Tommy Oliver, the original Green Ranger, had some incredible and unforgettable moments throughout his Power Rangers history. Most Power Rangers characters were only on the show for just one season, but Tommy was front and center in multiple series. The character was part of the Mighty Morphin, Zeo, Turbo, and Dino Thunder teams, not to mention his appearances in crossover episodes. As such, it can be difficult to pick Tommy Oliver’s greatest moments in Power Rangers.

Tommy’s Power Rangers story begins in 1993 during the first season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Despite being known by many as “the original Green Ranger,” Tommy wore other colors on the show. In addition to appearing in seven Power Rangers series, Tommy also led the team in two movies – 1995’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie and 1997’s Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie.

8

The Green Ranger Appears In Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

“Green With Evil, Part I”

Tommy’s debut in Power Rangers is still one of the show’s most iconic moments more than 30 years later. After 16 weeks in which every Power Rangers episode had been the same, the series took a surprising turn with the arrival of the Green Ranger. Rather than just another monster of the week, Rita Repulsa now had a Power Ranger of her own. The evil Ranger trope would be used several times on the show, but in 1993, the introduction of an evil version of the heroes was quite surprising.

Tommy had a few minutes of screen time before he was turned into the Green Ranger by Rita Repulsa, just enough for the Rangers and the audience to establish a connection with this new character. Still, as interesting as Tommy was, his Green Ranger form stole the show. The Green Ranger looked cooler than any of the heroes, and he easily defeated all of them upon their first encounter. Between the Dragon Dagger and the Dragonzord, the Green Ranger had all cool toys that none of the core Rangers did – including his own theme song.

7

The Green Ranger Joins The Power Rangers

“Green With Evil, Part V”

The only thing more exciting than seeing the Green Ranger defeat the Power Rangers was seeing Tommy join the team as a hero. Continuing a classic Sentai trope, the Green Ranger went from villain to hero by the end of his introduction arc. “Green With Evil” concludes with an iconic battle between Red Ranger Jason and Green Ranger Tommy, with the former not willing to beat the latter but also breaking Rita Repulsa’s spell. Power Rangers has some great morphing calls, but the one with Tommy joining the team for the first time might be the best.

Seeing Tommy call for “Dragonzord” after the usual morphing call could not have been more exciting. The Green Ranger had now become the franchise’s first sixth Ranger, a trope that would continue for decades to come. It must be noted that the Green Ranger was nerfed as soon as he became a good guy, which also happened to a lot of other redeemed evil Rangers throughout Power Rangers history. Still, the addition of a sixth hero to the Power Rangers helped the show reinvent itself midway through the first season.

6

The White Ranger Is Revealed To Be Tommy Oliver

“White Light, Part I”

“With Light” was a two-part Power Rangers arc in which Zordon and Alpha created a new Power Ranger without telling the rest of the team. Following the arrival of Lord Zedd and the end of the Green Ranger’s powers, Zordon believed the Rangers needed a new member to face the villains. While the Power Rangers were dealing with the monster of the week, Zordon secretly used the power of the White Light to create a new Ranger form. It’s only at the end of Part I that the Rangers find out what Zordon was up to.

The White Ranger arrived at the Command Center during an incredible scene that highlighted how majestic and powerful this new hero was. Although it was not difficult to guess that Tommy was the White Ranger, seeing him slowly remove his helmet in front of the Rangers made for a great moment. Not only did Tommy rejoin the team with a new color, but he also became the new leader. With Jason’s actor leaving the show, Power Rangers wrote Tommy as the team’s new leader ahead of the original Red Ranger’s departure.

5

Tommy Oliver Becomes The Red Ranger In Zeo

“A Zeo Beginning, Part I”

Tommy led the Power Rangers as the White Ranger from the second half of MMPR to the end of the show. After three seasons with the same Zyuranger costumes, Power Rangers decided to cover a different Super Sentai show entirely. Enter Power Rangers Zeo, during which everything changed. With just five members on the team’s initial lineup, there was no room for Tommy to be the “extra Ranger.” Instead, Tommy became the Red Ranger, one of the most important moments in his Power Rangers history. Rocky, the second MMPR Red Ranger, replaced Billy as the Blue Ranger.

