Power Rangers

Power Rangers

Synopsis of Toy

Little kids love robots, weird monsters, and kung fu. The only thing better to the young-kid mind than any one of these things would be to have all three at once. Well, kids, your wish came true. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers became a mega-hit in the mid-1990’s by combining all three elements into mind-bendingly surreal kid’s show. This show also inspired a seemingly limitless line of toys that hit the shelves around the same time and inspired the same mania in toy stores that the show inspired on television. Like the show that inspired them, the Power Ranger toys became a major success story of the 1990’s.

TV's Mighty Morphin Power Rangers told the story of a group of five teens chosen by an ancient wise man to protect the planet Earth from attacks by evil sorceress Rita Repulsa. To do this, the teens were granted special suits and masks that transformed them into warriors with special abilities and powers. Now dubbed the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the teens were also given special battle vehicles known as Zords that could join together to create a Megazord. They used these weapons to fight off an impressive, colorful array of creatures that looked like humanoid versions of pigs, spiders and other skin-crawling creatures.

The battles between the Power Rangers and the Space Aliens were the drawing ticket of the show, combining head-spinning kung-fu action with plenty of flashy visual effects. After seeing the Power Rangers battle it out with Rita Repulsa’s creature commandos, it was only natural for the show’s young viewers to want to create monster battles of their own. The overanxious kids proceeded to kick and chop each other with wild abandon, to many a parent's dismay. To make things more official, Bandai produced a line of Power Rangers toys.

For the first season of the show, the company produced a wide array of figures. First off, there was a series of 8-inch figures for the Rangers and four Space Aliens (Squatt, Baboo, Goldar and King Sphinx). These super-poseable figures were made of plastic and graced with a high level of handsome design. There were also 8-inch Karate Action Rangers that could throw powerful kung fu moves. Bandai also produced a line of 5.5-inch Power Rangers that boasted head-flipping “morphing action” and came with unique weapons. They were matched by a series of 5.5-inch Space Aliens that consisted of twelve villains, including everyone from Slippery Shark to Knasty Knight. There was also a Red Claw vehicle for the Red Ranger.

If the figures weren’t enough to satisfy a Ranger fan’s action jones, Bandai made life-size weapons to reenact the show’s action (and the parental dismay began anew). The first weapons produced were the Dragon Dagger, which made electronic sounds, and the Power Gun Sword, which boasted both flashing lights and sound effects. Between these weapons and the figures, Bandai had created a staggering number of toys for the fans to buy. It didn’t matter: the fans bought them up with speed and begged for more. Bandai was happy to comply, producing new toys by the dozen for the next two seasons of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

The second season of toys introduced several new Zords for vehicle fanatics. Examples included Thunderzord Assault Team, a series of four Zords that could be joined together to form a Chariot, and the Red Dragon Thunderzord, which could transform from a warrior into a dragon. There were also Thunder Bikes that came with 4-inch Power Ranger figures. New weapons included the Power Blaster, a handgun that shot plastic balls, and Saba, a sword that extended and made sound effects. In terms of figures, there was a new Power Ranger Figure for the White Ranger and new 8-inch Alien figures like Lord Zedd and Rhino Blaster.

The third season of the show coincided with the release of the first Power Rangers motion picture. This led to an even bigger array of new Power Ranger items for the show’s fanatical fans to buy. There were new styles of items like tiny PVC figurines and Micro Playsets, as well as the familiar 5.5- and 8-inch figures. New 8-inch figures included talking figures that could each say a unique phrase, plus new villains like Master Vile and Silent Knight. New 5.5-inch figures included Ninja Rangers and villains like Vampyrus and Steamy Meanie. In terms of Zords, there were Deluxe Ninja and Shogun Megazords that combined miniature zords into one big, impressive-looking warrior.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers ended after its third season, but this was in no way the end of the Power Rangers dynasty. The show continued on in new variations like Power Rangers Zeo and Power Rangers Turbo, bringing out new powers, weapons and villains to carry on the surreal, interplanetary kung-fu antics. These new shows also inspired new toys, most of which were made by the ever-reliable Bandai. Meanwhile, the original show’s toys continue to be favored collector’s items for sci-fi fanatics and toy collectors. No one knows how long the dynasty will continue, but one thing is certain: Power Ranger toys will always kick lots of interstellar butt.

Release History of Toy

1993 - Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

Sub Categories of Toys

electronic toys
action figures
tv tie-in

Toy and Game Manufacturer

Bandai

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