Rocky DeSantos


 * For the movie version of this character, see Rocky DeSantos (movie).

Rocky DeSantos was the second Red Mighty Morphin' Ranger, Red Ninja Ranger, and Zeo Ranger III Blue. He is the fifth longest-serving Ranger overall behind Tommy Oliver, Billy Cranston, Adam Park, and Kimberly Hart.

As the second Red Ranger
Rocky first met the Ranger teens while saving a baby along with his friends Adam Park and Aisha Campbell. The three of them lived in Stone Canyon (a fictional city in California) and were visiting Angel Grove to represent Stone Canyon in the Team Ninja Competition. Because of his skill as a martial artist, Rocky became an immediate target of Lord Zedd, and along with Adam and Aisha, ended up kidnapped and thrown in the Dimension of Despair, along with their favorite Stone Canyon teacher, Mr. Anderson.

Luckily, the Power Rangers came to rescue them just in time, but not before Rocky, Adam, and Aisha discovered the Rangers' identities when Tommy Oliver and Kimberly Hart had to take off Billy Cranston's helmet after Billy fought with the Serpent of Darkness, and when Billy's identity was revealed, Kimberly and Tommy took off their own helmets, seeing no further harm in doing so. Rocky, Adam, and Aisha were later taken to the Command Center to meet Zordon and were sworn to secrecy. Rocky (along with Adam and Aisha) eventually moved to Angel Grove permanently.

Rocky was chosen to replace Jason Lee Scott as the Red Mighty Morphin' Power Ranger after Jason, and his fellow Rangers Trini Kwan, and Zack Taylor were selected to attend the peace conference in Geneva, Switzerland. Rocky was entrusted with the powers of the Tyrannosaurus Power Coin and the Red Dragon Thunderzord. In addition, he became second-in-command of the team.

In Season 3 of MMPR, Rocky went through one of the most disastrous events for a Red Ranger (despite him not being the leader) when the Thunderzords were destroyed by Rito Revolto and his band of monsters, thus also destroying the original Dinozords and damaging the Power Coins beyond use. Rocky later gained new Ninja powers of the Ape, becoming the Red Ninja Ranger. As a Ninja Ranger, he could perform slide-teleportation, the decoy suit trick, and other Ninja powers. Also, like the other Ninja Rangers, he gained powers unique to his animal: In Rocky's case, enhanced strength and the ability to quickly climb up surfaces. Rocky also gained the ability to pilot the Ape Ninjazord, as well as the Red Shogunzord. He was also later granted the power of the Metallic Armor.

The Rangers managed to get the Zeo Crystal, but wanted to make sure that Master Vile couldn't get it again, so the Rangers split it into five sub-crystals and sent them to different points in history.

Vile then turned back time using the Orb of Doom, turning the Rangers back into children. The Rangers soon recruited the Alien Rangers to fight in their stead. Billy had then created a device which would restore their them to their old selves. He used the Ninja Coins as a power source, testing it on himself. This worked, but it allowed Rito & Goldar to capture the coins and Rita & Zedd destroyed them.

Search for the Zeo Crystal
Rocky's quest for his sub-crystal took him back to Mexico, where he met a young boy who was actually a younger version of his grandfather. The sub-crystal turned out to be the maw of a near active volcano. With some climbing equipment, Rocky retrieved the crystal before the volcano erupted. Bidding farewell to his grandfather and the village, Rocky was the first to return to the present with his crystal.

As Zeo Ranger III
All the Rangers returned with their sub-crystals, save Aisha, who chose to stay in Africa and help save the animals there; she sent a young girl named Tanya Sloan in her place. When he returned back to his adulthood the second time, Rocky and the others had to escape the doomed Command Center from a planted bomb by Rito and Goldar. From the wreckage, the Rangers found the Zeo Crystal and the entrance to the Power Chamber, where Zordon and Alpha were still alive. However, a new threat to Earth came in the form of King Mondo and his Machine Empire.

