Power Rangers Lost Galaxy

Power Rangers Lost Galaxy (often abbreviated as PRLG or simply Lost Galaxy) is the seventh season of the Power Rangers series. It is based on the Japanese Super Sentai television series Seijuu Sentai Gingaman (translated as Star Beasts Squadron Galaxy Man). Lost Galaxy is the first series to not be a continuation of the previous series, with its own new cast and story. With the annual suit change that began with Power Rangers Zeo and the annual cast and story change starting with this series, this is the first series to follow the practice set by the Super Sentai series.

Production
In late 1998, after Power Rangers in Space ended with the two-part finale Countdown to Destruction (which ended the six year storyline that began in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers), the general belief was that the Power Rangers franchise would end with In Space. However, Destruction's ratings were enough that Saban chose to continue and produce future Power Rangers seasons as standalone stories. According to some trademark documents, the original title for Lost Galaxy was Power Rangers: Space Jungle.

Saban observed and bought footage, costumes, props, and story elements from 1998 Super Sentai series Seijuu Sentai Gingaman, a nature themed Sentai. (The title Lost Galaxy was thought significant because the word "Ginga" is a Japanese for "Galaxy".) The success of in Space meant that Lost Galaxy was reworked into a space-set show, an in-spirit sequel. This was often difficult for the writers as the stock footage was of a nature-based show with no space elements!

Whereas all of the previous series featured interconnections in their casts and characters, Lost Galaxy used an entirely new cast of characters to become the Power Rangers. It also began the trend of "Team up" episodes between the current team and past teams to fight a common enemy. In Lost Galaxy's case, the Space Power Rangers and Psycho Rangers returned in the series for the first full blown team-up episodes in series history. This tradition came from the Sentai and would become a part of Power Rangers in many future seasons.

Valerie Vernon character was the only Ranger to be killed off. The reason being was that Vernon was diagnosed with leukemia and had to leave the series to undergo treatment; Saban still credited her, however, so they could assist in paying for her treatment. The treatments were fortunately successful, and Valerie is now leukemia-free. After recovering, the character was resurrected at the end of the season, and she reprised her role for a guest spot during the show's next incarnation the following season.

Despite its stand-alone story, there were several ties to previous seasons (or Zordon Era). There were allusions to Zordon being the source of the Galaxy Power Rangers' powers; Paul Schrier and Jack Banning reprised their roles as Bulk and Professor Phenomenus, respectively. Alpha 6 and the Astro Megaship were used again and Melody Perkins reprised her role as Karone midway through the series. This is also the first season to have sentient Zords and feature the demise of a Power Ranger in battle, though Kendrix would be revived in the finale.

Furio's costume came from In Space's' Sentai counterpart, Denji Sentai Megaranger, not Gingaman. This is one of only two times suits from one Sentai season were used in another's Power Rangers adaption. It would be repeated, perhaps more famously, in Power Rangers Wild Force.

The Lost Galaxy season serves as a transitional series and a unique one in Power Rangers history. It is neither completely self-contained nor a direct continuation, but a bit of both. Future seasons would not begin to have completely independent stories until the following series, Lightspeed Rescue.

Synopsis
A year after the events of Power Rangers in Space, the Galactic Space Alliance has launched the space colony Terra Venture in search of a new world to colonize for Earth's people. Across the cosmos, the evil forces of Scorpius have invaded the planet Mirinoi to steal a set of legendary relics called the Quasar Sabers that sit in a stone altar. When a young native of the planet named Maya runs through a dimensional portal to find help, she appears in front of Terra Venture workers Kendrix Morgan, Kai Chen, and Mike Corbett, who are currently dealing with Mike's little brother Leo as he tries to smuggle his way onto the colony. Kai refuses to follow as the rest of his group return with Maya to Mirinoi, but is unable to ignore the situation for long and employs the Astro Megaship and its caretaker Damon Henderson to take him to the planet.

When they reunite on Mirinoi, Leo, Kai, Damon, Maya, Kendrix, and Mike try to fight Scorpius's minions and in doing so draw the Quasar Sabers, allowing them to become the newest team of Power Rangers. In anger, Scorpius's general Furio turns everything to stone. Mike gives his life to protect his friends as they escape, and Leo is given the Red Quasar Saber from Mike to become the Galaxy Red Ranger. Aided by new Zords known as Galactabeasts, the Rangers protect Terra Venture from Scorpius and his generals Furio and Treacheron.

An enigmatic warrior later comes to the Galaxy Rangers, the Magna Defender. Having lost his son Zika to Scorpius long ago, he is driven by vengeance and thinks nothing of the collateral damage he causes in pursuit of it. It is later discovered that the Magna Defender had saved Mike from his death on Mirinoi by absorbing his life into himself, and it is Mike's noble influence and Zika's memory that ultimately drives the Magna Defender to give up his life and save Terra Venture from a disaster that he had blindly created. Having found peace in his death, the Magna Defender gives his powers to Mike, allowing him to aid the Rangers in battle.

