Tommy Oliver

Thomas "Tommy" Oliver is a character from the universe of the American live action television franchise Power Rangers.[3][4] He is a main character in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers TV series, as well as four of its successive incarnations Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers, Power Rangers Zeo, Power Rangers Turbo, and Power Rangers Dino Thunder (where he returns as a legendary Power Ranger veteran).[1] He also appeared in the Power Rangers Wild Force episode "Forever Red", the Power Rangers S.P.D. episode "Wormhole", and in the Power Rangers Super Megaforce episode "Legendary Battle. He has been portrayed by actor Jason David Frank in most all of his appearances, but in the episode "Wormhole", he appeared only in Ranger form and was voiced by actor Jeffrey Parazzo. He was also infrequently portrayed by actor Michael R. Gotto in instances where the story required depicting the character during childhood, such as in the series Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers.

According to the character's fictional history, Tommy is a legend among the Power Rangers community and is considered to be the greatest Power Ranger of all time, having been five different Power Rangers — the Green Ranger, the White Ranger, Zeo Ranger V–Red, the Red Turbo Ranger, and the Dino Thunder Black Ranger — and a part of four Ranger teams over the years. In addition, Tommy is a lifelong practitioner of the martial arts; during the first season of Power Rangers, he was referred to as having a third-degree black belt in karate.[5] By Power Rangers Dino Thunder, he is a 6th degree black belt. ("Return of the Ranger", Power Rangers Dino Thunder - Collision Course DVD)

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As the Green Ranger[edit]
Tommy as the Green Power Ranger.

Tommy Oliver is first introduced in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers five-part episode "Green with Evil" as a new student at Angel Grove High School. Unlike other Power Rangers, his outfit includes a golden shield armor and two golden armbands. After he spars with Jason Lee Scott (Red Power Ranger) in a martial arts tournament, he catches the eye of both Kimberly Hart (Pink Power Ranger) and the evil witch Rita Repulsa. Rita decides to enchant Tommy to be her loyal servant, granting him the Dragon Power Coin to give him the power to transform into the Green Power Ranger, possessing the Dragon Shield, which makes him stronger than the other Power Rangers, and armed with the Dragon Dagger and the Sword of Darkness. She orders him to destroy the Power Rangers and their guardian Zordon so she may be able to conquer the Earth unopposed.[6][7] He succeeds in his mission, dispatching of Zordon, destroying the Power Rangers' Command Center, and infecting the robot Alpha 5 with a computer virus, leaving the Rangers defenseless against attacks, but they are still able to ward him off with the Megazord. With the return of Goldar's wife Scorpina, the two wreak havoc in Angel Grove, leading the Power Rangers to use the Megazord once more, only to be attacked by Goldar, Scorpina, and the Green Ranger at once, putting the Megazord out of commission when it is thrown into the Earth's core. After this battle, the Power Rangers discover that their foe is none other than their classmate Tommy. After Tommy escapes, he uses the Dragon Dagger to summon the Dragonzord to attack the city. Zordon is revived and reveals the Power Rangers' Dinozords have been restored by the Earth's lava, allowing them to counter the Dragonzord's attack. The Red Ranger is then able to battle the Green Ranger one-on-one, and destroys the Sword of Darkness, freeing Tommy from Rita's spell. Zordon then offers Tommy a part on the team to atone for his misdeeds, and he agrees.

During his time with the group, Tommy recognizes Kimberly's feelings, having broken her heart while he was under Rita's spell, and he now begins to show affections for her. However, Rita's plan to use the evil Green Candle to get revenge on Tommy for leaving her employ, weakens Tommy, just as Kimberly returns his affections. Tommy is captured by Goldar and kept imprisoned in the Dark Dimension as the Green Candle burns down, draining him of his strength. Tommy is ultimately freed, but not before the Green Candle burns through completely. His powers nearly gone, after using them in one final battle with a powerful monster, he decides to give the Dragon Coin to Jason, permanently preventing Rita from attaining its power once more. Tommy then leaves Angel Grove to recover from the endeavour.

