[[quoteright:350:http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Power_rangers_logo.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Now with more [[EverythingsBetterWithSpinning RPM]]!]]
[[caption-width-right:150:~~ActionAdventureHalfHourLong SpeculativeFiction~~]]

[[LongRunner Long-running]] children's action franchise composed largely of StockFootage from its Japanese counterpart, ''SuperSentai''.

In 1993, Haim Saban decided to do an American adaptation of the enormously popular ''Zyuranger''. This was after being unable to adapt ''[[ChoujinSentaiJetman Jetman]]'' (the prior year's sentai) to appeal to American children. [[CutAndPasteTranslation In a style not dissimilar to Macek's treatment]] of ''{{Robotech}}'', the action sequences from ''Zyuranger'' were intercut with new footage and a new storyline, producing ''Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers'', the first entry in the franchise's history.

The original story followed the adventures of five "teenagers with attitude", selected by an alien being called Zordon to fight his eternal enemy Rita Repulsa who was recently [[SealedEvilInACan released from containment.]] Naturally, she came with her own army of [[MonsterOfTheWeek Monsters of the Week]]. Zordon gave each teenager a TransformationTrinket to "morph" into costume as well as powerful HumongousMecha shaped like dinosaurs, called "Zords."

Starting with the second season, Rita was replaced by her superior, Lord Zedd, who also took with him most of her minions. To keep up with Zedd the Rangers upgraded their Zords. Saban commissioned new footage from Toei, ''SuperSentai'''s production company, and this footage helped keep things running during the end of season 1 and large portions of season 2. The new footage, featuring actors in ''Zyuranger'' costumes fighting new monsters, is collectively called ''Zyu2'' by Sentai fans.

After another Zord change, by the end of the third season, the producers were left stuck as far as the ''Zyuranger'' outfits went; Toei had charged them ''through the roof'' for ''Zyu2'', and they had run out of that footage a year and half prior anyways. Rather than risk losing too much money on commissioning new footage yet again, they decided to go with the easiest option: following the ''SuperSentai'' tradition of changing costumes each year. The last quarter of season three ran under the title ''Mighty Morphin' Alien Rangers'', and had the regular cast temporarily replaced by an alien team. Beginning in the fourth season they changed the title to ''Power Rangers Zeo'' (No more "Mighty Morphin") and with that the Rangers began changing the name, costumes and villains each season, while only doing a progressive rotation of actors.

It was not until the seventh season (''Power Rangers Lost Galaxy'') that they took the final step to replacing the entire cast (both heroes and villains) each year. Henceforth, each season would end with the entire team retiring, and the next season would begin with an unrelated group in a different city with a different set of powers with no direct conection to the previous series. In addition to keeping the show "fresh", this excused the writers to [[RecycledScript recycle]] {{Very Special Episode}}s. ("Red Ranger learns how to be a good leader," for example, is a plot which occurs around the third or fourth episode of every season.)

In most seasons, the HumongousMecha consists of five vehicles of similar design (Such as Dinosaurs, megaliths, rescue vehicles, etc.) that [[CombiningMecha combine into a single "Megazord,"]] often supplemented with additional auxilliary Zords. Expect the obligatory Blazing Sword. Due to time and footage constraints, a mecha battle will often consist of no more than "Zords summoned, Zords combined, finishing move." (Particularly in season 2, where footage from two different sources was being combined, and thus it was often impossible to show the MonsterOfTheWeek and the Megazord at the same time.)

Sometimes, American fight footage would be made. Either the "Zyu 2" footage ran out or it didn't feature certain monsters. In this footage, the Rangers fought putties or monsters originally featured in "Dairanger." The White Ranger, a character from "Dairanger," was introduced in the second season. The only way to show the core 5 Rangers and the White Ranger together was through new American footage.

While {{ratings}} dropped sharply after the third season, income from merchandising and the inherently low expense of composing a show from so much stock footage (though, these days, as much as half the action sequences are original) has kept the series alive for seventeen seasons.

While the available ''SuperSentai'' footage does constrain the show somewhat, massive changes can still be made: in ''Lightspeed Rescue'', an entirely US-made "Titanium Ranger" was added to the team, to follow the US franchise's tradition of adding a sixth ranger halfway through the season, since its counterpart, ''[=GoGoV=]'' did not include one. But the effects of this were obvious: MMPR's Green Ranger (whose counterpart was killed off), PRLR's Titanium Ranger, and ''Dino Thunder'''s White Ranger (whose counterpart was a villain until the end of the series) were constantly finding excuses not to be on-screen during fight scenes due to footage constraints.

As the years went on, more and more of the footage was US-produced. However, the first US-made mecha footage occurred in season 3, and was achieved using [[OffTheShelfFX off-the-shelf]] ''PowerRangers'' toys - any child who has ever been disappointed by how little their toy resembles its television counterpart will know exactly how convincing this was. This trend changed in ''Power Rangers SPD'', whose final episode featured an entirely original zord battle, though the visual style was considerably different from the footage in the rest of the series.

The extent to which each ''PowerRangers'' incarnation resembles its ''SuperSentai'' counterpart varies from season to season. In most cases, the general premise is preserved, but its interpretation is greatly changed. However, some series have closely followed the plots of their counterparts, even borrowing entire episodes (''Time Force'', and especially ''Wild Force''). In other cases, the original premise is all but discarded (''Lost Galaxy'''s setting was changed from a LostWorld-style forest to a space station. The season did well in the US before being ScrewedByTheNetwork, but when retranslated into Japanese, the series actually outperformed its counterpart ''Gingaman'' in Japan.)

In its eleventh season, the show was sold to Village Roadshow Productions, a Disney-owned company, which has produced the show ever since.

