Hey guys, after a long hiatus(this blog has no specific dates in which it updates) I'm here to continue our previous discussion with the teams Third Rangers(its what I’m calling it), or the teams Green/Black Rangers, and their status as rangers as well as their characters. Without further delay(know that there was plenty of it), let's begin with an Honorable mention
11. Zach Taylor- The OG Black Ranger and the fun guy on the team, Zach knew how to bring personality to the team. I like Zach quite a bit, especially from the Boom Comics where he has actual flaws, but in the show, he kind of was perfect? Don’t quote me on that, but aside from not being able to get with Angela, Zach didn’t really have anything wrong with him, which is a big problem with his character. He’s fun and the actor Walter Jones does a great job of selling Zach as the kind of guy who is friends with all kinds of people, I still think Zach kind of got shafted like Trini. Not even counting S2, he didn’t change that much like Billy or Kim did, nor did he have a commanding presence like Jason that made people take him seriously, he got off better than Trini did with some more defining, but on the whole I just think Adam was a much more interesting ranger than Zach was, but I mean 0 disrespect when I put him here. Zachs still the man and I’d love to see Walter Jones come back to the show.
10. Carlos Vallerte- Turbo Green and In Space Black, Carlos had the tall order of taking over for Adam, the fourth longest tenured Ranger, and while he isn’t perfect nor the most interesting character on his team, Carlos always managed to pack in just enough cockiness and arrogance to make himself stand out from his team. This is the same guy that wanted to hog the ball for himself and win that way. Beneath all of his confidence though is someone who is deeply afraid of failure, and when he does inevitably fail in Always a Chance, Carlos takes it super hard and it requires Adam to show up and coach Carlos back into shape. Seeing Adam fight hard despite his damaged morpher more than motivates Carlos to keep going on despite his mistake injuring Cassie in the previous battle. As much as Carlos on Call was a pointless side show to what was happening with the Psycho Rangers, it did show that Carlos wasn’t the nicest guy, and while the other rangers probably would have put up with Sylvia's antics to keep their identities a secret, Carlos lost his temper after a whole day of doing what she wanted, denying her last request before she turned in the evidence in exchange for a moon rock. It showed that he wasn’t the nicest guy, and that he had his limit with patience, willing to break ranger code just to relieve himself of the irritation of a little girl taking advantage of his mistake. I still don’t care for the episode that much, but that one scene did a good job of selling Carlos as the team hothead. He later in the episode hears the story of her dead brother and how she wanted to go to the moon for him and Carlos takes her up into Space to get a moon rock. Thats nice.
9. Damon Henderson- LG Green, Damon isn’t my favorite member of the LG cast but he is definitely the funniest person on the season. Damon is the everyman, the working class guy in the cast, he works as a mechanic and later works for Terra Ventures mechanics division. He’s also the one most out of his element with the fantastical stuff you see in Power Rangers. He doesn’t change much in the season, but his snarky input once in a while really helps liven an otherwise grim season. LG without Damon would be more boring than anything tbh. Damon does have a great episode, Green to the Rescue, where after he gets his ideas stolen by this asshole as both were trying to get a promotion in the mechanics division, Damon later saves said asshole, showing a hero having to put his personal matters to the side for the sake of saving the guy that screwed him out of a better job. IDK, I thought it was one of the best character episodes of the season, it showed that while Damon was very frustrated with this guy, he was willing to put aside his feelings for the greater good. That makes Damon A-Ok in my book.
8. Xander Bly- Mystic Force Green, The true best character in Mystic Force, Xander was a true leader, but also extremely lazy and a bit prideful. He had a lot of confidence in his charm, which lead to Plan Xander, which has never worked ever. Aside from that, Xander is easily the funniest character in Mystic Force, his cockiness and wit helping to elevate the rather drab and boring Mystic Force. He also has the most personality of the team, at least between Nick, Madison, Vida and Daggeron. His main focus episodes, Petrified Xander and Inner Strength are easily highlights of the season. If it wasn’t for Xander and Chip, Mystic Force would have easily been my least favorite season of the show.
7. Adam Park- MMPR Black, Zeo and Turbo Green, Adam probably has the most experience in being what I would call the third ranger, behind the Red and Blue, and out of the trio of Rocky, Aisha and Adam, Adam easily became the most popular of the three, due to his main character flaw of being shy, and otherwise just being very introverted and introspective. He sadly wasn’t given a ton to work with, but compared to Rocky and Aisha, he was treated pretty well. Adam continued through the latter half of MMPR, often being paired with Billy on important devices, especially in S3, and is probably the most level headed person in the entire MMPR run, dude never cracks under pressure. In Zeo his relationship with Tanya was well done and subtle enough to not dominate the show, and the two showed way better chemistry than Tommy and Kat ever did, and Adam continued to show his value on the team as the strong silent type. Maybe I’m overrating Adam a bit due to his Actor, Johnny Yong Bosch, being the most successful power ranger actor post career. IDK, as a kid I always enjoyed Adam and Billy the most, they were way too much like me, minus being martial artists.