After Rita kidnaps all of the parents of the students of Angel Grove High School, the Power Rangers are forced to pay her ransom with their Power Coins, preventing them from using their powers. When they are double-crossed, and Rita acquires the Dragon Dagger by enchanting Billy Cranston, all seems hopeless, but Jason reveals he still has the Dragon Power Coin. The group finds Tommy once more, and with help from Zordon, Tommy is able to morph into the Green Ranger and retrieve the Power Coins and Dragon Dagger. However, his powers are now unstable and he requires constant energy boosts from Zordon in order to maintain his place as the Green Ranger. With the arrival of the evil Lord Zedd in season 2, the other Power Rangers are given new Thunderzords to battle his stronger monsters, but because of Tommy's link to Zordon, the Dragonzord cannot be empowered into a new form. With this knowledge in mind, Lord Zedd sends several energy draining monsters to steal the Green Ranger's powers to the point where Zordon can no longer safely maintain himself and the Green Ranger. This culminates in the attack of the monster Turbanshell, who drains Tommy of his Green Ranger powers for good, trapping everyone in the Otherworld dimension, while charging the Dark Crystal to power Lord Zedd's evil Dark Rangers to attack the Earth. Tommy uses the last of his powers to destroy the Dark Crystal, ending the reign of terror of the Dark Rangers and allowing the others to defeat Turbanshell. With his powers gone, Tommy leaves Angel Grove, again, spending time at his uncle's lakeside cabin.

As the White Ranger[edit]
Tommy as the White Power Ranger.

In season 2's two-part "White Light" saga, Lord Zedd sends his monsters Nimrod, A.C., and D.C. to attack, who easily overpower the Power Rangers, leading Zordon and Alpha to come up with a plan to recruit a new Ranger. Initially the teens are put off at the idea of a newcomer, but are thrilled once they discover that it is their old friend Tommy, who has now become the new White Power Ranger with his powers created by the Light of Goodness, which are unable to be stolen by the forces of evil.[8] Unlike other Power Rangers, his costume includes a black and golden shield armor. After being installed as the team's new leader, Tommy goes into battle using his new powers to defeat the monsters, including summoning the Tigerzord with his talking saber Saba.[9] Tommy later contends with an evil clone of his named "Tom", created by Lord Zedd's Wizard of Deception, who is given the powers of the Green Ranger, previously thought to have been lost forever. After the Wizard of Deception is destroyed during a series of battles that sends everyone back to the colonial era, Tom is freed from the spell and given free will. Tommy convinces his clone to fight to save people, and Tom decides to remain in the past to protect colonial Angel Grove with the Green Ranger powers, while the others return to the present time.

In season 3, Rita's brother Rito Revolto comes to Earth and manages to destroy the Rangers' Zords and Power Coins. After the group seeks out the Power Coins' creator Ninjor, he grants the team new Ninja Power Coins, and Tommy as the White Ninja Ranger receives the Falcon Power Coin and the new Falconzord. Later, Tommy meets Kat Hillard, who has been enchanted by Rita into serving her, resulting in Kimberly's powers being stolen as well as the Falconzord. When Kimberly is kidnapped by Kat and Goldar, the Power Rangers are forced by Lord Zedd to use the Shogunzords to destroy the Earth or Kimberly will be harmed. While Billy manages to take control of the Zords away from Zedd, Tommy saves Kimberly and later Kat becomes free from Rita's spell. When Kimberly is given the option to train for the Pan Global Games, she decides to give her powers to Kat, and she and Tommy keep a long-distance relationship. The Falconzord is ultimately retrieved in time for Rita and Rito's father Master Vile's arrival on Earth, and the Rangers are able to use their new Metallic Armor to battle him. It is during this time that Tommy is tasked with retrieving the Zeo Crystal from beneath Rita and Zedd's palace, as only a being of pure heart can pass through its force field and survive. Tommy manages to traverse the Caves of Deception to find the Zeo Crystal, and the team uses their powers to split it into five pieces and send it to different parts of history so Master Vile can never use its powers to harm the Earth.

Alien / Zeo / Turbo[edit]
In the events of Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers, Tommy, the other Power Rangers, and all of Angel Grove are sent back in time by Master Vile's Orb of Doom, reverting the Power Rangers to children. While the Aquitian Rangers protect the Earth from Master Vile's monsters, Billy manages to create a device to restore them to their original age, using their six Ninja Power Coins to power it. Billy is restored to his original age, but the machine is stolen by Goldar, and Rita and Zedd destroy the Ninja Power Coins. The five child Power Rangers are sent through time to retrieve the pieces of the Zeo Crystal. Tommy is sent to a point in the past on Native American land, where he meets Sam Trueheart who leads him to a test where he must find the Red Sub-Crystal amongst two fakes. After succeeding, Tommy returns to the present time, but not before Sam gives him half of an arrowhead pendant.

As the Zeo Ranger V[edit]
Tommy as Zeo Ranger V.

