30 Years Later, The Most Unlikely Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Team Remains the Franchise's Boldest Shake-Up

Power Rangers has done dinos, ninjas, animals, cars — you name it. But 30 years ago, the show saddled up and went full cowboy. On May 8, 1995, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers aired Part 1 of the two-parter 'Wild West Rangers,' and yes, it introduced an honest-to-goodness Old West Ranger team. How we got to spurs and morphers Kimberly gets knocked back to the year 1880. Unfortunately, she is not alone. Goldar, a bunch of Putty Patrollers, and the monster Needlenose make the trip too, aiming to wreck Angel Grove in the past so the future — and its Rangers — never happen. It’s a pretty clever villain plan, annoying as that is. Kimberly manages to reach Zordon, lays out the problem, and gets permission to use four Power Coins. The idea: build a temporary team in 1880 using local counterparts of her friends, then stop Goldar before the timeline gets torched. Meet the 1880 squad William, Rocko, Abraham, and Miss Alicia — Old West versions of Billy, Rocky, Adam, and Aisha — join Kimberly to form a frontier-flavored Ranger lineup. The suits keep the classic Ranger look but add neck bandanas for that Wild West touch. It’s both ridiculous and kind of great. Then there’s the White Stranger — essentially a cowboy Tommy dressed in head-to-toe white, topped with a white hat he somehow keeps on even during fight scenes. Does it actually work? After a few hiccups, Kimberly rallies the team, they morph up, and they manage to beat back Rita and Zedd’s forces, sending the bad guys packing to the present. Back in modern day, Billy finally pulls Kimberly home too. The episode tags out with a little wink: the White Stranger rides past a woman in a carriage who looks an awful lot like 1880 Kimberly. It’s a quick moment that makes you wonder if those two ever ended up crossing paths again.

30 Years Later, The Most Unlikely Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Team Remains the Franchise's Boldest Shake-Up

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