Sunday, April 6, 2008

Violet Power Ranger

Previously Posted on 5/24/07, Updated 10/12/13

The picture above is from the latest Super Sentai series 'Gekiranger' in Japan, next year it will become the newest incarnation of the Power Rangers--Power Rangers Jungle Fury. I have been waiting for a Purple Ranger for years. For some time I thought the purple ranger would be female but I guess I was gender bias. This new 'ranger' is GekiViolet, yes that's right Violet. I agree that 'Violet' sounds female but thats just our society, gender assignment. It is silly to think colors have genders. In some cultures, pink and blue don't belong to any particular gender while in others pink is for men. I highly doubt that Disney will call this ranger Violet but we'll see. [Turns out he is called the Wolf Ranger, but fans--including me call him the Violet Wolf Ranger.] I am so excited, I think it is so bad ass that a male superhero is violet.

Background on series: Gekiranger means 'Fierce Ranger' and started with three feline-inspired warriors that practice martial art techniques based on animals. GekiViolet obviously has a wolf theme.

In Tokusatsu, most purple warriors have been men:

 2012 - Kyoryu Violet from Kyoryuger
Mid-way through the series we are introduced to the male KyoryuViolet, he becomes injured and his granddaughter eventually takes his place, gaining a skirt and becomes a recurring 7th member of the Kyoryuger. She doesn't appear in every episode after her introduction but does with more frequency than most other 'Extra' females like DekaSwan, MagiMother, Hime Shinken Red, etc.

2008 - "Kamen Rider Kiva" Dogga Form.
The main character dons this armor, which is the fourth and the bulkiest. It is based on the Frankenstein monster.

2007 - "Kamen Rider Den-O" Gun Form
The main hero would be possessed by one of the 'Taro' Imagin Ryutaros and Ryutaros mostly overpowered the other Taro and the hero. Den-O followed the same color scheme as Gekiranger with Red, Blue, Yellow, Violet and White.

2006 - Kamen Rider Sawsword of "Kamen Rider Kabuto"
Purple seems to be a common color for Kamen Rider these days, I was not aware of this one, actually I was but completely forgot. He was arrogant and stubborn and didn't believe laws effected him.

2005 - Wolzard from "Magiranger" [Koragg from "Power Rangers Mystic Force"]
He was one of the main antagonists that turned out to be the heroes' father. In Mystic Force, he was only the father of the red ranger and in both version was the father of the white warrior. And in both, they become a good red version of the warrior.

2002 - Kamen Rider Ouja from "Kamen Rider Ryuki" [Kamen Rider Strike from 'Kamen Rider Dragon Knight']
He was a crazed serial killer.

2003-2004 - Sazer Dali of the Gransezars
He was part of the Wind Tribe and was controlled by bad guys for a while. He was the punk kid. Gransezar was part of three series that Konami did from 2003 to 2005.

2000 - Kamen Rider Kuuga
Kuuga had a purple form, not aware of the name. I think ti is the Titan Form, not sure.

1993 - Tokusou Robo Jansperson
I don't think it had a gender, as he was a robot.

1996 - B-Fighter Tentou of B-Fighter Kabuto [Platinum Purple Beetleborg from Beetleborgs Metallix]
The only purple female in Tokusatsu I can think of is B-Fighter Tentou of "B-Fighter Kabuto."

1994 - Purple Swat of Blue Swat
Actually, there was another purple female, earlier than all of these but technically it was just her top armor, she wore some shiny pants.

Previously Posted on May 24, 2007, modified sightly
on Spanengrish Ramblings

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