Merrick Baliton is one of the most underused and underrated 6th Rangers of all time. His backstory is deep and his relationship with Zen Aku more than Princess Shayla is incredibly captivating. Plus, Zen Aku on his own is one of the best Power Ranger villains. Lunar Wolf Ranger will always hands down be my favorite 💙🐺🤟
I agree, while Tommy is my favorite character overall, (with white being my favorite form of his) the Lunar Wolf Ranger is my second favorite ranger and favorite PR design.
That's when I started watching. I caught it every morning before school on ABC Family(now known as FreeForm). Caught reruns of Mighty Morphin and Zeo too.
I do back in 1993 in aired in the late summer. Came on weekday mornings @ 7:30am & Saturdays mornings on Fox. Then switched to weekday afternoons & Saturdays season 2 because many kids have to go to school during the time it came on.
Loved Merrick as a kid watching Wild Force, but as an adult...eh...I don't DISLIKE the character. I just felt the writers didn't really know what to do with him. I mean you have "Merrick" being written to be kind of the lone wolf like "Eric" was in Time Force. The thing about that was you tried too hard to replicate the success of the anti-hero Quantum Ranger who eventually warms up to the team, but by doing so robbed any potential of Merrick. The ONLY thing we really saw from him to kind of make his story different was a budding romance between him and the princess. Pokemon comparison: It was like the writers creating Trip after the MASSIVE success of Ash's rival Paul the season right after their climatic battle. It felt like store brand soda when compared to Mountain Dew...cheap imitation... I do love his Megazord and Lunar Cue pool strike attack!
Yeah even as a kid I thought "what do you have to redeem yourself for? you got the crystals back! Stop being such a downer and move on!" I can understand if he felt like he didn't really feel like he'd "fit in" with the rangers considering he's 3k years old and their ways aren't his ways, not to mention Cole and Merrick would get along of sorts since human civilization is brand new to them. and I never liked how they even brought Zen-aku back just to fight Merrick again. As silly as the laser pool move is I'll gladly take it over another generic sword/gun combo that sixth rangers usually tend to have as their weapons. Eric had more reason to have a stick up his butt against the rangers. He grew up dirt poor and here's daddy's rich boy wanting to be his 'friend', always feeling like he had something to prove to himself with absolutely no hand me downs. Heck on top of that, even in real life, some people just don't want friends despite having some things in common with others.
@@EclipseHedgehog Amen to that! It would've been great for Red Lion and Lunar Wolf to have that bond! I like the way you brought those two together since they were the last 2 members to get added to the team!
I always felt that the Zenaku seen at the end of Wild Force is not a separate entity from Merrick but the representation of his Wolf spirit. The next Wolf Ranger we get is RJ in Jungle Fury. He says when he realized that his father’s shark technique didn’t work for him he sought a new master and he eventually found one that taught him all about the Wolf spirit. However he never says this masters name. I believe that this Master was not a pi shua master at all but RJ’s connection to the knowledge of the Morphin grid. I always felt that RJ found Merrick and learned the Wolf Technique from him.
Merrick could also be RJ’s “guy that knew this other guy that knew this other guy who had an acquaintance who had a connection” that he told Casey, Lily and Theo during EP 1. 😂
No, Zen-Aku truly is his own separate character, which is a far cry from his Sentai counterpart, who was barely even an identity, let alone a character.
Wildforce, Ninjastorm, and DinoThunder are honestly in my top 5 They had cool Zords, cool story strong evil rangers, and the villains while stale at times did have a huge impact on the team
Woooo!!!! My favorite 6th Ranger! I'd love a separate video for Zen-Aku. He was a badass general, and I agree. His design was savage. If Hasbro doesn't make an episode of 6th Rangers and brings Merrick back, I hope Boom Studios will make a miniseries of Merrick and Zen-Aku, detailing their travels after Wild Force, like Tommy's Soul of the Dragon series, and perhaps giving Merrick his morpher back.
@@the6thranger as a writer and a fan of Power Rangers, I've tried multiple times to write my own story about Merrick and Zen-Aku post Wild Force, but nothing felt right. I couldn't come up with a plausible plot that fits their characters. But I continue to think and play with ideas, see what works.