To date, the franchise has had the following incarnations:

(Seasons produced by Saban/MMPR Productions)
[[index]]
*Season 1: ''[[MightyMorphinPowerRangers Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers]]''[[/index]] (''[[KyoryuSentaiZyuranger Zyuranger]]'')
*Season 2: ''[[MightyMorphinPowerRangers Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers]]'' (''Zyu2'', ''[[GoseiSentaiDairanger Dairanger]]'' (Mecha and [[MonsterOfTheWeek Monsters Of The Week]] only))
*Season 3: ''[[MightyMorphinPowerRangers Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers]]'' (''Zyu2'', ''[[NinjaSentaiKakuranger Kakuranger]]'' (Mecha and [[MonsterOfTheWeek Monsters Of The Week]] only))
*Season 3: ''[[MightyMorphinPowerRangers Mighty Morphin' Alien Rangers]]'' (''[[NinjaSentaiKakuranger Kakuranger]]'')[[index]]
*Season 4: ''PowerRangersZeo''[[/index]] (''[[ChourikiSentaiOhranger Ohranger]]'')[[index]]
*Season 5: ''PowerRangersTurbo''[[/index]] (''[[GekisouSentaiCarranger Carranger]]'')[[index]]
*Season 6: ''PowerRangersInSpace''[[/index]] (''[[DenjiSentaiMegaranger Megaranger]]'')[[index]]
*Season 7: ''PowerRangersLostGalaxy''[[/index]] (''[[SeijuuSentaiGingaman Gingaman]]'')[[index]]
*Season 8: ''PowerRangersLightspeedRescue''[[/index]] (''[[RescueSentaiGoGoFive [=GoGoFive=]]]'')[[index]]
*Season 9: ''PowerRangersTimeForce''[[/index]] (''[[MiraiSentaiTimeranger Timeranger]]'')[[index]]

(Season produced by Disney/MMPR Productions)
*Season 10: ''PowerRangersWildForce''[[/index]] (''[[HyakujuuSentaiGaoranger Gaoranger]]'')[[index]]

(Seasons produced by Disney/Village Roadshow (Ranger Productions))
*Season 11: ''PowerRangersNinjaStorm''[[/index]] (''[[NinpuuSentaiHurricaneger Hurricaneger]]'')[[index]]
*Season 12: ''PowerRangersDinoThunder''[[/index]] (''[[BakuryuuSentaiAbaranger Abaranger]]'')[[index]]
*Season 13: ''PowerRangersSPD [[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Space Patrol Delta ]]
'' (''[[TokusouSentaiDekaranger Dekaranger]]'')[[index]]
*Season 14: ''PowerRangersMysticForce''[[/index]] (''[[MahouSentaiMagiranger Magiranger]]'')[[index]]
*Season 15: ''PowerRangersOperationOverdrive''[[/index]] (''[[GoGoSentaiBoukenger Boukenger]]'')[[index]]
*Season 16: ''PowerRangersJungleFury''[[/index]] (''[[JukenSentaiGekiranger Gekiranger]]'')[[index]]
*Season 17: ''PowerRangersRPM [[/folder]]

[[folder: Racing Performance Machines ]]
'' [[/index]](''[[{{EngineSentaiGo-onger}} Go-onger]]'')[[index]]
[[/index]]

Beginning with ''Lost Galaxy''[='s=] "To The Tenth Power" and lasting through ''SPD''[='s=] "History" and "Wormhole", it has been traditional to feature a "team-up" episode where the previous team is temporarily recommissioned to join forces with the current team. Within this timeframe, only ''Power Rangers Ninja Storm'' lacks such an episode. Also, ''Zeo'' had their own teamup in "Rangers of Two Worlds", and thanks to four of the characters being held over from ''Turbo'', ''In Space''[='s=] "True Blue To The Rescue" features the fifth Turbo Ranger joining up with the current team. The tenth and fifteenth anniversary episodes also had their own teamups; "Forever Red" united the Red Wild Force Ranger with nine previous Red Rangers and "Once A Ranger" brought back several popular non-Red Rangers. Whether or not "Forever Red" is part of the "official" continuity is a hotly-debated topic among fans (so much so that many relevant forums have an explicit ban on the topic).

The franchise spawned two feature films. ''Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: The Movie'' was a big-budget affair with entirely US-produced footage and extensive CGI, set as a NonSerialMovie in an AlternateContinuity between seasons 2 and 3. The second film, ''Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie'' had simply better production values than the TV series, and is within the regular continuity, setting up the premise of the ''Turbo'' season.

A list of deceased cast members can be found [[http://generationz.ipbfree.com/index.php?showtopic=136&st=0 here]].

And as a result of its longevity and literally several hundred actors involved with the franchise, there will be plenty of cases of HeyItsThatGuy as various actors go onto bigger things. An obscenely complete list can be found at [[http://afterthepower.blogspot.com/ After the Power Blogspot.]] Of particular note is the following: Amy Jo Johnson (Kimberly, the first pink ranger) has had several roles, including one on ''{{Felicity}}''. Johnny Yong Bosch (Adam, the second black ranger and Zeo green ranger) is very well known in the anime dubbing community, especially as Vash from ''{{Trigun}}'' and Ichigo from ''{{Bleach}}''. Archie Kao (Kai, Lost Galaxy blue ranger) is the AV tech guy on ''{{CSI}}''.

Unfortunately, there will not be a new 18th season airing in 2010. To make up for this, Disney will be airing a [[http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20091001006376&newsLang=en remastered version of the first season]] during that time.
-----
'''[[TropeNamers Tropes Named]]:'''
* MakeMyMonsterGrow (Every season except ''SPD'' (the criminals had HumongousMecha in that season).)
* ThePsychoRangers (from ''In Space'')
* RecruitTeenagersWithAttitude (The very first episode even!)
* RookieRedRanger
* SealedEvilInACan (used in ''Mighty Morphin'', ''Lightspeed Rescue'', ''Wild Force'', ''Mystic Force'', ''Operation Overdrive'', and ''Jungle Fury'')
* SixthRanger (Happens at least once, sometimes ''multiple times'' every season. In order: Green Ranger/White Ranger, Gold Ranger, Silver Ranger, Magna Defender, Titanium Ranger, Quantum Ranger, Lunar Wolf Ranger, Thunder Rangers and Samurai Ranger, White Dino Ranger and Triassic Ranger, Shadow Ranger and Omega Ranger, Solaris Knight, Mercury Ranger, Wolf Ranger and Rhino Ranger, Ranger Gold and Ranger Silver.)

