It’s been a bit quiet on the Power Rangers front, but recent rumors have pointed to a light at the end of that tunnel in the form of a reboot series from Hasbro for Disney+. It remains to be seen if that’s the case, but the reboot isn’t the only project in the works, and one unexpected project has delivered some new costumes that have commanded substantial attention. In fact, those new costumes make 3 key changes that will hopefully make it into the reboot series, because they look fantastic.
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The mystery series in question is a web series known as Ninja Kidz, which is part of the Ninja Kidz TV YouTube channel. The Power Rangers-themed video series began in 2017 and would go on to release 9 episodes, with episode 9 debuting 3 years ago. Fans of the series have wanted to see a true ending ever since, and now that’s becoming a reality, though the Ranger costumes have received a major upgrade since the last episode.
New Era, New Costumes
As you can see in the images below, the suits look pretty impressive, and they are based on designs by TokuJay and were created by Parallel Life Studios. You can check out the side-by-side with TokuJay’s original design in the post, and while not everything made it over, the new suits look great overall. As I mentioned before, there are three elements that look insanely cool, and while these are both from the costume’s final version and the original design, hopefully, some of these make it into the new reboot suits, because they really stand out.
The first element that sticks out immediately is the helmet. The overall look and colors are straight from the original helmets, but it didn’t take long for fans to notice one major difference. That would be the choice to remove the lips from the silver area of the helmet, and while it is different from the original Mighty Morphin suits, I actually like how it modernizes the overall look and instantly makes the Rangers look that much more formidable.
Power Rangers has switched this up quite a bit over the years, and some of my favorite costume designs from the franchise ditched the lips on the helmet as well, including Power Rangers In Space, Power Rangers Mystic Force, Power Rangers Cosmic Fury, and more. That is obviously subjective, but I’ve always preferred the look of a full mask on the helmet as opposed to Mighty Morphin’s take, so I would hope to see this trend continue in the eventual reboot, too.
The second element that stands out in a major way is the engraved central diamond on the suit. In both the concept and final version, the central diamond isn’t just a solid color. Instead, it features a raised version of the Ranger’s power coin in the center, and it gives one of the suit’s most iconic elements a whole new layer of depth. While I prefer the concept design’s silver coloring to the more white coloring of the live-action suit, the design looks great in both versions, and I would love to see some version of this element make it into the new suits down the road.
The third and final element of the suits I adore is the collar, which is an additional layer that goes halfway around the neck. It allows you to still see the white underneath that brings to mind the classic suits, but the additional layer almost gives it an armored look that feels more like a modern superhero uniform and less like a turtleneck. Again, I know this is subjective, but I love what this brings to an already iconic suit, so here’s hoping we see this element make an appearance whenever the reboot finally becomes a reality.
Why Did the Original Design Change?
Truth be told, the suits would have looked even cooler in live-action if they had kept all of the elements from the original design. TokuJay addresses those changes on Instagram, revealing that it was simply down to compromises and concessions being made due to the project’s quick timeline.
On Instagram, TokuJay wrote, “I think most people have already seen by now but, for anyone who’s missed it… yes, those are my Mighty Morphin Power Rangers suit designs – with some tweaks, which I’ll answer questions on where I can – brought to stunningly detailed life by my friends @parallellifestudios for an official Collab between Hasbro/Playmates and Ninja Kidz! I have been, hand on heart, overwhelmed and humbled by the reaction to this in the days since set photos leaked. It’s been an overwhelmingly positive experience so far and I’m so glad that the hard work has paid off!
To answer some quick questions – yes, the collar isn’t included this time and yes, the gloves/boots aren’t fully coloured in. Unfortunately as things go in productions, especially one as fast paced as this, sometimes compromises or concessions have to be met. But… just look at the details! And if you scroll to the end… a glimpse into the future you’ll see…”
We don’t have a release date for the Ninja Kidz finale quite yet, but hopefully it will hit either later this year or early next year. The series’ new entry stars Ashton Myler (Jason/Red Ranger), Aidan Fort (Zack/Black Ranger), Asia M George (Trini/Yellow Ranger), Payton Myler (Kim/Pink Ranger), Justice Washington (Billy/Blue Ranger), Ethan Fine Shriber (Tommy/White Ranger), and Karla Hernandez (Rita Repulsa) (H/T ListenAnyway). You can follow the Ninja Kidz TV channel right here.
What do you think of the new Power Rangers costumes, and are you a fan of the series? Let us know in the comments or on the ComicBook forum!
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Image courtesy of Stage 6 Films -
Image courtesy of Lucasfilm
