favorite Power Ranger, no one can deny how important Jason David Frank's character was to the franchise. While Power Rangers may have focused on Tommy a bit too much sometimes, the original Green Ranger was so popular for a reason. Tommy earned his spot as the face of the franchise, which is ironic considering what the plans for the character were at the beginning.

The Green Ranger is just a small part of Tommy's legacy, but it may be the most important. Not only did Tommy introduce the idea of an evil Ranger, but he was also the first of many "sixth Rangers" in the franchise. Every extra or evil Ranger that came after MMPR had a bit of the Green Ranger in them, which only shows how big of an influence Tommy had on the show. As someone who grew up collecting every Green Ranger figure they could find, I was surprised to learn what the MMPR producers originally envisioned for Tommy.

Jason David Frank Was Only Meant To Appear In 10 Episodes Of Power Rangers

Tommy Oliver Was Not Meant To Stick Around In Mighty Morphin

Speaking to Super Sentai counterpart, Burai. The Green Ranger's presence in MMPR always had an expiration date because there was only so much Dragon Ranger footage from Zyuranger for the American show to use. What no one was counting on was how popular Tommy was going to be.

"They brought me in [during the 17th episode of the first season]. I was told when I was hired, "Don't get excited. You're here for 10 episodes, your character dies off on the show." I said, "Hey, I'm happy to do one episode." When I first got to set, the first thing I did was lay out my costume on the chair and took pictures. Then, I saw the mouth [on the helmet] didn't move. I was like, "Man, I probably don't even have lines in this episode." But I did and I just did the best I could, and more opportunities just kept opening for me and eventually, Tommy became the leader."

It didn't take long for the Green Ranger to become a fan favorite, not just because of how powerful he was, but also because he was just different enough from the rest of the team. Between the chest shield, the flute, and the Dragonzord, the Green Ranger was as cool as a villain-turned-hero could be. By the time Tommy's powers vanished once and for all, there was no way Power Rangers could continue without Tommy. While Jason David Frank filmed a pilot for V.R. Troopers around that time, he eventually returned as a series regular on Power Rangers.

The Green Ranger Was So Popular, Tommy Became The Face Of Power Rangers

Jason David Frank Starred In Multiple Seasons And Crossover Episodes

After losing his powers and leaving the team for a while, Tommy returned in "The White Light" as the White Ranger, whose identity played out as a big mystery. With Lord Zedd proving to be far more dangerous than Rita Repulsa, Zordon needed to create a new Ranger who could replace the Green Ranger and level the playing field. It was the perfect opportunity to bring Tommy back, this time as the most powerful member of the team by a large margin thanks to the incredible powers of the White Light.

Zordon described the White Ranger as being stronger than the Green Ranger.

Tommy's return also came with a big, game-changing promotion. The White Ranger was appointed by Zordon as the team's new leader. While there was no in-universe explanation for Jason's demotion – at least not until the comics retconned it – it happened because Austin St. Johnson was leaving the show. Tommy would continue to be the leader all the way through Turbo, having been the Red Ranger in two consecutive Power Rangers teams.

It was only midway through Turbo that Jason David Frank left the show, and that was not the end of Tommy's story. The iconic Ranger returned in 2002 for the "Forever Red" crossover, and two years after that, we got to see an older "Dr. Oliver" mentoring a team of young Rangers. Tommy would also appear in two more crossover episodes, with his final proper appearance being in "Dimensions in Danger." After being told he was only going to be in 10 episodes of Power Rangers, Jason David Frank ended up appearing in 257.

Source: EW