The most shocking death in Power Rangers confirmed who the franchise’s greatest Red Ranger was. From Jason in Mighty Morphin to Amelia in Cosmic Fury, being a Red Ranger means a lot in the Power Rangers universe. Apart from a couple of exceptions, such as Rocky in MMPR, becoming a Red Ranger also means leading the Power Rangers. Three decades after the original Red Ranger led the Mighty Morphin team, picking the best Red Ranger in the history of the franchise can be difficult, but some characters stand out from the rest.

The Zordon Era had six Red Rangers, namely Jason, Rocky, Aurico, Tommy, T.J., and Andros. Rock was not the leader of his team, though, as Tommy had already earned that title following his return as the White Ranger. Interestingly, Tommy Oliver’s story as Red Ranger was not as impactful as his Green or White Ranger journeys. Jason was a great leader, but his story was cut short in MMPR. T.J. was also a great character whose time as Red Ranger was relatively short. Andros, however, can be considered one of the best Red Rangers of all time, if not the best.

Red Ranger Andros Had To Kill Zordon In Power Rangers In Space

Andros went through something no other Red Ranger ever did

At the end of Power Rangers in Space, Andros had to do something no Power Ranger ever thought they would have to – kill Zordon. This was the culmination of a multi-episode arc centered on Zordon’s disappearance, about which the Rangers first learned during Turbo. Power Rangers in Space begins with the Rangers of Angel Grove “setting controls to outer space” to look for Zordon following the destruction of the Command Center by Divatox. They would later be joined by Andros, who was already a Power Ranger by then and knew who Zordon was.

Andros was not too interested in becoming part of a new team, but both he and the Rangers of Earth were looking for Zordon. It’s only in the final stretch of Power Rangers in Space that they confirm what had happened to Zordon. The Power Rangers’ mentor had been captured by Dark Specter and was now a prisoner of Astronema, the Princess of Evil. “Countdown to Destruction,” the finale of In Space, saw Astronema invading Earth as the rest of her Alliance of Evil attacked other corners of the galaxy.

The heroes were greatly outnumbered, which is why extreme measures had to be taken to stop the Alliance of Evil. Zordon asked Andros to destroy his containment tube so that the energy that would be unleashed in the process could purify all evil in the galaxy. Zordon was so powerful and good that, if he was destroyed, his essence was going to put an end to the Alliance of Evil’s armies. Andros was very reluctant to do so, but he eventually agreed. The Red Ranger destroyed Zordon’s tube, killing his mentor and saving the universe.

Killing Zordon Confirmed Andros As Power Rangers’ Greatest Red Ranger

It takes a great Power Ranger to do what Andros did

While Andros’ backstory is not fully shown in the TV series, it is well established that the In Space Red Ranger was once mentored by Zordon. Therefore, the intergalactic being was as important to Andros as he was to the original Power Rangers from Mighty Morphin. Viewers may not have known Andros for as long as they knew characters like Jason or Tommy, but, from an in-universe perspective, the In Space Red Ranger was another of Zordon’s pupils. This is why Andros killing Zordon to save the universe was such a bittersweet moment.

Andros spent most of Power Rangers in Space trying to save his sister and find his mentor. By the show’s end, not only was Astronema still evil, but Zordon would have to die. In a tragic twist, Astronema’s full redemption could only happen after Zordon’s death. Following Zordon’s sacrifice, the Alliance of Evil was no more, the mind-controlling device placed on Astronema was destroyed, and Andros finally reunited with his sister. Not many Red Rangers went through something as delicate as what Andros faced in “Countdown to Destruction.”

What Made Andros Such A Good Character In Power Rangers

Andros was the first Power Ranger with a meaningful backstory

Andros is one of the best Power Rangers characters who was not in the original show but still became synonymous with the franchise. One of the faces of Power Rangers’ 1990s era, Andros was the personification of how great In Space was compared to previous seasons. Every Power Rangers series from the Zordon Era had something special to it, but In Space brought a level of seriousness and attention to storytelling that not even the best Mighty Morphin episodes had. Andros was arguably the first Power Rangers character with a meaningful backstory.

Before In Space, Power Rangers seemed to believe that the characters could only be interested when they were wearing their superhero costumes and fighting monsters. Andros, on the other hand, was as interesting in his civilian form as he was in his Red Ranger costume. The character had a fascinating backstory that involved seeing his planet be taken over by Dark Specter, not to mention the kidnapping of his sister. Additionally, Andros almost lost his best friend in battle and was not ready to become part of another team at the beginning of the show.

Andros Was Not A Perfect Leader (But He Was Still A Great Red Ranger)

T.J. was more of a leader than Andros

Andros was a flawed character, which is essential for every good TV show but was missing from Power Rangers. Instead of a group of five happy teenagers from Angel Grove, In Space followed a complicated team of four “defeated” Rangers from Earth trying to work together with a lonely Ranger from another planet. Andros was not a great leader in Power Rangers in Space, which does not mean he was not a great Red Ranger. Even though the red color is associated with leadership in Power Rangers, being a Red Ranger is more than just being a captain.

Blue Ranger T.J., who was previously the Turbo Red Ranger, was more of a leader in In Space than Andros. T.J. already knew the team and had their trust, whereas Andros was an outsider. Still, they had a great dynamic and were arguably one of the best Power Rangers teams of all time. Andros’ story was more complex and layered than anything the show had done up until that point. The In Space Red Ranger paved the way for more complex Power Rangers characters and stories, forever writing his name in the franchise’s history.