Tanya Sloan
Encyclopedia
Tanya Sloan, originally named Kenya Sloan, is a fictional character
and hero
in the Power Rangers
universe, appearing in the television series Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers
, Power Rangers Zeo and Power Rangers Turbo. She is played by Nakia Burrise
and is introduced as living with an African tribe while being the daughter of American explorers. She is also shown to celebrate Kwanzaa
in the 1996 holiday season. She is the first Yellow Ranger with a female Sentai counterpart and, therefore, also the first to wear a skirt as part of her uniform.
, traveled to Africa
, where she encountered the young Tanya Sloan, who saved her from a lion. Though she found her Zeo subcrystal, Aisha wished to stay in Africa to help save the local animals from a plague, so Tanya agreed to return to Angel Grove with the subcrystal in her place. When the five Zeo subcrystals were finally reunited, and Master Vile's tampering with time was undone, Tanya became a teenager along with the other Rangers.
; however, he declined and Tanya became Zeo Ranger II. Tanya began her tour of duty as the newest member of the Power Rangers team while having to cope with the Machine Empire
invasion as well as having her world turned upside down by entering Angel Grove as an orphan. Luckily, Tanya adapted quickly to her new lifestyle and began to learn martial arts
from Tommy Oliver
and Adam Park
. To help her cope with her temporal displacement, Tanya lived with Zeo Ranger I Katherine Hillard
, who also helped Tanya enroll at Angel Grove High School.
Tanya became interested in baseball player Shawn, who attempted to cheat on an algebra test before Tanya convinced him otherwise. However, the two eventually had a falling out leading Shawn to break up with Tanya, as she excelled at baseball and joined the Angel Grove High team as a pitcher
. Shawn later showed jealousy at Tanya's friendship with Adam, but the two patched things up and remained friends. Tanya was also an excellent singer, and a music video that she created caught the eye of a talent scout, who offered her a recording contract. Tanya had to decline at the time, feeling that her Ranger duties were more important. Tommy later asked for Tanya's assistance as a vocal coach, at which point both were put under a spell by Queen Machina that forced the two to sing at all times.
It was eventually revealed that her real parents had been American explorers, who had left her in Africa while they went searching for the "Lost Tiki of Auric" on the fabled Mysterio Island. After receiving a letter from her old tribe and Aisha, she managed to find and rescue them. She learned that the "Lost Tiki" was in fact the form of the ancient hero, Auric the Conqueror, whose care she placed in the hands of Jason Lee Scott
, who was serving as the Gold Zeo Ranger at the time.
, to continue on as the Yellow Turbo Ranger.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
and hero
Hero
A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...
in the Power Rangers
Power Rangers
Power Rangers is a long-running American entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live action children's television series featuring teams of costumed heroes...
universe, appearing in the television series Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers
Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers
Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers is a Power Rangers miniseries set at the end of the third season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers...
, Power Rangers Zeo and Power Rangers Turbo. She is played by Nakia Burrise
Nakia Burrise
Nakia Burrise is an American singer and actress known for her role as Tanya Sloan on the television series Power Rangers from 1996-1997....
and is introduced as living with an African tribe while being the daughter of American explorers. She is also shown to celebrate Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is a week long celebration held in the United States honoring universal African-American heritage and culture, observed from December 26 to January 1 each year. It features activities such as lighting a candle holder with seven candles and culminates in a feast and gift giving...
in the 1996 holiday season. She is the first Yellow Ranger with a female Sentai counterpart and, therefore, also the first to wear a skirt as part of her uniform.
Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers
When Master Vile reversed time and turned the Power Rangers into children, five of them were sent through time to collect the fragments of the Zeo Crystal. The then-current Yellow Ranger, Aisha CampbellAisha Campbell
Aisha Campbell is a fictional character from the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers TV Show. She was portrayed by Karan Ashley.Spirited and full of energy, Aisha was always up to the challenge of being a Power Ranger...
, traveled to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, where she encountered the young Tanya Sloan, who saved her from a lion. Though she found her Zeo subcrystal, Aisha wished to stay in Africa to help save the local animals from a plague, so Tanya agreed to return to Angel Grove with the subcrystal in her place. When the five Zeo subcrystals were finally reunited, and Master Vile's tampering with time was undone, Tanya became a teenager along with the other Rangers.