During Power Rangers Zeo, time is restored to normal and Tommy, with Kat, Rocky, Adam, and new friend Tanya Sloan, is given the powers of the Zeo Crystal the Zeo Rangers to protect the Earth from the Machine Empire. Tommy remains the team's leader and is assigned to be the Red Zeo Ranger V. Later, Kimberly, while she is living in Paris for the Pan Global Games, sends Tommy a Dear John Letter, ending their relationship. Kat attempts to find a new girlfriend for him, but their duties as Power Rangers prevent any relationship from blossoming. Ultimately, Tommy and Kat begin dating. A holiday special during the season shows an elderly Tommy and Kat entertaining their granddaughter, and their teenaged grandson, who is hinted to be a Power Ranger. When the Zeo Megazord is heavily damaged, Tommy is given the Red Battlezord to control with his mind. Unable to control his emotions to use the Red Battlezord, Tommy goes on a spiritual journey to find peace of mind, and meets up with his long-lost twin brother David Truehart (portrayed by Jason David Frank's real brother Eric Frank). He too possesses half of an arrowhead pendant, and he reveals to Tommy that if the two halves are joined the holder could use the spirits trapped within them to control a darkness powerful enough to destroy the world. When David is captured by King Mondo, Tommy frees him, and under the stress of protecting his brother from the Machine Empire who will not leave as they are both in trouble, he reveals his identity as a Power Ranger to him. When the Rangers' ally Trey of Triforia can no longer sustain his Gold Ranger powers after a battle, Tommy recruits Jason, who has returned from Switzerland to be the new temporary Gold Ranger, reuniting the old friends. This proves useful when Tommy is brainwashed by the Machine Empire's Prince Gasket into thinking his friends are a threat to the world, as Jason and Kat are able to return Tommy to his senses. Jason leaves when Trey's health is restored.

As the Red Turbo Ranger[edit]
Tommy as the Red Turbo Ranger

In Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, Tommy and Kat are sent to save the wizard Lerigot from the evil Space Pirate Divatox, who plans on wedding Maligore, a powerful monster, in order to take over the world. With their Zeo Ranger powers not strong enough, Tommy, with the other Power Rangers and new member Justin Stewart, are given new powers to morph into the Turbo Rangers, with Tommy still serving as team leader as the Red Turbo Ranger. They use their new powers to save Jason and Kimberly, who have been kidnapped by Divatox as sacrifices for Maligore, and Tommy's unsure feelings for Kimberly result in the group nearly losing and at the ending of the tournament tommy hugs Kat.

In Power Rangers Turbo, as he and his friends graduate from high school, Tommy becomes interested in stock car racing. The group also deals with the Blue Senturion who has been tricked by Divatox into thinking the Rangers are evil, and preventing him from telling the Rangers the Millennium Message, a warning that the forces of evil are joining together out in space. After Zordon and Alpha 5 leave the Earth to deal this threat, the team's new guardian Dimitria eventually judges that Tommy, along with Kat, Adam, and Tanya, have fulfilled their duties as defenders of the Earth. In the episode "Passing of the Torch", Divatox's mother Mama D convinces her that taking out Tommy will cause the fall of the rest of Power Rangers. Their new allies T.J. Johnson and Cassie Chan manage to help Kat fend off the Pirahantrons, and save Tommy from Divatox and Mama D's plans, resulting in Tommy deciding that T.J. should be his successor as the new Red Turbo Ranger.

Power Rangers Wild Force[edit]
Tommy returns in the Power Rangers Wild Force episode "Forever Red", where he is shown to own a resort with Bulk and Skull. Tommy leads a team made up of former Red Power Rangers, recruiting current Red Ranger Cole Evans to help stop remnants of the Machine Empire from resurrecting Lord Zedd's evil Zord Serpentera to attack the Earth. Tommy uses his restored Zeo Ranger powers to combat the enemies.

As the Black Dino Ranger[edit]
Tommy as the Black Dino Ranger.