Meanwhile, Scorpius has woven a cocoon to be used by his spoiled human daughter Trakeena so that she can embrace her true power. In a fit of selfishness, Trakeena refuses and flees to the planet Onyx, where she meets the warrior Villamax and his aide Kegler. As they train Trakeena in the ways of combat, the manipulative villain Deviot sides with Scorpius in an attempt to take the cocoon's power for his own. Knowing that he won't let him near the prize so long as he lives, Deviot manipulates Scorpius into attacking the Rangers by claiming that they have his daughter and he is critically wounded in battle. Trakeena returns to her father's side as he dies from his wounds, and Scorpius leaves all his power and forces to her, infuriating Deviot.

Swearing to avenge her father, Trakeena continues to attack Terra Venture and has the infamous Psycho Rangers revived to destroy her enemies. When word of their revival reaches Earth, the Space Power Rangers rush to the colony to aid the Galaxy Rangers in destroying the dangerous doppelgangers. Psycho Pink manages to survive their attack and escapes to obtain a deadly weapon known as the Savage Sword, but Kendrix gives her life to destroy the last of the Psycho Rangers. Her Quasar Saber is later found by Karone, the woman who had once terrorized the galaxy as Astronema, and she is chosen to become the new Pink Galaxy Ranger.

Deviot eventually takes extreme measures and recites an ancient spell to send Terra Venture into uncharted and very dangerous territory: The Lost Galaxy. This cursed realm is ruled by Captain Mutiny, who wants to enslave Terra Venture's crew to work his gem mines. To make matters worse, Terra Venture's systems become damaged, putting it and the Galaxy Rangers on an urgent mission to escape the Lost Galaxy and find a planet before the colony dies. Mike is ultimately forced to give up his Magna Defender powers to ensure Terra Venture's survival and escape from Captain Mutiny's forces.

Upon escaping the Lost Galaxy, Terra Venture finally finds a habitable planet and sets course for approach, while Deviot tries to kill Trakeena and drags her into the cocoon. Deviot is destroyed as his body is absorbed into Trakeena's, but the fusion also destroys Trakeena's sanity and she begins an assault to wipe out everybody and everything in Terra Venture. The Rangers are forced to sacrifice the Astro Megaship in order to protect the evacuating colonists, and Trakeena resorts to using the cocoon as a final act of defiance. Now incredibly powerful, she attempts to drop the colony wreckage onto the planet, and the Rangers are barely able to fight her to a standstill. Leo seemingly destroys Trakeena in a point-blank energy blast that nearly kills him, and the Galactabeasts are able to catch the wreckage in time to save the day.

With the colonists safe and Trakeena gone, the Galaxy Rangers explore the planet and discover that they are right back where they started: Mirinoi. As the Rangers return the Quasar Sabers to the stone altar, the petrified world and its people are restored to life, and Kendrix is revived as well. Their mission done, the Rangers and their friends celebrate.

Rangers

 * Main article:Galaxy Rangers

Allies

 * Alpha 6
 * DECA
 * Space Rangers
 * Guardian
 * Lightspeed Rangers
 * Zika

Civilians

 * Farkas "Bulk" Bulkmeier
 * Professor Phenomenus
 * Eugene "Skull" Skullovitch
 * Galactic Space Alliance
 * Commander Stanton
 * High Councilor Renier
 * Councilor Brody
 * Shondra
 * Jera
 * Jodie Stanton

Villains

 * List of Lost Galaxy Monsters for Scorpius and Trakeena's Army & Captain Mutiny's crew

Scorpius/Trakeena's Army

 * Scorpius
 * Trakeena
 * Furio
 * Treacheron
 * Deviot
 * Villamax
 * Kegler
 * Stingwingers
 * Scorpius and Trakeena's Monsters
 * Psycho Rangers

Captain Mutiny's crew

 * Captain Mutiny
 * Barbarax
 * Titanisaur
 * Hexuba
 * Swabbies
 * Captain Mutiny's Monsters

Ships

 * Terra Venture
 * Astro Megaship
 * Scorpion Stinger

VHS

 * Power Rangers Lost Galaxy: The Power of Teamwork Overcomes All
 * Quasar Quest Part 1 & 2
 * Race To The Rescue
 * Power Rangers Lost Galaxy: Return of the Magna Defender
 * The Magna Defender
 * The Sunflower Search
 * Orion Rising
 * Orion Returns
 * Redemption Day

DVD

 * The Best of the Power Rangers: The Ultimate Rangers
 * To The Tenth Power
 * Power Rangers Lost Galaxy (Complete Season) [German RC2]
 * Power Rangers: From Mighty Morphin to Lost Galaxy (TimeLife Exclusive)
 * Power Rangers Lost Galaxy: The Complete Series (Shout! Factory)

Reception and Ratings
Lost Galaxy's first half gained the highest ratings ever in the series since Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers (there has yet to be a following season to beat its ratings). However, when the series entered its second half, ratings began to decline (before the wake of the following season, Lightspeed Rescue). The reason is due to Saban choosing to promote their adaption of Digimon Adventure (Digimon: Digital Monsters) over Lost Galaxy, going as far as switching time-slots during Lost Galaxy's seasonal hiatus (which began May 22, 1999 and ended September 25, 1999). As a result, this decision caused problems between Fox and Saban.

General reception for Lost Galaxy among the Power Rangers fanbase is "generally positive". They praise the series for its darker tone (as they did with Power Rangers in Space) and ambition but take issue with the execution of its overall storyline and plot holes. In relation to its merchandise, however, Lost Galaxy's action figure sales was successful.