6. Joel Rawlings- Lightspeed Green, Joel is the lifeblood of Lightspeed Rescue. While Carter is the teams stalwart skeleton, Dana is the beating heart, Chelsea is legs the keep the team moving, and Chad is the brain that keeps everyone together, Joel is easily the lifeblood that keep the team from being just a bit too stiff. Joel’s antics in Lightspeed were great, especially since he had a great running side plot with Miss Fairweather, the tech expert at Lightspeed, and the twos chemistry, both comedically and romantically, were spot on. Joel’s also the ranger that changes the most, since while he starts off as a cocky hotshot, he eventually grows out of it as his tendencies cause more trouble for the team, and he eventually becomes humble enough to where he barely wears his sky cowboy hat near the end of the season, a very neat touch. Joel comes across to me what the writers wanted Damon to be in LG, but Joel got way more screen time and arguably better material to work with, as well as a fun romantic subplot with another good character. Overall, I think Joel is probably one of the biggest reasons Lightspeed Rescue has become such a beloved season in recent years, alongside Carter of course.
#5- Tommy Oliver- Dino Thunder Black Ranger, this is definitely Tommy Oliver at his best. While Tommy is a controversial character, and I will admit that I found his stint as white ranger through red turbo ranger to be his weakest point in his character, I think Dino Thunder did an excellent job of using him in just the right amounts. For the latter half of MMPR, the middle of Season 2(perhaps even beforehand) to the end of Season 3, the show was very much the Tommy Oliver Show Featuring the Power Rangers, as Linkara stated in his review. In Zeo the other rangers got more spotlight, so the focus wasn’t nearly as narrowed, but Tommy was arguably the weakest character of the main 6 Zeo Rangers, even Jason was more interesting than he was. Tommy also had a whole Seven episode arc about him getting over his dear john letter and the whole Native American arc with him, which ended up both pointless and a poor interpretation of what Native culture is. Not even his forced romance with Kat could make him more interesting. Like I said before, Dino Thunder finally puts Tommy in a good place for his character to thrive, and where Doug Sloan, head writer of MMPR, Zeo, Ninja Storm and Dino Thunder, struck Gold- Making Tommy a teacher. The fact that he could teach the rangers in both the classroom and with his vast experience as a ranger made him fun to watch, he had a personality and a role, and he filled it very well. He was keen on this kids, at first trying to get them to be more like him when he was a kid, but eventually realizing it wasn’t quite his generation anymore. The whole Smitty arc was handled poorly(as was Zeltrax’s character as a whole) but they did have entertaining fights in DT, and it was great seeing Tommy have to lead a team through an Evil Ranger saga that was more complex than what he went through as the Evil Green Ranger. Throughout the whole arc, Tommy kept a balanced, neutral approach to the situation, but whenever it came time for Trent to prove his loyalty to the team, Tommy wouldn’t give an answer, preferring to let the other team members decide whether Trent can be trusted or not. This is going on a bit too long for my taste, but with how much the season gave Tommy a good role for him to fill, and never overused him, it’s hard not to have him this high as a black ranger.
#4- Bridge Carson- SPD Green, Bridge might just be the oddest ranger in the history of the franchise, on par with Ziggy from RPM. Bridge is just the man though, and one of the main bright spots of SPD. Bridge is the funny character, his very odd but fun eccentricities like his Colombo inspired detective work and his fascination with buttery toast, as well as how much he can both drive his teammates crazy and save the day with his vast intellect and outside the box thinking, all comes back to a very charming and likeable personality that just draws people to him. Bridge barely grew as a character in SPD, but he honestly didn’t need to, the show did such a good job of highlighting how he might be seen as deeply flawed by others, he’s still a fantastic cop who, despite his oddities, was integral to the SPD team and his teammates all grew to respect and even love the guy. Bridge was at his funniest though when he was bouncing off of Cruger though, idk what it is, their scenes always had me in stitches. While he may have a bath book, we all know Bridge was the coooolest cat in Power Rangers SPD.
#3- Dillon- RPM Ranger Operator Series Black, Dillon was the main character of RPM, and was a pretty damn good one. Dillon, in short summation, is the snarky, brooding badass of the team. Its pretty easy to see why people love him so much. His only main flaw in terms of criticism is that his story arc very much mirrors Andros, but while that was all Andros had to work with as a character, Dillon became such a better character than Andros ever was. Dillon was fun to watch, despite what you might initially think of him. While he probably could have just mugged/killed Ziggy, the two ended up being easily the best ranger bromance in the franchises history, between their chemistry in both comedy and in dramatic moments, Dillon was the first ranger to have faith in Ziggy when he had to secure the Green ranger powers from Tenaya. Dillon always looks out for this annoying, odd, eccentric guy Ziggy, and they’re such an odd couple, I’d argue the chemistry between Ziggy and Dillon is way better than Dillon and Summer, who very much have a standard PR romance with the way they interact, though they do almost kiss. Dillon’s big deal in the season is having to live with being a hybrid of Venjix machinery, as the virus inside him threatens to turn him into a Venjix attack bot. This leads to some great episodes such as Blitz and the arc that follows about finding Dillons memories, which introduces us to the criminally underrated Gem and Gemma. Through it all through, through the angst and anguish Dillon has to go through, he still has all of these great moments of levity, and his relationship with the others, cheifly Ziggy and Summer, help him emerge as someone who doesn’t need his old memories, but has so many fulfilling new ones. While he was the main character, unlike many a bad season, Dillon wasn’t the only story of his season, only the most detailed and fleshed out one. RPM had masterful writing for PR, and it easily shows through characters like Dillon, Ziggy, Scott and Flynn.
