Every Power Rangers Series Explained

The Power Rangers team most '90s kids are familiar with hails from the first series, "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers," a pop culture phenomenon. The series debuted on Fox Kids in 1993, running for three seasons, with the first two consisting of the five original Rangers (Jason, Billy, Kimberly, Trini, and Zack) as well as the additional Green Ranger, Tommy, who joined about a third of the way into the first season. The Ninja Rangers replaced most of the original Rangers during the third season.

When the series begins, the Power Rangers are just five teenagers living in California. They are chosen by the wise, interdimensional being Zordon to become the Power Rangers and protect Earth from the villainous conqueror Rita Repulsa. Tommy comes into the picture after Rita brainwashes him and transforms him into the evil Green Ranger, but he's eventually turned good and joins the Power Rangers against the sorceress.

The original series has a problematic past that cannot be ignored — David Yost, who plays Billy the Blue Ranger, was subjected to on-set homophobic abuse, and the racial coding of the Rangers is deeply uncomfortable. Yet, "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" is considered by many fans to be the best "Power Ranger" series, thanks in part to a nostalgic love for the franchise's simple beginnings.

"Power Rangers Zeo" premiered in 1996, continuing the ongoing storyline from "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" and "Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers." Following the Rangers' loss of power, they come across the Zeo Crystal, which transforms them into the Zeo Rangers. At this point, the group consists of Tommy and prior replacements Adam, Rocky, and Katherine, as well as new addition Tanya. They are then joined by Trey, a native of the planet Triforia who becomes the Gold Ranger (he later passes his mantle onto Jason, the original Red Ranger).

"Power Rangers Zeo" changed the formula, which was quite a risk for the franchise. As Fox exec Margaret Loesch told AP News ahead of the series' premiere, "We've been describing 'Power Rangers' as kind of a kids' soap opera," referring to the way soaps air for a long time with rotating casts and characters. This would eventually become the new formula of "Power Rangers," although the remaining cast members of "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" wouldn't hang around for long.

Fans have fond memories of "Power Rangers Zeo" as a highlight of the franchise's so-called Zordon Era. However, "Power Rangers Zeo" also contains one of the most infamous episodes ever: 1996's "A Season to Remember," which confirmed that Tommy would eventually marry Katherine, the Pink Ranger, despite fans having a soft spot for Tommy's relationship with Kimberly in previous seasons.

"Power Rangers in Space," the sixth season, was the culmination of everything that had come before for the "Power Rangers" franchise. This team of Power Rangers consists of four of the former Turbo Rangers, who venture into space to rescue Zordon from the clutches of Dark Specter, an evil being who slowly drains their former mentor of his powers. The four are joined by Andros, a Red Space Ranger who is being hunted by Dark Specter.

Many fans see this climactic season of television as the point where "Power Rangers" truly blossomed as a franchise, with IGN claiming the series "showed that more mature storylines and bigger consequences could be tackled, way beyond the modus operandi of selling action figures to children." Notably, the season saw Zordon, the long-time parental figure to the Power Rangers, sacrifice himself to finally vanquish their enemies, including Dark Specter, Rita Repulsa, and Lord Zedd. 

"Power Rangers in Space" is beloved by fans of the franchise and is often regarded as a potential end to the series if Saban didn't decide to continue rebooting it. The series isn't without its campier elements: The fourth episode, "Shell Shocked," is a crossover with the live-action "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" series "Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation." The two superhero teams find themselves at odds when Astronema, an underling of Dark Specter, brainwashes the turtles against the Rangers. 

Premiering on Fox Kids in 2000, "Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue" brings the Rangers back to sunny California. It centers on the fictional town of Mariner Bay, which is terrorized by demons that have been released from a nearby tomb. Lightspeed Rescue is a government agency of Power Rangers formed by Captain Mitchell, consisting of five citizens, including Mitchell's own daughter, Dana, who becomes the Pink Ranger. In addition to the five Lightspeed Rangers, "Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue" introduced the Titanium Ranger, who is actually the long lost son of Captain Mitchell and doesn't have a counterpart in the "Super Sentai" series. The Rangers from "Lost Galaxy" also make an appearance in this season's annual team-up episode.

