Top row: Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger & Space Sheriff Gavan
Bottom row: Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters & Gavan Type-G
Metal Heroes is a classic tokusatsu series that aired, along with Super Sentai, on TV Asahi. It lasted from 1982 to 1999. It was originally conceived by Toei as a replacement show for Kamen Rider’s time slot, which, aside from a TV special, took a long seven year hiatus from television in the early to mid 1980s after 1981. Unlike its elder sister shows, the Metal Heroes varied in themes with only a few being similar in consistency. (Ex. Space Sheriffs, Rescue Police).
The overall arching theme is sci-fi transforming heroes with advanced technology wearing heavy armor or are metallic themselves in some manner such as being androids or robots, hence how the series got its moniker. Another recurring theme is that technology in the right hands can help mankind to a better future.
Super Sentai[]
Kenji Ohba, the star of the original series, Space Sheriff Gavan, previously had two main roles in Super Sentai, Shiro Akebono (Battle Kenya) in Battle Fever J and Daigorou Oume (DenziBlue) in Denshi Sentai Denziman.
As part of the 30th anniversary of Metal Heroes, the 35th Super Sentai, Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger, had a crossover movie with the original Metal Hero series, Space Sheriff Gavan, in Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger vs. Uchuu Keiji Gavan: The Movie.
A new Space Sheriff Gavan later appeared in a crossover with Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters as a tie in promotion to the Gavan movie. The Space Sheriffs would later partake in more crossovers in an effort to revive the Metal Heroes franchise, appearing in Super Hero Taisen Z, Gavan teaming up with the Kyurangers and the Space Squad project featuring the Dekarangers collaborating with other Metal Heroes.
Akibaranger[]
Posters for the Galactic Sheriff series.
In the unofficial Super Sentai series, Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger, all official Super Sentai series exist as TV shows as in the real world, while other tokusatsu series exist slightly different from the actual series they represent. The Metal Hero franchise was turned into several anime series that existed in the modern day rather than live action heroes from the ’80s. The Space Sheriff Trilogy exist as the "Galactic Sheriff" series, which air on Saturdays at 6:30 am. The Galactic Sheriff series are Galactic Sheriff Gavian (Uchuu Keiji Gavan) in April 2004, Galactic Sheriff Sharian (Uchuu Keiji Sharivan) in April 2005, and Galactic Sheriff Shainer (Uchuu Keiji Shaider) in April 2006. There is also Heavy Armored B-Trooper (Juukou B-Fighter) which aired in 2011. 
TV STORY-Ep. 8: The Bonds of Painful Special Training are the Authorization Road's Conspiracy Intersection
Metal Heroes with Super Sentai[]
- This is a list of Metal Heroes series along with the Super Sentai series it aired alongside.
Adaptation[]
In the 1990s Saban adapted some of the Metal Hero shows for American audiences just as they adapted Super Sentai into Power Rangers. Stock footage from Metalder, Spielvan and Shaider was used in VR Troopers
and footage from B-Fighter was later used in Big Bad Beetleborgs and Beetleborgs Metallix. Both shows ran for two seasons and ended when all the stock footage from those series were used up. Some costumes from these shows would later be used in Power Rangers, most notably when costumes for the Beetleborgs were used as the Machine Empire Generals in Power Rangers Wild Force's "Forever Red".
In addition Marvel Comics published 5 issues of VR Troopers in a flip-book with the Mighty Morphin' Ninja Rangers. Acclaim published a oneshot comic featuring a teamup between the Turbo Rangers and Beetleborgs.
In 2019, Power Rangers Ninja Steel adapted World Ninja Jiraiya into Space Sheriff Skyfire for the episode of the same name using footage of his appearance in Shuriken Sentai Ninninger.
In 2020, Power Rangers Beast Morphers adapted Geki Jumonji/Space Sheriff Gavan into Captain Chaku for two episodes using footage of his appearance in Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters.
In 2024, Power Rangers Prime adapted VR Troopers as part of the new Boom! Studios timeline featuring leader Ryan Steele as a member of the Earth Security Taskforce. An official Power Rangers/VR Troopers crossover comic was also announced with a one-shot set for release on Free Comic Book Day on May 3, 2025.[1]
Gallery[]
External links[]
- Metal Hero Series at the Metal Heroes Wiki
- Super Sentai at the Metal Heroes Wiki