Power Rangers' Tommy Oliver is arguably the franchise’s most important character, having assumed multiple Ranger forms throughout the years. Played by Jason David Frank, who ed in November 2022 at the age of 49, Tommy defined Power Rangers for more than one generation of viewers. From the series’ first evil Ranger to a mentor to the next generation, Tommy Oliver became synonymous with Power Rangers in many ways.
Even before Power Rangers’ Zordon era ended, it was rare for a Power Rangers character to take more than one Ranger form. Billy Cranston, for example, was part of all three Mighty Morphin seasons – always as the Blue Power Ranger. However, Tommy Oliver was a rare case where a Power Rangers character could change dramatically. Here’s a breakdown of every Tommy Oliver Power Rangers form.
8 Mighty Morphin Green Ranger
Tommy Oliver’s first Power Rangers form and arguably his most popular one, Mighty Morphin Green Ranger changed the franchise forever. The first evil Power Ranger, the Green Ranger shifted the original show’s power scale and gave the Mighty Morphin Rangers the toughest battle they had ever had up until that point. Tommy was initially kidnapped by Rita Repulsa and given the corrupted powers of the Green Power Coin, turning into an evil Green Ranger. The “Green with Evil” arc ended with Tommy finally breaking free of Rita’s magic with the help of his friends, which gave Power Rangers the first of several sixth Rangers.
The Green Ranger ed the Power Rangers, and the Dragon Zord could not have been a better addition to the fight against Rita Repulsa. The problem, however, is that the Green Power Coin that gave Tommy his Rangers abilities had an expiration date. Even though Tommy was no longer brainwashed by Rita, the Green Ranger powers would soon cease to exist. That is why, after the "Green Candle" episode, the Mighty Morphin Green Ranger was no more. Still, Tommy Oliver would return.
7 Mighty Morphin White Ranger
Tommy briefly left the Mighty Morphin crew after losing his Green Ranger powers, as he believed he could not be of help without being a Power Ranger. However, during Mighty Morphin Power Rangers season 2, former Green Tommy returned as the White Ranger. Zordon and Alpha-5 had just discovered the White Light powers, an immense source of energy that could only be given to someone they absolutely trusted. The choice was simple, and so Tommy Oliver became the Mighty Morphin White Ranger. Carrying the Saba sword, the White Ranger became the Power Rangers’ new leader, as Zordon was aware that Jason would soon leave the team.
Though the Green Ranger might be the most recognizable Tommy Oliver Power Ranger form, Tommy’s White Ranger legacy actually sures that of his Dragon Zord days. The White Ranger led the Power Rangers for the final two Mighty Morphin seasons, which is far more than the Green Ranger ever did. In addition, the non-TV canon yet classic 1995 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers movie saw Tommy Oliver in his White Ranger form as the leader of the team. With two Mighty Morphin seasons and a hit ‘90s movie, the White Ranger made its mark on the franchise.
6 Mighty Morphin White Ninja Ranger
Though not anywhere near as impactful as the Green Ranger or the Saba White Ranger, Tommy Oliver had a third Mighty Morphin form – the White Ninja Ranger. After the original Power Coins were destroyed, the Power Rangers needed a new source of power. Zordon’s team eventually met Ninjor, the creator of the Power Coins, who now guided the Rangers into a new source of energy – the Ninjetti powers. When morphed into the Ninjetti powers, the Rangers gained ninja-like costumes rather than the classic Power Rangers suits. Instead of the White Tiger, Tommy’s powers now stemmed from the Falcon. The Ninjetti powers were originally introduced in the non-canon 1995’s Power Rangers movie.
5 Zeo Ranger V Red
Stronger than before, the Zeo Power Rangers increased the franchise’s power scale. The Zeo Crystals, arguably the most powerful artifacts in the Power Rangers universe, were being kept hidden given how dangerous they could be in the wrong hands. After the destruction of both the Commander Center and the current Ranger Powers, Zordon had no choice but to give his team the Zeo Crystals. Power Rangers Zeo became the saga’s first non-Mighty Morphin season, yet a lot of things stayed the same. For example, Tommy Oliver remained the leader of the Rangers, except that he was now Power Rangers’ Red Ranger. More specifically, Zeo Ranger V.
4 Turbo Red Ranger
The transition between Power Rangers Zeo and Power Rangers Turbo is still one of the franchise’s biggest mysteries. Power Rangers returned to the big screen in 1997 with Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, which, unlike the 1995 film, was canon to the Power Rangers TV show universe. Still, Zordon simply gives the Power Rangers new powers – the Turbo Morphers – without even explaining why. A possible in-universe explanation is that the Zeo crystal powers were so dangerous that Zordon and Billy had to come up with a new source of power. Tommy remained the Red Ranger, though, until most of the Power Rangers Turbo cast exited the show ahead of season 2.
3 Dino Thunder Black Ranger
Seven years after Tommy Oliver’s last full Power Rangers season, Zeo, Jason David Frank returned to the Power Rangers universe in Dino Thunder. A surprising addition that made Dino Thunder a must-see for long-time Power Rangers fans, Tommy Oliver was now Doctor Tommy Oliver, a paleontologist. Three of Dr. Oliver’s students ended up discovering the Dino Gems and became the Dino Thunder Power Rangers. Initially, Tommy was the Zordon figure for the Dino Rangers, guiding Conner, Ethan, and Kira during their missions. The Rangers would eventually find out about Tommy’s Power Ranger past, and Dr. Oliver would the team as Dino Thunder’s Black Ranger.
2 Tommy Oliver’s Master Morpher Powers
Though the Master Morpher is not exactly a new Ranger form, it gives Tommy Oliver a unique Power Rangers ability. Introduced in Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel’s "Dimensions in Danger", a Power Rangers anniversary special, the Master Morpher made it possible for Tommy Oliver to morph into all of his previous Ranger forms without breaking the show’s canon. Previously, Power Rangers would not bother to explain why could Tommy morph into Zeo Ranger 5 during the Forever Red crossover, for example. The Master Morpher made everything simpler, and it celebrated Tommy Oliver’s singular Power Rangers legacy. This unique Power Rangers morpher then returned in the Power Rangers: Soul of the Dragon comic.
1 Lord Drakkon
Tommy Oliver’s Lord Drakkon form was created for the BOOM! Power Rangers comics ahead of the Shattered Grid event, and it never appeared in a Power Rangers TV show. That said, given how impactful Lord Drakkon’s Power Rangers story was, a list of Tommy Oliver Power Rangers forms would be incomplete without the mention of Drakkon. It must be noted, though, that Lord Drakkon was an alternate version of Tommy Oliver from another dimension. Similar to DC or Marvel, the multiverse is also a crucial part of the Power Rangers franchise. In the “coinless universe”, Tommy never became good again after turning into the Green Ranger, eventually becoming an evil conqueror.
Lord Drakkon, at some point, becomes the most powerful version of Tommy in the multiverse. In fact, after collecting Power Coins from all over the multiverse and converging them into his own source of power, Lord Drakkon became a threat to the very fabric of reality. It took a legion of Power Rangers from the multiverse in what can be considered Power Rangers’ version of Endgame to defeat Lord Drakkon and his army. Jason David Frank briefly played Lord Drakkon in live-action for a Shattered Grid promotional material, adding to the actor's incredible Power Rangers legacy,