Tommy had led the Rangers for dozens of episodes by the time he became Zeo Ranger V Red. Still, there is something special about the Red Ranger role, which is why Zeo is such a defining moment in the history of the character. Tommy’s Red Ranger phase was not his best, though, and it can be argued that he is not among the best Red Rangers in the franchise. The character worked better as a special, extra Ranger like the Green and White ones. This problem continued in Turbo, during which Tommy and the others eventually left the team.

4

Tommy Oliver Joins Other Red Rangers On The Moon

“Forever Red”

Red may not be Tommy Oliver’s best Power Rangers color, but “Forever Red” would not have been the same without him. To celebrate Power Rangers’ 10th anniversary, Wild Force had a special episode in which all Red Rangers up until that point but MMPR Rocky joined forces to save the world. The team, which Andros and Tommy Oliver put together, was to go to the moon and prevent the Machine Empire from resurrecting Lord Zedd’s Serpentera Zord. Tommy, who had fought Zedd and the Machine Empire, stole the show during the crossover.

2002’s “Forever Red” saw a reunion between Tommy and Jason, which had not happened since the Turbo movie in 1997. This iconic Power Rangers team-up episode also marked Tommy’s return to the franchise for the first time since Turbo. “Forever Red” delivered some interactions that would have never been possible in the original seasons, including but not limited to Tommy and Andros working together. The episode ends with Tommy walking into the sunset as all other Red Rangers talk about his legacy, a moment that is now quite bittersweet following Jason David Frank’s passing.

3

Tommy Oliver Becomes The Black Ranger In Dino Thunder

“Back In Black”

Two years after his cameo in Wild Force, Jason David Frank rejoined the show as a series regular for Dino Thunder. A love letter to Mighty Morphin, Dino Thunder took the franchise back to basics with a dinosaur-themed story and teenage Rangers who met in high school. Tommy was now Dr. Oliver, a high school teacher whose past as a Power Ranger was unknown to most. However, once three of his students find the Dino Gems, Tommy becomes the “Zordon” of a new Power Rangers team.

Having Tommy as the “Zordon” of Dino Thunder made the season incredibly nostalgic, especially for those who had followed the character since he was a teenager in Mighty Morphin. However, Tommy was too big of a character not to suit up eventually. It took only four episodes for Dr. Oliver to become a Power Ranger again. Despite being “a little old to be a Power Ranger,” Tommy proved that, once a Ranger, always a Ranger. The Dino Thunder Black Ranger served both as an extra member of the team and as a mentor to the other three.

2

Tommy Oliver Returns As The Green Ranger For The Legendary Battle

“The Legendary Battle”

Although Tommy technically appeared in 2005’s S.P.D., it was only in 2014’s Super Megaforce that Jason David Frank reprised his role as Tommy following the end of Dino Thunder. “The Legendary Battle” was designed to be Power Rangers’ ultimate crossover, bringing characters from all eras of the show to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Leading the Legendary Rangers was Tommy, this time with his Green Ranger powers. In theory, Tommy’s Green Ranger form should no longer exist, but the Morphin Masters have a solution for every problem and plot hole.

“The Legendary Battle” may have been disappointing, but seeing Tommy in his Green Ranger costume for the first time since 1994 was a massive moment regardless. Tommy was the only MMPR character in “The Legendary Battle,” although the rest of the team technically appeared with their helmets on. “The Legendary Battle” also saw Tommy helping people as a civilian. Only a few other Legendary Rangers removed their helmets during the battle, making Tommy’s cameo even more important in terms of nostalgia.

1

Tommy Oliver Debuts The Master Morpher In Super Ninja Steel

“Dimensions In Danger”

Whereas Tommy’s role in “The Legendary Battle” was a brief cameo with only a couple of lines, “Dimensions in Danger” was entirely dedicated to the character. In hindsight, “Dimensions in Danger” is even more special since it was Jason David Frank’s final Power Rangers episode. Like previous anniversary crossovers, “Dimensions in Danger” brought back characters from multiple seasons to fight a major threat. Rangers from multiple generations showed up to help the Ninja Steel heroes save the multiverse.

In addition to Tommy, Super Ninja Steel’s crossover episode also saw the return of characters like Kat, T.J., Wes, and Trent, making it one of the most nostalgic Power Rangers installments in years. Tommy was the focus of the episode, though, and even debuted his Master Morpher. The Master Morpher made it so that Tommy could use any of his previous Ranger forms, from MMPR Green to Dino Thunder Black. Apart from Turbo Red, all of Tommy’s Power Rangers colors were featured in this episode.