Published Aug 14, 2026, 6:00 PM EDT
Tom is a Senior Staff Writer at Screen Rant, with expertise covering everything from hilarious sitcoms to jaw-dropping sci-fi epics.
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Reinvention has always been a staple of Power Rangers. Changing from one iteration of Rangers to the next became a major part of the show's appeal as each season rolled on. However, no transition was as exciting as the debut of Power Rangers Zeo. After establishing the original team for several seasons, the franchise completely transformed its heroes with new costumes, weapons, Zords, and powers. If reinvention is the core of Power Rangers as a franchise, it was the arrival of Zeo that established it.
What’s more, the Rangers' journey from Mighty Morphin to Zeo remains one of the most exciting changes between Power Rangers versions. The destruction of the Command Center and Power Coins led to the discovery of the Zeo Crystal, giving the Rangers a new source of power and allowing them to become the Zeo Rangers. It established the template for regular reinvention the franchise then followed for decades, and also proved that Power Rangers could evolve without abandoning its established heroes or mythology.
This significance means that, next to the Mighty Morphin era, Zeo is easily one of the most iconic versions of Power Rangers. Sadly, however, the franchise seems to have all but forgotten about the Zeo era, with regular returns to the MMPR team in comics and anniversary specials effectively pushing this key evolution aside. The problem is not that Mighty Morphin receives attention; it is that Zeo increasingly feels ignored whenever the franchise revisits its own history.
The Power Rangers Comics Keep Pretending Zeo Never Happened
For years, the Power Rangers comic books have been one of the franchise's most active and integral arms, particularly BOOM! Studios' hugely successful line. Yet, as expected from a franchise that remains heavily preoccupied with its roots, the core books have largely kept the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers team at the center. The 2016–2020 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, 2017–2020's Go Go Power Rangers, and 2024–2026's Power Rangers Prime all focused on the original era.
Even when BOOM! introduced Rangers from other eras or created entirely new characters, the Mighty Morphin Rangers remained central. That approach continues with the 2026 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers relaunch, which brings Jason, Zack, Kimberly, Trini, and Billy back together as adults.
There is nothing inherently wrong with that focus, especially when the Power Rangers comics have developed their own continuity rather than simply adapting the TV show. However, what’s frustrating is that these stories incorporate elements that should naturally lead toward Zeo, such as the Zeo crystal, yet never make the leap from MMPR to the Zeo team. The Zeo Crystal, in particular, represents an enormous narrative opportunity because it is directly connected to the Rangers' evolution beyond their original powers. Zeo Rangers like Tanya do appear in the comics, to clarify, but Zeo's direct connection to MMPR is more-or-less completely overlooked.
The comics could have used that transition to tell one of Power Rangers' most compelling stories: the original Rangers realizing that becoming the Zeo team means leaving their first identities behind. Instead, BOOM!'s comics have repeatedly found new ways to keep the characters within their Mighty Morphin era. The transition to Zeo is ignored, even when second-generation MMPR members like Rocky, Kat, and Adam are thrown into the mix. Mighty Morphin may be the most popular iteration of Power Rangers, but sidestepping Zeo means the comics are missing a golden narrative opportunity.
Power Rangers: Once And Always Ignored Zeo Too
The Power Rangers comics at least have an excuse for largely ignoring Zeo. BOOM!'s books are not direct adaptations of the TV show. They have their own timelines, mythology, and characters, meaning that their versions of the Rangers do not necessarily have to follow the same progression as their on-screen counterparts. For Zeo fans, that is still disappointing, but it is understandable when the comics are deliberately constructing their own version of Power Rangers.
The same cannot be said for 2023's Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always. The Netflix reunion featured three Rangers who began as Mighty Morphin members but later became part of the original Zeo lineup: Kat (Catherine Sutherland), Rocky (Steve Cardenas), and Adam (Johnny Yong Bosch). The special was always designed around the MMPR era, but it is still canon to Power Rangers’ TV continuity.
When the former Rangers took up Power Coins again in the 2023 reunion special, their time as Zeo Rangers should at least have been acknowledged. Instead, Once & Always never meaningfully addresses why these characters are returning to their oldest Ranger forms rather than using the Zeo powers they had subsequently gained. That is particularly strange because the Zeo powers were established as a significant upgrade to the original abilities granted by MMPR's Power Coin system.
The result makes Once & Always feel as though it is deliberately skipping an important part of Power Rangers history. The special's nostalgia is understandable, but the fact that this celebration of franchise history didn’t extend to at least making a verbal reference to the existence of Power Rangers Zeo was disappointing. Outside products such as new Playmates' Power Rangers Unlimited Collection line of action figures, which is giving Zeo its own spotlight, the wider Power Rangers franchise often seems determined to act as though the Mighty Morphin Rangers remained Mighty Morphin forever.
Video Game(s) Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Mega Battle, Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid, Saban's Power Rangers Megaforce, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind
First TV Show Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers
Created by Haim Saban, Shuki Levy, Shotaro Ishinomori
English (US) ·