Since its debut in 1993, the Power Rangers franchise has been going nearly non-stop. Changes in ownership and filming locations didn’t slow the franchise down, and through nearly three decades of teams, zords, and bad guys from the far reaches of the galaxy, Jason David Frank has been there as Tommy Oliver. News of the actor and martial artists’ death hit social media on November 21, 2022, and the Ranger Nation began mourning the loss of such a big part of the franchise.
Tommy Oliver began the series as a teen under the spell of Rita Repulsa, fighting against the Power Rangers, before joining the original lineup as a member of the team, and going on to lead numerous incarnations. He even returned as a mentor to later teams and as an ally for other groups as well. He is the most decorated ranger, serving as a Green, White, Red, and Black Ranger at different times. For many fans, Tommy is the backbone of the Ranger franchise, and he’ll be missed
Tommy Fights Goldar In “Green No More”
During the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series, one of the biggest recurring plot points early on is that Tommy would lose the power of the Green Ranger thanks to original villain Rita Repulsa’s interference. Her loyal minion Goldar repeatedly goes up against Tommy in an effort to weaken him, and Tommy frequently goes up against Goldar to keep the villain away from the other Power Rangers.
In “Green No More,” those frequent bouts come to something of a head as Tommy is forced to go up against Goldar without morphing into his Green Ranger form. He holds his own despite not having the “power” to protect him. It’s one of the many times in the series that Tommy demonstrates what being a Power Ranger really means. It’s not just about cool zords and getting the hero’s glory, but also about being willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good and protect his friends. It’s one of the earliest emotional scenes for Jason David Frank.
Tommy Gives Jason The Dragon Shield In “The Green Candle”
Being a hero doesn’t always mean being willing to fight either. It’s also about knowing when to walk away from the fight. That’s a lesson Tommy learns in “The Green Candle” when Rita Repulsa uses a magical candle to transfer his energy to her, simultaneously draining him of his power and making herself stronger.
In order to make sure he lives to help the team in other ways, Tommy has to give up his connection to the Morphing Grid, which means passing the power on to someone else. He decides to give both the Dragon Shield and Dagger to Red Ranger Jason (Austin St. John). It’s a pivotal moment for the character that cements the friendship and trust between the two since they begin the series as rivals who can never agree on how to lead their team. It’s also a sign of how much working with the Power Rangers has allowed Tommy to mature as he realizes the fight against Rita is larger than just him.
Tommy Kicked Off Dino Thunder By Kicking An Actual Dinosaur In The Face
While a lot of the best scenes involving Tommy Oliver in the Power Rangers franchise center around him being a great leader or having a particularly inspiring fight sequence, there are also some moments that are just really fun for the audience. One of those moments involves Tommy, after returning to the franchise as a doctor of paleontology in Power Rangers: Dino Thunder, (which frequently ends up among the best ranked Power Rangers series) ready to fight an actual dinosaur.
That particular chapter of the franchise sees Tommy return as a mentor to a new team of Power Rangers. Before he suits up again though, he comes face to face with a dinosaur, and he doesn’t miss a beat. He launches a spin-kick to the face of a tyrannosaurus. It’s a bit campy and dramatic of a moment, but it’s part of what has made the franchise so fun for kids for decades. That’s not something fans are going to see happen in just any action series.
Tommy Unites Team Leaders In “Forever Red”
The first several seasons of the franchise might have focused on the same core team members with a handful of new characters introduced in each season, but by the time Power Rangers: Time Force premiered, the “Zordon Era” of the series would be at an end with a whole new cast of characters. That didn’t stop previous characters from making appearances in new seasons though.
In the Power Rangers: Wild Force season, one very special episode included appearances by the Red Rangers that came in the franchise before it. Though every Red Ranger gets a moment to shine in the episode, Tommy is the undeniable team leader of the entire group of Rangers as they team up, most of them for the first time. It even brings back St. John as Jason, and allows the show to poke fun at the previous rivalry between the two, with Jason remarking that he did all the work when they were on the same team. While most of the audience will likely always think of Tommy as a Green Ranger before a Red, the episode allows for them to see just how important Tommy’s become to the franchise. It establishes him as someone all the Rangers after him look up to, which comes into play every time he returns to help a new generation.
Tommy Fights His Past Selves In “Fighting Spirit”
Some fans might argue that Tommy’s truly best moment is returning with so many other legacy Rangers in Power Rangers: Super Megaforce to fight an invading armada of aliens. While that is a great nostalgia-filled arc for fans, it doesn’t allow Jason David Frank to shine in the role, unlike his time in Dino Thunder. “Fighting Spirit” sees Tommy in a coma fighting to wake up. In order to wake up, however, he has to fight past versions of himself.
It’s arguably one of the best fight scenes in the franchise, not just one of the best Tommy scenes. Tommy, as his current Black Dino Thunder Ranger has to fight the Red Zeo Ranger, White Mighty Morphin Ranger, and Green Mighty Morphin Ranger in his own subconscious. Eventually, all four parts of his Ranger identity merge, and he’s able to wake up, but the entire sequence is a great window into who Tommy is as a character, and a love letter to longtime fans of the Power Rangers.
Fans of the franchise can relive all of Jason David Frank’s best moments as Tommy Oliver because the entire Power Rangers franchise is available to stream on Netflix.