Kimberly is one of the original five Power Rangers chosen by Zordon when Rita Repulsa attacked Earth following her release from containment. She, along with her close friends Jason Lee Scott, Zack Taylor, Billy Cranston and Trini Kwan, was one of the five teens chosen by Zordon to receive a great power, drawn from the spirits of the prehistoric animals. Kimberly receives the Pterodactyl Power Coin and the Pterodactyl Dinozord, thus becoming the Pink Power Ranger. [3] Kimberly starts the series as a stereotypical valley girl, but with a heightened awareness for her friends. Throughout the series, she is the member of the team most likely to fire off a sarcastic or witty retort. However, as the series progresses, she becomes a deeper and kind-hearted person, due to experiences such as switching bodies with the nerdy Billy Cranston [4] and being turned into a punk after Baboo administers a potion to one of Kimberly's drinks. [5] She also displays a cunning, clever and intuitive side, also inherited from her time in switching bodies with Billy.
Kimberly is a capable gymnast and was often shown training and using her abilities in fights against Rita's forces, as she fought with a blend of gymnastic maneuvers, elbows and kicks. She often uses the environment around her as a springboard for her attacks and is often needed to defeat monsters with visible weaknesses, such as the archery-based Snizzard and the Terror Toad. [5] [6] She also teaches dance classes at Angel Grove's Youth Center while using American Sign Language to interpret for a student with a disability. [7] Kimberly is revealed to be proficient in many hobbies throughout the series, including designing and arranging the floral pattern for a parade float, [8] being regarded as a great cheerleader throughout Junior High School [9] and being able to sing and play guitar. [10]
Kimberly's best friend is Trini Kwan, with whom she starts a petition for environmental awareness [11] and volunteered to become "Big Sisters" to Maria, a young girl who needed guidance. [12] When Kimberly starts a botany club that is less popular than Trini's volleyball club, Lord Zedd uses a spell to turn Kimberly's jealousy into hatred; however, she overcomes the spell and the two girls defeat Zedd's monster, the Bloom of Doom, before reaffirming that they are lifelong friends. [13] Later, Mr. Caplan apologized to both Kimberly and Trini for accidentally switching the forms. When Trini leaves for a Peace Conference in Switzerland, Kimberly becomes close with Trini's replacement, Aisha Campbell, with whom she shops with every day. [14]
When Tommy Oliver transfers to Angel Grove, Kimberly becomes attracted to the young man on the spot [15] and becomes visibly upset when Tommy's demeanor toward her becomes hostile. [16] After Tommy breaks Rita Repulsa's spell, a relationship develops between the two after a series of tender moments, [17] including the couple's first kiss when Kimberly supports Tommy after losing his Green Ranger powers and accepts his invitation to a dance. [18] Skull, one of the local bullies, had a crush on Kimberly, but she rejected him until beginning her relationship with Tommy. [5] [19] [20] Years later, Skull was shown to still harbor feelings toward Kimberly, who was put under a love spell and became attracted to him. After the spell was broken, Kimberly apologized for her behavior, noting the two were friends and offering to dance with him. [21]
In show's second season, Kimberly controlled the Firebird Thunderzord. [22] After Tommy lost his Green Ranger powers once again, this time permanently, and left Angel Grove, Kimberly frequently wished Tommy was still around. [23] [24] She was also kidnapped by Lord Zedd's forces to serve as his new Queen as Zedd was attracted to her beauty and tenacity. However, Kimberly shows a clever and intuitive side to her and was able to stall Goldar with convincing Rita imitations. Irritated with reminders of Rita abusing him, Goldar was forced to retreat and her friends saved her. [25] When Tommy returned as the White Ranger, Kimberly fainted upon seeing him [26] and the two resumed their relationship, going on dates together. [27]
Tommy and Kimberly's relationship, [21] [28] as well as Kimberly and Aisha's friendship, [29] were tested many times by Lord Zedd, but the relationships always maintained intact. When Tommy and Kimberly ran against each other to become class president, they bickered until Tommy conceded the race. [30] Kimberly was often isolated from the rest of the team and put into danger, but she overcame adversity each time, including landing her uncle's airplane, [6] escaping from Samurai Fan Man, [19] Lord Zedd's failed attempt to make her his newest consort, and recruiting the ancestors of her present-day friends to become the Wild West Rangers when she falls into a time hole that brings her to 1880s Angel Grove. [31]
In the show's third season, Kimberly remains on Earth with the flu while her friends travel to the planet Edenoi to help Dex, the Masked Rider; as a result, Kimberly battles a monster, Repellator, despite her illness. [32] When Rito Revolto destroys the Thunderzords, Kimberly and the other Rangers travel to the Desert of Despair and gain new powers from the creator of the Power Coins, Ninjor. Kimberly becomes the Pink Ninja Ranger, harnessing the spirit of the crane and controlling the Pink Crane Ninjazord. [33] Kimberly later moves in with Aisha's family when her mother becomes engaged to a painter and moves to France; Zedd creates a monster, Artistmole, from Kimberly's nightmares about her mother's fiancé, but Kimberly defeats it. [34] Kimberly was sad when her mother was not present for the 1995 holiday season, but she returned from France to surprise her daughter. [35]
Midway through season three, Amy Jo Johnson requested that Kimberly be written off the show because she wanted to pursue other opportunities in acting. The character was accommodated with a 10-episode story arc focused on Kimberly, leading up to her departure. Kimberly and Aisha adopt a stray white cat, "P.C.," who is the secret form of Rita's new spy Katherine Hillard. [36] Katherine also spies the Rangers in her human form; she ultimately develops feelings for Tommy and jealous of Kimberly's relationship with him, steals Kimberly's Power Coin; with the Coin in evil hands, Kimberly's very life force is in danger. Lord Zedd kidnaps Kimberly and uses her as ransom for the other Rangers, but they rescue her. Zordon disconnects Kimberly's connection to the Morphing Grid, forcing her to receive power from the other Rangers, much like Tommy had when he was losing his Green Ranger powers; Tommy consoled Kimberly through this time, as she had done previously for him. [37]
Meanwhile, Kimberly caught the interest of a gymnastics coach, Gunthar Schmidt, and began training for the preliminaries of the Pan Global Games. [38] As she trained, Rita and Zedd plotted to exploit this and tire Kimberly in battles; they succeed when she falls off a balance beam while training and injures herself. However, this event breaks Rita's spell over Katherine, who calls an ambulance and convinces Kimberly not to give up on gymnastics. Katherine also returns Kimberly's Power Coin back to her. When Zordon allows Kimberly to give up her Ranger duties to participate in the Pan Global Games, which occurred in Florida, Kimberly chose Katherine to replace her as the Pink Ranger, ending her appearances on the show. [39] She is later referenced in "Power Rangers Zeo" when she sends a breakup letter to Tommy, explaining she had found someone else.