Hasbro kid friendly approach in the new season has gone past cheesy. They take children as morons and couldn't write a good joke to save Angel Grove. No way they're bringing back a cool ranger. Only Boom! Studio can save us now
Something I've been thinking would be an interesting connection for a while. What if Leonbow's red wolf warrior armor in mystic force was the most powerful form of the red mystic armor from mystic knights of tír na nóg, Fireheart was descended from pyre and Nick was a reincarnation of the warrior draganta. I guess you could call this my own little fan theory.
Merrick is my favourite ranger to the point where I made a cosplay of his jacket and wore it to meet JDF. Really hope we see more of him, Zen-Aku and maybe even Toxica and Jendrix like Hexagon planned. It seems too perfect for a beast morphers villain recruiting style episode where they’d try to find and get them but instead they team up with rangers.
This video on the Lunar Wolf Wild Force Ranger was well done. Merrick was a cool six ranger and his costume design was really great. However, the thing that I really liked about him as a ranger was his signature or super move in the show, which was using his staff and animal crystals in table pool way. In addition I would enjoy seeing a video on the Zaukou character, just because the design of character and the fact that his story was really entertaining.
Oh boy do I love Merrick... I'm a fanfiction writer so I constantly write fanfiction for him... The things that annoys me the most about him is that his history is completely hidden... like we don't know his family history, or anything outside of his connection to Animus and the Princess. It's just tend to be a little bland but... He's still one of my favorite characters, in fact, of wtild Force, he IS my favorite character.
Wild Force stayed loyal to its Sentai Counterpart. Nearly being a cheap copy of the original. Especially about the 6th member. GaoSilver, was also a warrior who was cursed when he became Loki (Zen-aku) and gained his morpher when the zord crystal came to his hands. So many clips were used for the show that's why episodes like Forever Red and Reinforcements from the Future are pure masterpieces. Merrick is such an amazing character, he's kinda different from the once evil 6th rangers like Tommy or Ryan. Legends says he's still walking the Earth with Zen-aku up to this day.
I would love an episode dedicated just to Zenaku!!!! He’s in my top 3 of favorite villains who gave the Rangers a good thrashing. My top 2 would have to be Ecliptor and Darkonda
Merrick is my all time favorite Power Ranger in my favorite series Wild Force and his alter ego Zen Aku is my favorite villain with his hunting flute music 🎵 and his awesome Dark Wild Zords thanks for sharing this amazing video highlighting the story behind my two favorite characters 👍🤍🐺🌙
Great character Merrick with a good origin story as well as Ranger costume design! Love the Lunar Cue he uses specially with pool shot attack "Lunar Break" Love to see a Zen-Aku video! 😎👍🏻⚡⚡
Zenaku was the best person looking monster in all of the ranger series I have seen. But something I would like to see and hear about is the NICKELODIAN ERA and how that fits into the whole multiverse (different dimensions) argument.
Yeah, I love Forever Red and think it's a great episode, but my favorite Wild Force episodes will always be Reinforcements from the Future, Parts 1 and 2 for giving me one of my top Power Rangers ships, Eric and Taylor. I also have to say that Merrick's character arc was one of my favorite parts of Wild Force, maybe because I've always been a big fan of redemption stories.
Didn't really like Wild Force, but I loved the Lunar Wolf Ranger!! I hope we get a figure of him in the lightning collection soon, a "wolf two pack" of him and Jungle Fury Wolf Ranger would be AMAZING!!
