Tommy Oliver made hisPower Rangersdebut in 1993, but the best version of the original Green Ranger would only show up more than a decade later. ThePower Rangersseries has featured countless actors since its inception over 30 years ago, all of whom contributed to creating the franchise as we know it. The idea of legacy is very important inPower Rangers, especially when it comes to the originalMighty Morphinactors. That said,it’s difficult to argue against Tommy being the show’s most iconic character.
As an evil Ranger with the coolest toys and his own theme song, theoriginal Green Rangereffortlessly becameMighty Morphin Power Rangers’ most popular character and changed the trajectory of the show. Even when the Green Ranger was written out of the story to matchPower Rangers’Super Sentaicounterpart, Tommy remained on the show and became even more important to the series as the White Ranger. From then on, Tommy became the face ofPower Rangersand led three different teams in a row. However,the most interesting version of Tommy only came in 2004.
The Original Green Ranger Was Older And Wiser During Duno Thunder
Tommy’s “takeover” ofPower Rangershad positives and negatives. On the one hand, Jason David Frank’s character was charismatic, fun to watch, and a reminder of how much the show had changed since the days Tommy was the evil Green Ranger. Tommy was the superhero for an entire generation, andit only made sense for him to lead the team as the White Ranger and later become a Red Ranger himself.On the other hand, too much of anything can become repetitive and lose its magic, which happened to Tommy.
Tommy’s Green Ranger days were referenced a couple of times inDino Thunder, including when the Rangers watched a tape with the history of all previous Power Rangers teams in “Legacy of Power,” and when Tommy faced his past in “Fighting Spirit.”
While seeingTommy as a Red Ranger inZeowas cool, the original Green Ranger always worked better as an additional member of the team rather than its foundation. ByTurbo,not only Tommy but the rest of theMMPR/Zeocharacters had become quite repetitive and uninteresting.Tommy was still the “punch first, ask questions later” Ranger, and not much had changed since hisMMPRdays. This is why seeing an older, wiser Tommy Oliver – now a professor with a PHD in Paleontology – in 2004’sDino Thunderwas so fascinating.
“Dr. Oliver” Was A Surprising But Fitting Next Step For The Original Green Ranger
Given how reckless Tommy could be in the original show, even during his run as team leader, I was very surprised when he showed up inDino Thunderas a wise teacher who knew exactly what to say to his pupils. However, on a closer look,Tommy becoming a mentor to a younger team of Power Rangers made a lot of sense.No active Ranger was as experienced as Tommy during that time, and he had learned from the best mentors since the events ofMighty Morphin. Tommy had a lot of stories to tell and tips to share.
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Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel (cameo)
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“Dr. Oliver” was the perfect next step for Tommy after he quit being a full-time Power Ranger during the first half ofTurbo. Tommy’s appearance in “Forever Red” actually set the stage for Jason David Frank’s character to return as a mentor given how calm and wise he sounded during that crossover. Tommy even said to his Red Ranger peers“May the power protect you,”just like his mentor Zordon would do before a mission. Of course, Tommy without a morpher wouldn’t be as interesting. Fortunately,Dr. Oliver became theDino ThunderBlack Ranger.
Dino Thunder Black Remains Tommy’s Most Underrated Power Rangers Form
Dino Thunder Black Wasn’t As Big As MMPR Green
It’s impossible to discussPower Rangerswithout considering nostalgia. Even though there have been many greatPower Rangersseasons since the 2000s, the franchise will always be associated with the 1990s on some level, especially withMighty Morphin Power Rangers. Therefore,whenever Tommy Oliver comes up, it’s natural for people to think of the Green Rangeror even the White Ranger from the original series. This is whyDino ThunderBlack is such an underrated part of Tommy’s history inPower Rangers.
Power Rangers In Order: How To Watch Every Series Chronologically & By Release Date
From Mighty Morphin to Cosmic Fury, here is how to watch every Power Rangers TV show in order, both chronologically and by release date.
Jason David Frank’s finalPower Rangersepisodeincluded a lot of legacy actors but was also a tribute to Tommy. I was glad to see that it featuredDino ThunderBlack as one of the forms used by Tommy through his Master Morpher – there was even an evil version ofDino ThunderBlack in the episode. Tommy’s days as the Black Ranger inDino Thundermay not have been as iconic as his originalPower Rangersrun, but it was still a very important chapter in the character’s history and gave us a more mature version of the character.
Power Rangers Dino Thunder
Cast
Power Rangers Dino Thunder is a television series that premiered in 2004, serving as the 12th season of the Power Rangers franchise. The show follows three high school students who become superheroes known as the Dino Thunder Power Rangers, tasked with saving the world from the evil Dr. Tommy Oliver and his minions.
