Seventeen years before Jennifer Lawrence graced the silver screen as heroine Katniss Everdeen, there was one other female action star every little girl wanted to emulate: the Pink Ranger.

Sure, she was delegated to the most feminine color of the rainbow, but she was a badass nonetheless — and still has a lasting impact today, which is the 20-year anniversary of “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie.”

Growing up with an older brother in the ’90s, I was often forced to role-play some of his favorite shows with him. The go-to favorites often included the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, in which I got to play the constant damsel in distress, April O’Neil — or, even worse, I was relegated to the role of Princess Padmé following the release of “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace” in 1999.

There simply weren’t any action-oriented female roles in kids’ entertainment during that time.

Except, of course, for the Power Rangers.

When we played Power Rangers, I could portray the Pink Ranger with both fierceness and flair. I got to enjoy “Morphin’ Time” alongside my older brother, and we’d take turns being the hero of each adventure we imagined while spending countless hours in the woods behind our house. For the first time ever, I even got weapons and accessories that were as cool as the ones my brother picked out at the store — the Pink Ranger’s specialty was the Power Bow, and was literally the heart of the Ranger’s Dinozord as the Pterodactyl.

And it’s no surprise why I was drawn to the Pink Ranger in the first place. Portrayed for years by Amy Jo Johnson, Kimberly was arguably the most athletic of the group, a talented gymnast who was always leaping, jumping, kicking and back-flipping over the Putty Patrol with ease.



She had a touch of stereotypical Valley Girl, but she was no Cher Horowitz — although she was a fan of shopping, she was also committed to a variety of causes. She mentored a young girl through the Big Sister program; she taught gymnastics and dance classes at the Youth Center, even mastering ASL when a hearing-impaired girl signed up; she was sarcastic and witty, and oftentimes was just as adept at using her brain to get out of dangerous situations as she was with her athletic prowess.

Intelligence, fitness, a commitment to helping others, a sense of humor and beauty to boot? What wasn’t there to love about the Pink Ranger?

It’s rare, even today, to see a female character who possesses such depth, who is portrayed as a complete, well-rounded person.

And on top of it all, the male Power Rangers have owed her their lives on multiple occasions.

One of the most memorable Kimberly-centric episodes was titled “Foul Play in the Sky” from the first season. Kimberly, along with supporting characters Bulk and Skull, are in a plane flown by Kimberly’s uncle Steve when the evil Rita Repulsa renders him unconscious. Who takes over the controls and safely lands the plane? Kimberly — not the boys, who nearly pee themselves in panic.

Later in the episode, Rita sends the Snizard, a hideous lizard-like villain, to Angel Grove — and Kimberly’s bow and arrow are the only tools that can help vanquish it.

But Kimberly was by no means the only feminist hero on “Power Rangers.” The Yellow Ranger, Trini, was also a powerful force in the early seasons. Her friendship with Kimberly was a strong plot point, and in one episode when the girls experience bouts of jealousy over one another, Rita attempts to exploit the hostility to conquer the Power Rangers. Trini and Kimberly mend their small tiff before the episode’s end — how many TV shows and movies today take time out of the gun-slinging and ass-kicking to explore the complexities of female friendships?

It’s no surprise, then, that the series has lasted for more than 20 years — with a third feature film, as yet unnamed, set to debut in 2017. Hopefully, the film will give its female characters as much strength as its predecessors.