Zordon demoted Jason and made Tommy the leader of the Power Rangers instead inMighty MorphinPower Rangersseason 2, one of the strangest moments in the show’s history.Jason David Frank’s Tommy Oliverfirst appeared inMighty Morphinseason 1, episode 17, “Green With Evil: Part I,” the beginning of a fourth-part episode that introduced the Green Ranger. WhileTommy was initially brainwashed into working for Rita Repulsa, he eventually broke free of her spell and joined the Power Rangers as the sixth and final member of what became known as the original team.
Tommy’s Green Ranger runwould continue untilMighty Morphinseason 2, episodes 12-13, “Green Ranger No More.” Lord Zedd finally accomplished what Rita had failed to do and eradicated the Green Ranger’s powers. Losing his powers took a toll on Tommy and caused him to leave Angel Grove for a while, but his time away from the Power Rangers would not last long.Tommy returned a few episodes later in “White Light,”a two-part episode that introduced the White Ranger. Not only did Tommy gain new powers, but he was also promoted to team leader.
The reason whyJason’s demotion inMighty Morphinseason 2feels so out of place is that it had nothing to do with the story but rather with the exits of Austin St. John, Walter Emanuel Jones, and Thuy Trang from the show. Their exits had been confirmed shortly after “White Light, Part II” was filmed, which led the producers to include a line from Zordon in which he would make Tommy the team’s new leader.Jason shows no reaction to Tommy replacing him as leaderbecause that was a later addition to the episode.
Austin St. John, Walter Emanuel Jones, and Thuy Trang’s final appearance in Mighty Morphin was in season 2, episode 20, “Opposites Attract.”
Jason, Trini, and Zack’s final proper appearance inMighty MorphinPower Rangershappened two episodes after Tommy became the White Ranger. The original Red, Yellow, and Black Ranges would still appear in a couple more episodes after that, but only through repurposed footage and body doubles.Power Rangersnever gave Jason, Zack, and Trini a proper sendoff, which is why their exits and the introduction of their replacements felt so weird. By the time Rocky, Aisha, and Adam were introduced, Tommy had already been the leader for a few episodes.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers' Team By The End Of Season 2
Tommy
White Ranger/Leader
Interestingly, Rocky became one of the few Red Rangers not to have led his team. While the color Red would continue to be associated with the team leader spot for years to come, theMighty Morphincrew was led by the White Ranger for most of season 2 and the entirety of season 3.Tommy was one of two White Rangers to have led a team, the other being Delphine fromMighty Morphin Alien Rangers. While it made sense for Tommy to be the leader over Rocky, Jason’s demotion was never given an in-universe reason on the show.
The Power Rangers Comics Have Retconned The Reason Jason Was Replaced By Tommy
Zordon Knew Jason Was About To Leave The Team In The Comics
The Power Rangers comics from BOOM! Studios take place in their own continuity and can only retroactively be used to explain events of the show. However, they do offer some great insight intoPower Rangerscanon and provide a lot of in-universe explanations for things that never made sense about the show. This includes Jason’s demotion, which the comics perfectly recontextualized. In this version of thePower Rangerschronology, the Peace Conference that caused Jason, Trini, and Zack to leave the team was a lie. The three Rangers were going on a secret mission.
Jason eventually stepped down from the Omega Ranger team as well, with Trini becoming the new Red Ranger.
The Red, Yellow, and Black Rangers had been recruited by the Blue Emissaryfor a mission in space. Zordon was aware that Jason was about to leave, which is why he made Tommy the team’s new leader. From Zordon’s perspective, Jason’s heart and mind were no longer on Angel Grove. Tommy, on the other hand, had just proved himself worthy of receiving the While Light and was an obvious choice to become the new leader. Jason, Zack, and Trini becamethe Omega Rangers, a team that only exists in the comics and never appeared on the show.
Tommy Would Remain The Leader Of the Power Rangers For Three More Seasons
Tommy led the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers from his return in season 2 to the end of the showin season 3. He would remain as the team’s leader inPower RangersZeo, during which the Rangers ditched their original costumes and gained new powers provided by the Zeo crystals. Considering that the show was now going to use theOhrangercolor scheme, it was only natural to make Tommy the Red Ranger. Rocky went from Red to Blue, which worked considering that Billy was no longer a Power Ranger.
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Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel (cameo)
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Austin St. John returned toPower Rangersfor the final half ofZeo, with Jason becoming the second Gold Ranger. Zeo cleverly flipped Jason and Tommy’s dynamic from the original show –Tommy was now the Red Ranger, and Jason was the extra Ranger with a unique costume and cool toys. Tommy’s time as leader of the Power Rangers didn’t end with Zeo and continued through the first half ofPower RangersTurbo, after which he and most of the characters were replaced with new Rangers. Tommy’s replacement,T.J., became the new Red Ranger.
Tommy Never Officially Led Another Ranger Team After Turbo (But Became A Mentor)
Tommy Wasn’t Really The Leader In Dino Thunder
While Tommy would remain an important part of thePower Rangersuniverse for decades, he never actually led a proper team after the events ofTurbo. Tommy did return forWild Force’s “Forever Red”and helped Andros assemble a team of Red Rangers, but that was more of a one-off mission. Tommy’s status inDino Thunder, the season that marked Jason David Frank’s return to the show as a cast member and not just a cameo, is debatable. On the one hand, he was the most experienced member of the team and even acted as their Zordon.
Tommy only made two proper onscreen appearances afterDino Thunder, both of which were in crossover episodes.
On the other hand,Tommy was more of an additional Ranger who joined the team after Conner, Kira, and Ethan had already established themselves as Power Rangers.Despite all the focus given to Dr. Oliver inDino Thunder, it would be unfair to say that he was the leader when that was actually Conner’s role on the team. The Dino Thunder Red Ranger may have taken a while to learn what it means to be a leader, but eventually rose to the occasion and lived up to his title.
The 10 Best Power Rangers Teams, Ranked
The best Power Rangers teams are not necessarily the strongest or more nostalgic, as it all comes down to the chemistry between the characters.
Tommy only made two proper onscreen appearances afterDino Thunder, both of which were in crossover episodes in which the original Green Ranger assisted younger heroes with the help of other Legendary Rangers. In “Legendary Battle,” Tommy was one of hundreds of Rangers who appeared to save the day at the end. In “Dimensions in Danger,” Jason David Frank’s finalPower Rangersepisode, Tommy was once again on his own but met with some old friends from previous seasons.
Power Rangers
Power Rangersis a long-running multimedia franchise that debuted in 1993 with the TV seriesMighty Morphin Power Rangers. Created by Haim Saban and adapted from the JapaneseSuper Sentaiseries,Power Rangersbecame a cultural phenomenon by combining action-packed footage fromSuper Sentaiwith 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.
