Trini Kwan’s death in Netflix’s ‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always,’ explained

The moment Power Rangers roadies have been waiting for has arrived, with the much-anticipated 30th anniversary Mighty Morphin special now streaming on Netflix. Titled Once & Always, the hour-long one-off gathers together (most of) the original MMPR cast for one more adventure in which they face off against their oldest foe once more.

The special mostly offers a hit of pure nostalgia in the classic Power Rangers style, then, except that things get a tad darker than fans may remember. In a rare move for the franchise, one character is killed off on-screen. Specifically, it’s Yellow Ranger Trini Kwan — that’s not a spoiler, either, as her demise was made clear from the special’s trailer. But how does Once & Always explain Trini’s death?

How does Trini Kwan die in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always

At the beginning of the special, the reunited Mighty Morphin Power Rangers face the resurrected robot version of Rita Repulsa (voiced by Barbara Goodson), who is out for revenge against her old enemies. Unleashing a killing spell from her magic wand, Rita’s blast is headed for Billy Cranston (David Yost) until Trini jumps in front of her friend to save him. She is instantly atomized, stunning the heartbroken Rangers as Robo Rita escapes.

As revealed in a later flashback, it was Billy who accidentally resurrected Rita’s evil spirit while attempting to revive Zordon (who originally sacrificed himself to stop Rita and the Evil Alliance in the Power Rangers in Space finale). He feels doubly guilty, then, which leads Billy to distance himself from Trini’s teen daughter Minh (Charlie Kersch), who is instead cared for by Black Ranger Zack Taylor (Walter Emmanuel Jones).

Trini’s death in Once & Always is a first for the franchise as while other Rangers have died in the line of duty, they have later been resurrected — like Kendrix the Pink Ranger in Power Rangers: Lost Galaxy or the rebooted Billy Cranston in 2017’s Power Rangers movie. Even so, Minh is able to access her mother’s memories when she becomes the new Yellow Ranger herself and it is implied Trini’s spirit lives on within the Morphin Grid, the source of the Rangers’ power (similar to Jedi becoming one with the Force in Star Wars).

Trini Kwan was played in Mighty Morphin by actress Thuy Trang, who passed away in 2001 at the age of 27 in a car crash. The episode is dedicated to her memory, as well as that of Jason David Frank (Tommy the Green Ranger), who likewise passed away in November 2022.