Fans of the franchise felt that "Lightspeed Rescue" was a bit of a step-down in quality, despite attempts to make this season a return to form for the franchise. Among the positives is the fact that the Power Rangers in this series don't have secret identities, doing away with the anonymous superhero subplots that were a constant in many previous seasons. The main issue here is that "Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue" simply lacks the memorable villains of the franchise's earliest seasons, and it suffers as a result.

"Power Rangers Wild Force" debuted in 2002 as the first "Power Rangers" series to be produced by Disney, airing on ABC Kids. The story has more environmental themes than previous seasons: It features one of the most memorable villains from the "Power Rangers" universe in Master Org, a monster created from human pollution. His goal is to resurrect an ancient wolf-like creature known as Zen-Aku.

Thankfully, the Power Rangers are there to save the day. This team is led by Cole, a young adult who was raised by a jungle tribe after his parents were killed by Master Org. Cole eventually discovers a turtle-shaped island in the sky, which is the home of the Wild Force Rangers and their Zords. He joins them as their Red Ranger in an effort to learn about his past and forge his own future. 

"Power Rangers Wild Force" also contains one of the franchise's most notable episodes, "Forever Red," which aired in October 2022. The special sees Cole joining forces with every former Red Ranger, including the iconic Jason from "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers." In a retrospective on the episode, The Illuminerdi called it "a love letter to the show's ten-year history" but criticized its rushed pacing and poor special effects. 

"Power Rangers Dino Thunder" was a breath of fresh air for fans. It wisely brought back Jason David Frank as Tommy Oliver, one of the franchise's most iconic characters, in a prominent regular role. Tommy is now a paleontology professor in Reefside, California. He takes three students in detention to find Dino Gems, which transform them into the Dino Rangers. Together, they face the prehistoric villain Mesogog, who wishes to return Earth to the era where dinosaurs thrived. Along the way, our heroes recruit an additional White Dino Ranger: Trent, the son of Tommy's former lab partner Anton (who unwillingly becomes the human surrogate for Mesogog).

"Power Rangers Dino Thunder" stands out for its more realistic portrayal of teenagers. "Unlike 'Mighty Morphin,' they felt real. The teens didn't get along and actually hated each other at first," said Inverse after revisiting this underrated season in 2016. "This dynamic was a huge departure from previous years where the Power Rangers were already BFFs and formed tight bonds after a brief 22 minutes. The Reefside teens inevitably gel, but their bond is earned, making the Dino Thunder Rangers more authentic than any generation before or since."

2006's "Power Rangers Mystic Force" takes place in the town of Briarwood, where five teenagers are recruited by the sorceress Udonna to become the Mystic Rangers. They are tasked with defending Earth from the evil Master of the Underworld and his army of minions. However, when Udonna loses her powers, the Rangers must step up as Earth's lone defenders.

In contrast to previous "Power Rangers" series, the Zords in this season aren't robotic mechs, but come from the Rangers using magic to morph into gigantic beasts, which originated from its "Super Sentai" counterpart. Unfortunately, the series doesn't have a lot of original ideas when it comes to incorporating magic into the world of "Power Rangers," falling back on tropes like magic wands and flying brooms. appearing.

Nevertheless, many hardcore "Power Rangers" fans consider "Mystic Force" to be an underrated season of the show due to its bold divergence from the typical "Power Rangers" aesthetic. For instance, this was the first and only season of "Power Rangers" to give its superhero team capes, even though this had already been done in the "Super Sentai" series back in the 1970s.

The sixteenth "Power Rangers" season, "Power Rangers Jungle Fury" returned the franchise to its martial arts-inspired roots, centering on the members of a secret kung fu clan known as the Order of the Claw. They are sworn to protect the Earth from Dai Shi, an evil spirit they've kept locked away for thousands of years. When Dai Shi escapes, the top three students band together with a pizza place owner and his former ally to become the Jungle Fury Rangers.

"Jungle Fury" is one of the more divisive entries in the "Power Rangers" franchise. Some fans took issue with the show's pacing and casting decisions, while others appreciated that this particular team of Power Rangers had a lot of lessons to learn in order to become the best versions of themselves. "Power Rangers Jungle Fury" was among the shows hit by the 2007-2008 Writers Guild Strike, which occurred during the season's production. Non-union workers took the reins for a time, which is likely why the season feels so uneven in places.

