Power Rangers is one of the most prominent tokusatsu series of all time. The Power Rangers franchise has remained incredibly popular since its early '90s debut, and one Ranger has remained at the forefront of the hype. Many fans consider Tommy Oliver the quintessential Power Ranger, for good reason. Tommy might have started the series as one of the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers' minor villains, but he soon became one of their greatest allies and most fearless leaders.
Tommy Oliver has held a variety of titles over his years in the Power Rangers, with some colors and forms more popular than others. Some of his most powerful Power Ranger forms might not necessarily be the most beloved. Tommy Oliver is the longest-serving ranger and has some truly impressive feats under his belt – but not all of Tommy Oliver's Ranger forms were made equally.
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5 Tommy Passes the Torch As the Red Turbo Ranger
T.J. More Than Proved He Deserves the Title
One of Tommy Oliver's last positions as a Red Ranger was his time spent as the Red Turbo Ranger. The Turbo design and powers are easily some of the most nostalgic in the franchise, but they also mark a unique time for the series. During the midpoint of Power Rangers Turbo, Oliver, and several of his older allies, look to retire and pass the torch to the next generation of rangers.
Tommy finds his successor in T.J. Johnson, who truly deserves the title of Red Turbo ranger. Oliver definitely did a fantastic job as the team's leader, but Johnson certainly makes the role of Turbo Ranger his own. Since Oliver has several other Ranger roles under his belt, it would feel rather presumptuous to call him the de facto Red Turbo Ranger.
Oliver's Turbo powers are great, but his Red Turbo form is far from the Power Ranger pinnacle's most important form or transformation. The design and functionality are great, but aside from belonging to a different ranger, they also lack the nostalgia of his other forms. When it comes to Power Rangers, a form's "power" is far from its most important aspect. Tommy's time as the Red Turbo Ranger is iconic, but far from his greatest tenure in the franchise.
4 The White Ranger Didn't Have the Same Flair as His Original Evil Counterpart
The White Ranger's Design Is Understandably Blander Than His Counterparts
Tommy Oliver donned the White Ranger form after his Green Ranger powers began to malfunction. Since he was no longer evil, his abilities wouldn't work the same. Zordon gave him a new suit, and made him the apparent leader of the Rangers after Jason Lee Scott announced his departure. The White Suit is supposedly more powerful, but it lacks one key aspect of Oliver's original form: nostalgia.
Oliver's White Ranger form simply isn't as popular as his previous power-up. The white tiger motif is interesting, but it lacks the style of the original green dragon design.
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Nevertheless, Tommy did an incredible job as the team leader and would maintain the role for several following adaptations. One of the largest issues with Tommy's second Morphin'-era design was the color. Power Rangers is an incredibly creatively chromatic show. Rangers are often accompanied by large flashes or splashes of their iconic color. Having a White Ranger somewhat diminishes the spectacle, which is why Oliver would often make return appearances as the Green Ranger rather than the White.
3 The Black Dino Ranger Brought Tommy Out of Retirement
Tommy Takes on a Mentor Role in Power Rangers Dino Thunder
The Black Dino Ranger is an incredibly important design and era for Tommy Oliver. It marks the hero's transition from participant to mentor, and he becomes one of the few instructor-Rangers that exist within the series. With his Brachiosaurus Zord, he is always ready to lend the main team a helping hand, but he isn't above letting the team make their own mistakes. Dino Thunder also marks Oliver's last consistent tenure with a Ranger team.
Tommy's Black Ranger design is indicative of his previous iterations, with large gold paldrons and a slightly different motif than the other rangers. His design is easily the coolest in Dino Thunder, and somewhat overshadows his fellow rangers until they unlock more complicated powers. The series provides the perfect mix of new content with nostalgic callbacks geared toward long-time fans.
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Oliver does an incredible job as Dino-Thunder's "Teacher Ranger", and provides a template the series uses for several other iconic figures. Tommy isn't the first mentor ranger, but he is likely to be the most popular. After all, how can anyone really top Tommy Oliver? All jokes aside, Tommy's role in Dino Thunder proves that more OG Rangers could've kept a more active role in the series if they had really wanted.
2 Tommy Oliver's First Appearance as the Green Ranger is Utterly Iconic
The Green Ranger Took on the Entire Original Team at Once
The Green Ranger is Tommy Oliver's original role in Power Rangers and is easily his most recognizable. From his iconic Dragon Dagger, to his superb fighting style, Oliver actually began the series as a minor villain. The Green Ranger consistently kept the Power Rangers on their toes until he would finally return to the light and join them, after shaking Rita Repulsa's influence.
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Once he returns to the light, he maintains his impressive powers and uses them to assist the Rangers. Tommuy's incredible Dragon Zord even gets a combined form with the original five Rangers's Megazord. If the Green Ranger had remained evil, he likely would've completely demolished the original rangers.
Tommy Oliver's Green Ranger started the iconic "sixth Ranger" trend in the Power Rangers franchise, and continues to serve as the template for the role to this day. No sixth Ranger since the Green has maintained such an iconic screen presence. The Green Ranger is still many fans' favorites, nearly three decades after his original appearance.
1 Tommy Leads the Original Rangers as the Red Zeo Ranger
The Red Zeo Ranger Would Lead the Team For Several Years
After taking over the role of leader as the White Ranger, Tommy Oliver would finally attain the role of Red Ranger in Power Rangers Zeo. Tommy's time as the team's leader is nothing short of iconic, and he certainly earns the commanding color. He leads a combined team of new and classic Rangers to combat new threats the Sabanverse had never seen before.
The Zeo Crystals are one of the most powerful objects in Power Rangers history and technically make the Zeo Rangers one of the most powerful groups in the franchise. The magical morphers have the unique ability to grow more powerful the longer they are in use, meaning that if Tommy Oliver had continued to use his Zeo powers, he might've been unstoppable by Dino Thunder. Theoretically, every new power-up is supposed to be more powerful than the last, but that doesn't seem to be the case with Power Rangers Zeo and Power Rangers Turbo.
The Zeo Designs might not be the most popular, but they are pivotal for establishing every following design. The Zeo Rangers are the first to use full-helmets with signature black cut-outs, something later seasons will continue to perfect. All in all, Tommy's time as the Zeo Red Ranger is easily his peak. It might not be many's favorite season of the franchise, but it marks a truly iconic time and the greatest wins of Tommy Oliver's career as a Power Ranger.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 1993 - 1996-00-00
- Network
- ABC, Nickelodeon, ABC Family, Toon Disney, Netflix, Fox Kids
Cast
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Austin St. JohnDana Mitchell -
Thuy TrangSydney Drew
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Walter Emanuel JonesTaylor Earhardt
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Amy Jo JohnsonKimberly Hart
