22 Years Ago, Two Power Rangers Villains Switched Sides — And It Changed the Franchise Forever

If you love a good heel-to-hero turn, Power Rangers has been doing it since the Green Ranger days. One of the best flip-flops hit during Ninja Storm, when two of the show’s nastiest rivals switched sides and made the team stronger. The four-part Return of Thunder arc kicked off on April 12, 2003 and turned the Thunder brothers from Wind Ranger wrecking balls into full-on allies.The setupWhen Ninja Storm gets rolling, the core team is constantly getting hammered by a second, meaner duo. And honestly, the bad guys are really good at being bad.Wind Rangers: Shane (Red Wind Ranger), Tori (Blue Wind Ranger), Dustin (Yellow Wind Ranger) Thunder Rangers: Hunter (Crimson Thunder Ranger) and Blake (Navy Thunder Ranger) Why the Thunder bros were out for bloodShort version: Lothor lied to them. He told Hunter and Blake that the Wind Rangers were responsible for their parents’ deaths. That cooked-in hatred is why they go so hard at the Wind team and nearly take out Sensei Watanabe at one point. They are relentless because they think they’re right.The crack in the armorThen the truth literally shows up. Hunter and Blake’s parents appear to them and say who really killed them: Lothor. Yes, it is very Power Rangers that ghostly parents have to drop the receipts, but it works.One more detour into chaosEven with that revelation, it’s not a clean turn. Choobo lays a trap, the brothers get yanked around, and they end up fighting each other while under the villain’s thumb. The Wind Rangers finally break through the brainwashing and free them, but it takes work.The turn that sticksOnce the fog lifts, Hunter and Blake realize the obvious: Lothor is the real enemy. They decide the only way to take him down is to team up with the Wind Rangers. From that point on, the Thunder Rangers become a vital, heavy-hitting part of the team. And it all starts with Return of Thunder—four episodes that take two of the franchise ’s best antagonists and lock in one of its strongest redemptions.

22 Years Ago, Two Power Rangers Villains Switched Sides — And It Changed the Franchise Forever

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