Mighty Morphin Power Rangers True Sequel Came Out 9 Years After The OG Show Ended And Even Had Its Own Evil Green Ranger

From toys to costumes and everything in between, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was a pop culture phenomenon in the 1990s. The American show was a localized version of the Super Sentai seriesZyuranger and would be the first of several similar adaptations. Power Rangers’ history goes beyond MMPR, but much of the franchise’s identity traces back to what the original series did. This is why almost every Power Rangers season borrows from MMPR on some level. However, Mighty Morphin’s true spiritual successor only came out in 2004, and it got nostalgia right.

Dino Thunder Was A Spiritual Successor To Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

Dinosaurs, Teenagers With Attitude, And Tommy Oliver

Dino Thunder was a return to form for Power Rangers. From having the Rangers in high school to the return of Power Rangers legend Tommy Oliver, Dino Thunder was as exciting for a new generation of kids who were just discovering the show as it was for long-time fans who had watched MMPR when it came out. It must be noted that Power Rangers had ditched the “teenagers in high school fighting monsters” formula since 1998’s Power Rangers in Space, but Dino Thunder brought it back without lowering the stakes of the show.

In fact, Dino Thunder arguably did a better version of this formula than MMPR did. While the Power Rangers were now kids again as opposed to adult officers like in Time Force or trained ninjas like in Ninja Storm, Dino Thunder didn’t present itself as a silly show and made its characters three-dimensional. Of course, it’s impossible to compare Dino Thunder to MMPR without acknowledging that they had the same motif – dinosaurs. This is one of the reasons why bringing back Jason David Frank’s Tommy Oliver made so much sense.

Tommy’s Return In Dino Thunder Made It A Legacy Power Rangers Season

The Original Green Ranger Was Now A Teacher

Disney’s approach to Power Rangers was significantly different from what the franchise had been doing up until that point. While Power Rangers had been doing standalone seasons since Lost Galaxy, the Disney seasons were even more self-contained. Apart from the usual crossover episodes, shows like Ninja Storm and S.P.D. could have easily happened outside of the main Power Rangers chronology – Ninja Storm didn’t even have a team-up episode. The fact that Power Rangers was now filmed in New Zealand also gave the Disney season a distinct look. Therefore, Tommy’s return to Dino Thunder was quite surprising.

Instead of making Dino Thunder a standalone possible like Ninja Storm, Power Rangers brought back one of the most iconic characters in the franchise to serve as a mentor to new heroes. Tommy was now Dr. Oliver, a high school teacher with PhD in paleontology working on Reefside. The last time we saw Tommy was in “Forever Red” in 2002, during which we didn’t learn much about what the original Green Ranger had been doing since his Turbo days ended. By bringing Tommy back, Dino Thunder made itself into a legacy season.

Dino Thunder’s White Ranger Gave The Show Its Own “Evil Green Ranger”

White Ranger Trent Had Its Own “Green With Evil” Arc

Custom image by SR Image Editor

The dinosaur motif, the high school setting, and Tommy’s return were not the only ways in which Dino Thunder was a spiritual successor to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. The 2004 series also had its own evil Ranger, the White Ranger. Granted, evil Rangers had been a thing in both Super Sentai and Power Rangers for decades now, yet Trent’s story in Dino Thunder was clearly meant to mirror Tommy’s. Trent was friends with the Power Rangers in school until he was brainwashed by the villains and became an evil Power Ranger.

The White Ranger gave Dino Thunder its own “Green With Evil” arc, with Trent going from a terrifying villain to a member of the team. When the Rangers were talking about whether Trent could be saved, Tommy told them not to give up on him. The new Black Ranger was talking from experience, as he went through the same thing during Mighty Morphin after Rita Repulsa brainwashed him and made him the evil Green Ranger. Dino Thunder had one of the best evil Rangers on the show, and the fact his story echoed Tommy’s arc made it even better.

Few Power Rangers Seasons Got Nostalgia As Right As Dino Thunder

Dino Thunder Was More Than Just Nostalgia And Callbacks

Custom image by Yailin Chacon

One of the biggest problems with Power Rangers is how the franchise can rely too much on Mighty Morphin nostalgia. For example, Power Rangers Samurai brought back the “Go, Go, Power Rangers” theme song and tried to do its own version of MMPR by bringing the Rangers back to school. That is not to mention smaller things like modern Rangers saying “It’s morphin’ time.” When it comes to other media – such as comics and video games – Power Rangers is even more reliant on Mighty Morphin’s legacy.

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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.

Dino Thunder managed to embrace nostalgia while also being a great, fresh new story on its own. The MMPR connections only enhanced the story and were never the main focus of the show. Even Tommy Oliver, who would usually steal the spotlight anything he showed up, works great as a supporting character in Dino Thunder. Conner, the Red Ranger, was the leader in Dino Thunder, not Tommy. Episodes like “White Thunder” or “Fighting Spirit” are great examples of what made Dino Thunder such a good spiritual successor to Mighty Morphin.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Has Had A Lot Of “Sequels” Since 1995

From Power Rangers Zeo To Once & Always And The Comics

Dino Thunder was one of many “sequels” Mighty Morphin Power Rangers received over the years. The first and most “official” sequel to the original show was Power Rangers Zeo, which served as a direct continuation of Mighty Morphin. Zeo would then lead into Turbo, during which the remaining cast members from the earlier seasons left and were replaced by new characters. The Zordon Era was concluded in 1998 with Power Rangers in Space, but that was not the end of Mighty Morphin’s influence in the franchise.

In addition to all the cameos over the years – from Adam in In Space to Tommy, Kat, and Rocky in Ninja Steel – Power Rangers also celebrated its first show with 2023’s Once & Always. That same year, Billy, who had already appeared in Once & Always, was a recurrent character in Cosmic Fury, a season that also saw the return of Lord Zedd. Mighty Morphin has also received sequels in the comics, most of which are set in alternate continuities. Even with so much MMPR presence in the franchise, Power Rangers Dino Thunder was a beautiful love letter to the original show.

Power Rangers Dino Thunder is a television series that premiered in 2004, serving as the 12th season of the Power Rangers franchise. The show follows three high school students who become superheroes known as the Dino Thunder Power Rangers, tasked with saving the world from the evil Dr. Tommy Oliver and his minions.

Cast James Napier , Kevin Duhaney , Emma Lahana , Jason David Frank , Jeffrey Parazzo

Release Date February 14, 2004

Seasons 1

Streaming Service(s) pluto tv

Writers Douglas Sloan , Ann Austen

Directors Charlie Haskell , Andrew Merrifield

Creator(s) Haim Saban , Shuki Levy