Tommy Oliver was promoted to Red Ranger inZeo, aPower Rangersseason that proved one harsh truth about the legendary Green Ranger. Arguably the greatest character in the franchise,Jason David Frank’s Tommy joined the show inMighty Morphin Power Rangersseason 1, episode 17, “Green With Evil: Part I.”It did not take long before Tommy became a fan-favorite, with the character remaining on the show way past the producers’ original plan for the Green Ranger.Tommy’s run as the Green Rangerwas only the start of hisPower Rangerslegacy.
InMighty Morphinseason 2, after losing his Green Ranger powers, Tommy was given the White Light and became the White Ranger. The show had run out ofZyurangerfootage to use for the Green Ranger, which is why Tommy’s new form had to come from a different Sentai entirely –Dairanger. This was also when Tommy became theleader of the Power Rangers, replacing Jason. Given that Jason was about to be written out of the show, it made sense for Tommy to become the team’s new leader. WhenMMPRtransitioned toZeo, Tommy became the new Red Ranger.
15 Best Power Rangers Episodes I Never Get Tired Of Watching
Some of the best Power Rangers episodes still hold up many years later, from the introduction of all-time favorite characters to major crossovers.
Power Rangers Zeo Proved Tommy Wasn’t Fit To Be A Red Ranger
Tommy Was A Great Character But Not A Great Red Ranger
Tommy becomes the Red Ranger in “A Zeo Beginning,” an episode that marked a new era forPower Rangers. After three seasons usingZyurangeras the basis forMighty Morphin, it was time forPower Rangersto reinvent itself with new costumes and Zords.ZeocoveredChouriki Sentai Ohranger, whose initial lineup included Red, Blue, Green, Pink, and Yellow rangers. Given that this was slightly different from the usualMighty Morphinlineup, some changes had to be made. For example, Adam went from Black Ranger to Green Ranger, andTanya replaced Aisha as the Yellow Ranger.
Trey of Triforia/Jason
Zeo Gold Ranger
The biggest change, however, was Tommy becoming the Red Ranger. While the White Ranger was the leader of theMighty Morphinteam in seasons 2 and 3, he was technically a sixth Ranger. WhenZeobegan, the team only had five members. In other words, Tommy now had to become a proper leader – the Red Ranger around which the team would be formed. Compared to his White Ranger run, Tommy had to be a more traditional leader than the Red Ranger inZeo. Unfortunately,Zeowas one of the least interesting phases of Tommy’sPower Rangershistory.
Audiences loved Tommy, and it only made sense for the show to make him the Red Ranger eventually.
Always striking first and asking questions later, Tommy was ready for whatever fight but not necessarily to be a great leader. As a character, Tommy Oliver naturally drew too much attention to himself because of how popular he had become. InMighty Morphin, Tommy was the reformed warrior who had now found a place in the world alongside his Ranger friends. However,inZeo, Tommy is framed as the sole protagonist, often spending too much time in the spotlight.Granted, audiences loved Tommy, and it only made sense for the show to make him the Red Ranger eventually.
Power Rangers Turbo Confirmed Tommy Wasn’t Meant To Be A Red Ranger
Turbo Got Better Once The New Cast Came In
Given how much the Red Ranger role means inPower Rangers, I’m glad that a character as iconic as Tommy got to be one. That said,Turbowas the final confirmation that Tommy Oliver was not meant to be a Red Ranger. The first half ofTurbo– the one before the introduction of the new cast – is widely considered one of the worst phases of the show. Repetitive and almost a parody of itself,Turbowas a reminder thatPower Rangersneeded something new. Midway through the season, the actors’ contracts weren’t renewed, and a new cast was brought in.
The new cast ofPower Rangers Turboremained on the show forPower Rangers in Space, a fan-favorite season that saved the series followingTurbo’s poor ratings.
The fact thatTurbogot way better once T.J., Cassie, Carlos, and Ashley were introduced as the new Red, Pink, Green, and Yellow Rangers confirmed the biggest problem with the first half of the show. After following theMighty Morphin/Zeocrew for several years now, audiences had become tired of seeing the same characters going through the same things every week. Tommy’s character in particular had become stuck. After such an interesting development inMighty Morphin, it seemed likePower Rangersdid not know what to do with Tommy for most ofZeoandTurbo.
Tommy Was Much Better As An Extra Ranger Than As A Red Ranger
Tommy Worked Better As The Outsider
Tommy Oliver worked much better as the sixth Ranger – the extra member of the team who stands out from the rest due to his costume and powers. The Green Ranger was the first extra Ranger in the franchise and set up a trope that would be used several other times.Lost Galaxy’s Magna Defender,Lightspeed Rescue’s Titanium Ranger,Time Force’s Quantum Ranger, andDino Thunder’s White Ranger are just some examples of characters who were introduced as antagonists and later joined the heroes. While this trope originates from Super Sentai, its success inPower Rangerstraces back to Tommy.
1993
1995
1996
1997
2002
2004
2005
2014
Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel(cameo)
2017
Tommy was reckless and not a great strategist, especially compared to characters like Billy or Jason. This is why he worked so well as an extra Ranger, someone who would do what the other Rangers would not. Interestingly, while the White Ranger was the leader inMMPRseasons 2 and 3, he essentially worked as an extra Ranger due to the available Sentai footage. The White Ranger was based on aDairangercharacter, whereas all the otherMighty Morphincostumes came fromZyuranger. This is why the White Ranger rarely interacted with the other ones in battle.
Dino Thunder’s Black Ranger Was The Perfect Role For Tommy
Dino Thunder Black Combined The Best Things About Tommy
AfterTurbo, Tommy would return for a cameo in Wild Force as part of the “Forever Red” crossover. It is interesting how one of the greatestPower Rangersepisodes of all time celebrated Tommy’s legacy as a Red Ranger, with the character using hisZeoRanger V-Red form alongside all the other veteran Red Rangers. Two years after Wild Force, Jason David Frank returned to the franchise with a recurrent role inPower RangersDino Thunder. Now a high school teacher,Tommy accidentally became the mentor to a new team of Rangers.
After being the “Zordon” ofDino Thunderfor a couple of episodes, Tommy suits up again in “Back in Black.”Dino Thunder’s Black Ranger combined everything great about Tommy inPower Rangers. He was both a late addition to the team and an experienced figure who would guide the younger heroes. Tommy was not the leader inDino Thunder– Red Ranger Connor was – but that did not stop him from being a great mentor. Tommy’s experience even helped the Rangers deal with the evil White Ranger, whose story mirrored the original Green Ranger arc in many ways.
Power Rangers Zeo
Cast
Power Rangers Zeo is the fourth season of the American television series, following the Power Rangers. The new season introduces the Zeo Crystal, which gives the Rangers new powers and Zords. Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa return, joined by the Machine Empire, in their quest to conquer Earth.
