Summary
Almost everyPower Rangersepisode ends with the Rangers summoning their Zords and defeating the monster, leading to the popular question of why they don’t just bring in the Megazord right away. FromMighty Morphin’s pilot toCosmic Fury’s ending, watching onePower Rangersepisode is enough to witness most of the show’s tropes. Foot soldiers, at least two morphing sequences, and Megazord battles are some of the things that happen in everyPower Rangersepisode. While most of these are part of the show’s formula, it can be fun to look for in-universe explanations for them.
For example,whether the Power Rangers morph in real-timeis a decades-old question that neither the show nor the comics have settled. However,the way the Rangers use their Megazords might be the most popularPower Rangersmystery. If the Zords and their combined forms are so powerful, it would make sense for the heroes to bring them to the battlefield as soon as the monsters of the week showed up. Still, there is one simple reason why they don’t do that.
Power Rangers In Order: How To Watch Every Series Chronologically & By Release Date
From Mighty Morphin to Cosmic Fury, here is how to watch every Power Rangers TV show in order, both chronologically and by release date.
Zordon Has A Non-Escalation Rule In Power Rangers
Zordon Laid Out Three Rules For The Power Rangers
InMighty Morphin Power Rangersepisode 1, Zordon established three rules that Jason, Kimberly, Billy, Zack, and Trini would have to follow no matter what. One of those rules wasto never escalate a battle unless Rita Repulsa forced them to.In other words, thePower Rangersshould always aim at controlling a situation with minimum collateral damage. This is why the Power Rangers don’t bring in the Zords or the Megazord immediately, only if Rita makes her monster grow first. This also explains why the Power Rangers never attack Rita first.
According to Zordon, a Power Ranger should never:
Use their powers for personal gain;
Escalate a battle with an opponent unless they are forced to do so;
Reveal their identities.
Zordon’s non-escalation rule is good enough of an in-universe reason to justify why thePower Rangersonly use the Megazord at the end of the episode. While this does not answer the question as a whole – plenty of otherPower Rangersteamsalso keep their Zords as a last-minute resource despite not having been mentored by Zordon – it can be assumed that mostPower Rangersmentors thought of something similar. TheZords and the Megazords are the Rangers’ ultimate weapons and can cause a lot of destruction, which is why they can’t be used too frequently.
Why Power Rangers’ Megazord Plot Hole Is Not Really A Problem
Using The Megazord Immediately Would Only Escalate Things
The fact that thePower Rangerscould, in theory, easily win all of their fights using the Megazord right from the start is often pointed out as a plot hole. However, even thoughPower Rangershas countless plot holes and inconsistencies, the Megazord issue was never really a problem. The primary reason why the Power Rangers have to use Zords is so that they can fight the monsters in their giant versions. If, for example, Jason called for"Megazord power"at the beginning of a fight, Rita could simply make her monster grow immediately in response.
Be it with actors in suits and miniature models or CGI, Megazord battles are usually the most expensive part of a Sentai episode.
The result would be the same – a kaiju battle in the middle of the street. Of course, the real reason why Megazords usually only appear at the end of each episode is thatthis is one of the most traditionalSuper Sentaitropes.Be it with actors in suits and miniature models or CGI, Megazord battles are usually the most expensive part of aSentaiepisode. BothSentaiandPower Rangershave a very clear structure in which the heroes can only truly win at the end of the episode, hence the formulaic Megazord battles.
Future Power Rangers Shows Can Easily Avoid The Megazord Plot Hole With 1 Change
A More Grounded Power Rangers Show Could Save Megazord Battles For Key Episodes
While the non-escalation rule explains the Megazord problem just fine,Power Rangerswould indeed benefit from using giant monsters and mechas in more creative ways. The kaiju battles are part of the franchise’s identity, to the point I still prefer actors in suits over CG battles inSentaiandPower Rangers. That said,I would love to see a more groundedPower Rangersshow or movie in which the Megazord truly feels like a last resourcethat will cause a lot of collateral damage.Pacific Rim’s Jaegers are a great example of how to do this.
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Cosmic Fury
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Of course, this would not work inPower Rangers’ format. However, in a potentialPower Rangersreboot for TV, it could be interesting for Megazord battles to be saved for specific high-stakes episodes. This would allow the kaiju fights to feel like massive events instead of just another battle that destroys the city once every week.Power Rangers(2017) achieved that with its third-act Megazord scenes, but unfortunately, a sequel never happened.Power Rangerswould not be the same show without Megazord battles, but doing different things with them could be exciting.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Cast
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers marks the beginning of the Power Rangers franchise, centering on a group of teenagers with attitude who transform into superheroes. They are tasked with defending Angel Grove from the evil witch Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd, Emperor of evil, along with their monstrous minions.
