The 2000s were a very special period forPower Rangersand included a few of the show’s most iconic crossover episodes. While it is difficult to compete with “Forever Red” as thebestPower Rangerscrossover episode, the Red Ranger team-up was released in 2002 and celebrated the show’s first decade of stories.Power Rangerswould still see a lot of great moments in the 2000s, withthe “Disney Era” officially starting withNinja Stormin 2003 and ending in 2009 withR.P.M.
Wild Forcewas released under Disney, butNinja Stormwas the de facto start of this new era of the franchise. Despite the promise of more standalone series,Disney’sPower Rangersshowsdid not abandon the franchise’s crossover tradition. After not having any team-up episodes in 2003,Power Rangerscombined two of its best seasons in a fantastic crossover episode that has yet to be topped– “Thunder Storm.” The two-part episode was part ofDino Thunderand saw the return of multipleNinja Stormcharacters, including the Wind Rangers.
“Thunder Storm” Was The Definitive Crossover Of Disney’s Power Rangers
Ninja Storm And Dino Thunder Were The Faces Of The Disney Era
As the firstPower Rangersseason fully produced and distributed by Disney,Ninja Stormbecame the face of a new era for the franchise. Between the new filming locations – the show would now be shot in New Zealand – and the standalone approach to each season, the Disney era ofPower Rangershad a very distinct tone to it. Going fromWild Forceand the“Forever Red” crossoverto a truly standalone season led to a tonal whiplash, especially becauseNinja Stormdid not have a crossover episode.Regardless, the season was well-received.
Power Rangers’ Coolest Red Ranger Wasn’t Even Considered A Red Ranger Until One Year After His First Appearance
One of the coolest Red Rangers wasn’t even officially considered a Red Ranger for a while, yet he wrote his name in Power Rangers’ history anyway.
Ninja Stormwas a strong start forPower Rangers’ Disney era and was followed by an equally good if not better season,Dino Thunder. AlthoughDino Thunderwas still very much a standalone season like its predecessor, it did bring Jason David Frank back as Tommy Oliver. Not only that, but it had a two-part crossover withNinja Storm. “Thunder Storm” combined two of the best Disney-era seasons and delivered some great fights and one of the coolest morphing sequences inPower Rangershistory.
“Thunder Storm” Made Up For Ninja Storm’s Crossover That Never Happened
Ninja Storm Should Have Gotten A Crossover With Wild Force
As a new beginning forPower Rangersfollowing the show’s move to Disney, it made sense forNinja Stormnot to have a crossover episode. That doesn’t mean not having a crossover episode inNinja Stormwasn’t disappointing.Annual team-ups had become common inPower Rangersat that point, fromIn Spacehaving episodes to Adam and Justin toWild Forcebringing back theTime ForceRangers.Ninja Stormhad a very rich lore and worked just fine without crossovers, but knowing that those characters exist within a larger role is always fun.
ANinja StormandWild Forcecrossover would have likely been based onNinpu Sentai Hurricaneger vs. Gaoranger.
In “Thunder Storm,” which is set after the events ofNinja Storm, the Wind Rangers are put under a brainwashing spell by Lothor. The villain, who was defeated at the end ofNinja Storm, had escaped prison and captured the Wind Rangers’ sensei. Lothor commanded Shane, Tory, and Dustin to attack theDino ThunderRangers, which led to a classic “Ranger vs. Ranger” fight. Given that bothNinja StormandDino Thunderhad three core Rangers each, the matchup was perfect. In the second part, the full versions of both teams joined forces against the villains.
Ninja Storm & Dino Thunder Remain Two Of Power Rangers’ Best Seasons
Ninja Storm And Dino Thunder Were Both Excellent Seasons
More than 20 years after the premiers ofNinja StormandDino Thunder,Disney’s debut seasons remain two of the show’s best. Disney’s time withPower Rangershad good and bad things about it, but the quality of most of the seasons was undeniable. The civilian fights were particularly impressive during this era, with bothNinja StormandDino Thunderbeing great examples of it. The idea of giving the Rangers civilian powers was also interesting and set shows likeDino Thunderapart from their predecessors.
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Ninja StormandDino Thunderwere not the only standouts of the Disney era.Power RangersS.P.D.is also a fan-favorite season and includes a crossover with theDino ThunderRangers. R.P.M., while not as popular as S.P.D., is among the mostmaturePower Rangersseasonsand takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. Still, while other crossovers were produced during this time, “Thunder Storm” remained the bestPower Rangersteam-up episode of the Disney era.
Power Rangers Ninja Storm
Cast
Power Rangers Ninja Storm is a television series that follows the adventures of three teenage students, Shane, Tori, and Blake, who become the new generation of Power Rangers. Trained by Sensei Kanoi, they use their unique ninja skills to fight against the evil forces of Lothor, an alien warlord who seeks to conquer Earth.
Power Rangers Dino Thunder
Power Rangers Dino Thunder is a television series that premiered in 2004, serving as the 12th season of the Power Rangers franchise. The show follows three high school students who become superheroes known as the Dino Thunder Power Rangers, tasked with saving the world from the evil Dr. Tommy Oliver and his minions.