#2- Ziggy Grover, RPM Ranger Operator Series Green, Who doesn’t like Ziggy? I mean, I know a few people, but I doubt they ever feel joy in their deprived, empty lives. Ziggy is point blank the best comedic character PR has ever done, Bulk and Skull are definitely up there, as is Bridge, Joel and Koda, but damn if Ziggy isn’t just the most charming of them all. Here we have a guy who tried his damndest to join a mafia syndicate just to probably prove he’s more than just a nice guy, only to betray the mob to try and save an orphanage from a fatal disease using the mobs medicine. That alone shows why Ziggy is worthy of being a ranger, regardless of his lack of other qualifications, as the other rangers and Dr. K always point out. Speaking of which, the relationship between Ziggy and K is gold, easily a top 5 ranger romance if I ever made a list like that(very likely) and the way that Ziggy broke down her icy cold exterior to bond with someone so socially isolated and awkward, it was truly magic on screen. Ziggy had a hard time as a ranger, being the weakest member of the team with the least fighting prowess, but slowly you see him get more confident and strong, to the point where the mob goons he used to be scared to death of, he can fight off with ease with just one hand open. What made Ziggy such a terrific character was that beyond his jokes, his goofy demeanor, and his less than flattering mannerisms as a ranger, he displayed the kind of heroic and lovable traits that more than earned him his ranger stripes. Ziggy’s the man, and if it wasn’t for how much the next character affected my life(maybe over exaggerating but still), Ziggy would easily be my favorite Green/Black ranger, but as I stated before, he’s merely number 2.
#1- Trip- Time Force Green- If you don’t know, Time Force was one of the first series I watched as a kid, Lightspeed being my real first but as a kid I was always drawn to Time Force. Between its writing, its great visuals, and the way the acting brought the characters to life, Time Force will always be my favorite. My favorite character in the season, at least as much a favorite as Jen and Eric is Trip for me. Trip is the man, he’s easily my most relatable ranger, I can easily identify with Trip as a person, a weird but friendly guy whose treated like shit for being different, but unlike me, Trip has the immense courage to stand up for others who he believes to be prejudiced, like Notacon in the famous episode Trip Takes a Stand, my favorite Time Force episode, and easily a top 3 episode in the franchise for me, it’s a true masterpiece. Trip is the team’s brain, no question about that, guy can build all kinds of things with his limited resources, like Circuit, or the Electro Booster. His intelligence is matched by his friendliness and naivete. Those are his best and worst traits. Trip’s place on the team is at the bottom or so he believes. Everyone treats him like a little brother, from Lucas and Katie, and especially Wes, who he becomes very close with as a way to learn about 2001. Katie and Trip also have a very close bond, as seen in the first episode when shes protective of him when Lucas flips out on him for not having his psychic visions when its convenient(his trait as an alien). Trip is an alien from Xybria, who is able to see events in the future and in the present day, they come randomly, but they seem to be why he initially was put in Time Force. Due to his status as the teams little brother, he always has issues with asserting himself, and in Uniquely Trip, tries his best to be like his other teammates when he starts getting clumsy during fights. Dude starts working out, alot, and even though its clear he won’t be the strongest ranger, Trip still shines as the heart of sorts of the team, as it’s his sense of justice and his kind heart that breaks through to Nadira in the finale when he forces her to help a lady in labor to show her the beauty of humanity, which starts her(rather late) character arc of questioning why her father would hate humans so much. People will often lump Trip in with Katie and Lucas, since its believed that all three of these rangers were ignored throughout the entire season and the most common complaint of Time Force, outside of its lack of use of Time Travel and near copy and paste of the Sentai, is its “lack of use” for Trip, Katie and Lucas. While Trip didn’t quite have the amount of screen time as Wes, Jen and Eric, he had more than enough screen time to stand out compared to at least Lucas, since Katie, despite not getting much to do throughout the season, was probably the most likeable of the Time Force team, and I was never bothered that much by her lack of screen time or development, at least compared to Lucas, whose just a cipher on the team really. Time Force is that lightning in a bottle season, its truly magical in how great its themes play out and how its characters change not only themselves but the destinies of those around them, and Trip was my favorite ranger in this regard, cause the change he made in the most rottten character, Nadira, ended up making all the difference in the finale, End of Time.
That was my thoughts on the Green and Black rangers, I know that some of these opinions may or may not be popular but they are mine and mine to discuss. I hope to know what your favourite Green/Black Rangers are. Ik this is months late, but with my final semester winding down and summer approaching, I hope to continue this for the near future. Next time you see me, I’ll be doing the top 10 Yellow Rangers, see you guys next time, and remember, stay awesome.