-----
This show provides examples of the following tropes:
* AbortedArc (The implied relationship between Dimitria and Divatox, the Phantom Ranger, Kendrix and Leo's relationship in Lost Galaxy, due to Valerie Vernon's leukemia, and Devin being the Triassic Ranger, once the writers realized there was no away around the fact that Triassic Ranger was a Red Ranger power-up, rather than a separate SixthRanger)
* TheAce (Phantom Ranger, Shadow Ranger, most {{Sixth Ranger}}s before the footage runs out)
* ActingForTwo (Carol Hoyt as Divatox and Dimitria, Jason Faunt as Wes and Alex, Grant [=MacFarland=] as Sensei and Lothor. [[spoiler:The first pair are hinted to be twin sisters, the second pair are assumed by fandom to be a situation of IdenticalGrandson, though this was disputed by WordOfGod, and the third pair are 100% confirmed to be identical twin brothers.]])
**Also James Napier, who played Conner in ''Dino Thunder'', appears in the ''Ninja Storm'' finale as new student Eric. During the "Legacy of Power" retrospective, Conner mentions that Eric is his twin brother (and had already flunked out).
**Also, Katrina Devine. Having portrayed Marah, the bumbling niece of Lothor in ''Ninja Storm'', Devine returned in ''Dino Thunder'' as Cassidy Cornell. In the team-up between ''Ninja Storm'' and ''Dino Thunder'', Devine did double duty as both Marah and Cassidy, leading to the hilarious line, "Did you see that girl, she was so stunning. But I'm much prettier", uttered by both of them.
* ActionGirl (Jen, Katie, Taylor, Tori, Z, Syd, Vida. Technically, all of the girls fall under this, as they're all talented martial artists, either by training, AppliedPhlebotinum or magic, but these are some stand-outs.)
* AdaptationDecay and/or PragmaticAdaptation (Despite what some people think, ''SuperSentai'' is actually less serious then ''PowerRangers.'' SuperSentai is at its best when it was comical, PowerRangers when they are being dramatic.)
** This troper believes that it has something to do with pre-Zyuranger Sentai. Jetman is considered to be the best Super Sentai show, and it clearly has a dark, serious tone despite having some humor.
** While this troper thinks that's a bit of a generalisation when you consider that no Sentai or Power Rangers series is exactly the same. Each series has a different tone and feel, as well as different strengths and weaknesses (some do drama better than comedy and vice versa). Although I'd definitely agree that the way Power Rangers-haters paint Sentai as being very grimdark and serious all the time is most certainly incorrect.
* AfterTheEnd (''RPM'' especially. Implied in ''Lost Galaxy'' before it was retconned to the present day. The year 3000 of ''Time Force'' was also revealed to be this during its crossover with ''Wild Force''.)
* AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs (Nearly every GrandFinale, with only ''Zeo'' and ''Jungle Fury'' being spared some form of it - both because they went for an epic StormingTheCastle instead.)
* AllYourColorsCombined (Various attacks that use all five Rangers firing at once)
* AnachronicOrder (in chronological order: most seasons (set in the "present day" of when they aired, so 1992-2008), ''SPD'' (2025), and the home era of ''Time Force'' (3000 during the season proper, 3001 by the time they cross over with ''Wild Force''). We aren't sure where ''RPM'' fits into this, assuming it's even in the same continuity)
* AnAesop
* [[TokyoIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse Angel Grove Is The Center Of The Universe]] (As are its later series counterparts.)
* ArtShift - The most concise way to describe the shift from live-action to [[strike:puppets]][[PeopleInRubberSuits giant people in rubber suits]] that occurs OnceAnEpisode.
* AscendedFanboy (crops up from time to time since ''Ninja Storm'', though Justin of ''Turbo'' was the first)
* AssKickingPose
* AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever (OnceAnEpisode)
* [=~Autobots, Rock Out!~=]
* BadGuyBar (The Onyx Tavern, Piggy's)
* BarBrawl (Both Andros and [[spoiler: Karone]] get into one. [[spoiler:Like brother, like sister.]])
* BerserkButton (Don't refer to the Ranger suits as "spandex" in front of Dr. K - they're ''bio-armor''. Also, the Season 3 running gag of Rito calling Zedd "Ed.")
* BigBad (In order, Rita Repulsa, Lord Zedd, Master Vile, King Mondo, Prince Gasket, Divatox, Astronema, Scorpius, Trakeena, Captain Mutiny, Queen Bansheera, Ransik, Master Org, Mandilok, Lothor, Mesogog, Emperor Grumm, Dai Shi, Venjix. ''Mystic Force'' and ''Operation Overdrive'' replaced a single BigBad with a small group of primary villains.)
* BigDamnHeroes
* BlackAndWhiteMorality (For the most part, but not so much in ''Time Force'')
* BrokenBase (Primarily over which seasons are the best/good/bad/crap)
* ByThePowerOfGreyskull
* CaliforniaDoubling (Later, New Zealand doubling.)
** New Zealand doubling for California, no less.
* CallingYourAttacks (Gets increasingly more ridiculous with each series; sometimes you wonder if the writers are just ''incapable'' of coming up with decent attack names.)
** '''''[[LampshadeHanging "BATTLE CRY!"]]'''''
* CardCarryingVillain (Many villains described themselves as being 'evil' and against 'good,' and served evil itself.)
* CellPhone (''[[RecycledInSPACE In Space]]'' was the first legitimate usage of a cell phone as a [[TransformationTrinket morpher]], but more recent seasons use this more often)
* CharacterMagneticTeam (There's always at least one SixthRanger, but they've really been piling them on since ''Ninja Storm''. Partly because a lot of seasons start with reduced {{Power Trio}}s and have more room to expand.)
* ChromeChampion (Many {{Sixth Ranger}}s invoke this, though even the main ''Mighty Morphin'' Rangers got Metallic Armor in season 3. ''In Space''[='s=] Silver Ranger and ''RPM''[='s=] Gold and Silver Rangers are probably the shiniest, best examples.)
* CityOfAdventure
* ClipShow[=/=]RecapEpisode (One in every season starting with ''Lost Galaxy'', though earlier seasons occasionally had them too, especially shortly before or after a power switch in the ''Mighty Morphin'' to ''Zeo'' days)
