44. Nick Russell (Firass Dirani)
Power Rangers Mystic Force Nick is not great. Mystic Force was squarely focused on him and that red blanket of his. He had few redeeming qualities besides driving his bike into the face of a monster. He turned to evil in the finale for no discernible reason! He was so ready to give up when faced with adversity, his entire team had to rally him to keep going. What kind of leader is he? He also rode off into the sunset with his mom and dad on motorcycles. Because you know what’s awesome when you’re a teenager? Going on a super cool biking road trip with mom and dad! No wonder Madison gave up on him. Just look at that costume. That alone justifies his spot near the bottom. The guy doesn’t have a character. He’s there to be evil Jason during “Green No More.” Oh, and fun fact, there was another Dark Ranger in the Marvel Comics Power Rangers line named Farai Jukwa.
42. Officer Tate
Power Rangers SPD He died and is the reason for Sky being a dick I guess? Not much to say, although reusing the Time Force Red suit has certainly kept fans talking about him to this day.
41. Dane Romero (Mike Edward)
Power Rangers Ninja Steel/Super Ninja Steel
40. Red Cyborg Ranger
Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue Intended to replace the Lightspeed Rangers, these robots went on a rampage after a monster attacked them. So uh, this robot isn’t a great Red Ranger. Especially since he’s, you know, basically dead. Awkward.
39. Robo Red Ranger(s)
Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel There are way more robot Red Rangers than you’d think there would be. This guy got beat up by the Past Rangers, including Tommy! Which you know, considering how Tommy took over leadership from Jason it feels kinda fitting.
38. Jayden’s Father (Steven A. Davis)
Power Rangers Samurai
37. The Grand Shogun (Jim McLarty)
Power Rangers Super Samurai He was pretty mysterious and had some sweet armor! That’s all we’ve got. Maybe if he shows up in the background of a team-up or something we’ll rank him higher.
36. Aurico (David Bacon)
Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers Most of the Alien Rangers are victims of having too little screen time, and what they did have was shared with the Rangers when they were turned into kids. Even showing up in “Forever Red” didn’t give Aurico anything to do. He wasn’t even the leader of his team… that was Delphine, the White Alien Ranger. He’s remembered solely because he was red.
35. Brody (Will Shewfelt)
Power Rangers Ninja Steel/Super Ninja Steel Too bad the dude just runs around shouting, “THIS. IS. EPIC!” all the time. He could have been great but ended up as being pretty forgettable. Once he finds his dad in Ninja Steel, he’s also left with little to do in Super Ninja Steel.
34. Rocky (Steve Cardenas)
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie
Yes, we’re doing this. It’s a differently continuity so it’s a different Rocky! He’s basically the main universe’s Rocky with an even more ’90s haircut. He’s gonna make you pack your bags!
33. Mick Kanic (Kelson Henderson)
Power Rangers Ninja Steel/Super Ninja Steel The legend says that we had to put Mick in this spot so we did. Simple as that. Okay, okay. Mick is pretty much beloved simply because he’s played by the fabulous Kelson Henderson, but his character was mostly there to dish out lessons and build things. He was only Red Ranger for a second, so he’s not ranked higher. As much as I love the idea of Rocky’s ancestor becoming a Power Ranger and fighting off cowboy putties, I can’t put him higher on the list. All of the Rangers ancestors were just wild west stereotypes of themselves. But look at those fancy duds!
31. Psycho Red (Patrick David)
Power Rangers in Space The Psycho Rangers get a lot of love from fans for being the best team of evil rangers the show has ever introduced. But the Psycho Rangers are overhyped. They don’t have any personality besides, “We’re faster than you, smarter than you, but we’re EVIL!!!!!” They just run around for an arc of episodes trying to kill the Rangers because…they’re evil! We never get any real motivation for why they’re doing what they do. Thankfully the Psycho Path comic from Boom gave them more to do.