Between the events in Turbo and Power Rangers Dino Thunder, Tommy earns a PhD in paleontology. He also meets Hayley Ziktor and goes into business as partners with Terrence "Smitty" Smith and Dr. Anton Mercer, who together work on research that results in the creation of the Tyrannodrones, Raptor Riders, and the new Dinozords. A lab accident turns Mercer into the evil Mesogog, and Smitty is left for dead, until he is revived by Mesogog into the cyborg Zeltrax. It is during these events that Tommy discovers the Dino Gems, hiding them in his lab, and the location of the Shield of Triumph. While Mesogog gains control of the Tyrannodrones, Tommy keeps the Raptor Riders and Dinozords, working with Hayley to create equipment to harness the Dino Gems' powers, while he gets a job at Reefside High School as a science teacher. Three of his students who received detention—Conner McKnight, Ethan James, and Kira Ford—discover his lab and use three of the Dino Gems to become the new Dino Thunder Power Rangers.[10] Tommy mentors the group, keeping his past secret, until he discovers the monsters attacking Reefside are controlled by Mesogog. His three students soon discover the man they know as "Dr. O" was one of the previous Power Rangers, a fact that Hayley corrects them on by saying that he was one of the best. Tommy, using the powers of the Black Dino Gem, joins the group as the Black Dino Ranger, controlling the Brachiozord.[11]

When the White Dino Ranger appears, Tommy's dedication to saving the lives of innocents seems to give Tommy cause to show no mercy to him, even after he discovers that the White Dino Ranger is Trent Mercer. For a while, Tommy is encased in amber by the White Dino Ranger, and once freed, finds himself unable to de-morph, due to his Dino Gem and his morpher re-molecularizing. He remains in his morphed form for a while. Despite this resolve, he cannot help but feel sympathy for Trent when his students did not, reminding the others of his tenure as the evil Green Power Ranger. After seeing the power of the White Ranger Clone and the Terrorsaurus, Tommy decides that the Rangers need an upgrade. He takes Trent to the location of the Shield of Triumph, as the shield can only be freed from its resting place by the power of Trent's Dino Gem. The Shield is then used by Conner to become the Triassic Ranger, just as a prophecy Tommy had read during its discovery foretold. Tommy is later freed from his permanently morphed status by a special substance, but is rendered invisible. He decides to run an experiment to return himself to normal, but it shatters the Black Dino Gem and leaves him comatose. In his subconscious, he battles against his previous Power Ranger alter-egos: Zeo Ranger V, the White Power Ranger, and then the Green Power Ranger. After proving that he will not give up the fight for his life, his inner selves each offer him a shattered piece of his Dino Gem, restoring him to full health and allowing him to attain Super Dino Mode when morphed. During his mentoring of the Dino Thunder Rangers, Tommy notes similarities in his past in Conner, placing a lot of trust into him. His mentoring of Conner through a point where the young man doubts himself, allows Conner to overcome these feelings and gain the Battlizer. When Tommy learns that Trent has been keeping his father's identity as Mesogog secret, Tommy considers removing Trent from the team. Although he comes to terms with Trent's loyalty to his father, he asks the others if Trent should stay, and they agree when Trent saves Conner's life. In the final battles against Zeltrax and Mesogog, having been liberated from sharing a body with Anton Mercer, Tommy informs the Rangers that they must give up their powers in order to save the world. Zeltrax is destroyed with the destruction of the Dinozords, and the Rangers give up their Dino Gems to stop Mesogog for good. In the end, Tommy decides to pursue his life after Mesogog's destruction as normal high school science teacher.

Subsequent seasons[edit]
The character of Tommy Oliver is not present during the Power Rangers S.P.D. episode "History", in which Conner, Kira, and Ethan go to their high school reunion in 2005, wondering if Tommy will arrive, only to be taken into the future by the S.P.D. Power Rangers' foe Broodwing. Tommy does return in the episode "Wormhole" when Emperor Grumm travels back in time to take over the Earth without S.P.D.'s interference, only to encounter the Dino Rangers. According to S.P.D. Red RangerJack Landors, Tommy's services as a Power Ranger are well known in the future. In this episode, Jason David Frank does not reprise his role as Tommy Oliver, and as such only appears morphed. He is instead voiced by Jeffrey Parazzo, who also portrays Trent.

Although he does not appear on screen in the Power Rangers Operation Overdrive two-part episode "Once a Ranger", Kira mentions how Tommy would have enjoyed seeing the Operation Overdrive Power Rangers' base of operations, with Adam noting his incredulity that Tommy received a doctorate.

Legendary battle[edit]
Jason David Frank reprised the character of Tommy Oliver in Power Rangers Super Megaforce.[12][13] He helped a boy out of a car that was dangling off the side of a bridge using Saba, the White Ranger's sword. He then appeared alongside the other Legendary Rangers as the Green Ranger to fight alongside the Megaforce Rangers and defeat the Armada.[14]

Reception[edit]
The character is the most popular but has being criticised for racial stereotyping.[15][16] The character was only intended to be created for one season but became so popular that Tommy became a breakout character and a season regular.[17][18][19]