Power Rangers In Space (1998)

🚀 Power Rangers In Space (1998)⚡️

“From Zords to Zero Gravity – The Rangers Take It to the Stars”

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🎬 Let’s start by showing y’all the opening theme, shall we?

This is my third favorite theme song btw.

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📜 Spoiler-Free Rundown

After the messy misfires of Turbo, this season blasts off into something surprisingly better — in fact, Power Rangers In Space is often considered one of the strongest ‘90s PR seasons. The story kicks off right after Turbo’s finale, with the Rangers chasing down Divatox’s forces… but the big twist here? Zordon has been captured while trying to head home, and the entire season’s mission revolves around finding and saving him before it’s too late.

Along the way, our Turbo veterans team up with a brand new Red Ranger — Andros, a mysterious alien from the planet KO-35, rocking that wild multicolored hair and a tragic backstory. He’s on a quest of his own: to find his long-lost sister, who was kidnapped when they were young.

The team travels the galaxy aboard the Astro Megaship, fighting new villains, encountering old enemies, and dealing with some surprisingly emotional beats that PR hadn’t really gone for before.

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🎭 Character & Actor Breakdown

The Rangers

Andros (Christopher Khayman Lee) – Red Space Ranger. Alien, skilled fighter, keeps his guard up. Driven by the mission to rescue both Zordon and his missing sister.

Ashley Hammond (Tracy Lynn Cruz) – Yellow Space Ranger. Bubbly, kind, but steps up as a serious fighter when needed.

Cassie Chan (Patricia Ja Lee) – Pink Space Ranger. No-nonsense, sarcastic, and fiercely loyal.

Carlos Vallerte (Roger Velasco) – Green Space Ranger. Athletic and brave, though he sometimes struggles with self-confidence.

T.J. Johnson (Selwyn Ward) – Blue Space Ranger. Former Red Turbo Ranger, now the reliable second-in-command, calm under pressure.

Alpha 6 (voice: Wendee Lee) – Still has that Brooklyn-accented snark from Turbo. If you didn’t like it there, well… buckle up.

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Villains (Yes, we have a LOT this season)

Astronema / Karone (Melody Perkins) – The “Princess of Evil,” raised by the main robot villain after being kidnapped. Fierce fighter and master strategist.

Ecliptor (voice: Lex Lang) – The evil robot who raised Astronema. Surprisingly caring toward her, even if he’s loyal to evil. Complex for a PR villain.

Dark Specter (voice: Christopher Gray) – The “Grand Monarch of Evil,” basically the big boss over all other villains this season. He’s holding Zordon hostage.

Darkonda (voice: Steve Kramer) – A treacherous bounty hunter with nine lives (literally) and a shared history with Ecliptor. Loves double-crossing.

Elgar (voice: David Umansky) – Comic relief henchman from Turbo, somehow surviving into this season.

Divatox, Lord Zedd, Rita Repulsa, King Mondo, etc. – They all appear here, though more as cameos and as part of the larger “Alliance of Evil” under Dark Specter.

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Notable Side Characters

Zhane (Justin Nimmo) – The Silver Ranger. Andros’s best friend from KO-35 who’s been in cryo-stasis since being badly injured in battle. When he wakes up, he becomes a fan-favorite.

Bulk & Skull – Still here for comedy relief, but their roles are smaller this season.

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🛰️ Why This Season Works Better Than Turbo

Bigger stakes – The Rangers aren’t just protecting one city; they’re trying to save the entire galaxy.

Serialized story – Unlike earlier seasons, there’s an overarching mission with a real payoff.

Villains with depth – Astronema and Ecliptor have actual arcs instead of just twirling their mustaches.

Character growth – Even the comedy relief moments serve the plot more than in previous years.

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✅ Pros

Stronger writing and tone compared to the last two seasons.

Great villain dynamics (Astronema/Ecliptor/Darkonda).

High-stakes ending that actually changes the Power Rangers universe.

Zhane. Just… Zhane.

❌ Cons

Alpha 6’s voice still grates.

Some filler episodes feel like they belong in an earlier, sillier season.

The “kid audience” tone sometimes undercuts emotional moments.

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🎯 Final Thoughts

Power Rangers In Space is where the ‘90s PR formula got a serious upgrade. It’s still goofy at times, but it actually feels like there are consequences to what’s happening. And that finale? One of the boldest moves the franchise has ever made.

Rating: 7/10 – Not perfect, but a huge step up from Turbo.

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⚠️ SPOILERS – You’ve Been Warned

The hunt for Zordon lasts the entire season, with the Rangers traveling from planet to planet, battling Astronema’s forces, and facing betrayal from Darkonda. Along the way, Andros learns the biggest twist of all: Astronema is actually Karone, his long-lost sister, brainwashed into serving evil since childhood.

Her adoptive father figure, Ecliptor, genuinely cares for her, even though he’s evil — and this makes for some surprisingly emotional moments when she starts to question her loyalty. Eventually, Astronema breaks free of her brainwashing and joins the Rangers… only to be captured again and re-brainwashed with cybernetic implants, turning her back into an even colder, more ruthless version of her former self.

This back-and-forth gets more dramatic toward the finale. In the chaos of the final battle, Astronema is accidentally killed — in what should have been a shocking, permanent moment. But nope… PR pulls one of its cheesiest moves ever: she’s literally brought back to life by Andros’s tears of love. Yes, that’s actually what happens. It’s as silly as it sounds, and it undercuts the emotional weight of her death entirely.

The real endgame, though, happens aboard Dark Specter’s ship. Andros finds Zordon trapped in a tube, weakened and knowing there’s no way out. Zordon asks Andros to shatter his energy tube, releasing a “Z-Wave” — a powerful surge of good energy that will sweep across the galaxy.

Andros doesn’t want to do it, but Zordon insists. With one final strike, the tube shatters, the Z-Wave spreads, and:

Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd are transformed into their human forms, freed from evil.

Divatox loses her evil powers.

The Machine Empire’s forces are destroyed.

Astronema’s implants are destroyed, reverting her to Karone permanently.

The war ends, the galaxy is safe, but at the cost of Zordon’s life. It’s a bittersweet finale — the kind of ending PR had never dared to do before — even if the “tears bring her back” part still makes me roll my eyes.