* ColorCharacter (Oh so many. A common way for {{Sixth Ranger}}s to set themselves apart is to ''not'' have this kind of name.)
* ConservationOfNinjitsu
* ContinuityCreep (seasons are still mostly self-contained, but compare ''Mighty Morphin''[='s=] interchangeable [[MonsterOfTheWeek Monsters of the Week]] to, say, ''Operation Overdrive''[='s=] ongoing treasure hunt)
* [[CrowningMomentOfAwesomeLiveActionTV Crowning Moment Of Awesome]]
* CrowningMusicOfAwesome (The score (as well as the theme) by Ron Wasserman during ''Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers'' is still fondly remembered.)
** It was so awesome that Masaaki Endoh of JAMProject (who has also done, among other things, the ''[[BakuryuuSentaiAbaranger Abaranger]]'' theme) [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRsVwVQWP1U did his own cover]].
* CreatorProvincialism (Most of the [[CityOfAdventure Cities Of Adventure]] are based in California, and the rest also appear to be in the western US, and Corinth being an stand-in for Boston (''RPM''[='s=] first [=EP=]'s Eddie Guzelian's hometown.))
* DarkActionGirl (Scorpina, Archerina, Trakeena, Vypra, Toxica, Elsa, Morgana, Leelee, Miratrix, Camille, Tenaya 7/15)
* DarkMagicalGirl (Astronema, Nadira, Marah & Kapri)
* DarkerAndEdgier / LighterAndSofter (When compared to ''Sentai''. It depends heavily on the season. First five seasons were definately LighterAndSofter. Last few episodes of ''[[PowerRangersTurbo Turbo]]'', ''[[PowerRangersInSpace In Space]]'', ''[[PowerRangersLostGalaxy Lost Galaxy]]'', ''[[PowerRangersTimeForce Time Force]]'' and especially ''[[PowerRangersRPM RPM]]'' verge into the DarkerAndEdgier territory.)
** It can be difficult to compare the two, mostly because ''Power Rangers'' usually uses NeverSayDie while ''Super Sentai'' isn't confined by that. Compare how Burai left ''[[KyoryuSentaiZyuranger Zyuranger]]'' vs Tommy's version in ''MMPR''. And then compare ''RPM'' to ''Go-onger''.
* DiscardAndDraw (For the first few seasons of the American Power Rangers, the heroes would lose their powers and get new ones at the beginning of each series.)
* {{Discontinuity}} (People would argue this about entire seasons like ''Turbo,'' or individual episodes like ''Forever Red.'' But the one that most seem to agree was a FlashForward episode in ''Zeo'' that depicted Tommy and Kat married. It wasn't ever brought up in any later installments and it seemed like it never happened.)
* DorkAge / SeasonalRot (''Turbo'', which dropped '''every single character''' except Bulk, Skull and Lt. Stone by the mid-way point, replaced one with a CousinOliver and another with a TotallyRadical JonasQuinn, and suffered massive MoodWhiplash because the writers were trying for suspenseful story lines about Dimitria's missing twin and the Phantom Ranger, but the SuperSentai source footage was one big anniversary-special parody. Bruce Kalish's run on the show (''SPD'' through ''Jungle Fury'') is considered one as well)
* TheDragon (In order: Goldar and Scorpina, Rito Revolto, Elgar and Rygog (though, actually, the Turbo villains may qualify as a QuirkyMinibossSquad), Ecliptor, Villamax, Barbarax, Diabolico, Olympius, Frax, Zen-aku, Zurgane, Motodrone, Elsa and Zeltrax, Morgana, Koragg and Necrolai, Miratrix, Camille, Scorch, Tenaya 7, Generals Crunch and Shifter.)
* ElaborateUndergroundBase (''Zeo'', ''Turbo'', ''Dino Thunder'', and ''Operation Overdrive''. ''Lightspeed Rescue'' was an UnderwaterBase, but that's probably close enough.)
* EnsembleDarkhorse (Tommy wasn't even slated to return because his actor was set to star in his own show, ''VRTroopers''. But the character's popularity made the producers decide to bring him back as the White Ranger AND the leader of the Power Rangers, eventually being considered the greatest Ranger by the fandom).
** Adam has also become quite popular, with the fandom doing a collective squee when he showed up in "Once a Ranger."
** Bulk and Skull could probably qualify. They were entirely one-dimensional in the first season but got personalities and more screen time from the second season onward.
* EverythingFades ("Destroyed" villains explode, dissolve, etc. and on the very rare occasions that someone we're supposed to like is KilledOffForReal, it looks rather sparkly.)
* EvilIsSexy (Played with in the earlier seasons , but it wasn't until ''In Space''[='s=] Astronema that it took complete hold. Now every season there is at least one Sexy Evil Female who fights the good guys.)
* ExecutiveMeddling (Most famously in ''SPD'', where a gross mismanagement of budget- and executives not wanting a ''second'' SixthRanger despite him already being in the source footage- resulted in the Omega Ranger being a floating orb of light with a voice when unmorphed.)
** ''Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie'' was apparently almost three hours long in its original cut, and had better plotting such as an actual fight with Zeo Ranger powers [[TheWorfEffect to prove]] that the Rangers needed to [[SoLastSeason upgrade]] to ''Turbo''.
* ExpositoryThemeTune (Less common in the early seasons)
* FakeAmerican (From ''Ninja Storm'' onward, production took place in New Zealand, with mostly local actors trying their darnedest to pretend they didn't have Kiwi accents.)
** In ''RPM'', there's a fake ''Scotsman''. Also played by a kiwi.
* FanConvention: 2007's Power Morphicon
* FanNickname [[spoiler: ([=iMack=], for Mack Hartford of ''Operation Overdrive'', due to his nature as an ArtificialHuman)]]
* {{Fanon}} (After sixteen years and LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters, tons! One of the most "popular" in fanfiction is that original Yellow Ranger Trini, like the actress who portrayed her, died in a car crash.)
* {{Fanservice}} (Of the non-sexual kind; it's the only reason for the anniversary episodes "Forever Red" and "Once a Ranger".)