In 2010, "Power Rangers" was acquired by none other than Haim Saban, the franchise's creator. It moved to Nickelodeon for the 2011 series "Power Rangers Samurai," which would become the first iteration since "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" to air for more than one season: "Power Rangers Super Samurai" followed in 2012. Saban went all out promoting the franchise's return to his care. The new Power Rangers made an appearance at the 84th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and episodes of "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" aired once a day leading up to the new season's premiere.

The series centers on Jayden, a Red Ranger of the Shiba Clan who forms a Power Rangers team on the advice of his mentor. The new group's job is to oppose the flooding of Earth by Master Xandred. Later, Jayden leaves his position as Red Ranger, with his sister Lauren replacing him. This storyline was criticized by fans who grew to like Jayden's character. "Power Rangers Samurai" also featured the return of the hapless bully Bulk in a recurring role, who is reunited with Skull — his partner in crime — in the finale. They have no impact on the plot whatsoever, but in terms of nostalgia value, their presence is a welcome one.

"Power Rangers Dino Charge" premiered on Nickelodeon in 2015 and aired for two seasons, with "Power Rangers Dino Super Charge" debuting the following year. After the debacle of "Megaforce," fans were keen for a series that brought the franchise back to its roots. "Dino Charge" delivered on this — both seasons were a joy to watch, with returning writer Judd Lynn coming up with the goods.

"Dino Charge" follows a group of teenagers who happen upon the Energems, remnants of an alien dinosaur named Keeper, who arrived on Earth 65 million years ago as an intergalactic refugee. As one would expect from a "Power Rangers" series, the Energems turn these oblivious teens into the Dino Force Rangers, tasked with finding the rest of the Energems and protecting Earth from Keeper's former enemies.

What's special about "Power Rangers Dino Charge" is that it features one of the largest core teams of Power Rangers ever, with ten total Rangers by the end. It also stands out for its long-overdue focus on a woman of color in Pink Ranger Shelby Watkins, as well as its commitment to having an extensive backstory. "Dino Charge" and "Dino Super Charge" put the franchise back on track in a big way.

The Hasbro-produced "Power Rangers Beast Morphers" aired on Nickelodeon for two seasons in 2019 and 2020. Rather than go in a completely new direction, "Beast Morphers" paid off plotlines established ten years prior in "Power Rangers RPM." The series takes place in the city of Coral Harbor, where scientists have perfected a renewable energy for the city in the form of Morph-X. This is combined with animal DNA by a clandestine agency called Grid Battleforce, and the result is the Beast Morphers, a new team of Power Rangers charged with protecting Coral Harbor from the sentient virus Evox.

It later transpires that Evox is actually Venjix, the villain of "RPM." Not only are these two seasons tied together in a way that nobody saw coming, but the new Rangers also cross paths with the heroes of "Power Rangers Dino Charge," and Jason, the original Red Ranger from "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers," even makes a memorable cameo. "Power Rangers Beast Morphers" went out of its way to satisfy fans who had become disillusioned by recent seasons, with the Dino Rangers team-up going down particularly well.

To celebrate "Power Rangers" having been on television for 30 years in 2023, some of the original "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" cast members returned for a Netflix TV special, titled "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always." These returning characters include David Yost's Billy, Walter Emanuel Jones' Zack, and Catherine Sutherland's Kat, who appeared regularly in many of the early seasons of "Power Rangers." The reunion went down well with fans and critics alike, with USA Today calling it "millennial nostalgia done right."

In the special, the original Power Rangers are confronted with their former enemy, Rita Repulsa, who captures several of the Power Rangers (those played by actors who have passed away or declined to return). "Once & Always" contains many Easter eggs and references to the original series, such as Kat mentioning dangerous "pink energy," which alludes to an oft-quoted piece of dialogue from the "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" episode "Wild West Rangers, Part II." The special proves that, no matter how dark it seems for the "Power Rangers" franchise, it will always hold a special place in the hearts of the fans and the actors who have helped keep it alive over the years.