The White Ranger from the originalPower Rangersseries was different from the rest of the group in one major way that made Tommy’s second form somehow even cooler. After struggling with keeping his powers over and over,Tommy lost his Green Ranger powersdefinitively midway through the second season ofMighty MorphinPower Rangers. The reason for this is that there were only so many Green Ranger scenes fromKyoryu Sentai ZyurangerthatPower Rangerscould use for the American version.
Following the success of the Green Ranger, the show needed a new sixth Ranger – and so did the Power Rangers themselves to deal with Lord Zedd. In “The White Light,” Zordon and Alpha cut all communications and embark on a secret mission to create a new, more powerful replacement for the Green Ranger. Played as a big reveal,the White Ranger turned out to be Tommy. As cool as he looked in the new costume, the White Ranger fromMighty Morphinwas technically not meant to be there.
The White Ranger Costume Was Not From The Same Show As The Rest Of The Power Rangers
The White Ranger Was Based On A Character From Dairanger, Not Zyuranger
WhereasPower Rangersseason 1 was entirely based onKyoryu Sentai Zyuranger, season 2 had no choice but to incorporate footage from a different series. WithPower Rangershaving almost all possible footage fromZyurangerand even including brand-new Japanese scenes filmed exclusively for the American show, it was time for the series to bring in a differentSuper Sentaiseasoninto the mix. However, withMighty MorphinPower Rangersat the height of its popularity, it would make no sense for the show to ditch theZyurangercostumes just yet.
Kou of the Howling New Star, the KibaRanger on which the White Ranger is based, is a 9-year-old boy who gets powers and joins the team inDairanger.
This is whyonly portions ofGoseiSentaiDairanger, the nextSentaiseason afterZyuranger, were used inMighty MorphinPower Rangers.In addition to a few zords and monsters,Power Rangersalso borrowed the KibaRanger’s costume and action scenes fromDairangerto create the White Ranger. In other words, Tommy’s White Ranger costume was from a different show entirely compared to the rest of his team. The fact that the White Ranger fit perfectly with the rest of theMighty MorphinRangers is quite fascinating considering that they were not from the same show.
Tommy’s White Ranger Run Deserves As Much Love As His Green Ranger Days
The White Ranger Was Just As Cool As The Green Ranger
The Green Ranger fromMMPRis perhaps the most iconic Power Ranger in the franchise. From being the first evil Ranger in the series to having his own theme song, Tommy’s first Ranger form was born classic. Even thoughTommy wore manyPower Rangerscostumes after the green one,his Green Ranger days remained the most recognizable. That said,Mighty Morphin’s White Ranger deserves as much love as the Green Ranger and was part of some of the franchise’s greatest moments.
The Best Version Of The Original Green Ranger Was Introduced 11 Years After Tommy Oliver’s First Appearance
Original Green Ranger Tommy Oliver took on many different colors throughout the franchise, and his coolest version only happened in the 2000s.
For example,Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Moviehad Tommy as the White Ranger front and center in all the posters and trailers. Tommy’s White Ranger run is also when he became the leader of thePower Rangersfor the first time, a role he would continue to play up until Turbo. In terms of power, the White Ranger was said to be stronger than the Green Ranger. With an incredibly cool design that feels like it was destined to be part ofMighty Morphin, the White Ranger is a very special chapter in Tommy’s story.