** Meanwhile, the exceptional number of {{Beach Episode}}s in both ''Mighty Morphin'' and ''Ninja Storm'' count in the normal way (at least ''Ninja Storm'' had an excuse, as Tori was a surfer). ''Lost Galaxy''[='s=] Yellow Ranger, Maya, also had a rather fanservicey outfit.
*** And Karone, the reformed Astronema, who had suddenly turned all [[MoeMoe simple and demure]] after missing out on her own childhood, is always wrapped up in a tight black leather outfit for no apparent reason.
**** Speaking of tight black leather, Jen in "Reinforcements From the Future". Oh my.
*** For the ladies [[HoYay or some guys]], a ShirtlessScene with Jason or Tommy (or both) was a common occurrence.
* FantasyHelmetEnforcement: While the helmets on their suits don't count, safety helmets are used alot to the point of FridgeLogic. ''Dino Thunder'' is a major offender.
* FetishFuel: Enough to warrant [[FetishFuel/PowerRangers its own entry.]]
* FirstInstallmentWins (''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers'' is by far the best remembered of all the incarnations, and is usually what comes to mind when one thinks of the Power Rangers.)
* FiveBadBand (Every few seasons would have something similar)
* FiveManBand (And [[FiveTokenBand ethnically balanced]] at that!)
* FollowTheLeader (Many, some of which are Saban's own attempts to repeat the same concept. ''VRTroopers'', ''BigBadBeetleborgs'' and ''MaskedRider''.)
* GiantMook (recent series' {{Mooks}} have had 'captain' versions that are stronger and a bit brighter.)
* GodzillaThreshold
* GondorCallsForAid (''Forever Red'' and ''Once A Ranger''. The ''in Space'' GrandFinale actually subverted it as various Rangers across various worlds was still not enough.)
* GoodIsDumb
* GrandFinale (Despite not being ''the actual finale'' for the show, ''Countdown to Destruction'' did manage to finish the storyline for the first six seasons. It probably would've been the finale had ''In Space'' not been a success.)
* GratuitousEnglish (In the ''SuperSentai'' footage)
* GreenLanternCorps (The growing number of Rangers eventually meant there were teams all over the place with different duties, although in this case "the place" is for the most part California, which may run out of {{Muggles}} in a few years at this rate. Or large metropolitan areas that haven't been used yet for bad guys to attack.( Which according to TheOtherWiki [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_in_California_%28by_population%29 wouldn't seem to be happening anytime soon.]]))
** There is a certain amount of FridgeLogic with some of the Reunion Shows especially when ranger powers weren't destroyed... if things got bad enough the current rangers could always call for support.
* GrowingTheBeard (Starting with ''Power Rangers in Space'', the stories grew much more well-developed.)
* GuiltyPleasure (It's not all bad! Really! Honest! Truly! Cross my heart!)
* HeadBob
* HeelFaceTurn (Most {{Sixth Ranger}}s are not aligned with the good guys at first, if not outright evil. A few {{Big Bad}}s have also made the turn.)
* HighlyConspicuousUniform
* HoYay (So many Red and Sixth Rangers especially in the earlier seasons. Three that stand out are: Tommy and Jason, who even had several "breakup" episodes; Andros and Zhane, where Andros treats the then-comatose Zhane in a manner suspiciously similar to how [[{{Batman}} Victor Fries did his comatose wife]]; and [[{{Foeyay}} Wes and Eric]], who acted like they had broken up a while back and were still bitter about it.)
* HumanAliens (all over the universe. Some of whom even ''call'' themselves humans, with no explanation.)
* HumongousMecha
** CombiningMecha
** AMechByAnyOtherName ("zords" / "megazords")
** MechaExpansionPack (the extra weapon zords in several seasons starting with ''Wild Force'', as well as the Zeo Megazord's alternate helmets)
** TransformingMecha
* IdenticalGrandson (Very nearly every TimeTravel story ever, becoming a plot point in ''Time Force''.)
* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming (between ''SPD'' and ''Jungle Fury''; every title had a specific number of words depending on the season)
* ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy
* ImprobableAge (Tommy "[[FanNickname swiss cheese memory]]" Oliver is implied to have gotten an 8 year [=PhD=] in 6 or less. Dana is a paramedic at age 18, and a full-fledged doctor less than a year later. Rose is a college professor at a similar age, but at least she's a [[TeenGenius genius]]! Dr. K created the RPM Ranger powers and is no older than 19...and then we find out her past, and suddenly her immense technological skills make more sense.)
* InstantExpert / UpgradeArtifact (Nearly every Ranger knows how to fight and pilot HumongousMecha once they use a morpher; though the fighting ability is often justified by training for some time before. Subverted by Billy, who could only fight ''while'' morphed, and Ziggy, where not even morphing helps.)
* {{Invocation}} (The transformation CatchPhrase, generally known as the "morphing call". May be ByThePowerOfGreyskull depending on the season, and often accompanied by InTheNameOfTheMoon and/or IAmHeroHearMeRoar.)
* JumpingTheShark (The moment in ''Mighty Morphin'' season 2 when Lord Zedd got married is typically cited. Other moments at which fans and ex-fans often say the show was RuinedFOREVER or [[DisContinuity truly ended]] included the arrival of [[DieForOurShip Katherine]] (Late season three), the end of the Zordon era (end of ''In Space''), the move to New Zealand (after ''Wild Force''), and the arrival of producer Bruce Kalish (''SPD'').)
* KeepCirculatingTheTapes (All of the seasons have been pulled from American television with the exception of ''RPM'', and even ''RPM'' is constantly pre-empted for half of the country. Not to mention that unless you are willing to buy foreign, the chances of buying Region 1 season boxsets are between zilch and none. Though ''Mighty Morphin'' is getting a new digitally remastered version (without all the accumulated edits due to changing sensibilities over the years?), which will be shown in ''RPM'''s place after it ends.)
* LargeHam
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters (considering they assemble an entirely new cast every season...)
