For almost as long as they have been around, the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers have managed to produce some of pop culture's most iconic characters, and between them more than a few similarly well known romances. The most memorable of all of these love stories for many fans is undoubtedly the one between Tommy Oliver and Kimberly Hart, the original Green and Pink Rangers. As longtime fans know, however, their romance wasn't made to last, although Tommy would find a lifelong commitment in the form of none other than the very next Pink Ranger, Katherine Hillard.
First introduced in the 1995 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Christmas special "I'm Dreaming of a White Ranger," Katherine Hillard's time with the original team began shortly after in season three's "A Ranger Catastrophe." This two part episode saw Kat brainwashed by Rita Repulsa not unlike how Tommy Oliver was manipulated during his own introduction to the series. After using her shapeshifting abilities to wreak havoc on and subsequently infiltrate the Rangers operations, Kat would go on to steal Kimberly's Power Coin for Rita and Lord Zedd. Thankfully, her true, heroic nature would prove strong enough to break free from Rita's spell and help save the day, returning the Power Coin to its rightful owner and freeing Kimberly from the villains' clutches.
Not long after, Kimberly decided to step away from the superhero lifestyle to pursue her true passions, passing along her Power Coin to Katherine in the process. Katherine quickly proved herself to be one of the most capable Power Rangers of all time, with one of the longest careers out of any of her peers. She also proved to be one of the most compassionate members of the team, something which opened the door for the relationship between her and Tommy Oliver to bloom during their time together as Zeo Rangers. That all may have been almost thirty years ago, but it wasn't nearly that long ago that the couple were seen together as happy and fearsome as ever in Power Rangers: Soul of the Dragon.
This 2018 graphic novel from Boom! Studios by Kyle Higgins and Giuseppe Cafaro continues the story of Tommy and Kat over twenty years after the events of 2004's Power Rangers Dino Thunder. In this now not-so-faraway future, Katherine is as supportive as ever when her husband is forcefully retired from his position at Bridgeport Township High School along with the rest of its science department. With her own teaching duties poised to send her off world for several weeks, Katherine leaves Tommy to take care of himself and catch up with their son J.J., himself then a member of the S.P.D. When J.J. goes missing, Katherine doesn't try to stop Tommy from going after him, instead putting full trust in Tommy to bring their son back safely. Of course, this all leads to Tommy putting himself back in harm's way, only to uncover a devious plot by classic series villain Scorpina which J.J. has seemingly gotten himself involved in. As it turns out, J.J. was only undercover, something which Tommy's involvement blows the lid off of, leading to a superpowered brawl between Scorpina and the heroes. Luckily, Katherine makes herself available just when help is needed most, not to mention in time to see J.J.'s very first transformation into a Power Ranger with Tommy's original Power Coin. It's a powerful moment that cements Tommy and Katherine's legacy as two of the greatest Power Rangers of all time, yet it is still far from the end of their journey together.
While Soul of the Dragon follows the original series' timeline, it does take place chronologically prior to 1996's "A Season to Remember," the Christmas special episode of Power Rangers Zeo. This episode was as campy as any other holiday special from the franchise, although it did come with the important appearance of Tommy and Katherine still together alongside their grandson, giving the couple a storybook ending outside the realm of their typically explosive adventures. Whether any of this will influence the current Boom! Studios timeline is yet to be seen, though the seeds have certainly been planted for things between Tommy and Kimberly to come to an end. Whatever the future may hold, at least there is one version of the couple that fans can rest assured got the future they deserved.