Power Rangers: Lost Galaxy (often abbreviated as PRLG or simply Lost Galaxy) is the seventh season of the Power Rangers series. It is based on the Japanese Super Sentai television series Seijuu Sentai Gingaman (translated as Star Beasts Squadron Galaxy Man). Lost Galaxy is the first series to not be a continuation of the previous series, with its own new cast and story. With the annual suit change that began with Power Rangers Zeo and the annual cast and story change starting with this series, this is the first series to follow the practice set by the Super Sentai series.



Production

In late 1998, after Power Rangers in Space ended with the two-part finale Countdown to Destruction (which ended the six year storyline that began in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers), the general belief was that the Power Rangers franchise would end with In Space. However, Destruction's ratings were enough that Saban chose to continue and produce future Power Rangers seasons as standalone stories. According to some trademark documents, the original title for Lost Galaxy was Power Rangers: Space Jungle.



Saban observed and bought footage, costumes, props, and story elements from 1998 Super Sentai series Seijuu Sentai Gingaman, a nature themed Sentai. The title Lost Galaxy was thought significant because the word "Ginga" is a Japanese for "Galaxy". Whereas all of the previous series featured interconnections in their casts and characters, Lost Galaxy used an entirely new cast of characters to become the Power Rangers. It also began the trend of "Team up" episodes between the current team and past teams to fight a common enemy. In Lost Galaxy's case, the Space Power Rangers and Psycho Rangers returned in the series for the first full blown teamup episodes in series history. This traditon came from the Sentai and would become a part of Power Rangers in many future seasons.



Despite its stand-alone story, there were several ties to previous seasons (or Zordon Era). There were allusions to Zordon being the source of the Galaxy Power Rangers' powers; Paul Schrier and Jack Banning reprised their roles as Bulk and Professor Phenomenus, respectively. Alpha 6 and the Astro Megaship were used again and Melody Perkins reprised her role as Karone midway through the series. This is also the first season to have sentient Zords and feature the demise of a Power Ranger in battle, though Kendrix would be revived in the finale.



Furio's costume came from In Space's' Sentai counterpart, Denji Sentai Megaranger, not Gingaman. This is one of only two times suits from one Sentai season were used in another's Power Rangers adaption. It would be repeated, perhaps more famously, in Power Rangers Wild Force.



The Lost Galaxy season serves as a transitional series and a unique one in Power Rangers history. It is neither completely self-contained nor a direct continuation, but a bit of both. Future seasons would not begin to have completely independent stories until the following series, Lightspeed Rescue.



Synopsis
In the fictional universe of Lost Galaxy,three young people join the Galactic Space Alliance and board the mobile space colony Terra Venture in search of a new world akin to Earth. After being joined by a stowaway as well as a native of the planet Mirinoi, the group finds five swords trapped in stone on Mirinoi known as Quasar Sabers. Using these mystical weapons, the five transform into the Galaxy Power Rangers, and use them to battle space villains from two different parts of the galaxy. These villains include Scorpius, Trakeena, Deviot, and Captain Mutiny.

Along the way, they discover several Zords known as Galactabeasts, and make an ally in the form of the mysterious Magna Defender, a galactic warrior who later dies and passes his powers on to a sixth youth who is the Red Galaxy Ranger's older brother named Mike Corbett. One of the five youths named Kendrix Morgan also dies during the series, and is replaced by Karone, sister of the Red Space Ranger.