PinkRanger DoubleSpread

   One of the most notable of all the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, was the elegant and beautiful Pink Ranger, Kimberly Ann Hart (played by Amy Jo Johnson). Perhaps the most notable was that she began the very first relationship in the series with Green/White Ranger, Tommy Oliver (played by Jason David Fank).

    Kimberly’s specialty was in gymnastics, which tied into her fighting style. The weapon given to her, when she first became the Pink Ranger, was the Power Bow. Although the Bow made only little appearances in the series, Kimberly was perhaps the one closest most to being a Ranger.

    In the two-part episode ‘Wild West Ranger’, Kimberly ends up back in time in Angel Grove’s past to the days of the old west. Strangely enough, she finds the ancestors of the Rangers she knew from her original timeline. Although this episode is almost forgettable, I would say its not too bad. She does make it back to her present time. This would not be the only time she was sent into the past.

    In the more exciting, three-part episode, “Return of the Green Ranger”, not only does the evil Green Ranger return, but she and the other members
of the Power team were sent back in time 200 years to the olden days, leaving only White Ranger Tommy in the present time. While in the olden era, the team meets an amish girl, Marissa, and she takes them to her uncle Ben’s home to think of a way to get back to the present. Luckily for Kimberly and the rest of her group, White Ranger Tommy teleported from the present with the aid of a magic wand and brings them back home to save the day.

    One unique thing about the Pink Ranger, is that she is the only character in all 3 Mighty Morphin seasons to have all 3 of the battle Zords to be flyable In the beginning, she flew the Pteradactyl-Zord, the chestpiece of the original MegaZord.

    When the ruler, Lord Zed came along and took over Rita’s palace, the Ragers, excluding the failing energy of the Green Ranger, Zordon gifted the team with the Power of Thunder, and thus, the ThunderZords were created. The Pteradactyl-Zord would then become the Firebird-ThunderZord. The Firebird would transform into what appeared to be a belt for the Thunder MegaZord, which looked very much like a samurai. When the White TigerZord merged with the others, forming the Mega TigerZord, the Firebird would serve as a MegaZord wrist projectile and would blast the enemy monsters to dust in a single launch. The Firebird would return to its original position, locked in place of the Mega TigerZord.

    In the 1995 Power Rangers movie, her relationship with Tommy was really shown, as well as her relationship with the other rangers. When the villain, Ivan Ooze destroyed the Command Center, the Rangers powers were gone, as well as their Zords and weapons. The team goes on a journey to find an ancient power, and on that quest, they were given new powers; the power of Ninja. Her animal spirit would be also her new Zord, the Crane. However this story was retconned, so it was like it never happened.

    Finally, when Rita’s little brother, Rito, made his debut, and he destroyed the Thunder MegaZord, but Tommy’s White TigerZord also, with the help of a few monsters from episodes of the past. The Rangers meet a new character, Ninjor, who then grants the Rangers the power of the Ninja and the NinjaZords.

    With the new Zords, this would be Kimberly’s final season with the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, because her Power Coin, the item used to transform into a Power Ranger, was stolen from Rita’s next kidnapping, Katherine Hillard (played by Catherine Sutherland). Katherine, Kat for short, was under the influence of evil, much like Tommy was when he made his debut. And some time later, again like Tommy turned back to good. Kimberly decided to make Kat the new Pink Ranger. Even this decision did not last long. The introduction of the Zeo crystal storyline was the final main storyline of the Mighty Morphin era.

    In the new series, Power Rangers Zeo, Kimberly is off in Florida, and fell in love with another person, giving Tommy a “Dear John” letter. Longtime fans despised this decision, but this was meant by the writers to push a Tommy-Katherine relationship.

    To a lot of us, there was only one Mighty Morphin Pink Ranger. Kimberly. One of two girls on the Power team that little and older girls, perhaps even grown women and moms, could even look at as an idol, while the boys were usually Tommy, the Green or White Ranger and/or the Red Ranger Jason or Rocky. ■