The Morphin' Grid has lost one of its greatest members with the passing of Jason David Frank. The Power Rangers actor was beloved for playing Tommy Oliver -- and his breakout performance was part of what made the original Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers so successful. While many fans rank Tommy among their favorite Power Rangers characters, his influence on the franchise goes well beyond that.
From adding a bit of gravitas to the mythos to the addition of a "special" Ranger, the original Green Ranger affected the Power Rangers franchise in multiple ways. His impact is still obvious in newer TV seasons and comics as the franchise's 30th anniversary approaches. Here's how the Power Rangers universe changed completely thanks to Jason David Frank and Tommy Oliver.
Tommy Oliver's Introduction Expanded Power Rangers' Storytelling
Before the introduction of Tommy, Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers was an episodic affair relying solely on the monster-of-the-week format. This changed with Season 1's multi-episode story "Green With Evil," which introduced Tommy as the evil Green Ranger controlled by the villainous Rita Repulsa. The character quickly caught on, with his journey to becoming a hero and mysterious nature making him an instant fan-favorite. From then on, new additions to the Power Rangers mythos would be detailed through similar stories.
Whether it was a changing of the Ranger guard, a switch-over to new Zords or a brand-new power entirely, Power Rangers would use two or more episodes to portray the gravity of such situations. This began thanks to Tommy's five-part epic, which is still remembered as one of the important arcs in the entire series. Tommy's presence meant that the stakes were raised, and they've never gone down for the franchise since.
Tommy Oliver Represented the "Special" Power Rangers
When the Green Ranger was introduced, there was already a full team of five other Power Rangers. This made him the first of several "special" Rangers, with most teams' additional Ranger being the sixth part of their squad. In earlier seasons, these Rangers would have special weapons and suits that differentiated them from the rest of the team, with their personal Zords being able to add onto the Megazord or even go toe-to-toe with it.
Something else that Tommy started for these early special Rangers was an exclusive theme song. His first was "Go, Green Ranger, Go" by Ron Wasserman, who also performed the classic Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers theme. The song emphasized how important he was and injected energy into fights when the Rangers were seemingly down on their luck. Without Tommy, these concepts may also not have ever existed.
Tommy Oliver Represented the Power Rangers' Legacy
Jason David Frank was in more Power Rangers shows than any other actor who portrayed a Ranger. His main appearances were in Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, Mighty Morphin' Alien Rangers, Power Rangers Zeo, Power Rangers Turbo and Power Rangers: Dino Thunder. His role in the latter in was a culmination of Tommy's history with the franchise, which had seen him go from Green Ranger to White, Red and then Black. His presence represented the Power Rangers of years past and carried that history through into new seasons.
Tommy is still the most recognizable and iconic character the franchise has ever seen. Those who grew up with the early seasons still love the character's journey going from evil to good and then becoming the leader of the Power Rangers. Later viewers remember him as their mentor and ally in Dino Thunder. Frank's performance and the character who he played so well exerted a lasting influence that will be felt as long as there are Power Rangers.