Power Rangers’ Darkest Origin Story Made For The Coolest Evil Ranger

Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue includes the saga’s coolest evil Ranger, and it features the darkest Power Rangers origin story in all of the franchise. From Mighty Morphin Power Rangers’ Tommy Oliver to Power Rangers Cosmic Fury’s Ollie Akana, the “evil Ranger” trope has always been part of Power Rangers’ charm. However, even though the Green Ranger is the most iconic, he was never the most complex evil Ranger.

While every Power Rangers season is based on a Super Sentai show, Lightspeed Rescue took some liberties compared to GoGo V. This includes the introduction of the Titanium Ranger, an original Power Rangers character who has no Sentai counterpart. Not only was the Titanium Ranger one of the best evil Rangers, but he also had the darkest, cruelest origin story in a Power Rangers show.

Power Rangers’ Titanium Ranger Origin Story Explained

Captain Mitchell, the man who would one day form the Lightspeed Rescue Power Rangers team, was once driving back home with his two children, Dana and Ryan. After a car accident, the captain and both of his children saw themselves hanging over a cliff. It was dark, and raining, and there was no one else around to help them. Captain Mitchell could reach out to Dana, but he couldn’t grab Ryan without killing all of them. Tragically, Ryan’s dad was going to have to save his daughter at the expense of letting his son fall.

Help did come after all, but in the most perverse way. Diabolico, a demon who would face the Power Rangers years later, appeared to Captain Mitchell and offered him a deal. The demon would save Ryan, but in return, the boy would be his to train. Captain Mitchell, in despair, recused the offer. However, just as Ryan was about to fall to his death, his father had no choice but to make a deal with the devil. Diabolico rescued Ryan, and Captain Mitchel never saw his son again. That was until a mysterious figure stole the Titanium Morpher and attacked the Power Rangers.

Twenty years after Captain Mitchell made a deal with Diabolical, Ryan returned as the evil Titanium Ranger. Ryan had spent all those years being trained by Diabolical and the forces of evil. In addition, Diabolical convinced Ryan that Captain Mitchell could have saved him by himself but chose not to. Ryan grew up thinking his father chose his sister over him, which made him hate not only the captain of Lightspeed but also Dana, the Lightspeed Rescue Pink Ranger. The scene in which Captain Mitchell recognizes his son 20 years later after looking in the eyes of the Titanium Ranger is one of Power Rangers’ chilliest moments.

Why Lightspeed Rescue’s Titanium Ranger Was One Of The Best Evil Rangers

The Titanium Ranger’s time as an evil Ranger was not long – Ryan only fought the Power Rangers for two episodes – but it was enough to leave a mark on the franchise. The only “good person-turned-evil ranger” up until that point in the Power Rangers timeline was Tommy Oliver, the original Green Ranger. However, whereas Tommy was under a mind-controlling spell that removed his agency, Ryan believed that his father abandoned him and wanted revenge because of that. Still, Ryan was a victim, and while no magic spell was involved, he was brainwashed by Diabolical and the rest of the demons.

Related

10 Best Power Rangers Of All Time, Ranked

From Mighty Morphin legends like Tommy and Jason to new names, it can be difficult to pick the best Power Rangers among so many great characters.

Fortunately, after reconnecting with his sister and opening himself to reconnect with his father, Ryan remembered what happened on that tragic night. The Titanium Ranger realized he had been used by Diabolical and decided to fight alongside the Lightspeed Power Rangers. At first, Ryan was ashamed of having helped Diabolical and did not want to be a part of the team. However, the Titanium Ranger eventually officially became one of the Lightspeed Rescue Rangers. Interestingly, since the Titanium Ranger was created for Power Rangers and didn’t exist in GoGoV, he did not have too much screen time compared to the core Lightspeed Rangers.