Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger

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26 - Hurricaneger

Japanese release: 2002 - 2003

US / EU Adaptation
Power Rangers Ninja Storm (Season 11) US release: 2003 - 2004
EU release: 2004 - 2005
Collected 24 / 25 · 96%

Series Zords 5

Karakuri Balls / Power Spheres — the season’s collectable 17

The Karakuri Balls are this season's collectable gimmick — and to me still the best one there has ever been. 17 spheres that Senpuujin, Gouraijin and Tenkuujin launch from their chests, unfolding into their weapons and add-on parts: from the Sword Slasher and the Gatling Leo to Fuuraimaru (07–08) and Tri-Condor (15–17), which even enable the super-combinations.

The coolest part of the whole system, though, isn't the chest hatch at all — it's the Super Karakuri Beast Revolver Mammoth (US: Mammothzord). The elephant earns its name: inside it sits a giant revolver drum that swallows a whole stack of balls and fires them through its trunk like rounds on full auto. You strike the mammoth from above — and out the front they come, one after another. It was remote-controlled via the Ninja Misen, usually by Shurikenger; and in its strongest combinations, Revolver Gouraisenpuujin and Revolver Tenrai Senpuujin, the collectable gimmick literally becomes ammunition.

That, to me, is exactly what sets them apart from pure collectable tokens like the Ranger Keys, Zyudenchi or Kyutama: those merely slot into a changer and trigger sounds and powers — a Karakuri Ball becomes a functional part of the mecha itself. With 17 of them, they get their own category here by way of exception, so the Zord list stays readable.

Bandai packed Ball 01 with the Sword Slasher in with the DX Senpuujin and sold the rest from April 2002 as the “Karakuri Ball Series” in two-packs — all built to a single 60 mm standard, so that spheres from gashapon capsules and candy-toy releases fit the very same chest compartment.

In Japan the balls were therefore available individually; in the West, collecting the Power Spheres proved considerably more involved. Some were available exclusively through certain action figures — for example through various versions of the Storm Lightning Megazord, in some cases including a Power Sphere launcher, or through Ninjakon, which I have sorted above under the “Helper Zords”. Visually, by the way, the Power Spheres differ from the Japanese Karakuri Balls by a clearly visible hole in the ball. On top of that there are transparent variants of the Karakuri Balls, whose origin or special significance no one has yet been able to explain to me convincingly — if anyone knows more, I'm always happy to receive any tips. 😉

The standout is Power Sphere 9: by far the hardest variant to get hold of — and sadly it is still missing from my collection. It was available exclusively together with a specific Japanese version of the Samurai Star Megazord, recognizable by its yellow original packaging (OVP). For me it is something like the Holy Grail: rare, coveted, expensive, and so far always just out of reach. But who knows, maybe one day I'll finally hold it in my hands after all. Ranger never give up. 💪

Special Editions Variants 3

My thoughts on this season:

Ninja motifs meet a more modern, almost sporty approach here. Overall, the season has a lighter feel to it, which is also reflected in the design and construction of the Zords.

The Senpuujin holds a special place here. It is the first Main Megazord made up of only three Zords.

The reason for this is that the series itself has only three main rangers who contribute directly to the combination. This reduction makes the Senpuujin a clearly defined and comparatively compact main zord.

A small exception in my collection is the Ninjakon 7-inch figure. I don't normally collect action figures, but here I deliberately made an exception. It's a re-release of the original Ninjakon, released exclusively at Walmart as well as in a limited quantity through Hasbro Pulse. Sometimes the collector's heart just beats stronger than one's own rules. 😅