Since Power Rangers first premiered in 1993, there have been more than 20 different Yellow Rangers, some good guys, and some bad guys. The Power Rangers franchise began with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers in Angel Grove and has returned to that city several times, including in the 30th anniversary special Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always. Though the color is usually one of the primary colors associated with Power Rangers teams, some of them don’t have a Yellow Ranger, like the 2021-22 Dino Fury season.
The Yellow Rangers aren’t often team leaders, but supporting players, always there when their teammates need someone to lean on, and they are often brawlers of fighters, armed with weapons like daggers or axes instead of those made for distance. Beginning with the original version of Trini in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and going all the way up to the most recent series, every Yellow Power Ranger in live-action can be ranked by their power, skill, and likability.
Tideus (Alien Rangers)
The very first male Yellow Ranger for U.S. audiences, despite most of the Super Sentai in the various Japanese series being male, Tideus (Jim Gray) made his debut when the Power Rangers needed a little help from a surprising source. Zordon called on the Rangers of the planet Aquitar to come and bail the Mighty Morphin team out of trouble. While the Power Rangers the audience already knew couldn’t use their powers, the writers expanded the world to indicate that similar teams with abilities existed elsewhere in the universe, enriching the mythology of the franchise.
Physically speaking, Tideus was the strongest of his team, but that didn’t stop him from having the same anatomical liabilities that the Aquitians had -- a need for water. The entire team had a difficult time withstanding a fight that wasn’t on their home planet because they needed fresh water to energize them in extremely large quantities. While this led to a lot of Power Rangers episodes that featured the beach and lakes, it ultimately meant that Tideus had an easy weakness to exploit compared to every other Yellow Power Ranger.
Psycho Yellow (In Space)
Typically, the evil versions of Power Rangers aren’t considered “real” Rangers because they’re borrowing a mirrored version of the power of the original Rangers. Most seasons of Power Rangers have some sort of evil version of the team, whether it’s transformed Putties in the first season, or actual teenagers under a spell in another. The Psycho Rangers were different though because they were created by Astronema to stand on their own and siphon power from Dark Spectre as they fought the In Space team.
The Yellow Ranger wasn’t the strongest of the bunch, and really, didn’t make much of an impression on the audience compared to others. While the Yellow Psycho Ranger could hold her own against the Yellow In Space Ranger, she couldn’t keep up against the other Rangers as her skills were uniquely tuned to combat just that one Ranger.
Ashley Hammond (Turbo/In Space)
Though Ashley (Tracy Lynn Cruz) proved herself in Power Rangers Turbo before she was actually given abilities, it was after becoming a Ranger that things went a little downhill for her. While she was so committed to the cause that she, along with three of the other Turbo Rangers, left Earth to search for Zordon during the events of In Space, she was the Ranger on both teams who was most easily distracted by one thing: boys.
As a Turbo Ranger, she allowed herself to get so caught up with a new boy in school that she and her Pink Ranger teammate constantly fought over him, even almost losing a battle against a monster because of their infighting. In Space saw her frequently distracted by her relationship with the Red Ranger, and she even ends up getting captured and impersonated by Astronema as a result. Ashley’s heart might have been in the right place with her desire to help people, but her own feelings repeatedly got in the way, and frankly, she wasn't the most progressive character.
Calvin Maxwell (Ninja Steel)
Confident in his mechanical abilities, Calvin (Nico Greetham) was introduced as the love interest of one of the other Power Rangers before he actually became the Yellow Ranger. He knew exactly what he was doing when it comes to cars, but maybe not so much when it comes to his Ranger duties, but that’s okay because he was brand new and had to adjust to the new life very quickly.
Calvin was the first male Yellow Ranger in more than 10 years when he debuted. The series usually elected to put a female character in the Yellow costume. Out of every Yellow Power Ranger, only four have been male. He's not a standout, but he's a great supporting player, willing to do anything for his teammates.
Kelsey Winslow (Lightspeed Rescue)
An adrenaline junkie who's quick to rush into danger, Kelsey (Sasha Craig) was the Yellow Ranger on the first team whose identities were known to the public from the beginning of their series. The stars of Lightspeed Rescue were more like a group of government employees, civil servants who were responsible for protecting the world from larger threats.
Kelsey was a decent enough fighter -- in fact, she outlasted the Red Ranger on her team in many one-on-one fights with monsters over the course of the season. It’s her love for an adrenaline rush that got her in trouble, though. Kelsey had a love for extreme sports and a strong nose for danger, and that’s even what got her recruited for the Power Rangers. She’s in the middle of a treacherous climb up the side of a mountain when she’s initially tracked down. This meant that she was often the first one running into danger, and like a lot of the members of the team during her season, she often didn’t take anyone’s advice or opinions into account when she did. She was nearly always on her rollerblades when out of uniform, almost getting herself seriously injured on several occasions when she wasn’t even on duty!
