‘Power Rangers: Cosmic Fury’ Ends 30-Year Franchise on a Very Bittersweet Note

For a beloved franchise, Power Rangers has gone on a tumultuous journey throughout its 30-year lifespan. From ownership changes to seasons of varying quality, Power Rangers fans have a lot to put up with.

So much so that the franchise has seen multiple ‘franchise finales’ throughout its history. Notable examples include the beloved Countdown to Destruction finale in Power Rangers In Space, and Power Rangers RPM serving as a closing chapter for the series.

With so many false endings and revivals, Power Rangers has gone through a lot and it is almost unfathomable to imagine a true end to its legacy. That is, until Power Rangers: Cosmic Fury was released.

Following the two seasons of Power Rangers: Dino Fury, Cosmic Fury marks the end of the franchise’s TV show formula before an upcoming reboot release in 2025. How does it fare in the grand scheme of things? Let’s take a closer look.

Spoilers ahead for Power Rangers: Cosmic Fury.

Go Galactic

Power Rangers: Cosmic Fury follows the team from Power Rangers: Dino Fury embarking on a new journey into outer space. After Red Ranger Zayto returns to the team, the Power Rangers immediately get into a massive battle against Lord Zedd and his new henchmen.

Lord Zedd isn’t the only returning legacy character, as Billy the Mighty Morphin’ Blue Ranger also makes a return alongside Mick from Power Rangers: Ninja Steel, as well as Heckyl from Power Rangers: Dino Charge, who gets to morph on screen for the first time.

This first battle doesn’t end well as the Rangers lose their powers, which leads them to find new Cosmic Fury Zords. While these robots are based on the Super Sentai series, Kyuranger, the team does not get to use the suits of their Japanese counterparts.

The Rangers soon get lost in space, while Lord Zedd’s forces conquer Earth. Meanwhile, Dino Fury Blue Ranger, Ollie, is brainwashed and becomes a loyal general in Lord Zedd’s forces.

Quantum Power

Through the shifting of powers, Pink Ranger Amelia becomes the new Red Ranger of the Cosmic Fury team, with Zayto ending up as the beige-coloured Zenith Ranger. There’s also the addition of Fern, the Green Ranger Izzy’s girlfriend, who becomes the new Orange Ranger.

The Cosmic Fury suits mark the first time we see truly unique suits made for Power Rangers since the original 1995 movie. There have been instances where new Rangers were made for the American show, but this is the first time an entire team did not use Japanese costumes.

This results in more exciting fights, which is a real highlight in Cosmic Fury. Each fighting style of the seven core Rangers, as well as the handful of returning ones, can be choreographed and shot dynamically in every scene.

All Cosmic Fury Rangers also get their time to shine, with each member learning to adapt in new ways. Black Ranger Javi loses his arm and gets a prosthetic, while Gold Ranger Aiyon has to face the loss of Zayto once again.

Shift Into Turbo

Through its plot and characters, Cosmic Fury does many things right but what it didn’t have on its side was time. With only ten episodes, , Cosmic Fury feels very brisk and rushes through its plot.

The last time a Power Rangers show featured 10 episodes was 1995's Mighty Morphin' Alien Rangers miniseries.

There’s no time to waste at all, which can get in the way of plot development, hindering build-ups and resolutions. Ollie’s fall into villainy and redemption arc takes up most of the season and doesn’t end in a satisfying way.

Even all the Megazord battles end with a single blow, with barely any time dedicated to showing off each Zord’s capabilities. As great a villain as Lord Zedd is, the stakes are lowered by his interactions with the goofy Squid Ink Inc side villains.

Fan service is there, in more ways than one, but of course, it would be nice to see even more Rangers make a return, especially entire teams. They are mentioned in passing, and there’s a cool Megazord scene featuring returning robots, but it just felt hollow and unsatisfying.

There’s a lot to enjoy about Power Rangers: Cosmic Fury, but it really feels dead on arrival, failing to achieve its full potential. Hopefully, the reboot is the true reinvigoration that the series needs, but for now, Power Rangers: Cosmic Fury is a really bittersweet note to end things off.