In 1988, we got a show called Samurai Troopers, aka Ronin Warriors. I watched this show as a kid and loved it, but after the show ended, it seemed like that was it. Fast forward to 2026 and we surprisingly get a sequel to the series Yoroi Shin Den Samurai Troopers. The show stars a new generation of Samurai Troopers who fight in a Power Rangers like fashion to defeat the new worldly threat.

Starting off with the story, one of the things I loved is how the sequel sets itself apart from the previous series. It’s much darker in tone and handles character development very differently. It has a focus on effectively trauma bonding as the new Samurai Troopers learn to master their powers and work together as a team. It was a shocking turn of events, but an enjoyable one, as it helped to make it feel like its own thing. The biggest thing I can say without completely spoiling it is that characters will die. Characters that you will likely grow attached to. I both hated the fact that it happened because I liked the characters, and I loved how their deaths played a pivotal role in the story and character progression.

I also like how this show has more of a mystery feel. While the original series is very lore-heavy, this one feels more character-focused. In doing so, it also shows that characters have various and sometimes unknown motives for their goals. This veil over the viewers further shows a clear difference in this series, and it makes for a great hook.

I do feel like things happen rather quickly, though. Power-ups happen much sooner than in the previous series, and I think a lot of that was to further distinguish it from the predecessor. I approve of the change in pace, but I think it was too quick and could have benefited from maybe two or three more episodes for the season to help fix that. I also think part of that was to set up a shocking cliffhanger. It genuinely feels like episode 12 is designed to round things off in an emotional climactic ending, only to show it’s a prelude of what’s to come. The fast pacing made me think the show was heading towards a conclusion when we actually have more story to tell.

Now I’ll focus on the characters. Character growth is at the heart of the season as the new Samurai Troopers often have to make impossible choices. As they deal with these emotionally driven challenges, it further molds them into incredible heroes and those who are worthy of having the torch passed down to them. There’s a lot of depth to all of these characters, and I also loved how they grew as a team over time. While I loved how the new characters were treated, I have mixed feelings about how the original cast was handled.

I get that the original Samurai Troopers had to be out of the way for the new ones to have the spotlight, and I love how that was handled. Most of the returning characters were handled in a way that I was either happy or indifferent with. Then you have what happened to White Blaze. I won’t say what happened, but I honestly did not enjoy it at all. The story explains why, and I do get it from a narrative perspective, but that doesn’t fix it. I feel like the writing was at its lowest point this season with this.

Moving on to another good point is the presentation. The animation is absolutely gorgeous, and the colors pop so well. The new morphing sequence is basically an upgraded version of the original, and I was so happy to see that. It was one of the things I was worried about going into this, and it was done right.

So overall, we have a successful sequel to a beloved show. The story focuses more on characters, and the character depth is spot on. The pace is a little on the fast side for me, and I am disappointed with how one of the returning characters was treated. However, outside of that, the story has me hooked and I’m very curious as to how it’s going to continue.