Big Mcknight on Campus!

Now seems like a good time to talk about Conner Mcknight. I didn't play a lot of sports in high school. So It may come as a shock that I am a fan of Conner. However I really liked his character and how he grew over the course of the Dino Thunder season. Conner takes up the Red Dino Gem which gives him the power of super speed. Conner is a great soccer player, so great he's a little caught up in his own fame. He also brags about dating a lot of pretty girls. However as the season unfolds we see a cool hero emerge from this brash exterior. Conner meets a pre-teen girl who is also good at soccer and saves her from a monster attack and learns how important his responsibilities as a Ranger really are. Conner is definitely not a perfect leader but his friends help him think situations through and balance out ideas. Conner and Tommy also developed a close friendship and strong respect for each other. They became a great tag team, almost as good as Tommy and Jason in the original series. Conner controls the Tryranno and Triassic Zords as well as the Shield of Triumph which allows him to transform into triassic mode. In Triassic mode He has extra powers and weapons including the ability to send himself and his opponent to an alternate dimension where he can control and manipulate the fight. Conner adapted well to the power over time and got very excited when Tommy said that they were only beginning to discover their full potential. This leads to the most important lesson that Tommy Oliver shared with him about true confidence and believing in one's self.

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During the time when Trent was evil, Conner and Trent fought a lot and had some epic battles. The Conner Vs Trent theme has become really popular with fans over time. Also considering the fact that both characters had so much chemistry with Kira, Dino Thunder was nearly on the verge of becoming a soap opera. I guess this is why they introduced Krista just to balance things out. Anyways I've already talked about how much I like Conner and Kira as a pair during one of my first articles on this blog. Look for Conner and Kira Running and Screaming. I still believe very strongly in this pair. Krista was nice but I believe Conner and Kira meant a lot more to each other. Also take this as you will but this is my opinion! I really don't think every one of the Tomboy girls should get paired with a tortured soul Ranger. After they did that in Mighty Morphin, Turbo, Space, Lost Galaxy, and Ninja Storm, the theme got old. Still that's just my opinion. Conner is played by James Napier Robertson. He has moved on from acting and became a short film director. It seems unlikely that he will return to the show. However his legacy remains special in my heart. And I can still imagine that somehow or other Conner and Kira do end up together and live a wonderful life. Finding a hero that you respect isn't easy for everyone and even when you find one that does not mean you have to just accept the story you see about them. It's even more fun to spin your own stories about them and come up with something even more worthwhile. Also a special thank you to James Napier for giving us this character in the first place!