Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is known for being a fun franchise targeted toward children. The show features "teenagers with attitude," taking on the forces of evil with martial arts skills and giant robots to help them combat gigantic monsters. The franchise would even see television & comic crossovers with the likes of Kamen Rider, Godzilla, & the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. While the Power Rangers show could certainly follow trends such as the 'monster of the week' and 'good triumphing over evil,' the series has seen many dark points over its twenty-plus-year history.
Featuring heroic sacrifices, thirsts for power, and struggles against personal demons, the characters featured in the show are faced with many obstacles. The show would even inspire other projects set to debut soon. Here, we will look at some of the darkest moments that the Power Rangers had to face.
8 Trent Can't Control his Transformations - Power Rangers Dino Thunder (2004)
Trent Fernandez-Mercer already has a tough life. He is an aspiring artist with a father who doesn't seem to have time for him. Trent's world gets turned upside down when he snoops into his father's office, discovering a secret lab belonging to his father's evil counterpart, Mesogog. Here, the white Dino gem would attach itself to Trent. The gem would transform Trent against his will whenever it wanted. These events would lead to Trent acting out against his friends, fighting them, and stealing Dinozords for his own purposes.
Trent's dilemma would only grow more disheartening when the viewers realize that he is going down a path similar to his father. Dueling with a split-personality for control of his own body, lashing out at those that care for him. The battle for control is an apt metaphor for one grappling with mental illness.
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7 Eric Shows his Prejudice - Power Rangers Time Force (2001)
Eric is a cold human being in general, taking the powers of the Quantum Ranger, despite not being a member of the team. Thankfully, Eric is a member of the Silver Guardians, humanity's defense against the mutants Ransik has set against the world. This would make Eric a begrudging ally to the Rangers, though his goals didn't always align with theirs.
Eric is set on a mission to destroy the mutant Notacon. Notacon doesn't want to do evil things. However, a device Ransik has attached to Notacon forces him to commit evil acts of destruction, leading townsfolk to fear him. Trip, the Green Time Force Ranger would discover Notacon's true nature. When Trip tries to explain the situation to Eric, Eric states that he doesn't care and is willing to kill Notacon simply for being a mutant. This severe case of prejudice in a figure of legal authority was a dark thing for children to witness on their Saturday mornings and would come to be known as one of the worst things a Power Ranger has ever done.
6 Sky Interrogates his Father's Killer - Power Rangers S.P.D (2005)
Sky Tate is a young man intent on living up to the legacy his father left behind. His father was a former Red Ranger, and Sky wanted nothing more than to make his father proud. Thus, he was disappointed and frustrated when he was passed over for the position by a common criminal. Instead of being designated the Blue Ranger, Sky would use his abilities to prove himself as a leader and support his team.
When a tough case came the Ranger's way, Sky was designated to speak to Mirloc, a criminal who can bounce between reflective surfaces. Sky would exchange his most painful memory for the information the rangers needed, detailing how his father died in service while he was only a child. This memory was enough for a tear to escape Sky's eye and give Mirloc the escape route he needed. It wouldn't be until after Mirloc ran that Sky would learn the man he was admitting this memory to was, in fact, the man that was responsible for his father's death.
5 Toxica is Used as a Shield - Power Rangers Wild Force (2002)
Toxica & Jindrax are always a thorn in the Wild Force Rangers' sides. They are constantly working together to make Master Org's plans a success. Whether it be Jindrax with his swordsmanship or Toxica using her magical powers to make the Orcs grow into giant beasts, these two proved to be a fearsome duo.
While they worked for an evil man, they did prove to care for each other. The best example came when a powerful blast was directed toward their new boss, Mandilok. Mandilok would grab Toxica and use her as a human shield, killing her in the process. Jindrax's distressing cries were tear-jerking as he cradled his only friend in his arms.
4 Zordon Sacrifices Himself - Power Rangers in Space (1998)
Zordon is the original guide and mentor to the Power Rangers, having overseen many team variations. Zordon would act as a trustworthy guardian to the Rangers, and would teach them both lessons of power and in life. Gifting the Rangers with their abilities and zords, Zordon has a mass amount of energy to keep him alive for the mission, even if he has to remain confined to a power tube.
Andros, the Red Space Ranger, would fight Ecliptor and the United Alliance of Evil alongside his allies. During the battle, Zordon would inform Andros that the only way for the forces of good to prevail would be to shatter the power tube and release the energy contained within. This energy would turn some villains good and eliminate others. Still, it would ensure that Zordon, having fulfilled his mission, would finally meet his demise.
3 Mack Discovers his True Nature - Power Rangers Operation Overdrive (2007)
Andrew Hartford brought together the Operation Overdrive team of rangers to collect the crystals of the Corona Aurora from evil. He never intended for his only son to be put in danger. But Mack, driven by a desire to prove himself, and protect his father, took on the mantle of the Red Ranger.
After a virus infects the Rangers' zords and base computers, Mack begins to repeat the same phrase over and over. Upon waking up, Mack would find his head separated from his body and learn from his father that he is an android. Mack faces an identity crisis, stating that he remembers breaking his arm as a child and going on camping trips with his father. Andrew would tell Mack that he implanted those memories and that Mack was, in reality, only two years old. Mack would grow cold towards his father for a time as he struggled with the idea that he was less than human.
2 Dr. K's Origin Story - Power Rangers RPM (2009)
The post-apocalyptic future of the RPM universe is a dark setting in itself. This show would prove to be the staging ground for one of the most traumatic origin stories of the Power Rangers franchise. Dr. K was a mysterious figure at the beginning of the season, communicating through a computer screen at first. Even when she did make her physical appearance, she would come across as very cold, only referring to the Rangers by their colors and not their names.
After saving the life of Dillon, the Black Power Ranger, Dr. K reveals that the world is in its state because of her. As a child, Dr. K was taken by evil conglomerate "Alphabet Soup" and was manipulated into creating advanced military technology. She would be worked so hard that she would eventually forget her name and discover that the entity had lied to her about having an allergy to sunlight. She desired to go outside after being forced to stay inside for years. So she would create a self-aware virus capable of taking over the facility, giving her the opportunity she and her friends needed to escape. Unfortunately, she would be caught and detained partway through uploading the firewall, meaning that the virus was now capable of spreading beyond the facility. While Dr. K eventually gained her freedom, she was burdened with the guilt that she single-handedly doomed Earth's population.
1 Kendrix Sacrifices Herself - Power Rangers: Lost Galaxy (1999)
This moment would prove to be one that stayed in viewers' minds for years. In a crossover special that saw the Space Rangers teaming with the Lost Galaxy Rangers to fight the twisted Psycho Rangers, Psycho Pink set out on a quest to finally kill the Pink Space Ranger. With Psycho Pink succeeding in a two-on-one battle, she manages to de-morph Cassie, the Pink Space Ranger. Psycho Pink would then use her sword to absorb energy from the morpher, which drains the life force from Cassie. While the rest of the team fights the enlarged Psycho Pink, Kendrix, the Galactic Pink Ranger, struggles through the powerful energy storm to destroy the sword. While doing so saves Cassie's life, Kendrix is killed in the blast.
Seeing her teammates rushing to her was crushing as they called for her to stop. Cassie was willing to die if it meant Kendrix would live, a sentiment Kendrix shared. As the team mourns her sacrifice, the spirit of Kendrix would tell them she is okay before leaving the physical plane. This tragic event would be the first indication of a ranger dying in the line of duty and truly set the tone for the season. While these may be teenagers with attitude, they also carried a sense of responsibility to protect those they loved. No matter the cost.