Summary
Katherine Hillard wasPower Rangers’ Kimberly replacement, and she did something that the original Pink Ranger was sadly never able to. Kimberly is one of the greatestPower Rangersof all time, having been part of the original series and defined the concept of “Pink Ranger” for an entire generation. Although Kimberly left the team before the end ofMMPR, she appeared in all three seasons of the show and returned for one of the movies. That said,Kimberly’sPower Rangershistorywas relatively short compared to other characters, at least in the TV show.
Kimberly’s finalPower Rangersepisodewas “A Different Shade Of Pink,” which marked Amy Jo Johnson’s final appearance in the TV show. The rest of theMighty Morphincrew now consisted of Tommy, Billy, Rocky, Aisha, and Adam, some of which would return forZeoandTurbo. Seeing the first- and second-generation Rangers move on without Kimberly was bittersweet, particularly Tommy. However, the legacy of the Pink Ranger was in good hands.Kat, the secondMighty MorphinPink, remained on the show from 1995 to 1997and made a name for herself during the rest of the Zordon era.
Power Rangers In Order: How To Watch Every Series Chronologically & By Release Date
From Mighty Morphin to Cosmic Fury, here is how to watch every Power Rangers TV show in order, both chronologically and by release date.
Kat Was Mighty Morphin Pink, Zeo Pink, And Turbo Pink
Unlike Kimberly, who only had one Power Ranger form throughout the story,Kat had three different sets of powers in the show.Kimberly was theMighty MorphinPink Ranger for almost three seasons, after which Amy Jo Johnson left the show. She was replaced with Katherine Hillard, played by Catherine Sutherland. Kimberly passing the torch to Kat was done with a lore of care and respect for the original Pink Ranger, which, unfortunately, had not been the case when the previous Red, Black, and Yellow Rangers left the show. Regardless, Kat’sPower Rangersjourney was only getting started.
Replacing one of the most iconic Power Rangers of all time was no easy feat for Kat.
MostPower Rangersseasons are standalone stories that introduce a new set of characters. However, up until Zordon died inPower Rangersin Space, this was not the case. Despite changing the name of the series and adapting footage from a differentSuper Sentai,Power RangersZeokept much of the cast ofMighty Morphinseason 3.Tommy, Rocky, Adam, and Kat joined Tanya as theZeoRangers, with Billy serving as the guy in the chair for the team. Now using footage fromOhrangerinstead ofZyuranger,Power Rangershad to make some adjustments regarding the colors.
Trey of Triforia/Jason
Zeo Gold Ranger
Tommy went from white to red, a significant moment for the character who had been leading thePower Rangersfor two seasons now. Rocky became the Blue Ranger as a result, whereas Adam went from black to green. However,Kat got to keep herMighty Morphincolorand became Zeo Ranger I Pink. WhenPower Rangersentered itsTurboera, the transition was seamless considering thatTurborangerused the same color scheme asOhranger. Kat was now theTurboPink Ranger, her third and finalPower Rangersform. She was then replaced with Cassie in the latter half of the show.
Kat Was A Great Replacement For Kimberly In Power Rangers
Replacing The Original Pink Ranger Was A Difficult Task
Replacing one of the most iconicPower Rangersof all time was no easy feat for Kat.Mighty Morphinhad already struggled to replace Jason, Zack, and Trini, even though Rocky, Adam, and Aisha made for great additions to the team. Kimberly, Billy, and Timmy were the only first-generation Rangers left on the show by season 3, which made the original Pink Ranger’s departure even more bittersweet. Fortunately, the show treated Kimberly’s exit with way more respect than when it bid farewell to the original Red, Black, and Yellow Rangers.Kat got to interact with Kimberlybefore becoming the new Pink Ranger.
The original Pink Ranger’s story was properly expanded in the comics through both main-line issues and standalone stories.
Kat’s introduction mirrored Tommy Oliver’s Green With Evil arc, during which Rita Repulsa turned Tommy into the evil Green Ranger and made him fight his friends. This time,Rita brainwashed Kat and used her to spy on the Power Rangers.Kat did not get to do a lot inMighty Morphinconsidering that the show was about to end, but she shined duringZeoand the first half ofTurbo. Kat was also inTurbo: A Power Rangers Movie, to this day the only canonPower Rangersfilm. Additionally, the nowTurboPink Ranger got to briefly fight a brainwashed Kim.
How Kat’s Power Rangers History Compares To Kimberly’s
Kimberly Appeared In More Episodes Than Kat
Kimberly appeared on 137 episodes ofMighty MorphinPower Rangers, with Amy Jo Johnson also reprising her role in theTurbomovie. While the original Pink Ranger technically appeared during “The Legendary Battle” andOnce & Always, she had her helmet on and no lines. Amy Jo Johnson also made a cameo inPower Rangers(2017) but as a citizen of Angel Groove instead of Kimberly. The original Pink Ranger’s story was properly expanded in the comics through both main-line issues and standalone stories. This includesPower Rangers:The Return, co-written by Johnson herself.
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Cosmic Fury
2023
Kat appeared in 94Power Rangersepisodes betweenMMPR,Zeo,Turbo, andSuper Ninja Steel, the last of which brought back legacy characters for a crossover episode. She was also the Pink Ranger inPower Rangers: Once & Always, a nostalgic love letter to the original show that also featured Billy, Zack, Rocky, Adam, and Aisha. It may seem contradictory that Kat, despite having been part of three different shows and two crossovers, had fewer appearances than Kim. However,Mighty Morphinhad 145 episodes, whereas all other seasons had 50 maximum.
Kimberly Or Kat: Who Was The Best Zordon-Era Pink?
Looking atMighty Morphinonly, there is no question that Kimberly was the best Pink Ranger. Kimberly established a legacy that would influence all other Pink Rangers in the franchise, including Kat. The fact thatKimberly remains so iconic 30 years laterdespite having only appeared inMMPRshows how impactful the character was. Additionally, the fact that Kimberly only used one Ranger form adds to her legacy as the definitive Pink Ranger. That said, Kat also had a very strong run and became synonymous with “Pink Ranger” after using that color in three seasons.
J.J. Oliver, Kat and Tommy’s son inPower Rangers, becomes the SPD Green Ranger in a standalone comic book calledPower Rangers: Soul of the Dragon. InPower Rangers: The Return, the events ofZeonever happened, and Tommy and Kimberly had a daughter called Olivia Hart.
Tommy had multiple Ranger colors; Rocky was red and blue; Adam was black and green, but Kat was always the Pink Ranger. It was a fortunate coincidence thatZeoandTurbohad pink as part of their color schemes, allowing Kat to retain herMighty Morphinform throughout most of the Zordon era. Kat’sPower Rangersstory also became intrinsically tied to Tommy’s, as they got married after the events ofDino Thunderand had a son, J.J. Oliver. Not having Kimberly inOnce & Alwayswas disappointing, but Kat’s return asMMPRPink was exciting.
Power Rangers Turbo
Cast
Power Rangers Turbo is the fifth season of the Power Rangers franchise, airing in 1997. The season follows the continuing adventures of the Turbo Rangers as they battle the evil space pirate Divatox and her sister, Rygog. Meanwhile, the Rangers face personal struggles and lineup changes as they work together to save the world from destruction.
