Power Rangers fans have seen a number of Ranger debuts over the course of its 30-year history, and though there are exceptions to the rule, most teams aren’t fully complete until there are at least 5 Rangers. One particular season took a while to complete the full lineup, but 17 years ago, it finally happened, giving the Rangers one of their most powerful warriors who would turn out to be a huge lifesaver throughout the rest of the season.
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17 years ago was Power Rangers Jungle Fury’s time in the spotlight, and during the aptly titled episode Path of the Rhino, Dominic Hargan would make his big debut as the Rhino Jungle Fury Ranger. Dominic is an old acquaintance of RJ, and after offering a helping hand upon his return, he ends up learning that RJ and the others are actually Power Rangers. Despite some initial hesitation from the other Rangers, RJ gives Dominic his bracelet morpher, which turns him into the White Rhino Ranger, and he quickly shows why he is a valuable asset to the team by helping to take down the Rinse and Crocovile.
Jungle Fury’s Newest Ranger Didn’t Have An Easy Road
Sometimes it can be difficult for a new Ranger to fit in with the team, especially after several Rangers have had some time to get into a groove as a team. That was very much the case with Dominic, who didn’t make his Ranger debut until episode 19 of the series, and the only person he knew was RJ.
That would make it difficult enough, but Dominic’s personality made it even more of a struggle. Dominic’s sense of humor didn’t really click with most of the Rangers, and his pranks didn’t go over well either. Even after helping the Rangers with Crocovile, Casey isn’t sold, and Lily and Theo aren’t on board either when Dominic wants to join the team.
It’s not until Dominic saves Fran from a falling sign that Casey starts to warm to him, telling Dominic that while he is a goof-off, he still has the spirit of the Rhino. Casey apologizes and asks Dominic if he wants to join them after they get a report of an attack on the city, and that’s when RJ gives Dominic the morpher, fully initiating Dominic as a Power Ranger.
After that, Dominic proves to be a valuable ally, and he’s crucial to taking back the Control Dagger and controlling the Rhino Steel Zord, which allows him to turn the tide against the powerful Carnisoar. After the defeat of Dai Chi, Dominic decides to travel the world a bit and asks Fran to go with him, which she does, closing out his story until Megaforce.
That completes quite the arc for Dominic in the series, going from someone the other Rangers didn’t even want on the team to helping them to defeat the biggest villain of the series. He would return alongside the other Jungle Fury Rangers in Megaforce, and then would return as part of the army of legendary Rangers in the event known as Legendary Battle.
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