The best upgrade that Trini Kwan of the Power Rangers received happened in the comics. Power Rangers are known to have their power upgrades on television, especially Red Rangers with their Battilizers. However, for non-Red Rangers especially, the best Ranger upgrades happen in the comics.

The best upgrade for the original Yellow Ranger arrives in the form of Black Dragon armor, debuting in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #16 by Kyle Higgins and Hendry Prasetya. The comics have gifted Trini Kwan with a few major upgrades - including becoming a Red Ranger - but the Black Dragon armor may arguably be the coolest one she ever had.

Considering where the Black Dragon armor came from and the skills that Trini showcased in turning the armor into something useful, the upgrade solidifies Trini as one of the best Mighty Morphin Rangers of all time.

The Black Dragon Armor Was Created by Lord Drakkon

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #4 by Kyle Higgins, Hendry Prasetya, Daniel Bayliss, Matt Herms, and Ed Dukeshire

The Black Dragon first debuted in the BOOM! Studios comics not as mere armor, but as a full-blown character (or so readers thought) and an adversary for the Power Rangers. The first few issues of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers reminded readers that, unlike the rest of the Rangers, Tommy Oliver's abilities were powered by the chaos magic of Rita Repulsa. This source proved vital the more that Tommy butted heads with Jason, as his heightened emotions strengthened a Dragon Dagger duplicate - that once belonged to iconic villain Scorpina - to create a portal for the Black Dragon to enter this universe.

The Black Dragon originally came from the World of the Coinless, proving a thorn in the Rangers' side up until Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #9, where the Green Ranger and Lord Drakkon, the franchise's best villain - who had been communicating to the Rangers from his world through the Black Dragon.

Trini Kwan Repurposed the Black Dragon Armor for the Rangers

Anything for Her Team

Drakkon is an alternate future timeline version of Tommy Oliver, and thus, through their shared connection of the Chaos Crystal's powers, he was able to send his Black Dragon to this dimension. Present-day Tommy and Billy are transported to Drakkon's world, giving Trini ample time to figure out exactly what the Black Dragon is. When the Blue and Green Rangers first disappear, Trini is the first to realize that the Black Dragon was made from pieces of the Green Ranger's Dragonzord.

Upon further inspection in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #11, Trini learns that the pieces of the Black Dragon are actually identical to those of the Dragonzord - not copies. Trini comes to the conclusion that the Black Dragon comes from another world, and that's likely where Billy and Tommy landed after disappearing. Behind Billy, Trini is the team's best tech expert, and thus, she works effortlessly to cross-examine where this monstrous Zord came from to find them. And that's not all she does with the Black Dragon.

Trini proved herself as one of the smartest, most competent, and most efficient Power Rangers.

Trini repurposes the Black Dragon into armor by syncing it to her to use in case of an emergency. Such an emergency comes when the Rangers are ambushed by Rita Repulsa, who dampens the Rangers' teleportation capabilities but can do nothing to stop the parts of the Black Dragon from merging with Trini's suit. Furthermore, she uses the Black Dragon's energy to power the Triceratops Power Coin that Billy left behind, sending her and the Rangers to Drakkon's dimension to rescue their friends.

The Legacy of Trini's Black Dragon Armor Continues

The Black Dragon Armor Appears Again

This isn't the last time that readers see the Black Dragon armor in action, as it makes a return in time for the Power Rangers franchise's 25th anniversary. At the tail-end of the "Shattered Grid" arc, where Rangers from across all iterations team up for one last stand against Drakkon and his army, the older, future version of Trini from the World of the Coinless enters the fray. Because she no longer has her Power Coin (hence the Coinless moniker), main-canon Trini gives her future self the Black Dragon armor to defend herself in the battle in MMPR #30 by Higgins and Daniele Di Nicuolo.

If there's any big takeaway from all of this, it's that Trini proved herself as one of the smartest, most competent, and most efficient Power Rangers - not only from the Mighty Morphin team, but in franchise history. Future comics help drive this point home, especially in showcasing how Trini was deserving of a Red Ranger promotion as leader. But MMPR #16 is one of the first moments from BOOM! that highlights Trini's abilities. Ultimately, turning the harmful Black Dragon armor into something helpful to the Power Rangers was practically foreshadowing of Trini's bigger spotlight to come.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #16 is available now from BOOM! Studios.