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This article is about a/an ranger/ally in Power Rangers S.P.D. |
- "S.P.D. Kat Ranger!"
- ―S.P.D. Kat Ranger's roll call[src]
Dr. Kat Manx is an ally from Power Rangers S.P.D. She is an alien with cat-like features in charge of all research and design for Ranger technology at S.P.D.'s Earth Delta Base. She was also temporarily the S.P.D. Kat Ranger. Aside from intelligence Kat is shown to have fighting potential and to be able to hold her own for a while. Despite her youthful appearance, she is 147 human years old. This may be an inverse of how cats age 7 years for every human year which would physiologically put her at about 21 years old, or perhaps, since she is an alien, a year on her home planet is seven times the length of a year on Earth.
Contents
Biography
Kat is the Rangers' technical support. She has designed most of the Rangers' weapons and is Anubis Cruger's trusted assistant and friend. Her home planet was also attacked by the Troobian Empire so she joined S.P.D.'s fight against evil. Kat has also been shown to have great fighting skills. During a battle with Krybots she was able to morph once and become the Kat Ranger. However, this was only temporary and those Ranger powers were never seen again.
When Kat was young she attended the Science Academy alongside Professor Mooney where she frequently found herself above him in terms of social and educational status much to his chagrin; this left Mooney with a strong dislike for her and a bitter desire to prove himself which eventually drove him mad.
In 2001 Kat worked with the parents of the B-Squad Rangers in developing the morphing technology used in the S.P.D. morphers. However, these experiments had side-effects that while not affecting Kat (likely due to her different physiology and biology) did affect the B-Squad's parents and thus their children–who would become the B-Squad–got their civilian powers.
Later on in the season she is recruited to S.P.D. Central Command as requested by Fowler Birdie. She returns to Earth with a temporary morpher and becomes the S.P.D. Kat Ranger to stop an adult Mooney. Although her time as a Ranger is limited (her morpher has only enough for one hour according to Birdie; whether she used it all up or simply used some of it is unknown) she realizes the Rangers need her on Earth.
Before the final battle she and Boom are captured by Broodwing who turns the Delta Base into its Megazord configuration. Thanks to R.I.C. the two escape and shut the Megazord down allowing B-Squad to defeat and capture Broodwing. During the final battle against the invading Troobians she, Boom and Sam led the S.P.D. cadets in the battle to protect Delta Base. Together they held off the forces long enough for reinforcements led by Birdie and Sergeant Silverback to arrive as well as Nova Ranger allowing them to defeat the enemy. During the fight against Omni The Magnificence she analyzes the enemy and finds its weak spot and gives the information to Cruger and the Rangers who use it to destroy Omni even though she knows it may cost Cruger his life. Kat is relieved to see that Cruger and his wife survived and watches the final fight between Emperor Gruumm and Cruger that results in Gruumm's capture. Afterwards Kat remained at S.P.D. Earth Station.
Power Rangers Super Megaforce
Kat was not shown to have fought in the battle between the Legendary Rangers and the Armada. Given her Sentai counterpart fought in the Legend War, it is entirely possible that she did indeed fight elsewhere.
Video game appearances
Power Rangers Legacy Wars
Kat Ranger in Legacy Wars
Kat Ranger is among the Rangers who feature in Power Rangers Legacy Wars,As Rita Repulsa's campaign to gain power through the Morphin Grid and usurp the legacy of the Power Rangers continues, Kat finds herself unwittingly drawn into an interdimensional war as an individual chosen by Zordon to stop the villainess' ambitions summons her to help in battling Rita's army of corrupted doppelgangers which the villainess has pulled from various points of history from within the Power Rangers legacy..
Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid
Kat’s 3D render in Battle For The Grid.
Kat Ranger is a playable character at-launch for Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid
Kat Ranger
Ranger Costume
Arsenal
- Kat Morpher (formerly)
- Cat Stunners (formerly)
This form is exclusive to S.P.D. Episode 29.
Personality
Kat Manx is intellectual, headstrong and resourceful lady with a calm and intuitive persona. She is naturally authoritative and willing to take the lead when necessary, and has a professional mentor-like relationship with the Rangers and Boom. Despite her analytical attitude she displays strong empathy; for example she listens to and advises B-Squad and is mostly understanding of their difficulties (for example when she acknowledges she's surprised B-Squad talks at all due to tight quarters) only losing her temper a handful of times. She also often counsels Cruger. In terms of the Rangers this could be argued to be a somewhat parental role from time to time and she is certainly greatly cared for by B-Squad. That said, she is clearly able to establish firm professional boundaries - often opting to take a professional attitude with Cruger when in front of other staff members. She also does not divulge much about her own feelings and personal life. For the most part she is able to put her own feelings aside to benefit SPD. She is intuitive and discerning, and uses this judgement to know when it may be appropriate or necessary to cross the line (e.g when she confides in B-Squad that Cruger told them they were "the best he's ever had", pushing Cruger to be the Shadow Ranger and knowing Bridge is lying when he says Grumm did not say anything further. She is occasionally playful and lets out strong emotions: her anger at Cruger and breakdown in the final battle being two big examples - as well as being known to crack a big smile out of relief or pride. She seems to consider this as a weakness though which may explain her hatred of goodbyes. Kat is shy in the face of praise and not exempt from making mistakes - on one occasion she trusted Piggy to provide safe hardware out of desperation.