30. Cole (Ricardo Medina Jr.)
Power Rangers Wild Force Sure, the backstory of his parents is tragic but too often he’s trying to make nice with the enemies or just delivering awkward dialogue. He uses his heart to talk with animals! Look, if I wanted to watch Captain Planet, I would watch Captain Planet.
29. Robot TJ (Selwyn Ward)
Power Rangers Turbo All robots in the Power Rangers universe should be so lucky as to be modeled after the man, the myth, the legend, TJ! Yeah sure, Robot TJ never did much but he’s got TJ’s face! We gotta rate him a little high for that.
28. Casey (Jason Smith)
Power Rangers Jungle Fury Casey doesn’t want any trouble. That’s pretty much all I ever got out of him. He was a towel boy who ended up as the leader of a Ranger team. He got mad when RJ took over, even though RJ was his superior in every way from day one. You can’t compete with a zen Purple Ranger dude, you just can’t. He even told a little kid who stole a kite from a toy store that the Power Rangers would beat him up if they found out he was a thief.
27. Jayden (Alex Heartman)
Power Rangers Samurai/Super Samurai He must not fail, he is the Red Ranger. Jayden is a victim of direct translation. He’s written to be like his Sentai counterpart… but the defining characteristics of Samurai Sentai Shinkenger’s Takeru just don’t work for an American character. That and for the first half of the series he’s stuck in a permanent scowl. It isn’t till the end of Super Samurai we see a bit of Alex Heartman’s natural charisma finally come out. It’s a shame they never used his talents because Jayden is painfully dull. Just remember guys, we can do this as a team! Now I’m going to use my giant sword to defeat the monsters by myself! TEAMWORK! Troy hates water bottles. Really hates water bottles. That’s all I’ve got. Troy had a ton of potential, recurring dreams about a war of Rangers, and being the new kid in school, but he just fights. And maybe remembers to grieve for his daddy — I mean Robo Knight — sometimes! But hey, he’s really flying a dragon! Do you see any tears?
25. Mack (James MacLurcan)
Power Rangers Overdrive Mack, the boy who doesn’t know he’s a robot! While this revelation is one of the best episodes of Overdrive, Mack is also the leader of one of the least likable teams in one of the weaker seasons of Power Rangers. Without the robot thing he’d have little to stand out. I like Rocky. He just wants to have fun. But he isn’t a good Red Ranger. By the time he’s introduced as the replacement for Jason, Tommy is running the show. He’s second in command at best. Season 2 didn’t give him much to work with and even his own episodes in Season 3 didn’t do much to define him. However, by the time Zeo came around, Rocky finally came into his own. But he was blue, not red. We even had a whole episode that dealt with him feeling inferior to Jason. When that’s your best episode of the season, you aren’t the best Red Ranger on the block.
23. Sky (Chris Violette)
Power Rangers SPD Sky is sexist and we really need to get that out there before we go on. The fact his biggest lesson of the season was to accept the fact a girl could be Red Ranger was…. Kinda gross? Other than that he’s an okay character but he’s mostly known for being Blue Ranger. He got to be Red Ranger once because Jack felt sorry for him. Not a great reason to be ranked higher. Some will argue Hunter isn’t a Red Ranger, but if we count the QUANTUM Ranger as Red? Then Hunter is fine in that category, even if he really isn’t a leader. Hunter is the head of the two-brother team known as the Thunder Rangers but by the time they’re united with the Wind Rangers? Shane is the leader. I like that they had a whole episode addressing who the leader was, but at the end of the day it was Shane who saved the world, not Hunter.
