Karim Prince
Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers is a Power Rangers mini-series set immediately after the end of the third season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. As with the third season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, this mini-series adapted footage and costumes from the eighteenth Super Sentai series, Ninja Sentai Kakuranger.
During fight scenes (and during the opening theme) an alternate version of the MMPR theme song was played, saying "Go Go Alien Rangers" instead of "Go Go Power Rangers", although the 2-part premiere episode "Alien Rangers of Aquitar" still uses the "Go Go Power Rangers" theme (as the episode was still part of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers).
Picking up where the third season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers left off, Master Vile has used the Orb of Doom to reverse the ages of everybody on Earth, including the Power Rangers, reducing them to children. However, unlike the last time, the rangers retain their memories of the proper time thanks to the Ninja Power Coins. Unfortunately, the rangers are unable to morph and fight; Zordon recruits the Alien Rangers of the planet Aquitar for help. These Rangers are humanoid, partially aquatic aliens and though Earth's environment is ultimately inhospitable to them, they agree to help. Master Vile's plans are foiled, and he leaves in annoyance, but Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa remain and intend to conquer Earth.
Hoping to restore the Rangers' proper ages, Billy Cranston builds a Regenerator powered by the Ninja Power Coins. However, only Billy is restored to normal before the device is stolen by Goldar and Rito Revolto. The Power Coins are then destroyed by Rita and Zedd. With the human Rangers' powers destroyed, only the Aquitian Rangers stand between Earth and the forces of evil, and they can't stay on Earth forever. Ultimately, Zordon realizes that only one thing can restore everything to normal: the Zeo Crystal, which the human Rangers had split into five sub-crystals and scattered throughout time to keep it safe from Master Vile.
The five young Rangers are each sent back to a different country and point in time to find a sub-crystal. Upon success, they are returned to the present. All the while, the Aquitian Rangers, Billy, Zordon and Alpha 5 fend off the forces of Lord Zedd and Rita. The villains also plot to destroy the Command Center and steal the completed Zeo Crystal.
Ultimately, Zedd and Rita succeed in summoning the Aquitian Rangers' arch-foe, Hydro-Hog, to destroy them. After a great deal of difficulty, the Aquitian Rangers destroy him. Meanwhile, Aisha Campbell acquires the final sub-crystal in Africa. However, she chooses to remain in exchange for the sub-crystal and new friend Tanya Sloan goes in her place. Once the Zeo Crystal is recombined in a machine devised by Billy, Earth is restored to normal. The teenaged Rangers bid thanks and farewell to their Aquitian counterparts, who return to Aquitar. However, Goldar and Rito Revolto steal the Zeo Crystal out of the Command Center and their bomb goes off soon afterwards. The Rangers are teleported to safety just before the Command Center is destroyed.
The series sets up the transition from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers to Power Rangers Zeo. The two-part premiere of the latter resolved the cliffhanger ending and established the Rangers' new powers (as well as new foes, the Machine Empire).
The Aquitian Rangers are later seen or referenced in further seasons. Cestro returns unmorphed in "Graduation Blues", seeking Billy's help against the Hydro-Contaminators. Cestro later briefly appears with Delphine in "Revelations of Gold". The Aquitian and Zeo Rangers team-up in the "Rangers of Two Worlds" two-parter, the first instance on the series of two full teams appearing together. The two-parter also centered around Billy rapidly aging because of his use of the regenerator. In "Countdown to Destruction" in Power Rangers in Space, the Aquitian Rangers battle and are overwhelmed by Divatox's forces. Aurico later appears morphed in the Power Rangers Wild Force episode, "Forever Red", which saw every previous Red Ranger (save Rocky, as Jason returned to his previous role as Red Ranger, for which Rocky originally replaced him) united to stop the remnants of the Machine Empire. All five Rangers would later return in the series finale of Power Rangers Super Megaforce to battle alongside other veteran Ranger teams and the Megaforce Rangers.
In the Philippines, this series was aired on ABS-CBN with a total of 10 episodes.
The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Complete Series boxset from Shout! Factory released on July 11, 2012 (through San Diego Comic-Con), August 13, 2012 (through Time Life), and November 20, 2012 (at wide retail). All 10 episodes of Alien Rangers are featured on the fifth disc included in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Season 3 DVD case of said boxset, marking the series as season 3.5. The boxset was re-released on October 18, 2016 (at wide retail) with new cover art packaging for the set, but is otherwise identical to the previous 2012 releases. On August 7, 2018 a new version of the boxset released featuring a "25th Anniversary" Steelbook and included Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie on Blu-ray (the rest of the set is still DVD).
On September 24, 2013, the complete Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers series was released individually onto DVD. On August 13, 2019 a new version of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Season 3 was released in a steelbook case with all 10 episodes of Alien Rangers on an extra fifth disc.
The series was also later included in the 20 season limited edition Power Rangers: Legacy boxset released on January 2, 2014.