When the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers premiered in the ’90s, the show immediately became a hit with fans around the globe, but when it came to the Pink Ranger’s costume, there were more than a few controversies surrounding it. And now, in a crossover comic event with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, this cosmetic controversy is directly called out!
The first Pink Ranger, Kimberly Hart, is an inaugural member of the Mighty Morphin iteration of the Power Rangers team and is known for her Power Bow weapon, pterodactyl Dinozord, and of course, iconic pink color scheme. Often argued as being a stereotypical “valley girl” when it comes to her characterization, Kimberly’s skirted Ranger costume has met with similar controversy in the past as Kimberly is the only person on the team with the design, despite the Yellow Ranger, Trini Kwan, also being female and not having one.
Pink Rangers Address A ’90s Skirt Controversy
A controversial look that’s still relevant enough to address in the second issue of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #2, by Ryan Parrott and Dan Mora, this series is everything Power Ranger and TMNT fans could hope for in a sequel crossover such as this. Taking on enemies from both franchises in an epic battle that does both justice, the Power Rangers and Turtles in a Half Shell “Powerbunga” into their battle attire, with Kimberly’s version of the Pink Ranger directly bringing up something that has been a hot topic of debate for quite some time within the Power Ranger community.
While fighting the TMNT villain, Slash, Kimberly addresses April O’Neill’s Pink Ranger look with the comment, “No skirt, huh? Controversial choice,” with April responding to Kimberly’s jest by saying, “Honestly, I didn’t even know it was an option.” Immediately turning this quick back and forth into a fun nod to the history of the Pink Ranger, Kimberly is the only one on the team with a skirt because in the original Japanese Super Sentai show — whose footage was repurposed to create Mighty Morphin’s scenes when the Power Rangers were in full costume — the Pink Ranger was the only woman on the team, thus the only one with a different design than the rest.
Skirt or No Skirt? That’s Always Been The Question
Subsequently, the Pink Ranger suffered from more than a few sexist tropes throughout the years and yet is also remembered as a beloved character for many — her skirt still acting as a contentious detail in future Ranger designs — all of which stemmed from a fashion choice that technically wasn’t even a choice when using the show’s original Japanese footage.
So while the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers brought the fan-favorite Kimberly Hart’s Pink Ranger to the masses, it also brought along a controversial ’90s costume that is still getting called out today!
