7 Best 1990s Power Rangers Villains, Ranked

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers made an impact on a generation of fans when it first hit screens in 1993, and 33 years later, we’re still talking about the franchise. Over the years, there have been any number of iconic Rangers, but we wanted to take a look at the show’s marquee villains from its first decade. That’s why we’re ranking the 7 best 1990s Power Rangers villains, and we’re starting things off with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

7. Goldar (Mighty Morphin)

Goldar might not be one of the top dogs of Mighty Morphin, but he is one of the most recognizable characters in the entire show. Goldar’s character design can’t help but stand out, and he has been at the center of some truly thrilling Power Rangers battles over the years. He’s constantly attempting to take down the Rangers, and his skillset does make him a real threat if everything comes together, because who wouldn’t be frightened by a winged warrior in crazy gold armor?

That last point is key though, as while Goldar has all the tools, his win rate brings the overall rating down a bit. He’s more of a threat than other villains, but it doesn’t seem to all come together in the right way. Goldar is still one of the most memorable villains in the franchise, and though he doesn’t get a real win all that often, he makes it purely based on the effort.

6. Trakeena (Lost Galaxy)

Power Rangers Lost Galaxy is the final ’90s entry of the franchise, but that doesn’t mean the show’s big villain doesn’t deserve some shine. While Scorpius starts the season as the main antagonist, his daughter ends up being the more lethal threat after his death, as he transfers his power into a new staff for her. After her training with Villamax, she also becomes a fierce warrior who can go toe to toe with the Rangers even without the power from the staff.

Trakeena becomes more of a threat, both in mindset and in power level over the course of the season, and has the ability to teleport and summon special armor to make her even more formidable in the midst of a battle. Her father’s staff also allows her to create fire pits, deadly energy slashes, energy rings, lightning, and even transform it into a sword, though perhaps her most valuable ability was sheer survival, as she was able to survive her battle with the Lost Galaxy Rangers and cause problems for the Lightspeed Rescue Rangers the next season.

5. Divatox (Turbo)

The Power Rangers Turbo era actually began with the Turbo movie before moving into the actual season, but through it all, the show’s big villain was the delightfully vain pirate queen known as Divatox. Divatox leads a crew of evil pirates to find riches and raise her fame and notoriety throughout the galaxy, though the only thing she wants more than fame is the death of the Power Rangers.

Divatox had a number of plans that almost came to fruition, but despite most of them failing to take the Rangers down, she was always deviously hilarious and entertaining. That said, unlike some of the other villains on this list, Divatox actually managed to substantially hurt the Rangers and completely destroy the Command Center, leaving the Rangers reeling when Power Rangers In Space picks ups he story, and that’s plenty to earn her the number 5 spot.

4. Astronema (In Space)

Speaking of Power Rangers In Space, our number four entry is none other than the Princess of Darkness, Astronema. Astronema is actually the missing sister of Andros (the In Space Red Ranger), which adds a whole new level of intrigue throughout the season, and it all comes full circle when Astronema ends up becoming a Ranger herself under her actual name, Karone.

From a lore and story standpoint, Astronema is probably near the top of the list, especially if we are putting a priority on a character arc. She’s also one of the more powerful villains in the Power Rangers franchise, and she is the creator of another villainous team that may or may not still show up on this list. There are only a few other villains who made a bigger impact on the Rangers during this time, and she more than deserves her spot in the top 4.

3. Lord Zedd (Mighty Morphin)

Now we are getting into elite company, and it’s hard to think of a Power Rangers villain with a more iconic look than Lord Zedd. When someone goes by the Emperor of Evil, you know they are a serious threat, and Lord Zedd made everyone else feel inferior when he first stepped into the Power Rangers story.

Lord Zedd felt immediately imposing and gave the villains a level up when he was first introduced in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and even though his plans fell through often, he still got big wins, including being the one to finally strip Tommy of his powers. He also commanded one of the most powerful Zords ever in Serpentera, which almost wiped out the city at one point, and Zedd and Rita Repulsa even took down the leaders of the Machine Empire in Zeo after they were previously run off. Zedd is a Power Rangers icon, and that’s why he’s in the number 2 spot.

2. The Psycho Rangers (In Space/Lost Galaxy)

While the Power Rangers have faced some truly deadly enemies, few were as powerful or as deadly as the Psycho Rangers. The Psycho Rangers were evil counterparts to the In Space Rangers, and Astronema designed them to be the perfect Ranger hunters. They were able to track the Power Rangers through their energy signatures, and their fighting styles were specifically dialed in to each of their Power Rangers counterparts, making fighting them an absolute pain for the Rangers.

Despite the challenge they presented, the In Space Rangers were able to overcome them, but they were brought back to life in Lost Galaxy, and this set up the true impact they would end up having on the franchise. That’s due to the chaos that Psycho Pink caused, as she was able to capture the Savage Sword after reading the mind of the Lost Galaxy Pink Ranger Kendrix. Kendrix and Cassie (In Space Pink) would battle with the Psycho Pink Ranger, and though Psycho Pink would ultimately be killed by the Galaxy Megazord, the huge storm she created with the Savage Sword had to be stopped by Kendrix, who destroyed the sword but tragically died in the resulting power wave. Psycho Pink is one of the only people on this list to kill a Ranger, and that’s why the Psycho Rangers are in the number 2 spot.

1. Rita Repulsa (Mighty Morphin)

When someone says Power Rangers, it isn’t long before Rita Repulsa comes to mind, and while everyone on this list has a seat at the table, there’s only one person at the head of it, and that’s Rita. The character was introduced in the very first season of Mighty Mrophin and instantly caught on due to her over-the-top demeanor and villainous schemes, and walked a line of frightening intimidation and humorously bonkers. It’s part of the character’s charm, but she also hit the Rangers where it hurts, and in the process created another iconic Ranger.

While Rita’s schemes often ended in failure, she managed to put them on the ropes multiple times, but her greatest achievement was in using the lone Power Coin in her possession to create the Green Ranger. Rita would take one of the Rangers’ friends, Tommy Oliver, and put him under a spell before giving him the powers of the Green Ranger. In doing so, she created the ultimate spy, and over the course of the Green Ranger saga, he would get as close as anyone to taking out the Rangers for good. He corrupted Alpha 5, almost blinked Zordon out of existence, and shut down the Command Center, and that was before he decimated the team in battle. He would become a beloved Ranger eventually, but at that point, Rita had forever made an impact.

This is also just keeping it to the ’90s era of the show, because if we move forward, Rita is the only other person on this list to kill a Ranger. In Once & Always, the robot version of Rita (who was a reawakened version of the character that bonded with Alpha 8) was the one to kill the Trini, setting the stage for Trini’s daughter to take over the mantle. Then, in the comics, Rita’s journey has been even more impressive, but even if we just base this on the show, Rita is easily the number 1 Power Rangers villain, and she’ll likely always be in that number 1 spot.

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