21. Jack (Brandon Jay McLaren)
Power Rangers SPD I wish I liked Jack better. There’s a lot going for his character, especially his ultimate decision to give up being a Ranger in favor of helping the poor. However his track record of being a Red Ranger… isn’t great. His worst moment was that time he thought it was better to hang out with a girl he had just met than saving the universe. Come on, man! Jack’s not a bad character, he’s just not a very good Red Ranger. Alex certainly makes a splash in the first episode of Time Force by biting it hardcore at the hands of Ransik. Just kidding though, he’s actually alive and working behind-the-scenes! Kind of a dick move but hey, I guess the timeline or something prevented it. Sure. Kudos to Jason Faunt for imbuing the character with a very different feel from Wes. At first Alex seems embarrassingly better than Wes but over time you come to realize that he’s very much in the wrong. He’s more concerned with Time Force’s mission than how the team feels and that’s his undoing, especially when it comes to Jen.
19. Charlie (Gina Varela)
Power Rangers SPD The very first female Red Ranger in the series history was only on screen for a handful of episodes but she made a definite impression. We didn’t get anything wishy-washy about why she turned evil: “Everyone wants to be on the winning team!” Charlie was a cool, calculating, effective leader. She had the Rangers on the ropes and nearly defeated them, but was ultimately undone by the power of teamwork! Power Rangers in Space presents us with two versions of Andros. One is an angsty leader who’s still getting over his sister being kidnapped when they were kids. He’ll do anything to get her back and nothing in the universe will stop him. He even shattered Zordon’s tube to do it. I can’t stand this Andros. The other Andros is a bumbling alien who can never quite understand human interaction, which is masterfully shown in “A Ranger Among Thieves.” Also, this Andros is petty and jealous whenever the girl he likes even looks at another guy. That’s so hilariously terrible for a galactic hero that I have to love it.
17. Bridge (Matt Austin)
Power Rangers SPD Oh Bridge, the most unconventional Red Ranger of all and a delight to boot. How can you not like the guy? He loves toast! Toast, of all things! We never got to see much of him as the Red Ranger but the fact he was totally chill working under Adam, even when Red’s are typically leaders, netted big points from us. Also, he’s the only Jewish Ranger! We need more! Devon’s relationship with his father stands out the most. We learn early on that Devon hasn’t had the greatest track record in pleasing his dad and that desire to prove himself informs many of his best moments. Trying to get a job to please his dad but having to leave because he’s a Ranger, thus disappointing him, is great stuff. Sadly we don’t get enough of these moments across the two seasons of Beast Morphers and without them Devon isn’t given enough to really stand out. Devon is a solid Red Ranger but Beast Morphers really ended up being the Nate and Steel show, and Devon got a little lost in the shuffle.
15. Tyler (Brennan Mejia)
Power Rangers Dino Charge/Dino Super Charge Tyler just wants to find his Dad, which basically makes him Ryan Steele from VR Troopers for the new generation. This means I love him with all my heart. He even wore a vest a few times! Tyler is what I would call a very squee-able character. He’s super cute and while he may lack some of the depth of the other Rangers on this list, he makes up for it with his pure enthusiasm for life. It’s just a shame his character arc took such a nosedive after her found his dad. Come on, dude! Be a little mad about your dad not showing up for 10 years when he totally could have.
14. Lauren (Kimberly Crossman)
Power Rangers Super Samurai The true leader of the Samurai Rangers, Lauren was hinted at very early on in Samurai and finally appeared during the final arc of Super Samurai. Our first female Red Ranger on the side of good! Lauren even had a way to defeat Xandred when the Rangers had just been waiting around to figure something out. Sadly, Power Rangers is still a show with a lot of inherent sexism so Lauren never got to reach her full potential as a character. But the fact that she was only around for a few episodes and made such a great impression only further proves we need a woman Red Ranger full time.
13. Tommy (Jason David Frank)
Power Rangers Zeo/Power Rangers Turbo Sit down, angry fanboys. I know a lot of you are probably wondering why the much-revered Tommy Oliver isn’t at the top of this list. Let me break it down. Turbo Tommy doesn’t matter. He suddenly loves cars! What?! Tommy in Zeo was good, just not amazing. His best moment is in the episode where he’s forced to sing. JDF clearly can’t sing worth a damn, which makes it all much funnier. Again, he’s not bad. At this point in the list I actually pretty much like everyone, and he’s leaps and bounds a much better character than what he was in MMPR.
