Over the course of its over 30-year history, the Power Rangers franchise has tackled dinosaurs, space, cars, ninjas, and more, and every one of those seasons has its legion of fans. One particular season of the long-running franchise made its debut 19 years ago today during the Disney era, and while it isn’t always mentioned with some of the other more mainstream series, it is one of the most underrated seasons in the franchise.
19 Years ago today, Power Rangers Mystic Force made its premiere on February 20, 2006, with the debut episode Broken Spell, and it was part of a two-episode premiere. Mystic Force introduced the world to a new group of Power Rangers set in a world brimming with fantasy and magical elements, immediately setting it apart from many of the previous iterations. It would also include a number of powerful characters outside of the main team, and coupled with a story full of rich lore and backstory, created a memorable season that didn’t get its due when it initially aired.
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Power Rangers Embraced Magic and Fantasy With Mystic Force
First off, let’s just praise Mystic Force for confirming that Rangers with capes are just aces. The superhero vibe was off the charts in terms of designs, and the Ranger suits still look slick all these years later. That’s especially true of the more powerful Rangers and allies like Udonna and Daggeron, and in addition to their awesome suits, the characters themselves were interesting as individuals and brought more welcome contrasts and conflicts to the core team’s dynamic.
Speaking of the team, Mystic Force’s core Ranger group included Red Mystic Ranger Nick Russell (Firass Dirani), Blue Mystic Ranger Madison Rocca (Melanie Vallejo), Yellow Mystic Ranger Chip Thorn (Nic Sampson), Pink Mystic Ranger Vida Rocca (Angie Diaz), and Green Mystic Ranger Xander Bly (Richard Brancatisano), and though there was a tendency to put more focus on the Red Ranger, the overall team still stands out and forms some unique dynamics and relationships throughout the season.
Then there’s the Zords, who once again embrace the fantastical elements and mix them up with more traditional Ranger Zord designs. That said, the Mystic Minotaur runs away with the win on that one, because it’s legitimately a green and black minotaur mech with a giant axe, and it absolutely rules. Even the Dragon Formation has the Zords forming into a warrior on a giant dragon, and it’s those sorts of elements that make this such a unique and imagination-filled season.
Those who want to dig into the lore will be rewarded with classic fantasy elements, though, through and through, Mystic Force still feels like a quintessential Power Rangers season. The battles can be epic at times, though the series does suffer from a cut budget in that respect. If it were given the same budget as Power Rangers S.P.D., that might not have been the case, but even with that drawback, the season holds all sorts of gems for someone looking for something a little different.
Power Rangers Mystic Force can be streamed in its entirety on Tubi.
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