With their old powers destroyed, the Rangers had to harness the Zeo Crystal for new powers to battle the empire. The Triangle sub-crystal allowed Rocky to become Zeo Ranger III. During this time, Rocky faced a new set of villains and adventures. He also became fast friends with Tanya, along with helping her adjust as an adult (as she was a child when she first arrived). Rocky took up an interest in baseball, which Mondo once used to get rid of him. When Mondo and the Empire started getting stronger, Rocky and the Zeo Rangers were assisted by the mysterious Gold Ranger. At first, Rocky and the others assumed Billy was the Ranger (as Billy retired), but it was later revealed he was an alien named Trey, from the planet Triforia. When Trey's powers were threatened, as Billy couldn't take on the powers, Rocky's predecessor, Jason Lee Scott, came back to assume the powers.



With Jason as the Gold Ranger, he also took over his second-in-command title; Rocky soon began to feel left out and also felt he was being replaced by the Ranger he replaced, as everyone seemed to want to do something with Jason instead of Rocky. Trying to prove his worth, he attempted to take on King Mondo by himself. It was only afterwards he realized he was an important part of the team, as well as a friend to Jason.

Rocky loved to have fun and enjoyed going to dances, carnivals, mystery parties, luaus, and hanging out at Ernie's. He was more than willing to join in a scavenger hunt, helping in clean-up projects, and even become a stuntman in a sci-fi movie. Rocky liked to challenge his brain as well. He attempted to teach a chemistry class, enjoyed computer science, and botany classes and going to museums and learning about other cultures.

Rocky is a guy with a big appetite for life (and food) and keeps his energy going by staying active physically. He enjoys working on his karate, running with the guys, playing volleyball, football, snowboarding, even doing splits. Rocky also channelled his energy by becoming a lifeguard.

It's with this enthusiasm towards everything, that during a practice match, Rocky threw himself into a kick and wounded up landing and causing his spine to go further into his back, hurting him. While he recouped in the hospital, his friends were facing a new danger and Zordon had to recruit a new Ranger. Rocky never begrudged the fact that he was unable to become the Blue Turbo Ranger. Instead, he was relieved that his era of being a Ranger was over. After seeing his friends off at graduation, Rocky opened up his own Karate School. After many years in service as a Ranger, Rocky is enjoying his post-ranger life teaching karate.

Trivia

 * Rocky is the only Ranger to retire due to an injury.
 * Rocky was the only Red Ranger not to appear in Forever Red. His actor, Steve Cardenas, was contacted and he apparently agreed to be in the episode, but he was moving houses at the time and contact was lost. Word from Forever Red writer Amit Bhaumik has it that had Rocky been in the episode, it would have only been in a civilian cameo as Tommy's butler, though he would have been implied to have still been the Blue Zeo Ranger. Rocky would have only participated in the battle as MMPR Red Ranger if Austin St. John proved unable to make filming.
 * Rocky was written off because Steve Cardenas wanted to leave the show to start his own karate school. This is reflected back onto his character's post-Ranger life.
 * Rocky was one of the first Rangers to change designation, going from Red to Blue.
 * This would be followed with T. J. Johnson, who started as the second Red Turbo Ranger and then became the Blue Space Ranger.
 * This is to be reversed with Sky Tate going from SPD Blue to SPD Red and the same for Bridge Carson.
 * Like Rocky, his Ohranger counterpart Yuuji Mita also played a Red Ranger, through his actor being cast for Retsudo Shiba (Shinken Red I) in Samurai Sentai Shinkenger The Movie: The Fateful War.
 * Rocky is the first Red Ranger to not be a leader, followed by Aurico (MMAR) and Wes (Time Force).
 * Rocky is the only one of these three whose leader wasn't a female.
 * Rocky, along with Tommy, Billy, Adam, Kimberly, and Jason are the only Rangers to appear in more than 100 episodes.
 * Of the first three replacement Rangers, Rocky was the only one who fought with his predecessor.