt. 1
The Zord battle with the Animus Megazord and Predazord against Master Org was a mix of U.S. footage and Gaoranger footage. The U.S. footage was evidently filmed to place the battle in a city as the U.S. footage replaces footage featuring GaoGod, GaoHunter, and Ultimate Org Senki, respectively, doing the same actions. Basically, if buildings are in the shot it’s U.S. footage while shots with no buildings came from The Hundred Beasts Die.

Endings
The S.W.A.T. Megazord goes up against the U.S. exclusive villain Omni in the only Power Rangers exclusive Zord footage shot by Disney