* LukeIAmYourFather (often the LongLostSibling version: Andros and [[spoiler:Astronema]], Leo and [[spoiler:Magna Defender - sort of]], Dana and [[spoiler:Ryan]], Cam and [[spoiler:Lothor]], Trent and [[spoiler:Mesogog]], Nick and [[spoiler:both Koragg ''and'' Udonna]], Dillon and [[spoiler:Tenaya]].)
* MagicAIsMagicA (You can breathe in space and the moon has a temperate environment. People will scream DidNotDoTheResearch, but at least they are consistent.)
** And on that note, BatmanCanBreatheInSpace
* MaleGaze
* MemeticBadass (Tommy Oliver, the Green Ranger/White Ranger/Red Zeo Ranger/Red Turbo Ranger/Black Dino Ranger/you get the idea)
* MemeticMutation ("Who's Madison?", Ronny and her love of drills, Conner's excessive power-ups, "buttery", and of course "It's '''not''' spandex!". Each season gives at least one new meme to the fandom.)
* {{Mentors}}: (In order: Zordon, Dimitria, Captain Mitchell, Princess Shayla, Sensei Kanoi Watanabe, Tommy, Doggie Cruger, Udonna, Andrew Hartford, R.J, Dr. K)
* MerchandiseDriven (In addition to the action figures and mecha, each season now adds motorcycles, a "battlizer" armor, and, in a couple seasons, a semi truck "mobile command center" not present in the Japanese version to justify additional toys. ''Jungle Fury'' and ''RPM'' take it a step further, creating new Rangers based on extra zords and giving them as many toys as the original Rangers.)
** ArcticAction (Makes up the majority of the toyline; only a small sample makes it to the show. The new Rangers all get their own ArcticAction toys, of course, but the girls get shafted in this department.)
** OfficialCosplayGear
* MetaOrigin (The Morphin' Grid: hinted at in ''Mighty Morphin'', ''Dino Thunder'' and ''SPD'', confirmed in ''Operation Overdrive''. They finally define what it actually ''is'' in ''RPM''.)
* MilestoneCelebration ("Forever Red" (10 seasons), "Legacy of Power" (500 episodes), "Once A Ranger" (15 years))
* MisplacedWildlife (from the [[StockDinosaurs non-dinosaur Mastodon, Pterodactyl, Saber-Toothed Tiger]] and Dragonzord to sharks, penguins, and rhinos in the jungle)
* {{Monster of the Aesop}} (Some monsters had a tendency to be directly linked with whatever [[AnAesop Aesop]] the Rangers were learning)
* {{Monster of the Week}}
* {{Mooks}} and MechaMooks (In order: Putties, Tengas, Cogs, Piranhatrons, General Havoc's robotic guard, Quantrons, Stingwingers, Swabbies, Batlings, Cyclobots, Putrids, Kelzaks, Tyrannodrones and Triptoids, Krybots, Hideacs and Styxoids, Chillers and Lava Lizards, Rin Shi, and Grinders.)
* MookChivalry
* MoreDakka
* MostFanficWritersAreGirls
* MyKungFuIsStrongerThanYours
* MythologyGag (The ''RPM'' BigBad shares his name with the "Forever Red" baddie (possible connections between the two were ultimately {{Jossed}}).)
** Also: ''Dino Thunder''[='s=] "Lost and Found in Translation" consisted of our heroes watching an episode of ''Abaranger'', rewritten as a Japanese series based on their own adventures; and "The Missing Bone" showed a returning veteran's belongings as including props from various ''SuperSentai'' series. In ''SPD'', Sky's photos of his father in uniform are actually publicity shots from pre-PR ''SuperSentai'' series.
* {{Narm}}
* NeedsMoreLove (''Lightspeed Rescue'')
* NeverBringAKnifeToAFistFight
* NeverSayDie
* NightmareFuel (Season 2's Lord Zedd was an American creation and was much more intimidating compared to Rita. He had a voice and faceplate vaguely reminiscient of [[StarWars Darth Vader]] and you could see his muscle tone because he ''had no skin'', with various tubes moving some sort of fluid. He was so scary that after the first dozen episodes, they toned down his EvilOverlord personality into something more harmless.)
* {{Ninja}} (''Mighty Morphin'' season 3 and ''Ninja Storm'')
** HighlyVisibleNinja (Dillon said it best: "Nothing says 'covert' like red, blue, and yellow spandex.")
** '''[[MemeticMutation IT'S NOT SPANDEX!]]''' *cough*
* NoHuggingNoKissing
* NonSerialMovie (The first movie is out of continuity, as episodes 4-7 of Season 3 were designed to completely replace it. The second movie, however, is in continuity just fine, and slots in right before ''Turbo''[='s=] first episode)
* NoodleIncident (done with ''wars''. Throughout the various series extremely numerous references are made by various unrelated characters in unrelated seaons to significant battles 10,000 years ago and 3,000 years ago. Other than that, we got nothin' on 'em, There is also the slight matter of a mass de-powering sometime between Forever Red and Day of The Dino.)
* NotQuiteDead (a few major villains have had several "final" encounters. Bonus points if the villain is someone who resurfaced after having been thought dead before the season began.)
* OddlyNamedSequel
* OfficialCouple (Tommy and Kimberly, Tommy and Kat, Andros and Ashley, Joel and Ms. Fairweather, Jen and Wes, Tori and Blake, Cassidy and Devin, Leelee and Phineas, Udonna and Leanbow, Nick and Madison, Theo and Lily.)
* OneSteveLimit: Averted, maybe. It's how this whole Venjix thing got started anyway.
** Also averted with two Kats and a Katie. Incidentally, both "Kat"s are {{Punny Name}}s for the [[EverythingsCuterWithKittens same]] [[CatGirl reason]].
* OnlySoManyEquityMembers (Repeatedly since the move to New Zealand. Notably, Kelson Henderson has played or voiced the PluckyComicRelief character in every season between ''SPD'' and ''Jungle Fury''. Ironically, one reason the show features so many [[FakeBrit Fake Brits]] is to ''avoid'' hiring SAG actors.)
* OohMeAccentsSlipping (Like children running on a freshly waxed linoleum floor in stocking feet, from ''Ninja Storm'' on.)
** NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent (Xander; eventually handwaved as the character being a native Aussie.)
** Particularly amusing in ''RPM'', in which a New Zealand actor must try to maintain a ''Scottish'' accent. HillarityEnsues.
* OutrunTheFireball: Averted; rangers can be blown away by explosions that don't visibly touch them.
* PeopleInRubberSuits
* PlugNPlayFriends
* PortalNetwork (The Invisiportals in ''Dino Thunder'', and the wormholes in ''Turbo'', ''Lost Galaxy'' and ''SPD''.)
* PowerGivesYouWings (Various Zords get wings from allies or once upgraded)
