Every Power Rangers season features a supporting cast of civilian characters. While some are obviously better than others, iconic figures like Bulk and Skull, Boom, and Doctor K are often just as beloved by fans as the Rangers from their respective seasons. It sometimes even gets to a point where viewers may wish these outstanding allies could morph themselves.
Along with them being well-written, well-acted characters, it isn’t uncommon for the allies of the Power Rangers to be more worthy of powers than the Rangers themselves. There are certainly Rangers who are duds that could have stood to be replaced, and their seasons sometimes even had a better option available. These unsung heroes all have excellent stories, and they’ve all proven their worth at one point or another.
Ryan Steele is the Leader of the VR Troopers
Originally the protagonist of the ’90s cult classic VR Troopers, Ryan Steele has only recently become classified as a Power Rangers character, thanks to Power Rangers Prime. However, he’s always had a strange connection to the Power Rangers franchise. Ryan’s actor, Brad Hawkins, was originally slated to play the White Mighty Morphin Ranger at a time when Tommy Oliver’s actor, the late Jason David Frank, was starring in the pilot that ultimately became VR Troopers, Cybertron. As if that weren’t enough, Hawkins later served as the initial voice of Trey of Triforia in Power Rangers Zeo.
VR Troopers ran for 2 seasons, from 1994 to 1996.
Hawkins was not meant to play Ryan Steele in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, but it would have been great if he had. Ryan is cool, naturally charming, immensely skilled, and has a personal storyline about searching for his missing father. He definitely would have been a more valuable inclusion in MMPR as a substitute Red Ranger than Rocky DeSantos, and it would have been easy to take him seriously as Tommy’s second-in-command.
Billy Cranston Should Have Been the Gold Zeo Ranger
As the Mighty Morphin Blue Ranger, Billy Cranston is one of the most iconic Power Rangers ever. Unlike the other longest-serving Rangers, though, he’s only ever used a single set of powers. What makes this so disappointing is that the opportunity was present to make Billy the Gold Zeo Ranger, but this never happened due to awful behind-the-scenes issues.
Billy Cranston is played by David Yost.
In Power Rangers Zeo, Billy is present for most of the season as a technical advisor, having stepped down from being a Ranger, so Tanya Sloane could join the fight against evil. It isn’t long before Billy starts regretting this decision, and when Trey of Triforia needs to pass his powers down to a human, Billy is even seen as the obvious choice in-universe. Exciting as it was for Jason Lee Scott to return as the second Gold Zeo Ranger, in an ideal world, the powers would have just gone to Billy.
Bulk and Skull Repeatedly Proved Themselves Worthy of Ranger Powers
By the second half of Power Rangers Turbo, Bulk and Skull hold seniority over all other characters in the series, and it isn’t even close to being the last season they appear in. They’re also, far and away, the most well-developed characters in the Zordon Era, going from idiotic bullies to good-hearted heroes, and they repeatedly help the Rangers and others. Bulk and Skull challenged a monster by themselves to restore the Rangers’ lost memories, they personally helped save the world of Horath, and they led humanity into battle against the invading United Alliance of Evil.
Farkas “Bulk” Bulkmeier and Eugene “Skull” Skullovich are played by Paul Schrier and Jason Narvy.
When the time came for Tommy, Adam, Kat, and Tanya to choose successors in Power Rangers Turbo, Bulk and Skull would have made more sense than people they barely knew and/or had proven to be unreliable. The only downside is that fans adore TJ, Ashley, and Cassie, and only Carlos wouldn’t be missed too much, meaning there would really only be room for one half of the duo. Neither of these series mainstays has ever morphed in an official capacity, but Bulk’s actor, Paul Schier, has at least had the opportunity to play a Power Ranger, portraying Jack Thomas in Power Rangers Hyperforce.
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Silvy Larson Becoming a Modern Power Ranger Would Have Been Cathartic For Longtime Fans
Silvy Larson only appears in three episodes of Power Rangers in Space, but she’s a memorable part of it nonetheless. She’s a fun, energetic friend to Andros and Carlos, and she has one of the darkest backstories in the franchise’s history, with her only slightly older brother having died of an illness. Silvy is also helpful, as she’s the one who unlocks Andros’ battlizer.
Silvy Larson is played by Juliet Naulin.
Silvy outright says that she wants to become a Power Ranger. Given how young she is, she could have easily been brought back for a much later season, even if she needed to be re-cast. Longtime fans would have gotten a kick out of seeing Silvy make a return, and there are plenty of underwhelming Rangers from the Disney and Neo-Saban eras that could have been replaced by her.
Devon Del Valle Was Originally Planned to Become the Triassic Ranger
Devon Del Valle is a comic relief character in Power Rangers Dino Thunder, but he was originally planned to be so much more. Before the production staff found out that the Triassic Ranger suit was merely a power-up for the Red Ranger and not the suit of a Sixth Ranger, Devon was intended to take them on. It would have been hilarious to see this kind-hearted but empty-headed teenager become one of the strongest Rangers in the season.