Ronny Robinson (Operation Overdrive)
The incredibly optimistic Ronny (Caitlin Murphy) wasn’t someone who ever thought she’d be a superhero, but once she was, she never gave up. A race car driver before she was tapped as a Power Ranger, Ronny loved getting to use the Overdrive vehicles. Considering she essentially had a bulldozer for her zord, it’s a little different from the cars she was used to driving. Unlike a lot of the earlier Power Rangers, Ronny had a genetic skill that gave her a bit of an edge over some of her enemies -- super speed. It’s a fitting ability for someone who likes to move fast, though the audience never finds out what exactly her top speed is.
If Ronny had one downfall as a Power Ranger, it was her competitive nature. It’s no surprise that someone who is used to racing for a living would always want to be the best, but that could get in the way of her contributing to a unified team. When she first began her time as the Yellow Ranger, she was constantly trying to find ways to one-up her teammates. It’s not until they find a way to show her that winning isn’t everything that she starts to mellow out a little bit.
Summer Landsdown (RPM)
Long before Rose McIver was playing a zombie who could solve crimes over on The CW, she was saving the day as a Power Ranger, specifically as Summer, operator of the Bear Crawler in Power Rangers RPM.
Her upbringing made Summer the farthest thing from a Power Ranger when the series began, and that’s where her faults come in. Despite her possessing some seriously impressive martial arts skills, she lived a life of wealth and privilege before the Venjix minions attacked. Spoiled and selfish, she didn’t consider how other people were affected until her friends and family abandoned her and only her butler was there to save her life. It was her self-sacrificing butler that got her to turn over a new leaf.
Summer’s old selfishness sometimes resurfaced, but she also overcompensated by being too trusting of those she first met. Sometimes, her instincts were spot on, like when she gained the Rangers a new teammate, but other times, she missed the mark, putting her team in danger. Still, she was a solid Ranger in her own right.
Emily (Samurai)
The only Yellow Power Ranger to appear unmasked in the Super Megaforce team-up episode “The Legendary Battle,” Emily (Brittany Anne Pirtle) was a clear fan favorite. She showed a lot of determination and adaptability as a Ranger, especially considering that she was never even supposed to be one!
Emily only became a Samurai Ranger because her sister, who was supposed to take on the role, fell gravely ill. Emily’s loyalty to her family had her wanting to make her sister proud and do the best job she can, but being a Samurai Ranger wasn’t something she ever prepared for, leading to a fish-out-of-water situation for her. She did her best to adapt, but with her sweet disposition and naïveté, she wasn’t necessarily the best person for the job.
That being said, Emily did prove on more than one occasion that she was a formidable force for good, especially when she had to take on monsters on her own when the rest of the team was compromised!
Kira Ford (Dino Thunder)
A talented singer, Kira (Emma Lahana) was one of many Power Rangers who pursued a career as a musician. Unlike many of those other Power Rangers, however, the Yellow Dino Thunder Ranger also used her vocal cords as part of her skill set in a fight. One of her specialized abilities was the Ptera Scream, a Black Canary-like sonic scream that flattens anything in front of her and damages the hearing of the monsters she aims it at.
Her fierce determination and ability to wield that scream got her noticed by other teams as well. Kira was the only Yellow Ranger to be tapped to team up with Power Rangers from other teams without her own teammates to back her up. Every other Yellow Power Ranger tends to get passed over in team-up situations. Not only did she get brought to the future to assist the SPD Rangers, but she also assisted the Operation Overdrive Rangers. It’s rare for any Ranger to end up assisting more than one group of Power Rangers. In fact, the only other ones who do are Tommy Oliver (Jason David Frank) and Adam Park (Johnny Yong Bosch) from the Mighty Morphin era, both of whom Kira worked with.
Dustin Brooks (Ninja Storm)
If a Power Rangers fan became a Power Ranger, the result would likely be Dustin Brooks (Glen McMillan), who served as the Ninja Storm Yellow Ranger. Dustin had a deep love for comic books and Power Rangers lore. When everyone else thought the heroes were simply an urban legend, Dustin stood as a true believer. But just because Justin believed in Ranger lore didn’t mean he was the best equipped to strap on a pair of tights, however.
As the series began, Dustin was ranked at the bottom of his class at the ninja academy. He was also incredibly gullible and easily tricked. Considering he was only one of three students not captured at the academy, though, pickings were pretty slim in terms of who could suit up as a Ninja Storm Ranger, so he ended up getting the nod.
As the season progressed, Dustin gained better control of his abilities, and his trust in people outside the team wasn’t entirely misplaced, as it gained the Rangers a few allies. He still had a few missteps, like believing their enemy’s daughter had actually turned over a new leaf, but his wanting to believe the best in people made him a better Ranger in the long run. When the team’s mission was complete, he even became an instructor at his former academy to help guide the next generation.
Lily Chillman (Jungle Fury)
Sweet as can be and incredibly protective of her friends, having a cheetah as her jungle spirit almost seemed like too fierce of an animal for Lily (Anna Hutchison). But it didn’t take long for the audience to realize that sweetness can line steel, as Lily was one of the toughest Power Rangers out there.
In addition to channeling the strength and speed of a cheetah as the Yellow Ranger, Lily was up for anything. She was outgoing, confident, and a cheerleader outside of her Ranger duties. One jungle spirit wasn’t enough for her, either. Master Phant, who appeared to be a former Green Ranger with his mastery of the green Elephant Spirit, taught her how to use his preferred weapon -- the mace -- and call upon the Elephant in battle, making her double the trouble for her enemies.
Zoey Reeves (Beast Morphers)
Zoey (Jacquelune Scislowski) wasn’t supposed to be a Power Ranger. In fact, she was released from the training program, but she vowed to do whatever she could to help the team. That meant that when there wasn’t a team created, but the world was in danger, she ran toward the problem instead of away from it and earned herself a spot on the Beast Morpher team.
Zoey was unique among the Yellow Power Rangers because she wasn’t chosen for the job by one of the mentors or former team members, but took on the responsibility of saving the world because no one else would. That alone makes her a pretty great Ranger regardless of her skill level. She was also willing to give up her place on the team when the original person chosen was able to fight again. As a Ranger, she had one unique skill among Rangers as well: superhuman jumping ability thanks to her DNA being fused with a jackrabbit. That’s a useful skill to dodge enemies.
Minh Kwan (Once & Always Anniversary Special)
Minh Kwan (Charlie Kersh) didn’t have the benefit of an entire season of the audience getting to know her unlike every other Yellow Power Ranger. The teenage daughter of original Yellow Ranger Trini, Minh was introduced in the 30th anniversary special Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always. She only learned of her mother’s legacy as a Power Ranger when her mother sacrificed herself to save another Ranger in a fight. Minh immediately sought “justice” and trained on her own time to avenge her mother.
It took time, but Minh learned that justice and revenge were very different, and she followed in her mother’s footsteps, wanting to help others before she actually had her own connection to the Morphin Grid. She had the same fighting style as her mother, learning Praying Mantis Kung Fu, and a lot of the same instincts as her mother, saving civilians despite not having any power herself. It’s once she learned to be selfless that Trini’s old morpher chose to share its connection to the Morphing Grid, making Minh the Mighty Morphin Yellow Ranger in 2023. With little experience, and only stories about her mother to go on, she managed to work flawlessly with her mother’s old teammates to save the world.
Aisha Campbell (Mighty Morphin)
The second Yellow Ranger under the Mighty Morphin banner, Aisha (Karan Ashley) took over for Trini in the middle of season two. Before even joining the superheroic squad, Aisha, along with her friends Adam and Rocky, were already accomplished martial artists, competing in tournaments on behalf of the neighboring school Stone Canyon. The trio also helped the existing Power Rangers take on Putties in the park, and even went up against full-on monsters on more than one occasion before they were selected to become the new Rangers.
Once becoming a Power Ranger, Aisha wasn’t just concerned with the safety of Angel Grove when it came to the dangers of Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd, either. She became the fire safety captain at Angel Grove high school, teaching her classmates how a simple household mistake like overloading a circuit could put them in danger. She was also very community conscious, organizing clean up drives and volunteering at an animal shelter. But in the end, this desire to help actually ended up taking her away from her superhero duties.
Ultimately, while on the hunt for her piece of the zeo crystal, she opted to stay in a small community on the African continent to help researchers find out what was going on with the sick animals instead of returning to her Power Ranger duties, sending someone else back in her place.
Chip Thorn (Mystic Force)
Like Dustin in Ninja Storm before him, Chip (Nic Sampson) was a lover of the magical and the mystical long before he found out he was going to be a Power Ranger. Though in this case, Chip wasn’t a fan of the Power Rangers specifically, but of fairy tales and magical beings. Finding out he was a Power Ranger who could use magic was exactly the kind of news Chip was looking for.