Power Rangers Zeo
Being the most inexperienced of the group, she offered to pass the powers from Aisha's subcrystal over to Billy CranstonBilly Cranston
Billy Cranston is a fictional character in the Power Rangers universe. He is the Blue Ranger in the series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, portrayed by actor David Yost. Billy is the only original Power Ranger to remain for the entire MMPR series, and is the third longest-serving Ranger overall...
; however, he declined and Tanya became Zeo Ranger II. Tanya began her tour of duty as the newest member of the Power Rangers team while having to cope with the Machine Empire
Machine Empire
The Machine Empire is a group of robotic villains in the Power Rangers universe, who first appeared in the television show Power Rangers Zeo and were later mentioned in Power Rangers in Space and Power Rangers Wild Force.-History:...
invasion as well as having her world turned upside down by entering Angel Grove as an orphan. Luckily, Tanya adapted quickly to her new lifestyle and began to learn martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
from Tommy Oliver
Tommy Oliver
Dr. Thomas "Tommy" Oliver is a fictional character from the universe of the American children's television franchise Power Rangers. He is a main character in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers TV series, as well as four of its successive incarnations Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers, Power Rangers Zeo,...
and Adam Park
Adam Park
Adam Park is a fictional major character from the universe of the American television series franchise Power Rangers, played by Johnny Yong Bosch. He is a main character in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers TV series, as well as three of its successive incarnations Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers,...
. To help her cope with her temporal displacement, Tanya lived with Zeo Ranger I Katherine Hillard
Katherine Hillard
Katherine 'Kat' Hillard is a fictional character in the Power Rangers franchise. She was played by Australian-American actress Catherine Sutherland in adult form, and by Julia Jordan in child form...
, who also helped Tanya enroll at Angel Grove High School.
Tanya became interested in baseball player Shawn, who attempted to cheat on an algebra test before Tanya convinced him otherwise. However, the two eventually had a falling out leading Shawn to break up with Tanya, as she excelled at baseball and joined the Angel Grove High team as a pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
. Shawn later showed jealousy at Tanya's friendship with Adam, but the two patched things up and remained friends. Tanya was also an excellent singer, and a music video that she created caught the eye of a talent scout, who offered her a recording contract. Tanya had to decline at the time, feeling that her Ranger duties were more important. Tommy later asked for Tanya's assistance as a vocal coach, at which point both were put under a spell by Queen Machina that forced the two to sing at all times.
It was eventually revealed that her real parents had been American explorers, who had left her in Africa while they went searching for the "Lost Tiki of Auric" on the fabled Mysterio Island. After receiving a letter from her old tribe and Aisha, she managed to find and rescue them. She learned that the "Lost Tiki" was in fact the form of the ancient hero, Auric the Conqueror, whose care she placed in the hands of Jason Lee Scott
Jason Lee Scott
Jason Lee Scott is a fictional character in the Power Rangers franchise, played by actor Austin St. John. Jason is best remembered as the original Red Ranger from the first entry of the franchise, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, as well as the leader of the original team of Power Rangers...
, who was serving as the Gold Zeo Ranger at the time.
Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie
When the evil Space Pirate Divatox threatens to raise a powerful monster named Maligore to marry her, Tanya, along with the other rangers, accept new Turbo powers and becomes the Yellow Turbo Ranger, and gains the Dune Star Turbozord.Power Rangers Turbo
Tanya continued to fight against Divatox. She took up an internship, working as a DJ at a radio station, and managed to warn the other Rangers to one of Divatox's detonators over the airwaves. She also supported Katherine when she felt self-conscious about her weight and when she was conflicted over attending a dance school; Tanya noted at the time that her own singing career was something that she could always pursue after leaving her tenure as a Power Ranger. She and the other Ranger veterans later passed on their powers to worthy successors, and Tanya selected as her replacement the Angel Grove cheerleader, Ashley HammondAshley Hammond
Ashley Hammond, portrayed by Tracy Lynn Cruz, is a fictional character in the Power Rangers TV series.-Power Rangers Turbo:Ashley was chosen by Tanya Sloan to become the new Yellow Turbo Ranger during Power Rangers Turbo, taking over control of the Dune Star Turbo Zord and later gaining access to...
, to continue on as the Yellow Turbo Ranger.