Mighty Morphine Power Rangers: 10 Best Lessons The Show Taught Us
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers still holds up as a noteworthy children's show loved by all generations. Fans who grew up with the series can agree that the show not only hypnotizes with its fight scenes, characters and monsters, but also teaches valuable lessons.
The show shares lessons about friendship, standing up for oneself, and never giving up. And these lessons don't come across as cheesy or forced, instead, they are expertly interwoven in the backstory of the episodes. Rewatching the show, die-hard fans might realize that certain lessons hit hard, even into adulthood.
10 Don't Let Failures Ruin You
Not everyone is perfect, certainly not the Rangers. On more than one occasion, the characters have failed, in the beginning, at stopping a monster. But instead of letting their failures get the best of them, they try to rise to the challenge and come up with new ways to fight back.
In "Green No More," Jason is filled with guilt over losing the Green Ranger powers. In the following episode, Jason's failure and guilt mess with his head and his ability to fight. It's only when Jason is faced with saving the Rangers that he realizes his previous failure doesn't define him. He instead uses it to push himself to succeed.
9 Game Addiction Isn't Healthy
In 1993, video games didn't have the same level of detail as they have now. But Mighty Morphin had one specific episode that talked about how spending endless hours on a video game isn't good for your health. "Rocky Just Wants to Have Fun" may have seemed like a comical and bizarre episode, but it had a valuable lesson.
Rocky gets too invested in a new video game that's delivered to the Juice Bar. Lord Zedd takes it a bit further and casts a spell on him that makes Rocky's fun game an obsession. Because of this, Rocky neglects all of his duties, from his homework and friends to saving Angel Grove. The lesson is clear, becoming too invested in a game isn't good and can make you forget about your responsibilities.
8 Everyone Is Welcome
It's an important lesson to teach young viewers that everyone is equal, no matter their race, ethnicity, or social standing. The show did a wonderful job at teaching this in season three with the episode, "Stop the Hate Monster." In this episode, Kimberly and Aisha want to join the Angels Girl Club. Kimberly gets in no problem, but they discover Aisha didn't make it.
It's discovered that the girls in charge didn't let Aisha in due to her family not having as much money as the other members. The episode goes further as Aisha is hurt by the truth, but her grandmother reassures her that she must hold her head high against people who ridicule others.
7 Trust & Stand By Your Friends
This lesson is a no-brainer, as it's the crux of what it means to be a Power Ranger. The Rangers wouldn't be able to save the world or stop Rita if it weren't for each other. Even outside their Ranger forms, they still have each other's backs. The best example is when Tommy was the evil Green Ranger. Having known Tommy for only a short while, the others still trusted him, even when he was under Rita's spell.
When Tommy faces Jason, Jason trusts his friend is not hurting him and realizes he's good enough to break Rita's spell. Another example is in "Stop the Hate Monster," when Kimberly learns the reason why Aisha wasn't included in the club, she quits. Kimberly values her friendship and standing by Aisha more than being a part of a group that ridicules others.
6 A Healthy Lifestyle Is Important
Trying to get children to eat healthier isn't always the easiest. So, what better way to convince them than by having Tommy teach them a valuable lesson? "Rita's Pita" is all about Tommy trying to show a friend that having a balanced and healthy lifestyle is good for the body and mind. There's also a small lesson here about not being a hypocrite.
Tommy teaches one of his students that ordering a healthy meal is better than a cheeseburger and fries. Fatty and greasy food only causes the mind to become hazy and the body to not work at its full capacity. When Tommy is infected by Rita's monster, he becomes a hypocrite and eats unhealthy food non-stop. The episode taught viewers that one should stay true to their teachings and resist junk food temptation, even if it's difficult.
5 Pollution Is Bad
It's best to instill valuable morals and ethics into viewers while they're still young. Fans who are now adults are more than aware of how important it is to not pollute and maintain the Earth. Mighty Morphin had an episode that was dedicated to teaching about protecting the environment. "Clean-Up Club" starts with Trini showing a video warning that polluting will only destroy nature's delicate balance and hurt the animals.
The Rangers have a solution and form a club to help pick up the trash, recycling, and garbage that liters Angel Grove. Their efforts inspire others to help, as well. The episode also shows that cleaning up should be taken seriously, as Bulk pretends to help to look good, but only causes more garbage to litter the Youth Center.
4 Powers Aren't Everything
Just because the Rangers have the powers of the Power Coins, doesn't mean that they're invincible. The show does a good job at teaching that having powers isn't everything and that being a strong and good person, in general, is better. The morphers give the Rangers a certain added level of power, but without them, they still need to hold their own.
In one episode, Tommy goes head to head against Goldar to retrieved a dangerous bomb. The problem is that Tommy doesn't have his powers. But even without them, Tommy manages to defeat Goldar on his own. Viewers also learn that the Rangers are heroes not because of their powers, but because they believe in doing what's right.
3 Face Your Fears
Facing your fears is hard to do at any age. Mustering the courage to kill a cockroach or jump out of a plane is terrifying. For fans of Mighty Morphin, there were many occasions where the show taught its viewers that one must face their fears, head-on. In season 3, Kimberly is faced with the fear of committing to going to Paris with her mother, who will remarry.
Rita even makes Kimberly her own monster that feeds on her fear. By the end, Zordon tells Kimberly that the only way to win is by overcoming her fears. She must think only about what's best for her and her family. The same goes in another episode when Zack must overcome his fear of bugs.
2 Don't Let Bullies Win & Be Kind
Bulk and Skull are the resident bullies in the show. Sometimes they're taken seriously and others time are a bit of a joke. There were a couple of episodes where viewers learned that bullies should never win. In season 1, Billy gets bullied by Bulk and Skull for his inability to defend himself and his intellect.
Billy decides to not let them get the better of him and asks Jason to teach him martial arts. In "Green No More," five new teens try to become the new bullies of the school, but Tommy tries to be friends, regardless. By the end of Part 2 of the episode, Tommy and the Rangers decide these bullies just need some friends and treat them like everyone else.
1 Teamwork Makes The Dream Work
The Rangers wouldn't be where they are if they didn't use teamwork. It's a valuable lesson to learn that works no matter what age. Whether it's students working on a group project or adults having to work with their co-workers, the lesson of teamwork is seen many times in the show.
In season 1, Jason and Tommy struggle to cooperate as they take part in a martial arts contest. They have to fight in unison and the two characters can't seem to get in sync. When Rita gives them a new challenge, Jason and Tommy once again butt heads in using two pieces of a map to find new weapons. They soon realize that working as a team is the only way to succeed.
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