Back in 1993, the superhero action show Mighty Morphin Power Rangers premiered and suddenly took the world by storm. Fully embraced by an entire generation of kids, it quickly became common for kids to go to school sporting all kinds of Power Rangers merchandise. Amazingly enough, after the show initially became a sensation, the franchise has continued ever since then in one form or another.Even though the Power Rangers franchise has enjoyed a stunning amount of success over the years, that isn’t to say that everything it has touched has turned to gold. After all, there have been several controversies that have revolved around the Power Rangers franchise in one way or another including the time the original Red Ranger was arrested. However, that minor scandal is a footnote compared to the biggest controversies that have been connected to the Power Rangers.
6 The Cast Of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Had Accusations Of Racism
In the years since Mighty Morphin Power Rangers premiered, the original season has been accused of racism for two reasons. First off, some observers have claimed that Walter Emanuel Jones’ character Zack Taylor is stereotypical due to his love for hip hop and dancing. Secondly, the fact that the Black Ranger was played by a black actor and an Asian actor was cast as the Yellow Ranger has led to accusations of racism. In response to these accusations, Jones has defended his casting and written off allegations of racism revolving around his character. It has also been pointed out that the original actor who was cast as the Yellow Ranger was Hispanic but they were replaced and their character never appeared.
5 Why Three Of The Original Rangers Left The Show
Before Mighty Morphin Power Rangers originally premiered on television, there were a lot of reasons to think the show would fail. For example, all of the show’s original cast members were completely unknown at the time so there was no way they would attract an audience. Thankfully for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers’ producers, the show went on to be a huge success which resulted in the series stars becoming beloved. After realizing they were working long hours on a hit show, the original Rangers demanded pay raises or they would walk. After the show’s producers balked at their demands, Austin St. John, Walter Emanuel Jones, and Thuy Trang all followed through on their threat to quit. No wonder the original Power Rangers stars aren’t filthy rich today.
4 The Homophobia Directed At Blue Ranger David Yost
From 1993 until 1996, David Yost played the original Blue Ranger Billy Cranston. Unfortunately, instead of having a great time starring in a popular show, Yost’s time making Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was spent dealing with homophobia from the show’s crew and producers. While talking to NBC News in 2016, Yost explained how damaging the situation was to his mental state. “To have all these people saying things about me, it was very detrimental to my mental health and started to take a toll on me to the point that I became suicidal while I was on the show." Unfortunately, Yost is far from the last performer who has dealt with that kind of hate as Lil’ Nas X has also had a lot of homophobia directed at him.
3 Red Ranger Ricardo Medina Jr. Wound Up In Prison
In the year 2002, Ricardo Medina Jr. portrayed Cole Evans, the Red Wild Force Ranger, and then in 2011 and 2012, he brought Deker to life in Power Rangers Samurai. Given the fact that Medina Jr. returned to the Power Rangers franchise almost a decade after his first tenure, he clearly was in the series’ producers' good graces. However, if Medina Jr. ever hoped to return to the Power Rangers franchise again, he put an end to that possibility in 2015. After all, that was the years that Medina Jr. took his roommate Joshua Sutter’s life and while he initially claimed self-defense, he later pleads guilty to voluntary manslaughter. Ultimately, Medina Jr. was sentenced to six years behind bars and after serving time, he was released by 2020.
2 A Supposed Power Rangers Extra Committed A Ghastly Crime
According to Skylar Deleon, they were an uncredited extra in a Mighty Morphin Power Rangers episode titled “Second Chance”. While whether or not Deleon actually was a part of that episode is debated, the fact remains that people associate her with the show. Years after that episode aired, Skylar took the lives of three people in an extremely cruel fashion. Arrested for her crimes and put on trial, Deleon was found guilty and now sits on death row.
1 Red Ranger Pua Magasiva Abused His Wife
In 2003 and 2004, fans got to see Pua Magasiva bring the Red Wind Ranger, Shane Clarke, to life in Power Rangers Ninja Storm and Power Rangers Dino Thunder. After Magasiva left the Power Ranger franchise behind, most fans didn’t hear from him much until news of his passing hit the headlines. In May of 2019, Power Rangers fans were shocked to learn that Magasiva was no longer among the living and it was believed that he may have taken his own life. Months later, a gag order was lifted and it was revealed that before Magasiva passed away, he abused his wife throughout their marriage and forced her to keep his deeds a secret.