There are so many iconic brands celebrating major anniversaries in 2023. This includesMighty Morphin Power Rangerswhich turns 30 this year. Because of this, there has been an endless amount of love for the franchise including a new Netflix special and a ton of cool merchandise. NowFunkohas unveiled their latest Pop of the series main villainRita Repulsa.
“Ahh! After 10,000 years, I’m free!”
The San Diego Comic Con exclusive figure is not as complex as other Funko exclusives, but the famous villain cleans up well in her famous brown robe, headpiece, and matching magical staff. This isn’t the first time Funko has given this classic brand some love as they’ve already done multiplePower RangersPops in the past, including Rita in her different incarnations. She’s ready to take on the Power Rangers, but like long-time fans know, it never works out for this impulsive sorceress. What Rita lacks in originality, she’s a big fan of galactic domination, the villain made up for in her style and iconic voice. This is a character who travels in a space dumpster after all. She’s never not shouting which made for some hilariously iconic interactions with our favorite Rangers.
WhileBarbara Goodsonwas only the voice of Rita, the actress always brought it for each episode. Particularly her laugh has been etched into the minds of everyPower Rangersfan. She’s usually portrayed as extremely campy, but in the recent Power Rangers anniversary Netflix special,Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always, Rita was given a bit more of a dark streak. This was due to Rita being responsible for Trini the Yellow Ranger’s death. While the special was able to touch on some mature subjects thanks to its streaming platform, it still retained the extremely goofy charm that madePower Rangersa household name to begin with. In other mediums, Rita was also the main villain in the highly underrated2017Power Rangersrebootfilm portrayed byElizabeth Banks. However, that film wasn’t able to catch on at box office like the show that inspired it. The original run ofMighty Morphin Power Rangerswent for three seasons before becoming a mega franchise spawning a countless sea of spin-offs, games,toys, and comics over the last 30 years.
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What’s Next ForPower Rangers?
While the Mighty Morphin era of Power Rangers has been done for a while, the next season ofPower Rangers Dino Fury, Cosmic Fury, will be premiering on Netflix this Fall. Until then, you’re able to view Rita Repulsa’s SDCC Funko Pop down below. Rita can currently be seen in theOnce & Alwaysreunion special which very well might be her last appearance in the long-running franchise.
