Next year is the 25th anniversary of Power Rangers, and Saban kicked off their big campaign by officially announcing a special reunion episode in 2018, and they have a lot to live up to.
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The reunion episodes have become an anniversary tradition, and have resulted in some of the most popular episodes throughout the years. Episodes like Once a Ranger, Forever Red, and Legendary Battle are some of the fandom’s favorite episodes, though not all of them have landed.
The most recent reunion was the Legendary Battle episode during Power Rangers Super Megaforce, which collected Rangers from across the timeline to return in force to help stave off invading forces. Being the 20th Anniversary episode, it makes sense why Saban increased the amount of Rangers substantially. Quantity doesn’t necessarily mean quality though, and many found it to be somewhat disappointing despite the increased Power Rangers roster.
Fans are looking for a return to form for the 25th, something along the lines of Forever Red, which took place during Power Rangers Wild Force. The episode collected 10 Red Rangers from across all seasons, including the original Red Ranger Jason Scott. The group was smaller, and also included the current Red Ranger at the time, integrating generations of Rangers in the process.
Once a Ranger also embraced this method, and the result was another fan favorite episode. The current Operation Overdrive Rangers were joined by five Rangers from the past, including Adam Park (Mighty Morphin), Tori Hanson (Alien Rangers), Kira Ford (Dino Thunder), Bridge Carson (S.P.D.), and Xander Bly (Mystic Force).
With those as predecessors, the 25th Anniversary episode will understandably be viewed through a skeptical lens, but Saban has shown that it can deliver some classic events when motivated.
With that in mind, we here at ComicBook.com have a few ideas of what we would like to see in a 25th-anniversary episode. Take these with a grain of salt of course, and not all of these would work together obviously.
Hit the next slide to get started!
A Smaller Group Of Rangers
In the past, reunion episodes found a sweet spot in showcasing 5 to 10 classic Rangers. Forever Red, for instance, focused on 10 Red Rangers, while Once a Ranger used 10 if you count the Operation Overdrive Rangers.
Legendary Battle raised that scale significantly, but increased scale means less time for each Ranger to shine. Now, no one expects the 25th Anniversary to go down to 5 or 8 Rangers, but there is a balance that can be achieved.
The 25th-anniversary episode will air during Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel, which already boasts 6 Power Rangers. If you add another 6 classic Rangers to that formula, you could have an epic event, especially if you just pick some of the more popular Rangers over time. Then add in 4 special guests, who will play an important part in the episode but don’t need much screen time.
The timeline doesn’t seem to be a factor in these types of events, so you could pluck side characters like Ninjor, Magna Defender, Udonna, and others to fill that guest role. You still get the pop from the fandom, but you don’t have to devote half an episode to them to justify having them a part of it.
In total that is 16, which is less than Legendary Battle but more than other reunion episodes, and that should lead to a more streamlined and overall more satisfying episode.
Hit the next slide to see who the Rangers should face!
Lord Drakkon
Yeah, you knew this was coming.
So, what is the best way to feature an all-time great Ranger while not monopolizing screen time from the rest of the Rangers? The answer is you make him the villain.
In the comics, Lord Drakkon is the Dark Universe’s Tommy Oliver, a Tommy who ultimately sided with Rita Repulsa. He took down the Rangers with a massive assault on the command center, taking their Power Coins and using them to create an army of Power Sentries. Not only that, but he then took the White Ranger power for himself, adding to his already impressive Green Ranger powers.
In other words, he’s bad news. The good news is that he could be the catalyst for an amazing episode of TV.
Think about it. Lord Drakkon comes onto the scene with an army of sentries, who take down the Ninja Steel Rangers. An unknown amount of time passes, with a portal opening up on the outskirts of town. Emerging from the portal are several classic Rangers, who look around to reveal a crumbling Angel Grove under the control of Drakkon.
The mission is to free Angel Grove and find the missing Rangers, and rumors suggest there is a resistance still fighting Drakkon’s rule.
Admit it, it could be pretty fantastic right? Yeah, we think so too.
Hit the next slide to find out who else should make a jump through time!
A Mighty Morphin Return
Up to this point, Tommy Oliver, Jason Scott, and Adam Park have all made appearances in special episodes, and the 25th anniversary should be no different.
Granted, there was a “technical” appearance in Legendary Battle from the Mighty Morphin Rangers, but none of the original cast was in those suits, aside from Jason David Frank.
While a Jason Scott reappearance would be great, it would be even better to get one of the other Mighty Morphin Rangers some shine onscreen. Having Billy Cranston, Zack Taylor, or Kimberly Hart return to action would be amazing, as all three have interesting aspects to bring to the storyline.
Going with the Lord Drakkon theory for a minute, seeing Kimberly meet an evil Tommy would be a story rich with history, and Billy could easily be implemented into pretty much any storyline thanks to his varied history with the Rangers. And Zack, well, he’s going to be amazing no matter what storyline is happening, and it just seems about time he showed up again right?
Many Power Rangers fans have what you might call Mighty Morphin fatigue, and that is understandable. Thing is, there are plenty of fans that call that their favorite series, and if Saban is going to do another Anniversary episode, including a Mighty Morphin Ranger would be a surefire way to win the audience’s approval.
A Legion Of Villains
Okay, so what if the Lord Drakkon thing is a bust? Lucky for you we’ve got a Plan B, and it involves the Power Rangers own Legion of Doom.
Yep, that’s right. The Power Rangers will get their own crew of villainy, though they have had that sort of thing before. Villains have teamed up through the years, and there was even a (spectacularly named) United Alliance Of Evil during the Power Rangers In Space years. Thing is, this would be a team-up through the timeline and would include some marquee names.
Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd would return, joining the fantastic Divatox (Turbo). These three were previously transformed back into human form thanks to Zordon’s pulse wave, but there’s no reason they couldn’t change back over time. They would be joined by Dai Shi (Jungle Fury), Astronema (In Space), and The Master (Mystic Force), and together would wreak havoc on the Ninja Steel Rangers.
This would cause Rangers from each of those timelines to come and help, resulting in a pretty epic battle.
Forever Pink
Ever since Forever Red, there has been a fascination with teaming up multiple Rangers of the same color theme. No one can blame them either, as that episode is one of the best team-ups in Power Rangers history. So, why not give fans what they want, with a lovely shade of pink.
The pitch would be Forever Pink and would bring together 10 Pink Rangers from across the timeline. Now, the inclusion list will be subjective of course, as everyone has their favorites. Still, here are 10 recommendations for the all-time group.
Kimberly Hart (Mighty Morphin)
Katherine Hillard (Zeo)
Kendrix Morgan (Lost Galaxy)
Dana Mitchell (Lightspeed Rescue)
Jen Scotts (Time Force)
Vida Rocca (Mystic Force)
Rose Ortiz (Operation Overdrive)
Mia Wantanabe (Samurai)
Shelby Watkins (Dino Charge)
Sarah Thompson (Ninja Steel)
Kimberly gets your mainstream fans while Kendrix would be a fantastic inclusion for long-term fans, and Sarah brings in the new fans of the franchise. Add in all the other fan favorites in the group, and you’ve got yourself a very memorable 25th Anniversary.
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