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Personality Types and the Power: A Discourse

Introduction

                In her work Eight-Sided Rainbow, Morphin’ Master Ellen Brand begins a discussion on how the Power, via the Morphin’ Grid, fundamentally works. I do not aim to disagree with her work; instead, through this paper, I aim to expand on and compliment it, to create a more fully-functional system of understanding for the Power.

                To begin with, we look at how the Power comes to Earth. We can assume here that the Power is ‘part science and part magic’, which here I, as an Earth Neo-Pagan, translate to mean ‘magical power channeled through scientific means’. Magic, in our universe and theirs, can be considered a sort of energy that is shaped by culture. (Here I do not mean ‘high art and fine wine’, I mean the rules and traditions that make up what a nation or people fundamentally are. For example, if you are an American girl, you were given pink toys, and if you are an American boy, you were given blue toys, because pink is a ‘girl’ color and blue a ‘boy’ color. That is culture—the rules and traditions that we use to define ourselves, whether we agree with them or not.) So, if magic is energy shaped by culture, which culture matters rather a lot.

                We can assume that, whether or not Eltar created the tradition of the Power, the Power has spent enough time there to pick up on Eltarian culture. Why? Because Zordon shows a native fluency in the Power, mostly. We do not have a lot of evidence here for it being specifically Eltarian, but it is our best guess. That is, sometimes, all we have in science. We do know for a fact that it is alien, though—it does not match the Western system of symbolism, for example, although Zordon has spent most of human history in America, nor does it match the indigenous system of beliefs of the Aztecs or their successors, who I assume are the locals of that area (since the terrain matches extreme southern California, where the Aztecs were until Spanish conquest, not anywhere more northern—I live very close, and the plant life is fairly distinctive, especially the cacti).

                Assuming it is Eltarian, we can assume Ellen Brand’s work, which covers the Zordon Era, also covers the Eltarian version of the Power. It is well-studied, well-supported by evidence, and generally a good set of theories, but only in some cases, indicating previously unknown laws. This is where I intend to step in and begin the discussion.

Laws

                For the sake of simplicity, I have used Ellen Brand’s theory, but added the categories of Silver, Gold, Alloy (covering any metal not silver or gold), and Uncategorized, which is commonly called Sixth. For the purposes of this data, I have also counted Ranger ‘allies’ who show extensive affiliation with the Power and use of one color (namely Karone in in Space, Purple\Violet, or Tenaya and Dr. K of RPM, Purple\Violet and White). After extensive review of the data, these are the laws I have found:

1. A personality type following the Paladin archetype can be used for any color regardless of the rules of said color.
2. Paladin is the default setting for an uncategorized\Sixth Ranger or White Ranger.
3. When a Yellow or Pink takes a nontraditional role, such as Jen or Taylor becoming team leader, another color will take on the role of heart of the team, even in cases where there is no Pink Ranger.
4. Any color can mentor the team or have more experience than other team members.
5. Any color can be a Leader archetype.
6. Absent the previous rules, Reds will be either Leader archetypes, Hufflepuffs, or peppy puppy-like personalities (think Rocky and Conner).
7. Absent the previous rules, Yellows will be either peppy or the center of their teams.
8. Absent the previous rules, Pinks will be the hearts of their teams.
9. Absent the previous rules, Blues will have some sort of scientific or intellectual aptitude. This ranges from Billy and Justin’s engineering capability, to Ethan’s computer knowledge, to Koda’s quick grasp of the new culture he woke up in.
10. Absent the previous rules, Blacks will be highly expressive of their sexuality.
11. Absent the previous rules, Greens will be highly expressive of their sexuality.
12. Purple\Violet are Trickster archetypes.
13. The fundamental makeup of a team is Leader + some number of other Colors. The specific colors do not matter.

Proposals

                Obviously, this is a very conditional system. I propose that, because of the multiple conditions, not all of which clearly originate on Earth (for example, there is no system I know of which equates the color green with sexuality), the Power—whether or not it originated on Eltar—has gone through so many cultures over the millennia that it is now a mishmash of multiple systems, each system adding or detracting from the overall as it pleases.

                I also propose that there is some resistance to conditionalities. Violet, despite having three potential Rangers\Power-capable associates, has only ever been held by a Trickster archetype. Red is a color where even those who diverge from the main personality trait of Leader archetype personality carry strong leadership qualities prominently. Pinks only have two main personality types, absent one Leader, indicating something like an on-off switch. This indicates that some colors are incredibly resistant to change, and that it is a sort of spectrum where each color could be ranked in order of resistance to change.

                The causes of this proposition are twofold. First, in the case of Reds, if Red was intended to be the color of the leader, then it would follow that it would be tied to strong leadership qualities. Second, in the other cases, it is most likely that cultural taboos have influenced what is or is not possible for a color’s expression. For example, on Earth, there has never been—and probably never will be—a male Pink. That would be taboo, or forbidden, for Earth Westerners. It, to put it another way, just ‘doesn’t make sense’ or ‘can’t be done’. It is possible that such a cultural taboo influenced the Purple\Violet color—this color could only be used for tricksters, the way pink can only be a girl color in our society, so it became associated heavily with tricksters.

                I also propose that Green and Black appear interchangeable in canon at times because of the very similar personality types they attract. I am not, at the moment, sure why this happens, but it is always a possibility.

Conclusion

                In conclusion, I believe Ellen Brand’s work on the Morphin’ Grid was groundbreaking, but missed several key conditions and influences. My work aims to compliment and strengthen her work, to provide what she has unintentionally missed. To do this, I have provided a set of laws of the Power over personality types, proposals for why these laws exist, and my own conclusions. I hope that others can take my conclusions and go further with them as well, to help complete our understanding of the Power and the Morphin’ Grid.

                May the Power protect you.