For Super Sentai, these characters usually appear just after the halfway point of the series or in the final arc, shaking up the dynamics of the already existing antagonists.
- Dai Sentai Goggle Five: The two Evil Geniuses known as Dr. Zadoriya and Dr. Iguana were portrayed as the Bumbling Henchman Duo of the series. However, Grand Marshal Deathmark killed and replaced them, thus paving the way for darker episode plots.
- Dengeki Sentai Changeman is Darker and Edgier than most, if not all, of the series that came before it, and Star King Bazeu is a big reason behind that. Compared to the majority of the villains that came before him, Bazeu is much more ruthless, remoreless, and cruel.
- Choushinsei Flashman wasn't exactly Lighter and Softer than the previous series, but Sir Cowler, leader of the Alien Hunters, delivered a royal Curb-Stomp Battle to the Flashman and the destruction of Flash King, BOTH IN HIS FIRST EPISODE!
- Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman has two Knights: First Captain Chevalier and the Final Boss.
- First appearing in episode 28, Chevalier arrives on Earth and gives the Fiveman hell, nearly defeating them multiple times and actually killing FiveRed, causing his siblings to rewind time to undo it.
- Galactic Empress Meadow, or should we say, Galactic Super Beast Vulgyre completely evaporates any good feelings once his true nature is highlighted in the last three episodes. He even sent Billion, Chevalier, and the forced fusion of Doldora and Zaza on suicide missions in a last-ditch effort to destroy Earth once and for all.
- Choujin Sentai Jetman: Tranza brings the comic relief of the series to a screeching halt, but even worse is Radiguet. Although it's quite arguable Empress Juuza is the best example (her Evil Plan involved crystals gouging themselves out of people's skin). Even after she died, that was when the episodic plots got a lot less silly and it was clearer the heroes were in serious danger when they went out to fight.
- Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger, like Jetman, had three.:
- The first Knight is the Sixth Ranger of the franchise: Yamato Knight Burai. His introduction provides an arc that's much more serious than the earlier episodes, and his approaching death provided for some more serious episodes leading up to it.
- Next up is Dai-Satan, which is all the more impressive given he's a Generic Doomsday Villain. Every episode he's involved in has much higher stakes, forcing the Zyurangers to up their game.
- Lastly is Kai, Bandora's son and Dai-Satan's herald. His presence in the four-episode endgame results in the Guardian Beasts being sealed and almost helping Dai-Satan win at the end.
- Ninja Sentai Kakuranger: For the first several episodes, this Sentai is established as being Denser and Wackier than most, with the first batch of Youkai mostly operating independently of each other and the general tone being largely comedic. Then comes Young Noble Junior/Gashadokuro. Almost immediately, the stakes are raised upon his arrival: The Youkai become more organized and formidable, we see the introduction of the Flower Kunoichi Gumi, a band of Psycho Rangers who consistently test the Kakurangers, Junior's plots see the rangers come close to defeat on several occasions, and when he assumes his Gashadokuro form to confront the rangers directly, he easily tosses them around (as demonstrated when Jiraiya and Sasuke separately try to fight him 1-on-1). To drive home just how much of a threat Junior becomes, the Kakurangers have to split up on a quest to gain their Hidden Scrolls to unlock Kakure Daishogun, an entirely new mecha, just to finally deal with him. And even then, despite his defeat, the Kakurangers are unable to prevent Junior from summoning his father, Daimao, who takes over as Big Bad for the remainder of the series. It should be noted that the show still manages to balance comedy and drama, and Junior himself still has some quirks (just see him jam out on his guitar), but the fact remains that when Junior shows up, the comedy definitely takes a back seat.
- Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger starts off a wacky and fun show about ninjas, and for the most part keep that's tone up in spite of the occasional serious moment. That light-hearted tone comes to a screeching halt however when Seventh Spear, Sandaaru arrives and ruthlessly plows through the Hurricanegers and Gouraigers, racks up a series of victories for the villains and enables them to achieve their goal.
- Several villains are portrayed this way in the very goofy Engine Sentai Go-onger, forcing the Go-ongers to up their game. Land Pollution Vice-Minister Hiramechimedes was so dangerous that the Engines* hide in fear at the mere mention of his name. This forces the Go-On Wings to play their hand and join the battle. Another noteworthy villain is Yogoshimacritain, who is a real threat compared to the goofy antics of the other villains. He even managed to turn the majority of the rangers and Engines into tiny atoms. Were it not for a conveniently placed literal Deus ex Machina, they would really be lost.
- Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger: Basco ta Jolokia. Not only is he presented as more competent and dangerous than his employers, but under his personal philosophy of "you have to sacrifice something to get something else", he's willing to do anything in order to get what he wants, from threatening the lives of children to betraying his allies, like he did with the Red Pirates and his Morality Pet.
- Tokumei Sentai Go Busters: Enter, after Messiah's destruction returns with a more dangerous personality, scaring Escape into submission, and stepping up to the position of Big Bad.
- Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger: The Many-Faced High Priest takes things From Bad to Worse whenever he faces the heroes, effortlessly outpacing them.
- While the events of its Downer Beginning could still be felt, Mashin Sentai Kiramager was one of Sentai's more optimistic — borderline whimsical — entries in its history, with alot more humorous, uplifting, and cartoonish moments than the previous four entries of the franchise. However, the episode Yodonna is properly introduced is when the series had a very sharp turn in tone, trading alot of its comedy and lightheartedness for ever increasing drama, dangerous situations, and stakes. This only gets turned up to eleven with the reveal that Yodonna is a Split Personality of Emperor Yodon, the Big Bad of the series.
- Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger could already be considered the darkest entry in the Reiwa era of Super Sentai given its heavy focus on the sociopolitical aspects of its setting telling an more overtly morally gray and complex story than most others in the franchise. However, the arrival of Galactinsects straight-up causes a Genre Shift into Lovecraft Lite as the show puts much emphasis on the severe havoc they wreak upon Tikyū's population and institution, with their debut revealing that the planet is just the latest of many worlds they've traveled to and done this to as the conflict of humans and Boggnarok that was the center of Part I gets recontextualized as apart of this "game" they've been playing that resulted in the complete genocide of said worlds with Tikyū simply being their lastest target. It gets worse in #34 when its shown that Tikyū has been turned into a Villain World with the monarchs being usurped from their thrones and needing to liberate their kingdoms.
