Summary

• The Green Ranger's introduction in "Green With Evil" was a game-changer.
• Tommy Oliver's evolution from extra Ranger to leader of the team defined Power Rangers' 1990s era.
• Tommy's legacy shined in crossovers like "Forever Red" and "Dimensions in Danger," which highlighted his importance and impact.

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.

Seeing Tommy call for “Dragonzord” after the usual morphing call could not have been more exciting.

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”