12. Zordon (Bryan Cranston)
Power Rangers (2017) Hey, he was a Red Ranger for a few minutes. It totally counts! So he may have caused his whole team to die but in doing so he fulfilled every fanon theory viewers have had about the original Zordon. He was a dick and really only cared about himself. Zordon’s arc throughout the whole movie is becoming more like the TV version of Zordon. A wise and caring leader. You also can’t deny you want a Zordon/Rita prequel movie. The way Rita spoke about Zordon left some tantalizing hints for any future movie to cover. It’s probably not going to happen now but I can dream!
11. Leo (Danny Slavin)
Power Rangers Lost Galaxy When Leo isn’t angsting over his brother (seriously, why do Red Rangers have to angst so much) I love him. He’s a simple guy who just wanted to go off into space and see the new world. He tries getting a job in the command center but realizes he’s not cut out for that kind of life. So he just kinda hangs around Terra Venture and tries to learn to talk with his giant animal Zord. But at the end of the day he’s the one who makes the last stand against Trakeena in one of the greatest action scenes in Power Rangers history.
10. Carter (Sean CW Johnson)
Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue Carter is an all American boy who probably eats nothing but hot dogs and apple pie. This guy is a hero through and through. For god’s sake, he was a fire fighter before he even became a Ranger! When he teamed up with all the other Rangers in “Forever Red?” While they were out doing overly complicated martial arts moves, he was blasting enemies left and right with his blaster. Carter knows how to get things done, even if he has to be smacked around by Captain Mitchell a bit before he learns the lesson of the day.
9. Scott (Eka Darville)
Power Rangers RPM Again, besides the angst over losing his brother (Lost Galaxy much?) Scott is great. By that, I mean he’s a dick. He seems to care more about his car than the entire city. He just wants to impress his dad who clearly loved his brother more than him. He throws babies around in the middle of fights. He gets super angry when he doesn’t get a medal but his teammate, Gem, does. Now I know this sounds like I hate the guy, but I love Scott for one reason alone. When he shows up in “Clash of the Red Rangers,” Scott has transformed from RPM Scott to Needlessly Antagonistic Scott. He’s openly antagonistic to the whole team and thinks fixing a car made out of symbol power is more important than stopping the already grown monster. That’s just… that’s a beautiful thing. (Okay, he’s also great in RPM but that “Clash of the Red Rangers” appearance is just pure gold.)
8. Jason (Austin St. John)
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers The reason Jason is so high on the list has to do with his involvement in many of the episodes surrounding Tommy’s arc as the Green Ranger. We see him battling alone against Goldar without his powers and see his frustration (at least it isn’t about a brother) over not being able to save Tommy’s powers. Jason seems like the kind of guy you’d want to know or be around. He’s generally good-natured and willing to help out. He also has one of the greatest quips in all of Power Rangers, “Your polluting days are over, horse-face! I’m sending you back to the barn!” Perfection.
7. Shane (Pua Magasiva)
Power Rangers Ninja Storm You know, despite the Ninja Storm cast all being adrenaline sports junkies, they were all pretty damn likable. Shane started off as this wacky guy who didn’t even believe the Power Rangers existed and ended up getting some some real tender moments. When faced with his greatest fear, we find out it’s disappointing his brother (again with the brother angst), which perfectly fit with a teenager who, to the outside world, is seen as a slacker. He wants to tell his brother everything about how he saves the world, but he can’t, so he has to maintain the charade that all he’s doing with his life is hanging out at skate parks. It’s a really touching episode, much more than one would expect in a goofy season like Ninja Storm.
6. Zayto (Russell Curry)
Power Rangers Dino Fury Zayto is Andros done right. He’s got the tragic backstory but he’s also really goofy, not understanding Earth but always doing his best with a big smile on his face. Russell Curry brings a lot of charm to the role and gives Zayto many layers that enhance what’s already on the page. He’s also got incredible comedic timing. Zayto truly is cool, cool, cool-io. We can’t wait to see how he develops (and what else we’ll learn about his past) when Dino Fury returns for season 2!
