So iconic was Rita's look that, outside of the 2017 Power Rangers movie, her aesthetic remained largely untouched for decades. Or that was the case at least until this year, when the latest live-action Power Rangers series arrived on YouTube. While it is not canon to the main show, Power Rangers X Ninja Kidz is officially licensed by Playmates, making its reinterpretation of the franchise worth noting. What’s more, since the planned Disney+ reboot was shelved, it’s currently the only officially endorsed new live-action Power Rangers series.
When Rita made her debut in Power Rangers X Ninja Kidz episode 2, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Trapped On Rafkon!, she arrived with an entirely new look. Gone are the large white hair cone and flowing robes. Instead, Lord Zedd is accompanied by a young sorceress with brown hair, body armor, and a purple skin suit. It is a shocking transformation, particularly for viewers raised on the original series, but one that completely fits the new direction Power Rangers X Ninja Kidz has chosen for the classic MMPR villain.
The Newest Power Rangers Show Has Reinvented Rita Repulsa
Rita Repulsa's new costume in Power Rangers X Ninja Kidz will certainly shock many fans who grew up with her classic look, but this is far from the biggest change to her character. Like the rest of the classic Mighty Morphin villains in the Ninja Kidz Power Rangers series, Rita has been repurposed from a borderline-campy, almost comedic foil into a genuine threat. It’s a significant transformation gives her a purpose beyond simply providing the Rangers with an endless supply of monsters to defeat.
As Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Trapped On Rafkon! reveals, Zedd, Rita, and their cohorts have successfully conquered Earth. With Zedd hiding his true form from news cameras, Rita has effectively become the spokesperson for the new alien regime. She stands alongside the disguised Emperor and directly addresses and manipulates the nations of the world, making her an active participant in the occupation of Earth rather than a distant commander flinging monsters from the safety of her base on the moon.
It is a genuinely menacing reimagining of a character who, in the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, had few tactics beyond getting Finster to create monsters which she’d inevitably have to embiggen after the Rangers defeated them. Turning Rita into a political and psychological mastermind is a great way to modernize the character without abandoning her fundamental role within Power Rangers' wider mythology.
It’s an approach that perfectly demonstrates how seriously Power Rangers X Ninja Kidz is treating its unusual position within the franchise. The series has attracted criticism for its use of generative AI, but its willingness to substantially rethink the lore of Power Rangers to tell an original story is being openly embraced. Rita's redesign is therefore more than a costume change; it signals an entirely different interpretation of one of Power Rangers' most recognizable villains for one of the franchise’s most inventive official projects in years.
The Power Rangers X Ninja Kidz Series Is Putting Its Own Spin On Classic Lore
Reinventing Rita Repulsa's look and personality is interesting enough on its own, but it is not the only surprise Power Rangers X Ninja Kidz has delivered. The project was initially expected to be a collection of standalone minisodes echoing the tone and structure of classic Mighty Morphin Power Rangers monster-of-the-week adventures. Instead, Ninja Kidz have used the mythology of MMPR as a sandbox for an original serialized story that completely reinterprets the canon.
Alongside Lord Zedd finally defeating the Rangers and taking over Earth, episode 2 reveals that the Rangers are scattered across the galaxy for their own safety and are living in hiding. Jason, Kimberly, and Trini have ended up on Rafkon, the home planet of Power Rangers Dino Fury's Zayto. The Dino Fury Red Ranger even appears as a child, creating an unexpected connection between two very different eras of the franchise.
The episode also brings Bulk, one half of MMPR’s beloved slapstick duo, into the story. Rather than simply serving as comic relief, however, Bulk has made his way to Rafkon too. He’s even taught himself the local language and become a protector of Zayto’s village. It is precisely the sort of unexpected reinterpretation that makes the Ninja Kidz series a bold reinterpretation of Power Rangers that’s worth paying attention to.
To say that the narrative direction of Power Rangers X Ninja Kidz is surpassing expectations is an understatement. The channel has revealed that each episode represents a single piece of an 80-minute story, meaning the full narrative could ultimately provide one of the most unusual live-action Power Rangers stories in years. This, combined with the fact that it’s an officially endorsed tie-in to promote Playmates' Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Reignition toyline, means the project has considerably more significance than its YouTube origins might suggest.
TV Show(s)
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers, Power Rangers Zeo, Power Rangers Turbo, Power Rangers In Space, Power Rangers Lost Galaxy, Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue, Power Rangers Time Force, Power Rangers Wild Force, Power Rangers Ninja Storm, Power Rangers Dino Thunder, Power Rangers S.P.D., Power Rangers Mystic Force, Power Rangers Operation Overdrive, Power Rangers Jungle Fury, Power Rangers RPM, Power Rangers Samurai, Power Rangers Megaforce, Power Rangers Dino Charge, Power Rangers Ninja Steel, Power Rangers Beast Morphers, Power Rangers Dino Fury, Power Rangers Cosmic Fury
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) ·