* TheProblemWithLicensedGames (With 37 video games on various consoles/handhelds, PR surprisingly does a good job at averting this trope, but a few of those games definitely were stinkers)
* PunyEarthlings
* PutOnABus (Technically, everyone! But more traditional examples include Tommy (returned as a starring cast member for seasons 2-5 and season 12, guest spot in season 10), Trini, Zack and Jason (Jason returned midway through season 4, and had guest spots in the second movie and season 10), Kimberly (guest spot in second movie), Aisha, Billy, Rocky (guest spot in season five), Tommy (again...), Tanya, Kat and Adam (Adam has guest spots in seasons 6 and 15), Justin (guest spot in season six), Ryan (returns for finale). Kendrix is something between this and a DisneyDeath.)
* {{Ranger}}: Pretty inevitable for obvious reasons, though whether they really do suffer BadassDecay or not varies by season.
* RecapEpisode (Generally 2 per season. The only noteworthy one being ''Dino Thunder''[='s=] "Legacy of Power", which featured a compilation of clips from the entire franchise in honor of the show's 500th episode.)
* RecursiveImport: ''Power Rangers'' regularly gets dubbed back into Japanese, often with the voices of people who played their Japanese counterparts to begin with, and shown on Japanese TV. In at least one case (Lost Galaxy), the American season outperformed its source material in viewer ratings.
* [=~Recycled IN SPACE!~=] (''Power Rangers [-IN SPACE-]'', obviously, but most seasons amount to this)
* RecycledScript
* RedemptionEqualsDeath
* ReinventingTheTelephone (it's there, but justified or averted a surprising amount of the time if you think about it - earlier seasons were before cell phones were common, and in many later ones the morphers ''are'' phones)
* ReunionShow (a yearly tradition between ''Lost Galaxy'' and ''SPD'' (with the sole exception of ''Ninja Storm''), plus the Milestone episodes and a couple scattered ones in ''Zeo'' and ''in Space''.)
* RightHandVersusLeftHand (Sometimes the Rangers survive only because of bickering and backstabbing on the villains front.)
* TheScrappy (Justin Stewart is said to be the cause of ''Turbo''[='s=] unpopularity. Cole Evans from ''Wild Force''.)
* ScreamingWarrior (When they ''really'' feel like adapting the SuperSentai look and feel)
* [[ScrewedByTheNetwork Screwed By The Parent Company]] The show's gradual disappearance from cable, scheduling RPM where it can constantly be pre-empted and timeshifted. and the lack of full-season [=DVD=] sets in the US.
** At least it isn't on FOX anymore.
** FOX, at least, didn't treat it like OldShame!
* SculptedPhysique (The various series' monsters)
* SecretIdentity (in most series, but averted when the team is officially sponsored by the government (or in ''Operation Overdrive'', a private corporation))
* {{Sentai}} (considering the source material is titled ''Super'' Sentai...)
* SevenYearRule (the seasonal themes; recycled ones include dinosaurs, ninjas, animals and {{Cool Car}}s)
* [=~She's A Man In Japan~=] (The Yellow Ranger up to ''Wild Force''; occurrences of Yellow Ranger gender synchronicity prior to ''Wild Force'' was because it was a rare case of the SuperSentai show having two girls as well)
* ShonenUpgrade (of course)
* ShootTheShaggyDog: [[spoiler:(The basic premise of ''PowerRangersRPM'' made all the previous seasons successes, accompishments, and technological advances null and void.)]]
** It hasn't been established that [[spoiler:(''RPM'' takes place in the same continuity as the rest of the series.)]]
* TheSmurfettePrinciple (The show itself is not so bad about this, but good luck finding an action figure of one of the girls.)
* SnarkBait (One of the reasons to watch the show after you leave the target demographic. [[http://community.livejournal.com/prwp/ There's even a website for it.]] )
* SortingAlgorithmOfEvil
* SpandexLatexOrLeather (Spandex - no matter what Dr. K tells you.)
* SpecialEffectsFailure (The controversial change in design of the alien SPD members in ''Power Rangers SPD'' from their SuperSentai counterparts was heavily decried by fans as being inappropriate and too "Muppet-like" for the show.)
** Conversely, when the ''Jungle Fury'' finale used the animal costumes from Gekiranger wholesale without any changes whatsoever, [[BrokenBase many fans cried foul then too]], so YourMileageMayVary.
* SpotlightStealingSquad (most Red Rangers and some Sixth Rangers; ''RPM'' starts with Dillon and Ziggy taking time from the PowerTrio)
* StockFootage
* StormingTheCastle (on occasion, most notably ''Jungle Fury'''s GrandFinale)
* StrictlyFormula (it's gradually become less formulaic and more complex, but ''man'', those early episodes...)
* StuffBlowingUp (always there, but taken to extremes during Bruce Kalish's time on the series)
* SuperRobot
* SuperSentaiStance (considering this show ''comes'' from ''SuperSentai'', usage of the Stance is inevitable in most episodes)
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute (Mostly the early seasons when they would rotate actors mid-season. Katherine was a reformed [[TheMole mole]] and was much different then Kimberly, but when she became the second pink ranger she took over as a RomanticInterest for Tommy. Others did manage to stand out, most notably Adam when he came on board.)
* TasteTheRainbow (Multicolored spandex jokes aside; there's a Ranger team for just about every category that could fall under a young boy's RuleOfCool: dinosaur Rangers, ninja Rangers, car Rangers, beast Rangers, wizard Rangers, and so on and so on...)
* TaughtByExperience (almost ''ALL'' Power Rangers, but expecially the 'Red Rookies'.)
* ThemeNaming (Probably unintentional, but the first five Pink Rangers are, in order: Kimberly, Katherine, Cassie, Kendrix and Karone, although it seems the writers noticed this and have avoided K-or-C names since: the next Pinks were Dana, Jen, Syd, Vida and Rose. Of course, later ''Yellow'' Rangers include Katie, Kelsey, and Kira, while Kat Manx had brief stint as a ranger, too.)
* ThemeTable
* ThoseTwoGuys (Bulk & Skull, who incidently are the longest lasting cast members from Season 1 to Season 7, longer then any individual Power Ranger. Cassidy & Devin in ''Dino Thunder'' also fit this trope.)
