These five dark facts about the Power Rangers have been on the air since 1993, and have wound their way through television, movies, video games, and toys since, with almost no breaks in between. The long-running kids' superhero series has a style so singular, it often only takes a single frame to recognize the franchise. Rarely deviating from the classic template, Power Rangers says if it's not broke, don't fix it.

Power Rangers haven't had some dark moments over the decades. Behind the exciting transformations, affirmations of friendship, and vanquishing of evildoers, there are some dark realities about the Power Rangers world. Just about any kids' show suggests some disturbing implications if you look under the hood, but Power Rangers ​​​​​​is particularly egregious.

5 The Battles Result In Citywide Destruction

Buildings, Bridges, And More Are Destroyed By Megazords And Aliens

Just about every battle with the Power Rangers and the aliens that come to fight them results in the aliens growing to massive proportions, and the Rangers coming together to form their mighty Megazords to challenge their foes. These battles are essentially Kaiju fights and at times are almost indistinguishable from the leviathan battles in the original Toho Godzilla movies. The Zords, Megazords, and aliens smash and crash into bridges, skyscrapers, and other large buildings, likely leaving football field-sized craters in the ground as they do so.

The cities the Power Rangers fight in have to be uninhabitable for months, if not years, after they get through with them. Much of the action in Power Rangers takes place in Angel Grove, California, so who knows, maybe they have a high concentration of construction companies who can get the city running again after a fight, but that has to cost the municipality an incredible amount of money. I'm doubtful insurance companies include Acts of Zordon in their policies.

4 Teenagers Are Roped Into Wars

Even The Power Ranger Leaders Are Young

It's hard to miss the fact that the soldiers Zordon recruits to his team to protect the Earth are literal teenagers, with the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers even describing them as "teenagers with attitude". Zordon empowers these young teens, some of whom are barely out of their pre-teen years, with fighting skills, large vehicles, and weapons capable of maiming and even killing. Furthermore, these Power Rangers are explicitly brought into Zordon's fight as soldiers.

This is an existential war between good and evil, and these kids are only a few years out of primary school before they are sent into a war. Even the leaders of the Power Rangers often aren't very old. Jason Lee Scott, the original Red Ranger, was only 14 at the start of the series, and he was responsible for the lives of everyone on his team. That's a heavy burden for anyone, much less a young teen.

3 Civilians Must Have Been Killed By Massive Monsters

Sometimes People Are Evacuated Before A Big Battle

Power Rangers often takes great pains to let the audience know that Angel Grove has been evacuated, usually with a reporter on the screen informing everyone as much. There have even been scenes of the Rangers themselves personally evacuating civilians before the big fight commences. Still, unless that specific sequence is shown, and even if it is, considering how far-ranging these fights are, you have to imagine there are a significant amount of civilian deaths.

Movies like Godzilla, Pacific Rim, and Batman V Superman show that no matter how good the intentions of a hero, people are always collateral.

These aliens are constantly coming to Earth and their battles level cities. Surely, a civilian did not make it out of a building on time, or more likely, a piece of skyscraper or robot was sent flying miles away, likely crushing whoever was in its path. Movies like Godzilla, Pacific Rim, and Batman V Superman show that no matter how good the intentions of a hero, people are always collateral.

2 "The Power Rangers Curse" Is An Unnerving Legacy

Several Power Ranger Cast Have Died Young

There's been some darkness outside the Power Rangers storylines as well. "The Power Rangers Curse" is an unofficial explanation for the unfortunate deaths that have surrounded the former casts of the shows. Several notable actors on the series have ed away under various tragic and sudden circumstances. Erik Frank, who played David Trueheart, died of an unspecified illness. Thuy Trang, the original Yellow Ranger, Trini Kwan, died in a car accident in 2001.

Maurice Mendoza, who played Trini's love interest, Richie, in the original series, also ed away far too young, at the age of 39. No explanation has been given. Richard Genelle, who was a constant presence in multiple Power Rangers series as Ernie, ed away from a heart attack at age 47. Beyond those major characters, plenty of smaller ones also died under tragic circumstances, lending a lot of credence to the "Curse".

1 The Power Rangers Kill Many Of Their Enemies

Characters Don't Usually Die In Kids' Shows

Batman has a code, Superman doesn't want to kill, Spider-Man pulls his punches whenever he can, most superheroes make attempts to capture (or horribly maim) rather than kill an enemy. Not the Power Rangers. Though their swords and guns mostly result in cheesy blue and silver explosions, the aliens they attack often disappear within these explosions, meaning they're destroyed, or killed. That's a lot for a kids' show.

Showing death, even villain deaths, is a lot more than most children can handle, and Power Rangers shows it nearly every episode. It's not that the monsters and aliens in Power Rangers are misunderstood, but they are definitely more Saturday-morning-cartoon villains than they are terrifying invaders who need to be stopped at all costs. It's never a question that a villain is going to be killed in Power Rangers, and the dark fact that the Power Rangers are lethal is never addressed.