Devon Del Valle is played by Tom Hern.
Devon deserved better than being forced to spend most of Dino Thunder as Cassidy Cornell’s lackey. Even if the Super Sentai footage only used the Triassic Ranger powers as an extension of the Red Ranger’s, Devon could still have been made the Sixth Ranger. The series has made bigger changes, and even if he hadn’t gotten much screen time as a Ranger, it still would have been satisfying to witness.
Boom Should Have Gotten to Morph into the Orange Ranger For Real
Boom’s backstory in Power Rangers SPD involves him having flunked out of the SPD Academy and becoming Dr. Kat Manx’s invention tester. That doesn’t stop him from fantasizing about being a Power Ranger, and he even has an extended daydream where he fights as the SPD Orange Ranger. While he may not be able to fight in real life as well as he does in his head, Boom still absolutely has the heart of a hero, and he shows this constantly.
Boom is played by Kelson Henderson.
Along with being one of the noblest characters in his season, Boom is also hilarious and always entertaining. Given how SPD had no limit on its count of Rangers, and Boom’s partner Kat got to morph once, he should have gotten the same honor. Fortunately, while Boom never morphed, his actor Kelson Henderson has, while portraying Mick Kanic in Power Rangers Ninja Steel.
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Clare is One of the Few Characters to Morph Without Getting Ranger Powers
Clare is potentially the strongest ally a team of Rangers has ever had. A member of the most powerful magical family of all time, Clare functions as The Gatekeeper, the guardian of the portal between Earth and the Underworld. At the same time, she’s also a clumsy screw-up with self-esteem issues, and her struggles to overcome these issues lead to her having a more impactful storyline than 5/6 members of Power Rangers Mystic Force’s main team.
Clare is played by Antonia Prebble.
It isn’t especially hard to figure out who on the Mystic Force team Clare should have replaced. Madison Rocca is infamous for being the least memorable and useful Ranger in the franchise and for barely having any screen presence. Clare’s story is already brilliant, and it could have been even better if she’d wielded the powers of the Blue Mystic Ranger.
Spencer is More Competent Than the Entire Operation Overdrive Team
To say that the team of heroes present in Power Rangers Operation Overdrive is unlikable and unqualified would be an understatement. Fans despise this team, their selfishness, and how readily they give up when times get tough, and it’s a major reason the season is so disliked. But, if there’s one part of Operation Overdrive everyone loves, it’s Spencer.
Spencer is played by the late David Weatherley.
Spencer is so much more than just a witty butler with lots of funny lines. He’s emotionally intelligent, responsible, and noble, as well as a former member of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy and a master of disguise. There truly isn’t a single set of Overdrive Ranger powers that wouldn’t have been better off in Spencer’s hands.
Fran Nearly Morphed Into the Yellow Jungle Fury Ranger
Fran is one of the most easily lovable supporting characters in the entire franchise. A regular and eventually an employee at Jungle Karma Pizza, with a true obsession for their offerings, Fran is endlessly sweet and supportive, no matter how many reasons she’s given not to be. She’s also intelligent enough to deduce the identities of the Jungle Fury Rangers all on her own and to bond romantically with the team’s resident book nerd, Dominic Hargan.
Fran is played by Sarah Thomson.
Fran shouldn’t have replaced any of the Jungle Fury Rangers, but she didn’t need to. In “Bad to the Bone,” Lily Chilman’s mind is corrupted by a monster, and she loses interest in being a Ranger. With no fear, Fran moves to take Lily’s Solar Morpher and join the fight herself, but the fight that ensues from this leads to Lily being set back to normal. It’s questionable how well Fran would have fared in a single battle as the Yellow Jungle Fury Ranger, but she deserved the chance to show what she could do.
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Doctor K is the Main Hero of Power Rangers RPM
Doctor K has a very good reason for never Morphing; she cannot fight at all. However, her very own love interest, Ziggy Grover, proves that even the least competent fighter can find ways to excel as a Ranger. As the creator of the Rangers’ powers in Power Rangers RPM, Doctor K should have at least tried them out for herself.
Doctor K is played by Olivia Tennet.
Doctor K is the best-written character in Power Rangers, and the main hero of RPM, both facts that make it somewhat odd she’d never morphed. She shouldn’t have replaced Summer or Gemma but rather just tried and failed to fight against Venjix herself prior to the start of the series. Seasons like Ninja Storm have shown how easy it would have been for the production team to simply show her in a pink or purple variant of the Ranger Operator Series Yellow suit for a few seconds.
- Created by
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Haim Saban, Shotaro Ishinomori, Shuki Levy
- First TV Show
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Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers
