Why Tommy Oliver Had So Many Different Power Rangers Colors

Tommy Oliver is the Power Rangers character with the most forms in the TV show, having used four different colors and five different sets of powers. Introduced as the evil Green Ranger in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Tommy was freed from Rita Repulsa’s mind control spell and joined the heroes. Despite the massive popularity of the Green Ranger, “Green With Evil” was only the beginning of an impressive story that would continue for decades. As a result, Tommy was always getting upgrades and new costumes.

One of the reasons why Tommy was part of so many different Power Rangers teams is that, for most of the 1990s, the show tried to keep as many original cast members as possible. Tommy, Kat, and Adam were all in Mighty Morphin, Zeo, and Turbo, meaning they all got multiple forms in a short period. That said, Tommy was special in a lot of ways, from the fact he was the first Power Ranger to get a new color to his many returns in the 2000s and 2010s.

Tommy Needed A New Color After The Green Ranger’s Time On The Show Ended

There Was Only So Much Green Ranger Footage Available

The Green Ranger’s Super Sentai counterpart, Knight Burai, had a limited amount of screen time in Zyuranger. The Dragon Ranger from the Japanese series was living on borrowed time, so he could only join his friends in battle so many times before he would eventually perish. This is why the Green Ranger’s role in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was very limited, with the show having to come up with excuses for Tommy not being around during certain battles. While MMPR included some original action scenes, they were running out of Green Ranger footage.

Considering that the Dragon Ranger dies in Zyuranger, Power Rangers was bound to write the Green Ranger out of the show eventually. With MMPR incorporating footage from Dairanger in season 2, the American show decided to include a new sixth Ranger, the White Ranger. The original plan was for a brand-new character to be the White Ranger, but given how popular Jason David Frank’s Tommy Oliver had become, Power Rangers brought the former Green Ranger back. With Austin St. John set to leave the show, the White Ranger became the teams' new leader.

Tommy Was Already The Face Of Power Rangers By The Time They Switched To Zeo

Tommy Became The Red Ranger In Power Rangers Zeo

After “The White Light,” Tommy would remain as the White Ranger until the end of Mighty Morphin season 3. The White Ranger was also front and center in the 1995 Power Rangers movie, which came out between seasons 2 and 3 but is not considered canon. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers had 145 episodes, whereas the Super Sentai season it was based on only had 50. In other words, even with all the original extra footage, Power Rangers would have to move to another Sentai at some point. Enter 1996’s Power Rangers Zeo, which had a slightly different color scheme.

With David Yost’s Billy stepping down from his role as a Power Ranger, Zeo initially had five colors for five characters. Given how Tommy had been leading the team since MMPR season 2, it only made sense for him to become the Zeo Red Ranger. Later in that season, Jason rejoined the Power Rangers, this time as the Zeo Gold Ranger. Interestingly, Jason and Tommy’s roles were now reversed – Tommy was the Red Ranger and the leader, whereas Jason was the extra Ranger with an arguably cooler costume.

By this point, Tommy had already used three different Ranger colors – green, white, and red. In 1997, the Power Rangers shifted into Turbo, which had the same color scheme as Power Rangers Zeo. This transition happened in Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, a canon film that served as “episode 1” for the new season. Tommy continued to be the Red Ranger in Turbo, marking his fourth Ranger form despite technically being the same color as in Zeo. Midway through Turbo, after Jason David Frank left the show, Selwyn Ward’s T.J. became the second Turbo Red Ranger.

Power Rangers Dino Thunder Game Tommy His 4th Ranger Form After 7 Years

Dino Thunder Black Was Tommy’s Fifth Power Rangers Form

Tommy Oliver showed up again in Power Rangers Wild Force’s “Forever Red,” his first appearance since Turbo’s “Passing The Torch.” A fan-favorite episode, “Forever Red” assembled all Red Rangers we had met up until that point except for Rocky. Although a crossover of Red Rangers would not be complete without Tommy, it’s interesting how he was using his Zeo powers without any sort of explanation as to how or why. The fate of the Zeo crystals was never revealed on the show, with the Rangers simply switching to the Turbo powers in 1997.