My theory about zen aku, which has been taken from a few sources and my own observations/inferences, is that he wasn’t a true org but rather a spirit of the forest that got corrupted into serving the orgs. This would explain why he survived the breaking of his mask, why he was imprisoned in the mask in the first place and why he was such a game changer during the first war of the orgs. It also would explains why he was deeply betrayed by merrick as most if not all orgs are incredibly selfish and self-serving. Merrick and zen-aku essentially formed a “pack” and when the rangers destroyed the mask, Zen-aku felt deeply angered at Merrick for his Help in being defeated. Notice how when freed, zen-aku’s goal is not to take over the world or to destroy it; it’s to re-form the pack. At the end of WF, Merrick and zen-aku take off as true packmates and it’s this renewed partnership that I believe helped RJ from Jungle Fury understand his own animal spirit. It’s also this connection that RJ got the morphers. Jungle Fury morpher supply chain: RJ➡️Merrick➡️Cole➡️Tommy ➡️ either Billy or Andros Anyways, that’s my take. Edit: just rewatched the part where RJ gives out the morphers. Looks like my supply chain theory needs a bit more work. There’s mention of an uncle who had a connection and as far as we know, cole, tommy and billy are nor related in anyway. 😅
Anyone else wish Zen-Aku and some of the other standout villain/antihero leaning characters could get their own show or something like that? I mean, a team of former villains out to tackle a crisis that the rangers either can't handle, or can't be seen handling; something like that. Maybe made up of: Zen-Aku, Jindrax and Toxica, Ransik and Nadira, Villamax, The Psycho Rangers, and Ecliptor (somehow restored from the Z-Wave). And those are just the ones I could think of leading up to Wild Force; God knows there's others among the following seasons! The comics already brought back and started redeeming the Psychos, why not touch on some of the other standouts of villainy and see where their stories can go?
I don't understand why people keep saying "Forever Red" and "RPM" are the best PR episode or best season? "Forever Red" i can see as top 10 but RPM I can't see it, I can explain why so many seasons are better than that.
Would really love a separate video on Zen-Aku alot. Would really like to see either Merrick or Zen-Aku in Battle for the Grid although I feel Zen-Aku has a higher chance of being in.
Also! There waz a tinny little moment in one battle, when Toxica says to the white ranger "the rangers has a little girl" then Alyssa answered "the orgs has a old winkle grandma" and Toxica says "Maybe you mean BGGER SISTER DONT YOU?" I think that is interesting!!! In the end Jndrax and Toxica helped to the princess Shayla to escape from the Nexus! They practically are 100% HEROES and we dont know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about them past and future! PLEASE LET US KNOW MORE ABOUT JINDRAX AND TOXICA. NOT ABOUT ZENAKU!
Merrick's story was also supposed to contrast with Master Org where Merrick was able to make peace with his Org side Master Org tried to control his and in the end let himself be consumed by it which is what the final Zen-Aku scene was supposed to represent
Zen Acku was one of my favourite villains as a kid. And I liked how it adapted the Green with Evil storyline. Unfortunately Merrack kind of fizzled out towards the end. It whould if been cool if Merrack had to stay combined with Zen Acku, as a Power Ranger werewolf. By day he'd be the luner wolf Ranger but at night he'd be Zen Acku, who embodied the guilt and shady mistakes he made in his youth.
Wild force was the 1st PR season I saw, and the predazord was one of my most favorite 6th Megazord of all time. If Merrick & Zen-Aku did make a come back for future episodes, then I would like them to merge into a form where Zen-Aku becomes an armor for Merrick as his own Battleizer, and uses his sword (which is indeed one ot my most favorite weapons ever used by a PR villain). Also, when seeing Merrick as the Lunar Wolf, he reminds me of Bucky Barnes from, the MCU who ended up having the nick name White Wolf after the event of Black Panther. Well I don't know about you, but what do you think?
Always loved zenakus designed and style of fighting. Was very disappointed when he became an ordinary ranger and we never really see zenaku until the end. As a kid I always hoped zenaku would join the rangers but remainder as his wolf form or atleast change back into his zenaku form from time to time as it always reminded me if the werewolf myth. Sadly zenaku and the wolf ranger seemed underused alot and seemed to be a waste to a great character Honestly still hoped zenaku would return In power rangers one day. How cool would if be that he becomes a mentor or the one responsible for gathering new rangers and training them to face the newer evil?. If I made the next rangers i would have the new rangers be based off Greek mythos and the monster/bosses based off monsters or titans from that era. Would also reveal that the mask was originally king lucius (leader and mentor of the original greek/myth rangers. In greek mythos was also one cursed by zeus to be the first werewolf like being) that got corrupted resulting in their down fall only to have merrick redeem that legacy with his new rangers. (Figured it would be cool to show there was a ranger group that did lose and fail allowing evil to reign for a era making the threat the new rangers face to be more real and series unlike previous ranger seasons.)
My favourite season he was even better than the green Power Ranger I didn’t think Zanaka survived I believe his spirit or his conscience was talking to him