Chip might not always have had the best grip on reality as a result of his love for all things magical, and that didn’t always serve him well, since it made him easily distracted. What did serve him well in his role as a Power Ranger was his sense of loyalty. There’s not much he wouldn’t do for his teammates, even if one of them was turned into a vampire, which he proved when Vida found herself in that position. Chip was always willing to go to bat (mild pun intended) for his friends and his team, no matter what the consequences were.
Z Delgado (SPD)
This Ranger was very different from every Yellow Power Ranger before her. Z (Monica May) was actually a thief before strapping a yellow morpher to her wrist. In the SPD version of the series, the Power Rangers were law enforcement officers, keeping people in their city in line. Z was one of the thieves pursued by the Pink, Blue, and Green Rangers before she helped them in a fight against a common enemy. Since she’s a great fighter, and she had the genetic gift of being able to multiply herself, she’s given the choice between prison or signing up to be a Ranger. Obviously, she opted for the latter.
Quick-witted and sarcastic, Z was ready for a verbal or physical fight at a moment’s notice. She didn’t use her special abilities unless she had to, instead preferring to get things done the old-fashioned way. Her theft? It wasn’t even to benefit her. She and her partner, who eventually became the Red Ranger, stole to make money for those less fortunate than them, Robin Hood-style. She’s not just a skilled fighter, but she’s got a heart of gold underneath all that bravado as well.
Gia Moran (Megaforce)
Gia (Ciara Hanna) was one of those people who just seemed to be good at everything she did. Intelligent, confident, and a stellar martial artist, she was someone who could seemingly do it all, something that frustrated her teammates on a handful of occasions. Despite that frustration, they couldn’t be mad at her forever, since Gia was the kind of person they knew they could count on in the clutch.
Gia lands such a high spot on the list primarily because of the abilities she had access to during her days as a Power Ranger. In addition to her own Megaforce abilities, she was able to call on the powers of every Power Ranger that came before her. While she primarily stuck with Yellow Rangers, she could summon others as well if she needed a specialized skill in a fight. Her most used form outside of her own? That would be a fellow Yellow Ranger -- the one from Jungle Fury.
Katie Walker (Time Force)
Physically speaking, Katie (Deborah Estelle Phillips) was the strongest Power Ranger on the Time Force team, and certainly one of the strongest Rangers in franchise history. She could easily lift pieces of wreckage, and even people, if necessary, without any assistance. Despite her superhuman strength, she was really quite sensitive and gentle. In fact, Katie was always open and honest about how she felt with everyone around her and was incredibly affectionate. She was always the first to dish out a hug when she thought someone was feeling down. Katie wasn’t just the muscle of her team, but the beating heart of it as well.
The one thing that keeps her out of the top spots? She was a little too overprotective of those around her, worried about what might happen to them. When the people closest to a person are time-traveling superheroes, they have to trust those people to be able to handle themselves when things go south.
Maya (Lost Galaxy)
Growing up on the planet Mirinoi, Maya (Cerina Vincent) knew the legend of the quasar sabers, and had even tried to pull one from the stone, but was unable to. It took her accidentally running through a wormhole and finding help when her people were attacked before the quasar sabers responded to her and those who would become the Galaxy Rangers. Maya had to leave Mirinoi behind when her entire planet was turned to stone in the following battle.
Though Maya was happy climbing trees and communing with animals, she had never lived in an advanced community; certainly not one as high-tech as the space colony ship Terra Venture, anyway. Not only was she forced to learn just what it meant to be a Power Ranger, but how to fit into a society that she knew nothing about. Maya’s ability to talk to animals came in handy for the group, as they had no mentor and had to discover their zords on their own, which were living creatures this time around instead of simply robots.
Of course, her entire time with the Power Rangers was spent so that she could find a way back home to Mirinoi and save her people. That said, she committed to the team as they all eventually wind up on the same planet, and she even traveled to Earth to help the Power Rangers in the next season.
Trini Kwan (Mighty Morphin)
The very first of the Yellow Rangers, Trini (Thuy Trang) captained the saber tooth tiger zord for one and a half seasons before leaving the series. Trini was kind and considerate, not to mention soft-spoken, considering that she was one of the most powerful fighters on the team. Not only was Trini capable of utilizing a wide variety of weapons, but she was also proficient in kung fu. She spent extra time mastering the art of the Praying Mantis, which came in handy when she had to take on monsters on her own.
Trini left the series when some of the actors attempted to negotiate for better pay on the non-union series, and were let go as a result. Trini never returned to the series in person, as actress Thuy Trang pursued other projects before she was tragically killed in a car accident in 2001. The character, however, did return in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always, the 30th-anniversary special, though never unmasked. 30 years after first becoming a Power Ranger, Trini was willing to put on the suit and fight enemies once again, and even sacrificed herself to protect her teammates.