5. Jason (Dacre Montgomery)
Power Rangers (2017) Jason in this movie has all the depth you wish Rangers normally had. He’s made mistakes and tries to make up for them as best he can. He forms a powerful bond with Billy and the other Rangers. He has the standard Power Rangers Daddy Issues plotline and it actually has depth and nuance! John Gatins, writer of the Power Rangers movie, I salute you. While we don’t have much time to spend with Jason, he makes a HUGE impression. When he’s leading the others into what seems to be their final moments he doesn’t hesitate. He just tells them to keep going. It’s a shame a sequel to the film isn’t happening because we desperately need more adventures with this Jason at the helm. He’s got the real muscles and the power.
4. Conner (James Napier)
Power Rangers Dino Thunder Conner just wanted to be an all-star soccer player before he fell in a giant sinkhole and became the Red Ranger. While not really a leader (Tommy was running the show this season, let’s be fair) Conner at least learned to be a better person. You see, at the start of the season Conner was a dick (more so than most Red Rangers). He was openly sexist to Kira and looked down at Ethan for being a nerd. Over the season, however, he slowly changed. We saw him learn how to treat others with respect (and it was better than Sky’s arc in that regard, especially when it comes to his sexism.) He started noticing kindness would get him farther with people than brushing them aside. He evolved from being a dick to generally caring about others. He even had to give up his dream of being a soccer star (being a Ranger was too much of a time commitment) but later was able to open up soccer camps all around the world. Good on you, Conner.
3. Wes (Jason Faunt)
Power Rangers Time Force Wes was a spoiled brat. His father was rich and he got to do whatever he wanted…until the other Time Force Rangers appeared and needed him to unlock their morphers. After that, Wes slowly grew into a true team player (because Jen was the leader, don’t lie to yourself) and was even willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to save his new friends. He gave up his powers to take over his dying father’s company and sent his friends back to the future in order to keep them safe. He also imparted one of PR’s best lessons: “We all make our own destiny.” That’s something everyone can stand to learn.
2. Eric (Daniel Southworth)
Power Rangers Time Force Eric is the polar opposite of Wes. Growing up dirt poor, he had to pull his life out of the gutter any way he could. Even then, he still couldn’t match Wes. That all changed when he stole the powers of the Quantum Ranger and used them to maneuver his way to head of the Silver Guardians. Eric played for keeps. He didn’t mess around like the other Rangers. When he wanted something? He took it. He even traveled back in time to get the Q-Rex so he could fight on an even playing field with the Rangers. While eventually Eric did start helping the Time Force team more, he never really joined the team properly, and I liked that about him. He never gave up on his principles.
1. TJ (Selwyn Ward)
Power Rangers Turbo TJ was a Red Ranger for little over half a season, so why is he topping this list? Because TJ is a selfless hero who, when faced with great adversity, doesn’t hesitate and does what’s needed even when he doesn’t have the resources. First off, in the final battle against Divatox, both the Megazords are destroyed. So TJ puts his own life on the line to deliver a head on attack. Where others would have given up, TJ keeps going, and then some. He fought to the bitter end when Piranhatrons destroyed the Power Chamber, refusing to escape without Alpha. He was also the one who helped save Tommy from plummeting to his eternal death! Everyone loves Tommy so much but without TJ, Tommy would be dead! Now it’s your turn Den of Geek readers, how would YOU rank all the Red Rangers? Do you agree with my choices? Viciously disagree? LET ME KNOW! Side Note: Yes, I know there are technically more Red Rangers. Maybe the the Wolf Warrior. A Morphin Master? If you’re getting technical, we’ve got some New Powers Rangers in there. We could go on and on. But we all know the only true Red Ranger is Mark Dacascos. That’s right, Bioman pilot for life!
