Power Rangers’ New Red Ranger Reignites A 28-Year-Old Debate The Show Never Settled

Summary The hierarchy of Power Rangers colors can be tricky, especially regarding the team leader role.

Cosmic Fury changed the Red Ranger, with the previous one becoming a special Ranger.

Power Rangers should alter color rules in the next show to subvert expectations.

Power Rangers’ new Red Ranger in Cosmic Fury reignited a 28-year-old debate about the hierarchy of colors on the show. There have been over 80 Red Rangers in the Power Rangers universe considering not only the TV show but also the comics and video games. By far the most iconic Ranger color, the “Red Ranger” has been synonymous with “team leader” since Jason In Mighty Morphin. However, not every Red Ranger was the leader of their team, with notable exceptions including Rocky in MMPR and Wes at the beginning of Time Force.

Cosmic Fury, the latest Power Rangers show, introduced the franchise’s newest Red Ranger. Amelia Jones, who was originally the Dino Fury Pink Ranger, was promoted to Red Ranger after the heroes gained new powers following the destruction of their previous Zords. Amelia’s new Ranger color meant that she was now the leader of the Cosmic Fury Rangers, replacing former Red Ranger Zayto. According to the original Blue Ranger Billy Cranston, the Morphin Grid chose Amelia to be the new Red Ranger.

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Should The Red Ranger Always Be The Leader Of Their Power Rangers Team?

Power Rangers Cosmic Fury’s Red Ranger reignited an old debate

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Amelia made for a great leader in Power Rangers Cosmic Fury, but the fact she replaced the team’s previous leader as the new Red Ranger sparked a debate on what the red color means to the franchise. On one hand, Red Rangers who do not lead their respective teams felt like they were never truly Red Rangers and did not live up to the importance of that color. The biggest example of it is Mighty Morphin’s Rocky, a beloved character whose run as Red Ranger was not particularly impressive because he did not get to lead the team.

The hierarchy of Power Rangers colors is complicated, especially regarding the team leader role.

On the other hand, replacing the team’s current leader just because a different character became the new Red Ranger like Cosmic Fury did can lead to a divisive reception from the audience. Former Dino Fury Red Ranger Zayto became the Zenith Ranger in Cosmic Fury and spent most of the show away from his team, with former Pink Ranger Amelia leading the Power Rangers instead. Cosmic Fury brought back the question of whether the Red Ranger should always be the leader, and it also raised the question of which Ranger is more important: the Red or the “extra” one.

Power Rangers Dino Fury/Cosmic Fury Team Character Color Zayto Red Ranger/Zenith Ranger Amelia Pink Ranger/Red Ranger Aiyon Gold Ranger Ollie Blue Ranger Izzy Green Ranger Javi Black Ranger Fern Orange Ranger

“Extra Rangers” refer to characters who were not part of the team’s original lineup, or whose powers and colors are different from those of the usual Power Rangers. This includes iconic sixth Rangers like Tommy Oliver in Mighty Morphin, Zhane in In Space, Mike in Lost Galaxy, Ryan in Lightspeed Rescue, and many more. Zayto went from a traditional Red Ranger in Dino Fury to a special Ranger in Cosmic Fury, but whether this was a demotion or a promotion is a tricky question. The hierarchy of Power Rangers colors is complicated, especially regarding the team leader role.

Power Rangers’ Red Ranger Debate Began With Tommy Oliver In 1996

Tommy went from White Ranger to Red Ranger in Power Rangers Zeo

Tommy Oliver became the Red Ranger in 1996’s Power Rangers Zeo after leading the Mighty Morphin team as the White Ranger. Zeo making Tommy the Red Ranger felt like a natural step in the character’s progression, yet it also gave the impression that the color red was more special than Tommy’s previous White and Green Ranger forms. Interestingly, Tommy was the leader in MMPR’s seasons 2 and 3 despite not being the Red Ranger. As soon as Tommy rejoined the Power Rangers in season 2 as the White Ranger, Zordon made him the new leader instead of Jason.

Season Release Year Mighty Morphin 1993 Zeo 1996 Turbo 1997 In Space 1998 Lost Galaxy 1999 Lightspeed Rescue 2000 Time Force 2001 Wild Force 2002 Ninja Storm 2003 Dino Thunder 2004 S.P.D. 2005 Mystic Force 2006 Operation Overdrive 2007 Jungle Fury 2008 R.P.M. 2009 Samurai 2011 Megaforce 2013 Dino Charge 2015 Ninja Steel 2017 Beast Morphers 2019 Dino Fury 2021 Cosmic Fury 2023

With Jason about to be written out of the show, it made sense for Power Rangers to make Tommy the team’s leader. As a result, even though Rocky replaced Jason as the new Red Ranger, Steve Cardenas’ character did not get to lead the heroes. In Alien Rangers, the Rangers of Aquitar were led by the White Ranger instead of the Red One. The majority of the Power Rangers teams, however, were led by Red Rangers, which makes it clear that this color represents something different. This is why Tommy’s Zeo Red form was considered a “promotion.”

Rocky went from Mighty Morphin Red to Zeo Blue in Power Rangers Zeo.

Cosmic Fury Proved Power Rangers Changing Colors Can Be Complicated

Amelia’s Red Ranger promotion meant Zayto was no longer the team’s leader

Several Power Rangers have changed colors across the show’s 30 seasons, often due to actor exits or due to limitations imposed by the Sentai footage. For example, there were only so many scenes in Zyuranger featuring the Green Ranger. Once Power Rangers began to use footage from Dairanger, the show had to reintroduce Tommy with a new color – enter the White Ranger. Another interesting example comes from S.P.D., during which Blue Ranger Sky became the Red Ranger following Jack’s retirement from Space Patrol Delta. In Cosmic Fury, Amelia was chosen by the Morphin Grid to become the Red Ranger.

Related Power Rangers’ Next Show Will Have To Address Cosmic Fury’s Biggest Criticism The next Power Rangers show after 2023’s Power Rangers Cosmic Fury will have to address one important criticism aimed at the saga’s 30th season.

Considering how some Ranger colors are associated with the importance of a character within the show, storylines like Amelia replacing Zayto as the Red Ranger can lead to debates about whether a character was demoted. That said, Zayto continued to be a major character in Cosmic Fury and was front and center in some of the season’s most important moments. Had it not been for Zayto’s sacrifice, the Cosmic Fury Rangers would never have defeated Lord Zedd in his final formal. Likewise, Amelia was a competent Red Ranger, successfully leading the team through a moment of crisis.

The Next Power Rangers Show Should Change The Show’s Color Rules

Power Rangers has the chance to play with its own tropes

Assuming Power Rangers’ next show will be a fresh start for the franchise following Cosmic Fury’s perfect ending, it should change the saga’s color rules. Having the Red Ranger not be the leader would be a clever way of separating a potential Power Rangers reboot from the previous seasons, even more so if the next entry in the franchise does not use Super Sentai footage. Likewise, it would be interesting to have the “sixth Ranger” wear a color not commonly associated with this trope, such as Red, Blue, or Pink.

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Power Rangers has countless tropes that have defined the show’s identity for 30 years. This is why it would be great for a new series to play with these tropes and subvert viewers’ expectations regarding what a Power Rangers show should look like. Cosmic Fury broke many of the franchise’s traditions, including having an all-original set of costumes and not having filler episodes. Hopefully, Power Rangers will continue to try different things in the next series, regardless if it will be a reboot or a more traditional season 31.

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