T.J., despite having become the Blue Ranger in Power Rangers in Space, used his Turbo powers in “Forever Red.” Regardless of the lore questions raised by the episode, the fact is that “Forever Red” was an incredibly nostalgic reunion and is still regarded as one of the best episodes of the whole show over 20 years later. "Forever Red" was also the first time Tommy used one of his old powers, a trend that would continue in other team-up episodes.

However, it was only in 2004’s Power Rangers Dino Thunder that Tommy got another brand-new form. Although it seemed like “Dr. Oliver” was going to be more of a Zordon character in Dino Thunder, Tommy took only four episodes to suit up and get back in action. Dino Thunder’s Black Ranger was Tommy’s fourth Ranger color and his fifth form overall. Despite being an iconic character from the original show, Tommy was not the protagonist in Dino Thunder. Instead, he acted as a mentor and role model to his students.

Most Of Tommy’s Power Rangers Colors Made A Comeback At Some Point

Tommy Continued To Use His Old Powers In Crossovers

The fact that Tommy appeared in so many seasons and had so many different powers allowed the show to keep bringing him back and playing with his legacy. For example, in Dino Thunder’s “Fighting Spirit” episode, Tommy faced his fears and fought three of his previous forms – Mighty Morphin Green, Mighty Morphin White, and Zeo Red. In Super Megaforce’s “Legendary Battle,” Tommy accessed his Green Ranger powers again and joined other legendary Rangers. In Super Ninja Steel’s “Dimensions in Danger,” we were introduced to Tommy’s Master Morpher, which allowed him to use all of his previous powers.

Tommy is the only known character in the Power Rangers universe with a Master Morphin, which makes sense considering that no one else has that many colors and powers. Bridge from Power RangersS.P.D. comes in second with three colors – Green, Blue, and Red – yet these were from the same team. Likewise, Adam and Kat had three forms each but only two different colors. Power Rangers switching colors became one of the show’s signature tropes, but Tommy’s record will most likely never be broken.

Power Rangers

Created by

Haim Saban, Shuki Levy, Shotaro Ishinomori

First Film

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie

Latest Film

Power Rangers

First TV Show

Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers

Latest TV Show

Power Rangers Cosmic Fury

First Episode Air Date

August 28, 1993

Power Rangers is a long-running multimedia franchise that debuted in 1993 with the TV series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Created by Haim Saban and adapted from the Japanese Super Sentai series, Power Rangers became a cultural phenomenon by combining action-packed footage from Super Sentai with new scenes featuring American actors. The franchise follows teams of young heroes who transform into Power Rangers to battle various villains, using martial arts, special powers, and giant mechas called Zords. Over the decades, the franchise has expanded into multiple TV series, films, comics, video games, and merchandise, becoming one of the most successful children's franchises in the world.

Cast

Dacre Montgomery, Naomi Scott, RJ Cyler, Ludi Lin, Becky G., Bryan Cranston, Bill Hader, Elizabeth Banks, David Yost, Amy Jo Johnson

TV Show(s)

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers, Power Rangers Zeo, Power Rangers Turbo, Power Rangers In Space, Power Rangers Lost Galaxy, Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue, Power Rangers Time Force, Power Rangers Wild Force, Power Rangers Ninja Storm, Power Rangers Dino Thunder, Power Rangers S.P.D., Power Rangers Mystic Force, Power Rangers Operation Overdrive, Power Rangers Jungle Fury, Power Rangers RPM, Power Rangers Samurai, Power Rangers Megaforce, Power Rangers Dino Charge, Power Rangers Ninja Steel, Power Rangers Beast Morphers, Power Rangers Dino Fury, Power Rangers Cosmic Fury

Video Game(s)

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Mega Battle, Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid, Saban's Power Rangers Megaforce, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind

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