Tommy Oliver is one of the most recognizable characters in Power Rangers history. Still, before he became the franchise’s legendary veteran Ranger, he spent plenty of time on the other side of the battlefield. Played by Jason David Frank, Tommy has repeatedly found himself corrupted, manipulated, cloned, or confronted by darker versions of himself.
In fact, Tommy has such a complicated relationship with villainy that several different Power Rangers episodes feature an evil Tommy. Some involve the real Tommy being forcibly turned against his friends, while others involve clones or alternate-universe versions of the character. Here’s every time Tommy Oliver became, or was represented as, a villain in Power Rangers.
5
Tommy’s Tangle With Evil Was a Part of Him From the Beginning
The Original Green Ranger in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, “Green With Evil”
When Tommy Oliver first arrives in Angel Grove, he quickly establishes himself as a talented martial artist and a potential friend of the Power Rangers. Unfortunately for Tommy, Rita Repulsa sees something in him that makes him an ideal weapon against the team. She captures him, places him under her control, and gives him the Dragon Power Coin, transforming him into the Green Ranger. Tommy becomes completely obedient of her commands and uses his martial arts skills to devastating effect against the Rangers.
The five-part “Green With Evil” storyline makes a point of showing just how dangerous Tommy can be when he isn’t fighting alongside the Rangers. He infiltrates the Command Center, disables Alpha 5, leaves Zordon unable to properly guide the team, and then confronts the Rangers by himself. His Dragonzord gives Rita another powerful weapon, while Tommy’s own abilities make him more than capable of handling the Rangers in combat. Jason eventually manages to break through to Tommy, and the other Rangers help destroy the Sword of Darkness that Rita uses to maintain her control. Tommy finally realizes what he has done and chooses to join the Rangers, beginning his legacy as a hero.
4
Tommy’s Past Comes Back to Fight Him
Tom Oliver, the Evil Green Ranger Clone in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, “Return of the Green Ranger”
After Tommy has become the White Ranger, Rita and Lord Zedd find a particularly devious way to bring back their former enemy. The Wizard of Deception creates a clone of Tommy using a lock of his hair and restores the Green Ranger’s powers to the duplicate. The result is Tom Oliver, an evil copy of Tommy who looks and fights almost exactly like him. This creates a uniquely personal problem for Tommy. Tom possesses Tommy’s appearance, fighting ability, memories, and familiarity with the Rangers’ tactics. He can essentially anticipate what the real Tommy will do because he was created from him.
The Rangers initially believe Tommy Oliver might have betrayed them again, making the situation even more dangerous. Meanwhile, Tom serves Rita and Zedd while wielding the Green Ranger powers Tommy had lost. Unlike the original Green Ranger storyline, Tommy isn’t personally brainwashed here. Instead, he’s forced to confront a literal version of the person he used to be. The storyline ultimately gives the clone a measure of individuality. Once freed from the villains’ control, Tom realizes that he doesn’t simply have to be Rita and Zedd’s weapon, and he ultimately chooses to remain in the past rather than return with Tommy and the other Rangers.
3
Even With a New Team & Color, Tommy Oliver Gets Brainwashed Again
Brainwashed Red Zeo Ranger in Power Rangers Zeo, “King for a Day”
Tommy’s next major brush with villainy comes after he has already established himself as one of the Rangers’ most dependable leaders. The Machine Empire captures and manipulates Tommy while he’s the Red Zeo Ranger. Prince Gasket and Archerina subject him to brainwashing, deliberately interfere with his memories, and turn him into one of their servants. This time, Tommy’s transformation is particularly dangerous because he’s no longer an inexperienced teenager with a new set of powers; he’s the leader of the Zeo Rangers and an experienced fighter who knows exactly how the team operates.
The brainwashing is severe enough that Tommy doesn’t remember the Rangers as his friends. He becomes a powerful general for the Machine Empire, forcing the team to figure out how to save him rather than simply defeat him. Jason Scott, now serving as the Gold Ranger, becomes especially important in breaking through to Tommy. Their history goes all the way back to Tommy’s original days as the Green Ranger, when Jason was instrumental in bringing Tommy over to the Rangers’ side. Tommy eventually breaks free from the Machine Empire’s control, but the experience clearly affects him. He has now been turned against his friends more than once, and each incident reinforces how vulnerable even the strongest Ranger can be to outside manipulation.
2
Tommy Fights Another Evil Version of Himself
Robo Tommy in Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel, “Dimensions in Danger”
In Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel, the villainous Lord Draven attempts to conquer multiple dimensions. As part of his plan, he creates robotic copies of various Rangers, which means Tommy has to fight yet another evil version of himself. Robo Tommy is an artificial copy created to serve Draven, who can imitate Tommy’s appearance and Ranger abilities but lacks the qualities that make the real Tommy who he is. As such, he is not nearly as big of a threat as Tom Oliver was.
The real Tommy ultimately defeats the robot, using his Master Morpher and the experience he accumulated across his years as a Ranger. Unlike the earlier encounters, Robo Tommy doesn’t represent a possible future for the character. Instead, he is a simple reminder that, after decades of adventures, Tommy Oliver has become so iconic that even his enemies can weaponize his image.
1
Even the Comic Book Version of Tommy Isn’t Safe From Becoming Evil
Lord Drakkon in BOOM! Studios’ Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Comics
Unlike the other examples, Lord Drakkon isn’t the Tommy Oliver from the Power Rangers‘ main continuity. He’s an alternate-universe version of Tommy who made the one decision that the original Tommy didn’t. Rita Repulsa captured Drakkon and turned him into the Green Ranger. The crucial difference comes after his connection to Rita is broken: instead of joining the Power Rangers, this Tommy remains on the side of evil. From there, his story spirals into an entirely different future.
Drakkon helps Rita conquer his world, eventually turns against her, and builds an empire of his own. Drakkon eventually discovers that another version of himself exists, who becomes a hero. That realization becomes central to the Shattered Grid storyline in the Boom! Studios comics, in which Drakkon wages war across dimensions and attempts to impose his vision on the wider Power Rangers universe. The character essentially asks a terrifying, but interesting, question about Tommy: What if the original Green Ranger had never been saved? It’s an especially unique storyline in Power Rangers history.