Power Rangers took 30 years to introduce an Orange Ranger, and I’m beginning to think we’ll never see that character again. While not every Power Rangers team had the same color scheme as the one that came before it, the show would rarely drastically change its lineup of superheroes. For example, Red and Blue Rangers have appeared in all Power Rangers seasons, whereas Yellow Rangers appeared in all but three main teams. Less common Power Rangers colors include purple, white, and gold, all of which are usually saved for extra Rangers.
Most Power Rangers teams followed a very similar color scheme to Mighty Morphin, the only major change often being the presence of a Green Ranger in the initial lineup instead of a Black Ranger. Although we have seen core Rangers wearing less-common Sentai colors like purple and gold, those are inherently associated with sixth Rangers, such as the Mighty Morphin White Ranger or the Zeo Gold Ranger. However, one color that seemed perfect for an extra Ranger was never used on the show for 30 years – orange. Fortunately, that changed with Cosmic Fury.
Cosmic Fury Debuted Power Rangers’ First-Ever Orange Ranger
Fern Is The First (And So Far Only) Orange Power Ranger
There had been a couple of Orange Rangers in Super Sentai, but, surprisingly, those specific characters never ended up being adapted for Power Rangers. The very first Orange Ranger in the history of Power Rangers was actually an original character rather than an adaptation of a Sentai hero. Fern, who first appeared in Dino Fury as Izzy’s rival and later girlfriend, became the Power Rangers franchise’s first Orange Ranger in the latter half of Cosmic Fury. Considering that Cosmic Fury came out in 2023, it took Power Rangers exactly 30 years to introduce an Orange Ranger.
The only Orange Ranger in Power Rangers before Fern was Boom from S.P.D., except that he was only a Power Ranger in a dream. Interestingly, Kelson Henderson, who played Boom in S.P.D., was in Cosmic Fury but as a different character, Ninja Steel‘s Mick Kanic.
While Power Rangers Cosmic Fury was technically based on Uchu Sentai Kyuranger, the 2023 season only used Super Sentai footage for zord battles. Everything else was created for the American TV show, including the controversial Cosmic Fury costumes. Therefore, even though Kyuranger had an Orange hero, Cosmic Fury’s Orange Ranger was an all-new character. Fern gained her powers by saving Solon and activating one of the morphers that Billy, the original Blue Ranger, had created for the former Dino Fury team during their adventure in space.
Power Rangers’ First Orange Ranger Might Never Appear Again
The Power Rangers Show’s Future Seems To Be A Reboot
Now that Power Rangers is reportedly getting a live-action show on Disney+ from Percy Jackson and the Olympians showrunners Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz, I find it difficult to imagine that we will revisit the Cosmic Fury team anytime soon. While previous Rangers teams returning for crossovers was always very common for Power Rangers, those team-up episodes worked because all of the shows took place in the same continuity. Assuming this new Disney+ series is a fresh start for the franchise, there might not be any room for a crossover.
Related
The Original Power Rangers Universe Is Officially Dead After 32 Years
With a new Power Rangers show reportedly in development, the universe that began in 1993 with Mighty Morphin seems to have come to an end.
On the one hand, it is disappointing to know that we might never revisit the Cosmic Fury team – which includes the franchise’s first and only Orange Ranger. On the other hand, Cosmic Fury’s ending felt like a goodbye to the show’s original continuity. If Cosmic Fury is the last we ever see from the original Power Rangers universe, I’m glad that we finally got an Orange Ranger.
- Release Date
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September 29, 2023
- Showrunner
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Simon Bennett
- Writers
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Simon Bennett
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
