Trini Kwan
| File:Trini76.jpg | |
| Series | Mighty Morphin Power Rangers |
|---|---|
| Title(s) | Yellow Power Ranger |
| Color(s) | Yellow |
| First appearance | Day of the Dumpster (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) |
| Last appearance | The Power Transfer, Part 2 (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) |
| Status | Unknown |
| Homeworld | Earth |
| Zords | Saber-Toothed Tiger Dinozord Griffin Thunderzord |
| Portrayed by | Thuy Trang Audri Dubois (Day of the Dumpster pilot episode) Becky G (2017 reboot) |
Trini Kwan is a fictional character in the Power Rangers universe, portrayed by Vietnamese actress Thuy Trang.[1]
Trini originally was portrayed by Hispanic-American actress Audri Dubois in the unaired pilot episode, but when the show was picked up for television, for which two new pilots were filmed, she was played by Thuy Trang, around whom the character was rewritten.[2]
Contents
Character history
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
In Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Trini made her first appearance performing a Kata on the first episode of MMPR. When Rita Repulsa escaped and began wreaking havoc on earth, Trini, along with her close friends Jason Lee Scott, Zack Taylor, Billy Cranston and Kimberly Hart, was one of the five teens chosen by Zordon to receive a great power, drawn from the spirits of the prehistoric animals. These powers would give them the ability to transform into a fighting force known as the Power Rangers. Trini was chosen for her compassion, quick wits and martial arts talent becoming the Yellow Power Ranger, given the Saber-Toothed Tiger Power Coin and the Saber-Toothed Tiger Dinozord.[3]
Trini is well-versed in kung fu. She would later become proficient in the art of Praying Mantis Kung Fu. Trini's signature fighting style included lightning fast maneuvers, and powerful high kicks.[4] She attempts to neutralize foes with the least amount of force. Trini is one of the intellectuals of the team, often having to translate Billy's techno talk for the other Rangers.
Generally soft-spoken and polite, Trini is a calm and warm person. Trini was known for her devotion to saving the world and protecting others. She was an environmentalist. She is prepared to both push herself and put herself in danger for those she loved.
In Season 2, Trini was courted by a new student in school named Richie. However initially, they both were too nervous to speak to each other much. Eventually Richie gathered the courage to ask Trini on a study date.
Early in Season 2, actress Thuy Trang injured her leg while performing a stunt on the show (the cast normally performed their own stunts). In particular, in the episode "The Beetle Invasion" she is notably seen sitting on a bench wearing a knee brace while the other Rangers played the game. Hence the character was unable to participate in most fight scenes and was often absent from other scenes that did not have something to sit on, for the rest of the actress's time on the series.
When Thuy Trang, Austin St. John (Jason), and Walter Jones (Zack) left the show (over contract disputes), their characters stopped making new on-screen or face-to-camera shots before they were written off in the two-part "Power Transfer" episode in which their characters were chosen to attend the World Peace Conference. Trini urged Zordon that they could not leave during such a crisis, but Zordon advised the transfer the best decision to make. The Sword of Light transferred Trini's powers to Aisha Campbell. Though Jason later returned in Power Rangers Zeo, Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, and the tenth anniversary special "Forever Red," it was never stated what became of Zack or Trini after the peace conference.
Unlike Kimberly, Trini does not have a skirt with her Ranger suit and appears flat-chested in most morphed sequences. This is because the action scenes from the first season of Mighty Morphin used footage from the 1992 Super Sentai television series Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger. Her counterpart on Zyuranger, Boi the Tiger Ranger, was male. However, a female version of the Tiger Ranger costume was made with a skirt for the 2011 Super Sentai series Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger, which first appears on the show in Episode 11 due to Luka Millfy/Gokai Yellow being female.
Reception
The choice of color for the black ranger (Zack Taylor) and yellow ranger (Trini Kwan) have been a source of criticism, due to the belief these colors are representations of their racial backgrounds.[5][6] There are many parodies illustrating the perceived inherent racism of the show. According to the producers, this was not noticed until the tenth episode of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.[7][8][9]
References
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Further reading
- The Official Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Guidebook ISBN 1-57082-235-2, ISBN 978-1-57082-235-3
