Warning: Spoilers for Power Rangers Prime #4!Longtime fans wondering what the meaning behind thePower Rangers' colors could be finally receive some insight. The original series never outright explained the meaning behind the Rangers' color scheme, or if there was any at all.One diss from the comicshas kickstarted the conversation all over again, leaving readers to wonder what the meaning behind the colors could be.
Power Rangers Prime#4, written by Melisa Flores, with art by Michael YG, offers some much-needed clarity on the matter, revealing thatthe Rangers get their Morphin forms from the combined power of a totemic beast and a precious stone, with each stone deciding the color of each Power Ranger.
Keep in mind that the reality of thePrimeuniverse isseparate from the main canonof the original television franchise, but this explanation provides new insight into the color theory for the franchise as a whole, as well as provide a fun explanation for how colors work in the franchise.
How Does Power Rangers Prime Explain Color Theory?
Power Rangers Prime #4; Written By Melissa Flores; Art By Michael Yg; Color By Fabi Marques; Lettering By Ed Dukeshire
The Prime universe is a major subversion of how old school fans understand the classic Mighty Morphin Power Rangers of old. At the center of these changes is Rita Repulsa, who, in a younger body, has transitioned from being the Rangers' antagonist to beingtheir leader, akin to Zordon. As such, much like Zordon before her,Rita gives the Rangers their power. She does so through her signature dark magic, but that magic itself is imbued with the Morphin Grid.
The first five issues ofPower Rangers Primeare available everywhere now in digital stores and in local comic book shops.
Before gifting the powers of the Red Prime Ranger to Lauren Shiba, she explains toher minion, Bulk, that she was born connected to the Morphin Grid. While it doesn’t make her automatically a character good of heart, as she’s more of a reluctant anti-hero working with the Rangers out of convenience, but her essence is pure enough to give her a direct line to the source of their powers. That doesn’t mean that Rita chooses their colors, but it does give her access to the colorful stones which gives the Rangers their power.
A Quick Refresher For New And Old Fans Alike
In the original iteration ofPower Rangersthat began withMighty Morphinin 1993, the colors never seemed to mean anything specific. The colors would soon adopt a symbolic meaning overtime, but it’s a meaning that would manifest after years of characters sporting the same traits while also sporting the same colors season after season. More on that later, but as for the original 30-season franchise,the closest that the franchise would come to offering a canonical meaning to the colors would come in the 30th season.
InPower Rangers Cosmic Fury, reportedly the final season of the show until a universe-altering reboot, confirmed thatRanger colors are chosen by the Morphin Grid. The Netflix series did not elaborate much further into the implications of this or how the Morphin Grid chooses colors for each Ranger, but it is implied that even when Power Rangers seem to randomly choose their Morphers, it can be inferred that the Morphin Grid somehow influences the Rangers' decision. After all, it is the source of the Rangers' powers, and its capabilities remain a mystery to those in the physical realm.
The Morphin Grid explanation proves to fill a multi-decade-long plot hole that makes sense of multiple seasons of Power Rangers, even outside the color question. The Morphin Grid continues to be relevant in thePower Rangerscomics, both those that take place within the canon and those that take place outside the canon.Power Rangers Primeis no exception, as the Morphin Grid explanation suddenly gives new credence to the color explanation provided for this new universe that the series takes place in.
What is the Meaning Behind Each Color For The Power Rangers?
Still TBD, But Each Power Rangers Color Carries Symbolism
While all of this gives a new understanding of where the colors come from and how they are chosen for each of the Power Rangers, it remains to be explained as to what the meaning behind each color is. While each color still doesn’t have a specific meaning, the Morphin Grid maintains the distinction thatthe Grid chooses the Rangers' colors.Knowing that the colors at least carry symbolic meaning can infer that the Grid chooses a Ranger’s color based on specific qualities, traits, and characteristics.
This was the case in the original MMPR comics, where a physical representative of the Morphin Grid reveals that Billy Cranston and Blue Rangers in general represent theProblem Solvers of Power Rangers. This makes sense, as in nearly every iteration of the team, theBlue Rangeris the second-in-command. For Billy, he’s always proven to be dependable and a fixer for the team, something that all Blue Rangers across history have shared. Such a distinct character trait earned him his Blue colors, and similarly,it’s how the Morphin Grid chooses allPower Rangersin every generation within the multiverse.
