As we shared in another recent article, the legacy of the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers cast is one filled with tragedy as much as it is love and adoration from fans. Of the core group, no one may have arguably had more misfortune than Trini Kwan actress Thuy Trang. She died just before the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and, for many, they wonder just what exactly caused this.
Ultimately, it was an automobile accident brought on by some loose gravel. On Sept. 3, 2001, Trang was traveling with some friends when their vehicle struck a rough patch between San Francisco and Los Angeles and slammed into a rock face. It then flipped several times, struck a safety rail, and hit a second rock face before coming to a stop. Trang began to bleed internally, and while in transit to the hospital, ultimately died. She was cremated Sept. 10, 2001, and many co-stars attended her memorial service.
Trang was cremated and her ashes were scattered at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Los Angeles County. As of this story’s filing, there is no headstone for her, but fans have consistently worked to keep her memory alive and make sure she is respected by those who steer the franchise today. Ahead of the failed reboot film release in 2017, several were angered when a tweet sharing a poster with singer Becky G’s version of Kwan was captioned with the words “driver’s ed not required.” This was viewed as a mockery of Trang and her death, and the official Twitter account for the franchise did delete it, though without any apparent apologies.
In the recently released Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always anniversary special on Netflix, Trang’s Kwan is also honored. Here, her character dies saving David Yost’s Billy Cranston. Cranston is wracked by guilt, and at different parts in the special, it is implied her spirit lives on in the Morphin Grid which gives the rangers their abilities. Kwan’s teenage daughter Minh (as played by actress Charlie Kersh) steps in to fill her role while being able to access her mother’s ranger memories, too.
While Kwan and Trang are gone, they are certainly not forgotten. The character has continued to appear in comic books, and, in recent years, her co-stars have still reflected on how much she means to them. Trang left behind some siblings and a mother, but it is not known how they feel about the special and her legacy today as they do not appear to be active on any form of social media.
If you want to watch Trang, the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is available to stream on Netflix.