Behind the Scenes
Portrayal
- Kat is played by Michelle Langstone. In Super Sentai footage from Dekaranger, her suit actor was Yuuki Ono (小野 友紀 Ono Yuuki). In US/NZ footage, her stunt double and suit actress is Motoko Nagino (梛野 素子 Nagino Motoko).
Notes
- Kat is the first Ranger to wear orange in reality. In the same season however, Boom imagined himself as an S.P.D. Orange Ranger.
- Though her Ranger color was never overtly mentioned in-series, there are hints that she may have been intended to be an Orange Ranger. She eventually was much later categorized as a White Ranger by being included in the comic covers and through classification in Power Rangers Legacy Wars. Legacy Wars has also treated Kat as an orange ranger at certain points and Drakkon refers to Kat as an Orange Ranger in Battle for the Grid, furthering the ambiguity.
- In Greg Aronowitz' four part SPD Blog he repeatedly acknowledges the apparent love triangle between Kat, Commander Cruger , and Isinia Cruger , and the poor reception Isinia's return got as a result
- In Part 4 of the same blog, he confessed to introducing Dr Felix as a love interest for Kat, to make up for the blow of losing Commander Cruger
- Her name Kat Manx is inspired by Manx cat, a tailless breed of domestic cat, in the series it was never mentioned if it would be a nickname (for Katherine, Katrina, Kaitlin and other similar names). Her name is also the nickname of Katherine Hillard, who served as Pink Ranger toward the end of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, throughout Zeo and was the first Pink Ranger in Turbo.
- Oddly enough, Katherine Hillard was transformed into a cat, and later a cat monster, while she was under Rita's control, in order to spy on the Mighty Morphin' Rangers.
- Her Japanese counterpart in Dekaranger is patterned after a swan rather than a cat. The helmet was designed to accommodate Shiratori's unique head features.
- In the "The Power Rangers Want You" features on the S.P.D. DVDs, it was stated her home world had been conquered by the Troobian Empire.
- She is the oldest confirmed female Power Ranger, at the age of 147 (human) years old.
- The toy-exclusive zord Blast Runner is often associated with her due to it possessing a similar color scheme and has the Kat Ranger's chest symbol on the backwall of the cockpit, although neither she nor her Sentai counterpart had ever piloted it in the show. In Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger, a White Ranger pilots it instead.
- Unlike the B-Squad Rangers, Sam and Anubis Cruger, who were voiced by their respective Sentai counterpart in the Japanese dub of Power Rangers S.P.D., Kat was instead voiced by Rie Tanaka, who is well known as the voice of Virgo Zodiarts
in Kamen Rider Fourze and Kujou Hikari (Shiny Luminous) in Futari wa Pretty Cure Max Heart, two prominent Toei-based works.
- Kat's respective Sentai counterpart in actress Mako Ishino had voiced the Narrator of the Japanese dub.
- Her only appearance as a Ranger is in Episode 29: Katastrophe
- Kat is playable in Power Rangers Legacy Wars.
in Appearances
- Power Rangers S.P.D.
- Episode 1: Beginnings (1)
- Episode 2: Beginnings (2)
- Episode 3: Confronted
- Episode 4: Walls
- Episode 5: Dogged
- Episode 6: A-Bridged
- Episode 7: Sam (1)
- Episode 8: Sam (2)
- Episode 9: Idol
- Episode 10: Stakeout
- Episode 11: Shadow (1)
- Episode 12: Shadow (2)
- Episode 13: Abandoned
- Episode 14: Wired (1)
- Episode 15: Wired (2)
- Episode 16: Boom
- Episode 17: Recognition
- Episode 18: Samurai
- Episode 19: Dismissed
- Episode 20: Perspective
- Episode 21: Messenger (1)
- Episode 22: Messenger (2)
- Episode 23: Zapped
- Episode 24: Reflection (1)
- Episode 25: Reflection (2)
- Episode 26: S.W.A.T. (1)
- Episode 27: S.W.A.T. (2)
- Episode 28: Robotpalooza
- Episode 29: Katastrophe
- Episode 30: Missing
- Episode 31: History
- Episode 32: Impact
- Episode 33: Badge
- Episode 34: Insomnia
- Episode 35: Wormhole
- Episode 36: Resurrection
- Episode 37: Endings (1)
- Episode 38/Finale: Endings (2)
See Also
- Swan Shiratori - Super Sentai counterpart in Dekaranger. See comparison page.
References
| Other Rangers |
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| Identities Kat • RJ • Phillip • Albert • Kendall Secondary Rangers Power Sets |
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