Summary
Power Rangershas its own version of Skynet, and it led to aTerminator-style post-apocalyptic future. WhilePower Rangersis usually associated withMighty Morphin, there have multiple seasons since the original series ended in 1995.Power Rangerswould continue to follow the Angel Grove characters until 1998 whenZordon’s death led to the beginning of a new era for the show.Some of thebestPower Rangersseasonshad nothing to do withMMPRand took the saga in unexpected directions.
This includesPower Rangers R.P.M., which aired from March 7 to August 16, 2025. Similar to most of the seasons released afterIn Space,R.P.M.had little to no connections to the series that had come before it. AlthoughR.P.M.was eventually part of two crossovers –Clash of the Red Rangersand Dr. K’sBeast Morpherscameo – the series took place in a separate corner of thePower Rangersmultiverse. One of themost underratedPower Rangersseasons,R.P.M.gave the show its own post-apocalyptic future born from a war between humans and machines.
Power Rangers R.P.M. Gave The Show Its Own Version Of Terminator’s Skynet
Power Rangers R.P.M.’s Venjix is a sentient program that took over Earth
Power Rangers R.P.M.takes place in an alternate future where a computer program became sentientand took over the world. Venjix, which was created to be a computer virus that would help in military espionage, eventually infiltrated the internet and overruled most of the rule’s digital infrastructure. It is established inR.P.M.episode 1 that, a year after it became sentient, Venjix was controlling 37% of the world’s systems. That number only continued to grow, plus the virus became capable of creating other machines, including monster robots. Soon, Venjix had an army.
Dillon
Black
Ironically, Venjix was created by Dr. K, the scientist who would help Earth fight back by assembling ateam of Power Rangers. Funnily enough, Dr. K’s Ranger Operator program was already in development when Venjix served humanity, meaningthis artificial intelligence helped create the Power Rangersthat would one day fight its army. Although there are plenty of sci-fi stories about A.I.s taking over the world,R.P.M.has a lot of direct connections toTerminator. Even the way Venjix went from a military-made computer program to head of an army of robots mirrors Skynet’s story inTerminator.
Power Rangers R.P.M.’s Post-Apocalyptic World Made It Different From All Other Seasons
R.P.M. told a self-contained story that stood on its own
There is a reason whyR.P.M.takes place outside of the mainPower Rangerschronology.By settingR.P.M.aside fromPower Rangers’ usual timeline, the show was able to tell a post-apocalyptic storywhere the stakes were higher than they had ever been. Considering every newPower Rangersseason has a different motif, the idea of a doomed future where humanity would have to slowly reclaim Earth would not work in the main timeline. Additionally, nothing inTime ForceorSPD, both of which explored the future of thePower Rangerstimeline, suggested humanity once lost a war against machines.
R.P.M.marked the end of the Disney era, and while the show had seen better days, the 2009 season was a worthy conclusion to what was an overall positive phase of the franchise.
R.P.M.made the most of theSuper Sentaishowit was based on,Engine Sentai Go-onger.This was the firstPower Rangersshow to have a car motif since 1997, yetR.P.M.could not have been more different fromTurbo.The characters are all well-developed, Dr. K is a very unique Ranger mentor, and the dynamic between the team is great.R.P.M.was not the firstPower Rangersseason to ditch the franchise’s usual formula, but it is one of the best examples of how the show can try different things and still deliver something good.
R.P.M. Remains One Of Power Rangers’ Best Seasons 15 Years Later
R.P.M. is a forgotten Power Rangers gem
The early 2000s were very positive forPower Rangers, with series that went beyond Angel Grove and Zordon following the death of the originalPower Rangersmentor in 1998.Ninja Stormwas a particularly important turning point for the show as the first season was made entirely under Disney and shot in New Zealand. Although early plans forNinja Stormincluded making it aMighty Morphinlegacy sequel featuring a civil war between teams led by Tommy Oliver and Jason Lee Scott, it ended up being the first of many standalone seasons produced by Disney.
Why Power Rangers’ Newest Team Made Me Fall In Love With The Show Again
Power Rangers’ most recent team gave the show its best seasons in years, Dino Fury and Cosmic Fury, both of which combined nostalgia with new ideas.
R.P.M.marked the end of the Disney era, and while the show had seen better days, the 2009 season was a worthy conclusion to what was an overall positive phase of the franchise. Given how so manyPower Rangersseasons are about high school kids or young adults trying to balance their superheroes and personal lives, series likeR.P.M.will always stand out.R.P.M.is one of the mostmaturePower Rangersseasonsand works as a solid sci-fi show even for those who never watched any of the franchise’s shows.
Power Rangers R.P.M.
Cast
Power Rangers R.P.M. is the 17th season of the Power Rangers franchise, set in a dystopian future where the evil Venjix Computer Virus has taken over the world. The remnants of humanity have retreated to the domed city of Corinth, where a group of teenagers are recruited to become the Power Rangers RPM, tasked with defending the city from Venjix’s robotic armies and searching for a way to restore the planet.