** ThoseTwoBadGuys (Squatt and Baboo, Rito and (post-{{Badass Decay}}) Goldar, Jindrax and Toxica, Marah and Kapri, Zeltrax and Elsa)
* ThreeAmigos (''Ninja Storm'', ''Dino Thunder'', ''Jungle Fury'', and ''RPM'' start with these instead of {{Five Man Band}}s. They can also qualify as {{Power Trio}}s.)
** ThreePlusTwo (inevitable)
* TitleThemeTune (you will never see a season whose theme song does not constantly say the words "Power Rangers" in its lyrics)
* TokenTrio (''Ninja Storm'', ''Dino Thunder'', and ''Jungle Fury'', though ''Ninja Storm'' switched it up by having the minority male be the leader)
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl (Just for starters: Daredevil Kelsey and paramedic Dana, abrasive Air Force sergeant Taylor and gentle, borderline [[PuritySue Sueish]] TeamMom Alyssa, streetwise orphan Z and rich model/pop star Syd, outgoing Vida and shy Madison. Most seasons with this dynamic will have an episode where the girls, who are always best friends, disagree about something and get into an ''epic'' catfight before they learn AnAesop about how much they mean to each other. Wannabe rockstar Cassie and girly cheerleader Ashley, who started the "tradition," had two.)
* TransformationSequence (and how!)
* TransformationTrinket (the morphers)
* TropeMobile (Even ignoring the zords, there's still the Rangers' personal motorcycles and the occasional car - and in ''Ninja Storm'' and ''Dino Thunder'', Ranger-themed ''mack trucks''. And a ton more in the toys that never make it to the show.)
* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture (''SPD'' and ''RPM''. ''Lost Galaxy'' was supposed to be this, but it didn't stick.)
* UnCanceled (Twice, after ''Wild Force'' (which forced a change in shooting location and production companies) and after ''Jungle Fury'')
* UnflinchingWalk (Well, more like Unflinching Pose. Lots and lots of Unflinching Poses.)
* UnfortunateImplications (The original Black Ranger was black, and the original Yellow Ranger was Asian. Their replacements' races were flipped to preserve the FiveTokenBand, and the franchise didn't cast another black Black Ranger until ''Operation Overdrive''[='s=] Will. While we're on the subject, Will was a professional thief.)
** Three words. White Power. Ranger.
* TheVerse
* WakeUpGoToSchoolSaveTheWorld (most of the time. Averted in a few seasons when Ranger duties become part of a career)
* WeAreAsMayflies (particularly noticable. Aliens keep pretty quiet about how ''old'' they actually are, but Shayla still looked young after a 3000 year nap, Zordon was an old fogey when he was sealed in a pocket dimension 10,000 years ago, and the Sentinel Knight was already active and powerful when the continents were one, roughly ''250 million years ago''. Things get even more unfair when we see Thrax, a member of whatever long-lived species Rita and Zedd belonged to (10,000 years did nothing to them, age-wise) grow to full maturity within nine years. Its so pervasive that it was rather jarring to see non-humans that ''didn't'' live for pretty much ever in ''Mystic Force'', where they lived on a human timescale.)
* WhamEpisode ("Chase Into Space," "The Secret of the Locket.")
** Mack's [[TheReveal Reveal]] in ''Operation Overdrive'' as [[spoiler:a RidiculouslyHumanRobot]] was genuinely surprising and well-thought out.
* WhatTheFuAreYouDoing
* WhereDidTheyGetLasers (generally justified. Justifications include aliens, time travel, [[GovernmentConspiracy secret government programs]], [[AWizardDidIt magic]], and in at least one case, [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney funding]].)
** '''''[[CallingYourAttacks "LASERS!"]]'''''
* [[WhereTheHellIsSpringfield Where The Heck Is Angel Grove]]? (Subtly played with; Angel Grove, Mariner Bay, Blue Bay Harbor, Reefside, San Angeles, and Ocean Bluff are either confirmed or [[WordOfGod stated]] to be in California, Silver Hills in Washington state, Turtle Cove in Colorado, and Corinth in Massachussets (specifically, it's Boston). Newtech City and Briarwood are not known, but are somewhere in the west coast. Why Eric, who lives in Silver Hills, was able to write a speeding ticket for Taylor, who lives in Turtle Cove, is never addressed.)
* WinBackTheCrowd (Both ''in Space'' and ''RPM'', fan-favorites considered some of the franchise's best, which followed ''Turbo'' and Bruce Kalish's run, respectively, which... aren't.)
*WorldHalfEmpty: Think about it. For the 16 years from 1992 to 2008, there was only one year (2005) where the planet was ''not'' being either besieged by alien invaders or besieged by rebel forces, either way resulting in millions of dollars in property damage and presumably deaths. Fast forward to 2025- the evil aliens aren't invading from the outside anymore, they're hiding among immigrants, and the bad ones are still up to their old tricks of trying to take over- they're just entrenched now thanks to liberal immigration practices. Fast forward an unknown length of time, and Earth has finally fallen. Pretty much anyone who survived the past 40-some-odd years of nonstop attacks is now dead, save one city.
** The rest of the galaxy isn't much better- once the leader of all good guys kills himself to destroy the evil empire-ish thinggy, ''the very next year'' a massive criminal syndicate crawls out of the woodwork to take its place. By 2025, there's already a new evil empire. Its pretty much stated outright that the bad guys control most of the known universe (they all own several ''galaxies''), and given that their idea of "taking over" is often synonymous with "raze"...
* TheWorldIsAlwaysDoomed (Every week, every year, there WILL be a giant monster attack on a major metropolitan area on the West Coast of the United States. Guaranteed.)
* XanatosGambit

... And pretty much every other trope you see in kids' shows. This show has been [[HeyIsThatStillOn on for a LONG time]], but of course not half as long as the source series.
----
<<|IndexOverdosed|>>
<<|LongRunners|>>
<<|AmericanSeries|>>
<<|SpeculativeFictionSeries|>>
<<|TropeOverdosed|>>
<<|TheVerse|>>